Life and Death of Mr. Badman by John Bunyan (most life changing books TXT) 📕

Wise. That is out of doubt, and by that antipathy, they shew, that sin and Satan are more welcome to them than are the wholesome instructions of life and godliness.

Atten. Well, but not to goe off from our discourse of Mr. Badman. You say he was proud: but will you shew me now some symptoms of one that is proud?

Wise. Yes, that I will: And first I will shew you some symptoms of Pride of Heart. {129a} Pride of heart, is seen by outward things, as Pride of Body in general, is a sign of pride of heart; for all proud gestures of the body flow from Pride of heart: therefore Solomon saith; There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes, and their eye-lids are lifted up: {129b} And again; There is that exalteth their gate, their going. {129c} Now these lofty eyes, and this exalting of the gate, is a sign of a Proud heart: for both these actions come from the heart: for out of the heart comes Pride, in all the visible appearances of it. {129d} But more particularly:

1. Heart Pride is discovered {129e} by a stretched out Neck, and by mincing as they go. For the wicked, the Proud, have a proud Neck, a proud Foot, a proud Tongue, by which this their going is exalted. This is that which makes them look scornfully, speak ruggedly, and carry it huffingly among their Neighbours.

2. A proud heart, is a persecuting one: The wicked through his pride doth persecute the poor. {129f}

3. A prayerless man is a proud man. {129g}

4. A contentious man is a proud man. {129h}

5. The disdainful man is a proud man. {129i}

6. The man that oppresses his neighbour is a proud man. {129j}

7. He that hearkeneth not to Gods Word with reverence and fear, is a proud man. {129k}

8. And he that calls the proud happy, is, be sure, a proud man. All these are proud in heart, and this their pride of heart doth thus discover it self. {129l} {129m}

As to bodily {129n} pride, it is discovered, that is, something of it, by all the particulars mentioned before; for though they are said to be symptoms of pride of heart, yet they are symptoms of that pride, by their shewing of themselves in the Body. You know diseases that are within, are seen oft-times by outward and visible Signs, yet by them very signs even the outside is defiled also. So all those visible signs of heart-pride, are signs of bodily pride also. But to come to more outward signs: The putting on of Gold, and Pearls, and costly array; the pleating of the hair, the following of fashions, the seeking by gestures to imitate the proud, either by speech, looks, dresses, goings, or other fools baubles, (of which at this time the world is full) all these, and many more, are signs, as of a proud heart, so of bodily pride also. {130b}

But Mr. Badman would not allow, by any means, that this should be called Pride, {130c} but rather neatness, handsomness, comeliness, cleanliness, &c. neither would he allow that following of fashions was any thing else, but because he would not be proud, singular, and esteemed fantastical by his neighbours.

Atten. But I have been told, that when some have been rebuked for their pride, they have turned it again upon the brotherhood of those by whom they have been rebuked: saying, Physician heal thy Friends, look at home, among your Brotherhood, even among the wisest of you, and see if you your selves be clear, even you professors: for who is prouder than you professors? scarcesly the Devil himself.

Wise. My heart akes at this answer, because there is too much cause for it. {130d} This very Answer would Mr. Badman give his wife, when she (as she would sometimes) reproved him for his pride: We shall have, says he, great amendments in living now, for the Devil is turned a corrector of vice: For no sin reigneth more in the world, quoth he, than pride among professors. And who can contradict him? let us give the Devil his due, the thing is too apparent for any man to deny.

And I doubt not but the same answer is ready in the mouths of Mr. Badmans friends; for they may and do see pride display it self in the Apparel and carriages of professors; one may say, almost as much, as among any people in the Land, the more is the pity. Ay, and I fear that even their Extravagancies in this, hath hardened the heart of many a one, as I perceive it did somewhat the heart of Mr. Badman himself.

For mine own part, I have seen many my self, and those Church-members too, so deckt and bedaubed with their Fangles and Toyes, and that when they have been at the solemn Appointments of God, in the way of his Worship, that I have wondred with what face such painted persons could sit in the place where they were without swounding. But certainly the holiness of God, and also the pollution of themselves by sin, must needs be very far out of the minds of such people, what profession soever they make.

I have read of an Whores forehead, {131a} and I have read of christian-shamefacedness; I have read of costly array, and of that which becometh women professing Godliness, with good works; {131b} {131c} but if I might speak, I know what I know, and could say, and yet do no wrong, that which would make some professors stink in their places; {131d} but now I forbear.

Atten. Sir, you seem to be greatly concerned at this, but what I shall say more? it is whispered, that some good Ministers have countenanced their people in their light and wanton Apparrel, yea have pleaded for their Gold, and Pearls, and costly array, &c.

Wise. I know not what they have pleaded for, but ‘tis easily seen that they tolerate, or at least wise, wink and connive at such things, both in their Wives and Children. And so from the Prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. {131e} And when the hand of the Rulers are chief in a trespass, who can keep their people from being drowned in that trespass?

Atten. This is a lamentation, and must stand for a lamentation.

Wise. So it is, and so it must. And I will add, it is a shame, it is a reproach, it is a stumbling-block to the blind; {131f} for though men be as blind as Mr. Badman himself, yet they can see the foolish lightness that must needs be the bottom of all these apish and wanton extravagancies. But many have their excuses ready; to wit, their Parents, their Husbands, and their breeding calls for it, and the like: yea, the examples of good people prompt them to it: but all these will be but the Spiders webb, when the thunder of the Word of the great God shall rattle from Heaven against them, as it will at Death or Judgment; but I wish it might do it before. But alas! these excuses are but bare pretences, these proud ones love to have it so. I once talked with a Maid, by way of reproof, for her fond and gaudy garment. But she told me, {132a} The Tailor would make it so: when alas, poor proud Girle, she gave order to the Taylor so to make it. Many make Parents, and Husbands, and Taylors, &c. the Blind to others, but their naughty hearts, and their giving of way thereto, that is the original cause of all these evils.

Atten. Now you are speaking of the cause of pride, pray shew me yet further why pride is now so much in request? {132b}

Wise. I will shew you what I think are the reasons of it.

1. The first is, {132c} Because such persons are led by their own hearts, rather than by the Word of God. I told you before, that the original fountain of pride is the heart. For out of the heart comes pride; it is therefore because they are led by their hearts, which naturally tends to lift them up in pride. This pride of heart, tempts them, and by its deceits overcometh them; {132d} yea it doth put a bewitching vertue into their Peacocks feathers, and then they are swallowed up with the vanity of them.

2. Another reason why professors are so proud, (for those we are talking of now) is because they are more apt to take example of those that are of the World, than they are to take example of those that are Saints indeed. Pride is of the world. For all that is of the world, the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, are not of the Father but of the world. {132e} Of the world therefore Professors learn to be proud. But they should not take them for example. It will be objected, No, nor your saints neither, for you are as proud as others: Well, let them take shame that are guilty. But when I say, professors should take example for their life by those that are saints indeed, I mean as Peter says: They should take example of those that were in old time, the saints; for saints of old time were the best, therefore to these he directeth us for our pattern. Let the wives conversation be chast, and also coupled with fear. Whose adorning, saith Peter, let it not be that outward adorning, of pleating the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of Apparel: but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands. {132f}

3. Another reason is, {133a} Because they have forgotten the pollution of their Nature. For the remembrance of that, must needs keep us humble, and being kept humble, we shall be at a distance from pride. The proud and the humble are set in opposition; (God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.) And can it be imagined, that a sensible Christian should be a proud one; sence of baseness tends to lay us low, not to lift us up with pride; not with pride of Heart, nor pride of Life: But when a man begins to forget what he is, then he, if ever, begins to be proud.

Methinks it is one of the most senceless and ridiculous things in the world, that a man should be proud of that which is given him on purpose to cover the shame of his nakedness with.

4. Persons that are proud, have gotten God and his Holiness out of their sight. {133b} If God was before them, as he is behind their back; And if they saw him in his holiness, as he sees them in their sins and shame, they would take but little pleasure in their apish Knacks. The Holiness of God makes the Angels cover their faces, crumbles Christians, when they behold it, into dust and ashes: {133c} and as his Majesty is, such is his Word; Therefore they abuse it, that bring it to countenance pride.

Lastly, {133d} But what can be the end of those that are proud, in the decking of themselves after their antick manner? why are they for going with their Bulls-foretops, with their naked shoulders, and Paps hanging out like a