Publication date
9/15/16
Volume
37
Number
18
The WatchTower
Danger in Spiritual Pride
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1916/18/1916-18-1.html
 
 
"THIS 
ONE 
THING" 
THE 
SOCIETY 
DOES 
Brethren 
write 
us 
from 
time 
to 
time 
respecting 
inventions, 
patents, 
mining 
claims, 
etc., 
desiring 
that 
THE 
\V 
ATCH 
TOWER 
BmLE 
AND 
TRACT 
SOCIETY 
should 
join 
with 
them 
in 
the 
de­ 
velopment 
of 
these-kindly 
offering 
the 
principal 
portion 
of 
all 
the 
profits. 
We 
greatly 
appreciate 
these 
kind 
offers, 
the 
generous 
hearts 
behind 
them, 
and 
the 
love 
for 
the 
truth 
and 
its 
serv­ 
ice 
thus 
manifested. 
But 
we 
are 
obliged 
to 
refuse 
all 
such 
offers, 
becallse 
the 
Society 
engages 
in 
no 
kind 
of 
business 
for 
profit. 
It 
confines 
its 
business 
transactions 
to 
financiering 
the 
pilgrim 
work, 
publishing 
the 
SCRIPTURE 
STUDIES, 
etc., 
and 
supplying 
them 
at 
cost 
or 
below 
cost; 
publishing 
THE 
\V 
ATCH 
TOWER, 
publishing 
the 
BIBLE 
STUDENTS 
l\IONTHLY, 
etc 
.. 
and 
in 
the 
presentation, 
and 
formerly 
in 
the 
showing, 
of 
the 
PHOTO­ 
DRAMA 
OF 
CRF..ATION. 
The 
Society 
engages 
in 
no 
kind 
of 
mining 
or 
patent 
business 
or 
speculations. 
The 
money 
under 
its 
control 
comes 
from 
the 
Lord's 
consecrated 
people, 
and 
often 
represents 
hard-earned 
funds 
and 
self-sacrificing 
economy; 
it 
is 
used 
strictly 
and 
only 
for 
the 
forwarding 
of 
the 
truth 
according 
to 
the 
best 
judgment 
of 
the 
executive 
officers. 
This 
does 
not 
mean 
any 
unwillingness 
to 
pOllllsel 
with 
any 
of 
the 
brethren 
in 
respect 
to 
their 
earthly 
affairs 
and 
inter­ 
ests. 
\Ve 
are 
glad 
to 
give 
such 
advice 
as 
we 
may 
be 
able 
to 
give 
on 
every 
matter, 
temporal 
or 
spiritual, 
involving 
the 
interests 
of 
the 
Lord's 
consecrated 
saints. 
VOL. 
XXXVII 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
SEPTEMBER 
15, 
HllG 
No. 
lS 
DANGER 
IN 
SPIRITUAL 
PRIDE 
Pride 
in 
any 
form 
and 
in 
·anybody 
is 
a 
dangerous 
thing. 
proud 
and 
self-saUsfied, 
and 
so 
long 
as 
in 
that 
condition 
are 
In 
a 
worldly 
way 
the 
proverb 
is 
well 
attested, 
"Pride 
goeth 
not 
in 
a 
particle 
of 
danger 
of 
getting 
hold 
of 
the 
truth. 
Nor 
before 
destruction 
and 
a 
haughty 
spirit 
before 
a 
fall"; 
and 
need 
\\oe 
suppose 
that 
the 
great 
adversary 
would 
e~pecially 
surely 
very, 
very 
few 
people 
have 
anything 
of 
which 
they 
give 
his 
attention 
to 
them, 
for 
tlll'y 
are 
very 
safely 
under 
hiS 
might 
justly 
be 
proud! 
Some 
who 
hold 
their 
heads 
high 
with 
influence. 
Was 
he 
not 
the 
first 
to 
manifest 
pride 
and 
to 
say 
the 
pride 
of 
a 
haughty 
spirit, 
a.s 
though 
they 
were 
especially 
in 
his 
heart, 
"I 
will 
a"eend 
above 
the 
sons 
of 
God 
[I 
will 
created 
out 
of 
some 
preferable 
"dust 
of 
the 
earth," 
have 
really 
take 
a 
higher 
position 
than 
others]; 
I 
will 
be 
as 
the 
~Iost. 
nothing 
to 
boast 
of 
as 
to 
ancestry. 
A 
very 
few 
generations 
High"? 
Spiritual 
pride 
was 
evidently 
Satan's 
great 
mistake, 
oaek 
are 
generally 
sufIicient 
for 
any 
boaster. 
which 
led 
to 
his 
complete 
down 
fall. 
The 
world 
is 
learning 
that 
it 
is 
not 
wise 
to 
boast 
of 
riches, 
Some 
who 
make 
no 
pretense 
of 
belief 
in 
God 
or 
in 
the 
lest 
thereby 
some 
one 
ask 
how 
were 
the 
riches 
aocurr.ulated 
Lord 
Jesus 
Christ 
or 
in 
the 
Bible 
have 
what 
might 
be 
termed 
and 
by 
whom, 
and 
whether 
they 
were 
hont'stly 
obtainN. 
Pride 
a 
sort 
of 
spiritual 
pride. 
They 
pride 
themselves 
on 
living 
a 
of 
education 
is 
not 
appropriate, 
either; 
for 
education 
in 
gen- 
moral 
life, 
on 
being 
aule 
to 
conduct 
themseh'es 
honorably 
and 
eral 
~igllifies 
the 
learning 
of 
wha 
t 
other 
people 
have 
found 
decently 
in 
life-never 
getting 
drunk, 
never 
doiJJg 
some 
of 
the 
out 
or 
have 
written 
as 
histo,ry. 
And 
in 
our 
day 
those 
who 
seriously 
immoral 
and 
perverse 
things 
that 
many 
others 
do. 
would 
boast 
of 
great 
education 
have 
need 
of 
humility 
lest 
it 
In 
pride 
and 
boastfulne~s 
they 
will 
say: 
"'I 
feel 
myself 
just 
he 
found 
that 
the 
very 
thing 
they 
are 
boasting 
about 
has 
as 
good 
as 
any 
church 
member, 
and 
I 
never 
go 
to 
church." 
heen 
disproven 
by 
later 
researches. 
Scientific 
books 
of 
the 
And 
by 
this 
they 
mean, 
"I 
feel 
myself 
to 
be 
better 
than 
any 
year 
WOO 
will 
not 
pass 
muster 
today, 
nor 
their 
theories 
stand 
church 
member." 
They 
are 
merely 
mixing 
modesty 
of 
state­ 
in 
the 
light 
of 
present 
knowledge. 
So 
if 
it 
were 
right 
to 
ment 
with 
pride 
of 
thought 
in 
the 
proportion 
which 
they 
think 
boa~t 
of 
knowledge, 
the 
boaster 
would 
need 
to 
be 
very 
careful 
will 
best 
influence 
the 
hearer. 
to 
kpep 
up 
to 
date. 
Press 
the 
inquiry 
a 
little 
further-as 
to 
what 
good 
works 
Pride 
of 
one's 
beauty 
or 
physical 
perfection 
is 
scarcely 
to 
they 
especially 
rejoice 
in-and 
they 
will 
tell 
how 
3S 
"Odd 
be 
excused; 
for 
the 
beauty 
of 
form 
and 
feature 
came 
by 
Fellows," 
"Masons," 
ete., 
they 
sat 
up 
one 
night 
with 
a 
brother 
heredity, 
and 
the 
parent 
rather 
than 
the 
child 
might 
have 
of 
the 
Order 
who 
was 
not 
very 
siek, 
who 
did 
not 
need 
very 
some 
rpa~on 
for 
pride. 
Pride 
as 
respects 
clothin", 
adorn- 
much 
attention 
and 
who 
had 
a 
trained 
nurse 
anyway 
to 
take 
ment~ 
is 
a 
Iso 
foolish. 
The 
maker 
of 
the 
fabrics 
or 
'the 
orna- 
care 
of 
him; 
but 
they 
felt 
as 
though 
they 
had 
been 
doing 
a 
ments 
might 
have 
some 
reason 
for 
pride 
in 
the 
handiwork, 
noble 
work 
of 
charity. 
In 
general, 
their 
pride 
is 
that 
they 
but 
surely 
the 
wear!'r 
has 
not! 
He 
h 
merely 
appropriating 
have 
not 
violated 
the 
laws; 
that 
they 
have 
lived 
decent, 
re- 
to 
himself 
the 
skill 
and 
labor 
of 
others. 
spectable 
lives. 
Is 
there 
really 
anything 
in 
this 
that 
is 
an 
SPIRITUAL 
PRIDE 
WORST 
OF 
ALL 
occa.sion 
for 
pride, 
fur 
special 
self-congratulation? 
What 
man 
But 
our 
theme 
is 
spiritual 
pride! 
\Ve 
would 
divide 
it 
or 
woman 
should 
not 
keep 
the 
law~ 
and 
should 
not 
be 
ashamed 
into 
two 
class!'s: 
first, 
the 
spiritual 
pride 
of 
the 
merely 
if 
he 
failed 
to 
keep 
the 
laws-e~pecia\ly 
when 
we 
would 
re­ 
nominal 
or 
professing 
Christian; 
and 
second, 
the 
spiritual 
m!'moor 
that 
those 
laws 
were 
made-not 
for 
good 
people, 
but 
.d 
for 
evil-doers? 
pn 
;1 
atfec.ti!1g 
true 
Christians. 
SPIRITUAL 
PRIDE 
IN 
THE 
TRUE 
CHURCH 
Ie 
splntual 
pride 
of 
the 
nominal 
church-goer 
h 
not 
all 
Now 
we 
eome 
down 
to 
the 
mo-;t 
seriouR 
thing 
of 
all! 
'niP 
hypocri~y. 
He 
sees 
spiritual 
forms 
and 
ceremonies, 
hears 
.. 
I 
pride 
which 
is 
merely 
foolisl} 
or 
spmi-hypopritical 
in 
th!' 
splntua 
songs 
and 
sermons, 
and 
in 
many 
instances 
is 
not 
world 
and 
in 
the 
nominal 
Christian~ 
becom{'~ 
a 
very 
serious 
aware 
but 
that 
he 
himself 
is 
a 
true 
Christian, 
as 
much 
so 
matter 
indeed 
if 
it 
invades 
the 
heart 
and 
the 
life 
of 
the 
child 
as 
any. 
Does 
he 
not 
go 
regularly 
to 
meeting? 
Is 
he 
not 
a 
I 
of 
God. 
But 
why 
do 
we 
makl' 
such 
a 
differenep? 
\i\Thy 
say 
regu 
ar 
contributor, 
not 
only 
to 
the 
expenses 
of 
the 
house 
of 
that 
spiritual 
pride 
would 
he 
so 
very 
dangerou~ 
in 
one 
of 
the 
worship, 
but 
in 
general 
to 
the 
forwarding 
of 
the 
Lord's 
Lord's 
saints, 
wherea~ 
it 
would 
he 
little 
more 
than 
foolishnes~ 
pause-charities, 
etc., 
as 
these 
are 
presented 
to 
him 
from 
time 
in 
the 
world? 
Ah! 
the 
differenpe 
is 
that 
tlH'~e 
are 
God's 
to 
time? 
special 
representatives 
in 
the 
world, 
who 
mu~t 
her-orne 
copies 
However 
they 
ha.ve 
lived 
during 
the 
week, 
however 
they 
of 
God's 
dear 
Son 
if 
they 
would 
ever 
attain 
the 
glory, 
honor 
have 
dealt 
with 
the 
butcher 
and 
the 
baker, 
most 
churchgoers 
and 
immortality 
to 
which 
they 
have 
been 
invited 
by 
the 
Lord. 
take 
a 
pleasur·able 
pride 
in 
joining 
some 
of 
the 
showy 
groups 
\Vhen 
they 
gave 
themselves 
entirely 
to 
tIll' 
Lord 
and 
were 
moving 
toward 
church 
buildings. 
The 
spiritually 
proud 
justified 
from 
sin 
through 
the 
imputation 
of 
the 
RC'depmer'" 
usually 
prefer 
the 
showiest 
and 
most 
aristocratic 
and 
high- 
sacrifice, 
and 
wen' 
thus 
introduC'Cd 
into 
the 
familv 
of 
Gael 
and 
toned 
temples 
of 
worship. 
At 
the 
conclusion 
of 
the 
services 
beg-otten 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
it 
meant 
a 
great 
clutJlgp 
for 
thesp. 
they 
feel 
a 
self-satisfaction. 
Have 
they 
not 
worshiped 
God 
T 
Old 
things 
passed 
away; 
all 
things 
}}('came 
new. 
These, 
and 
Ought 
not 
all 
people 
to 
worship 
him? 
How 
many 
others 
have 
these 
alone, 
are 
on 
trial 
during 
this 
Gospel 
age 
for 
l'tl'rnal 
not 
done 
so! 
They 
feel 
a 
spiritual 
pride 
or 
superiority 
when 
life 
or 
eternal 
death. 
And 
of 
all 
their 
temptation~ 
and 
beguile­ 
oomparing 
themselves 
with 
non-attendants. 
ments, 
the 
sin 
of 
spiritual 
pride 
iR 
probably 
one 
of 
the 
most 
They 
went 
not 
for 
spiritual 
instruction; 
or 
even 
if 
any 
dangerous 
of 
all. 
In 
proportion 
as 
it 
comes 
in, 
the 
spirit 
of 
were 
given 
in 
the 
places 
visited, 
they 
were 
not 
themselve.s 
in 
the 
Lord 
departs, 
and 
the 
spirituality 
of 
the 
individual 
p('ases. 
comlition 
to 
receive 
such-not 
being- 
spirit-bt>gotiRn. 
They 
had 
This 
spiritual 
sickness, 
unlps~ 
curbed, 
would 
surely 
lead 
on 
no 
.real 
hunger. 
for 
righteousness, 
for 
truth. 
They 
had 
merely 
to 
the 
seconel 
death, 
for 
"the 
Lord 
resistpth 
the 
prOUd 
and 
satisfied 
a 
feeling 
of 
duty. 
They 
had 
in 
a 
sell,>e 
done 
penance, 
showEth 
his 
favor 
to 
the 
humble."-.James 
4:6. 
and 
hoped 
that 
somehow, 
sometime 
it 
would 
inure 
to 
their 
The 
Apostle 
Peter 
evidently 
had 
this 
besetting 
danger 
of 
advantage-perhaps 
saving 
them 
from 
some 
of 
the 
worst 
de- 
spiritual 
pride 
in 
mind 
when 
he 
wrote 
to 
the 
church: 
"Humhle 
grees 
of 
purgatorial 
sufferings-perhaps 
even 
making 
them 
yourselves 
therefore 
under 
the 
mighty 
hand 
of 
God, 
that 
he 
aepeptable 
for 
heaven. 
Why 
should 
not 
God 
feel 
gratefUl 
to 
may 
exalt 
you 
in 
due 
time." 
(I 
Peter 
5: 
6) 
"\Vhosoevpr 
ex. 
them 
for 
having- 
denied 
themselves 
and 
wasted 
a 
few 
of 
their 
alteth 
himself, 
shall 
he 
ahased; 
and 
he 
that 
sh~ll 
humble 
him- 
precious 
hours 
to 
go 
worship 
him? 
self 
shall 
be 
exalted," 
said 
the 
MasU'r. 
Although 
they 
would 
not 
put 
it 
so, 
they 
feel 
in 
a 
measure 
ONE 
SYMPTOM 
OF 
THIS 
SOUL-SICKNESS 
that 
God 
would 
be 
very 
unjust 
if 
he 
would 
pass 
by 
such 
a 
How 
may 
we 
know 
spiritual 
pride? 
some 
one 
m:ty 
inquire. 
matter 
and 
not 
reward 
it 
handsomely. 
They 
feel 
spiritually 
One 
of 
the 
most 
serious 
things 
in 
this 
connection 
is 
that 
those 
[ 
5 
955] 
(258-276) 
“THIS ONE THING” THE SOCIETY DOES Brethren write us from time to time respecting inventions, patents, mining claims, etc., desiring that Tue Warcu Tower BIBLE AND Tract Socrery should join with them in the development of these—kindly offering the principal portion of all the profits. We greatly appreciate these kind offers, the generous hearts behind them, and the love for the truth and its service thus manifested. But we are obliged to refuse all such offers, because the Society engages in no kind of business for profit. It confines its business transactions to financiering the pilgrim work, publishing the Scrirrure SrupIes, etc., and supplying them at cost or below cost; publishing THe Watcu Tower, publishing the BrnLe STUDENTS MONTHLY, etc., and in the presentation, and formerly in the showing, of the PHoroDRAMA OF CREATION, The Society engages in no kind of mining or patent business or speculations. The money under its control comes from the Lord’s consecrated people, and often represents hard-earned funds and self-sacrificing economy; it is used strictly and only for the forwarding of the truth according to the best judgment of the executive officers. This does not mean any unwillingness to counsel with any of the brethren in respect to their earthly affairs and interests. We are glad to give such advice as we may be able to give on every matter, temporal or spiritual, involving the interests of the Lord’s consecrated saints. Vout. XXXVII BROOKLYN, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 15, 1916 No. 18 DANGER IN SPIRITUAL PRIDE Pride in any form and in anybody is a dangerous thing. In a worldly way the proverb is well attested, “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall”; and surely very, very few people have anything of which they might justly be proud! Some who hold their heads high with the pride of a haughty spirit, as though they were especially created out of some preferable “dust of the earth,” have really nothing to boast of as to ancestry. A very few generations back are generally suflicient for any boaster. The world is learning that it is not wise to boast of riches, lest thereby some one ask how were the riches accumulated and by whom, and whether they were honestly obtained. Pride of education is not appropriate, either; for education in general signifies the learning of what other people have found out or have written as history. And in our day those who would boast of great education have need of humility lest it be found that the very thing they are boasting about has been disproven by later researches, Scientific books of the year 1900 will not pass muster today, nor their theories stand in the light of present knowledge. So if it were right to boast of knowledge, the boaster would need to be very careful to keep up to date. Pride of one’s beauty or physical perfection is scarcely to be excused; for the beauty of form and feature came by heredity, and the parent rather than the child might have some reason for pride. Pride as respects clothing, adornments is also foolish. The maker of the fabrics or the ornaments might have some reason for pride in the handiwork, but surely the wearer has not! He is merely appropriating to himself the skill and labor of others. SPIRITUAL PRIDE WORST OF ALL But our theme is spiritual pride! We would divide it into two classes: first, the spiritual pride of the merely nominal or professing Christian; and second, the spiritual pride atfecting true Christians, The spiritual pride of the nominal church-goer is not all hypocrisy. He sees spiritual forms and ceremonies, hears spiritual songs and sermons, and in many instances is not aware but that he himself is a true Christian, as much so as any. Does he not go regularly to meeting? Is he not a regular contributor, not only to the expenses of the house of worship, but in general to the forwarding of the Lord’s cause—charities, etc., as these are presented to him from time to time? However they have lived during the week, however they have dealt with the butcher and the baker, most churchgoers take a pleasurable pride in joining some of the showy groups moving toward church buildings. The spiritually proud usually prefer the showiest and most aristocratic and hightoned temples of worship. At the conclusion of the services they feel a self-satisfaction. Have they not worshiped God? Ought not all people to worship him? How many others have not done so! They feel a spiritual pride or superiority when comparing themselves with non-attendants. They went not for spiritual instruction; or even if any were given in the places visited, they were not themselves in condition to receive such—not being spirit-begotten. They had no real hunger for righteousness, for truth. They had merely satisfied a feeling of duty. They had in a sense done penance, and hoped that somehow, sometime it would inure to their advantage—perhaps saving them from some of the worst degrees of purgatorial sufferings—perhaps even making them acceptable for heaven. Why should not God feel grateful to them for having denied themselves and wasted a few of their precious hours to go worship him? Although they would not put it so, they feel in a measure that God would be very unjust if he would pass by such a matter and not reward it handsomely. They feel spiritually [5955] proud and self-satisfied, and so long as in that condition are not in a particle of danger of getting hold of the truth. Nor need we suppose that the great adversary would especially give his attention to them, for they are very safely under his influence. Was he not the first to manifest pride and to say in his heart, “I will ascend above the sons of God [I will take a higher position than others]; I will be as the Most High”? Spiritual pride was evidently Satan’s great mistake, which led to his complete downfall. Some who make no pretense of belief in God or in the Lord Jesus Christ or in the Bible have what might be termed a sort of spiritual pride. They pride themselves on living a moral life, on being able to conduct themselves honorably and decently in life—never getting drunk, never doing some of the seriously immoral and perverse things that many others do. In pride and boastfulness they will say: “I feel myself just as good as any church member, and I never go to church.” And by this they mean, “I feel myself to be better than any church member.” They are merely mixing modesty of statement with pride of thought in the proportion which they think will best influence the hearer. Press the inquiry a little further—as to what good works they especially rejoice in—and they wil] tell how as “Odd Fellows,” ‘“Masons,” etc., they sat up one night with a brother of the Order who was not very sick, who did not need very much attention and who had a trained nurse anyway to take care of him; but they felt as though they had been doing a noble work of charity. In general, their pride is that they have not violated the laws; that they have lived decent, respectable lives. Is there really anything in this that is an occasion for pride, for special self-congratulation? What man or woman should not keep the laws and should not be ashamed if he failed to keep the laws—especially when we would remember that those laws were made—not for good people, but for evil-doers? SPIRITUAL PRIDE IN THE TRUE CHURCH Now we come down to the most serious thing of all! ‘Fhe pride which is merely foolish or semi-hypocritical in the world and in the nominal Christians becomes a very serious matter indeed if it invades the heart and the life of the child of God. But why do we make such a difference?) Why say that spiritual pride would be so very dangerous in one of the Lord’s saints, whereas it would be little more than foolishness in the world? Ah! the difference is that these are God’s special representatives in the world, who must become copies of God’s dear Son if they would ever attain the glory, honor and immortality to which they have been invited by the Lord. When they gave themselves entirely to the Lord and were justified from sin through the imputation of the Redeemer’s sacrifice, and were thus introduced into the family of God and begotten of the holy Spirit, it meant a great change for these. Old things passed away; all things became new. These, and these alone, are on trial during this Gospel age for eternal life or eternal death. And of all their temptations and bezuilements, the sin of spiritual pride is probably one of the most dangerous of all. In proportion as it comes in, the spirit of the Lord departs, and the spirituality of the individual ceases. This spiritual sickness, unless curbed, would surely lead on to the second death, for “the Lord resisteth the proud and showeth his favor to the humble.”—James 4:6. The Apostle Peter evidently had this besetting danger of spiritual pride in mind when he wrote to the church: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) “Whosoever exalteth himself, shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted,” said the Master. ONE SYMPTOM OF THIS SOUL-SICKNESS How may we know spiritual pride? some one may inquire. One of the most serious things in this connection is that those (258-276)

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