The Arraignment of Pride, Chapter 26
CHAP. 26. Of the Prognoſticks of Pride.
SECT. I.
MAny are the miſchiefs and dangers that Pride threatens to the ſouls of men; therefore I think it not amiſs to ſet before you ſome of the ſad iſſues of this ſoul murdering Hydra.
1. It threatens the decay of gifts. The reaſon of man is blaſted by pride; man in the pride of his heart affected to be like unto God, Feſtus ſlandered Paul, that much learning had made him mad: ſo it might have done, if Paul had been as proud of his learning, as Feſtus was of his honour.and he became below a man, even like the brute beaſts that periſh. Proud perſons are uſually ſuch as run mad; when Nebuchadnezzar was pufft up with pride, Inquinat egregios adjuncta ſuperbia mores.he loſt the uſe of his reaſon, and was driven out from men, and turned a grazing with the oxen. Parts and gifts are blaſted, when a man grows proud of them; when man grows proud of his gifts, he forgets the giver, and returneth the glory of them to himſelf: Mr. Hieron in Pſal. 51.No veſſel ſo ſafe to preſerve the gifts of God in, as a box of ſobriety lined with humility, ſaith a judicious Divine of ours: God will take away his Ornaments, if (like little children) we begin to look and point where we be gay; Si tibi gratia, ſi ſapientia, formaque detur: Sola ſuperbia deſtruit omnia, ſi comitetur.and here you may ſee the matter whereon pride worketh; it is contrary to all other vices; for whereas they are converſant about evil things, pride is ſtill upon the abuſe of good things: for one man is proud of his wit, another of his memory, another of his learning and knowledge, &c. all which are good things in themſelves, and might be well uſed; but by pride are ſo abuſed and ſpoiled, as they ſerve to little or no purpoſe: nay, were a man endued with never ſo many moral vertues, viz. if he were as wiſe as Solomon and Lycurgus, as temperate as Socrates or Cato, as juſt as Ariſtides, as valiant as Alexander the great, or Julius Caeſar, if pride be joyned with it, it ſpoileth all; yea Bernard ſaith, Petrac. de remed. utriuſquè fortunae.that if pride had been joyned with Maries virginity it would have tainted it; and Petrarch ſaith, that though a man were virtutum omnium alis evectus, lifted upon the wings of all vertues, yet ſola ſuperbia bona omnia corrumperet, pride alone would ſpoil all the good gifts of God, and make them of little account.
2. Pride threatens the decay of grace; no grace can lodge and flouriſh in a proud heart. God giveth grace to the humble, but takes it away from the proud. Ut ſuperbia eſt orige omnium criminum, ita & ruina cunctarum virtutum. Hect. Pintus in Ezek. 15. Superbus inſtar inanis rami ſe erigit in ſublime, nòn animae utilitatèm quaerens, ſed vanitatem. Hector. Pintus in Ezek. cap. 2.One obſerveth that pride is the greateſt thief in the world; for whereas covetouſneſs takes away pity to the poor; luxury, chaſtity; and anger, patience, &c. Pride takes away humility which is the root and foundation of all graces: great ſpoils doth the devil carry away from the field of pride, that he careth not what a man have, ſo he can make him proud. A proud man with all grace (if that were poſſible) is worſe then an humble man with all ſin, if it were poſſible, ſaith Chryſoſtome: according to the meaſure of humility is the meaſure of other grace in the heart: humility empties the ſoul for God to fill it; it empties it of temporal things, and then it muſt needs be filled with ſpiritual bleſſings: the Church is Lilium convallium, a lilly of the vallies. The ſhowers of heaven run from the lofty mountains into the low vallies, Humilitas intelligentiae lumen aperit, ſuperbia operit. Gregor.ſoaking them and making them very fruitful: the mountains are dry, hard, barren, cold, full of dangerous precipices: ſo the proud are full of the dryneſs of indevotion, their hearts are hardened, they are barren and unfruitful in good works, they are ſubject to the precipices of ſin and deſtruction; they have no ſoakings from the Spirit of God, and therefore are in a withering and decaying condition: a proud heart is a cold and dead heart: the mountains of Gilboa are accurſed; but bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, Matth. Humilitas cordis humani receptaculum gratiae Divinae. Bernard.5.3. The humble man is a valley ſweetly planted and watered, ſaith Dr. Hall; he is watered with conſtant dews from heaven, his heart is made tender by the Word as Joſiahs was, he is fruitful in every grace and good work. A proud heart pufft up with ſelf-conceitedneſs of grace and goodneſs enough (though it have none) can receive none; proud men are like the Cedars, that are high, fair, and flouriſhing, but never bearing fruit. God gives good graces, and the devil layeth in wait to deſtroy them. Aug. ad Monach.Humility opens the eye of the underſtanding, pride puts a vail upon it. The humility of mans heart is the receptacle of Gods grace, ſaith devout Bernard: and Macarius ſaith, it will make a man even ſpiritually covetous of the graces of gods Spirit; wherein the richer we are, the poorer we ſhall ſeem to our ſelves; and the more we have already, the more we ſhall ſtill deſire, which is a commendable covetouſneſs, Matth. 5.6.as our Saviour aſſureth us. Pride is a ſin that doth expoſe the ſoul to a dreadful curſe from God; Pſ. 119.21Thou haſt rebuked the proud which are curſed (ſaith David) which do erre from thy Law; pride makes men erre from Gods commandements, and this pulleth down a curſe upon them, The world calls the proud happy, Malach. 3.17. but God ſaith they are curſed.ſo that they become like the barren fig-tree curſed by our Saviour, and then no fruit is to be found upon them any more. It is reported of one Dydimus, that he ſhould make this anſwer to one Alexander a Jewiſh Prieſt, deſiring ſome grace, for a faſhion at leaſt, Non habes vas quo recipias, God is ready to beſtow it upon thee, but thou haſt not where to receive and keep it.
3. Pride bereaves a man of all true peace and comfort; no true peace can lodge in a proud heart; for every proud man is at defiance with God; and how can that man have peace in himſelf that is at war with God? learn of me ſaith Chriſt, to be meek and lowly in heart, and you ſhall find reſt to your ſouls; therefore peace and reſt cannot be to the proud in heart: A proud man like the clouds is toſt with every blaſt and tempeſt; he hath no reſt in his windy ſpirit, his heart is ſtill in fear, he is like a wave of the ſea, toſſed to and fro: Pride cuts off the comforts of the ſoul; he that walks moſt humbly, walks moſt comfortably; as God dwells with humble ſouls, ſo when they lie low before him, Iſa. 57.15.and are even dead to ſenſe, God will revive the ſpirit of the humble; pride and vain-glory are ſpiritual ſpiders; if they enter into our hearts, and we do not hunt them out again, as the Bees do the corporal ſpiders out of their hives, we ſhall ſoon ſee the ſtore-houſe of our conſcience to be much troubled and perplexed. I have read of Bernard having preacht an eloquent ſermon at a great feſtival, Sicut de fonte terreno & de corporali fluvio non poteſt aliquis bibere, niſi voluerit ſe inclinare: ita & de vivo fonte Chriſto & ſancti ſpiritus fluvio, nemo aquam vivam haurire poterit, niſi ſe humiliter inclinare voluerit, propter illud quod ſcriptum eſt, Deus ſuperbis reſiſtit. Caeſarius hom. 30.before a great concourſe of people, the people extol him, but he walketh very dejectedly: the next day he preacheth a very powerful Sermon, plain and full of profitable matter, his ſincere hearers went away ſatisfied; but thoſe that before applauded him were dumb and ſilent: but himſelf was much cheered in ſpirit; and being askt, why he was ſo ſad when he was ſo much admired, and ſo pleaſant when not applauded; he returned this anſwer: Heri Bernardum, hodie Chriſtum praedicavi: yeſterday I preached Bernard, and to day I preacht Jeſus Chriſt: thoſe Miniſters and people ſhall have moſt comfort, that are moſt ſincere and moſt humble.
4. Pride bereaves a man of God himſelf which is the chiefeſt good; Dolium niſi undi que ſit pice illitum, & nullas habeat ruinas, vinum non poteſt continere; ſic cor niſi humilitate muniatur, & nullas habeat vitiorum ruinas, Dei non poteſt eſſe domicilium. Sanct. Iſaias Abbas. orat. 12. de vino. Invidia aufert mihi proximum, ira meipſum, ſuperbia Deum. Hugo de S. Victore.God is ſaid to dwell with the humble: Though the Lord be high, yet he hath reſpect to the lowly, Pſal. 138.6. Thus ſaith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whoſe name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him alſo that is of a contrite and humble ſpirit, Iſa. 57.15. God hath but two dwelling places, one in the higheſt heavens, the other in the loweſt and humbleſt hearts; an humble and contrite ſoul, hath a heart and ſpirit beaten to powder, as the word properly noteth, and with ſuch a one will the Lord dwell: As a veſſel unleſs it be every where ſmeered with pitch, and have no decaies, it cannot contain the wine put into it: ſo if the heart be not fenced with humility, and have no ruining vices, it cannot be the habitation of God: Hence Hugo ſaith very aptly, that envy takes away my neighbour, anger my ſelf, and Pride takes away God from me.
SECT. 2.
5. PRide ſpoileth all the good that a man doth: Pride (like wicked Pharaoh who commanded the Egyptian Midwives to kill the male-children of the Hebrews, Superbia & vana gloria inſidioſiſſime & blandiſſimae beſtiae, & tanquam ſerpentes optimis actionibus obrepere ſolent. Chryſoſt.the firſt day of their birth) deſtroys every good duty done by us, if humility be wanting to the doing of them. Pride and vain-glory be like flattering beaſts, and the very bane of our beſt actions, if they be mingled with them, creeping into them like ſerpents, as Chryſoſtome ſpeaks: yea Auſtin ſaith, that other vices are converſant about ſins and unlawful things that ſhould not be done, but theſe will be buſied about vertues and good works which ought to be done. And Chemnitius tells us, that whereas other vices vexant ſervos Diaboli, do vex the ſervants of the Devil, that pride and vain-glory vexant ſervos Dei, do vex the ſervants of God, as well as others. To feed the hungry, Caetera vitia verſantur circa peccata & illicita quae fieri non debent; haec circa virtutes & bona opera verſantur quae fieri debent. Auguſt.to give drink to the thirſty, to clothe the naked, to viſit the ſtranger, defend the fatherleſs and widow, be good works; but if we be proud of them, and boaſt of them, they are marred in doing, and we loſe the glory of them, becauſe we glory of them. Bonaventure ſaith that proud perſons, doing good deeds, and bragging of them, be like a fooliſh hen, laying an egg, and then chackling, whereby ſhe loſeth it, and hath it taken from her. So proud perſons by boaſting of their good works loſe the reward of them, as our Saviour ſaith, Matth. 6.2. The Phariſee ſaid, he was no extortioner, no unjuſt perſon, no diſhoneſt dealer, no adulterer, he faſted twice in the week, he paid his tithes duly and truly: theſe were good things, Sicut humilitas omnia vitia enervat, virtutes colligit & roborat; ſic ſuperbia omnes deſtruit & annihilat. Gregor.but he ſhould have ſtaid till ſome body elſe had ſpoken of them, therefore he went not away juſtified: Hence Gregory draws this concluſion, As humility weakeneth all vices, and gathereth together and ſtrengtheneth vertues; So pride deſtroys and annihilateth all vertues and vertuous actions. Pride is moſt to be feared in deeds well done, ſaith Auſtin. Superbia maxime timenda in recte factis.
1. Conſider that as the Sorcerers of Egypt did many miracles that Moſes did; ſo reprobates and the children of the devil may in pride, vain-glory, and hypocriſie counterfeit many outward good works for the matter that the children of God do through grace.
2. What good ſoever we do, its Gods gift that we do it, and through his grace that we are enabled to perform it.
3. When we have done all we can, we come far ſhort of perfection, and what the law requires of us, and what in duty we are bound to do, Luk. 17.10. therefore little reaſon have we to be proud of any good that we do: Upon this ground it is that our Saviour requireth, that all our good actions be done in ſecret: therefore ſaith he, when thou doſt alms, Mat. 6.3.let not thy left-hand know what thy right-hand doth. Luther ſaith, the meaning is, Luther in loc. Per dextram bonam voluntatem, & per ſiniſtram appetitum humanae laudis. Auguſt.take not ſo much from ſome unjuſtly and wrongfully, that ſo thou maiſt ſeem bountiful in relieving others liberally; make not many poor, and think to make God Almighty amends by keeping of a few: but that's not likely to be the meaning of the place; Auſtin underſtands by the right-hand, the right purpoſe of the heart and mind, and by the left-hand an inordinate deſire of the praiſe of men. But I think they are moſt agreeable to our Saviours meaning, who make the words an Hyperbole, telling us, that we muſt not make Father, Mother, wife, child, or any friend as near and dear to us as our left-hand to our right, acquainted with any thing that we do, thereby fiſhing for, or hunting after any praiſe from them, or deſiring to be extolled by them: nay ſo far muſt we be from blowing and blazing our fame abroad, and being our ſelves, or deſiring others to be trumpetters of our praiſe; as (if it were poſſible) we ſhould conceal whatever might be like to puffe us up, and make us proud even from our ſelves, forgetting (as the Proverb ſaith) good turnes done of us, and remembring only good turns done to us.
Now our Saviour having directed to a right courſe in almes-giving, doth alſo the like in praying; when thou prayeſt, thou ſhalt not be as the hypocrites are, that pray in the corners of the ſtreets, and ſtanding in the Synagogues, that they may be ſeen of men: But when thou prayeſt, enter into thy cloſet, &c. Matth. 6.4, 5.
Object. But is it then not lawful to pray in publick may ſome ſay?
Anſw. God forbid we ſhould ſo ſay or think: we have both the commandement of God, Levit. 23.8. Joel 1.14. Joel 2.15, 16. Matth. 18.20. 1 Tim. 2.8. Pſal. 103.22. and the practice of the godly to the contrary, Pſal. 26.8. 2 Chron. 28.5. and for publick prayer there muſt be a publick place by Gods own ordinance; and it is more powerful then private prayer, as the ſupplication of a County, Incorporation, and Common-wealth, then of a few, like many brands and coals together that give the greater heat: Non cupientes ſancti eſſe, ſed videri. Gregor.the thing found fault with then, was not the matter or action of praying in publick, but the manner or end, affection or affectation rather to be ſeen of men and praiſed by men, not deſiring to be holy, but to ſeem ſo, and to be called ſo, as Gregory ſaith. Therefore ſaith our Saviour, When thou prayeſt, enter into thy cloſet, and ſhut thy door upon thee, &c. i. e. approve thy ſelf to God, and ſo carry the matter, as it may (if thou canſt) be hid from the world: for as a man may pray in ſecret in an open place, as the Publican, Luke 18. So a man may pray for oſtentation in a ſecret place, even under many locks, and with many doors ſhut upon him, if he withdraw himſelf, to the end he may be ſeen and obſerved. Therefore Auſtin writing to certain Eremites, whom he ſtileth brethren in the wilderneſs, Auguſt, Ad fratres in eremo. Claude oſtium, hoc eſt, noli ſermone clamare nec diffundere orationem tuam, nec jactare per populos ſed in ſecreto tuo ora ſecurus, ut te in ſecreto poſſit audire, quoniam videt & audit univerſa. Auguſt. Ambroſ. Hieron. Chemnit.bids them come out of thoſe ſolitary places, and come into towns and Cities, yea even to the Court, rather then be proud of being in a wilderneſs.
Object. But may not a man glory in the good works done by him? doth not the Apoſtle ſay, Let every man prove his own work, and then ſhall he have rejoycing in himſelf alone, and not in another, Gal. 6.4.
Anſw. The Apoſtle layeth down a remedy againſt ſelf-love, and over-weening conceit of our ſelves, and it ſtands in proving and examining a mans own work by it ſelf, without comparing it with another mans: Whereof he renders this reaſon, Then ſhall he have rejoycing in himſelf alone, and not in another. There is a double ground of glorying; one out of a mans ſelf, the other in a mans ſelf.
1. Out of himſelf, in God alone, Jerem. 9.23. He that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord, 1 Cor. 1.31.
2. In himſelf, viz. in the comfortable teſtimony of a good conſcience, 2 Cor. 1.12. The one is glorying before God, the other before men; the one of juſtification, the other of holy converſation for the time paſt, and conſtant reſolution for the time to come; the one in the teſtimony of our own conſcience, the other in the teſtimony of Gods Spirit, witneſſing with our ſpirits, that we are the ſons of God, Rom. 8.16. the firſt not here meant, 1 Cor. 1.29.
Object. This glorying in a mans ſelf is vainglory, and a branch of pride.
Anſw. It differs from vain-glory in two things.
In the Foundation.
In the End.
1. Vain-glory hath for its ground and foundation, our own vertues, gifts, works, conſidered as they come from our ſelves, not from God: whereas this true glorying, is grounded upon them as they are fruits of regeneration, and proceeding from juſtification by Chriſt, and reconciliation with God.
2. They differ in the end: vain-glory tending to the advancing of our ſelves, in an opinion of our own proper deſert; this true glorying aimeth at Gods glory alone, acknowledging that all the good that we have, and all the good that we do, to come from God alone, rejoycing in our good works, not as cauſes, but as fruits of our juſtification: ſo that if the queſtion be, whether we be juſtified by them or not; we muſt then diſclaim them, and tread them under our feet, and account them as dung, as Paul did, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9, 10.
SECT. 3.
6. PRide will make a man unfit for ſociety with others: Pride is a great enemy to union; therefore it is that there are ſo many ſad ſeparations of men one from another in theſe divided times. It is very hard for men of proud ſpirits long to accord and unite together. Melanct. Comment. in Prov. 13.10.Melancton compareth proud men to mountains, and ſaith, concerning ſuch men there was wont to be this Proverb, Duo montes non miſcentur. Two mountains will not mix together: Humble perſons are very ſociable, they can converſe together with an unequal reſpect of age, parts, ſex, or degree: Humble men, like the Bees, love a ſociable life; who as Ambroſe obſerveth, are included and incloſed in one hive, and ſhut up with one door. Proud perſons cannot cope together; a proud man envieth his ſuperiors, becauſe they be above him; he ſcorneth his inferiors, becauſe they be beneath him, and labours to keep them down, leſt they over-take him; and he ſtudieth to ſupplant and undermine his equals, leſt they out-ſtrip and excell him: therefore that our Saviour might correct this humour among his own Diſciples, he took a little child, and ſet him in the midſt of them, Matth. 18.2, 3.ſaying, Ʋnleſs ye become as little children, ye ſhall not enter into the Kingdom of God. Children are humble and meek-ſpirited, they envy not, they diſdain not, they exalt not themſelves one above another; the children of a Prince will be familiar and play with the child of a peaſant; they equal themſelves one to another, till they be told their places, and made proud by being obſerved. So muſt not Chriſtians ſtrive for precedency and ſuperiority above their brethren. Thus David ſaith, that his heart was not haughty, &c. nor walked in matters too high for him: but ſaith he, I have behaved and quieted my ſelf as a child, Pſal. 131.1, 2. Servus ſervorum dei.as a child that is weaned of his mother; my ſoul is even as a weaned child. The Pope indeed is ſtiled by a moſt lowly title, The ſervant of the ſervants of God, though he be nothing leſs; but had we hearts truly humble, we ſhould learn the Apoſtles leſſon, and ſerve one another in love. The Romans therefore painted humility in the form of a ſerving-man, wearing black garments, his head hanging down, and a ſtaffe in his hand, to repreſent the ſeveral good conditions of humility, and of the humble man.
1. He thinks meanly of himſelf, albeit moſt noble and excellent.
2. He ever thinks himſelf bound to run the way of Gods Commandments; this is expreſſed by the ſtaffe in his hand.
3. The black-garments expreſs him to be one of Sions mourners, like the poor Publican lamenting his ſins, ſtanding afar off, as not worthy to lift up his eyes to heaven.
4. To ſignifie that himſelf was created to ſerve God and others; and this the picture expreſſed, by being in the form of a ſervingman.
7. Pride threatens ruine and deſtruction to to a mans children, houſe and family. The Hebrews call the generation of children the building up the houſe: and Pride throws down this building.The Lord will deſtroy the houſe of the proud, ſaith Solomon, Prov. 15.25. though (like Lucifer) he ſet his neſt among the ſtars, yet pride will unneſt him, and throw him down. Thus God brought ruine upon the houſe of Valois; thoſe proud perſecutors of the French Proteſtants. So likewiſe Maximinus the Roman Emperour, having made a decree againſt the Chriſtians, and being in the act of perſecuting them, he periſhed in an inſurrection and mutiny of his ſouldiers, who hated him for his pride and cruelty, and killed not only himſelf, but his ſon alſo, crying out, That there ſhould not a whelp eſcape of ſo bad a breed. Proud Parents are the greateſt enemies to their children, that poſſibly can be, making them liable to Gods wrath and curſe. When good Hezekiah grew proud of his treaſures, Quae ſervare poterat occultata, praedae reddidit obnoxia oſtentata, M S. Iſa. 39.6, 7.and ſhewed them to the Embaſſadours of the King of Babylon: the Prophet tells him from the Lord; that the daies ſhould come, that all that was in his houſe, and all that his Fathers had laid up in ſtore to that day, ſhould be carried to Babylon; and that his ſons which he ſhould beget, ſhould be taken away by them; and be Eunuchs in the Palace of the King of Babylon; his houſe and poſterity ſhould be ruined for his pride.
8. It will make a man nothing? though a proud man think himſelf ſomething, yet he is nothing, Gal. 6.3.
Object. Are men nothing, were they not created in the Image of God, in holineſs and righteouſneſs?
Anſw. Paul ſpeaks not of men, as they were in the ſtate of innocency, Perche ſe alcuno ſi ſtima eſſer qualche coſa, eſſendo egli niente inganna ſe ſteſſo con la ſua fantaſia. Ital.but as they are in the ſtate of corruption and apoſtacy; and therefore now man is not what he may imagine himſelf to be; and if he think himſelf to be ſomething, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himſelf. The Italian tranſlator renders it thus: If any man deem himſelf to be ſomething, he being nothing, deceiveth himſelf with his own fancy. The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, ſaith the Lord to Edom. Obad. ver. 3. The proud man thinks he hath ſubſtances when he hath but ſhadows; as they that think themſelves Princes, when they be but Peaſants, Iſa. 29.8.and baſe perſons; or like ſuch as dream they be at feaſts, and waking are hungry: men are uſually deceived two waies.
By others.
Or by themſelves.
1. By others: as by flatterers, ſo they are deceived occaſionally.
2. By themſelves; and ſo they are deceived truly and properly. For he that deceiveth himſelf may well pleaſe himſelf, but tis in his errour; for indeed he deceiveth himſelf in his imagination, as James tells us, Jam. 1.22, 26. Every proud man at the laſt ſhall have no more to ſpeak in his own defence, but that which an Apocryphal writer ſpeaks of the damned, Wiſd. 5. Plutarch in vit. Alex.What hath pride profited us? Thus Plutarch reports of Alexander, that being in India, he cauſed his ſoldiers to make and leave behinde them, bits and ſnaffles, and horſe-ſhooes of a huge bigneſs, and huge ſpears, maſſy ſhields, big helmets, long ſwords, and other furniture for horſe and man anſwerable, that he might be thought ſome Giant; whereby thinking to deceive others, he chiefly deceived himſelf; and ſurely, this ſpiritual guile is the worſt of all the reſt, whereby while men deceive others in the profeſſion, they deceive themſelves of their ſalvation.