(_c_) When a man boasts himself of what he has not. When, that is, in order to flatter his self-pride before others, he pretends to be, or to have what he is not, or has not got. Thus living under false appearances, living beyond one's income, are due to Pride. (_d_) When a man despises others. Every man who looks down on, disparages, and regards others as common and vile, is guilty of Pride. The rich have no occasion to despise the poor, those of one social class to talk contemptuously of those of another, or as being _common_ people, as _Nobodies_. With God nothing is common, and not one of His creatures is a Nobody. Moreover, it is possible to sin through pride if those who have committed no mortal sins despise such as have sinned. Spiritual Pride is the worst kind of Pride. 3. Pride produces a good many children, all bad when overgrown. (_a_) _Ambition._ The desire to distinguish oneself above others. Harmless when moderate, evil when excessive. (_b_) _Vain-glory._ The desire to make parade of those qualities one has, and to attribute to oneself qualities one has not. Always bad. (_c_) _Ostentation._ The affectation of making display of those advantages we possess--wealth, cleverness, knowledge, &c. Always not only bad, but vulgar. (_d_) _Contempt for others_, leading to disparaging what is good in others, and exaggerating their faults. Never other than bad. (_e_) _Presumption_, which impels to attempt what is beyond one's powers. It is not wrong to have self-confidence in what one has. It is wrong when one presumes on what _one has not_. (_f_) _Hypocrisy_, which seeks to show to the world a better face than what one really has, to pretend to be what one is not. Ever bad. (_g_) _Obstinacy_, which follows self-determination as if that must be right; and a stubbornness which does not suffer a man to give way when his reason has been convinced that he is wrong. (_h_) _Disobedience_, which follows on self-conceit, making a man follow his own wishes and opinions, and disobey just commands, because he desires independence, or because he despises his superiors and those in authority over him. [Illustration] Sixth Wednesday in Lent. _AVARICE._ 1. Avarice or Covetousness is a disorderly and unreasonable and excessive attachment to the things of this world, especially to money. Now the love of the good things of this world is by no means sinful in itself, it is legitimate. God gives them to us to enjoy. God gives to us earthly things to be possessions, to keep, and to enlarge, and multiply. To throw away wantonly what has been given to us is sinful. For instance, it is sinful to squander money in extravagance, in horse racing, in gambling. Riches are a trust, land and houses are a trust, given us from God, and we must not diminish what we have received, in amount and value, but endeavour to make them more. It is a token of gratitude to God for this gift that we appreciate them, and use them profitably.