登陆注册
5214200000248

第248章

Our first parents fell into open disobedience because already they were secretly corrupted; for the evil act had never been done had not an evil will preceded it.And what is the origin of our evil will but pride? For "pride is the beginning of sin."(1) And what is pride but the craving for undue exaltation? And this is undue exaltation, when the soul abandons Him to whom it ought to cleave as its end, and becomes a kind of end to itself.This happens when it becomes its own satisfaction.And it does so when it falls away from that unchangeable good which ought to satisfy it more than itself.This falling away is spontaneous; for if the will had remained steadfast in the love of that higher and changeless good by which it was illumined to intelligence and kindled into love, it would not have turned away to find satisfaction in itself, and so become frigid and benighted; the woman would not have believed the serpent spoke the truth, nor would the man have preferred the request of his wife to the command of God, nor have supposed that it was a venial trangression to cleave to the partner of his life even in a partnership of sin.The wicked deed, then,--that is to say, the trangression of eating the forbidden fruit,--was committed by persons who were already wicked.That "evil fruit"(2) could be brought forth only by "a corrupt tree." But that the tree was evil was not the result of nature; for certainly it could become so only by the vice of the will, and vice is contrary to nature.Now, nature could not have been depraved by vice had it not been made out of nothing.Consequently, that it is a nature, this is because it is made by God;but that it falls away from Him, this is because it is made out of nothing.But man did not so fall away(3) as to become absolutely nothing; but being turned towards himself, his being became more contracted than it was when he clave to Him who supremely is.Accordingly, to exist in himself, that is, to be his own satisfaction after abandoning God, is not quite to become a nonentity, but to approximate to that.And therefore the holy Scriptures designate the proud by another name, "self-pleasers."For it is good to have the heart lifted up, yet not to one's self, for this is proud, but to the Lord, for this is obedient, and can be the act only of the humble.There is, therefore, something in humility which, strangely enough, exalts the heart, and something in pride which debases it.This seems, indeed, to be contradictory, that loftiness should debase and lowliness exalt.But pious humility enables us to submit to what is above us; and nothing is more exalted above us than God; and therefore humility, by making us subject to God, exalts us.But pride, being a defect of nature, by the very act of refusing subjection and revolting from Him who is supreme, falls to a low condition; and then comes to pass what is written: "Thou castedst them down when they lifted up themselves."(4) For he does not say, "when they had been lifted up," as if first they were exalted, and then afterwards cast down; but "when they lifted up themselves" even then they were cast down,--that is to say, the very lifting up was already a fall.And therefore it is that humility is specially recommended to the city of God as it sojourns in this world, and is specially exhibited in the city of God, and in the person of Christ its King; while the contrary vice of pride, according to the testimony of the sacred writings, specially rules his adversary the devil.And certainly this is the great difference which distinguishes the two cities of which we speak, the one being the society of the godly men, the other of the ungodly, each associated with the angels that adhere to their party, and the one guided and fashioned by love of self, the other by love of God The devil, then, would not have ensnared man in the open and manifest sin of doing what God had forbidden, had man not already begun to live for himself.It was this that made him listen with pleasure to the words, "Ye shall be as gods,"(1) which they would much more readily have accomplished by obediently adhering to their supreme and true end than by proudly living to themselves.For created gods are gods not by virtue of what is in themselves, but by a participation of the true God.By craving to be more, man becomes less; and by aspiring to be self-sufficing, he fell away from Him who truly suffices him.

Accordingly, this wicked desire which prompts man to please himself as if he were himself light, and which thus turns him away from that light by which, had he followed it, he would himself have become light,--this wicked desire, I say, already secretly existed in him, and the open sin was but its consequence.For that is true which is written, "Pride goeth before destruction, and before honor is humility;"(2) that is to say, secret ruin precedes open ruin, while the former is not counted ruin.For who counts exaltation ruin, though no sooner is the Highest forsaken than a fall is begun? But who does not recognize it as ruin, when there occurs an evident and indubitable transgression of the commandment?

And consequently, God's prohibition had reference to such an act as, when committed, could not be defended on any pretense of doing what was righteous.(3) And I make hold to say that it is useful for the proud to fall into an open and indisputable transgression, and so displease themselves, as already, by pleasing themselves, they had fallen.For Peter was in a healthier condition when he wept and was dissatisfied with himself, than when he boldly presumed and satisfied himself.And this is averred by the sacred Psalmist when he says, "Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Thy name, O Lord;"(4) that is, that they who have pleased themselves in seeking their own glory may be pleased and satisfied with Thee in seeking Thy glory.

CHAP.14.--OF THE PRIDE IN THE SIN, WHICH WAS WORSE THAN THE SIN ITSELF.

同类推荐
  • 书边事

    书边事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说华积陀罗尼神咒经

    佛说华积陀罗尼神咒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Captains of the Civil War

    Captains of the Civil War

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医医小草

    医医小草

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 渊海子平

    渊海子平

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 施公案(中)(中国古典公案小说精品书库)

    施公案(中)(中国古典公案小说精品书库)

    《施公案》又名《百断奇观》、《施案奇闻》,是以清人施世纶(小说为施仕伦)生平为原型,敷演而成的一部公案侠义小说。施世纶,字文贤,清康熙年代人。
  • 读书学习的故事(中华典故故事全集)

    读书学习的故事(中华典故故事全集)

    本套《中华典故故事全集》全部精选我国著名典故故事,并根据具体思想内涵进行相应归类,主要包括《爱国为民的故事》、《军事战争的故事》、《修身立世的故事》、《智慧谋略的故事》、《读书学习的故事》、《品质修养的故事》、《社会世情的故事》、《世事明察的故事》、《心灵情感的故事》和《悟道明理的故事》等十册,书中每个典故都包括诠释、出处和故事等内容,简单明了,短小精悍,具有很强的启迪性、智慧性和内涵性,非常适合青少年用于话题作文的论据,也对青少年的人生成长以及知识增长具有重要的作用,是青少年阅读和收藏的良好版本。
  • 蒋勋说红楼梦(第五辑)

    蒋勋说红楼梦(第五辑)

    这是蒋勋在长达半个世纪的时间里,数十次阅读《红楼梦》后的心血之作。无关红学,不涉及考证,作者从青春与美的角度出发,带领读者逐字逐句细读小说本身,梳理《红楼梦》中的人物与情感,探寻书中表达的繁华的幻灭、逝去的哀伤,讲述青春的孤独、寂寞与彷徨。这是一个生命对其余生命的叩问与聆听。跟蒋勋读《红楼梦》,仿佛是在阅读自己的一生。蒋勋说:我是把《红楼梦》当“佛经”来读的,因为处处都是慈悲,也处处都是觉悟。
  • 渣女重生之前任

    渣女重生之前任

    结婚七年,终究还是敌不过七年之痒。被小三陷害,保释自己的居然是一直深爱自己的前任。莫名死去,却回到了十年以前,正是自己读大学和前任恋爱的日子,这辈子,将会珍惜这份感情。
  • 最后的烟火

    最后的烟火

    进入隆冬时节,夜晚也随之拉长了。东京阴沉的天空下,已经连续飘了几天的小雪,电视节目里罕见地出现了零下的低温预报。街角的中华饺子馆里映出橘红的灯光,玻璃拉门被里面热腾腾的空气蒸得一片模糊。“好了,你们的四份水饺外加两份煎饺。”老板娘笑眯眯地看着眼前四个年轻人。“Thank you!”发色染成亚麻金的少年接过盘子,他是几人中最活泼的一个,从进门开始就闹个不停,刚喝过酒的脸有些红彤彤的,清秀的轮廓给人感觉还是个高中生。
  • 与爱情捉迷藏

    与爱情捉迷藏

    从前,我时常在想:爱情到底是什么?我找了许久都没有找到。当生命走到尽头的时候,我不由得想:或许,我的爱情是你,但是你的却不是我。相互交错,却又有缘无分。如果没有遇到你,我想我可能只是时间沙漏里的尘埃。因为遇到了你,我的人生变得多彩。虽然,过程并不完美,但遇到过你,无悔。
  • The Secret Places of the Heart

    The Secret Places of the Heart

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重生校园之神级女学生

    重生校园之神级女学生

    新书已开【快穿之我和男主组CP】求关注!她是最强女帝,她是同学眼中的废物!一朝之后,女帝大人变成了众人眼中的废物?还被强行绑定了一个逗比系统?既然重回地球,林小楼决定:在这个世界,本帝也要登临巅峰!
  • 佣兵天下,倾世狠妃

    佣兵天下,倾世狠妃

    她是雇佣兵界的翘楚,却被心爱之人残害而死。一朝魂穿,涅磐重生。她是病太子的冲喜新娘,却树威里外。更过分的是竟然让她喝一只鸭子拜堂,立刻怒火中烧,把礼堂弄的鸡飞狗跳。养亲信,通经脉,升等级!二小姐阴险狡诈,她便更胜一筹七皇子欲意轻薄,便让他断子绝孙云国太子情牵,雨国太子意动,云国皇帝迷乱,雨国皇帝强求,看她如果且试天下……
  • Labour Defended against the Claims of Capital

    Labour Defended against the Claims of Capital

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。