The Arraignment of Pride, Chapter 30
CHAP. 30. The fourth, fifth and ſixth Directions.
Direct. 4. SUbmit thy ſelf to the Word, let it have its efficacy and operation upon thy ſoul: pride cannot ſtand before the Word, when it cometh in power upon the heart; the Word is a hammer that breaks a heart of rock in pieces. Chriſt compareth the Goſpel or Kingdom of God to leaven, Luk. 13.21which a woman took and hid in three meaſures of meal till the whole was leavened. The Word like leaven altereth the perſons upon whom it worketh, and makes them become like unto it: this woman here may fignifie the wiſdom of Gods Spirit working in, and with faithful and painful diſpenſers of the myſteries of the Kingdom, or their care and conſcience, pains and diligence; the three meaſures or pecks of meal it ſeems was an ordinary leavening in an ordinary family: Gen. 18.….Sarah leavened ſo much to entertain the Angels: ſome think by the three meaſures of meal, are meant the three powers and faculties of mans ſoul, all which the Word of God moderateth and tempereth, Pliny ſaith, that for five hundred & eighty years together, the cuſtom at Rome was for women altogether to be employed about this buſineſs, and that they had no men bakers.viz. concupiſcibilem, iraſcibilem, & rationalem, the concupiſcible, the iraſcible, and the rational: the concupiſcible, that it may not luſt after things unlawful and vain, as David praies, Lord encline my heart to thy teſtimonies, not to covetouſneſs; the iraſcible, that it may not boil above meaſure, and violently break forth beyond its bounds; Tu domine argum atare, ego mirabor; tu diſputa, ego credam. Aug.and alſo the rational, caſting down imaginations or proud reaſonings, and every high thing that exalts it ſelf againſt the knowledge of God, ſubduing the pride of reaſon to the obedience of faith, 2 Cor. 10.5. Thus Auſtin: Lord do thou diſpute, I will wonder: do thou debate the matter, I will believe: and if thou wilt not willingly yeild to the Word, it will overcome thee, whether thou wilt or no: we read of the Synagogue of the proud Libertines and others that diſputed with Stephen, Act. 6.9, 10that they were not able to reſiſt the wiſdom and the ſpirit by which he ſpake. So the Apoſtle Paul, though he had many enemies, as the Prieſts of the Jews, and the Philoſophers of the Gentiles, yet he made invia pervia; where he could not find way, he made way by this engine of the Word: what a rufling did proud Arius keep in the Eaſtern Church for a while? but as Conſtantine reporteth, Porteth, the gliſtering truth of the Goſpel did overcome the Arians. Moſes his rod did devour the rods of Egypt, and the nearer Dagon came to the Ark, the greater was his fall.
Direct. 5. Cum ſuperbia tentat, cogita meliores. Ber.When thou art apt to ſwell with the thoughts of thy own excellencies, think not only on thine inferiors, but upon thine equals, and ſuperiors; when we compare our ſelves with others that are above us, as the heavens above the earth, whoſe gifts and graces do as far excel and exceed ours, as the bright ſun-ſhine doth the dimm candle light, we cannot but be aſhamed, and acknowledge that there is no cauſe why we ſhould magnifie our ſelves above others, and vilifie, yea nullifie others in compariſon of our ſelves, but that we ſhould eſteem of others better then our ſelves: this will make us lay down all vain opinions of our ſelves, and to judge our ſelves from a right knowledge of our ſelves, the leaſt and loweſt of all others. It is a ſpeech of one of the Antients, Auguſt.They that are in the view of the world better then others, muſt in their own hearts eſteem themſelves inferior to others: Rom. 12.10this will teach us in honour to prefer one another. 2 Pet. 3 15 Alios plerunque imitari nolumus, quia nos ipſos meliores credimus. Greg.Peter and Paul had been at ſome difference, yet notwithſtanding Peter honoureth him with his title and teſtimony of beloved brother; and Paul looks not altogether at his own honour, but is alſo careful of the honour of inferiour Preachers, as Sylvanus, Timothy, &c. therefore he joyneth their names with his own in ſome of his Apoſtolical Epiſtles to the Churches.
Direct. 6. Set before you the examples of the godly that were men renowned for their humility. Gen. 32.10Humble Jacob ſaith to God, I am leſs then all the mercies and truth which thou haſt ſhewed to thy ſervant. Luk. 1.And the bleſſed Virgin calleth her ſelf an handmaid of the Lord, not worthy to be regarded. The poor prodigal ſaith, I am not worthy to be called thy ſon: and John Baptiſt ſaith, he was not worthy to untie the lachet of Chriſts ſhoo. Paul ſaith he was chief among ſinners, Epheſ. 3.8.and leſs then a Saint, leſs then the leaſt, yea leſs then the leaſt of all Saints; and not worthy to be called an Apoſtle: and the Centurion ſaith to Chriſt, I am not worthy that thou ſhouldeſt come under my roof; Luk. 5.8.and Peter when he ſaw a miracle that Chriſt wrought, he fell down at Jeſus knees, ſaying, Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a ſinful man.
Object. But you will ſay, This requeſt of Peter ſeems very ſtrange: for to whom ſhall ſinners go but to their Saviour, and whom can they deſire to have come to them, and be with them rather then he that only hath eternal life? this was in a manner the ſuit of the Devils, Matth. 8.29. What have we to do with thee, Jeſus thou Son of God? &c. Now it may ſeem ſtrange that Peter a pillar in the Church ſhould utter ſuch a ſpeech contrary to what he had ſaid, John 6.68.
Reſpon. You muſt not think, though the words ſound almoſt the ſame, that the ſenſe is any thing alike; the devils out of ſervile fear and malice thinking Chriſt to be come to torture and torment them (as he did even then make a beginning to unrooſt and diſlodge them) deſire his abſence: but Peter on the other ſide, not through diſtruſt or deſpair of his ſalvation, or wearineſs of Chriſts company (which doubtleſs was moſt welcome to him) but out of a feeling of his own frailty and unworthineſs, uttered theſe ſpeeches, thereby ſignifying not his wearineſs, but unworthineſs of Chriſts company, and therefore maketh this modeſt requeſt. 2 Sam. 7.18.Thus David ſaith of himſelf in humility, who am I O Lord, and what is my Fathers houſe, that thou haſt brought me hitherto, that is, advanced me to this Crown and Kingdom?
Hence we may obſerve a difference between the preſence of God, and earthly Princes, viz. that men grow proud to be admitted into their preſence, and think it the only grace and favour can be done them; Rex meus me ſemper habebat in oculis.and therefore the bragging Souldier in the Comedy could vauntingly ſay, My King had me alwaies in his eyes: and Haman thought no man in the Kingdom ſo highly in favour, or ſo likely to be honoured as himſelf, becauſe he had been laely graced at a banquet by the King and Queen; but when men come into the preſence of God, it fareth otherwiſe, it maketh them exceeding humble, as Job in Gods preſence abhorreth himſelf, and repents even in duſt and aſhes. When Rebecca came towards Iſaac, Gen. 24.64, 65.and ſaw him, ſhe lighted from her Camel, and vailed her ſelf; and when the Spouſe of Chriſt cometh before Chriſt her husband, ſhe caſteth off all confidence of her own righteouſneſs, and deſireth to be ſhrowded and vailed under the mantle-covering of Chriſts righteouſneſs imputed to her: thus you ſee the better any men are, the meaner they think of themſelves: now theſe great examples are regiſtred in Scripture for our imitation; therefore whenſoever your hearts are apt to ſwell with pride, check them and chide them for this diſorder, by ſending them to the examples of the moſt eminent Saints, to whoſe humility the Scripture gives ſo large a teſtimony. And let me adviſe you further to converſe frequently with humble men; this is effectual to expell pride: As Solomon ſaith, He that walks with the wiſe ſhall be wiſe, ſo he that converſeth with the humble ſhall learn humility: The humble ſheep will flock together: humble men can converſe together without cenſuring, quarreling, or diſdaining, and get much by converſing with others, whereas the proud care not for communion, and if they converſe with any, it is only with ſuch as do excell; if they ſit at the feet of any, it muſt be at the feet only of ſome Gamaliel.