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. 29. The third Direction.

Direct. 3. LEt one Christian labour to ex∣ercise love towards another. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self:

Austin saith, God would form one man in the beginning, from whom all men should pro∣ceed, that all might mutually love one another as brethren: the son of Syrach urgeth this very argument, saying, every beast loveth his like, and every Christian should love another: we see it verified in Wolves, Lions, Tigers, &c. and shall they agree, and men disagree? we may observe it, that the very dogs that live together in an house will not ordinarily fight one with another, but one for another; and shall men agree worse then dogs in a family? its nothing but pride that makes men swell thus one against another; and we have not only the bond of nature, but of grace to bind us to this duty.

This is the command of the Lord Jesus, and the badge and livery whereby we may be known to the world to be the Disciples of him who is the most admirable pattern of humility and lowliness.

Divers reasons why we should love one another as our selves, may be taken from the similitude of the members of the natural body, where the Apostle tells us, that as the body being but one, hath many members, so we be∣ing many, are all members of the same mystical body of Christ.

1. The more noble and honourable mem∣bers despise not the less honourable, and those

that are appointed to more base offices: as for instance, the head, though it self be covered, and carried aloft, doth not contemn the feet, though they travel and trudge to carry the whole body about: no more ought the rich in gifts, parts or estate, despise the poor; for they be their fellow members, made of the same mat∣ter, by the same Maker. The rich Angels in heaven despise not the poor Saints on earth, but are ready to perform the duties of love un∣to them, as appeareth by their carrying the soul of the poor beggar into Abrahams bosom; and so ought it to be on earth, as James speak∣eth; not having the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons.

2. As the more noble contemn not the less noble, no more do the less noble envy the more noble; and so it should be among us; for as the hands and the feet grudge not that them∣selves are used and employed as instruments to feed and defend the head and heart, no more must subjects and servants, and men of meaner condition envy their superiors, and Masters the places that God hath allotted them, but content themselves with their own, and be faithful and painful in them, as King David willed Ziba and his sons and servants to do for his Masters son Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. 9.10.

3. If one member fail in performance of some duty, whereby another catcheth hurt, the other doth not in a rage run upon it and hurt it again; as for example; if the foot

chance to slip, and so the head catch a knock, it doth not presently perswade the hand to heat the foot; or if the teeth bite the tongue, this were to seek the ruine and destruction of the whole body: no more ought we in our mad mood furiously to rush one upon another, when we have been unawares hurt one by another.

4. When one member is hurt, the whole body feels it, and fares the worse for it; as for example; a thorn in the foot grieveth the head, yea the very heart; so ought we to have a sympathy and fellow-feeling of the hurt of one another, as Christ our head hath of us all, as is evident by that speech he useth to Paul before his conversion, saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Act. 9.4. signifying to us that the hurt that was done to his members on earth, even reached him their head in heaven.

5. What good parts soever any of the members be endued with, they hoard not up, nor reserve to themselves as Monopolies, but impart and employ them for the good and benefit of the whole body, and the meanest member thereof; if a toe or a finger be but fore, the eye looketh, the head deviseth how to help it, and if they be not able to do it themselves by their own skill, then they seek out to others, and the tongue will play the Orator, and entreat, yea rather then fail, and not have it, the hand will play the Almoner and reward; thus should we be willing to

afford our mutual help one to another, and so we would if we were once perswaded of the necessity of this duty, that we ought to love our neighbour as our self; but pride and self-love do so blind the eyes of men, that they will not learn this lesson; Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not it self, is not puffed up, saith the Apostle.

Notes

• Voluit deus unicum he∣minem in principio formare, à quo omnes procederent ut tanquam fratres om∣nes inter se invicem amarent. Aug. Si fratres sumus in quantum homines, quanto ma∣gis in quan∣tum Chri∣stiani? August. Sanctior est copula cordium quam corporum. Lumb. senten. lib. 3. distinct. 29.
• 1 Cor. 12.12.
• Mal. 2.10.
• Luk. 16.22
• Jac. 2.1, 2.
• 1 Gor. 13.4.