Sign XXV. Pride maketh people desirous to equal their superiors, and exceed their equals, in apparel, or handsome dwellings, and provisions, and entertainments, and all appearances that tend to set them out, and make them seem considerable in the world:[227] for it excessively regards the eye of man. A fit respect to decency must be had (so we place no greater a necessity in it than we ought): but pride would fain go with the highest, and have more curiosity than needs; and maketh a greater matter of decency than the thing requireth. I am not of their humour, that censure every man whose hair is not of their cut, and whose garments are not of their fashion, and who are bred in a way of more gentility and ceremony than myself. But yet the affectation of imitating fashion-mongers, and bearing a port above one's rank, and rather desiring the converse and company of superiors than inferiors, and to live like those that are a step above us, than those that are a step below us, are signs as significant of pride, as the robes of a judge or a doctor are of their dignities and degrees. I am sure humility hath learnt this lesson, Rom. xii. 16, "Mind not high things; but condescend to men of low estate: be not wise in your own eyes." As for the ridiculous, effeminate fashions and deportment of some men, and the spots, and paintings, and nakedness, and other antic fashions of some women, and the many hours which they daily waste in dressings and adornings, and preparing themselves for the sight of others, they are the badges of so foolish, and worse than childish a sort of pride, that I will not trouble myself and the reader in reprehending them. Manly pride is ashamed of such toys. Let the patrons of them please their patients, by proving them lawful, while they have no wiser work to do; and when they have done, let them go on to prove that it is lawful for sober persons to wear such irons as they do in Bedlam; and that such chains as they in Newgate wear are no signs of a prisoner; and that it is lawful for an honest woman to wear a harlot's habit. If the proud have no more wit than to wear the badges of their childishness or distraction, and show their shame to all they meet, and make themselves as ridiculous as men that lay aside their breeches, and wear sidecoats again like children, I will leave them to themselves, and will not now trouble them with any longer contradiction.
Sign XXVI. Proud persons are ashamed and troubled if any necessity force them to go lower in apparel, or provisions, or deportment, than others do of their degree; to show you that it is not as a duty that decency is regarded by them, but as the ornaments of pride, else they would be quiet when Providence maketh it cease to be their duty. They are not so much ashamed of sin, and the neglect of God and their salvation, as they are to be seen in sordid attire, or in a poor and homely garb: beggars and servants show here that they are as proud as lords. What abundance of them go but seldom to church, and give this as a reason, I wanted clothes! as if they would neglect their souls, their God, their greatest duty, rather than do it in such clothes as they do their common work. Doth Christ appoint you to give him the meeting, that by his ministers he may instruct you for salvation, and that you may ask and receive the pardon of your sins; and will you disappoint him, and refuse to come, for want of better clothes? Sure you do not think that these are the wedding garment which he requireth you to bring. You would beg if you were naked or in rags, and will you not come to beg of God, because you have no better clothes? Do you set more by the reputation of your clothes, than the means of your salvation? How little do such wretches set by God, and by his mercy now, that will shortly on their death-beds cry for mercy, without any such regard of clothes! Naked they come into the world, and naked they must go out, and yet they will turn their backs on the worship of God, for want of clothes. They are not ashamed nor afraid to be ungodly, and to forsake their duty, but they are ashamed of torn or poor attire. What, say they, shall we make ourselves ridiculous! When their pride and ungodliness is cause of a thousand-fold more shame. We read of thousands, even of the poor, that crowded after Christ to hear him; but of none that staid at home for want of clothes; when it is like they had no better than yours.
Sign XXVII. If a proud man be wronged, he looketh for great submission before he will forgive: you must lie down at his feet, and make a very full confession, and behave yourself with great submission; especially if the law be in his hands. And he is prone to revenge, and cruel in his revenge: but if he have wronged others, he is hardly brought to confess that he wronged them; and more hardly to humble himself for reconciliation, and ask them forgiveness: when a humble person is ready to let go his right for peace, and easily forgiveth, and easily stoopeth to ask forgiveness.
Sign XXVIII. Lastly; Pride maketh men inordinately desire to have an honourable memorial kept of their names when they are dead (if they are persons that rise to the hopes of such a remembrance;) Many a monument hath pride erected;[228] many a book hath it written to this end; many a good work materially hath it done, and made it bad by such a base intention! Many an hospital, and almshouse, and school-house it hath built; and many a pound hath it given to charitable uses in pretension, but to proud and selfish uses in intention. Not that any should causelessly suspect another's ends, or blemish the deserved honour of good works, which it is lawful ordinately to regard; but we should suspect our own hearts, and take heed of so horrible a sin, which would turn the excellentest parts and works into poison or corruption. And remember how heinous a thing it is, for a man to be laying proud designs, when he is turning to the dust, and going to appear before his Judge! yea, to set up the monuments of his pride over his rotten flesh and bones; and to show that he dieth in so great a sin without repentance, by endeavouring that as much as may be of it may survive, when he is dead and gone! If such wicked ends do sometimes offer to intrude into necessary, excellent works, an honest heart must abhor them, and cast them out, and beg forgiveness; and not for that forbear his work, nor refuse the comfort of his more sincere desires and intents: but such good works do sink the hypocrite into hell, that are principally done as a service to pride, to leave a name on earth behind him.
Thus I have been long in showing you the signs of pride, because the discovery is a great part of the cure: not that every proud person hath all these signs; for every one hath not the same temptations or occasions to show them; but every one hath some, and many of these; and he that hath any one of them, hath a sign of pride. And again I say, that for all this, our reputation, as it subserveth the honour of God and our religion, and our brethren's good, must be carefully by all just means preserved, and by necessary defences vindicated from calumniators; though we must quietly bear whatever infamy or slander we are tried with.
Direct. III. Having understood the nature and the signs or effects of pride, consider next of the dreadful consequents and tendency of it, both as it leadeth to further sin, and unto misery. Which I shall briefly open to you in some particulars.
1. At the present it is the heart of the old man, and the root and life of all corruption, and of dreadful signification, if it be predominant. If any man's "heart be lifted up, the Lord will have no pleasure in him, or it is not upright in him," Hab. ii. 4. I had rather have my soul in the case of an obscure humble christian, that is taken notice of by few, or none but God, and is content to approve himself to him, than in the case of the highest and most eminent and honourable in church or state, that looks for the observation and praise of men.[229] God judgeth not of men by their great parts, and profession, and name; but justifieth the humbled soul that is ashamed to lift up his face to heaven, and thinketh himself unworthy to speak to God, or to have communion with his church, or to come among his servants; but standing afar off, smiteth upon his breast, and saith, (in true repentance,) O "God, be merciful to me, a sinner," Luke xviii. 13. Pride is as a plague-mark on the soul.
2. There is scarce a sin to be thought on that is not a spawn in the bowels of pride. To instance in some few (besides all that are expressed in the signs): 1. It maketh men hypocrites, and seem what they are not, for the praise of men. 2. It makes men liars: most of the lies that are told in the world, are to avoid some disgrace and shame, or to get men to think highly of them. When a sin is committed against God or your superiors, instead of humble confession, pride would cover it with a lie. 3. It causeth covetousness, that they may not want provision for their pride. 4. It maketh men flatterers, and time-servers, and man-pleasers, that they may win the good esteem of others. 5. It makes men run into profaneness, and riotousness, to do as others do to avoid the shame of their reproach and scorn, that else would account them singular and precise. 6. It can take men off from any duty to God that the company is against; they dare not pray, nor speak a serious word of God, for fear of a jeer from a scorner's mouth. 7. It is so contentious a sin, that it makes men firebrands in the societies where they live; there is no quiet living with them longer than they have their own saying, will, and way; they must bear the sway, and not be crossed; and when all is done, there is no pleasing them, for the missing of a word, or a look, or a compliment, will catch on their hearts, as a spark on gunpowder. 8. It tears in pieces church and state. Where was ever civil war raised, or kingdom endangered or ruined, or church divided, oppressed, or persecuted, but pride was the great and evident cause? 9. It devoureth the mercies and good creatures of God, and sacrificeth them to the devil. It is a chargeable sin: what a deal doth it consume in clothes, and buildings, and attendance, and entertainments, and unnecessary things! 10. It is an odious thief and prodigal of precious time. How many hours that should be better employed, and must one day be accounted for, are cast away upon the foresaid works of pride! especially in the needless compliments and visits of gallants, and the dressings of some vain, light-headed women, in which they spend almost half the day, and can scarce find an hour in a morning for prayer, or meditation, or reading the Scriptures, because they cannot be ready; forgetting how they disgrace their wretched bodies, by telling men that they are so filthy or deformed, that they cannot be kept sweet and cleanly and seemly, without so long and much ado. 11. It is odiously unjust. A proud man makes no bones of any falsehood, slander, deceit, or cruelty, if it seem but necessary to his greatness, or honour, or preferment, or ambitious ends. He careth not who he wrongeth or betrayeth, that he may rise to his desired height, or keep his greatness. Never trust a proud man further than his own interest bids you trust him. 12. Pride is the pander of whoredom and uncleanness: it is an incentive to lust in themselves, and draws the proud to adorn and set forth themselves in the most enticing manner, as tends to provoke the lust of others. Fain they would be thought comely, that others may admire them, and be taken with their comeliness. If they thought that none would see them, they would spare their ornaments. And if a common decency were all that they affected, they would spare their curiosities and fashionable superfluities. Even they that would not be unclean in gross fornication with any, yet would be esteemed beautiful and desirable, and do that which tendeth to corrupt the minds of fools that see them. These, and indeed almost all sin, are the natural progeny of pride.
3. As to the misery which they bring on themselves and others, (1.) The greatest is, that they forsake God, and are in danger to be forsaken by him: for God abhorreth the proud, and beholdeth them as afar off. So far as you are proud you are hated by him, and have no acceptance or communion with him. Pride is the highway to utter apostasy. It blindeth the mind; it maketh men confident in their own conceits; and venturous upon any new opinion; and ready to quarrel with the word of God before they understand it. When any thing seems hard to them, they presently suspect the truth of the matter, when they should suspect their dark, unfurnished minds. Mark those that are proud in any town, or any company of professors of piety; and if any infection of heresy or infidelity come into that place, these are the men that will soonest catch it. Mark those that have turned from truth or godliness, and see whether they be not such as were proud and superficial in religion before. But God giveth grace, and more grace to the humble: he dwelleth with them, and delighteth in them.[230]
(2.) A proud man is a tormentor of himself. Setting his mind on the thoughts of men, and desiring more of their esteem than he can attain, and that which is unsatisfying vanity when he hath obtained it, he is still under fruitless, vexatious desires, and frequent disappointments; every thing that he seeth, and every word almost that he heareth, or every compliment omitted, can disturb his peace, and break his sleep, and cast him into a fever of passion or revenge. This wind that swelleth him, is running up and down, and disquieting him in every part. Who would have such a fire in his breast, that will not suffer him to be quiet?[231]