Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 3
Gal. 6.3, 4.
For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone, and not in another.
HAving entred on the Doctrine of the conversion of a sinner, in that Text, Heb. 4.7. upon which depends our everlasting salvation. I laboured to perswade you of the necessity of taking the accepted time, of embracing the proffers of Gods grace, and of the necessity of doing it speedily.
I shewed you that there is a certain time in which God will be found, and that this time was the present time.
I declar'd unto you the great danger that would follow, if we took not God at his word, but refused his day for a day of our own, as if we were wiser than he; If when God calls, and holds out the golden Scepter, we refuse to draw neer and touch it: Also what danger there is of being deluded by Satan, and our own hearts.
I shewed you farther, that the work was half done if this were done, if we could but learn this lesson.
And now all that I shall speak will be to little purpose, if this be not first wrought. If it be already wrought in us blessed are we. Our condition were thrice happy, would God now strike in, and cause us to return to himself. It's not good to dally with God, the time will come when it will be too late, when we shall wish we had done otherwise, and taken the accepted time.
Now I will go on to a farther point, which is this, When Satan cannot prevail with a sinner, to say to his soul, or to think with himself, I will do it hereafter, or I will at the day of death, when he cannot prevaile with him to defer it and leave it quite undone for the present: then he will give way to his doing a little to it, but it shall be so superficial, and on such false grounds, that he had as good leave it undone; For Satan makes him thus conclude with himself, well, since I see it is a duty so necessary, I will not defer, I will not put it off to an hour, but yet I see no such matter required in conversion, no such great need of being new moulded. But now in the point of conversion, there are two things to be thought on.
1. First what estate the sinner is in for the present, and then when he hath made search, and found it to be amisse, then the next thing is, he must turn unto God, and resolve to amend.
I shall not now stand to speak of that common aspersion cast upon Religion, and the wayes of God (that men must sail to Heaven by the gates of Hell) of which many are so much afraid: But yet we must not think that our Saviour came to heal those which are whole already; he's a God of wisedom, and the Physician of the soul; he comes to find that which is lost: So that we must be lost in our own apprehensions, if we will be found as David was, Ps. 119. ult. He first saith, I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost, then seek thy servant. If now we are once lost, we are lost for ever if he seek us not; therefore we should first consider with our selves what estate we are in now, how the case stands with us at present, that if God should come and strike thee with death, if thou wert now to come to Judgment, what would trouble thee most, what couldst thou then answer him? Therefore since it is uncertain how soon God may deal thus with thee, it is wisedom to be always ready. Lam. 3.40. Let us search and try our wayes, and turn again unto the Lord. Let us first try how the matter stands with us at the present, let us examine our selves and our ways, and see if all be well, and then may we go on with comfort in the way wherein we are.
But when we have searched, and find things not to goe as well as they ought, or that we are not in a right way, then after our searching we must
Turn unto the Lord: Thus the Prophet did, Psal. 119.57. I thought upon my wayes, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. First he thought on his wayes, he considered whither he was going, whether to Heaven or Hell; then when he had thus thought, he made haste and turned his feet unto Gods testimonies: Here are both put together: first he made haste and thought on his ways, and then he turned.
I took this Text to shew that one of these is as dangerous as the other, and how men are apt to deceive themselves in their search and examination. 'Tis as dangerous not to prove our wayes, as to put off and defer our turning to God. This is a dangerous disease, that when men come to examine and try their spiritual estates, they have false weights and unequal ballances to prove themselves by: they are very willing to save themselves the labour, though they be deceived. A man is loth to be cozened by another, but here is his folly, that he is willing enough to deceive and betray himself. Such fools the Devil makes many men, because they take not right glasses to look on themselves in, and so they deceive themselves. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself; but let every man prove, &c.
In the words here are,
1. The Disease.
2. A Remedy.
1. The Disease is in the 3d. v. If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, &c. this is a common and dangerous disease; and a disease which is both common and dangerous is the more to be feared, the more care…ul must the Physician be. This is the most common disease, for there is not a man but finds a snatch of it in his own heart. And it is the more dangerous; for who is in more danger then he that is blind and will be blind? that is willing to be cheated by Satan and himself. This is the patient. Now what his disease is, and the dangerousnesse of it, the Apostle tells us: He thinks himself to be something, and is nothing. This is the patient to be cured, and that is his disease, then which none more common: for there is not the worst of men but will say, I thank God I am something, and I am not half so bad as the Preacher would make me, I have some good thing in me.
Now this his disease stands in two things.
1. That he is nothing.
2. That he thinks himself to be something.
1. He is nothing. And for a man to be brought before Gods Judgment-seat, and have nothing to answer, how will it fare with him then? but yet this man cannot but think he is something: well then something he is, but nothing to the purpose: As we say of an Idol, An Idol is nothing in the world: that is, Nothing that can help or succour those that bow to them, and adore them, nothing that they should have in them. An Idol is something indeed, for it is silver, or gold, or brass, or stone, &c. but it's nothing, that is, is nothing to the purpose, nothing that can plead for a man when he holds up his hand at Gods bar.
2. He thinks himself to be something, though he be nothing: He thinks he shall come to Heaven, though he be not in the way; as the foolish Virgins, that thought they should be let in, feared not the contrary, till they came there: So these men walk in their way all their life, and yet fear not entrance into Heaven, till they receive sentence to the contrary. If these men knew themselves to be nothing, they would seek something for themselves; but now they are nothing, though they think themselves something. This is the Disease.
2. The Remedy is in the next verse, Let him pro…e his own work. Let him look himself in a true glasse, and that is the point we shall insist on. If then Satan shall not delude us in deferring and putting off our repentance; so let him not deceive us with a false conceit of our wayes and estate; that we may not make our selves something, when we are nothing. Therefore let us see what false glasses they are that men get to themselves. If Satan bring us to have a good opinion of our selves, and our condition, and perswade us that it is not with us as precise Preachers tell us; that it's no such matter to go to Heaven, but that it may be done with lesse paines and more ease: when, I say, Satan lulls a man asleep with such plausible things as these, he hath him where he would have him. Why then no marvel if this man like his ways, when he looks upon them with false glasses.
1 Glass. Self-love.1. The first false glass is self-love, and the property of love is to make the good things in the party it loves very great, and the vices very little. Self-love represents nothing in it's true shape. The Apostle speaking of the later dayes, 2 Tim. 3. saith, There shall be perillous times: And wherein lieth the peril? Men shall be lovers of their own selves. As if he had said, that is one of the worst perils, for a man to have a great conceit of himself. If one be sick of this disease, it will so blind him, that he shall never see a thing in its right place: we may see it by the contrary in the want of love. Suppose to a neighbour, for example; he that is full of malice and envy towards his neighbour, (consider what a false glasse this is) the man that wants love, see how the good and bad deeds of his neighbour shew themselves to him: when he looks on the good actions of his neighbour, they appear but very small, he is alwayes abridging and contracting his vertues and good things, making them seem lesse then they are. On the other side, all things he sees amiss in him, this want of love makes them far greater then they are. Love breeds the contrary; when a man loves himself, his good things seem very great, and his evil things very small, those he abridges and contracts; and hereupon is that instance brought of the Jewes, Rom. 2.3. Thinkest thou O man that judgest them them that do such things, that thou shalt escape, &c. When such a man looks upon his own sins, they appear small to him; but when on the infirmities of others, they seem very great. With one eye he looks on himself, with another on his neighbour. This man perchance is drunk as well as his neighbour, covetous as well as him, yet he concludes them great evils in his neighbour, but extenuates them within himself: self love causes this difference. As long as this sways us, that we love things because they are our own, we shall never be able to guesse at our own condition. If another man should look on you both, would he not account thee partial? If a man hath a son or a daughter, though they be not so wise or beautiful as another mans, yet he delights in them as much, he loves them because they are his own. Let a man be born in a barren Countrey, he will praise it most, not because there is none so good, but because he loves it best, it is his own Countrey. Thou wilt never be a good Judge of thine own estate if thou viewest thy self in this false glasse, for it will easily deceive a man.
True, I know self-love is a deceitful glasse, and looking therein, a man will be favourable to himself, and so deceive himself, for it renders things in a bigger shape then they are. But
2 Glass. Others good opinion.2. I thank God my neighbor also, and all others that know me speak well of me. I have not only a good conceit of my self, but every man about me can speak well of me, cannot say, black is mine eye. I have a good report of all men. But if this were enough and sufficient to assure thee of the goodnesse of thy estate, it were well, but it is not enough. True it is, a good report from men for fair and honest dealing is not to be despised; yet it will do no good unlesse thou have it from God. It was one of the happinesses of our Saviour that he was in favour with God and men; it was with God too as well as men. When both meet together it's well indeed. Demetrius in John 3.12. we read, had a good report of all men, and of the truth it self. To have a good report from men, and also from the truth, is an happy thing: but having it not from the truth, Woe to us when all men speak well of us. What folly is it to rest upon a good report from men, when I have it not from the truth? The like madnesse it is, as for a man to trust in the absolution of his fellow-prisoner, when the Law of the Land condemnes him. Shall a sick man be so mad as to say he is well, because others say so? As if we should seek our selves out of our selves, and not within our selves. No, Let every man prove his own work, and then shal he have rejoycing in himself, and not in another. Rom. 2. ult. He is a Jew which is one inwardly, whose praise is not of men but of God. Not as if this did dis common, or turn out the praise of men; but it is comparatively spoken, and it's meant, whose praise is not so much of men as of God. So that this is the second false glasse, when a man concludes himself to be in a good estate because men praise him, thinks it well with him because others think so, and say so. He hath a good opinion of himself, but that's not all, other men give him a good report too. And this follows the former: a man needs never fear flattery from others, that doth not flatter himself.
But these are not my onelyonly grounds that I have so good opinion of my self, and that others speak well of m…, but when I compare my self with my self, I find wherein I may rejoyce. So that this is the
3.3 Glass. When a man compares himself with others.3. Third glasse, when a man compares himself with others and himself.
1. When he compares himself with others. I thank God, saith he, I am better then twenty of my neighbours; I know this man follows such courses, and another lives in such a foul sin. Sure, saith he, I am not such a sinner as these, therefore I am happy, and I doubt not of room in Heaven. This is the cause that the Pharisee went home unjustified, because looking on other men, he justified himself. God I thank thee I am not as other men, no extortioner, &c. This fellow is so far from begging any thing of God, that he fills up his time with thanksgiving, he thinks he wants nothing, and that is his error; he looks on other men, and compares himself with them, and thence concludes he is well enough, because he is not so bad as this or that man. This is the common deceit, when men take this for a rule, that because they are not so bad as the off-scouring of the world, but are better then the ordinary sort of men, therefore they suppose they are very well, or as well as they need to be: As if a sick man should say, I am not so sick as such a man who is at the point of death, therefore I am very well. I would desire such men, that as they look on those that are under them, so they would a little cast up their eyes on those that are above them. When you look on the Publican, this and that man, and blesse your selves because you are not so bad as these, who perchance are before you in points of morality: If you stand on comparisons, look on those that are above you, that go beyond you in grace and zeal, and look not so much on the sins of others as your own: Another mans sins may condemn him, they cannot save thee. When a Thief and a Murtherer are both arraign'd at the Bar for their lives, will the Thief say to the Murtherer, thy sin is greater, thy fault is of an higher nature, therefore I shall be saved, because mine is not so hainous, when they both are punishable with death. The fault of another will not make thy case the better. It's no point of Justification thus to deceive thy self, and to conclude because another is worse then thee, thy estate is blessed. So we see the degrees of false glasses. Self-love: or self-conceit: then a good opinion of men: and conferring a mans self with some others. He's better then they, therefore his estate is good. An absurd conclusion; the Devil will mightily insult over such as he can so easily deceive.
But this man goes farther: I not onelyonly compare my self with others, but my self too, and find good ground to conclude the safeness of my condition. I remember a time, when I was vain and idle, when I ran in a way contrary to God. But now I have sowed my wilde oats; and whereas before I was loose and dissolute, I have care to do my duty, to serve God, &c. I am not so profane as formerly, my estate must needs be good. This is a very dangerous thing to say, that because I am not as bad as I was, I am therefore good: It is as if a man had a debter, a slack paymaster, to whom the Creditor calls earnestly to pay the debt, the best answer the debtor gives is this, I am sure there are many worse paymasters in the world then I am, and I my self have been a worse, and more flow paymaster heretofore then I am now. Well, because there are worse paymasters, and he himself hath been a worse, doth this make him a better now? And shall this serve to excuse thee, by comparing thy self with others that are worse? and with thy self, that because thou hast mended thy self in some particulars, therefore thou art in the way to Heaven? It is a false and foolish Conclusion.
4 Glasse. Partial Obedience·4. Now we come to the main thing, another false glasse, which we call Partial obedience, when a man goes further, looking upon the letter of the Commandement onelyonly, saying, I thank God I forbear many sins, and do many duties, I am not a thief, nor a murtherer, swearer, drunkard, or covetous person: I doe not take Gods name in vain; I have not broken the Sabbath, though I doubt whether it be moral or no. I have served God in coming to his house, given obedience to my Parents, &c. and looking on this he concludes, doubtlesse all is well with him: As when I have a thousand thornes in my feet, and have three or four taken out, will this help me? because I have not the stone or the gout, shall I conclude I am well, as if I could not be sick without this or that disease. Because I do something that God requires, shall I think I do as much as I need? No, we must take heed of that, God will not be contented with partial obedience, He will have the whole heart or none.
Obj. Obj.But mine is not partial obedience, I doe my endeavour, as far as I am able to do, what God requires: Here comes in natural reason, and saith, I thank God I do what I can, and I see no reason why more should be required. I conform my self as I am able, and I see it needful, to the greatest duties of Christianity; I lead such a blamelesse life, that no man can tax me in any particular what God hath enabled me to do; and according to moral Philosophy, I know not how more can be required: I go as far as Seneca's rules, and somewhat farther, and sure this is not partial obedience.
Sol. Sol.I speak not against Morality. But yet let me tell thee, if thou hast no more then Morality, it will not bring thee to Heaven. Not but that a morall man is an excellent stock, whereon to graft grace and virtue, it's a good help to Heaven, yet it comes far short of bringing him thither. Natural reason was once a full and fair glass, till it was broken by the fall: but now it is insufficient. The Tables in Moses hands were excellent things, God made the first Tables with his own hand, and perchance they may be therein typical; when these were broken, Moses makes the second, these not so excellent as the former, though I should esteem a peece of these more excell…t, then all the reliques of the Papists, for there was something of the first in them, God writes them with his own singer. This glass which then was so perfect, is now broken, and is not so perfect as it was, though there be something yet remaining in it; We may see something of its ancient lustre in the Gentiles, for these having not a Law, are a Law unto themselves. There are practical principles y…t remaining in the Tables of our hearts, so that they that care not for the Law, shall be judged by that natural light which is in them. We have a conscience to difference between good and evil. This is the truth. It's a part of the Image of God implanted in us, which we are not to despise lest we be judged with those that hold the truth in unrighteousnesse: The truth is the principals of difference betwixt good & bad: the soul was to have a seat as a Queen to rule all our actions▪ But …ow this Queen is taken captive, & all is lost: Morality and in ward prncipals are to be much esteemed, as things which God at first planted, yet do they comeshort of bringing a man to Heaven. The young man in the Gospel had a good esteem of himself, and was doubtlesse esteemed of others, and did many things: but yet our Saviour tells him, how hard a thing it was to come to Heaven: Although he thinks himself well enough, though he were rich, our Saviour tells him of the commandements: all these, saith he, have I kept from my youth, a good moral man indeed that had done so much, but this was not enough, one thing lacked: go and sell all that thou hast, &c. Yet because there was so much in him, we read Mark 10.21. Jesus loved him: he sheweth that his cause was heavy, that going so far he should not attain his end: but this was not to be despised, for this Jesus loved him. So 1 Kings 13.13. He onelyonly of Jeroboams shall come to the grave, because in him are found some good things. If there are but some good things in a man, they remain of Gods work, and God loveth his own work; Here's the point then, Morality is good, and natural reason is good: it remaines in us since the state of our first creation; This was a pure and a full glass, made by God himself, but since the fall, is much darkned: If we consult with natural reason and Moral Philosophy, it will discover many things: yet this comes short. There are abundance of things that it cannot discover, manifold defects. The Apostle saith in the Romans, I had not known sin but by the Law. I had not known lust to have been a sin, had not the Law said, I shalt not lust. We have many sins we cannot know but by the Law, yea such secret sins as must be repented of. Our Saviour overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and would not suffer them to carry burthens through the Temple, though for the use of those that sacrificed, a thing which had some shew of Religion in it. He whipt both out, not only those that had residence there, but those that passed through: he would suffer none but those that could justifie what they did by the Law. Now, as God would not have sin lodge & make its abode in the soul, so he would not have it made a thorow fare for sin: he would not have vain thoughts come up and down in the hearts. Now, By the Law comes the knowledge of these secret sins. Reason is a glasse much to be esteemed for what it can shew, but it is not a perfect glasse; sometimes it shewes a sin, but m…ny times diminishes it, that we cannot see it in full proportion. The Apostle makes this use of the Law, that by it sin became exceeding sinful. Thou mayst see sin to be sin by natural reason, but to see it exceeding sinful, this morality comes short of, thou must have this from the Law of God.
Another false Glasse. The Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light.5. There is another false glasse, when the Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light, when he preacheth Go…pel to a man. Beware of …he doctrine when the deceiver preacheth. This may be his doctrine, He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved. From this, by Satans cunning delusion, the natural man thus concludes: A meer heathen shall be shut out of Heaven gates, but I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, therefore I am in a good condition. Why then should I trouble my self any further? there is no man can accuse me, and my own good works will testifie unto me that I do enough. Str…ctnesse in Religion is troublenesse, and it is an unreasonable thing to do more: but this is but a meer delusion of Satan, for there is nothing more quiet, and satisfies a man, then Religion; there's nothing in the world more reasonable then the service of God. First then know thy disease, and then apply those sweet balms. It is no easie matter for a man to believe: we block out the strait wayes of God, if we think it an easie matter to believe of our selves. It must be done by the mighty power of God: It's as great a work of God, as the Creation of the world, to make a man believe: It's the mighty power of God to salvation. Such a one must not receive Christ as a Saviour, but as a Lord too. He must renounce all to have him must take him on his own terms. He must deny the world and all, looking before hand what it will cost him. Now for a man to take Christ as his Lord, denying himself, the world, and all, to resolve to pluck out his right eye, cut off his right hand rather then to part with him, and account nothing so dear to him as Christ, is no small matter. Thou canst not be Christs Spouse, unlesse thou forsake all for him. Thou must account all things as dung and drosse in comparison of him: and is not this a difficult thing? is this an easie task? Easily spoken indeed, not as easily done: it must be here as in the case of mariage; a man must forsake all others, yea the whole world, else Christ will not own him. Observe the speech of the Apostle, Eph. 1.19. What is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward that believe, &c. Mark, is to believe so easie a matter think you? why, unlesse the mighty power of God be engaged for it, with that strength as it was engaged in raising Christ from the dead, it cannot be. When thou art to believe, and be united unto Christ, the agreement is not that thou shalt take him as thy wife, and thou shalt be his husband: No, he must be thy husband, and thou must obey him. Now for a man to be brought out of his natural condition, and to take Christ on any termes, so he may be saved by him in the end, is not so easie. Canst thou think there is no more required but onelyonly the outward Baptism, or that there is no more in Baptism but the outward washing of the flesh? No, He's not a Jew that is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is in the flesh; but he's a Jew that is so inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart. Thou then entrest into Gods livery. Mark this, for by it I strive onelyonly to bring thee back to thy self. Thou entrest into covenant with him; thou bindest thy self to forsake the world, the flesh, and the Devil; and we should make this use of Baptism, as now to put it in practice. When we promised, there were two things in the Indenture; one, that God will give Christ to us, the other, that we must forsake all the sinful lusts of the flesh: this is that makes Baptism to be Baptism indeed to us. The other thing required, is, that we forsake all, Rom. 6.2. It is not confined to the very act, but it hath a perpetual effect all the dayes of thy life. I add, it never hath its full effect till the day of our death, till the abolition of the whole body of sin. That which we seal, is not compleat till then, till we have final grace. The water of Baptism quenches the fire of Purgatory; for it is not accomplished till final grace is received. We are now under the Physicians hands, then shall we be cured. Baptism is not done onelyonly at the Font, which is a thing deceives many; for it runs through our whole life: nor hath it consummation till our dying day, till we receive final grace: the force and efficacy of Baptism is for the washing away of sin to morrow as well as the day past: the death of sin is not till the death of the body, and therefore its said we must be buried with him by Baptism into his death. Now after death we receive final grace; till when, this washing and the vertue thereof hath not its consummation.
Let no man therefore deceive you with vain words; take heed of looking on your selves in these false glasses, think it not an easy thing to get Heaven, the way is strait, and the passage narrow. There must be a striving to enter; there must be an ascending into Heaven, a motion contrary to nature: And therefore it's folly to think we shall drop into Heaven, there must be a going upward, if ever we will come thither.