Signs of Pride againft God. - forced fubmi!Jion to the hand of God, they take for p_aticnce ; And a [ Lord have mercy on "'' and j~tgive M, and fave zu J they take for a true preparation for death. Thus Pride deceivcth finners, by making them believe that they have what they ha~e ~or, and do w~at_they do _not, and are {ome~ tbing when they are IZJtbing, Gal. 6. 3· and by multiplymg and magmfymg the !mic common good that is in them. Sign. 3· Sign49· 33· Sign 3· A Proud heart hath very little fenfe of the nwf!ity of a Saviour, to die for his fins, and fatislie Gods jultice, and reconcile him to God: NotionaUy he is fick of fin; and notionally he think> hr necderh a Phyficioo : But praflically at the heart, he feeleth little of his difcafe, and there– tore little fcrs by Chrill. He feelcth not that which 010uld throughly acquaint him with the Reafons of this bltffed work of our Redemption: And therefore indeed is a firanger to the myfiery, and an unbeliever at the heart : and would turn Apofiate if the tryal were 1lrong enough. He never felc hirnfclf a condemned man, under the curfe and wrath of God, and lyable to Hdl: And therefore never lay in tears with M.1ry at his Saviours feet, nor melted over his bleeding lord ; nor feelingly fa id with POul, [ He came to fave fmnerJ of whom I am chiif] .nor efteemed a/J things M lifi and dung for the k,.nowledge of Cbrijl, th"' be might be found in bim, Phi!. 3• 7, 8. He is a Chrillian but as a Turk isaMahornetane, becaufe it is the Religion of the King, and the Country, in which he was bred. 9· 34• Sign 4· A Proud heart ptrceiveth not his own neceJJity of fo great a change as a New birtb, and .of the Holy Ghoji to give him a new nature, and plant the image of God upon him : He finderh perhaps fame breaches in his foul ; but he thinks there needs no breaking of the hearr for them ; nor pulling all down and building up his hopes anew: Amending his heart he thinks, m·,y ferve the 2 Cor. 5. r 7 . turn, without making it and all things new :.The new creature_ he taketh to be but Baprifm, or fame patching up of the former fiate, and amending fame groffer things that were amifs. He will confefs that without Chrifi and grace we can do nothing, but he thinkech this grace is an ordinary help. Wh<re as a humble foul is fo emptyed of it felf, and perceivcth its deadnefs and inlufficiency to good, that it magnificth grace, and is wondrous thankful for it, as for a new and fP.iritual life. 9· 3 5· Sign 5· A Proud heart hath fo little experimental fenfe;of the great accufaiions which Scri; ;,~;8~;~,, ~~~~ ~r~~~~~~~~~~~~~g~~:;t,;,t:~~e:i~~~ ':~·~~:~~/aef~~i~~:~~~~~~ a~~e~:~;:,~,h~~c~~d~;~ Jobn 1· 1> S, of the heart, and mans infuiliciency and impotencie to good, yea averfenefs from ir: Whereas hum..; 8 • ble men are better acquainted ~ith the fin within the:m, that beareth witnefs to a11 thefe truths. Jec.'•7· 9. 9· 36. Sign 6. The Proud are infenfible of the need and reafon of all that diligence to monifie the Sign 6 · fl.dh, and fubdue corruptions, and watch the heart, and walk with God in holinefs of life, which God requir<th: He faith what need all this ado: He feeleth not the need of it, and therefore thinks its more ado than needs. But the humble foul is fenfible of that within him that required• it ancl jullifieth the firiClefi Wlies of God : The Rich think they have no need to labour ; but labour is a poor mans life and maintenance: If he mifs it aday, he feeleth the want of it the next. Sign7. Sign 8. Sign9. 9· 37· Sign7• Proud men arc much infenfd>le of the. want offrequent andfirvent Pr.yrr unto God. Begging is the poor mans trade; The humble foul perceives the need of It ; He finds as confianr need of God as of air, or bread, or life it felf. And he knoweth that rhe exercife of our defires·and faith, and the expreffion by prayer of our dependance upon God, is the way appointed for our fupply. But the proud arc full-flomacht, and think this e.'fnell frequent praying is but hypocritical needlefs work, and they cannot make a trade of begging, and therefore they are fcnt empty away. ·9· 38. Sign 8. ft proud man is a great zmderva!Htr of all mercier, and ttnthank,ful for them; but efpecially for fPiritual mercr· He receive~h it .cufiomarily a~ if .it ~ere his due ; ~nd cufiomarily gives God thanks. But though he may rqoyce m the profpenty of illS flcO•, yet he JS a llranger to holy thankful!nefs to God; and thinks diminutively of mercy: yea he is difcontent and murmureth if God give him not a• much as he dcfireth. Whereas the humble confefs themfclvcs unworthy of the leall, Ge~. 30. IO· 2 Chron. 32· 24, 25, 26. HrzekjaiJJ lifting up and untha~kfuUncfs 1;10 together. A poor man will be very thankful for a peny or a p~ece of bread, wh!Ch the nch would rqeCl as a !,\teat indignity. . . . . . .. · 9· 39· Sign9• Proud men are allways 11npatzent 111 thm aff!•lnom : If they have a jloutmfi or jlupidity, yet they have not Chrillian patien": T hey rake it as if Goq ufed them hardly or did them wrong. But the humble know that they deferve much worfe, and that the mercy that is left rhem is contrary to their defert: And therefore fay with the humbled Church, Mic. 7· 9· I wiU bear the indig1Ztttion of the Urd btcaufe 1have finned agai,yl him: Lam. 3· 22· [It i1 beca:ejt IJis compaJ!ionJ fail not that we art not confumed 1. 9· 40. Sign 10. Proud men are fearlefi of temptationr, aod confident of their ftrengtb and the goodSign 10 ' nefs of their heaits: They dare live among (nares, in pomp and pleafure, faring delicioufly eve~ ry day; among plays, and gaming, and lafcivious company and difcourfe, arid fear no hurr; their Pride making them infenfible of their danger, and what tinder and gunpowder is in their natures, for every fpark of temptation to catch fire in. But the humble are all ways fufpitious of thcmfelves) and know their danger, and avoid the fnarc. Prov. 14. 16. A rvife man feareth and departeth from rvit; but the fool rageth a~td if confident. Prov. 22. 3• Aprttdem man fort[cCJb the evil attd hideth himfelf: but the fimple p•fi on and are punijhcd. . Sign I I• 9· 4'· Sign 11· Pride makcth mm murmure if the work of God be never fo well done, if thry had not the doing of it; and fomuimes by cont.:nding to have the honour of doi11g 1r, they defiroy the work: If they are olli<ers of Chrill, they lo)k more at the Power than their obligatiO>(; at the Dizniry
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