Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

But yet I shall give you another note, nothing is a surer proof of over-ruling pride, then this, that a man sees no pride in himself, neither will confess it to his own heart: It is certain, this vice is as natural to all mankind as it is to be borne with eyes in their heads, with a mouth, with an heart, with a liver, with brain: The vital parts of our body do not more surely come into the world with us, then this vital part of the body of death and of corruption. Now if you have never seen it nor could meet with it in ⟨p. 227⟩the effects of it, so as to know it, it is only because you are ignorant and blind, and the more ignorant of your corruptions the more proud. When vices be not seen, they be not lamented, nor resisted with spiritual weapons, nay not with natural good considerations neither, and the less they be resisted, the more they grow, and the more they grow, the stronger and bigger they be, and the more they rule in him in whom they be. If it were not therefore for want of understanding, by this time a great number of you might perceive that you deserve to be called sons of pride, for your selves cannot deny, but that you have in a manner always denied your selves to be proud, you never saw it in your hearts, nor confessed before God with secret sorrow for it; Lord I am very proud, such and such effects prove me to be very proud. And without doubt, he that never did thus strive to mortify his pride, cannot but be a very proud man. Lo now I have showed you how to find out your pride, by not finding it out, and this is the surest way of finding it, where it is most it hides it self most from his eyes in whom it is, like the foundation of a building that is underground, though it bear up all that is above the ground, or like some secret distemper in the inwards that shows not it self but by its effects.

But yet I shall give you another note, nothing is a surer proofe of over-ruling pride, then this, that a man sees no pride in himselfe, neither will confesse it to his owne heart: It is certaine, this vice is as naturall to all mankinde as it is to be borne with eyes in their heads, with a mouth, with an heart, with a liver, with braine: The vitall parts of our body doe not more surely come into the world with us, then this vitall part of the body of death and of corruption. Now if you have never seene it nor could meete with it in ⟨p. 227⟩the effects of it, so as to know it, it is onely because you are ignorant and blinde, and the more ignorant of your corruptions the more proud. When vices be not seene, they be not lamented, nor resisted with spirituall weapons, nay not with naturall good considerations neither, and the lesse they be resisted, the more they grow, and the more they grow, the stronger and bigger they be, and the more they rule in him in whom they be. If it were not therefore for want of understanding, by this time a great number of you might perceive that you deserve to be called sonnes of pride, for your selves cannot denie, but that you have in a manner alwaies denied your selves to be proud, you never saw it in your hearts, nor confessed before God with secret sorrow for it; Lord I am very proud, such and such effects proove mee to be very proud. And without doubt, hee that never did thus strive to mortifie his pride, cannot but be a very proud man. Loe now I have shewed you how to finde out your pride, by not finding it out, and this is the surest way of finding it, where it is most it hides it selfe most from his eyes in whom it is, like the foundation of a building that is underground, though it beare up all that is above the ground, or like some secret distemper in the inwards that shewes not it selfe but by its effects.