approbation of that God, on whose sentence futurity depends? But neither wealth, friendships, or honours, are proofs of that approbation, or means necessary to procure it. They often endanger, but seldom promote, the future happiness of those that possess them. And can pride be inspired by such prosperity as this?
Even with regard to the present life, pride is a very dangerous associate to greatness. A proud man is opposed in his rise, hated in his elevation, and insulted in his fall. He may have dependents, but can have no friends; and parasites, but no ingenuous companions.
Another common motive to pride is knowledge, a motive equally weak, vain, and idle, with the former. Learning, indeed, imperfect as it is, may contribute to many great and noble ends, and may be called in to the assistance of religion; as it is too often perversely employed against it; it is of use to display the greatness, and vindicate the justice, of the Almighty; to explain the difficulties, and enforce the proofs, of religion. And the small advances that may be made in science, are of themselves some proof of a future state, since they show that God, who can be supposed to make nothing in vain, has given us faculties evidently superiour to the business of this present world. And this is, perhaps, one reason, why our intellectual powers are, in this life, of so great extent as they are. But how little reason have we to boast of our knowledge, when we only gaze and wonder at the surfaces of things? when the wisest and most arrogant philosopher knows not how a grain of corn is generated, or why a stone falls to the ground? But, were our knowledge far greater than it is, let us yet remember that goodness, not knowledge, is the happiness of man! The day will come, it will come quickly, when it shall profit us more to have subdued one proud thought, than to have numbered the host of heaven.
There is another more dangerous species of pride, arising from a consciousness of virtue; so watchful is the enemy of our souls, and so deceitful are our own hearts,
