For there is no one vice that is more deeply rooted in our nature, or that receives such constant nourishment from almost every thing that we think or do; there being hardly any thing in the world that we _want_ or _use_, or any _action_ or _duty_ of life, but pride finds some means or other to take hold of it. So that at what time soever we begin to offer ourselves to God, we can hardly be surer of any thing, than that we have a great deal of pride to repent of.
If therefore you find it disagreeable to entertain this opinion of yourself, and that you cannot put yourself amongst those that want to be cured of pride, you may be as sure, as if an _angel_ from heaven had told you, that you have not only much, but all your humility to seek.
*For you can have no greater sign of a confirmed pride, than when you think that you are humble enough. He that thinks he loves God enough, shews himself to be an entire stranger to that holy passion; so he that thinks he has humility enough, shews that he is not so much as a beginner in the practice of true humility.
9. Every person, therefore, when he first applies himself to the exercise of humility, must consider himself as a _learner_, who is, to learn something that is contrary to all his former tempers and habits of mind.
He has not only much to learn; but he has also a great deal to _unlearn_: he is to forget, and lay aside his own spirit, which has been a long while fixing and forming itself; he must forget and depart from abundance of passions and opinions, which the _fashion_, and _vogue_, and spirit of the world, have made natural to him.
He must lay aside the opinions and passions which he has received from the world; because the vogue and fashion of the world, by which we have been carried away, as in a _torrent_, before we could pass right judgments of the value of things, is utterly contrary to _humility_.
The devil is called, in scripture, the prince of this world; because he has great power in it, because many of its rules and principles are invented by this evil spirit, to separate us from God, and prevent our return to happiness.
Now, according to the _spirit_ of this world, whose corrupt air we have all breathed, there are many things that pass for _great_, and _honourable_, and _desirable_, which yet are so far from being so, that the _true greatness_ and honour of our nature consists in the not desiring them.
To abound in wealth, to have fine houses and rich cloaths, to be attended with splendour and equipage, to be beautiful in our persons, to have titles of dignity, to be above our fellow creatures, to command the bows and obeisance of other people, to be looked on with admiration, to subdue all that oppose us, to set out ourselves in as much splendour as we can, to live highly and magnificently, to eat and drink, and delight ourselves in the most costly manner, these are the _great_, the _honourable_, the _desirable_ things, to which the _spirit_ of the world turns the eyes of all people. And many a man is afraid of not engaging in the pursuit of them, lest the world should take him for a _fool_.
10. The history of the gospel, is chiefly the history of Christ’s _conquest_ over this _spirit_ of the world. And the number of true Christians, is only the number of those who, following the _Spirit_ of Christ, have lived _contrary_ to the spirit of the world.
_If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his._ Again, _Whosoever is born of God, overcometh the world. Set your affections on things above, and not on things of the earth; for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God._ This is the language of the whole New Testament. This is the _mark_ of Christianity; you are to be _dead_, that is, dead to the _spirit_ and _temper_ of the world, and live a new life in the _Spirit_ of Jesus Christ.
But notwithstanding the plainness of these doctrines, most Christians live and die slaves to the _customs_ and _tempers_ of the world.
How many people swell with _pride_ and _vanity_, for such things as they would not value at all, but that they are admired in the world?
Would a man take _ten years_ more drudgery in business, to add _two horses_ more to his coach, but that he knows that the world admires a _coach_ and _six_? How fearful are many people of having their houses poorly furnished, or themselves meanly cloathed, for this only reason, lest the world should place them amongst _low_ and _mean_ people?
Many a man would drop a _resentment_, and forgive an _affront_, but that he is afraid, if he should, the world would not forgive him.
How many would practise Christian _temperance_ and sobriety, were it not for the censure which the world passes upon such a life?
Others have frequent intentions of living up to the _rules_ of Christian perfection; but they are frighted, by considering what the world would say of them?