that have in their anguish resolved against themselves, have been prevented of the execution of their resolves, and have lived to see the Lord and his salvation. And who is able to determine that secret, that their name is not in the book of life? Who can say he is certainly excluded out of God's decree? What madness is it then to rush into certain ruin, when our fears that distress us may be but mistakes! It is not so certain that men shall be damned, because of what they feel or fear at present, as it may be if they destroy themselves.

[4.] Fourthly, To prevent occasions to this temptation, it must be our care not to give way to discontents for outward things, nor to distressing fears, such as are despairing and hopeless, for our spiritual estate; or if we have a burden either way upon our mind, we must avoid as much as may be impatient fretfulness, 'lest Satan get advantage of us.' Discontented moods and casting away hope are sad occasions for this temptation. If we find ourselves thus burdened, we must look to it betimes, and not suffer it to go too far. And if this temptation come, we must take heed we keep not the devil's counsel, but discover the matter to some that are wise and faithful, able to advise and pray for us; remembering still that if only outward things trouble us, we have a better way of ease and remedy, by submitting to a chastising providence. If spiritual troubles move this way, we should not run from him, but rather resolve to perish at his foot as humble suppliants for mercy and pardon.

[5.] Fifthly, The temptation must also be opposed with fasting and prayer. If this be sincerely practised, it will go away at last.

[6.] Sixthly, Something may also be said for caution against unnecessary thrusting ourselves, while under such temptations, into places of danger, or into a converse with instruments of death. This may be too great a daring of the temptation, and in the consequence a mischief. Yet on the other hand, we must not be so cowardly as to be afraid of such places and things, unto which our callings and lawful employments do engage us; not to dare to go over a bridge, or to walk by a river or a pit, if it be our necessary way, is but to give an advantage to Satan to keep us under continual affrightments; and therefore I subscribe to Capel's advice, We must abide by it, and fight it out by faith; we must not fly the way, the place, the employment, but go on and look to God, and at last we shall make Satan fly.'1

6

Obj. But if some object to this, that their weakness is great, and their fears are strong, and Satan never idle, and that therefore they have little ground to expect an escape, I shall desire they would consider seriously the instance of Christ in this particular. When he was upon the pinnacle of the temple, a small push might have overthrown him, and yet it was not in Satan's power to do it himself, though he tempted Christ to cast himself down: which may sufficiently satisfy us, that there is a sure hedge of providence about us, and that Satan cannot do us the least hurt by pushing us into a pit or river, or any such danger.

CHAPTER XVI.

Of pride, Satan's chief engine to bring on presumption.—What pride is, and how it prepares men for sinning presumptuously.-Considerations against pride.-The remedies for its cure. -Pride kindled by a confidence of privileges and popular applause.

The aims of Satan in this temptation being thus explained, I must now offer to your consideration the means by which he sought to bring his end about, which we have noted already, was pride: this he endeavoured to raise up in him two ways:

(1.) First, By urging to him the privileges of his condition, as taking himself to be the Son of God.

(2.) Secondly, By offering him the occasion of popular applause; to which purpose he brought him into the holy city, where he might be sure of many spectators. I shall hence note,

Obs. 10. That pride is Satan's proper engine to bring men on to presumption.

If we should trace the history of presumptuous sins, we shall ever find it to have been so. Adam's first sin was a high presumption against God's express command, but pride was the stair by which he knew they must ascend to it; and therefore he used this argument to corrupt the hearts of our first parents, 'Ye shall be as gods.' The presumption of Uzziah in burning incense upon the altar, was from his pride, 2 Chron. xxvi. 16, 'His heart was lifted up, because he was become strong. David's presumption in numbering the people was from hence. Thus might we run through many instances. But Satan's own case may be instead of all. His first sin, though we have but conjecture what it was particularly, is concluded by all to have been highly presumptuous, and the Scripture expressly asserts that it was his pride that brought him to it. 1 Tim. iii. 6, He that is lifted up with pride, falls into the condemnation of the devil.' And in the general we are told by the prophet, Hab. ii. 4, 'that the soul that is lifted up,' cannot be so upright as patiently to wait upon God in a way of believing, but it will be presuming to evade a trouble by indirect contrivances.

To explain the observation, I shall do no more but shew what pride is, and how fit it is to beget presumption.

Pride is a self-idolising, an over-valuation or admiration of ourselves, upon a real or supposed excellency, inward or outward, appertaining to us. It is in Scripture frequently expressed by the lifting up or exaltation of the soul. And this is done, upon the consideration of any kind of thing, which we apprehend makes us excel others; so that inward gifts of mind, as knowledge, humility, courage, &c., or outward gifts of the body, as beauty, strength, activity, &c., or additional advantages of riches, honour, authority, &c., or anything well done by us, &c., may all be abused to beget and nourish pride, and to fill us with high and lofty thoughts concerning ourselves; and being thus blown up, we are fitted for any presumptuous undertaking. For,

(1.) First, The mind thus corrupted begets to itself apprehensions of a self-sufficiency: and therefore, as it is not apt to remember from what fountain all those excellencies come, and to what ends they are to serve; so it brings them to a contempt of others, and to a confidence of themselves. Thus are men by degrees so intoxicated by their own humour, that they mount up to irrational and absurd conceits, fancying that they are more than they are, and that they can do far more than is possible for them to accomplish, till at last they become apparently foolish in the pursuit of their imaginations. I need not instance in the follies of Alexander, who being elated in mind, would be Jupiter's son, and go like Hercules in a lion's skin. Or in the mad frenzies of Caius, who as he would need fancy himself a god, so would he change his godship when he pleased: to-day he would wear a lion's skin and club, and then he must be Hercules; to-morrow in another garb he conceits himself Apollo; a caduceus made him Mercury, a sword and helmet made him Mars, &c. Or in Xerxes, who would whip the seas, and fetter Neptune. The Scripture affords enough of this nature, as the boast of Nebuchadnezzar; Is not this great Babel that I have built?' In the insolency of Nineveh, Zeph. ii. 15, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.' The blasphemy of Tyre, Ezek. xxviii. 2, who set her heart as the heart of God, saying, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God.' The arrogancy of Sennacherib, Isa. xxxvi. 19, 20, 'Where are the gods of Hamath .. that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?' Though all pride in all men ariseth not to so great a height of madness, yet it is the nature of it, and none have any of it without this humour of conceiting themselves above themselves, which strangely prepares them for any presumption.

(2.) Secondly, He that is proud, as he looks upon himself in a flattering glass, and measures himself by the length of his shadow; so doth he contemn and undervalue things that lie before his attempts as easy and small. Hence doth he put himself upon things that are far beyond him. David notes the working of a proud heart, Ps. cxxxi. 1, in this particular, Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me,' shewing that it is the guise of pride to outbid itself in its attempts.

(3.) Thirdly, It is not only forward to attempt, but also desperate to execute without consideration of hazard. Difficulty and danger, when they stand in the way, should usually deter men from their enterprise; but pride hardens the heart, and, in a blind rage, engageth it to contemn all inconveniencies. If sin and the breach of God's law be set before a person, whose pride engageth him to an unlawful undertaking, he overlooks it as a thing of nought: Through the pride of his countenance he will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts,' Ps. x. 4.

(4.) Fourthly, Pride ariseth up to a scornful competition with anything that opposeth it; and the more it is opposed, the more it rageth, for the contest is for having its will. This was the voice of pride in Pharaoh,' Who is the Lord, that I should serve him?' [Exod. v. 2.] Hence men are said to 'despise the commandments of God,' [Lev. xxvi. 15,] when in the strength of their pride they are carried

on to an open contest for their own ways and desires against peremptory commands and threatenings.

(5.) Fifthly, All this is done by a pleasing allurement. It is a witchcraft that strongly holds men, Amabilis insania mentis gratissimus error; and they think they are sufficiently rewarded if they be but gratified. Though other things go to wreck, yet they apprehend, if credit and honour be kept up, it is enough. Saul, when Samuel had declared that God would forsake him, yet sought to please himself by keeping up his esteem and authority; Honour me,' saith he, 'before the people,' [1 Sam. xv. 30.]

If all these particulars be weighed, what presumptuous act can be propounded by Satan which pride may not lead to ? He that swells himself to a conceit of absoluteness, that will needs be attempting things too high, that contemneth all hazards, and is made more forward by opposition, and yet pleaseth himself in all, as in a golden dream, he is as much prepared for any figure or shape that Satan is ready to impress upon him, as melted metals for their mould or stamp.

Applic. Hence must we be warned against pride, as we would avoid presumption. If we admit this, we cannot well escape the other. And we are the more concerned to resist pride,

[1.] First, Because it is a natural sin. It was the first sin, and our natures are so deeply tainted with it, that it is a sin that first shews itself in our infancy; for children will express a pride in their clothes very early, and it is a general infection, from which none are exempted in some degree or other. The apostle's phrase, 1 John ii. 16, shews that our whole life, and all the concerns thereof, is but the sphere in which pride acts; and therefore, whereas he restrains other lusts to some particular ends or peculiar instruments, he calls this iniquity the pride of life,' implying how impossible it is to confine it in a narrow compass.

[2.] Secondly, It is a subtle sin, and often lies where it is least suspected. Every man sees it, as it is expressed in 'haughty looks,' in boasting speeches,' in 'gorgeous apparel,' in 'insolent behaviour;' but often men are insensibly possessed with this sin and know not of it. Under an affected contempt of honours and fine clothes they secretly hug themselves in their private conceits, and raise up in their own thoughts imaginary trophies of honour and victory, for despising what others so much dote upon. It was observed of Diogenes that he did intus gloriari, inwardly boast, and with greater pride contemned honour, riches, plenty, &c., than they were troubled with that enjoyed them. Some decry pride in others, vehemently declare against it as a sin, recommend humility as an ornament of great price in the sight of God, and yet are proud that they are above others in a fancied humility; and, in the management of themselves in their reproofs and exhortations, express such sad symptoms of an insulting humour, that the latent pride of their heart doth appear by it. It is possible for men to give thanks to the Almighty for all they have, and yet to be proud of what is in them. The Pharisee was proud, for so Christ calls him, that he was not as other men,' and yet he could thank God,' as ascribing all to him; nay, he that is truly sensible of the

working of this pride in himself, and dares not approve it, yet he shall find in his heart such a delight when he is stroked or praised; and when some actions, praiseworthy, are not taken notice of, the best shall find that, without great watchfulness, they shall not be able to hold from giving some hints to others, as a memorial to them, of observing their excellency, or from some insinuations of their own commendation.

[3.] Thirdly, Pride is a sin no less dangerous than subtle. There are no attempts so strange, unreasonable, monstrous, or absurd, but it may prompt to them. It was a strange arrogancy in Herod to deify himself in his own thoughts, and yet the acclamations of the people swelled him into such a blasphemous imagination, that God thought fit to chastise him, and instruct others by so dreadful a judgment, as clearly baffled his insolency, and made him and his flatterers confess he was but a poor, frail man. Ordinarily pride is attended with a judgment, it is the very prognostic of ruin: 'Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,' Prov. xvi. 18. But these judgments have something in them peculiar, which other judgments for other sins do not always express, to a manifestation of a special abhorrency in God against pride; as, (1.) He commonly smites the thing for which they are proud. Staupitius boasted of his memory, and God smote it; Hezekiah boasted of his treasure, and for that God designed them for captivity; David glorified [himself] in the multitude of his people, but God lessened them by pestilence ; Nebuchadnezzar is proud of his Babel, and God drove him from the enjoyment of it. Men are proud of children or relations, and God oft removes them, or makes them a shame and sorrow. (2.) He doth not only this, but also orders the judgment so that it shall bring a shame and contempt upon men in that thing wherein they prided themselves. He will not only punish, but also stain their pride. The haughty daughters of Zion were not only plagued by removing their ornaments, bracelets, and the rest of their bravery, but over and above he smites with a scab the crown of their head, and discovers their secret parts, and brings a stink and baldness upon them instead of a sweet smell and well-set hair, and burning instead of beauty,' Isa. iii. 17, 24.

So sad a distemper stands in need of a special care; and for that end we should,

[1.] First, In all things we have or do, not so much consider what is excellent, or wherein we excel, as what we have not, and wherein we come short. We should be strange to ourselves, and design that the 'right hand should not know what the left hand doth,' which must be by having our eye upon the imperfections that attend us at the best.

[2.] Secondly, It must be our care to be suspicious of the working of pride in us; and also by an industrious watchfulness to give a stop or check to thoughts of this nature when they arise.

[3.] Thirdly, The conquest of this cannot be expected without a serious and constant labour herein. A humble soul is compared by David to a weaned child, Ps. cxxxi. 2. But a child is not weaned easily. Wormwood must be laid on the breast, and time allowed, before the child will forget it. He only that is content to exercise a