March 6, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty." — Proverbs 18:12 · KJV

It is an old and common saying that coming events cast their shadows before them; the wise man teaches us that a haughty heart is the prophetic prelude of evil. Pride is as surely the sign of destruction as the falling of the mercury is the sign of rain — and far more infallibly so. When men have ridden the high horse, destruction has always overtaken them. Let David's aching heart show that a man's glory is eclipsed when he dotes on his own greatness. See Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty builder of Babylon, creeping on the ground, eating grass like an ox, until his nails had grown like a bird's claws and his hair like eagle's feathers. Pride made the boaster a beast, as once before it made an angel a devil. God hates high looks and never fails to bring them down; all the arrows of God are aimed at proud hearts. O Christian, is your heart haughty this evening? For pride can get into the Christian's heart as well as the sinner's; it can delude him into dreaming that he is "rich, and increased with goods, and has need of nothing." Are you glorying in your graces or your talents? Are you proud that you have had holy frames and sweet experiences? Mark this, reader: there is a destruction coming to you also. Your flaunting poppies of self-conceit will be pulled up by the roots, your mushroom graces will wither in the burning heat, and your self-sufficiency shall become as straw for the dunghill. If we forget to live at the foot of the cross in deepest lowliness of spirit, God will not forget to make us smart under His rod. A destruction is coming to you, O unduly exalted believer — the destruction of your joys and comforts, though there can be no destruction of your soul. Therefore, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."