There are many sins to which this sharp kind of affliction is proper, and therefore God gives out this grievous dispensation to lay open his people to bitter reproaches and slanders. I will tell you some of the sins. My business is not now to state what is the great sin that God is judging among his people, but to help every one in par- ticular to look to ourselves, for that I do not conceive to be so fit to be spoken here.
1 . Pride. There is a twofold pride — pride in mind, which is called self-conceit, and pride in affections, which is called vainglory. Now there is no such effectual cure as reproaches for either of these.
[1.] To speak of the pride in mind, self-conceit. We are very apt to be puffed up for our doing and suffering for God — poor empty bladders are soon puffed up — and think ourselves somebody, if there be but a little self-denial ; as Peter said, ' Master, we have left all and followed thee.' He was conceited of what he had left for Christ. What had he left ? A net, a fisher-boat ; it was a great all indeed ! Mat. xix. 27. We are* easily puffed up if we suffer a little for God, and the Lord intrencheth us in our worldly conveniences, for self-con- ceit may grow out of self-denial. Too often we find it so. Pride is a sin that grows out of mortification of other sins ; it lives in us while we live in the body; therefore, 1 John ii. 16, it is called ' pride of life.' And some compare it to a shirt ; that garment is last put off. It is the most inward and nearest to the soul, and out of the conquest of other sins there ariseth pride. Now, if we have been too self-con- ceited, the Lord will humble us, either by permitting us to fall into such scandals as may remember us of our frailty, and what unwdrthy weak creatures we are in ourselves ; sometimes by taking off the re- straints of his grace and of his Spirit, and permitting us to fall. Austin is bold in saying it is profitable for proud men to fall some- times into open sin, that they may know and understand themselves.
VeR. 39.] SERMONS UrON PSALM CXIX. 415
.He spealvs it upon the occasion of Peter, Avhen he was boasting of his own strength, ' Though all men leave thee, yet will not I.'' How foully did he fall ! Ay ! but at other times God useth a more merci- ful dispensation, for he doth not let his people fall into those grievous falls but upon great provocation. But usually at other times he lets loose the tongues of virulent men to lessen us in our own opinion and in the opinion of the world. Now, how innocent soever we be of the crimes charged upon us, yet in all these cases we must look upward and inward. Upward ; this is not without God ; he is at the end of causes ; he could blast these tongues, and stay and stop them at his pleasure ; the Lord can ' keep us from the strife of tongues,' Ps. xxxi. 20. But now, when he permits this, his hand must be owned ; look upward: Micah vii. 9, ' I will bear the indignation of the Lord, be- cause I have sinned against him.' At such a time God spits in the faces of his people, and puts us to shame ; and therefore we should look upward and see the hand of God in all this. And look inward ; there you will see such a sink of sin as deserves this and much more ; and therefore a sense of our sinfulness in other things should make us more submissive to the Lord's correcting hand. We must see the hand of God ; for if we do not look to that we will be drawn to sin, into revihng for reviling, and exasperation for exasperation. Many times our graces do us as much hurt as our sins. Self-conceit the Lord will mortify one way or other.
[2.] For vainglory, the other sort of pride, valuing esteem too much, and our credit in the world, and pleasing ourselves in the opinion others have of us. We would usurp God's throne and reign in the hearts of men, therefore we are so touchy. Having set a high value upon ourselves, we are troubled when others will not come up to our price. Pride is one of the oldest enemies that ever God had ; it was born in heaven in the breasts of the fallen angels, but God tumbled them presently out of heaven, as soon as pride got into the heart. Now, when his children harbour it, the Lord hath a quarrel with them ; and therefore, for giving entertainment to pride, he will lay us low enough : 2 Cor. xii. 7, ' Lest I should be exalted above measure, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.' There is a great deal of do what this thorn in the flesh is. Some will have it to be some trouble or sickness. Most probably so, but it takes in many afflictive evils ; for, ver. 10, he mentioneth re- proaches. Paul was too apt to be proud. The Lord made him an eminent instrument ; by his faith he had abundance of revelations. But God will prick the bladder ; he doth it with thorns ; and he calls it his infirmity, necessity, reproach. Infirmity, by that I mean some reigning sickness. But reproach was one ingredient. Now, lest we sliould be puffed up by vain conceit, the Lord humbles us with in- firmities, necessities, reproaches.