own, to admire the good, and not to see the infirmities and evil. Sign XII. No man is taken for so great a friend to the proud as their admirers; whatever else they be, they love those men best, that most highly esteem them: the faults of such they can extenuate and easily forgive. Let them be drunkards, or whoremongers, or swearers, or otherwise ungodly, the proud man loveth them according to the measure of their honouring him. If you would have his favour, let him hear that you have magnified him behind his back, and that you honour him above all other men. But if the holiest servant of God think meanly of him, and speak of him but as he is; especially if he think they are disesteemers of him, or are against his interest and honour, all their wisdom and holiness will not reconcile him to them, if they were as wise or good as Peter or Paul. It signifieth nothing to him that they are honourers of God, if he think they be not honourers of him. Nay, he will not believe or acknowledge their goodness, but take all for hypocrisy if they suit not with his interest or honour and all because he is an idol to himself. Sign XIII. A proud man is apt to domineer with insolency when he gets any advantage, and perceiveth himself on the higher ground. He saith as Pilate to those that are in his power, "Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and power to release thee?" Forgetting that they have no power at all against any, but what is given them from above." Victories and successes lift up fools, and make them look big and forget themselves, as if their shadows were longer than before. Servants got on horseback will speak disdainfully of princes that are on foot. David saith, "The proud have had me in derision." If they get into places of power by preferment, they cannot bear it, but are puffed up and intoxicated, as if they were not the same men they were. They deal worse by their inferiors if they humour them not, than Balaam by his ass; when they Hesich. Illust, saith of Arcesilaus, In communicandis facultatibus ac deferendis beneficiis supra quam dici potest promptus atque facilis fuit : alienissimus à captanda gloriola à beneficio, quod latere maluerat: invisens Ctesibium ægrotantem, quum videret illum in egestate esse, clam cervicali supposuit crumenam nummariam, qua ille inventa, Arcesilai inquit, hicce ludus est. have made them speak, their insolency cannot bear it: whereas the humble remembereth how far he is equal with the lowest, and dealeth gently with his servants themselves, "remembering that he also hath a master in heaven §." if a Sign XIV. A proud man is impatient of being contradicted in his speech; be it right or wrong you must say as he, or not gainsay him. Hence it is that gallants think that a man's life is little enough to expiate the wrong, man presume to say, they lie. I know that children, and servants, and other inferiors must not be irreverent or immodest, in an unnecessary contradicting the words of their superiors, but must silently give place when they cannot assent to what is said; but yet an impatience of sober and reasonable contradiction, even from an inferior or servant, is not a sign of a humble mind. Sign xv. Wherever a proud man dwelleth, he is turbulent and impatient if he have not his will. If he be a public person, he will set a kingdom all on fire, if things may not go as he would have them. Among the crimes of the last and perilous times, Paul numbereth these; to be "Lovers of their own selves, boasters, proud, traitors, heady, highminded "." If they have to do in church affairs, they will have their will and way, or they will cast all into confusion, and hinder the Gospel, and turn the churches upside down. In towns and corporations they are heady and turbulent to have their wills. In families there shall be no peace, if every thing may not go their way. They cannot yield to the judgment of another. Sign xvi. Proud men are passionate and contentious, and cannot put up injuries or foul words. When a humble man" giveth place to wrath," and " avengeth not himself," nor" resisteth evil;" but is meek and patient," forbearing and forgiving," and so heaping coals of fire on his enemy's head. "Only by pride cometh contention." "He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife." What is their wrath, their scorns, their railing and endeavouring to vilify those that have offended them, but the foam and vomit of their pride? Proud, haughty scorner is his name, that dealeth in proud wrath1.” 8 Ephes. vi. 9. b 2 Tim. iii. 2-4. 1 Prov. xiii. 10. * Prov. xxviii. 25. 1 Prov, xxi. 24. Sign XVII. A proud man is either an open or a secret boaster. If he be ashamed to shew his pride by open boasting, then he learneth the skill of setting out himself, and making known his excellencies in a closer and more handsome way. His own commendations shall not seem the design of his speech, but to come in upon the by, or before he was aware, as if he thought of something else or it shall seem necessary to some other end, and a thing that he is unavoidably put upon, as against his will: or he will take upon him to conceal it, but by a transparent veil, as some proud women hide their beauties: or he will conjoin the mention of some of his infirmities, but they shall be such as he thinks no matter of disgrace, but like proud women's beauty-spots, to set out the better part which they are proud of; but one way or other, either by ostentation or insinuation, his work is to make known all that tendeth to his honour, and to see that his goodness, and wisdom, and greatness be not unknown or unobserved: and all because he must have men's approbation, the hypocrite's reward. He is as buried if he be unknown. "Proud," and "boasters" are joined together". "Theudas" the deceiver "boasted himself to be somebody "." "Simon Magus gave out that himself was some great one, and the people all gave heed to him from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God °.” "Such love the praise of men more than the praise of God P." But the humble hath learned another kind of language; not affectedly, but from the feeling of his heart, to cry out, I am vile: I am unworthy to be called a child: my sins are more than the hairs of my head.' And he hateth their vanity that by unseasonable or immoderate commendations, endeavour to stir him up to pride, and so to bring him to be vile indeed, by proclaiming him to be excellent. Much more doth he abhor to praise himself, having learned, "Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips 9." He praiseth himself by works, and not by words '. Sign XVIII. A proud man loveth honourable names and titles; as the Pharisees to be called "Rabbi." And yet they may have so much wit as to pretend, that it is but to Rom. i. 30. 2 Tim. iii. 2. n Acts v. 36. 4 Prov. xxvi. 2. • Acts viii. 9, 10. Prov. xxxi. 31. promote their service for the common good, and not that they are so weak to care for empty names; or else that they were forced to it, by somebody's kindness, without their seeking, and against their wills. Sign xix. Pride doth tickle the hearts of fools with content and pleasure to hear themselves applauded, or see themselves admired by the people, or to hear that they have got a great reputation in the world, or to be flocked after, and cried up, and have many followers. Herod loveth to hear in commendation of his oration, "It is the voice of a god and not of a man." It is a feast to the proud, to hear that men abroad do magnify him, or see that those about him do reverence, and love, and honour, and idolize him. Hence hath the church been filled with busy sect-masters, even of those that seemed forwardest in religion: which was sadly prophesied of by Paul to the Ephesians. Two sorts of troublers, under the name of pastors, pride hath in all ages thrust upon the church; devouring wolves, and dividing sect-masters. "For I know this, that after my departure, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your ownselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Sign xx. Pride maketh men censorious and uncharitable: they extenuate other men's virtues and good works; and suspect ungroundedly their sincerity. A little thing serves to make them think or call a man an hypocrite. Very few are honest, or sincere, or godly, or humble, or faithful, or able, or worthy in their eyes, even among them that are so indeed, or that they have cause to think so. A slight conjecture or report seemeth enough to allow them to condemn or defame another. They quickly see the mote in a brother's eye. Their pride and fancy can create a thousand heretics, or schismatics, or hypocrites, or ungodly ones, that never were such but in the court of their presumption. Especially if they take men for their adversaries, they can cast them into the most odious shape, and make them any thing that the devil will desire them. But the humble are charitable to others, as conscious of much infirmity in themselves, which makes them need the tenderness of others. They judge the best till they know the Acts xx. 29, 30. See also Rom. xvi. 16, 17. • Acts xii. 22. worst, and censure not men until they have both evidence to prove it, and a call to meddle with them, having learned, Matt. vii. 1-4. "Judge not that ye be not judged." Sign XXI. Pride causeth men to hate reproof: the proud are forward in finding faults in others; but love not a plain reprover of themselves. Though it be a duty which God himself commandeth", as an expression of love, and contrary to hatred, yet it will make a proud man to be your enemy. "A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him; neither will he go unto the wise." "He that reproveth a scorner, getteth himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee." It galleth their hearts, and they take themselves to be injured, and they will bear you a grudge for it, as if you were their enemy. If they valued or honoured you before, you have lost them or angered them if you have told them of their faults. If they love to hear a preacher deal plainly with others, they hate him when he dealeth so with them. Herod will give away John's head, when he hath first imprisoned him for telling him of his sin; though before he reverenced him, and heard him gladly. They can easily endure to be evil, and do evil, but not to hear of it. As if a man that had the leprosy, loved the disease, and yet hated him that telleth him that he hath it, or would cure him of it. This pride is the thing that hath made men so unprofitable to each other, by driving faithful reproof and admonition almost out of the world, because men are so proud that they will not bear it. Hence it is that others hear oftener of men's faults, than they do themselves; and that backbiting is grown the common fashion, because proud sinners drive away reprovers, by their impatience and displeasure. Husbands and wives, yea, servants with their masters, are so far out of love with just reproof, that they can hardly bear it. He must be exceedingly skilful in smoothing and oiling every word, and making it more like to a commendation or flattery, than a reproof, that will escape their indignation. Sign XXII. When a proud man is justly rebuked, he studieth presently to deny or extenuate his fault; to shew you that he is more tender of his honour, than of his honesty. " Lev. xix. 17. - Prov. xv. 12. y Prov. ix. 7, 8. |