A warning about spiritual pride:
This was the sin made [Satan], of a blessed angel, a cursed devil; and as it was his personal sin, so he chiefly labours to derive it to the sons of men: and he so far prevailed on our first parents, that ever since, this sin hath and doth claim a kind of regency in the heart, making use both of bad and good to draw her chariot.
First, it maketh use of evil. Pride enters into the labours of other sins; they do but work to make her brave, as subjects to uphold the state and grandeur of their prince. Thus you shall see some drudge and droil*, cheat, cozen†, oppress; and what mean they? O it is to get and estate to maintain their pride. Others fawn and flatter, lie, dissemble; and for what? to help pride up some mount on honour.
Second. It maketh use of that which is good. It can work with God’s own tools, his ordinances, by which the Holy Spirit advanceth his kingdom of grace in the hearts of his saints. These often are prostituted to pride. A man may be very zealous in prayer, and painful in preaching, and all the while pride is the master whom he serves, though in God’s livery. It can take sanctuary in the highest actions, and hide itself under the skirt of virtue itself. Thus while a man is exercising his charity, pride may be the idol in secret for which he lavisheth out his gold so freely. It is hard starving this sin, because there is nothing almost but it can live on—nothing so base that a proud hear will not be lift up with, and nothing so sacred but it profane; [it will] even dare to drink in the bowels of the sanctuary, nay, rather than starve, it will feed on the carcasses of other sins. ‘That sin is with greatest difficult to avoided which springs from a victory of our vices.’ This minion pride will stir up the soul to resist, yea, in a manner kill, some sins, that she may boastingly show the head of them, and blow the creature up with the conceit of himself above others. As the Pharisee, who through pride bragged that he was not as the publican—so that pride, if not looked to, will have to do everywhere, and hath a large sphere it moves in. nothing indeed (without divine assistance) the creature hath or doth, but will soon become a prey to this devourer.—William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour (Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 1:191–192.
* to work slowly.
† to persuade by deceit.
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