Sign VIII. Pride makes men hear their teachers as judges, when they should hear them as learners and disciples of Christ: they come not to be taught what they knew not, but to censure what they hear, and as confidently pass their judgment on it, as if their teachers wanted nothing but their instructions to teach them aright. I know that no poison is to be taken into the soul upon pretence of any man's authority, and that we must prove all things, and hold fast that which is good: but yet I know that you must be taught even to do this; and that the pastor's office is appointed by Christ as necessary to your good; and that the scholars that are still quarrelling with their teachers, and readier to teach their masters than to learn of them, and boldly contradicting what they never understood, are too proud to become wise; and that humility and reason teacheth men to learn with a sense of their ignorance, and the necessity of a teacher.
Sign IX. A proud man is always hard to be pleased, because he hath too great expectations from others: he looks for so much observance and respect, and to be humoured and honoured by all, that it is too hard a task for any man to please him that hath much to do with him, and hath any other trade to follow; he that will please him, must either have little to do with him, and come but seldom in his way, or else he must study the art of man-pleasing, compliment, and flattery, till he be ready to commence doctor in it, and must make it his trade and business, as nurses do to tend the sick, or quiet children. One look, or word, or action, will every day fall cross, and some respect or compliment will be wanting. And, as godly, humble men do justly aggravate their sins from the greatness and excellency of God whom they offend; so the proud man foolishly aggravates every little wrong that is done him, and every word that is said against him, and every supposed omission or neglect of him, by the high estimation he hath of himself against whom it is done.
Sign X. The proud are desirous of precedency among men: to be saluted with the first, and taken by great ones into the greatest favour; and to be set in the upper room, at table, and at church; and to take the better hand. He grudgeth at those who are set above him and preferred before him, unless they are much his superiors: or, if he have the wit to avoid the disgrace of contending for such trifles, and showing the childishness of his pride to others, yet he retaineth a displeasure at the heart: when the humble give precedency to others, and set themselves at the lower end, Luke xiv. 9, 10.
Sign XI. A proud man expecteth that all the good that he doth be remembered, and that others do keep a register of his good works, and take notice of his learning, worth, and virtues: as their own memories are stronger here than in any thing, so they think other men's should be; as if (being conscious how unfit they are for the esteem of God) they thought all were lost which is not observed and esteemed by men. As their eye is upon themselves, so they think the eye of others should be also; and that as their own, to admire the good, and not to see infirmities and evil.[221]
Sign XII. No man is taken for so great a friend to the proud as their admirers; whatever else they be, they love those men best, that highliest esteem them: the faults of such they can extenuate and easily forgive. Let them be drunkards, or whoremongers, or swearers, or otherwise ungodly, the proud man loveth them according to the measure of their honouring him. If you would have his favour, let him hear that you have magnified him behind his back, and that you honour him above all other men. But if the holiest servant of God think meanly of him, and speak of him but as he is; especially if he think they are disesteemers of him, or are against his interest and honour, all their wisdom and holiness will not reconcile him to them, if they were as wise or good as Peter or Paul. It signifieth nothing to him that they are honourers of God, if he think they be not honourers of him. Nay, he will not believe or acknowledge their goodness, but take all for hypocrisy, if they suit not with his interest or honour: and all because he is an idol to himself.
Sign XIII. A proud man is apt to domineer with insolency when he gets any advantage, and perceiveth himself on the higher ground. He saith as Pilate to those that are in his power, "Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and power to release thee?" forgetting that they "have no power at all against any, but what is given them from above," John xix. 10, 11. Victories and successes lift up fools, and make them look big and forget themselves, as if their shadows were longer than before. Servants got on horseback will speak disdainfully of princes that are on foot.[222] David saith, "The proud have had me in derision," Psal. cxix. 51. If they get into places of power by preferment they cannot bear it, but are puffed up and intoxicated as if they were not the same men they were. They deal worse by their inferiors if they humour them not, than Balaam by his ass; when they have made them speak, their insolency cannot bear it: whereas the humble remembereth how far he is equal with the lowest, and dealeth gently with his servants themselves, "remembering that he also hath a Master in heaven," Col. iv. 1, 2; Eph. vi. 9.
Sign XIV. A proud man is impatient of being contradicted in his speech; be it right or wrong you must say as he, or not gainsay him. Hence it is that gallants think that a man's life is little enough to expiate the wrong, if a man presume to say, they lie. I know that children, and servants, and other inferiors must not be unreverent or immodest, in an unnecessary contradicting the words of their superiors, but must silently give place when they cannot assent to what is said; but yet an impatience of sober and reasonable contradiction, even from an inferior or servant, is not a sign of a humble mind.
Sign XV. Wherever a proud man dwelleth, he is turbulent and impatient if he have not his will. If he be a public person, he will set a kingdom all on fire, if things may not go as he would have them. Among the crimes of the last and perilous times, Paul numbereth these; to be "lovers of their own selves, boasters, proud, traitors, heady, high-minded," 2 Tim. iii. 2-4. If they have to do in church affairs, they will have their will and way, or they will cast all into confusion, and hinder the gospel, and turn the churches upside down. In towns and corporations they are heady and turbulent to have their wills. In families there shall be no peace, if every thing may not go their way. They cannot yield to the judgment of another.
Sign XVI. Proud men are passionate and contentious, and cannot put up injuries or foul words; when a humble man "giveth place to wrath," and "avengeth not himself," nor "resisteth evil;" but is meek and patient, "forbearing and forgiving," and so heaping coals of fire on his enemies' heads.[223] "Only by pride cometh contention," Prov. xiii. 10. "He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife," Prov. xxviii. 25. What is their wrath, their scorns, their railing and endeavouring to vilify those that have offended them, but the foam and vomit of their pride? "Proud, haughty scorner is his name, that dealeth in proud wrath," Prov. xxi. 24.