Then turn your eyes to the _fallen world_, and consider how unreasonable and odious it must be, for such poor _worms_, such miserable _sinners_, to take delight in their own _fancied glories_, whilst the highest and most glorious sons of heaven seek for no other greatness and honour, but that of ascribing all honour and greatness, and glory to God alone?
*Pride is only the disorder of the _fallen world_, it has no place amongst other beings; it can only subsist where _ignorance_ and _sensuality_, _lies_ and _falshood_, _lusts_ and _impurity_ reign.
Let a man, when he is most delighted with his own _figure_, contemplate our blessed Lord _stretched_ out, and _nailed_ upon a _cross_: and then let him consider how absurd it must be, for a heart full of _pride_ and _vanity_, to pray to God, through the sufferings of a _crucified_ Saviour?
These are the reflections you are often to meditate upon, that you may walk before God in such a spirit of humility, as becomes the _meak_, _miserable_, and _sinful_ state of all that are descended from fallen _Adam_.
7. But you must not content yourself with this, as if you was therefore humble, because you acknowledge the reasonableness of humility, and declare against pride.
You would not imagine yourself to be devout, because in your judgment you approved of prayers, and often declared your mind in favour of devotion. Yet how many people imagine themselves humble enough, for no other reason, but because they often commend humility, and make vehement declarations against pride?
_Cæcus_ is a rich man, of good birth, and very fine parts; is very full of every thing that he says or does, and never imagines it possible for such a judgment as his to be mistaken. He can bear no contradiction, and discovers the weakness of your understanding, as soon as ever you oppose him. _Cæcus_ would have been very religious, but that he always thought he was so.
There is nothing so odious to _Cæcus_ as a proud man; and the misfortune is, that in this he is so very quicksighted, that he discovers in almost everybody, some _strokes_ of vanity.
On the other hand, he is exceeding fond of humble and modest persons. Humility, says he, is so amiable a quality, that it forces our esteem wherever we meet with it. There is no possibility of despising the _meanest_ person that has it, or of esteeming the _greatest_ man that wants it.
_Cæcus_ no more suspects himself to be proud, than he suspects his want of sense. And the reason of it is, because he always finds himself so in love with humility, and so enraged at pride.
It is very true, _Cæcus_, you speak _sincerely_ when you say you love humility, and abhor pride. You are no _hypocrite_, you speak the _true_ sentiments of your mind; but then take this along with you, you only love humility, and hate pride, in _other people_. You never once in your life thought of any other humility, or of any other pride, than that which you have seen in _other people_.
8. The case of _Cæcus_ is a common case: many people live in all the instances of pride, and yet never suspect themselves, because they dislike proud people, and are pleased with humility and modesty, wherever they find them.
All their speeches in favour of humility, and all their railings against pride, are looked upon as effects of their own humble spirit.
Whereas in truth, these are so far from being proofs of humility, that they are great arguments of the want of it.
*For the fuller of pride any one is himself, the more impatient will he be at the smallest instances of it in other people. And the less humility any one has in his own mind, the more will he demand it in other people.
*You must therefore act by a quite contrary measure, and reckon yourself only so far humble, as you impose _every instance_ of humility upon yourself, and _never_ call for it in other people. So far an enemy to pride, as you never _spare_ it in yourself, nor ever _censure_ it in other persons.
The loving humility is of no benefit to you, but so far as all your own thoughts, words, and actions are governed by it. And the hating of pride does you no good, but so far as you hate to harbour any degree of it in your own heart.
Now in order to set out in the practice of humility, you must take it for granted, that you are _proud_, that you have been so all your life.
You should believe also, that it is your _greatest_ weakness, that your heart is most _subject_ to it; that it is so _constantly_ stealing upon you, you have reason to suspect its approaches in all your actions.