Christian ethics -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction
1. The first is, {132c} Because such persons are led by their own
hearts, rather than by the Word of God. I told you before, that the
original fountain of pride is the heart. For out of the heart comes
pride; it is therefore because they are led by their hearts, which
naturally tends to lift them up in pride. This pride of heart, tempts
them, and by its deceits overcometh them; {132d} yea it doth put a
bewitching vertue into their Peacocks feathers, and then they are
swallowed up with the vanity of them.
2. Another reason why professors are so proud, (for those we are
talking of now) is because they are more apt to take example of those
that are of the World, than they are to take example of those that are
Saints indeed. Pride is of the world. For all that is of the world,
the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
are not of the Father but of the world. {132e} Of the world therefore
Professors learn to be proud. But they should not take them for
example. It will be objected, No, nor your saints neither, for you are
as proud as others: Well, let them take shame that are guilty. But when
I say, professors should take example for their life by those that are
saints indeed, I mean as Peter says: They should take example of those
that were in old time, the saints; for saints of old time were the
best, therefore to these he directeth us for our pattern. Let the wives
conversation be chast, and also coupled with fear. Whose adorning,
saith Peter, let it not be that outward adorning, of pleating the hair,
and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of Apparel: but let it be the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of
great price. For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women
also who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to
their own husbands. {132f}
3. Another reason is, {133a} Because they have forgotten the pollution
of their Nature. For the remembrance of that, must needs keep us
humble, and being kept humble, we shall be at a distance from pride.
The proud and the humble are set in opposition; (God resisteth the
proud, but giveth grace to the humble.) And can it be imagined, that a
sensible Christian should be a proud one; sence of baseness tends to
lay us low, not to lift us up with pride; not with pride of Heart, nor
pride of Life: But when a man begins to forget what he is, then he, if
ever, begins to be proud.
Methinks it is one of the most senceless and ridiculous things in the
world, that a man should be proud of that which is given him on purpose
to cover the shame of his nakedness with.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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