Ans. We must not conceive so of what was spoken through the in- stinct and inspiration of the Holy Ghost by such an holy person. This is spoken either as — (1.) A necessary vindication; or (2.) A necessary instruction.
1. As a necessary vindication against the censures and calumnies of his adversaries. Saul's courtiers accused him as aspiring after the kingdom ; yea, his own brother taxed him of pride when he came first abroad : 1 Sam. xvii. 28, ' I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart ; for thou art come down to see the battle.' If his brother would calumniate his actions, much more might others. Now it is for the honour of God that his children, as they would not commit a fault, so they should not be under the suspicion of it ; there- fore he appealeth to God.
2. A necessary instruction ; for whatsoever David said or wrote here, he said or wrote by the instinct of the Holy Ghost, that Israel may learn how to hope in God. Now herein David is a notable pattern of duty both to superiors and inferiors.
[1.] To superiors. God had required in his law, that when he had given them a king, their hearts were not to be lifted up above their brethren, Dent. xvii. 20. If any might seem to have cause to be lifted up, David much more; he was famous for notable exploits and heroical actions; he had vanquished the lion and the bear, vanquished Goliath, the great champion of the Philistines, waged great wars, and always returned a conqueror. If these things had been done by others, how would they vaunt themselves, and be puffed up with the thoughts of their own excellency ! We see how mean people, upon far lighter occasions, are wont to boast.
[2.] To meaner people. If so great and powerful a king had neither an haughty heart, nor lofty eyes, nor high presumptions, surely they should be ashamed to be proud of lesser enjoyments and poor trifling actions.
As a pattern and instance of the power of grace. The grace of God is able to keep a man humble and lowly in any degree of excellency. David, a rich powerful king, a mighty conqueror, can appeal to God, and say, ' Lord, my heart is not haughty.' Vain man hath much ado to keep down his heart if conscious to any excellency, real or supposed ; if wise, learned, honourable, rich. But though with man it is impos- sible, with God all things are possible.
Let me now come to the points. Time will only give leave to insist on the first clause, ' Lord, my heart is not haughty.' Thence observe two things —
First, That those that have any dealing with God should be able to plead that they are not proud and haughty.
Secondly, If we would root out and remove pride from us, we must begin first with the heart.
First, They should be far from pride that would have any dealing with God.
VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXXXI. 411
Beasons.
1. Because God is a great enemy to pride, and his word bath suffi- ciently declared how ill he is pleased with it. See Ps. csxxviii. 6,
* Though the Lord be high, yet he hath respect unto the lowly ; but the proud he kuoweth afar off.' God is far exalted above all creatures, and it is an abasement to him to take notice of man or angel ; yet his superlative grandeur doth not hinder him to take notice of the meanest lost sinner who humbleth himself before him, or of the poorest suppli- cant ; but with the proud he will have no communion, but proceed most severely AX'ith them. So James iv. 6, ' God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble ; ' Prov. vi. 16, 17, ' These six things are an abomination to the Lord, yea, seven things doth the Lord hate ; a proud look, a lying tongue,' (fee. All these places, and many more, do show that this is an hateful sin to God. Now what is hateful to God should not be lovely to us. See Prov. viii. 13, ' The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.' Eadem velle et nolle, <fec. We must will and nill the same things, if we would live in amity and friendship with God.
2. In the course of his providence, the Lord opposeth himself to them that lift up themselves, and giveth his grace and favour to them that abase themselves ; so that his providence declareth his hatred as well as his word.
[1.] His judgments on the wicked are for this. What is God a-doing in heaven but debasing the proud and lifting up the humble ? Nebutliadnezzar learned this lesson at his OAvn bitter cost : Dan. iv. 37, 'All his works are truth, and his ways judgment ; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.' God may suffer them to prosper for a while, yet he standeth in battle-array against them, and will take his fittest opportunity to bear down all them that live in the sin of pride : Isa. ii. 12, 'The day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low.' The humble need not be afraid of his power, majesty, and wrath, but the proud shall not escape the effects thereof. In short, God hath an especial quarrel against proud persons, and hath special knowledge of them, and will find them out, and bring them low.