The Arraignment of Pride, Chapter 14
CHAP. 14. Of internal Pride, and firſt of Pride of the heart.
THe heart is the principal ſeat of Pride: As the heart is in the midſt of the body to convay life to all parts; and as the Sun is in the midſt of the Firmament to convay his light, heat, and influences to all inferiour and ſublunary bodies; So Pride gets into the midſt of the heart to corrupt all: thence we read in Scripture of Pride of the heart, Prov. 16.and of the proud in heart. This pride of heart is demonſtrated,
When the heart is carried out after great and high things; The Lord chargeth this on the Prince of Tyrus, thine heart is lifted up, Ezek. 28.2.and thou haſt ſaid I am a God, I ſit in the ſeat of God, in the midſt of the ſeas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou ſet thy heart as the heart of God: By the heart we underſtand here, the thoughts, deſigns, projects, and high imaginations of the heart which carried out his heart after high and great things. Therefore God is ſaid to ſcatter the proud in the imaginations of their hearts. Luk. 1.51.David cleareth himſelf in this, Lord, mine heart is not haughty, Pſ. 131.1.nor mine eyes lofty, neither do I exerciſe my ſelf in great matters, or in things too high for me. Pride when it getteth into the heart, Javah ſignifies to have high thoughts, and to mind high things.maketh a man highly conceited of himſelf, lifting him up above the common condition of mortals, cauſing him to think he is a petty God, and to ſet his heart as the heart of God.
1. Hence it is that men lay aſide the ſtudy and the knowledge of practical truths, that tend moſt to edification, and would moſt advantage them, and buſie themſelves about the knowledge of things too high for them, and which if they do know, they are not the nearer to the power of godlineſs. Let no man beguile you of your reward (ſaith Paul to the Coloſſians) in a voluntary humility and worſhipping of Angels, Col. 2.18.intruding into thoſe things which he hath not ſeen, vainly puft up by his fleſhly mind: they did but argue then for Angels, as Papiſts do for Mediators; they muſt have Angels, middle perſons between God and men, and then come to diſcourſe of the Hierarchy of Angels; there may be much of pride under a ſeeming ſhew of humility; ſome there are that ſeem humble without, that are proud enough within, as Alexander ſaid of Antipater, when one told him, Antipater eſt intus purpura. Plutar. foreign.that Antipater jetted it not in purple, as other of his Lieutenants did; true ſaid Alexander, but Antipater is all purple within, meaning that he was as proud in heart, as thoſe that made ſo great an outward ſhew: ſo the Apoſtle here ſpeaks of a voluntary humility, or as the marginal note is (which I beſt approve of) a voluntary in humility, that they muſt not come to God immediately, but muſt have an Angel to make way for them, as a poor ſupplicant cometh not immediately to his Prince, but hath ſome Courtier to make way for him; Thus they pleaded for Angels, as the Papiſts plead for Saints, to be Mediatores ad Mediatorem; to be Mediators for them to the Mediator, but all this was but real pride, The word foreign ſignifies an intruder upon others rights.intruding on things which they have not ſeen; intruding upon Gods right to whom it belonged to appoint his worſhip; but theſe voluntaries in humility invade upon God, or intrude on things which they have not ſeen. When men ſhall look upon doctrines that tend to the practice of godlineſs as low things, and they muſt have higher things, this cometh from pride of heart. If any man conſent not to wholeſome words, 1 Tim. 6.3, 4, 5. Coſtui è gonfiato di ſuperbia non ſapendo nulla, ma eſſendo ſtolto intorno à le queſtioni. Ital.even the words of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and to the doctrine which is according to godlineſs, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about queſtions aad ſtrifes of words, whereof cometh envy, ſtrife, railings, evil ſurmiſings, perverſe diſputings of men of corrupt minds, and deſtitute of the truth, ſuppoſing that gain is godlineſs: Such men as theſe may think themſelves the only Gnoſticks and knowing men, but ſuch a one is proud, knowing nothing; when men make uſe of their knowledge in a way of oppoſition, and ſo make themſelves and others Scepticks in religion, this is a knowledge or ſcience falſly ſo called, ver. 20. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy truſt, avoiding prophane and vain bablings, and oppoſitions of ſcience falſly ſo called: this keeps men off the further from embracing the truth, and being ſetled in it.
2. From this root it is that many men ſinfully cry down Magiſtracy and Miniſtry; many ſuch there are in our daies: but theſe men do not act without a precedent, Num. 16.Korah and his accomplices have ſhewed them the way. I know nothing that more croſſeth Satan in his deſign, then a good Magiſtracy and a faithful Miniſtry; and therefore 'tis no wonder, if by his inſtruments he labour firſt to corrupt them, then to diſparage them, and alienate the people from them, and ſo to ruine them: and then they would ſet up themſelves in their places, who thus impudently cry down theſe two great Ordinances of Magiſtracy and Miniſtry.
1. That Korah and his company aymed at the Prieſt-hood, appeareth by Moſes upbraiding them, Num. 16.9, 10. Seemeth it a ſmall thing to you, that the God of Iſrael hath ſeparated you from the congregation of Iſrael to bring you near to himſelf to do the ſervice of the Tabernacle of the Lord, &c. and ſeek ye the Prieſthood alſo? as if he ſhould have ſaid, is it not enough that God hath advanced you above thouſands of your brethren, but that ye will have the Prieſt-hood alſo? This was the deſign of the Kohathites. What is Korahs plea? The people are all holy: what need then any one to teach or offer ſacrifice? they can all teach themſelves, ſay our Church levellers, the Church are all Saints, and they all know the Lord from the greateſt to the leaſt. Whereas Chriſt hath given ſome Apoſtles to his Church, ſome Prophets, ſome Evangeliſts, Epheſ. 4.11, 12, 13, 14.and ſome Paſtors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtery, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt, &c. where we may obſerve,
1. That Paſtors and Teachers are as truly a gift to the Church of Chriſt, as Apoſtles and Prophets, though much inferiour to them, yet they are more conſtantly continued to the Church then the former.
2. Theſe were given to the Church, not only by laying the ground-work to bring men home to Chriſt, but alſo to edifie the body of Chriſt, and to bring it to it's juſt perfection, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt: for till we come to be grown up in Chriſt, we have need of the Miniſtry.
3. This is a great means to prevent childiſhneſs of ſpirit, which many nowadays are ſubject to, being toſſed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. Now from this pride of heart it is that men ſo much ſlight the miniſtry; thoſe whoſe hearts are full of pride do lift up themſelves againſt Gods meſſengers; and the high conceit that men have of their own gifts and parts, makes them ſlight that miniſtry that God hath appointed for the ſalvation of their ſouls. Thus it was with the proud Corinthians: whom Paul upbraids by an Irony, 1 Cor. 4.8. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as Kings without us, and I would to God ye did reign, that we alſo might reign with you.
1. Now ye are full: full without us; ſo full, that they had no appetite to any more, no mind to any meat ſet before them, ſo fill'd were they with gifts and parts, that they had no mind to Pauls miniſtry.
2. Now ye are rich: ſo rich, that they could impart to others, and even teach their teachers [rich without us].
3. Ye have reigned as Kings without us: as great difference between them as between King and Subjects; Voi havete conſeguito il regno ſenza voi, ye have gotten a Kingdom without us. Hal. 1 Cor. 3.1, 2.proud men do ever carry a Kingdom in their heads; and then he ſpeaks by way of Emphaſis, now, or already: he could not ſpeak unto them as to men, but as to babes, that were fed with milk, not with meat, they were not paſt the ſpoon; yet were they ſo full, ſo rich, ſo high in their own conceit, that they needed not Pauls miniſtry, nor any further teaching from him.
2. It is evident that Korah & his companions aimed not only at the Prieſt-hood, but alſo at the Scepter, Num. 16.13. for Dathan and Abiram ſaid unto Moſes: Is it a ſmall thing that thou haſt brought us out of a land that ſloweth with milk and hony, to kill us in the wilderneſs, except thou make thy ſelf altogether a Prince over us? Wilt thou put out the eyes of theſe men? Now what was the fair vizard that they put upon ſo foul a face?
1. They pretend to be great enemies to ambition; they ſay to Moſes and Aaron, ye take too much upon you, This pretext would quickly take, when they made themſelves Tribunes of the people, and chamoions for their ſpiritual liberties. Torſhel.why lift you up your ſelves againſt the congregation of the Lord? ver. 3.
2. They cry up the people, they were an holy people, all the congregation are holy, every one of them; here then is the inference. No need of a Magiſtracy, they are a holy people that have the Lord to govern them; and a holy people that know how to govern themſelves.
3. They charge them for taking too much upon them, whereas they took no more then God had given them: and for lifting up themſelves above the congregation, when God had thus advanced them: Exod. 4.10, 11, 12.yea Moſes was very backwards to take a commiſſion from God, and after he had it, complaineth of his burden, Num. 11.11. Now theſe men pretended to riſe up againſt Moſes and Aaron; but Moſes tells them, that they were gathered together againſt the Lord: Numb. 16.11.when God by his providence placeth men in the Magiſtracy and Miniſtry, and they act faithfully in their places, thoſe that band againſt them do riſe up againſt the God of heaven, whoſe right it is to pull down one and ſet up another: therefore when ſuch as theſe are trampled upon, the Lord vindicateth his own authority, and exalteth his own name: See the ſucceſs of this courſe of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, &c. it was very dreadful; for one part of them, the earth opened its mouth and ſwallowed them up and all that they had, ſo that they went down alive into the pit, and the earth cloſed upon them, ver. 33. and another part of them were conſumed by fire from the Lord, even the two hundred and fifty men that preſumed to offer incenſe, ver. 35.
The people therefore muſt not meddle with Davids Crown and Scepter, nor Samuels Ephod; Ʋzzah muſt not meddle with the Ark, nor Saul offer ſacrifice: nor the Emperours Cook take upon him to expound Scripture; for if he do, and ſet a falſe gloſs upon it, and falſly apply it, Baſil may wiſely and worthily check and reprove him, It belongeth to thee to prepare puls and broth for the Emperour, Tuum eſt pulmen a Caeſari praeparare, non Evangelium exponere. Baſil.but not to expound the Scriptures. If the Cobler be ſo ſawcy, as to find fault with the thigh of a picture, whoſe art and trade reacheth no higher then the ankle, the Painter may well tell him, that he is out of his element, and put him in mind of the old Proverb, Ne ſutor ultra crepidam.
It is good for all men to mind their own matters, and not to be Curioſi in alienâ republicâ. Ʋzziah, though a King, yet for offering incenſe, and uſurping upon the Prieſtly office, is ſmitten with leprouſie to his dying day. Purpura facit Imperatorem, non Sacerdotem. Theodoret. lib. 5. c. 18.Saul is reproved as a fool by Samuel for the like fact and ſault, 1 Sam. 13.13. The Reaſon. Ambroſe gives to Theodoſius, Purple makes an Emperour, not a Prieſt.