Sign II. A proud heart doth so much overvalue all that is in itself, that every common grace or duty doth seem to it to be a state of godliness. Their common knowledge seemeth to them to be saving illumination: every little sorrow for their sin, or wish that they had done better, when they have had all the sweetness of it, doth go with them for true repentance; their heartless lip-labour goes for acceptable prayer; their image of religion seemeth to them to be the life of godliness; they take their own presumption for true faith, and their false expectation for christian hope, and their carnal security and blockish stupidity for spiritual peace of conscience, and their desperate venturing their souls upon deceit they take for a trusting them with God. If they forbear but such sins as their flesh can spare, as unnecessary to its ease, provision, or content, yea, or such sins as the flesh commandeth them to forbear, as tending to their dishonour in the world, they take this for true obedience to God. Because they had rather have heaven than hell, when they must leave the earth, whether they will or no, they think that they are heavenly-minded, and lay up their treasure there, and take it for their portion: because conscience sometimes troubleth them for their sin, they think they renew a sincere repentance, and think all is pardoned, because they daily ask for pardon. Their forced submission to the hand of God they take for patience; and a "Lord, have mercy on us, and forgive us, and save us," they take for a true preparation for death. Thus pride deceiveth sinners, by making them believe that they have what they have not, and do what they do not, and are something when they are nothing, Gal. vi. 3, and by multiplying and magnifying the little common good that is in them.
Sign III. A proud heart hath very little sense of the necessity of a Saviour, to die for his sins, and satisfy God's justice, and reconcile him to God: notionally he is sick of sin; and notionally he thinks he needeth a physician; but practically, at the heart he feeleth little of his disease, and therefore little sets by Christ. He feeleth not that which should thoroughly acquaint him with the reasons of this blessed work of our redemption; and therefore indeed is a stranger to the mystery, and an unbeliever at the heart, and would turn apostate if the trial were strong enough. He never felt himself a condemned man, under the curse and wrath of God, and liable to hell; and therefore never lay in tears with Mary at his Saviour's feet, nor melted over his bleeding Lord; nor feelingly said with Paul, "He came to save sinners, of whom I am chief;" nor "esteemed all things as loss and dung for the knowledge of Christ, that he might be found in him," Phil. iii. 7, 8. He is a christian but as a Turk is a Mahometan, because it is the religion of the king, and the country in which he was bred.
Sign IV. A proud heart perceiveth not his own necessity of so great a change as a new birth, and of the Holy Ghost to give him a new nature, and plant the image of God upon him. He findeth perhaps some breaches in his soul; but he thinks there needs no breaking of the heart for them, nor pulling all down and building up his hopes anew. Amending his heart, he thinks may serve the turn, without making it and all things new, 2 Cor. v. 17. The new creature he taketh to be but baptism, or some patching up of the former state, and amending some grosser things that were amiss. He will confess that without Christ and grace we can do nothing, but he thinketh this grace is an ordinary help. Whereas an humble soul is so emptied of itself, and perceiveth its deadness and insufficiency to good, that it magnifieth grace, and is wondrous thankful for it, as for a new and spiritual life.
Sign V. A proud heart hath so little experimental sense of the great accusations which Scripture bringeth against the corrupted heart of man, that it is easily drawn into any heresy which denieth them: as about our original sin, and misery, and need of a Saviour; about the desperate wickedness of the heart, and man's insufficiency and impotency to good, yea, averseness from it: whereas humble men are better acquainted with the sin within them, that beareth witness to all these truths.[213]
Sign VI. The proud are insensible of the need and reason of all that diligence to mortify the flesh, and subdue corruptions, and watch the heart, and walk with God in holiness of life, which God requireth. He saith, what need all this ado? he feeleth not the need of it, and therefore thinks it is more ado than needs. But the humble soul is sensible of that within him that requireth it, and justifieth the strictest ways of God. The rich think they have no need to labour, but labour is a poor man's life and maintenance; if he miss it a day, he feeleth the want of it the next.
Sign VII. Proud men are much insensible of the want of frequent and fervent prayer unto God. Begging is the poor man's trade: the humble soul perceives the need of it: he finds as constant need of God, as of air, or bread, or life itself. And he knoweth that the exercise of our desires and faith, and the expression by prayer of our dependence upon God, is the way appointed for our supply. But the proud are full-stomached, and think this earnest, frequent praying is but hypocritical, needless work, and they cannot make a trade of begging, and therefore they are sent empty away.
Sign VIII. A proud man is a great undervaluer of all mercies, and unthankful for them; but especially for spiritual mercy. He receiveth it customarily, as if it were his due; and customarily gives God thanks. But though he may rejoice in the prosperity of his flesh, yet he is a stranger to holy thankfulness to God; and thinks diminutively of mercy; yea, he is discontent, and murmureth if God give him not as much as he desireth. Whereas the humble confess themselves unworthy of the least, Gen. xxx. 10; 2 Chron. xxxii. 24-26. Hezekiah's lifting up and unthankfulness go together. A poor man will be very thankful for a penny or a piece of bread, which the rich would reject as a great indignity.
Sign IX. Proud men are always impatient in their afflictions. If they have a stoutness or stupidity, yet they have not christian patience: they take it as if God used them hardly, or did them wrong. But the humble know that they deserve much worse, and that the mercy that is left them is contrary to their desert; and therefore say with the humbled church, Micah vii. 9, "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him." Lam. iii. 22, "It is because his compassions fail not, that we are not consumed."
Sign X. Proud men are fearless of temptations, and confident of their strength and the goodness of their hearts. They dare live among snares, in pomp and pleasure, faring deliciously every day; among plays, and gaming, and lascivious company and discourse, and fear no hurt; their pride making them insensible of their danger, and what tinder and gunpowder is in their natures, for every spark of temptations to catch fire in. But the humble are always suspicious of themselves, and know their danger, and avoid the snare. Prov. xiv. 16, "A wise man feareth and departeth from evil; but the fool rageth and is confident." Prov. xxii. 3, "A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished."
Sign XI. Pride maketh men murmur if the work of God be never so well done, if they had not the doing of it; and sometimes by contending to have the honour of doing it, they destroy the work. If they are officers of Christ, they look more at the power than their obligation; at the dignity than at the duty; and at what the people owe to them, than what they owe to God and to the people. They are like dogs that snarl at any other that would partake with them, or come into the house. They say not as Moses, "Would all the Lord's people were prophets." Yea, the peace and unity of church and state is often sacrificed to this cursed pride.