The Arraignment of Pride, Chapter 28
CHAP. 28. The ſecond Direction.
Direct. 2. LOok up to God, and thou wilt ſee enough in him to pull down thy pride.
Gods greatneſs.
Gods holineſs.
Gods goodneſs.
1. Conſider the greatneſs of God, and the ſuperiority of God above man, and the power that he hath over man: Pſ. 95.3, 6.the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods, therefore let us worſhip and bow down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker, ſaith the Pſalmiſt: If man could do according to his will, and God would do according to his power, Gen. 6.6, 7who could ſtand? I will deſtroy man from the face of the earth, ſaith the Lord: The Original word is, as Pareus hath it, Pareus in loc.I will ſteep him as a man ſteeps a piece of earth in water, till it turn to dirt, for man is but clay, and forgets his Maker, and his matter; none but God can reduce man to his firſt principles, and original matter whereof he was made; there is no duſt ſo high, but this great God is able to give it a ſteeping; God is alwaies provided of a rod for his children, and of an ax and ſword for his enemies; though he doth not alwaies ſmite, yet he is ever ready; Pſal. 7.13.he hath prepared inſtruments of death; his bow is bent and his arrows are upon the ſtring; therefore when thou walkeſt in the ruffe of thy pride, God can ſtretch out his Almighty arm, and let fly a deadly arrow that may wound thy ſoul for ever. Therefore when thou beginneſt at any time to be pufft up, think who thou art, and who God is; when thou thinkeſt thou art ſomething, look upon the greatneſs of the moſt high God, and then thou wilt ſee thou art juſt nothing.
2. Conſider the holineſs of God, and then look upon thine own ſinfulneſs and vileneſs, and thou wilt ſee little cauſe to be proud. Biſhop Hooper ſaid at the ſtake, Lord, thou art heaven, I am hell; Thou art Juſtice, I am ſin, was Luther alſo wont to ſay. Gods holineſs will ſhew us our ſinful ſpots and defilements. When the Prophet ſaw a glorious viſion of the Lord, Iſa. 6.3, 5.and heard the Seraphims proclaim the thrice holy name of God, he cries out immediately, Wo is me, for I am undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips. How ſhall I that am altogether unclean ſtand before this holy Lord God? The pride of man muſt needs fall down before the holineſs of God.
3. Conſider the goodneſs of God; and that will abate our pride. When David ſent Meſſengers to Abigail, 1 Sam. 25.41.to aſſure her he would be her husband, this maketh Abigail low in our own eyes: Let me, ſaith ſhe, be a ſervant to waſh the feet of the ſervants of my Lord; ſhall David honour me to make me his wife, who am ſcarce worthy to be one of his ſervants? So the conſideration of Gods great goodneſs to man, is a ſpecial means to humble him before the Lord. What am I, O Lord, that thou ſhouldſt ſet thy heart upon me, Create me after thine Image, Redeem me by the blood of thy Son, provide Heaven and Glory for me? the conſideration of ſuch favours will make him have low thoughts of himſelf, and not quarrel with God, when God beſtows great mercies upon others. This was Jonahs fault: God had delivered him and his companions in the ſhip, from the fury of two mercileſs elements, viz. the air and waters, both which ſeemed to have conſpired their deſtruction, but are reſtrained by the overruling power of God; the Lord apprehends Jonah, arreſts him, and ſafely delivereth him into his priſon; yet he is ſo far from being cruſhed or torn in pieces by the devouring jaws of that cruel monſter, as he's not once touched by his teeth; and he is ſafely kept there forth-coming amidſt many dangers in that dark dungeon, viz. Firſt from being choked by the noiſome vapours of the fiſhes entrals: Secondly, from being digeſted, concocted, and turned to his nouriſhment by the continual boiling heat of his ſtomack; and laſtly, he is not caſt out into the ſea to ſhift for himſelf, and ſink or ſwim as we ſay, but he is ſafely landed and ſet on ſhore; and not only is he delivered, but a whole City conſiſting of millions of people (by his Sermon brought to repentance,) delivered from ſome ſtrange vengeance which otherwiſe had ſeized upon them: Jon. 4.1.but Jonah was very much diſpleaſed at it, and falls to expoſtulating the buſineſs with God himſelf: and though God dealeth with him Socratice, and ſpurs him a queſtion, ſaying, Doſt thou well to be angry? to which queſtion he's not able to make any reaſonable anſwer: yet Jonahs heart ſwells againſt God for ſparing Niniveh. Pride, ſelf-love, and ambition, and ſtanding too much upon his reputation made him thus to do; and rather then he would be diſcredited and thought a falſe Prophet, he would have Niniveh deſtroyed, Eccl. 41.17.and all the people thereof periſh: the ſon of Syrach tells us its a foul ſhame to tell a lie before a Prince and men of authority, as he thought he had done; but he ſhould have done well to have ſtaid among them, and rejoyced with them, that God had been pleaſed to beſtow ſuch a bleſſing upon his preaching, and his gratious pardon upon the place.