William Secker on Pride

He is the most lovely Christian--who is the most lowly Christian. As incense smells the sweetest when it is beaten smallest--so saints look loveliest when they lie lowest. God will not allow such a weed as pride to grow in His garden, without taking some course to root it up.



Pride is a sinner's torment--but humility is a saint's ornament. "Be clothed with humility." The garment of humility--should always be worn on the back of Christianity. Where humility is the corner-stone--there glory shall be the top-stone.



God many times places a thorn in the flesh--to pierce the balloon of pride. He makes us feel a sense of our misery--that we may sue for His unmerited mercy. The first Adam was for self-advancement--but the second Adam is for self-abasement. The former was for having SELF deified--the latter is for having SELF crucified.



We live--by dying to ourselves; and die--by living to ourselves. There is no proud man--who is not a foolish man; and scarcely is there any foolish man--who is not a proud man. It is the night-owl of ignorance, which broods and hatches the peacock of pride.



"I hate pride and arrogance!" Proverbs 8:13. God abhors those people worst--who adore themselves most. Pride is not a Bethel--that is, a house where God dwells; but a Babel--that is, a stinking dungeon in which Satan abides. Pride is not only a most hateful evil--but it is a radical evil. As all other lusts are found lodging in it--so they are found springing from it. Pride is a foul leprosy, in the face of morality; and a hurtful worm, gnawing at the root of humility. Pride is a cancer within, and a spreading plague without!



"Clothe yourselves with humility, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 ~William Secker, The Consistent Christian 1660

William Secker on Contentment

"Godliness with contentment is great gain." Contentment is too precious a flower to grow in every soil. Though every godly man may not always be contented--yet every truly contented man is godly. "The Lord is my shepherd--I have everything I need!" Such a Scripture will bring us plenty in scarcity; and fullness out of emptiness. 

Never complain of your hard condition, Christian--so long as Jesus is your friend! Let your condition be ever so flourishing--it is a hell without Him. Let your condition be ever so fluctuating--it is a heaven with Him. Can that man truly lack anything--who enjoys Christ; or can he be said to truly enjoy anything--who is without Christ? William Secker, The Consistent Christian 1660

William Secker

There is one way to keep a man out of hell--
but there is no way to get a man out of hell. ~William Secker, The Consistent Christian 1660

Opposition From the World

If we will not have the people of the world to be 
our leaders--we shall be sure to have them as our 
troublers. If they cannot seduce us into their evil 
ways--they will oppose us in our holy ways. If they 
cannot scorch us with their fire--they will try to 
blacken us with their smoke. They will speak evil 
of us--because we do not run into the same excess of evil with them. Because we refuse to play the fool with them--they will say that we are mad. ~William Secker, The Consistent Christian 1660

Satan's Herd of Swine

Satan's herd of swine--is larger than Christ's 
flock of sheep! Let them be ever so mighty--we
are not to fear them. Let them be ever so many
--we are not to follow them. ~William Secker