What a monster of pride is man! How full of that cursed venom, is human nature! We cannot receive any grace or blessing from the Lord but corrupt nature is prone to be proud of it, and to boast in it! No one is exempt from this. I appeal to your hearts. I refer to your experience.
When your heart has been enlarged in prayer;
when your soul has been carried out in humblings, meltings, longings, aspirings, etc.;
when you have heard the Word with warm affections and heavenly joy;
when your tongue has with sweetness and liberty, talked of Christ to others;
when your hand has been stretched forth to do any good work;
now in all these, have you not found pride very busy?
Have not you been ready to stroke yourself with pleasure, and to reflect with delight: "Well, now the Lord loves me indeed! Surely He loves me better now that I find myself so holy, and feel myself so heavenly!"
But where is our precious Jesus all this while? We have looked at ourselves until we have lost sight of Him! We have been admiring our vile selves for our graces instead of being in raptures with Christ, who is altogether lovely, in whom all fullness of grace dwells, and out of whose fullness we receive grace upon grace!
[William Mason]
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Proverbs 16:5 ... Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Proverbs 16:18 ... Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 8:13 ... The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.❤
