from Jonathan Edwards' book, Thoughts on the Revival, his section on Undiscerned Spiritual Pride. One cause of errors attending a great revival of religion is undiscerned spiritual pride. The first and the worst cause of errors that prevail in such a state of things is spiritual pride. This is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of religion. It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit to darken the mind and mislead the judgment. This is the main handle by which the devil has hold of religious persons, and the chief source of all the mischief that he introduces to clog and hinder a work of God. This cause of error is a main spring, or at least a main support of all the rest. Till this disease is cured, medicines are in vain applied to heal other diseases. It is by this that the mind defends itself in other errors, and guards itself against light, by which it might be corrected and reclaimed. The spiritually proud man is full of light already. He does not need instruction, and is ready to despise the offer of it. But if this disease be healed, other things are easily rectified. The humble person is like a little child. He easily receives instruction. He is jealous over himself, sensible how liable he is to go astray, and therefore, if it be suggested to him that he does so, he is ready most narrowly and impartially to inquire. Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil's reach as humility, and so prepares the mind for true divine light without darkness, and so clears the eye to look on things as they truly are. Psalm 25 9. The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way. Therefore, we should fight neither with small nor with great, but with the King of Israel. Our first care should be to rectify the heart, and pull the beam out of our eye, and then we shall see clearly. I know that a great many things at this day are very injuriously laid to the pride of those that are zealous in the cause of God. When any person appears in any respect remarkably distinguished in religion from others, if he professes those spiritual comforts and joys that are greater than ordinary, or appears distinguishingly zealous in religion, if he exerts himself more than others in the cause of religion, or seems to be distinguished with success, ten to one, but it will immediately awaken the jealousy of those about him. They will suspect, whether they have cause or not, that he is very proud of his goodness, and affects to have it thought that nobody is so good as he. and all his talk is heard, and all his behavior beheld with is prejudice. Those who are themselves cold and dead, and especially such as never had any experience of the power of godliness on their own hearts, are ready to entertain such thoughts of the best Christians, which arises from a secret enmity against vital and fervent piety. But zealous Christians should take heedless as proof is near to them, and the devil take advantage from it, to blind their eyes from beholding what there is indeed of this nature in their hearts, and make them think, because they are charged with pride wrongfully and from an ill spirit in many things, that therefore it is so in everything. Alas, how much pride had the best of us in our hearts! It is the worst part of the body of sin and death, the first sin that ever entered into the universe and the last that is rooted out. It is God's most stubborn enemy. The corruption of nature may all be resolved into two things, pride and worldly-mindedness. The devil and the beast are self and the world. These are the two pillars of Dagon's temple on which the whole house leans. But the former of these is every way the worst part of the corruption of nature. It is the firstborn son of the devil, and his image in the heart of man chiefly consists in it. It is the last thing in a sinner that is overborn by conviction, in order to conversion. And here is the saint's hardest conflict, the least thing over which he obtains a good degree of conquest. that which most directly militates against God, and is most contrary to the Spirit of the Lamb of God. It is most like the devil, its father, in a serpentine deceitfulness and secrecy. It lies deepest, is most active, is most ready secretly to mix itself with everything. And of all kinds of pride, spiritual pride is upon many accounts the most hateful. It is most like the devil, most like the sin he committed in a heaven of light and glory, where he was exalted high in divine knowledge, honor, beauty, and happiness. Pride is much more difficult to be discerned than any other corruption, because its nature very much consists in a person's having too high a thought of himself. No wonder that he who has too high a thought of himself does not know it. For he necessarily thinks that the opinion he has of himself has just grounds, and therefore is not too high. If he thought such an opinion of himself was without just grounds, he would therein cease to have it. Those that are spiritually proud have a high conceit of these two things, number one, their light, and also their humility. both which are a strong prejudice against the discovery of their pride. Being proud of their light, this makes them not jealous of themselves. He who thinks a clear light shines around him is not suspicious of an enemy lurking near him unseen. And then, being proud of their humility, that makes them least of all jealous of themselves, and that particular is being under the prevalence of pride. There are many sins in the heart that are very secret in their nature and with difficulty discerned. The psalmist says, Psalm 19, 12, Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. But spiritual pride is the most secret of all sins. The heart is deceitful. And searchable in nothing so much as in this matter. And there is no sin in the world that men are so confident in. The very nature of it is to work self-confidence and drive away jealousy of any evil of that kind. There is no sin so much like the devil as this for secrecy and subtlety, and appearing in a great many shapes undiscerned and unsuspected, it appears as an angel of light. takes occasion to arise from everything. It perverts and abuses everything, and even the exercises of real grace and real humility is an occasion to exert itself. It is a sin that has, as it were, many lives. If you kill it, it will live still. If you mortify and suppress it in one shape, it rises in another. If you think it is all gone yet, it is there still. There are a great many kinds of it that lie in different forms and shapes, one under another, and encompass the heart like the coats of an onion. If you pull off one, there is another underneath. We need, therefore, to have the greatest watch imaginable over our hearts with respect to this matter, and to cry most earnestly to the great Searcher of Hearts for his help. He that trusts in his own heart is a fool. God's own people should be the more jealous of themselves with respect to this particular at this day, because the temptations that many have to this sin are exceeding great. The great and distinguishing privileges to which God admits many of His saints, and the high honors He puts on some ministers, are great trials of persons in this respect. It is true that great degrees of the spiritual presence of God tends greatly to mortify pride and corruption. But yet, though in the experience of such favors there be much to restrain pride one way, there is much to tempt and provoke it another, and we shall be in great danger thereby, without great watchfulness and prayerfulness. The angels that fail while in heaven had great honors and high privileges in beholding the face of God and viewing His infinite glory, to cause in them exercises of humility and to keep them from pride. Yet through lack of watchfulness in them, their great honor and heavenly privilege proved to be to them an undoing temptation to pride, though they had no principle of pride in their hearts to expose them. Let no saint, therefore, however eminent and however near to God, think himself out of danger. He that thinks himself most out of danger is indeed most in danger. The apostle Paul, who doubtless was as eminent a saint as any now, was not out of danger, even just after he was admitted to see God in the third heaven, 2 Corinthians 12, and yet doubtless What he saw in heaven of the ineffable glory of the divine being had a direct tendency to make him appear exceeding little and vile in his own eyes. Spiritual pride in its own nature is so secret that it is not so well discerned by immediate intuition on the thing itself as by the effects and fruits of it, some of which I would mention, together with the contrary fruits of pure Christian humility. Spiritual pride disposes to speak of other persons' sins, their enmity against God and His people, the miserable delusion of hypocrites, and their enmity against vital piety, and the deadness of some saints with bitterness, or with laughter and levity, and an air of contempt. Whereas pure Christian humility rather disposes either to be silent about them, or to speak of them with grief and pity. Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others, whereas an humble saint is most jealous of himself. He is so suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The spiritually proud person is apt to find fault with other saints, that they are low in grace, and to be much in observing how cold and dead they are, and being quick to discern and take notice of their deficiencies. But the imminently humble Christian has so much to do at home, and sees so much of the evil of his own heart, and is so concerned about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts. He complains most of himself, and complains of his own coldness and loneliness in grace. He is apt to esteem others better than himself, and is ready to hope that there is nobody but what has more love and thankfulness to God than he, and cannot bear to think that others should bring forth no more fruit to God's honor than he. Some who have spiritual pride mixed with high discoveries and great transports of joy, disposing them in an earnest manner to talk to others, are apt in such frames to be calling upon other Christians about them. and sharply reproving them for their being so cold and lifeless. There are others who in their raptures are overwhelmed with a sense of their own vileness, and when they have extraordinary discoveries of God's glory, they also are disposed to speak much and very earnestly, yet it is very much in blaming themselves and exhorting fellow Christians, but in a charitable and humble manner. pure Christian humility disposes a person to take notice of everything that is good in others, and to make the best of it, and to diminish their failings, but to have his eye chiefly on those things that are bad in himself, and to take much notice of everything that aggravates them. In a contrariety to this, it has been the manner in some places, or at least the manner of some persons, to speak of almost everything that they see amiss in others, in the most harsh, severe, and terrible language. It is frequent with them to say of others' opinions or conduct or advice, or of their own coldness, their silence, their caution, their moderation, their prudence, and so on. that they are from the devil, or from hell, that such a thing is devilish, or hellish, or cursed, and that such persons are serving the devil, or the devil is in them, that they are soul murderers, and the like, so that the words devil and hell are almost continually in their mouths, and such kind of language they will commonly use, not only towards wicked men, but towards them whom they themselves allow to be the true children of God. and also towards ministers of the gospel and others who are very much their superiors, and they look upon it as a virtue and high attainment thus to behave themselves. O say they, we must be plain-hearted and bold for Christ. We must declare war against sin whenever we see it. We must not mince a matter in the cause of God and with speaking for Christ. and to make any distinction in persons, or to speak to more tenderly, because that which is amiss is seen in a superior, they look upon as very mean for a follower of Christ when speaking in the cause of his Master. What a strange device of the devil is here, to overthrow all Christian meekness and gentleness, and even all show and appearance of it, and to defile the mouths of the children of God, and to introduce a language of common sailors among the followers of Christ! under a cloak of high sanctity and zeal and boldness for Christ, and it is a remarkable instance of the weakness of the human mind and how much too cunning the devil is for us. The grand offense of this way of talking is that they say no more than what is true. They only speak the truth without mincing the matter, and the true Christians who have a great sight of the evil of sin and acquaintance with their own hearts know it to be true. and therefore will not be offended to hear such harsh expressions concerning them and their sins. It is only, they say, hypocrites or cold and dead Christians that are provoked and feel their enmity rise on such an occasion. But it is a grand mistake to think that we may commonly use all such language as represents the worst of each other according to strict truth. It is really true that every kind of sin, and every degree of it, is devilish and from hell. and is cursed, hellish, and condemned or damned. And if persons had a full sight of their own hearts, they would think no terms too bad for them. They would look like beasts, like serpents, and like devils to themselves. They would be at a loss for language, to express what they see in themselves. The worst terms they could think of would seem, as it were, faint to represent what they see in themselves. But shall a child therefore from time to time use such language concerning an excellent and eminently holy father or mother as, that the devil is in them, that they have such and such devilish cursed dispositions, that they commit every day hundreds of hellish damned acts, and that they are cursed dogs, hellhounds, and devils? And shall the meanest of the people be justified in commonly using such language concerning the most excellent magistrates or the most eminent ministers? I hope nobody has gone to this height. But the same pretenses of boldness, plain-heartedness, and declared war against sin will as well justify these things as the others. If we proceed in such a manner, on such principles as these, what a face will be introduced upon the Church of Christ, the little beloved flock of that gentle Shepherd, the Lamb of God! What a sound shall we bring into the house of God, into the family of His dear little children! How far off shall we soon banish that lovely appearance of humility, sweetness, gentleness, mutual honor, benevolence, complacence, and an esteem of others above themselves which ought to clothe the children of God all over? not but that Christians should watch over one another, and in any wise reprove one another, and do it plainly and faithfully. But it does not then follow that dear brethren in the family of God, in rebuking one another, should use worse language than Michael the archangel Durst used when rebuking the devil himself. Christians, who are but fellow-worms, ought at least to treat one another with as much humility and gentleness as Christ, who is infinitely above them, treats them. But how did Christ treat His disciples when they were so cold towards Him, and so regardless of Him at the time when His soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death, and in a dismal agony was crying and sweating blood for them, and they would not watch with Him and allow Him the comfort of their company one hour in His great distress? though he once and again desired it of them. One would think that then was a proper time, if ever, to have reproved them for a devilish, hellish, cursed, and damned slothfulness and deadness. But after what manner does Christ reprove them? Behold His astonishing gentleness! Says He, what, could you not watch with me one hour? The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And how did he treat Peter when he was ashamed of his master, while he was made a mocking-stock and a spitting-stock for him, while you looked upon him with a look of love, and melted his heart? And though we read that Christ once turned and said unto Peter on a certain occasion, Get thee behind me, Satan! And this may seem like an instance of harshness and severity in reproving Peter, yet I humbly concede that this is by many taken wrong, and that this is, indeed, no instance of Christ's severity in his treatment of Peter, but on the contrary of his wonderful gentleness and grace, distinguishing between Peter and the devil in him, not laying the blame of what Peter had then said, or imputing it to him, but to the devil that influenced him. Christ saw the devil then present, secretly influencing Peter to do the part of a tempter to his master. And therefore Christ turned him about to Peter, in whom the devil then was, and spake to the devil and rebuked him. Thus the grace of Christ does not behold iniquity in his people, imputes not what is amiss in them to them, but to sin that dwells in them. Spiritual pride often disposes persons to singularity in external appearance, to effect a singular way of speaking, to use a different sort of dialect from others, or to be singular in voice, countenance, or behavior. But he that is an imminently humble Christian, though he will be firm to his duty, however singular, going in the way that leads to heaven alone, though all the world forsake him, yet he delights not in singularity for singularity's sake. He does not affect to set up himself to be viewed and observed as one distinguished, is desiring to be accounted better than others, despising their company or conformity to them, but, on the contrary, is disposed to become all things to all men, to yield to others and conform to them and please them in everything but sin. Spiritual pride commonly occasions a certain stiffness and inflexibility in persons. in their own judgment, and in their own ways, whereas the imminently humble person, though he be inflexible in his duty, and in those things wherein God's honour is concerned, and with regard to temptation to those things he apprehends to be sinful, though in ever so small a degree, he is not at all of a yielding spirit, but is like a brazen wall. Yet in other things he is of a pliable disposition, not disposed to set up his own opinion or his own will. He is ready to pay deference to others' opinions, loves to comply with their inclinations, and has a heart that is tender and flexible, like a little child. Spiritual pride disposes persons to affect separation, to stand at a distance from others as being better than they, and loves to show an appearance of the distinction. But on the contrary, the imminently humble Christian is ready to look upon himself as not worthy that others should be united to him, to think himself more brutish than any man, and worthy to be cast out of human society, and especially unworthy of the society of God's children, though he will not be a companion with one that is visibly Christ's enemy, but delights most in the company of lively Christians, choosing such for his companions and will be most intimate with them, not delighting to spend much time in the company of those who seem to relish no conversation but about worldly things, yet he does not love the appearance of an open separation from visible Christians, as being a kind of distinct company from them who are one visible company with him, by Christ's appointment, and will, as much as possible, shun all appearances of a superiority, or others. His universal benevolence delights in the appearance of union with his fellow-creatures, and will maintain it as much as he possibly can without giving open countenance to iniquity or wounding his own soul. In herein he follows the example of his meek and lowly Redeemer, who did not keep up such a separation and distance as the Pharisees, but freely ate with publicans and sinners that he might win them. The imminently humble Christian is, as it were, clothed with lowliness, mildness, meekness, gentleness of spirit and behavior, and with a soft, sweet, condescending, winning air and deportment. These things are just like garments to him. He is clothed all over with them. 1 Peter 5.5. And be clothed with humility. Colossians 3.12. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved. bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering. Pure Christian humility has no such thing as roughness or contempt, or fierceness or bitterness in its nature. It makes a person like a little child, harmless and innocent, that none need be afraid of. are like a lamb, destitute of all bitterness, wrath, anger, and clamor, agreeable to Ephesians 4.31. With such a spirit as this ought especially zealous ministers of the gospel to be clothed, and those that God is pleased to employ as instruments in His hands of promoting His work. They ought indeed to be thorough in preaching the word of God without mincing the matter at all, and handling the sword of the Spirit as the ministers of the Lord of hosts. They ought not to be mild and gentle, they are not to be gentle and moderate in searching and awaking the conscience, but should be sons of thunder. The word of God, which is in itself sharper than any two-edged sword, ought not to be sheathed by its ministers, but shall use it as sharp edges may have their full effect. even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Yet they should do it without judging particular persons, leaving it to conscience and the Spirit of God to make the particular application. But all their conversation should savor of nothing but lowliness and goodwill, love and pity to all mankind. saw that such a spirit should be like a sweet odor diffused around them wherever they go. They should be like lions to guilty consciences, but like lambs to men's persons. This would have no tendency to prevent the awakening of men's consciences, but on the contrary would have a very great tendency to awaken them. It would make way for the sharp sword to enter. It would remove the obstacles and make a naked breast for the arrow. Yea, the amiable Christ-like conversation of such ministers in itself would terrify the consciences of men as well as their terrible preaching. Both would cooperate to subdue the hard, and bring down the proud heart. If there had been constantly and universally observable such a behavior as this in itinerant preachers, it would have terrified the consciences of sinners ten times as much as all the invectives and the censorious talk there has been concerning particular persons for their opposition, hypocrisy, delusion, pharisaism, and so on. These things in general have rather stupefied sinners' consciences. They take them up and make use of them as a shield, wherewith to defend themselves from the sharp arrows of the word that are shot by these preachers. The enemies of the present work have been glad of these things with all their hearts. Many of the most bitter of them, or probably such, in the beginning of this work had their consciences something galled and terrified with it. But these errors of awakening preachers are the things they chiefly make use of as plasters to heal the sore that was made in their consciences. Spiritual pride takes great notice of opposition and injuries it receives. and is apt to be often speaking of them, and to be much in taking notice of their aggravations, either with an air of bitterness or contempt. Whereas pure and unmixed Christian humility disposes a person rather to be like his blessed Lord when reviled, dumb, not opening his mouth, but committing himself in silence to him that judgeth righteously, the eminently humble Christian, The more clamorous and furious the world is against him, the more silent and still will he be, unless it be in his closet, and there he will not be still. Our blessed Lord Jesus seems never to have been so silent as when the world compassed him round, reproached, buffeting, and spitting on him with loud and virulent outcries and horrid cruelties. There has been a great deal too much talk of late among many of the true and zealous friends of religion. about opposition and persecution. It becomes the followers of the Lamb of God when the world is in an uproar about them and full of clamor against them, not to raise another noise to answer it, but to be still and quiet. It is not beautiful at such time to have pulpits and conversation ring with the sound of persecution, persecution, or with abundant talk about Pharisees, carnal persecutors in the seat of the serpent. Meekness and quietness among God's people, when opposed and reviled, would be the surest way to have God remarkably to appear for their defense. It is particularly observed of Moses on occasion of Aaron and Miriam envying him, and rising up in opposition against him, that he was very meek. Above all men on the face of the earth. Numbers 12.3 Doubtless because he remarkably showed his meekness on that occasion, being wholly silent under the abuse. And how remarkable is the account that follows of God's being, as it were, suddenly roused to appear for His vindication? What high honor did He put upon Moses? And how severe were His rebukes of His opposers? This story is very remarkable and worthy everyone's observation. Nothing is so effectual to bring God down from heaven in the defense of His people as their patience and mateness under sufferings. when Christ girds his sword upon his thigh with his glory and majesty, and in his majesty rise prosperously, his right hand teaching him terrible things. It is because of truth and meekness and righteousness. Psalm 45, 3 and 4. God will cause judgment to be heard from heaven. The earth shall fear and be still, and God will arise to judgment to save all the meek of the earth. Psalm 76, 8, and 9. He will lift up the meek and cast the wicked down to the ground. Psalm 147, 6. He will reprove with equity for the meek of the earth, and will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips will he slay the wicked. Isaiah 11, verse 4. Great humility improves even the reflections and reproaches of enemies, to put upon serious self-examination, whether or not there be not some just cause, whether they have not in some respect given occasion to the enemy to speak reproachfully. Whereas spiritual pride improves such reflections, to make them the more bold and confident, and to go the greater lengths in that for which they are found fault with. I desire it may be considered whether there has been nothing amiss of late among the truth or ends of vital piety in this respect, and whether the words of David, when reviled by Michael, have not been misinterpreted and misapplied to justify them in it, when he said, I will be yet more vile, and will be base in mine own sight. The import of his words is, that he would humble himself yet more before God, being sensible that he was far from being sufficiently abased. And he signifies this too, Michael, that he longed to be yet lower, and had designed already to abase himself more in his behavior, not that he would go the greater length to show his regardlessness of hurried violins. That would be to exalt himself, and not to abase himself as more violent as on sight. From Thoughts on the Revival of Religion by Jonathan Edwards Undiscerned Spiritual Pride This Reformation audio track is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available, free and for sale, in audio, video, and printed formats. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog, Thank you. by phone at 780-450-3730 by fax at 780-468-1096 or by mail at 4710-37A Edmonton, that's E-D-M-O-N-T-O-N Alberta, abbreviated capital A, capital B, Canada, T6L3T5. You may also request a free printed catalog. And remember that John Calvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, neither came into my heart. From his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since He condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the Papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying his word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The Prophet's words, then, are very important, when he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.