4. This is so true, and so known to the hearts of almost all people, that nothing would appear more dreadful to them, than to have their hearts thus fully discovered to the eyes of all beholders.
And perhaps there are very few people in the world, who would not rather chuse to die, than to have all their secret follies, the vanity of their minds, the frequency of their vain and disorderly passions, their uneasiness, hatreds, envies, and vexations, made known unto the world.
And shall pride be entertained in a heart thus conscious of its own miserable behaviour?
*Shall a creature in such a condition, that he could not support himself under the shame of being known to the world in his real state; shall such a creature, because his shame is only known to God, to holy angels, and his own conscience; shall he, in the sight of God and holy angels, dare to be vain and proud of himself?
5. If to this we add the shame and guilt of sin, we shall find still a greater reason for humility.
No creature that had lived in innocence, would have thereby got any pretence for pride; because, as a creature, all that it is, or has, or does, is from God, and therefore the honour of all that belongs to it is only due to God.
But if a creature that is a sinner, deserving nothing but pains and punishments for the shameful abuse of his powers; if such a creature pretends to glory for any thing that he is, or does, he can only be said to glory in his shame.
Now, how monstrous and shameful the nature of sin is, is sufficiently apparent from that great atonement that is necessary to cleanse us from the guilt of it.
Nothing less has been required to take away the guilt of our sins, than the sufferings and death of the Son of God. Had he not taken our nature upon him, our nature had been for ever separated from God, and incapable of ever appearing before him.
And is there any room for pride, whilst we are partakers of such a nature as this?