An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 69
SERM. LXIX.
What are thoſe ſecret and inward objects, that men are apt to place their Confidence in; and wherein even the Saints themſelves may be guilty of that ſinne.
2 COR. 1. 9.
That we ſhould not truſt in our ſelves.
THe Lord (we heard) doth ſo greatly abhorre ſelf-truſting, that the end of theſe manifold troubles which are brought on the godly, is to mortifie and kill this ſinne.
There are two ſtreams into which this ſinfull truſting doth empty it ſelf.
The firſt is External and viſible, ſuch as power and riches; for this may be called trusting in our ſelves; partly becauſe we look upon them, as ours; and partly it is oppoſite to truſting in God.
Theſecond ſtream into which ſinfull truſting conveys it ſelf, is that which is Internal and inviſible; and of this Paul doth principally ſpeak. So that it will be very uſefull to enquire into thoſe ſecret and ſoul-things, which a man may put his truſt in. No man can live without truſting in ſome thing or other, any more than a man can walk without legs, or a bird flie without wings: But of all truſtings, thoſe are moſt dangerous and unobſervable, which are put forth about that which lieth latent in us. AndWhat are thoſe inward things, which a man is apt to truſt in. 1. In his own heart.
Firſt, The Scripture ſpeaketh of that ſinfull truſting, which every natural man is in an high manner guilty of, and that is, To truſt in a mans own heart. Pro. 28. 26. He that truſteth in his own heart, is a fool. Now is not the world full of ſuch fools? Yea the Church of God? Is not every unregenerate man this fool? Can you perſwade him that his heart is naught, that he is in a ſtate of gall and bitterneſſe? What is the reaſon, that under ſo many powerfull diſcoveries out of Gods word, every hearer doth not wring his hands, ſmite upon the breſt, cry out, he is undone, he is found out to be a ſinner, he cannot flatter and deceive himſelf any longer? Whence (I ſay) is it, that moſt do ſit ſo ſottiſhly, ſo ſecurely and ſenſleſly under the preaching of the Word? Is it not becauſe they truſt in their hearts? They thank God they have a good heart, their heart is right; and all this while, if they did truly know, what true grace meaneth, and how ſhort they come of it, they would be amazed, and not able to open their mouths for their juſtification any longer. And the truth is we may call this the damning ſin. This is that which deſtroyeth ſoul and body, that though men are afar off from the way of grace, though they wallow in their luſts, yet they truſt in their hearts for all this. Prov. 21. 2. Every mans way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord poudereth the hearts. It is no matter what thy thoughts, thy perſwaſions are, but how doth the Lord account thee? Men are ſubject to a two-fold great miſtake:
1. They miſtake about the Nature of Godlineſſe, they underſtand not what it is, how high and rare a thing that few do attain it; They take civility for godlineſs, they take the outward performance of religious duties for godlineſs; they take ſome ſudden pangs and fits of devotion for godlineſſe: Thus they judge copper to be gold. But
In the next place, if they do underſtand what it is to be regenerated, how great a matter it is to be a New Creature, then ſuch is their ſelf-love, that they preſently apply it to themſelves, and do believe they are ſuch ones. For this end is that duty ſo often commended, To commune with our own hearts, to try and ſearch our own hearts. For this end we are informed of the deceitfulneſſe and deſperate wickedneſſe of the heart, that no man knoweth it, that God only knoweth it. Thou boaſteſt of thy heart, thou truſteſt in thy heart. Ah poor deluded wretch, thou knoweſt not what a ſea of evil thy heart is; till grace ſhine into that dark dungeon, thou canſt never perceive the loathſome luſts that crawl there. Pray therefore to be delivered from this heart-truſting, as from hell it ſelf. It is this that is the Beelzebub ſinne. This maketh thee ſhut thy eyes, ſtop thy ears, harden thy heart; and therefore till this root be pulled up, no preaching, no Miniſtry can do thee any good. For the firſt thing done by converting grace, is to take away this truſting in our ſelves, and in ſtead thereof to work an holy deſpair in our ſelves. This the Spirit of God doth by convincing of ſinne through the Law: by this we ſee our ſelves a ſinfull people, and a curſed people; we are alſo convinced of our impotency and inſufficiency to help our ſelves. By this we are convinced that it muſt be the righteouſneſs of another, even of Chriſt himſelf, and not our own, that we muſt appear in, when we approach unto God. Till therefore thou art in this heart-truſting way, as long as this good perſwaſion and ſecure thoughts are in thy ſelf, thou art wholly out of the way to Heaven. This is not the way to Chriſt; if thou art not wounded, the good Samaritan will pour no oil into thee; if thou doeſt not judge all things husks, and ſeeſt thy ſelf ready to famiſh, there will no entertainment be given to thee at thy fathers houſe. Oh then that the Spirit of God would in a mighty and powerfull manner fall upon ſuch ſinfull conſiders, that he would ſhake the very foundations of their ſouls. For as long as this ſelf-truſting a bideth in thee, thy condition is incurable; if the heart be deceitfull above all things, why doeſt thou believe it above all things? Thou believeſt thy own heart more than Gods word, more than the Miniſters of God. No man doubteth of his heart, none queſtioneth or examineth his heart, and therefore cometh not to the Word preached, to have that purged, to have that cleanſed, but takes it for an undoubted principle, that his heart is good already. But how cometh it to be good? When was it made good? by nature it is full of evil, and therefore it can never be ſanctified, but by the grace of God effectually working by the Miniſtry.
Secondly, The Scripture inſtanceth in another object of ſinfull truſting, that 2. Self-righteouſneſſe.is ſecret and cloſe, but alſo very dangerous, and that is in the righteouſneſſe we conceit we have; and this was the great phariſaical ſinne. This was the Camels bunch; this made them ſtand in ſuch immediate oppoſition to Chriſt, that they rejected his Perſon and Offices; They did not look upon themſelves as ſick, and therefore would not admit of a Phyſician. And oh that this ſinne had been like Jonah's gourd that ſprang up for a day only, and preſently was conſumed; but it is a ſinne that paſſeth from one generation to another, to put confidence in their own righteouſneſſe, to ſeek to be juſtified by the works they do; Doth not this reign in Popiſh ſpirits, in all formaliſts, in civil and moral men? Do they not look to be ſaved, to be juſtified by their works of righteouſneſſe and charity? How often doth the Scripture thunder againſt this ſinne? And indeed well it may, for it maketh our ſelves our own Chriſts, our own Saviours. It maketh Chriſt to die in vain. Now how natural and imbred a ſinne this is, appeareth by the Jewes, Rom. 10. 3. They went about to establiſh their own righteouſneſſe, and would not ſubmit themſelves to the righteouſneſſe of faith. Hence becauſe this ſinne did ſo reign in the Phariſees, our Saviour ſpake that excellent Parable, Luke 18. 9. concerning a Publican humbling himſelf, and ſenſible of his unworthineſs, as being juſtified rather than a Phariſee; He ſpake this (ſaith the Text) to certain who truſted in themſelves, that they were righteous. And why doth our ſaviour make thoſe bleſſed, that mourn, that are poor in ſpirit, that hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſſe? but to ſhew in what a blaſted and curſed eſtate they are, who put any truſt in the good works they do to be juſtified by them. You ſee then by this, how dangerous and damnable a thing that common ſinne is, which every civil, every juſt and righteous man is apt to lean upon; if his eyes were opened, and his heart made tender, he would not dare to eat, or ſleep, or ſtay one night in it, as good and ſafe, as now he believeth it to be.
Thirdly, Another object of this ſinfull ſecret truſting, is in ſpiritual or 3. Church-priviledges.Church-priviledges, or Ordinances, that we have more than others. This is alſo like the Pſalmiſts plague, which destroyeth at Mid-day, thouſands fall dead into hell, becauſe of this religious truſting in priviledges and Ordinances. They truſt in them, not regarding what holineſſe and godlineſſe God doth require of them. How palpably did the Prophet Jeremiah reprove this in the Jewes, Jer. 7. 4. Truſt ye not in lying words, ſaying, The Temple, the Temple of the Lord are theſe; but amend your wayes, and your doings, as verſ. 3. When the Prophet exhorts them to repentance and reformation, then they plead, The Temple of the Lord, and the Ordinances. This is ſo enticing a ſinne, that in the Chriſtian Church many were perſwaded by falſe Teachers, That unleſſe they were circumciſed, and kept up the Rites of the Ceremonial Law, they could not be justified. Therefore the Apoſtle ſpeaketh excellently, Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumciſion, which rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and have no confidence in the fleſh. When it cometh to this, that thou doeſt not truſt in Duties, or in Ordinances, but in Chriſt, in them then art thou a true worſhipper of God in the Spirit. In the ſame Chapter Paul layeth upon his own heart, what truſt and confidence he once had in his being a Jew, in being circumciſed, in his legal righteouſneſs. But when it pleaſed God to reveal Chriſt to him, What, doth he truſt in theſe priviledges any longer? No by no means, for he accounts all things but dung and loſſe in compariſon of that righteouſneſſe which is by faith in Chriſt. Is not this likewiſe an univerſal predominant ſinne amongſt Chriſtians? Do they not truſt in their Chriſtianity, in their prayers, in their Baptiſme, in receiving of the Lords Supper? They put confidence in theſe things, as if they were God and Chriſt. Neither have the Miniſters of the Goſpel leſſe work to do with Chriſtians in this reſpect, than the Prophets had of old with the Jewes. Inſomuch that then onelyonly we come to be a ſpiritual people, when we can diſcern between Ordinances and Chriſt in the Ordinances; when we look upon Duties as the field, and Chriſt as the pearl hid in that field. When we look upon the Ordinances as the hemme of Chriſts garment we touch, but we look for vertue to come forth from Chriſt himſelf. But when ſhall the Miniſters of the Goſpel perſwade in this matter? How long will it be ere you put a difference between doing a duty, and truſting in a duty, between preſence at an Ordinance, and enjoying Chriſt himſelf in that Ordinance. And thus farre men deſtitute of true ſolid grace, may yet have ſome external apparent righteouſneſs, and other ſpiritual objects to reſt upon.
Let us in the next place conſider, Wherein a godly man, yea an eminent Paul may become guilty of trusting in himſelf. For ſeeing God hath taken that way for our juſtification, which is wholly to take us off our ſelves; and How even a godly man may be guilty of ſelf-confidence, by truſting, 1. In his ſpiritual gifts.the Goſpel-grace is therefore exalted, that we may be debaſed; how can it come about that the dregs of this ſinne ſhould ſtill be polluting the moſt holy man? But
Firſt, Even a Paul, an eminent godly man, may ſinfully truſt in thoſe ſpiritual gifts and aſſiſtance, which God hath vouchſafed to him rather than others. This ſpark of fire will quickly kindle in tinder. Hath God given a man great gifts, great abilities in prayer, great enlargements above others: It muſt be the great work of grace to keep this man humble and low, ſo as not to truſt on them. 2 Cor. 12. 7. Paul there declareth what wonderfull honour God had vouchſafed to him; he was lifted up to the third Heaven; he had abundance of revelations. So that God did in many extraordinary wayes communicate himſelf to Paul. But could Paul be thus lifted up upon the pinacle, and his head not turn round? Can he drink of this wine, and not be giddy? No, he is in much danger; and therefore obſerve what way God taketh with him at the ſeventh verſe, Leſt I ſhould be pufft up above meaſure, there was given me a thorne in the fleſh, a meſſenger from Satan to buffet me. What this was is greatly diſputed by the learned; to be ſure it was ſo heavy and burdenſome a temptation, that he prayed to God often, That it might be removed, but God would not take it off; and the reaſon is twice declared, Leſt I ſhould be puffed up above meaſure; what is this but to have confidence in his gifts and revelations with thoſe extraordinay diſpenſations of Gods love to him. If then the greene Tree be ſo apt to receive theſe ſparkes of vain-glory and ſelfeconfidence, what ſhall the dry Tree do? Examine then thy ſelf, the more Gods aſſiſtance is with thee, Art thou the more lowly in thy owne eyes? Doeſt thou find an holy fear and trembling under theſe approaches of God to thy ſoul? Art thou affected at theſe wonderfull workings of God upon thee, as Peter, when he ſaw that great miracle about the fiſhes, preſently to remember his own ſinfulneſſe: Or as thoſe in the Old Teſtament, who when they had any glorious apparitions of God vouchſafed to them, were ſo conſiderative of their own frailty and imbecillity, that they generally thought they ſhould die immediately? Thus the more Gods gifts abound in thee, doeſt thou the more go out of thy ſelf? And think, now I am in a temptation, the Devil is ready to puffe up with ſelf-content, and ſo to make theſe great gifts to become a ſnare to thee; to turn theſe earrings (as it were) of gold, into an Idol to worſhip it. This is the reaſon (ſay ſome) why Ezekiel is ſo often called Sonne of man, becauſe of thoſe great viſions he had in reference to Jeruſalem. And Daniel likewiſe is once called the Sonne of man, for he had great revelations concerning the Church of God. Now this Title of Son of man might greatly debaſe him under thoſe great priviledges. God ſeldome uſeth his people as great inſtruments in his ſervice, but he doth ſomething or other that ſhall be like a Memento eſſe hominem. Even as that hand of Moſes, in the ſtretching out whereof ſo many miracles were wrought, was affected with a Leproſie, that ſo the power might be given to God, and not to Moſes. Thus God doth wiſely mingle gifts and infirmities, diſpenſeth glorious priviledges, and manifold chaſtiſements, that ſo the balance may deſcend downwards, as much as it aſcends upwards: That a gracious man ſhould have that true in him, which is ſaid of the Element, In tantum aſcendit, in quantum deſcendit.
Secondly, A godly man may ſinfully truſt in his Graces, in his Holineſſe, 2. In his graces.in his faith, and love of Chriſt. So that what the phariſaical man doth about his apparent and external holineſſe, the godly man in ſome meaſure may doe about his real graces. Inſomuch that many times they have not the reward of a duty, and the comfort of it in their own hearts, by ſecret pride and confidence ariſing in their heart after they have done. Therefore as pure motives are to beginne, ſo be sure in the ſame to conclude thy holy duties. Let not the Dragon devour the child as ſoon as it is borne. Take heed of that Euge Bernarde, benedicis. Thou preacheſt well, thou prayeſt well, thy heart hath been as thou wouldſt have it. For this is the danger of ſelf-confidence, it breedeth out of holy duties; other ſins are committed, becauſe of ſinfull temptations; but here poiſon is ſucked from the ſweet herb, and thy evil ariſeth from thy good. No wonder then if the godly have many exhortations, To worke out their ſalvation with fear and trembling. Not to be high-minded but fear. Though they ſtand, to take heed leſt they fall; for they are apt to truſt in their own ſtrength, and their own power; and this maketh way for their fall, as in Peter, Mark 14. 31. He would not believe he ſhould deny Chriſt, though the Lord told him he would: Yea the more vehemently he affirmed he would not, though he ſhould die: Yea, ſaith the ſame Evangeliſt, Likewiſe alſo ſaid they all. They were all confident as well as Peter, though not ſo much; yet as Peter did groſly deny Chriſt, ſo all the reſt fled from him. By this you ſee how dangerous it is to put any truſt in our owne graces. Remember that place Ezek. 33. 13. If a righteous man truſt to his own righteouſneſſe, and commit iniquity, &c. By truſting to himſelf he begins to fall.
Let then the Uſe be even to thoſe who are moſt godly, to take heed and watch againſt this ſubtil ſinne that may be in thy heart, that may creep into thy graces, into thy duties: When thou thinkeſt thy ſelf moſt free, even then may it have the greateſt hold upon thee: Others ſinnes come like a roaring Lion, this like a gliſteriug Serpent. In other things thy ſinnes hurt thee, here thy graces and duties make thee fall. Hezekiah humbled himſelfe in his ſickneſſe, but in his mercies, his heart was lifted up. Come off from all duties, and all religious performances, with trembling reflections upon thy ſelf.