Of Peace and Contentment of Mind, Book 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of Pride.
I Contend not whether Pride muſt be called a Vice or a Paſſion. It is enough for me, that it is an affection too naturall unto man, the cauſe of many paſsions, and a great diſturber of inward tranquillity.
Pride is a ſwelling of the ſoul, whoſe proper cauſes are, too good an opinion, and in conſequence, too great a love of ones ſelfe: and whoſe moſt proper effects are, ambition of dignity, and greedineſſe of praiſe. Wherefore theſe two effects cannot be overcome, unleſs we firſt overcome the cauſe which is preſumption, and a blinde immoderate love of a mans ſelfe.
It is impoſsible for a man to be tranquill and ſafe, as long as he ſits upon a crazy and tottering bottome. Pride then making a man to ground himſelfe upon himſelfe, cannot but keepe him in a perpetuall unquietneſs and vacillation. How can ye beleeve (ſaith the Lord Jeſus to the Jewes) which receive honour one of another and ſeeke not the honour that comes from God onelyonly? John 5.44. A text which taxeth Pride of two great evills, That is robbes God of his glory, and that it ſhakes the the foundation of faith; For a proud man ſeekes not the glory of God but his owne; and his owne glory hee doth not ſeeke of God, but will get it of men by his owne merit. Alſo it turnes his heart away from his truſt in God to truſt in his owne ſelfe Pſal. 10.13. The wicked boaſteth of his hearts deſire, ſaith David, that is, he is confident that by his owne ſtrength he ſhall compaſs all his projects; And againe, The wicked through the pride of his heart will not ſeeke after God: for the one brings the other. He that truſteth in himſelfe, and is highly conceited of his owne wiſedome, is eaſily perſwaded that he hath no need of God.
That diſpoſition of the mind is the high way to ruine. Prov. 16.18. Pride goeth before deſtruction and a haughty ſpirit before a fall. For God to whom only glory belongeth cannot but be very jealous of thoſe that wil ingroſs it to themſelves, & declares open warre againſt them. Pſal. 18.27. He will bring downe high lookes. Jam. 4.6. He reſiſteth the proud, but ſheweth grace unto the humble. Prov. 8.11. I hate pride and arrogancy, ſaith Soveraine wiſedome, which is God. As the winde hurts not the ſtalkes of herbs as long as they are ſupple and bowing, but breakes them when they are become dry and ſtiffe. The meeke and humble ſpirits that bow under Gods hand ſcape the ſtormes of his Judgements; But the hearts ſtiffe with pride are broken by them. They that acknowledge their weakneſſe, and ſeeke all their ſtrength in God, finde it, and may ſay with St. Paul. 2 Cor. 12.10. When I am weake then I am ſtrong. But ſuch as are high conceited of themſelves, and with their wiſedome will ſave the labour of Gods providence, provoke him to confound their counſels, and unravell the webbe of their crafty projects; Luk. 1.51. for he ſcattereth the proud in the imagination of their heart. Iſa. 5.21. Woe unto them that are wiſe in their owne eyes and prudent in their owne ſight. But bleſſed and wiſe are they that humble themſelves before God and relye upon his wiſedome. A proud man layeth himſelfe open to blowes by his preſumption, and like bubbles of ſoape water, the bigger he growes the weaker he is and ſwelles till he burſt.
There is a deep wiſedome in this ſentence of Solomon; Prov. 29.23. A mans pride ſhall bring him low. For beſides the judgements of God which ſoone or late will ſinke a proud man, Pride it ſelf while it goeth about to raiſe a man, brings him extream low, for it makes him biſognoſo d'honor, needy of reſpect and praiſe: It makes him begge frō dore to dore to get the approbation of ſtrangers, upon which he wholly depends, and without it thinks himſelfe undone. It makes him a ſlave to the opinion of others, thereby confuting the good opinion he hath of himſelfe, and making him tacitely confeſs, that he is indigent, empty, and hungry.
Alſo a mans Pride brings him low, when it makes him put on the vizard of ceremonious and hypocriticall humility, and give to all men more reſpect then belongs to them, that he may receive of all more reſpect then he deſerves. Of the ſame kinde are they, that deſpiſe themſelves that they may be honoured, and reject praiſe to get praiſe thereby, aſpiring in a carnall abuſive ſenſe to the benefit of Chriſts promiſe, that, He that ſhall humble himſelfe ſhall be exalted. Mat. 23.21. As in that humility there is pride, ſo in that pride there is a baſe minde.
There are two correctives of pride, two ſeeming contrary vertues, humility and generoſity, yet agreeing very well and helping one another.
That prime Philoſopher of our age Monſicur des Cartes ſaith, that Generoſity as well as Pride conſiſteth onelyonly in a good opinion of ones ſelfe, and that theſe paſſions herein onelyonly differ, that this opinion is juſt in the one and unjuſt in the other. It is judiciouſly ſpoken: yet their paſſions conſiſt not in that onelyonly, for generoſity is a greatneſſe of courage ſtanding firme in itſelf, but Pride is a weakneſſe of ſpirit, begging greatneſſe from others. Generoſity lookes in contempt upon thoſe things where Pride lookes for glory; for although good things and good actions give matter for Pride, if you looke well to it, it is not the ſubſtance of good things that Pride ſtickes unto, but the circumſtance. It is not the goodneſſe of an action but the pride and luſter that goeth along with it which makes a man proud. But it is certaine that Pride and generoſity are neere neighbours. He that hath a good and a juſt opinion of himſelfe, ſlips eaſily from a juſt to an overweening opinion; and a worme of pride will ſoone breed in a high and generous ſoul: Eſpecially when praiſes, the bellowes of Pride, blow on all ſides upon a man, it is a wonder if the wind get not into him.
There is need then of humility, the other corrective, to keep generoſity from degenerating into Pride. Humility is the free acknowledgment of a mans owne weakneſſe and imperfection, producing a voluntary depreſsing of himſelfe. This definition is proper onelyonly to the humility of ſinners, not to the humility of the Lord Jeſus, who being all perfect hath nevertheleſſe humbled himſelfe more then any. Whence we learne, that perfection giveth yet more matter of humility then imperfection, & that the more a man is vertuous and like Chriſt, the more he muſt be humble. For there are two rootes of humility, the one the ſenſe of our owne indignity, the other an obligation to yeeld unto God al the glory of the good that is in us. Out of this laſt root onelyonly, grew the humility of Jeſus Chriſt; But our humility holds by two roots, and more by the firſt then the laſt.
The ſenſe of the good that is in ourſelves may ſtrengthen our courage with generoſity, to reject all that is vaine or evill and unworthy of us. Yet at the ſame time the ſenſe of our imperfection muſt humble us before God, who is moſt perfect, and his eyes moſt pure and all-ſeeing; And before men alſo, becauſe appearing ſo unworthy before God, we muſt account ourſelves unworthy of any deference from his creatures, and becauſe if there be any good in us above others, it is the vertue of God not ours.
Theſe two vertues well tempered together will ſet our minde in a right frame, and keepe it tranquill and content. But we muſt beginne by humility; for contrition, repentance, and faith itſelfe, belong to humility, which teacheth us to miſtruſt ourſelves and have our refuge to God, to finde pardon of our ſins in his mercy, and a ſupply of our weakeneſs in his vertue. Upon whom, when we ground ourſeves by a ſound faith, and by it are ſealed with the holy Spirit of promiſe bearing witneſſe to our ſpirits that we are Gods children, then a holy generoſity is bred in our hearts by the ſenſe of that high quality, which makes us looke with contempt, not onelyonly upon the pollutions of the world but even upon its luſter, as things farre under us, and reject all the temptations to evill, bayted with pleaſure honour and profit, as unworthy of our degree; For is there any thing ſo much worth in the world that a thild of God ſhould diſpleaſe his heavenly Father to get it?
Keeping that temper we ſhall walk alwayes before God with feare and joy together, and among men with charity and modeſty; Rom. 12.16. Minding not high things but condeſcending to men and things of low eſtate, not being wiſe in our owne conceits; for it is a point of generoſity for a man to know his weakeneſſe. One may have his ſpirit above in heaven and yet condeſcend to men and things of low eſtate. Yea the more our ſpirit is ſublimated by faith and heavenly hope, the more eaſily do we accommodate ourſelves with mediocrity in earthly things, according to St Pauls reaſoning. Col. 3.1. If ye then be riſen with Chriſt, ſeeke thoſe things which are above where Chriſt ſitteth at the right hand of God; Set your affections on things above, not on things that are on the Earth. This is the true remedy againſt pride. Have we high worldly thoughts? Let us raiſe our thoughts higher yet; Let us ſet our thoughts and affections on things above, not on things on the Earth: Let us never think our ſelves mounted high enough, till we be where Chriſt ſitteth on the right hand of God. When the glory of the world fills a mans thoughts, while it doth lift him up with pride, it brings him down by cupidity under thoſe things that are under him: But when the glory of God ruleth in our hearts, it brings us low with humility, and together raiſeth us up by faith and a holy generoſity, far above all humane things, even as high as the right hand of God with Chriſt, there to rejoyce in his love and ſweetly repoſe our hearts upon his fatherly care.
None ſhall attaine to that bleſſed ſtate of the ſoul, which is already a heaven upon earth, unleſſe he beate downe his pride; A vice, which makes a man incompatible with God, for it pretends to that which to God alone is due, which is glory; incompatible with his neighbours, for it perſwades him that all things are due to him; and that the honour and advancement beſtowed upon any but himſelfe, is ill beſtowed; and incompatible with himſelfe, for it tortureth a mans minde with envy, makes him ſecretly murmure againſt God and men, and renders him incapable of the grace of God, which is onelyonly for the meeke; and of his kingdome, which is onelyonly for the poore in ſpirit, Matth. 5.3.
Here this method muſt diligently be obſerved to rectifie our opinion firſt, that we may rule our Paſſion. To bring downe the tumour of Pride let us get a right opinion of ourſelves; How we are begotten like beaſts, borne in lamentation, lying a long time in our ordure, living in a ſickly fleſh, wilde and fooliſh in our thoughts, corrupted in our affections, vaine and wicked in our converſation; blind, wretched, and guilty before God, and after a few evill dayes returning to the ground of our ignoble principle. In the midſt of the gawdy luſter of the world; let us looke to our end, a winding ſheet, putrefaction, wormes, mourning of our heires for a little while, and then perpetuall oblivion. Let us beare theſe things in mind, and then be proud if we can.
Many Paſſions have their origine from Pride, which muſt be called to our barre after their Mother.