We have been admiring our vile
selves. By William Mason I hate pride
and arrogance. Proverbs 8 verse 13 What a monster
of pride is man! How full of that cursed venom
is human nature! We cannot receive any grace or
blessing from the Lord, but corrupt nature is prone to be proud of
it and to boast in it. No one is exempt from this. I
appeal to your hearts. I refer to your experience when
your heart has been enlarged in prayer, when your soul has
been carried out in humblings, meltings, longings, aspirings,
etc., when you have heard the Word with warm affections and
heavenly joy, when your tongue has with sweetness and liberty
talked of Christ to others. when your hand has been stretched
forth to do any good work. Now in all these, have you not
found pride very busy? Have not you been ready to stroke
yourself with pleasure and to reflect with delight, well, now
the Lord loves me indeed. Surely He loves me better now
that I find myself so holy and feel myself so heavenly. But where is our precious Jesus
all this while? We have looked at ourselves until
we have lost sight of Him. We have been admiring our vile
selves for our graces. Instead of being in raptures
with Christ, who is altogether lovely, in whom all fullness
of grace dwells, and out of whose fullness we receive grace upon
grace. The Lord detests all the proud
of heart. Proverbs 16 verse 5. This Puritan devotional has been
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