Of peace and contentment of minde. By Peter Du Moulin the sonne. D.D.

CHAP. IX. Of Pride.

I Contend not whether Pride must be called a Vice or a Passion. It is enough for me, that it is an affection too naturall unto man, the cause of many passions, and a great disturber of inward tranquillity.

Pride is a swelling of the soul, whose proper causes are, too good an opinion, and in conse∣quence, too great a love of ones selfe: and whose most proper effects are, ambition of dignity, and greedinesse of praise. Wherefore these two ef∣fects cannot be overcome, unless we first over∣come the cause which is presumption, and a blinde immoderate love of a mans selfe.

It is impossible for a man to be tranquill and safe, as long as he sits upon a crazy and tottering bottome. Pride then making a man to ground himselfe upon himselfe, cannot but keepe him in a perpetuall unquietness and vacillation. How can ye beleeve (saith the Lord Jesus to the Jewes) which receive honour one of another and seeke not the honour that comes from God onely? John 5.44. A text which taxeth Pride of two great evills, That is robbes God of his glory, and that it shakes the the foundation of faith; For a proud man seekes not the glory of God but his owne; and his owne glory hee doth not seeke of God, but will get

it of men by his owne merit. Also it turnes his heart away from his trust in God to trust in his owne selfe Psal. 10.13. The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire, saith David, that is, he is confident that by his owne strength he shall compass all his projects; And againe, The wicked through the pride of his heart will not seeke after God: for the one brings the other. He that trusteth in him∣selfe, and is highly conceited of his owne wise∣dome, is easily perswaded that he hath no need of God.

That disposition of the mind is the high way to ruine. Prov. 16.18. Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. For God to whom only glory belongeth cannot but be very jealous of those that wil ingross it to themselves, & de∣clares open warre against them. Psal. 18.27. He will bring downe high lookes. Jam. 4.6. He resisteth the proud, but sheweth grace unto the humble. Prov. 8.11. I hate pride and arrogancy, saith Soveraine wisedome, which is God. As the winde hurts not the stalkes of herbs as long as they are supple and bowing, but breakes them when they are become dry and stiffe. The meeke and humble spirits that bow under Gods hand scape the stormes of his Judgements; But the hearts stiffe with pride are broken by them. They that ac∣knowledge their weaknesse, and seeke all their strength in God, finde it, and may say with St. Paul. 2 Cor. 12.10. When I am weake then I am

strong. But such as are high conceited of them∣selves, and with their wisedome will save the la∣bour of Gods providence, provoke him to con∣found their counsels, and unravell the webbe of their crafty projects; Luk. 1.51. for he scattereth the proud in the imagination of their heart. Isa. 5.21. Woe unto them that are wise in their owne eyes and prudent in their owne sight. But blessed and wise are they that humble themselves before God and relye upon his wisedome. A proud man layeth himselfe open to blowes by his presumption, and like bubbles of soape water, the bigger he growes the weaker he is and swelles till he burst.

There is a deep wisedome in this sentence of Solomon; Prov. 29.23. A mans pride shall bring him low. For besides the judgements of God which soone or late will sinke a proud man, Pride it self while it goeth about to raise a man, brings him extream low, for it makes him bisognoso d'honor, needy of respect and praise: It makes him begge frō dore to dore to get the approbation of strang∣ers, upon which he wholly depends, and without it thinks himselfe undone. It makes him a slave to the opinion of others, thereby confuting the good opinion he hath of himselfe, and making him tacitely confess, that he is indigent, empty, and hungry.

Also a mans Pride brings him low, when it makes him put on the vizard of ceremonious and hypocriticall humility, and give to all men more

respect then belongs to them, that he may re∣ceive of all more respect then he deserves. Of the same kinde are they, that despise themselves that they may be honoured, and reject praise to get praise thereby, aspiring in a carnall abusive sense to the benefit of Christs promise, that, He that shall humble himselfe shall be exalted. Mat. 23.21. As in that humility there is pride, so in that pride there is a base minde.

There are two correctives of pride, two seem∣ing contrary vertues, humility and generosi∣ty, yet agreeing very well and helping one ano∣ther.

That prime Philosopher of our age Monsicur des Cartes saith, that Generosity as well as Pride consisteth onely in a good opinion of ones selfe, and that these passions herein onely differ, that this opinion is just in the one and unjust in the o∣ther. It is judiciously spoken: yet their passions consist not in that onely, for generosity is a great∣nesse of courage standing firme in itself, but Pride is a weaknesse of spirit, begging greatnesse from others. Generosity lookes in contempt upon those things where Pride lookes for glory; for al∣though good things and good actions give matter for Pride, if you looke well to it, it is not the sub∣stance of good things that Pride stickes unto, but the circumstance. It is not the goodnesse of an action but the pride and luster that goeth along with it which makes a man proud. But it is cer∣taine

that Pride and generosity are neere neigh∣bours. He that hath a good and a just opinion of himselfe, slips easily from a just to an overween∣ing opinion; and a worme of pride will soone breed in a high and generous soul: Especially when praises, the bellowes of Pride, blow on all sides upon a man, it is a wonder if the wind get not into him.

There is need then of humility, the other cor∣rective, to keep generosity from degenerating into Pride. Humility is the free acknowledg∣ment of a mans owne weaknesse and imperfecti∣on, producing a voluntary depressing of himselfe. This definition is proper onely to the humility of sinners, not to the humility of the Lord Jesus, who being all perfect hath neverthelesse hum∣bled himselfe more then any. Whence we learne, that perfection giveth yet more matter of hu∣mility then imperfection, & that the more a man is vertuous and like Christ, the more he must be humble. For there are two rootes of humility, the one the sense of our owne indignity, the other an obligation to yeeld unto God al the glo∣ry of the good that is in us. Out of this last root onely, grew the humility of Jesus Christ; But our humility holds by two roots, and more by the first then the last.

The sense of the good that is in ourselves may strengthen our courage with generosity, to reject all that is vaine or evill and unworthy of us.

Yet at the same time the sense of our imperfecti∣on must humble us before God, who is most per∣fect, and his eyes most pure and all-seeing; And before men also, because appearing so unworthy before God, we must account ourselves unworthy of any deference from his creatures, and because if there be any good in us above others, it is the vertue of God not ours.

These two vertues well tempered together will set our minde in a right frame, and keepe it tranquill and content. But we must beginne by humility; for contrition, repentance, and faith itselfe, belong to humility, which teacheth us to mistrust ourselves and have our refuge to God, to finde pardon of our sins in his mercy, and a supply of our weakeness in his vertue. Upon whom, when we ground ourseves by a sound faith, and by it are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise bearing witnesse to our spirits that we are Gods children, then a holy generosity is bred in our hearts by the sense of that high quality, which makes us looke with contempt, not onely upon the pollutions of the world but even upon its luster, as things farre under us, and reject all the temptations to evill, bayted with pleasure honour and profit, as unworthy of our degree; For is there any thing so much worth in the world that a thild of God should displease his heavenly Father to get it?

Keeping that temper we shall walk alwayes

before God with feare and joy together, and a∣mong men with charity and modesty; Rom. 12.16. Minding not high things but condescending to men and things of low estate, not being wise in our owne conceits; for it is a point of generosity for a man to know his weakenesse. One may have his spirit above in heaven and yet condescend to men and things of low estate. Yea the more our spirit is sublimated by faith and heavenly hope, the more easily do we accommodate ourselves with mediocrity in earthly things, according to St Pauls reasoning. Col. 3.1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seeke those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; Set your affecti∣ons on things above, not on things that are on the Earth. This is the true remedy against pride. Have we high worldly thoughts? Let us raise our thoughts higher yet; Let us set our thoughts and affections on things above, not on things on the Earth: Let us never think our selves mount∣ed high enough, till we be where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. When the glory of the world fills a mans thoughts, while it doth lift him up with pride, it brings him down by cupidity under those things that are under him: But when the glory of God ruleth in our hearts, it brings us low with humility, and together raiseth us up by faith and a holy generosity, far above all humane things, even as high as the right hand of God with Christ, there to rejoyce

in his love and sweetly repose our hearts upon his fatherly care.

None shall attaine to that blessed state of the soul, which is already a heaven upon earth, un∣lesse he beate downe his pride; A vice, which makes a man incompatible with God, for it pre∣tends to that which to God alone is due, which is glory; incompatible with his neighbours, for it perswades him that all things are due to him; and that the honour and advancement bestowed upon any but himselfe, is ill bestowed; and in∣compatible with himselfe, for it tortureth a mans minde with envy, makes him secretly mur∣mure against God and men, and renders him in∣capable of the grace of God, which is onely for the meeke; and of his kingdome, which is onely for the poore in spirit, Matth. 5.3.

Here this method must diligently be observed to rectifie our opinion first, that we may rule our Passion. To bring downe the tumour of Pride let us get a right opinion of ourselves; How we are begotten like beasts, borne in lamentation, lying a long time in our ordure, living in a sickly flesh, wilde and foolish in our thoughts, corrup∣ted in our affections, vaine and wicked in our conversation; blind, wretched, and guilty before God, and after a few evill dayes returning to the ground of our ignoble principle. In the midst of the gawdy luster of the world; let us looke to our end, a winding sheet, putrefaction, wormes,

mourning of our heires for a little while, and then perpetuall oblivion. Let us beare these things in mind, and then be proud if we can.

Many Passions have their origine from Pride, which must be called to our barre after their Mother.