_Sign_ I. Self-idolizing pride doth cause men to glory in their supposed greatness, when the greatness of God should show them their contemptible vileness; and to magnify themselves, when they should magnify their Maker. It makes the strong man glory in his strength, and the rich man in his wealth, and the conqueror in his victories;[206] and princes, and rulers, and lords of the earth, in their dominions, and dignities, and power to do hurt or good to others; and say as Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. iv. 30, "Is not this great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, for the honour of my majesty?" How hard is it to be great and truly humble, and not to swell, and be lifted up in heart, as they rise in power! This God abhorreth as unsuitable to worms, and dust, and injurious to his honour, and will make them know that "power, and riches, and strength are his, and that the Most High doth rule in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom he will," Dan. iv. 32.
_Sign_ II. Pride causeth men to set up their supposed worth and goodness above or against the Lord: so that they make themselves their principal end, and practise that which some of late presume to teach, that it is not God that can or ought to be man's end, but himself alone: as if we were made only for ourselves, and not for our Creator. Pride makes men so considerable in their own esteem, that they live wholly to themselves, as if the world were to stand or fall with them: if they be well, all is well with them; if they are to die, they take it as if the world were at an end. They value God, but as they do their food, or health, or pleasure, even as a means to their own felicity; not as preferring him before themselves, nor making him the chiefest in their end.[207] They love themselves much better than God: and so far is man fallen from God to himself, that he feeleth himself disposed to this as strongly, as that he taketh it to be his primitive nature, and therefore warrantable, and that it is impossible to go higher.
[Sidenote: How God is man's end.]
God is to be man's end, though we can add nothing to him. The highest love supposeth no want in him that we love, but an excellency of glory, wisdom, and goodness, to which all our faculties offer up themselves in admiration, love, and praise: not only for the delights of these, nor only that our persons may herein be happy; but chiefly that God may have his due, and his will may be pleased and fulfilled; and because his excellencies deserve all this from men and angels. When we love a man of wonderful learning, and wisdom, and meekness, and charity, and holiness, and other goodness, it is not chiefly for ourselves that we love him, that we may receive something from him; for we feel his excellency command our love, though we were sure that we should never receive any thing from him: nor is the delight of loving him our chief end, but a consequent, or the lesser part of our end; for we feel that we love him before we think of the delight.[208] The admiration, love, and praise of God our ultimate end, hath no end beside their proper object; for it is itself the final act, even man's perfection. Amiableness magnetically attracteth love: if you ask an angel why he loveth God, he will say, because he is infinitely amiable: and though in such motions nature secretly aimeth at its own perfection and felicity, and lawfully interesteth itself in this final motion, yet the union being of such as are infinitely unequal, oh how little do the glorified spirits respect themselves in comparison of the blessed, glorious God! See what I said of this before, chap. iii. direct. xi. and xv.
_Sign_ III. Pride maketh men more desirous to be over-loved themselves, than that God be loved by themselves or others. They would fain have the eyes and hearts of all men turned upon them, as if they were as the sun, to be admired and loved by all that see them.
_Sign_ IV. Pride causeth men to depend upon themselves, and contrive inordinately for themselves, and trust in themselves; as if they lived by their own wit, and power, and industry, more than by the favour and providence of God. Isa. ix. 9; Obad. 3.
_Sign_ V. Pride makes men return the thanks to themselves which is due to God for the mercies which they have received. God is thanked by them but in compliment; but they seriously ascribe it to their care, or skill, or industry, or power, Dan. iv. 30; they sacrifice to their net, Hab. i. 16, and say, Our hand, our contrivance, our power, our good husbandry hath done all this.[209]