326 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. LXXXVI.
upbraid others with pimples. The infirmities of the godly do not justify your contempt of godliness ; and because of their faults, you must not scorn at their holiness and expect indemnity.
4. Take heed of moral pride, which consists in a lofty conceit of our- selves, joined with a contempt of others. This was the Pharisees' sin : Luke xviii. 9, 'He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.' And it is notably personated in the Pharisee and publican who went up to pray, and is"daily seen in them who are speaking of their own things, boast- ing of their own excellences, elevating their own, but extenuating the gifts of others. Most men are too great and too good in their own esteem. Self-love representeth ourselves to ourselves in a feigned shape and likeness, much more wise, and holy, and just, than we are ; it maketh us loathe other men's sins rather than our own, to extenuate other men's gifts and graces and cry up our own; but this should not be : Phil. ii. 3 ' Let each esteem another better than themselves.' Humility is content to sit in the meanest place : 'Eph. iii. 8, ' Who am the least of all the saints ; ' 1 Tim. i. 15, ' Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' We know our own weakness better than others, and they may have secret excellences which we see not. This moral pride discovereth itself in three things: —
[1.] In disdain of inferiors, or contempt of those who are of meaner gifts or rank and place in the world. Every member hath its use in the body, the toe as well as the head, neither can one say to another, 'I have no need of thee,' 1 Cor. xii. 21. All Christians have their peculiar gifts, by which they are rendered acceptable and useful to the body, as every country hath its proper commodities for the maintaining of trade and commerce between all parts of the world ; or as to the beauty and use of the universe, there is need of hills and valleys ; so all ranks of men contribute to the beauty, use, and service of the whole. The strong should not despise the weak, nor the weak prescribe to the strong. Now, it is impossible to keep all in their due order and pro- portion unless every one consider their own weakness and want, and the usefulness of others ; as, among Christians, some are useful to pre- serve order, others to keep afoot tlie life and power of godliness, some to revive the pristine purity, others the old peaceable spirit. God hath so counterbalanced all parties that they may be mutually helpful, but not that we despise and contemn any other, and seek to destroy and subvert another, and so make way for great mischiefs. Every one hath enough to humble him, and enough to render him useful to human society. Therefore we must not set at nought our brother, Eom. xiv. 10. God hath made him something which thou art not, and given him an ability to do something thou canst not do, or wouldst not submit unto. Contempt is the fruit of pride ; there are none but deserve some respect : scorn is the bane of human society.
[2.] It betrayeth itself in contention with equals : ' Wrath and con- tention cometh by pride/ Pro v. xiii. 10. Every one seeks to be emi- nent, and would excel, not in graces and gifts — that is a'ya06pt<;, a holy emulation — but in rank and place. We set too high a price upon our- selves, and when others will not come up to our price we are troubled. We ascribe too much to ourselves ; and when Ave meet not with that respect and honour which we affect, we fall into contention, and break
VeR. 78.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 327
out into strifes, supposing ourselves neglected. We see often what a makebait this is in the world, if others do not accommodate themselves to our sense, if they approve not all things we say, if their opinion dif- fereth a little, or, it may be, nothing from ours. Men pertinaciously obstinate in their preconceptions will not change opinion upon apparent evidence ; but humble men are always peaceable, they can better give and take those respects which are done to one another than others can. The apostle saith, Eph. v. 21, ' Submit yourselves to one another in the fear of God.' There is a service of love which every one oweth to another for their mutual good and advantage, and is called submission, though it be to equals, because our proud and lofty spirits look upon it as below us. There are none living whom God alloweth to live only to themselves. Now, that there may be an equality, we are to stoop and condescend to one another ; others are to live to us, and we to them : 1 Peter v. 5, ' Be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility ; for God resisteth the proud, and giyeth grace to the humble.' This mutual subjection to another in the duties of love can never be obtained till we learn to moderate our esteem of ourselves, and heighten our esteem of others ; we can neither advise nor instruct, nor esteem one another, nor maintain peace in our relations, and perform all Christian offices to each other, till this spirit prevail with us.