The old Hebrew idea of pride is a lifting up, exaltation. It is that state of mind in which a person is lifted up in his own estimation above what he really is, and thus above others who are his equals or superiors. It is a sinful passion, and sometimes becomes so inordinate as to be a positive barrier to the reception of the gospel. It is inconsistent with genuine Christianity, so that it may well be doubted whether a man who is really proud can be a Christian. It therefore follows that Christians should guard against this passion, and avail themselves of the affectionate and friendly counsels of their brethren in discovering and mortifying this hurtful passion.

      It is, however, with pride as a hinderance to the reception of the gospel that we are here speaking more particularly. The prophet Jeremiah so regarded pride, as when he said, "But if ye hear it not, my soul will weep in secret for your pride." Other prophets also represent pride as a leading cause of the apostasy of Israel, and of the rejection of Jehovah, by the Moabites and other ancient tribes. For pride will not seek the knowledge of God. It sometimes becomes such an excessive passion as to lift men above all rivalship. They cannot bear the thought that there is any being superior to them, and in their ignorance of the infinite perfections of God they find a source of great complacency. They are lifted up above all around them; they can no longer brook a rival, and so they will not seek the knowledge of God who is so infinitely above them.

      Pride is also essentially unwilling to be taught. What it does not know is not worth knowing. It does not admit for a moment either that there are minds of superior culture and knowledge than can impart instruction to it. And even if the means of acquiring knowledge without an instructor are within its reach, it will not use them.

      That such is the real and essential nature of this passion can often be seen in matters of less moment than those pertaining to the interests of the soul. Take the young man in the rural district whose heart has become inflamed with this passion. He begins to despise books, and schools, and teachers, and colleges. We have seen this a thousand times. And pride in its relation to God and religion has precisely the same nature. It is a passion whose very life is in the ignorance of its subject. It seldom exists in a cultural mind to the extent here indicated. Indeed, pride is always an indication of very partial development or of ignorance coupled with naturally strong mental powers.

      Pride prevents a man from seeking the favor of God. In its ignorance it imagines that it is independent of favor. It may be entitled to rewards, to help, to gifts, to blessings; but the idea of receiving favors, or grace, or unmerited kindnesses is a foreign one. Whatever it receives is of debt, and not of grace. It cannot become a suppliant. It has no knees to bend in humble prayer. If ever its lips are opened in speech to God, it brings forth the monstrous self-laudation of the Pharisee--I thank thee that I am not as other men.

      I will not seek likeness to God. Its own likeness or image is viewed with admiration. It would not be other than it is. In its ignorance of its own deformities and impurities, and of God's transcendent glory, beauty and purity, it vainly imagines that it has attained perfection. It could not rest satisfied in the belief that others are its equal in more excellences. Not that it is conscious of having made all possible attainments, but that it was brought forth perfect.

      We know that men do not speak thus who are truly proud; but we also know that such is pride when full blown. So God has represented it in its nature and tendencies. This is pride in its perfection, and according to the degree of its development will it work thus in hindering a man from accepting the gospel and becoming a cross-bearing follower of Jesus. David said, "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God." He would not seek after God, and when the bricks were fallen down, and the sycamores were cut down, he boastfully said, "We will build with hewn stone,   *   *   *   *   we will change them into cedars." "For the people, in the pride and stoutness of their hearts, turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts."

      It is a most deceiving passion. Men consumed by it need to be yet told of its existence in their hearts. It is the very nature of pride to impose upon its blind subject. Of Edom Jeremiah wrote: "Thy terribleness has deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart." And Obadiah, in his very prophecy concerning Edom, said: "The pride of thine heart has deceived thee." Thus are multitudes deceived by it in all ages. Because, perhaps, it has not the outward signs in their cases by which it is often manifested, thousands deny its existence in their hearts. For it is not the dress, the ornaments, the decorations, which persons usually take as the sure signs of pride, or as pride itself, of which we are speaking. Pride is in the heart, and it manifests itself variously in the life and habit of men. It never can be an outside thing. It has its abode within us, and thence works out in the life. Christ said: "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications. murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man." And ruin the man, too, unless they are eradicated.

      Few passions need to be more carefully guarded against than pride, both in view of the facts above stated and because pride has a great power for evil in communities and in societies of whatever character they may be. The man is almost hopelessly lost who has become really proud, and he becomes a cause of contentions, quarrels, schisms and discord generally. In all these things we do see this evil passion more frequently than in the useless decorations of the body. And by watching the history of such men, we see, too, how seldom they are reclaimed or converted. The fall of pride is a fearful one, and we cannot too zealously guard our hearts against it, nor too carefully watch over one another that its seeds be not sown in our hearts.

[The Church Advocate 40 (June 16, 1875): 4.]

      Christian H. Forney's "The Hinderance of Pride" was first published in The Church Advocate, Vol. 40, No. 7 (June 16, 1875), p. 4. The electronic version has been transcribed from a copy of the article printed from a microfilmed edition of the newspaper held by the State Library of Pennsylvania. Thanks to Adams Memorial Library for arranging for the interlibrary loan, and to St. Vincent College Library for the use of its microfilm reader/printer.

      Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 1 June 1999.
Updated 13 July 2003.