The arraignment of pride, or, Pride set forth, with the causes, kinds, and several branches of it: the odiousness and greatness of the sin of pride: the prognosticks of it, together with the cure of it: as also a large description of the excellency and usefulness of the grace of humility: divided into chapters and sections. / By W. Gearing minister of the word at Lymington in Hantshire.

CHAP. 15. Of Pride in the Will.

VVIll-Pride is demonstrated two waies.

1. When mans Will is set up against Gods Will. It is Gods prerogative Royal, that his Will is a Law to himself, and to all Creatures; it is his prerogative to do what seemeth good in his own eyes: * 1.1 now here is the pride of man, that he set∣teth up his own Will to himself as his Law, and that he careth not to be guided and ruled by the Will and commands of God: every proud person seeks to do what seemeth good in his own eyes. God com∣manded the Jews, saying, obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk in

all the waies that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you; but they hearkned not, nor enclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and imaginations of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward, Jer. 7.23, 24. and ver. 27. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken to thee, thou shalt also call unto them, but they will not answer thee. Austin, when he confesseth that sin of his in his youth, robbing his neighbours Ort-yards, he aggra∣vateth that sin by many circumstances, and a∣mong others, because he would satisfie himself; and therefore saith, that all sinners do what is good in their own eyes, not what God would have them.

The Will of God revealed may be divided in∣to two branches.

1. * 1.2 The particular Will of God revealed to some particular persons, upon particular oc∣casions, to the performance of some particular duties; and this many times dispenceth with a general precept: as we may see, Gen. 22. when Abraham is commanded to go to mount Moriah, and there offer up his own son in sacrifice to the Lord, contrary to the sixth commandment, that saith, Exod. 20.13. Non occides, thou shalt not kill. Item, Exod. 11.2. Exod. 3.22. where the Israelites are commanded to rob and spoil the Egyptians, of jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and rai∣ment, contrary to the eighth commandment, which saith, non furaberis, thou shalt not steal.

So where Saul is commanded to slay the A∣malekites, with all that appertained to them, * 1.3 and spare nothing. Now herein appeared A∣brahams and the Israelites humility in setting about what God com∣manded, and Sauls pride, * 1.4 in doing no more of Gods command then what seemed good to him; there∣fore he is reproved by Samuel, and rejected, by the Lord, 1 Sam. 19.28. But these instances are no pre∣cedents to us, unless we have the like charge that they had, and then we must yeild absolute and simple obedience, without reasoning or disputing the case: For however Gods Will be sometimes occulta, yet it is never injusta, saith Austin: he doth not as men should do, viz. bid things because they be lawful, and forbid them because unlawful; but whatsoever they were before, his Will al∣ters the nature of them; for whatsoever he biddeth is lawful; * 1.5 and whatsoever he forbid∣deth is unlawful, ipso facto, by vertue of the command or interdiction; of this we have sel∣dom any examples nowadaies.

2. The other branch of his revealed Will which is more ordinary, is his general Will concerning all estates and conditions of people, contained in his general precepts: and this hath divers branches.

1. The first whereof is the conversion of a sinner. As I live saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that

the wicked turn from his way and live. And Christ saith, This is the Will of him that sent me, * 1.6 that every one that seeth the Son and be∣lieveth in him, should have everlasting life. And Paul saith, that it is the Will of God, that some of all sorts of people should be saved, * 1.7 and come to the knowledge of the truth.

2. A second branch of Gods revealed Will to us, is our Sanctification, 1 Thes. 4.3. and Peter tells us, that it is the Will of God, that by well-doing we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. * 1.8

Now when men do not endeavour to effect their own conversion, when they will not come to Christ, * 1.9 that they may have life, nor labour after sanctification, they set their wills against the Will of God.

2. The second note of Will-pride is impa∣tience.

1. When men are impatient of reproof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit, saith Solomon. * 1.10 Reverend Musculus found this spirit in the Anabaptists in his time; when he had deserted the Romish Church, he was compelled through poverty, to hire himself with a Taylor, and to work with him at his trade; this man he found to be an Anabaptist, one that pretended to much holiness, but was nothing so, though a great talker. Musculus therefore repro∣veth him; and among other things finding that he was idle, and neglected his calling,

urged him, with that of the Apostle, He that will not work, let him not eat. * 1.11 But the Ana∣baptist was too proud to receive a reproof, and poor Musculus was presently thrust out of his doors. Pride stops the ear against reproof. Reprove a scorner, saith Solomon, and he will hate thee: this shews such men to have Athe∣istical hearts; did they believe holy reproofs and threatnings taken out of the Word of God, they would not scorn them, but tremble at them: when the Word of God cometh so close, that it toucheth mens bosome sins, and crosseth them in their evil ways, but they will not hearken, but find out shifts to evade the force of the Word, this cometh from Pride in the Wills of men. When Jeremiah had made an end of speaking to all the people all the Words of the Lord, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them: * 1.12 Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshajah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying to Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsly; The Lord God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to so∣journ there; but Baruch the son of Neriah, set∣teth thee on against us. Now as a proud man hateth a just reproof, so being guilty, he easily applyeth to himself any thing that he heareth, though not spoken to him, * 1.13 as Suetonius re∣cordeth of Tiberius Nero, that hearing Zeno the Philosopher disputing, and not under∣standing some harsh sentences he used, he asked in what Dialect he spake? who answering truly, in the Dorick, it was taken so ill, as the

poor man was condemned to perpetual banish∣ment for it, as if he had closly taxed Tiberius his loose and lascivious life he led among the Rhodians who spake that Dialect. They who have high thoughts of themselves, think meanly of what others say to them: were men poor in spirit, they would embrace every advice that hath truth and holiness in it. Therefore when the Prophet would fasten a reproof on the Jews, * 1.14 he saith to them, Hear, and give ear, and be not proud. As in the matter of private reproofs, so, the proud man cannot endure Church censures. * 1.15 Aquila the antient Greek translator of the Bible, left Christianity, and turned to Judaism, being angry at a sentence of excommunication against him: so Santan∣gelus the great Lawyer of Burdeaux was much enraged against the famous Camero, * 1.16 and other Ministers of the Protestant Church, because he was convented before their Synod for some de∣linquency.

2. When men are impatient under afflicti∣ons: A proud man cannot endure to be crost in any thing, nor bear the least affront: such men are like the Devil, who is the proudest and the most discontented creature of all other: Pride fils men with murmuring & discontented∣ness against Gods Providences; if things go not according to a proud mans will, then he fumeth and is impatient. Thus it was with the Isra∣elites; God had brought them out of Egypt, brought them through the wilderness, and to the border of the land of Canaan; but when

they hear there are Giants, and fenced Cities, * 1.17 then they fall a murmuring against Moses and Aaron, and said unto them: would God that we had dyed in the land of Egypt, or in this wil∣derness: and in their mad mood, they say one to another, Let us make a Captain, and let us return into Egypt. So in like manner those discontented rebels, Numb. 16. call Egypt a land flowing with milk and hony, ver. 13. whereas it was a land where their infants were murdered, and themselves cruelly enslaved; they had forgotten those evils and miseries out of which God had delivered them, but now they talk as if God and Moses had done no∣thing for them, but deprived them of many comforts which there they possessed. He that ruleth over his own spirit, saith the wise man, * 1.18 is greater than he that o∣vercometh Cities, Prov. 16.32. Therefore self-denyal is a Grace enjoyned by our Saviour to accom∣pany the bearing of the Cross, Luk: 9.23. A man must not only abnegare sua, de∣ny and forsake his goods and lands for Christs sake, if necessity require; nor also abnegare suos, forsake his friends if they labour to with∣draw him from his best friend; * 1.19 but also abne∣garese, he must deny himself, yea to hold him∣self as it were an excommunicate person (as one saith in another case) if he will bring his will to submit to Gods Will, and quietly bear the yoke of Christ. How patiently doth our Saviour carry himself in this respect; when a

bitter cup was put into his hand to drink. Thus he praies to his Father: Father, if thou be willing, * 1.20 remove this cup from me, as Luke hath it: Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, as Matthew hath it: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. Calvin saith, these latter words be a correction of his former petition, * 1.21 which he saith, he let fall on the suddain, by reason of the greatness of his grief, without considering what his Father had de∣creed: he was so earnestly bent on what he naturally desired, without recalling himself: yet he freeth him from fault, though he asked what was not agreeable to his Fathers will. Its lawful saith he, to pray for the peaceable and flourishing estate of the Church, the suppressing of superstition, and the repressing of the enemies of Gods truth, though perhaps he purpose not to grant these things, but will have his Son reign in the midst of his enemies, and his Church as the Lilly among thorns, and the wicked to remain, to exercise the faith and patience of his Saints.

But in my conceit Beza saith better on Mat. * 1.22 26.39. that it was not a correction, but

an explication of his former Petition, and a Declaration with what condition he should ask it: nor doth it signifie a repugnancy of wills, which could not have wanted sin, but a diversity, which per se is not vitious, no not in men, if so be the will of man doth willingly assent to, and rest in the known Will of God.

The meaning then briefly, may be this: Father, if it may stand with thy good pleasure, * 1.23 and mans redempti∣on may otherwise be wrought, let this bitter potion of my passion pass by me; but rather then disobey thy decree, and not do what I came for, I yeeld to any thing, submitting my self to thee, and my will to thine.

This confutes the Monothelites, a Sect of Hereticks of old, that thought and taught Christ to have but one pure Will, as Calvin noteth: but properly it condemneth such as desire the fulfilling of their own perverse, crooked and corrupt wills, whatsoever be∣came of the Will of God: but if Christ in whom reason never lost his regiment, * 1.24 nor was ever either non resident or non regent, yet sub∣mitted himself and his Will to his Fathers Will, what ever it cost him (for as Bernard saith, he lost his life, that he might not lose his obedience) then what arrogancy and Pride were it in us, to desire our wills simply to be done? no, all our prayers, petitions, deprecations, and sup∣plications,

must be with condition and sub∣mission to the Will of God; * 1.25 when we pray that petition, Thy Will be done, we pray not that God may do what he Will, but that we may do what he willeth, saith Cyprian.

Notes

• * 1.1

  I say unto you, saith Bernard, that every proud man exalts himself above God; for God will have his Will to be done, and the proud man will have his own Will to be done. Now God ap∣proveth things that are reasonable; but the proud man goes with∣out reason, and against reason. Bern. flor. cap. 1.
• * 1.2

  Obedientia nisi humili∣um esse non potest. August.
• * 1.3

  1 Sam. 15.3.
• * 1.4

  Proud men wish in their hearts, though they dare not speak it with their tongues, for fiat voluntas tua, fiat voluntas mea; the wicked through the pride of his counte∣nance will not seek af∣ter God, Psal. 10.4.
• * 1.5

  Ipso facto, virtute mandati aut intera dicti.
• * 1.6

  John 6.40.
• * 1.7

  1 Tim. 2.4.
• * 1.8

  1 Pet. 2.15
• * 1.9

  Joh. 5.40.
• * 1.10

  Eccles. 7.8. Superbi amant verita∣tem lucentem, oderunt redarguentem. Aug. confes. lib. 10. cap 23.
• * 1.11

  Melch. Adam. in vit. Mus∣cult. p. 735.
• * 1.12

  Jerem. 43.1, 2.
• * 1.13

  Sueton. in vit. Tiber. Neron.
• * 1.14

  Jerem. 13.15.
• * 1.15

  Hist. Mag∣deb. Cen∣tur. 2.
• * 1.16

  Cameron. Stellit. in Epist.
• * 1.17

  Num. 14.2, 3, 4.
• * 1.18

  Latius regnes domando spiritum, quam si Lybi∣am remotis Gadibus jungas. Horat. lib. 2. od. 2. ad Salust.
• * 1.19

  Amandus est genitor, sed praepo∣amdus est Creator. Arabr.
• * 1.20

  Luk. 22.42 Matth. 26.39.
• * 1.21

  Videmus ut pia sint vo∣ta, quae in speciem à dei voluntate discrepant: quia non exactè sem∣per, vel scrupulose à nobis inquiri vult deus, quid statuerit ipse, sed quod pro sensus nostri captu optabile est, flagi∣tari à se permittit. Calv. in Harm. Evang.
• * 1.22

  Quod ad∣ditur, non significat repugnantiam voluntatum quae peccato non caruisset, sed diversitatem, quae per se vitiosa non est, ne in hominibus quidem, si modo hominis voluntas cognitae dei voluntati libens acquiescat. Beza in Mat∣thew 26.
• * 1.23

  Christ was willing to die, voluntate rationa∣li, though not naturali, for our redemption, to be obedient to his Fa∣ther. Lumb. sent. lib. 3. distin. 17.
• * 1.24

  Perdidit vitam, ne perderet o∣bedientiam. Bern.
• * 1.25

  Oramus, non ut deus quod vult faciat, sed ut nos quod vult facia∣mus. Cyprian.