Blueridge Believer
Puritan Board Professor
"God resists the proud." James 4:6
There are two principles which rule and govern the hearts of natural men- Pride
and sensuality. These two evils are continually in operation, the one, against
the soul-humbling, the other, against the soul-purifying, doctrines of the
Gospel.
Salvation by grace, through faith in the blood of Christ, is most offensive to
the pride of the natural man. The idea of being wholly indebted to another for
admission into the kingdom of heaven, is extremely disgusting to self-love. Such
an idea is rejected with disdain by every heart, unhumbled and untaught by the
Spirit of God. Fallen man needs to have some share in the great work of
salvation, to have something whereof to boast. But God has declared that this
shall not be. No flesh shall boasts in his presence. "He that boasts, let him
boast in the Lord."
From this principle of self-righteous pride have arisen all those perversions of
the Gospel which have abounded in every age, and which Paul so warmly reprobates
in his Epistle to the Galatians. It is a principle deeply rooted in our fallen
nature, and which nothing but the Holy Spirit can eradicate. It forms a part of
that remnant of corruption which believers feel and bewail, and against which
they daily fight and pray. In proportion as it operates, it occasions obscurity
in their views of divine truth, and deadness in their affections to spiritual
things. It grieves the Holy Spirit, and tarnishes the glory of the Cross. Pride,
assuming every form, either worldly or religious, can go with us into our
closets, or attend us at the sanctuary. Like a subtle poison, it can insinuate
itself into our prayers and praises. Unseen, and unsuspected, it mars our best
duties, and creates that self-admiration, that desire for human applause, which
corrupts the heart, and steals it away from God.
O blessed Jesus, what need have I to look unto You for grace and strength. Save
me from pride and vain-glory. Often do I feel and lament their baneful
influence. If I speak for you, O, how does the poison work unseen by every eye
but Yours! As you alone can behold this hidden evil of the heart, so do you in
mercy destroy its influence. To You, blessed Savior, do I look. You know what is
in me. Your eyes are on all my ways. Oh! wash me in the cleansing fountain of
your precious blood. Purge me from this foul stain of corrupted nature. Make me
truly humble and abased before You. Purify my soul, then shall I become as a
little child in simplicity, teachableness, and humility. The work is all your
own. To You be all the praise.
The more exalted views I have of the Holiness and Purity of God, and of the
extent and spirituality of the divine Law; the deeper sense I have of the evil
of sin, and of the depravity of human nature; the more shall I value the
precious doctrine of Justification by faith only, through the blood and
righteousness of Christ; the more shall I feel the necessity of the regenerating
influences of the Holy Spirit, and the more shall I acknowledge salvation to be
all of grace, flowing freely from the love of God the Father, displayed in the
voluntary sufferings of God the Son, and made savingly known to sinners, through
the power of God the Holy Spirit.
But, if I reverse all this, if I have low views of the divine Holiness, making
the Almighty such an one as myself; if I consider the Gospel merely as a
mitigated law, lowering the standard of holiness, that all may be admitted into
heaven- if I have high conceptions of the dignity of human nature, and
inadequate views of the evil of sin; in that proportion the glory of the Gospel
will appear dim in my eyes, the righteousness of Christ will be considered as a
make-weight in the scale of human merit, and the operation of the Holy Spirit as
nothing more than an auxiliary to the natural powers of man.
The former view exalts the glory of God, and humbles the sinner, while holiness
is promoted; but the latter, springing from pride, eclipses the splendor of the
Deity, obscures the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, like a dark cloud
intervening between us and the orb of day; while the wretched worm of the earth,
inflated with pride, sinks into endless woe. Which of these two statements, I
would ask, may we reasonably suppose to be a revelation from God? Let conscience
speak. Let the word of truth speak. Let the convinced sinner speak. All will
proclaim, "Let God be glorified."
Oh! what cursed pride dwells in the heart of man. But what will become of proud
looks, and proud pretensions, when Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory,
and render unto every man according to his works? Then will the contrite soul,
who, while on earth was trodden down by the foot of pride, be exalted to the
heights of glory; then will the proud sinner, once admired and applauded, be
hurled into the depths of hell.
Lord, clothe me with humility. Empty me of all overweening thoughts of myself.
Make Christ more precious to my heart. Draw me to Yourself. Then shall I form a
part of your little flock; and be found among your people, in the day when you
make up your jewels.
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall;" but,
"before honor is humility." By nature, I am blind to my real state and
character. Pride and self-love form an impenetrable veil, which hides me from
myself. Others can see, and point out my defects. Hence arises the value of a
faithful friend. Blessed Spirit of Holiness, remove the veil, open my
understanding, and discover to me the true state of my soul.
It is a fact, in spiritual things, that we never know that we are blind, until
we are taught by the Spirit. The Pharisees said to our Lord, "Are we blind also?
Jesus said unto them, If you were blind, you should have no sin; but now you
say, We see; therefore your sin remains." These very men, who said, "We see,"
were addressed by our Lord as blind. "Woe unto you, you blind guides." "You
blind Pharisee! cleanse first that which is within." It is only when the Spirit
opens the eyes of our minds, that we see and feel our ignorance, and can mourn
our spiritual darkness. Until then, we fancy ourselves to be very wise and good,
notwithstanding we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
O you lowly Savior! impart unto me lowliness of mind. When on earth, "your voice
was not heard in the streets." You abstained from every display of your almighty
power, except when called forth in acts of love and pity. All your miracles were
wrought to bless our race, or to manifest forth your glory. Devils and diseases
fled at your command; winds were hushed to silence; and the raging waters sank
into a calm. At your all-powerful voice, the dead arose; and nature, through all
her realm, confessed You to be the Lord. But man confessed You not! The world
was made by you, and the world knew you not. You came unto your own, and your
own received you not. Oh! give me grace to receive you in faith and love, that I
may have the privilege of becoming a child of God, being born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Hide pride from
me. Give me a single eye, which aims at nothing but your glory. Keep me from the
proud insinuations of Satan, from the swellings of a corrupt and carnal heart.
It is of great importance in the Christian life to obtain a right knowledge of
ourselves. This can only be obtained by earnest prayer for divine illumination,
by a diligent study of the Word of God, and by frequent and impartial,
self-examination. While thoroughly searching our hearts, we shall find much
within us to mortify our pride; but the more we are enabled to discover the
hidden evils of our hearts, and to crucify the flesh, with the affections and
lusts, the more we shall value and delight in the Gospel plan of Salvation. At
the Cross of Christ we shall learn to know ourselves, and Him, of whom Moses in
the Law, and the Prophets did write. We shall see, in letters of glory, those
messages of grace, which proclaim a free pardon and everlasting life to all who
believe in, and receive, Christ crucified.
Oh! that I could, at this moment, throw wide the doors of a willing mind to
admit the Lord of Glory, that he may henceforth reign as King supreme over every
affection of my heart. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!
Though the heart be renewed by divine grace, the infection of nature does remain
in those who are regenerated, and too often rebels, notwithstanding the
watchfulness and care of the believer. "In me," says Paul, "(that is, in my
flesh) dwells no good thing." This indwelling sin may not, through grace, be
allowed to break out into open acts of vice, but it struggles and fights within;
"When I would do good, evil is present with me." "I find a law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind." This inbred evil excites to pride, sloth,
spiritual indifference, earthly-mindedness, fleshly lust, self-confidence,
carnal ease, and a thousand other evils destructive to our peace, and grieving
to the good Spirit of our God.
To whom, then, can I look for deliverance from these evils, but to Him who has
said, "My grace is sufficient for you." "A new heart will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you." This is the great and gracious promise of the New
Covenant, for which I am encouraged to pray in the name, and through the merits,
of the blessed Jesus. Lord, vouchsafe this blessing, the pledge of every other
blessing which flows to our ruined world through the death and intercession of
your dear Son.
THOMAS BROOKS
There are two principles which rule and govern the hearts of natural men- Pride
and sensuality. These two evils are continually in operation, the one, against
the soul-humbling, the other, against the soul-purifying, doctrines of the
Gospel.
Salvation by grace, through faith in the blood of Christ, is most offensive to
the pride of the natural man. The idea of being wholly indebted to another for
admission into the kingdom of heaven, is extremely disgusting to self-love. Such
an idea is rejected with disdain by every heart, unhumbled and untaught by the
Spirit of God. Fallen man needs to have some share in the great work of
salvation, to have something whereof to boast. But God has declared that this
shall not be. No flesh shall boasts in his presence. "He that boasts, let him
boast in the Lord."
From this principle of self-righteous pride have arisen all those perversions of
the Gospel which have abounded in every age, and which Paul so warmly reprobates
in his Epistle to the Galatians. It is a principle deeply rooted in our fallen
nature, and which nothing but the Holy Spirit can eradicate. It forms a part of
that remnant of corruption which believers feel and bewail, and against which
they daily fight and pray. In proportion as it operates, it occasions obscurity
in their views of divine truth, and deadness in their affections to spiritual
things. It grieves the Holy Spirit, and tarnishes the glory of the Cross. Pride,
assuming every form, either worldly or religious, can go with us into our
closets, or attend us at the sanctuary. Like a subtle poison, it can insinuate
itself into our prayers and praises. Unseen, and unsuspected, it mars our best
duties, and creates that self-admiration, that desire for human applause, which
corrupts the heart, and steals it away from God.
O blessed Jesus, what need have I to look unto You for grace and strength. Save
me from pride and vain-glory. Often do I feel and lament their baneful
influence. If I speak for you, O, how does the poison work unseen by every eye
but Yours! As you alone can behold this hidden evil of the heart, so do you in
mercy destroy its influence. To You, blessed Savior, do I look. You know what is
in me. Your eyes are on all my ways. Oh! wash me in the cleansing fountain of
your precious blood. Purge me from this foul stain of corrupted nature. Make me
truly humble and abased before You. Purify my soul, then shall I become as a
little child in simplicity, teachableness, and humility. The work is all your
own. To You be all the praise.
The more exalted views I have of the Holiness and Purity of God, and of the
extent and spirituality of the divine Law; the deeper sense I have of the evil
of sin, and of the depravity of human nature; the more shall I value the
precious doctrine of Justification by faith only, through the blood and
righteousness of Christ; the more shall I feel the necessity of the regenerating
influences of the Holy Spirit, and the more shall I acknowledge salvation to be
all of grace, flowing freely from the love of God the Father, displayed in the
voluntary sufferings of God the Son, and made savingly known to sinners, through
the power of God the Holy Spirit.
But, if I reverse all this, if I have low views of the divine Holiness, making
the Almighty such an one as myself; if I consider the Gospel merely as a
mitigated law, lowering the standard of holiness, that all may be admitted into
heaven- if I have high conceptions of the dignity of human nature, and
inadequate views of the evil of sin; in that proportion the glory of the Gospel
will appear dim in my eyes, the righteousness of Christ will be considered as a
make-weight in the scale of human merit, and the operation of the Holy Spirit as
nothing more than an auxiliary to the natural powers of man.
The former view exalts the glory of God, and humbles the sinner, while holiness
is promoted; but the latter, springing from pride, eclipses the splendor of the
Deity, obscures the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, like a dark cloud
intervening between us and the orb of day; while the wretched worm of the earth,
inflated with pride, sinks into endless woe. Which of these two statements, I
would ask, may we reasonably suppose to be a revelation from God? Let conscience
speak. Let the word of truth speak. Let the convinced sinner speak. All will
proclaim, "Let God be glorified."
Oh! what cursed pride dwells in the heart of man. But what will become of proud
looks, and proud pretensions, when Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory,
and render unto every man according to his works? Then will the contrite soul,
who, while on earth was trodden down by the foot of pride, be exalted to the
heights of glory; then will the proud sinner, once admired and applauded, be
hurled into the depths of hell.
Lord, clothe me with humility. Empty me of all overweening thoughts of myself.
Make Christ more precious to my heart. Draw me to Yourself. Then shall I form a
part of your little flock; and be found among your people, in the day when you
make up your jewels.
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall;" but,
"before honor is humility." By nature, I am blind to my real state and
character. Pride and self-love form an impenetrable veil, which hides me from
myself. Others can see, and point out my defects. Hence arises the value of a
faithful friend. Blessed Spirit of Holiness, remove the veil, open my
understanding, and discover to me the true state of my soul.
It is a fact, in spiritual things, that we never know that we are blind, until
we are taught by the Spirit. The Pharisees said to our Lord, "Are we blind also?
Jesus said unto them, If you were blind, you should have no sin; but now you
say, We see; therefore your sin remains." These very men, who said, "We see,"
were addressed by our Lord as blind. "Woe unto you, you blind guides." "You
blind Pharisee! cleanse first that which is within." It is only when the Spirit
opens the eyes of our minds, that we see and feel our ignorance, and can mourn
our spiritual darkness. Until then, we fancy ourselves to be very wise and good,
notwithstanding we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
O you lowly Savior! impart unto me lowliness of mind. When on earth, "your voice
was not heard in the streets." You abstained from every display of your almighty
power, except when called forth in acts of love and pity. All your miracles were
wrought to bless our race, or to manifest forth your glory. Devils and diseases
fled at your command; winds were hushed to silence; and the raging waters sank
into a calm. At your all-powerful voice, the dead arose; and nature, through all
her realm, confessed You to be the Lord. But man confessed You not! The world
was made by you, and the world knew you not. You came unto your own, and your
own received you not. Oh! give me grace to receive you in faith and love, that I
may have the privilege of becoming a child of God, being born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Hide pride from
me. Give me a single eye, which aims at nothing but your glory. Keep me from the
proud insinuations of Satan, from the swellings of a corrupt and carnal heart.
It is of great importance in the Christian life to obtain a right knowledge of
ourselves. This can only be obtained by earnest prayer for divine illumination,
by a diligent study of the Word of God, and by frequent and impartial,
self-examination. While thoroughly searching our hearts, we shall find much
within us to mortify our pride; but the more we are enabled to discover the
hidden evils of our hearts, and to crucify the flesh, with the affections and
lusts, the more we shall value and delight in the Gospel plan of Salvation. At
the Cross of Christ we shall learn to know ourselves, and Him, of whom Moses in
the Law, and the Prophets did write. We shall see, in letters of glory, those
messages of grace, which proclaim a free pardon and everlasting life to all who
believe in, and receive, Christ crucified.
Oh! that I could, at this moment, throw wide the doors of a willing mind to
admit the Lord of Glory, that he may henceforth reign as King supreme over every
affection of my heart. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!
Though the heart be renewed by divine grace, the infection of nature does remain
in those who are regenerated, and too often rebels, notwithstanding the
watchfulness and care of the believer. "In me," says Paul, "(that is, in my
flesh) dwells no good thing." This indwelling sin may not, through grace, be
allowed to break out into open acts of vice, but it struggles and fights within;
"When I would do good, evil is present with me." "I find a law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind." This inbred evil excites to pride, sloth,
spiritual indifference, earthly-mindedness, fleshly lust, self-confidence,
carnal ease, and a thousand other evils destructive to our peace, and grieving
to the good Spirit of our God.
To whom, then, can I look for deliverance from these evils, but to Him who has
said, "My grace is sufficient for you." "A new heart will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you." This is the great and gracious promise of the New
Covenant, for which I am encouraged to pray in the name, and through the merits,
of the blessed Jesus. Lord, vouchsafe this blessing, the pledge of every other
blessing which flows to our ruined world through the death and intercession of
your dear Son.
THOMAS BROOKS
