Lumps of animated dust?
From Spurgeon's, "DISTINGUISHING GRACE"
"For who makes you to differ from another?"
1 Corinthians 4:7.
PRIDE is the inherent sin of man,
and yet it is of all sins the most foolish.
A thousand arguments might be used to show its absurdity;
but none of these would be sufficient to quench its vitality.
Alive it is in the heart, and there it will be, till we die
to this world, and rise again without spot or blemish.
What are we, after all, but as grasshoppers in his sight,
as drops of the bucket, as lumps of animated dust!
We are but the infants of a day, when we are most old;
we are but the insects of an hour, when we are most strong;
we are but the wild donkey's colt, when we are most wise,
we are but as folly and vanity, when we are most excellent -
let that tend to humble us.
But surely if this does not prevail to clip the pinions of
our high soaring pride, the Christian man may at least bind
its wings with arguments derived from the "distinguishing
love and peculiar mercies of God".
"Who makes you to differ from another?" --This question
should be like a dagger put to the throat of our boasting!
"And what do you have that you did not receive?" --This
question should be like a sword thrust through the heart
of our self-exaltation and pride!