A26892:1991
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Part 1 › Chapter 4 › Part 5 › Signs of Pride in common converse.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. 68. Sign 17. A proud man is either an open or a secret boaster: If he be ashamed to show his1 Pride by upon b••••ing, then he learneth the skill of setting out himself, and making known his excellencies in a closer and more handsome way: His own commendations shall not seem the design of his speech, but to come in upon the by, or before he was aware, as if he thought of something else: or it shall seem necessary to some other end, and a thing that he is unavoidably put upon, as against his will. Or he will take on him to conceal it, but by a transparent veil, as some proud women hide their beauties: Or he will conjoin the mention of some of his infirmities, but they shall be such as2 he thinks no matter of disgrace, but like proud women's beauty-spots, to set out the better part which they are proud of: But one way or other, either by ostentation or insinuation, his work is to make known all that tendeth to his honour, and to see that his goodness, and wisdom, and greatness be not unknown or unobserved: And all because he must have mens approbation, the hypocrites reward: He is as buried if he be unknown. Proud and boasters are joined together, Rom. 1. 30. 2 Tim. 3. 2. Theudas the deceiver, boasted himself to be some body, Acts 5. 36. Simon Magus gave out that himself was some great one, and the people all gave heed to him from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God, Acts 8. 9, 10. Such love the praise of men more than the praise of God, John 12. 43. But the humble hath learned another kind of language; not affectedly but from the feeling of their hearts, to cry out, I am vile: I am unworthy to be called a child; My sins are more than the hairs of my head: And he hateth their vanity that by unseasonable or immoderate commendations, endeavour to stir him up to pride, and so to bring him to be vile indeed, by proclaiming him to be excellent. Much more doth he abhor to praise himself, having learned,