"Your boasting is not good!" 1 Corinthians 5:6 Pride is the greatest sacrilege, it robs God of His glory. What a horrid sin is pride! Chrysostom calls it "the mother of Hell." Pride encompasses all vice. Pride is a spiritual drunkenness, it flies up like wine into the brain and intoxicates it.
Pride is idolatry, a proud man is a self-worshiper. How odious is this sin to God!
"Everyone who is proud in heart, is an abomination to the Lord!" (Proverbs 16:5) "I hate pride and arrogance!" (Proverbs 8:13)
Those who look at themselves in the magnifying mirror of self-love appear better in their own eyes than they are. There is no idol like self, the proud man bows down to this idol.
Many are proud of their riches. Their hearts swell with their estates. Pride is the rich man's cousin. "Your heart has become proud because of your wealth." (Ezekiel 28:5)
Many are proud of their apparel. They dress in such fashions, as to make the devil fall in love with them! Painted faces, gaudy attire, naked breasts, what are these, but the banners which sinful pride displays?
Many are proud of their beauty. The body is but dust and blood kneaded together. Solomon says, "Beauty is vain." (Proverbs 31:30) Yet some are so vain as to be proud of vanity! Shall dust exalt itself?
Many are proud of their gifts and abilities. These trappings and ornaments do not approve them in God's eyes. An angel is a creature of great abilities; but take away humility from an angel and he is a devil! God loves a humble soul. It is not our high birth but our humble hearts, which God delights in.
Oh, let us search if there is any of this leaven of pride in us! Man is naturally a proud piece of flesh. This sin of pride runs in the blood. There are the seeds of this sin of pride in the best of Christians but the godly do not allow themselves in it. They strive to kill this weed, by mortification.
But certainly where this sin of pride reigns and prevails, it cannot stand with grace. You may as well call him who lacks wisdom, a prudent man; as him who lacks humility, a godly man. "Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5) Put humility on, as an embroidered robe. It is better to lack anything, rather than humility.
The more value any man has, the more humble he is. Feathers fly up but gold descends! The golden saint descends in humility.
Look at a humble Savior and let your plumes of pride fall off!
A humble heart is God's palace! "For this is what the high and lofty One says; He who lives forever, whose name is holy. I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit." (Isaiah 57:15) A humble heart glories in this, that it is the presence chamber of the great and glorious King!
[Thomas Watson]
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