A proud person makes his or her will the rule of actions and would have it be the rule of other people’s too. And other people being proud would have their wills be the rule of their opponent’s actions. Thus the blustering wind of pride in a people’s hearts causes them to jostle against each other and so to split themselves one upon another. It’s what happens where many ships lie together, a violent wind breaking their anchor-cables, and causes them to dash one upon another and thus to wreck the ships even in the haven.

Now let each person look into his or her own heart and see what pride has been and still is there and be humbled before the Lord for this. All you contentious, contrary, quarrelsome people, you are charged this day from God with being men and women of proud spirits, and what evil there is in our sad divisions, that pride in your chest is a great cause of it. St. Paul said, “I’m landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won’t be disqualified after preaching to others” (1 Cor 9:27).

Excerpted from The Causes, Evils, and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions (extracted by Francis Asbury from the Works of Jeremiah Burroughes and Richard Baxter.)