The Arraignment of Pride, Chapter 24
CHAP. 24. Of the Odiouſneſs of Pride.
SECT. 1.
PLato once ſaid of moral vertue, that in it ſelf it is ſo beautiful, that could a man ſee it in its proper colours, it would even raviſh the eyes of the beholders, and make them fall in love with it: ſo I may ſay of ſin (and eſpecially of this ſin of Pride) that it is ſo ugly, that the vileſt ſinner in the world durſt not commit it, did he behold the deformity and ugly viſage thereof; Pride is a ſin very odious both to God and man.
1. It is very loathſome in the eyes of God; it is one of thoſe ſins that Solomon ſets down to be an abomination to him: Prov. 6.16, 17. Prov. 16.5.Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; and if the perſon be abominable, then all the ſervices be abominable: God doth not vouchſafe ſo much as a favourable look towards proud perſons: though the Lord be high, Pſ. 138.6.yet he hath reſpect to the lowly, but the proud he knoweth a far off: he looks upon them with contempt, they ſtand at a great diſtance from God, and God from them; Prov. 3.34.ſurely he ſcorneth the ſcorners. Whenſoever God ſeeth a proud man, he ſaith, Behold mine enemy! Iſa. 66.2.To this man will I look ſaith God, that is poor, and of a contrite ſpirit, &c. i. e. to the man that is poor in ſpirit. God cannot look above him, for there is no ſuperiour to him, nor look round about him, becauſe there is none that is equal to him, (Father Son and Holy Ghoſt are but one God) but he looks downwards; and the lower and more humble any man is, the more the Lord regards him, Morlorat. in Luc. 1.ſaith Marlorat. deus humiles miſericordiae ſuae oratores amat, faſtidioſos juſtitiae praeſumptores odit. God loveth the humble that ſue to him for his mercy, but hateth the proud preſumer on his righteouſneſs, Luther in Pſalm. 5.as Luther ſaith.
2, As it is odious to God, ſo alſo among men; there are none more hated and envied then proud perſons, Chryſoſt. Orat. 65. Omnis ferè vitioſus diligit ſibi ſimilem. Solus ſuperbus elatū odit. Innocentius. 2 Reg. 14.8, 9, 10.as Chryſoſtome ſpeaks; men are apt to pitty the drunkards, and to envy the proud; and as one well obſerveth, 'tis a peculiar curſe of God upon this ſin of Pride; whereas one drunkard loveth another, and one ſwearer loveth another, &c. yet one proud man hateth another; they that would have all the honour and preheminence themſelves, do ſwell with pride againſt the pride of others. Read the ſtory of Amazias King of Judah to this purpoſe, who having ſlain the Edomites with a great ſlaughter, Superbia ab omnibus contemnitur, quia ſuperbus omnis eſt injuſtus, plus ſibitribuens quam ſibi debetur, & per conſequens, aliis etiam derogat quod aliis debebatur. Keckerm. Syſtem. Ethic. lib. 2.ſent to Jehoaſh King of Iſrael, ſaying, Come let us look one another in the face, i. e. let us fight with each other; as we ſay, when two Armies meet to fight, they face one another: but the King of Iſrael writes back to him in Parables deriding of his pride, with as great a pride: ſaying, The Thiſtle that was in Lebanon ſent to the Cedar that was in Lebanon, ſaying, Give thy daughter to my ſon to wife; and there paſſed by a wild beaſt that was in Lebanon, and trod down the Thiſtle: Thou haſt ſmitten Edom, and thy heart hath lifted thee up; glory of this, and tarry at home; for why ſhouldſt thou medle to thy hurt, that thou ſhouldſt fall, even thou and Judah with thee? Thus he wrote that Amaziah might underſtand his pride: The King of Iſrael took it in as much ſcorn to be challenged by the King of Judah, as the Cedar might think it an indignity to match his daughter with the Thiſtle: when Diogenes ſaw Plato delight in meat and curious beds, he got up upon them with his dirty feet, and ſaid Calco Platonis faſtum, I tread upon Plato's pride; but Plato replied, ſed majori faſtu, but with a greater pride: and Plato obſerving Diogenes walking with a thred-bare cloak full of holes, he ſaid, he could ſee his pride through the holes of his cloak.
2. It is a ſin that God reſiſteth. God reſiſteth the proud, Jam. 4.6. he ſets himſelf in battel aray againſt the proud; it is not ſaid in the whole Bible, that God reſiſteth any ſinner but the proud. God may be ſaid to reſiſt the proud
1. By ſcattering their devices and confounding their counſels: thus he is ſaid to ſcatter the proud in the imaginations of their heart: Luke 1. Thus God daſht the devices of Achitophel againſt David, and Haman againſt the Jews.how did the Lord daſh the devices of Nimrod, and thoſe proud Babel-builders upon the face of the earth, that in the pride of their heart would have built a tower, whoſe top ſhould reach to heaven, thereby to get them a name! Geneſ. 11. Thus the Lord ſcattered the devices of the proud Egyptians, when they boaſted in their great power and glory, and vaunted when they purſued Iſrael, I will overtake them, I will divide the spoil, my luſt ſhall be ſatisfied upon them: Ex. 18.11.But ſaith Jethro to Moſes, In the thing wherein they dealt proudly, the Lord was above them.
2. By taking from them the things whereof they are proud; when the heart of man is too much ſet upon a childe, or any other thing, uſually the Lord taketh it from us: when the daughters of Zion were proud of their beauty and bravery, Iſa. 3.16, 17, 18.the Lord threatens to ſmite the Crown of their head with a ſcab, and diſcover their ſecret parts, and take away their bravery. And becauſe idolatrous Iſrael did not know (ſaith the Lord) that I gave her corn and wine and oyl, and multiplyed her ſilver and gold which they prepared for Baal; therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the ſeaſon thereof, &c. Hoſ. 2.8, 9.
3. Romanorū eſt, Parcere ſubjectis, et debellare ſuperbos.By puniſhing them with ſore judgements. A wiſe heathen being demanded what God was doing in heaven, anſwered, that he did nothing but throw down the proud, and ſet up the humble. Herein the Lord declareth his Soveraignty: God puts Job to that which was Gods peculiar work; Deck thy ſelf now with Majeſty and excellency, and aray thy ſelf with glory and beauty, Job 40.10, 11, 12.caſt abroad the rage of thy wrath, and behold every one that is proud and abaſe him, look on every one that is proud and bring him low; it is Gods peculiar work to bind all the ſons of pride. The day of the Lord of Hoſts ſhall be on every one that is proud and lofty, Iſa. 2.12.and upon every one that is lifted up and he ſhall be brought low. Behold the day cometh that ſhall burn as an oven, Malac. 4.1.and all the proud and all that do wickedly ſhall be ſtubble, and the day that cometh ſhall burn them up, ſaith the Lord of hoſts, that it ſhall leave them neither root nor branch. This ſin was that which threw the Angels out of heaven, aſpiring, Ʋltor ſuperbos ſequitur à tergo deus. Pride was ſo ponderous in the Angels, that heaven could not hold it. Midleton.as ſome think, to be equal unto God. This ſin was that which ejected our firſt Parents out of Paradiſe; therefore the Lord ſhut up their way to the tree of life with flaming Cherubims. When Pharaoh ſwells againſt the Lord, Who is the Lord, &c. the Lord ſtaineth the pride of his glory. When Nebuchadnezzar proudly ſpeaks, walking in his ſtately Palace of Babel, Dan. 4.30.Is not this great Babel that I have built by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majeſty? the ſame hour was he driven out from men to eat graſs with the oxen: and when his underſtanding and Kingdom are reſtored to him again, he acknowledgeth that Gods works are truth, and his waies judgement, and thoſe that walk in pride he is able to abaſe, Dan. 4.35. Pride was one of the ſins of Sodom, Ezek. 16.49. foreign. Herodot.which procured its great overthrow: when Sennacherib lifted up himſelf againſt the God of heaven, he ſent an Angel that ſlew in one night of his army 185000. and he himſelf was ſlain by his own ſons: and Herodotus ſaith, that this was left upon his Tomb, Whoſoever thou art that ſeeſt me, Quem dies vidit veniens ſuperbum, hunc dies vidit fugiens jacentem. Sen. in Thyeſt.learn to fear God. God ſpared Herod while he perſecuted the Saints, yea when he ſlew James with the ſword, and impriſoned Peter; but an Angel immediately ſmote him, and wormes conſumed him, when he waxed proud. If God touch the lofty mountains of pride, Prov. 29.23.he makes them ſmoak. A mans pride (that is, any mans pride) ſhall bring him low, ſaith the wiſe man: and he ſaith further, that pride (as an uſher) goeth before deſtruction, and an haughty ſpirit before a fall, Prov. He plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Pſ. 31.23. Retribuet his qui abundanter faciunt ſuperbiam.16.18. And uſually God abaſeth proud perſons by weak and baſe means, to let them ſee what things of nothing they be: thus Peter ſtanding upon his valour and man-hood, was daunted by a poor maid; and proud Goliah overcome by a ſling and a ſtone thrown out of the hand of a ſtripling: ſo the pride of Pharaoh is puniſhed, not by Lions, Bears and Tygres, but with flies, lice, frogs, locuſts, &c. And Herods pompe and glory is ſoon laid in the duſt by a few wormes or lice: And to ſhew how God hates proud perſons, he often throws them down by thoſe that were by many degrees baſer than themſelves. foreign. Ambroſ. Aug. Arnobius. débitè Lyranus.Many proud Tyrants have been laid aſide, and thoſe that have been unlikely have worne the Crown. How did God rent the Kingdom from Saul, and give it to David keeping his fathers ſheep? Mordecai the deſpiſed Jew is advanced, and proud Haman is deſtroyed: when pride cometh, then cometh ſhame, Prov. 11.2.
SECT. 2.
Great reaſon there is why God ſhould reſiſt this ſin of pride.
1. 2 Theſ. 2.4Becauſe it is a ſin that oppoſeth and reſiſteth God: as the wicked in his pride perſecuteth the poor, ſo in his pride he oppoſeth God, Pſal. 10.4.
The man of ſin is ſaid to oppoſe or lift up himſelf above all that is called God or is worſhipped.
1. Pride oppoſeth God as God: other ſins are ſet, ſome againſt his mercy, ſome againſt his juſtice, ſome againſt his holineſs, Cum omnia vitia fugiant à Deo, ſola ſuperbia opponit ſe Dee. Gregor.others againſt his law; but this ſets it ſelf againſt God as God; it would un-God him if it were in its power: other ſins deal with men like themſelves, or with the creature only; this ſin is ſo high-ſpirited, and of ſuch a ſtout ſtomack, as it ſets ſelf in open defiance againſt God himſelf; it doth as it were take up the bucklers againſt him, and challenge him the field: Now great is the folly of that man, that in pride reſiſteth God; for who hath hardened his heart againſt him and proſpered? Job 9.4.
2. Pride invadeth Gods honour, it robs him of his glory; Xerxes grew ſo proud, that he contented not himſelf Cum Graecis tantum ſed cum Diis bellare, and therefore ſendeth four thouſand armed men to Delphos, to race the Temple of Apollo, who preſently were deſtroyed, to ſhew, ut quanto gravior offenſa deorum eſſet, tanto infirmiores, immò nullas eſſe hominum vires. Juſtin. lib. 2.therefore the Lord ſets himſelf in battle aray againſt the proud. If the Cedar took it ſcornfully to match his daughter with the Thiſtle; how much more will God take it in diſdain, that ſinful man ſhould exalt himſelf againſt God, and deprive him of his glory? God will cauſe ſome wild beaſt or other to tread down this proud Thiſtle that would rob him of his honour and glory: God is very tender of his honour; he ſaith expreſsly, My glory will I not give to another: the Papiſts therefore do rob God of his glory, by giving to Angels and Saints a part of his glory; likewiſe all charmers, ſouth-ſayers, blaſphemers, ſwearers, and ſacrilegious perſons: what makes ſin to be ſin, but becauſe it diſhonours God? God hath abaſed his glory to ſet his love upon us; why then ſhould not we exalt his glory for his ſake?
3. Pride ſets it ſelf to oppoſe the people of God, and therein pride would pull God out of his throne: therefore it is ſaid, that the Lord would have war with Amalek from generation to generation; Exod. 17.16.for he ſaid, becauſe the Lord had ſworn he would have war with Amalek, &c. it is in the Hebrew, the hand upon the throne of Jah, that is of God; this is referred to Amalek, Quia manus Hamaleki fuit contra ſolium Jah. Quia tam impiè protervéque ſe geſſit Hamalek tanquam ſolium dei ſubruiturus cum populo ejus violentiâ ſuâ, et quamvis non provocatus non potuit conquieſcere, quin populum perſequeretur indigniſſimè, & aciem extremam inſeſtaret ejus; & quidem eo tempore quo populus ad ſpectandam dei gloriam erat convocatus: idcirco bellum foreign huic genti denunciat Deus, & populo ſuo inimicitias aeternas imperat. Vid Deut. 25.17. Junius.becauſe the hand of Amalek is upon or againſt the throne of the Lord, therefore Jehovah will have war with Amalek, becauſe Amalek in acting againſt Iſrael the people of God (meant here by the throne of God) did lift up himſelf againſt God and his throne. Junius and Piſcator read the words thus, becauſe the hand of Amalek was againſt the throne of God; they put in [Amalek] becauſe Amalek attempted to lay his hand upon the throne of God; therefore wicked proud perſons, whenſoever they do act any thing againſt Gods people, they would in the pride of their hearts (if poſſible) throw down the throne and Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt, as is often times done among men; what is done againſt ſuch a ſubject, is done againſt the Princes Crown and dignity; they that perſecute the godly go about to pick out Gods eye.
4. Pride makes a man to abuſe all the mercies of God; the more mercies evil men taſte, I ſaid in my proſperity I ſhall never be moved Pſa…the more pride doth bud forth. Pride is now budded forth, and grown as it were into a rod. It is ſaid of the old Iſraelites, that they took ſtrong Cities and a fat land, and poſſeſſed houſes full of all goods, foreign, Symmach. Bemithbi bethſcalvetha. Scalah ſignificat ſalvumeſſe, & nomen Schalvah proſperitatem.and wells digged, vine-yards, and olive-yards, and fruit-trees in abundance: So they did eat, and were filled and became fat, and delighted themſelves in thy great goodneſs, i.e. in that goodneſs of thine manifeſted in the creature; not in God, in grace and holineſs, Nehem. 9.25, 26. Nevertheleſs they were diſobedient, and rebelled againſt thee: the more of theſe temporal bleſſings they had, the more they waxed proud. According to their paſtures were they filled, and their heart was exalted, Aqua illa tanquam mel illi ſapuit. Stella in Luc. But I rather take it, that he made the barreneſt place fruitful to them. Jeſurun that is, his choſen. Hierome. His rightful people. Calvin. Figuratively Iſrael was ſo called for his righteouſneſs. Junius. Therefore God takes it the more ill, that he ſhould offend in this manner, that ſhould have been upright: he was fat, and covered with fatneſs. Some expound it, groſs or fat in ſin, but the word will not bear that interpretation: but noteth fatneſs in the beſt ſenſe, as Pagnin obſerveth; the fat of the land, Gen 45.18. Pareus in Geneſ. i. e. the riches of the land, ſaith he. Wherefore rich men are called fat ones. Calvin. In Iſa. 10.16. He kicked, a compariſon from an unruly horſe too well fed: like unruly beaſts, the fatter they were, the more unruly.therefore have they forgotten me, ſaith God, Hoſ. 13.6. When the heart is lifted up with the creature, it forgets the Creatour. When Jeſurun did eat the increaſe of the fields, and ſuckt hony out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock, butter of kine, and milk of ſheep, with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Baſhan; and goats, with the fat of kidnies of wheat, &c. then Jeſurun waxed fat and kicked: thou art waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatneſs: then he forſook God which made him, and lightly eſteemed the rock of his ſalvation, Deut. 32.15.
5. Pride makes a man ſlight all the judgements of God, to kick againſt the rod, and grow mad againſt his medicine, as Auſtin ſpeaks. Of ſuch the Lord complaineth, Jerem. 5.3. O Lord, thou haſt ſmitten them, but they have not grieved: thou haſt conſumed them, but they have refuſed to receive correction: they have made their faces harder then a rock, they have refuſed to return. When King Jehoram was brought into a great ſtrait, the Prophet Eliſha labours to convince him of thoſe ſins which had brought him into it; 2 Reg. 3.13Get thee to the Prophets of thy Father, and to the Prophets of thy Mother; thereby intimating to him, that the wickedneſs of his Fathers houſe had brought him into theſe extremities: but Jehoram puts that off, and would not be convinced that they were any other then the accidents of war. Nay, ſaid he, for God hath called theſe three Kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. Pride is ſuch a ſin that it remaineth after ſore judgements of God executed upon the ſons of pride. Pride hardeneth the heart, and then nothing can work upon it.Thus Daniel tells King Belſhazzar: O thou King, the moſt high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy Father a Kingdom, and Majeſty, and glory, and honour, &c. but when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was depoſed from his Kingly throne, and they took his glory from him, and he was driven from the ſons of men, Dan. 5 18, 22.and his heart was made like the beaſts, &c. and thou his ſon, O Belſhazzar, haſt not humbled thy ſelf, though thou kneweſt all this. Therefore ſaith the Lord, This is true humility to be able to rejoyce that Gods glory may be ſet forth in our ſhame, as that noble learned Earle wrote to his friend. Joh. Pic. Com. Mirand. Epiſt. ad Franciſ. Pic.Iſa. 9.9, 10. All the people ſhall know, even Ephraim, and the inhabitants of Samaria, that ſay in the pride and ſtoutneſs of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewen ſtones: the ſycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. God had humbled and pulled down thoſe that were great, but they had a great deal of Grandeur; they would raiſe their hearts to a higher pitch of pride, than thoſe that were thrown down before them. Calvin in Iſa. 9.9.It is not the ſin of one Nation alone, nor of one time alone, ſaith Calvin upon that place. With how many ſtroaks hath God afflicted England for theſe many years paſt and yet more pride then ever!