18. Some are of a silent temper, and are accused for pride, because they speak not to others as oft as they expect it.
19. Some are naturally unapt to be familiar till they have much acquaintance, and are so far from impudent that they are not bold enough to speak much to strangers and take acquaintance with them, no, though it be with their inferiors; and therefore are ordinarily misjudged to be proud.
20. Some have contracted some unhandsome customs in their speech or gestures, which, to rash censurers, seem to come from pride, though it be not so. By all these seemings the humble are judged by many to be proud.[205]
III. There are also many counterfeits of humility, by which the proud are taken to be humble: as, 1. An accusing of themselves and bewailing their vileness, through mere terror of conscience, as Judas, or the constraint of affliction, as Pharaoh, or of the face of death. 2. A customary confessing of such sins in prayer, or in speech with others, which the best are used to confess, and the confessing of them is taken rather to be an honour than a disgrace. 3. A religious observance of those commandments and doctrines of men, which the apostle speaketh of, Col. ii. 18-23, which have a "show of wisdom in will-worship and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh." 4. A holding of those tenets, which doctrinally are most to man's abasement; but yet never humbled themselves at the heart. 5. A discreet restraint of boasting, and such a discommending of themselves, as tendeth to procure them the reputation of modesty and humility. 6. An affected condescension and familiarity with others, even of the lower sort, which may seem humility, when the poorest have their smiles and courtesy; and yet may be but the humility of Absalom, 2 Sam. xv. 3-6, the fruit of pride, designed to procure the commendations of the world. 7. A choosing to converse with their inferiors, because they would bear sway, and be always the greatest themselves in the company: like Dionysius the tyrant, that when he was dethroned, turned schoolmaster, that he might domineer among the boys. 8. A constrained meanness of apparel, provisions, and deportment; when poverty forceth men to speak and live as if they were humble; whereas if they had but wealth and honours, they would live as high as the proudest of them all. How quiet is the bear when he is chained up! and how little doth serve a dog or a fox when he can get no more! 9. An affected meanness and plainness in apparel, while pride runs out some other way. He that is odiously proud of his supposed wisdom, or learning, or holiness, or birth, or great reputation, may in his very pride be above the womanish and childish way of pride, in apparel, and such other little toys. 10. A loathing and speaking against the pride of others, while he overlooks his own, perhaps because the pride of others cloudeth him; as the covetous hate others that are covetous, because they are the greatest hinderers of their gain; as dogs fight for the bone which both would have. Many more counterfeits of humility may be gathered, from what is said before of the seemings of pride, whereto it is contrary.
Direct. II. Observe the motions and discoveries of pride, towards God and man, that it may not, like the devil, prevail by keeping out of sight. Because this is the chief part of my work, I shall here distinctly show you the signs and motions of it, in its several ways against God and man.
Signs of the worst part of Pride against God.
Sign I. Self-idolizing pride doth cause men to glory in their supposed greatness, when the greatness of God should show them their contemptible vileness; and to magnify themselves, when they should magnify their Maker. It makes the strong man glory in his strength, and the rich man in his wealth, and the conqueror in his victories;[206] and princes, and rulers, and lords of the earth, in their dominions, and dignities, and power to do hurt or good to others; and say as Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. iv. 30, "Is not this great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, for the honour of my majesty?" How hard is it to be great and truly humble, and not to swell, and be lifted up in heart, as they rise in power! This God abhorreth as unsuitable to worms, and dust, and injurious to his honour, and will make them know that "power, and riches, and strength are his, and that the Most High doth rule in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom he will," Dan. iv. 32.
Sign II. Pride causeth men to set up their supposed worth and goodness above or against the Lord: so that they make themselves their principal end, and practise that which some of late presume to teach, that it is not God that can or ought to be man's end, but himself alone: as if we were made only for ourselves, and not for our Creator. Pride makes men so considerable in their own esteem, that they live wholly to themselves, as if the world were to stand or fall with them: if they be well, all is well with them; if they are to die, they take it as if the world were at an end. They value God, but as they do their food, or health, or pleasure, even as a means to their own felicity; not as preferring him before themselves, nor making him the chiefest in their end.[207] They love themselves much better than God: and so far is man fallen from God to himself, that he feeleth himself disposed to this as strongly, as that he taketh it to be his primitive nature, and therefore warrantable, and that it is impossible to go higher.
How God is man's end.
God is to be man's end, though we can add nothing to him. The highest love supposeth no want in him that we love, but an excellency of glory, wisdom, and goodness, to which all our faculties offer up themselves in admiration, love, and praise: not only for the delights of these, nor only that our persons may herein be happy; but chiefly that God may have his due, and his will may be pleased and fulfilled; and because his excellencies deserve all this from men and angels. When we love a man of wonderful learning, and wisdom, and meekness, and charity, and holiness, and other goodness, it is not chiefly for ourselves that we love him, that we may receive something from him; for we feel his excellency command our love, though we were sure that we should never receive any thing from him: nor is the delight of loving him our chief end, but a consequent, or the lesser part of our end; for we feel that we love him before we think of the delight.[208] The admiration, love, and praise of God our ultimate end, hath no end beside their proper object; for it is itself the final act, even man's perfection. Amiableness magnetically attracteth love: if you ask an angel why he loveth God, he will say, because he is infinitely amiable: and though in such motions nature secretly aimeth at its own perfection and felicity, and lawfully interesteth itself in this final motion, yet the union being of such as are infinitely unequal, oh how little do the glorified spirits respect themselves in comparison of the blessed, glorious God! See what I said of this before, chap. iii. direct. xi. and xv.