II. The considerations with which it is enforced —
The declaration, that '* God resisteth the proud, and trivctli grace to the humble," is cited from the book of Proverbs : and, that it deserves especial at- tention, is evident from this ; that St. James, as well as St. Peter, adduces it for the warning and instruc- tion of the Catholic Church ^
1. " God resisteth the proud" — [lie does so: lie abhors the very persons of the proud: " they are an abomination to him" :" he perfectly scorns them? : and '* knows them afar oft)" as objects whom he disdains to look upon''.
He uill not hear amj prayer that they may offer vp. See the Pharisee and the Publican. You would imagine that a man who could make such appeals to God, respecting his manifold and self-denying services, should surely find acceptance at'the throne of Grace ; whilst a man so conscious of his vileness as the Publican was, and with so little to say in his own behalf, should, comparatively at least, be disregarded. But the very reverse was the case ; for *' the Publican went doMn to his house justified rather than the other:" and this is declared to be the universal rule of God's procedure; for that "everyone V ho exalteth himself shall be abased ; but he, and he only, that humbleth himself, shall be exalted \"
Nor u'i/l God communicate to such persons any spiritual llcisin^. Instead of drawing them to himself, " he will scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He will fill the hun<Try with good things, but the rich he will send empty away\" 1'heir " esteemincr themselves to be rich and in- creased in goods, and to have need of nothing, when they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked," renders them perfectly disgusting in his sight; and the higher they arc in their own estimation, the more he nauseates and abhors them'.
But this is not all; for he will surely Jight against them," to bring them doirn. Nebuchadnezzar from his own experience attested, that " those who walk in pride, God is able to abase;" and, lie nii^lit with truth have added also, is determined to abase. For the prophet Isaiah has plainly warned us, that " the lofly looks of men shall be humbled, and the haugh- tiness of men shall be bowed down; and the Lord alone shall
he
" See Jam. iv. 6. " Piov. vi. lO, 17.
^ Prov. ill. 34. This is the passage that is citedhoih by St. Peter and Si. Jame^.
•> P.s. cxxxviii.C. • Luke xviii. 14. ' Luke i. 51,53,
' Rev. iii. 16, 17.
1165.] HUMILITY INCiULCATED. 151
be exalted : for 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"."
Now, I pray you, let this consideration be duly weighed, in order that you may with zeal and earnestness address your- selves to the duty that is here inculcated. If you bring not a broken and contrite spirit before God, and if you exercise not a spirit of meekness and lowliness before men, think not that God will ever look with complacency upon you, or acknow- ledge himself as your friend : for assuredly he is, and will be, your enemy, and will sooner or later resent the dishonour which you do unto him. He may not inflict on you such judgments as he did on Nebuchadnezzar or on Herod : if he only leave you to yourselves, you will soon find what an evil and bitter thing it is to cherish such a disposition in your hearts: for as " pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall"," you may expect the effects of spiritual dere- liction ; you may expect, that, " being lifted up with pride, you will fall into the condemnation of the devil^."]