God the First Cause - Denying Self-dependence

Secondly, Having handled the doctrine of self-denial in general, I come to the kinds and subjective parts of it; self must be denied so far as it is opposite to God, or put in the place of God; and therefore we may judge of the kinds of self-denial according to the distinct privileges of the Godhead.

1. As God is the first cause, upon whom all things depend in their being and operation, and so we are to deny self, that is, self-dependence.
2. God is, and he alone, the highest lord and most absolute sovereign, who swayeth all things by his laws and providence, and so we are to deny self, that is, self-will, by a willing and full obedience to his laws, and by an absolute subjection to the dominion of his providence; the one is holiness, and the other is patience; the one relateth to his governing, the other to his disposing will.
3. God is the chiefest good, and therefore to be valued above all beings, interests and concernments in the world, and so we are to deny self, that is, self-love.
4. God is the last end, in which all things do at length terminate, and so we are to deny self, that is, self-seeking. According to these considerations is the doctrine of self-denial.

As God is the first cause, so he would keep up the respects of the world to his majesty by dependence and trust. It is the ambition of man to affect an independency, to be a god to himself, sufficient to his own happiness. Now nothing can be to God more hateful than this. The main thing that preserves and maintains our allegiance and respect to the crown of heaven, is a constant dependence upon God for all things. For we find by experience that the heart is never kept in a right frame but when we look for our all from God. And therefore it is notable that in the covenant of grace, wherein the Lord would repair the ruins of the fall, and bring the creature into a new obligation to himself, God represents himself as all-sufficient, when he came to make a covenant with Abraham: Gen. 17.1, 'I am God all-sufficient;' we bring nothing to the covenant but all-necessity, and we come to meet with all-sufficiency in God. Now a great part of self-denial is to work us off from all other dependencies. We are marvellously apt to depend upon our own righteousness, our own wit and wisdom, our own spiritual strength, and the supplies of outward life. Therefore I shall in the succeeding discourse, seek to draw off the heart from these things, that so our trust and dependence may entirely be fixed upon God himself

That which I shall first persuade you unto is -

First, To deny our own righteousness. For this we have a pregnant example, and that is the example of the apostle Paul: Phil. 3.9, 'I count all things but dung and dross, that I may be found in him, not having mine own righteousness.' Look into the context, and you will find it express to the purpose. In the 4th verse. he saith, 'If any might have confidence in the flesh, I might much more.' It is no great matter for those to deny themselves that have nothing to trust to; but now, who could display such a banner of his own excellency as Paul could? Besides his other external privileges, take notice of his moral qualification: verse 6, 'That he was, touching the righteousness of the Law, blameless;' that is, whilst a pharisee, he was a man of a strict and severe life, for outward conformity and righteousness of life altogether blameless. Who so strict, so just, and temperate as Paul? Nay, after he was a Christian: ver. 8, 'I have suffered the loss of all things for Christ;' credit and interest, honours among the Jews, friends, country, all things, in the behalf of the gospel. Now what is his judgment upon all? See ver. 7, 'Those things which were gain to me I counted loss.' Naturally, he was apt to count those things gain, to look upon them as rare and singular grounds of confidence. If any might expect to be saved, certainly Paul might; you would have wished your soul in his soul's stead, if you had been acquainted with him. But saith Paul, 'I counted them to be loss,' that is, through the treachery of my heart would prove hindrances from closing with Christ, and dangerous allurements to hypocrisy and self confidence. Nay, he repeats it again in the 8th verse for the greater emphasis - 'Yea, doubtless, and I do account all things but loss,' to show that he made this judgment not only upon his Jewish observances, but upon his actions as a Christian, upon his good works after faith; though he had converted many thousands to God, and done and suffered much for Christ, 'yet I do to this day count it to be a loss, I count them to be skubala, dog's meat; not that he repented of anything that he had done and suffered, but as they might hinder the application of the merit of Christ, but as things that his heart was apt to plead before God's tribunal. It is all nothing, it is loss, it is dung, it is dogs' meat. And why? - 'That I might gain him, and be found in him,' etc. All was to make way for the greater esteem of Jesus Christ.

Now, upon this eminent example, let me press you to this kind of self-denial, to draw off your hearts from your own righteousness. My method shall be this -
1. I shall show you how hard a matter it is to bring men off from dependence upon our own righteousness.
2. The danger of leaning upon our own righteousness.
3. Some discoveries of those that are taken in this snare of death, that are carried away by a vain trust and presumption of righteousness in themselves.
4. Some remedies and cures.

[1.] I shall show it is a very hard matter to bring men off from a dependence upon their own righteousness.
(1.) Because by nature it is incident to all men. This is an evil that is natural to us. Works are our natural copy and tenure. 'Do this, and live,' it was the covenant made with Adam, and it is written upon the heart of all men. We all seek to be saved by doing. Therefore upon conviction, as soon as we begin to be serious, as soon as the conscience is awakened, the first question is, 'What shall I do to be saved?' John 6.28, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' They imagined that life eternal might he gained by the works of the law, without Christ. Now this natural disposition is confirmed and strengthened, partly by ignorance and security. Men do not know what is necessary to true righteousness: Rom. 10.3, 'Being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and going about to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to the righteousness of Christ.' They do not know what is necessary to the justifying of a soul in God's sight. None are so apt to rest in their own righteousness as those that have least reason - viz, persons ignorant and formal. The apostle Paul saith, Phil. 3.4, 'If any might have confidence in the flesh, much more I.' As those that have little learning will be showing of it on all occasions; so persons that do but regard the outside of religion, and practise formal duties, are most apt to rest in them. Why? For formal duties do not discover weakness, and so puff men up. Carnal men search little, and blind conscience is soon pacified; usually, men that are ignorant, and go on in a dead course without feeling defects and needing the supplies of heaven, they are most confident. So partly by natural pride and self-conceit. Man is a proud creature, and loth to be beholden to another. A russet coat patched of our own seems better than a silken garment that is borrowed. Our righteousness! What a poor, filthy, tattered thing it is! Yet our hearts run upon it more than on the righteousness of Christ, that is so excellent and glorious. We are loth to submit and yield to this borrowed righteousness. That is the reason why the apostle useth that expression, Rom, 10.3, 'They have not submitted to the righteousness of God.' it needs a great deal of submission and condescension to be content to be beholden to divine grace. Men would fain maintain the dignity of works, and are loth to stoop and sue in forma pauperis, to come as beggars to God; we would rather come as creditors, to challenge a debt which we suppose he oweth to us. And partly, it is confirmed and strengthened by natural ease and laziness. That which is our own costs no waiting. Paul saith, Phil. 3.8. 'I have suffered the loss of all things, that I might win Christ.' Ere Paul could be secured against his own fears, he ran through a great many hazards, he suffered much. We have not the comfort of Christ's righteousness, but after much waiting and prayer. But now, when we seek it in ourselves, blind conscience will take hold of anything. And partly too, because God doth follow such kind of men with prosperity in this world; therefore they think the Lord is well pleased with them, till the hour of death comes, then they find all to be but froth, and that no man is a loser by God. Outward religion bringeth outward blessing. Dogs have crumbs that fall from the table; they have the offals of mercy; therefore they that depend upon their own righteousness cannot say God is in their debt, for they have outward prosperity.
(2.) It is most incident to persons after first conviction. When conscience is first opened, men fetch their comfort from their own duties. The law leaves them wounded and low, and they lick themselves whole again by some offers and resolutions of obedience. Usually, observe it, carnal men are only sensible of, or careful about religion upon some gripes of conscience; they use duties as men do strongwaters in a pang. Nature is more prone to a sin-offering than to a thank-offering. Duties should be a thank-offering, and they make them a sin-offering. As in an outward case, when men have offended their superiors, for a while they become more pliant and obsequious, that they may redeem their fault by their after diligence, so it is here, when conscience comes and arrests men in the name of God, then men will run to duties till conscience be asleep again. Therefore it is good in all gripes of conscience, and whenever we come to settle our peace, to observe from whence you fetch your comfort, and how it grows upon you: Ps. 92.19, etc., 'In the midst of my sad thoughts, thy comforts delight my soul.' It is very sweet when a Christian can see he hath fetched his comfort from Christ and not merely from some out-ward observances and formal duties. Inquire how thou didst come to be satisfied with thy estate. Usually when conviction is not very deep, men blind and choke conscience with their own endeavours, and their resolution of growing better. When they are wounded with sin, then they are apt to run to self for a plaster.
(3.) After conversion the children of God are very subject to it, to lessen their esteem of Christ by overvaluing their own righteousness. As long as we live in the world we are apt to set up a righteousness of our own. When the apostle would give us a catalogue of sins, pride of life is last mentioned, because, when other sins are subdued, pride remains, it grows upon the ruin of other sins. Now of all the pieces of pride, this is the most dangerous, to pride ourselves in our own righteousness. The apostle Paul doth not only say, I count my righteousness, when a pharisee, loss: but now that I am a Christian, I yet 'account all things loss.' It is storied of Mr Fox, that he was wont to say he was more afraid of his graces than of his sins, as being in danger to be puffed up, lest they should tempt him to a self-confidence. Our Saviour prescribes it as a general rule, whenever we have done any-thing for God, he would still have us cherish thoughts of our own nothingness: Luke 13.10, 'When you have done all, say you are unprofitable servants;' herein I have merited nothing. And that possibly may be the reason, why the children of God, in the fairest view of their graces, do so solemnly disclaim their own righteousness; as 1 Cor. 4.4, the apostle Paul saith, 'I know nothing by myself, yet am I not thereby justified.' Paul knew no unfaithfulness and no negligence in himself in the work of the ministry, yet am 'I not justified for this before God.' When you have done your utmost, still run to grace, and make grace your claim: Neh. 13.22, 'I caused the Levites to sanctify themselves ; remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me, according to the greatness of thy mercy.' It was an excellent work, 'yet spare me,' saith he, 'according to the greatness of thy mercy.'

[2.] I shall show how dangerous it is to lean upon our own righteousness.
(1.) We shall not prize Jesus Christ; Christ is outed of the heart by the confidence that men have in their works. Because Paul disesteemed works and counted 'all things dung,' the more excellent did Jesus Christ seem to him - 'All is dung for the excellency of the knowledge of my Lord.' So, on the contrary, when men esteem works, they are sure to disesteem Christ. Now it is the highest profaneness in the world not to esteem Christ. It is not only profaneness to be drunk, commit adultery, or steal, but not to prize the Lord Jesus Christ. And when the apostle speaks of not prizing Christ, 1 Cor. 16.22, saith he, 'Let him be accursed till the Lord come;' and Heb. 12.15, 'Let there be no profane person, as was Esau, who despised the birthright' The birthright, it was a pledge of the grace we have by Christ, and therein lay Esau's profaneness, he did despise his spiritual privileges; therefore nothing is more dangerous than the conceit of our own righteousness.
(2.) It will certainly be a great loss to you, it will deprive you of many precious experiences. God is very tender of the trust of the creature; when men stand upon their own bottom, they turn the back upon their own mercies, they will soon grow dead and careless, and religion will not be carried on in such a sweet and sensible way, because grace is obstructed, for that you depend upon yourselves. But now by disclaiming works you will lose nothing, but you will gain Christ, and in him find comfort and grace. When once we are interested in the righteousness of Christ, then we shall have the proof and virtue of the Spirit of Christ for the mortifying of sin and quickening the soul to holiness: see Phil. 3.10, 'That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection.'
(3) Dependence upon our own righteousness, it will draw the heart to demure hypocrisy, by making men contented with an imperfect resemblance and dead picture of righteousness. There are none that trust more in works than those that are most defective in them. If we come to perform duties indeed, we cannot but be sensible of the weakness of them, and so we shall fly to mercy. None are so truly godly as those that cast their whole dependence upon grace; none perform duties with more care, and overlook them with more self-denial; none have greater care of duty, and lower thoughts of it when it is performed. Who more strict and laborious than Paul? yet all is nothing but dung and dog's meat. In the scheme of judgment, and at the last day. Mat. 25.37, when Christ saith to the sheep, 'Stand on my right hand, you have fed me,' etc., they say, 'Lord, when saw we thee an hungry, and fed thee? etc. They wondered that God should take notice of such worthless services. The goats were apt to plead for themselves, but the sheep admire at God's thoughts of their charity. Carnal men, when they are pressed to strict duties, they choke conscience with maxims of grace; but when they look for blessing, then they build upon works. Now the godly are quite contrary, they work as if there were no grace; and yet they expect all from grace, as if there were no works.
(4.) It will make the promise to be of no effect to you. All our comfort lies in the acceptance of the gospel, we are undone by the old law. Now when you depend upon works, you cut off yourselves from those hopes, and are obnoxious to the rigour of the law. God puts it to your choice at what court you will stand; will you plead at the tribunal of justice, or of grace? Rom. 11.6, 'If it be of works, it is no more of grace; and if of grace, it is no more of works.' Either it must be wholly of grace or wholly of works. So Gal. 3.18; if you build upon the law, you will evacuate and make void the promise to you. The covenant will not be mixed, no more than gold or clay, no tempering of these things. Gal. 5.2-4, those that would establish works, the apostle tells them they are 'fallen from grace,' are 'debtors to the whole law,' and that 'Christ profits them nothing.' God doth not love a patched righteousness. New cloth upon an old garment will make the rent worse. Your souls must be entirely carried out to the righteousness of Christ.
(5.) We shall best know the danger of self-dependence when wrath doth actually make pursuit after sinners, either in pangs of conscience, or in the hour of death, or at the day of judgment. Phil. 3.9, 'O that I might be found in him;' the expression 'found' implies that there is a time when God will search Jerusalem with candles. When wrath makes inquisition for sinners, oh, it is an excellent thing to be sheltered under the buckler of grace! Merit-mongers are best confuted by experience. Certainly, they that cry up works seldom look into their own conscience. However men may babble in the schools, yet when they come to plead with God, then they will see there is no claim will serve their turn but the righteousness of Christ. They may dispute with men such as themselves, but when they come to dispute with their own consciences in the agonies of death, then they will cry out it is best to lean upon the merit of Christ. Let a man plead with God, Give me not a crumb of mercy, unless I be found worthy; do not save and justify me, unless I deserve it. Yet, when conscience arrests men, and cites them before the tribunal of God, then they tremblingly fly to the horns of God's mercy, and to his free acceptation in Jesus Christ. Therefore this will be comfortable to you in the hour of death. You cannot have a better winding-sheet than to be wrapt up in Christ's righteousness; it is only that will bear you out.

[3.] To give some discoveries of the depending upon our own righteousness.
Because men are doctrinally right, and disclaim the opinion of merit and works, they do not discern this secret vein of guilt that runs throughout the soul. There are practical papists, as well as practical atheists. Thou shalt not be judged by thy naked opinion, but by the disposition of thine heart. A man may own grace in pretence, yet trust in himself all the while. Luke 18.9, compared with the 11th. verse. In the 9th verse it is said, 'Jesus spake this parable against those that trusted in themselves that they were righteous;' there he brings the instance of the Pharisee; yet in verse 11, he saith, 'God, I thank thee;' he talks of grace, of blessing God and owning God, but he was proud and puffed up by the conceit of his own righteousness, his secret confidence was built upon his own works. So Deut. 9.4. 'Say not in thine heart, this is for my righteousness.' Though we do not say it with the tongue, and plead for merit, yet there may be a saying in the heart; there is a language which God understands, in the secret dispositions of the soul. All thoughts are not explicite, and impressed upon the conscience; some are implicite, thoughts by interpretation. How shall we find this difference out?
(1.) When there is a secret blessing of ourselves in our performance of good duties, without humiliation for defects. The children of God, the more they do, the more they abhor themselves and hunger after Christ. It is a notable passage of Nehemiah, chap. 13.22. 'And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.' It was an excellent work he had done here, to put them upon sanctifying the sabbath, yet 'spare me.' When the children of God do anything worthy and excellent, they the more hunger after grace as having sensible experience of their own defects, whenever they come into God's presence. They have more cause to be humbled than lifted up, though carried on with much activity and life in a holy service. There is much weakness, much want of zeal, and want of affection or attention; therefore they have still cause to reflect even upon their holy things. But now, when there is no actual humiliation, when men perform duties, and grow more proud and conceited, their duties prove loss to them, not gain. This is one advantage we have by holy ordinances, to grow more vile in our own eyes. Nothing makes the children of God to abhor themselves so much as their duties, because there they converse with a holy God, and that puts them upon the remembrance of their defects, and there they discern the weakness of their graces. As we feel the lameness of the arm in labour and exercise, so in those spiritual exercises they discern the feebleness of their graces. Nay, there their corruptions are irritated, and make resistance, and therefore they come to see that their natures are full of sin and their services are full of weakness. And so they cry out with David, Ps. 143.2, 'Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord!' He doth not say with thy enemies, with unbelievers, but with 'thy servant.' Self-conceit then is a sure argument of self-dependence. When men think much of what they have done for God, and do not break out into actual humiliation, certainly it is a sign their hearts do run upon the merit of their actions. Secretly they say in their hearts, This is my righteousness, which is against the standing rule of Christ: Luke 17. 10, 'When you have done all you can, say you are unprofitable servants.'
(2.) When men grow vain and wanton after solemn duties, as if their former strictness should bear them out: Ezek. 13.33, 'He that trusts to his righteousness, and commits iniquity,' etc. Usually men that trust to their righteousness indulge themselves in vanity and sin with the more licence and boldness, as if one part of obedience would recompense and make amends for the defect of another. This is grossly done by carnal men; as the Jews hoped to repair their want of mercy, by the multitude of their sacrifices, as if that would make amends for their defect in the weighty things of the law, by tithing mint and cummin. It is true the children of God may be surprised, as good Josiah was, his breach with God was after he had prepared the temple, 2 Chron. 35.20, when he went out to fight against Necho, king of Egypt. Now suitably, and like to this, is when the indulgence goes before the duty; it is all one, only it is more carnal, as when men give up themselves to a greater liberty in sinning, out of pretence that their repentance shall make amends for all. As those in the primitive times that delayed their baptism, When I am baptized, I will leave off my vicious course of life; or, as men give up themselves to youthful follies upon a dream of a religious old age, and upon a pretence of a devout retirement and that hereafter they will sequester themselves from the world.
(3.) When men would have some worth in themselves before they come to God for mercy. He comes to God most worthy that comes most sensible of his unworthiness, Luke 18.9. Read the parable that Christ spake against those that were 'righteous in themselves;' the one would come to God with something of his own, the other would come as a beggar - 'God be merciful to me a sinner;' the one appeals to justice, the other to mercy. it is contrary to the gospel, however disguised it seems; it seems to be humility, yet indeed it is but pride. When men will not look after the comforts of the gospel because they are not worthy, this is contrary to the tenor of the gospel; for wherefore is Christ a Saviour, but for sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. It is but a humble pride when men would have some worth in themselves before they would come to God.
(4.) When men murmur if God doth not hear their prayers, and come in at their times and seasons: Isa. 58.3, 'Wherefore have we fasted, and thou regardest not?' When men will come and challenge God as if he were in debt to them, it is a sign their hearts secretly run upon their own righteousness. Murmuring is a fruit of merit. If God be not a debtor, why should we complain where nothing is due? Therefore the complainers speak perversely against the providence of God. It is a sign they think they have deserved better. Those that prescribe God ascribe too much to themselves. Proud hypocrites think God is beholden to them, that he is bound to hear them, therefore when they murmur if they have not what they expect. They entertain crosses with anger, and blessings with disdain. Mal.1.2, when God loved them, they count slight of his mercy and say, 'Wherein hast thou loved us? The children of God wonder why the Lord should show them any mercy at all; they wonder anything should be theirs but vengeance and punishment, since nothing is theirs but sin. 'What am I!' saith David, 2 Sam. 7.18. Whence is it that God should be so merciful and gracious to me? Nothing can be little to them, because they know their sins are so great and their deserts so small. And if God lay affliction upon them, they are humble and quiet, knowing it is but the fruit of their doings.
(5.) When men go on in a track of duty and outward observances, and never look after the interest of their persons, this is a sign they would be accepted for their works' sake, it is God's method to accept of the person before the work. And all that are God's are driven to take hold of the covenant, driven out of themselves to run to the hope that God hath set before them, as it is said of the heirs of promise, Heb. 6.18. There was never a man that belonged to God but one time or other he was driven to run to the covenant of grace; therefore when men never breathe out those desires to be found in Christ, it is a sign their hearts do secretly build upon their own righteousness.
(6.) If the person of Christ be not exceeding precious to your souls, and always kept in the eye of your faith and in the arms of your love, you have not a due sense of your own state and actions: Cant. 1.13, 'A bundle of myrrh is my beloved.' The children of God always keep up an esteem for Christ in their hearts, and strive to keep in the fire of love to their dearest Lord. Paul groans fearfully under the relics of sin, Rom. 7.22 but saith he, 'Blessed be God for Jesus Christ:' Your hearts will be breaking out in thanksgiving if you have a due sense of the nothingness of your own works.

[4.] For the helps and remedies to take you off from depending upon your own righteousness.
(1.) Meditate much upon the nature of God; it is such that his children are ashamed to appear in his presence. Job saith, chap. 42.5,6, 'I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.' Oh I consider, you have to do with a holy God, that can endure no imperfection because of the holiness of his nature, and that will not release his law because of the severity of his justice: Ps. 140.3, 'In thy sight shall no flesh living be justified.' Alas! we can scarce keep up a fair show before men; a discerning man may soon look through the veil of our profession, How shall we do to appear before the holy God? We need to have a better robe than our own if we would be comely in God's sight, for our 'righteousness is but as filthy rags.'
(2.) Extenuate no sin, for that will lessen your esteem of Jesus Christ. Have true and proper thoughts of the least sin. See how God hath been displeased with the lesser sins of his people: one passionate fit of anger kept Moses out of Canaan; Adam was thrown out of Paradise for eating an apple; and the angles of heaven for a thought of aspiring to God's greatness and majesty. Therefore extenuate no sin, and this will make Christ exceeding precious.
(3.) Consider the greatness of God's love, and the infiniteness of the reward that he hath provided for us. If we did oftener think of this we should be ashamed of our weak requital, and should run to the merit of Christ.
(4.) Remember that we have all from God. Whenever we have done anything with which the heart is apt to be tickled, remember how many considerations there are to humble you. In every holy service, if there be anything that is good in it, it is from God - 'Of thine own, O Lord, have we given thee.' Shall we be proud because we have received more from God than others? A servant that trades with his master's money doth but his duty, and deserves nothing. All we do in holy things, it is upon the expense and cost of divine grace.
(5.) Consider how much evil and weakness is in every service. Certainly that cannot merit glory that needs pardon itself. Though whatever we do in holy things be by divine grace, yet all that passes through our hands receives some soil and filth from our hearts like pure water that runs through a dirty channel.
(6.) Whatever we can do for God, it is due to him, so that the payment of new debts will not quit old scores.

Secondly, I come to work you off from dependence upon your own wisdom, a matter necessarily to be regarded in this argument. Christ had foretold his sufferings, and Peter, out of carnal wisdom, dissuadeth him from the cross, and suffering himself to be so used; and upon this occasion Christ saith, 'If any man will come after me, he must deny himself,' that is, he must not, with Peter, follow his own carnal reason and understanding, as if such kind of counsel and advice were best. Thereupon, in the 25th verse, as a help to self-denial, our Lord lays down a conclusion that is quite contradictory to the judgment of carnal sense - 'He that will save his life must lose it;' implying that we must have other thoughts, we are not to be guided by the judgment of our own sense and reason, but by maxims and principles of faith. Therefore we have that dissuasive, Prov. 3.5, 'Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not to thine own understanding;' where Solomon shows that dependence upon our own understanding and wisdom is wholly inconsistent with a trust in God.

In the managing of this argument -
1. I shall state the matter, how far we are to deny our own wisdom.
2. Show how hard and difficult a matter it is to bring men off from leaning upon their own understanding.
3. The signs whereby leaning to our own wisdom is discovered.
4. Dissuasives or reasons to take us off from such a dependence.
5. The directions that are proper in this case.

[I.] How far we are to deny our own wisdom. It concerns us both in doctrinals and practicals.
1. In doctrinals.
To wave such discourse as is controversial, I shall lay down two propositions.

1st. Reason must not be heard against scripture.
2d. Scripture cannot be understood or applied without the Spirit.

[1st] Reason must not be heard against scripture, or be set up as the highest judge in matters of religion; otherwise we shall soon shift off many of the chiefest principles and articles of faith, as the incarnation of Christ, the resurrection of the body, the mystery of the trinity, etc. Who, by his own wisdom, can see God veiled under the curtain of flesh, the root of the vine growing upon one of his own grapes? Who can see that life must be fetched out of death? or that one man must be healed by another's stripes? that the morsels of worms are parcels of the resurrection?
Therefore the first work of grace is to captivate the pride of our thoughts and our prejudices against religion: 2 Cor. 10.5. 'Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every high thought to the obedience of Christ;' captivating every high thought, the inward reasonings of the mind, to the obedience of Jesus Christ. There is an obedience of faith. Reason must be captivated to faith, though not to fancy; and if it be revealed, we must believe it, how absurd soever and unlikely it seems to nature. At first conversion our prejudices must strike sail to religion. When our Saviour speaks of the first conversion, he saith, Mat. 18.3, that 'whosoever receives the kingdom of God, he must receive it as a little child.' A little child believes as he is taught; so must we, as we are taught, - I mean by God, and not by men. You are never fit for heaven nor the understanding of heavenly things, till you have denied your own wisdom; that which is above reason cannot be comprehended by reason. All lights must keep their place. There are three lights - sense, reason, and faith. Sense, that is the light of beasts; reason, that is the, light of men; faith, that is the light of the church: all these must keep their place. To consult with nature in supernatural things is all one as if you should seek the judgment of reason among the beasts, and determine of human affairs by brutish instinct. If carnal men should but have liberty to let nature work, and set down a divinity of their own, what a goodly religion should we have in the world! A very comely chimera! For practicals, I am sure it would be large enough; natural conscience hates fetters and restraints. And in doctrinals it would be absurd enough; man can never take a right draught and image of God. We cannot empty the ocean with a cockleshell; so neither can we exhaust the divine perfections by the shallow discourse of our reason. The heathens that were most profound in the researches and inquiry of reason, they sate abrood, and thought of hatching of an excellent religion; but what was the issue? Rom. 1.22, Professing themselves wise, they became fools.' All that they produced was fables, and high strains of folly mixed with popular rites and customs. There are many things that are necessary to religion, which the very angels themselves could not know if it had not been revealed to them: Eph. 3.10, 'That to the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known, by the church, the manifold wisdom of God.' The way of salvation by Christ is such a mystery as that it could not have entered into the heart of any creature, no, not of an angel. If an angel had been to set down which way man should be saved; nay, if all the cherubim and seraphim, thrones, dominions, and powers, if they all had met together in a synod and council, it would have posed all the world and the united consultation of angels, to have found out such a way. Therefore in those things that are revealed we must believe God upon his word; we must believe above and without reason.

[2.] The scripture cannot be understood nor applied without the Spirit. A blind man cannot see the sun, though it shine ever so clearly; and so, till the inward light meet with the outward, we cannot apprehend God's mind—We shall be 'ever learning, and never come to the knowledge of the truth.' As the eunuch said to Philip, Acts 8.32, Philip saith to him, 'Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me.' Whenever you go to the word of God, you must not be your own interpreter; it must be interpreted by the same Spirit by which it was indited. It is very notable, when Christ himself was the preacher (and certainly none can interpret as Christ could), he expounded the scriptures. But it is said, Luke 24.45, 'Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scripture.' Christ, as an external minister, first opened the scriptures, and then, as the author of grace, he opened their understandings, without which they would have been veiled up in clouds and darkness. Mere flesh and blood are apt to stumble in God's plainest ways, and when we rest in the strength of our own reason we shall soon make a contrary and indiscreet use of truth: Hosea 14.9, 'Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? The ways of the Lord are right, the just shall walk in them; but the transgressor shall err therein.' The ways of the Lord become an occasion of ruin to the wicked; they shall undo themselves by their own apprehensions. Carnal reason turneth all to a carnal purpose; as the sea turneth the dews of heaven and the tribute of the rivers into salt water. But they are plain to them that are enlightened by a heavenly light. As the sun draws out a stench from carrion, and a sweet savour from flowers; or as the pillar of the cloud was 'light to the Israelites,' and 'darkness to the Egyptians;' so are the ways of God 'the savour of life unto life' to them that believe; but unto the other the 'savour of death unto death,' 2 Cor.2.16. So Solomon saith, Prov. 16.29, 'As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of a fool.' The Jews were wont to sew their garments with thorns; now when he would sew, he wounds and goreth himself, because his spirits are disturbed. Natural men may have literal knowledge, but they turn it to quite another purpose; it were easy to instance in many principles: 1 Cor. 7.29, 'The time is short,' saith the apostle, what is the use he makes? To be more strict—'Let them that have wives be as though they had none,' etc. There is his inference. Now compare it with 1 Cor. 15.37; the epicure draws another inference - ' The time is short.' What then? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die.' The apostle presseth strictness, and he presseth jollity. The commonest truth in practical divinity is a mystery, and it must be divinely understood.

(2.) As it holds in doctrinals. so also in practicals; there we are to cease from our own understanding.

1st. We must not take counsel of human and fleshly wisdom. Folly is bound up in the heart of a man, and it is the more dangerous because it goes under the disguise of wisdom; so that we think none are wise but those that are fleshly wise. Now the apostle saith, Rom. 8.7, 'The wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God.' An enemy may be reconciled, but enmity cannot. A vicious man may become virtuous, but vice cannot become virtue. Do but observe what a contradiction there is between the wisdom of the flesh and the wisdom of the Spirit. This saith, The way 'to be exalted, is to abase ourselves;' the way to become first is to be last; the way to be strong is to be weak; the way to live is to die; the way to be wise is to be a fool: 1 Cor. 3.18, 'He that would be wise must be a fool, that he may be wise;' that is, renounce his own wisdom that he may be taught of God. It is a high point of wisdom to be one of the world's fools, to take such a course as that the world counts us fools. To save life, we must lose it; so consequently of estate, and other appendages of life. That which the flesh would call saving, the Spirit calls losing ; that which the flesh would call wisdom, the Spirit calls folly. So on the contrary, the flesh is quit with the Spirit. That which the Spirit calls strictness, the flesh calls folly and preciseness; that it is cowardice and disgrace to love enemies and to put up with wrongs; and to pardon injuries a servility of spirit; and that charity is prodigality. As astronomers call the glorious stars by the names of lions and bears, the dragon's tail, etc; so carnal reason miscalls the graces of God's Spirit. To renounce present delights and advantages there is not a course more foolish in the eye of natural reason: 1 Cor. 2.14, 'The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' These things are folly to him; and our heart will be apt to say, when any begin to be strict, We shall have you turn fool now. Fervent zeal seemeth peevishness and frowardness, and strictness mere scrupulosity and niceness. To be severe and strict in religion, to do or suffer, or to quit visible conveniences for invisible rewards, to renounce interests, to mortify carnal affections, all this is folly in the judgment of sense: Isa.5.20, 21, 'Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put light for darkness, and darkness for light; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.' It is a strange perverseness to confound the names and nature of things. We would count him a madman that would call night day, and day night; yet so distorted and depraved is our reason. A man that is blind cannot distinguish between night and day; he may suppose it is night when it is day, yet he cannot take darkness itself for light. Now, what is the reason of all? It is rendered in the 21st verse, 'Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.' When men lean upon their own wisdom, they can expect to make no better judgment. Reason is not only blind, but mad; and therefore see who you make your counsellors. We shall never be good subjects to God as long as we give fleshly wisdom the hearing. Abraham, when he offered Isaac, did not acquaint Sarah, lest she should dissuade him; so in all cases of religion consult not with flesh and blood. Every sin hath a thousand shifts and fig-leaves. There is no sinner but he is like Solomon's sluggard, that is 'wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason,' Prov. 26.16. I confess in a doubtful case a man is to deliberate; but in the wisdom of the flesh interest hath the casting voice, rather than conscience and religion. Therefore take heed of making your bosom your oracle, and neglecting constant application to God for wisdom and direction in all cases, especially as to religion.

2d. We must not rest in our own private and sanctified light; how good soever it be, it must not puff us up and take off our dependence from God, though we have knowledge, wisdom, parts, and learning. It is a high contempt of God, when you make your bosom your oracle; you take his work out of his hands. Christ is the great counsellor, Isa.9.6. And we are to go to him for advice. It is God's prerogative, which he will not part with: Prov. 3.6, 'Acknowledge him in all thy ways, and then he shall guide thy path.' This keeps in the fire of religion, and maintains a commerce betwixt us and heaven, All nations that have been touched with the sense of a deity have granted a necessity of consulting with a divine power. The very pagans had their sibyls and oracles that they consulted with. And certainly the people of God dare not resolve upon any design till they have first asked counsel of God. Next to depending upon our own righteousness, this is the greatest evil. God is very jealous of the creature's trust; for trust is the acknowledgment of his sovereignty, and sets the crown upon his head: Judges 9.15, 'The bramble said unto the trees, If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow;' where trust is made an acknowledgment of sovereignty. Therefore if we would acknowledge God, we must make him our oracle and counsellor, and that in three cases.

[1st.] In the general choice of thy life, both for opinion and practice. David had made God his portion: Ps.16.6,7, 'The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night season;' as if he had said, Lord, if I had been left to the counsel of my own heart, I should have been as wicked a wretch as others are; I have as vile a heart, that doth as much delight in flesh and the pleasures of sin as any do. Oh, whither should I have gone? What would have been my course and way if the Lord had not given me counsel? How should I have been hardened in ways of sin and carnal pleasures! There are many who have more wisdom than I have, yet they have taken a wrong course, and are prejudiced against the ways of the Lord. Oh, blessed be God that I have received counsel in my reins: Ps.25.10, 'What man is he that feareth the Lord; him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.' They that think to be religious upon their own choice and wit prove stark fools, and are justly hardened by their own prejudices. It was the corrupt doctrine of the heathens. Quod vivamus, deorum munus est; quod bene vivamus, nostrum, Seneca saith, - That we live, we owe to the gods; that we live well, we owe it to ourselves. So Tully, Judicium hoc est omniumi mortalium, etc. - This is the judgment of all men, that prosperity is to be sought of God, but wisdom is to be taken from ourselves. This is to rob God, to enrich man; and that is the highest sacrilege, to rob God of his glory. God must not only give thee heaven, but he must give thee counsel. Thou mayst resolve and purpose, and yet still thou shalt be set back till God give thee direction. As a picture must be seen in its proper light, so the ways of God are never lovely till they are discerned by his own beam and light.

[2nd.] In the management of the whole spiritual life, still we need counsel and direction. Our own wisdom is an empty lamp; we shall soon stumble if we have not new counsel and direction from God. Mark the apostle's speech in 2 Thes. 2.5, 'The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patient waiting for Christ.' We know not how to exercise love, nor how to fix our patience, nor how to dispense the exercise of every grace in an orderly manner, without counsel from God. When a ship is rigged, yet it needs a pilot; so when the soul is furnished with grace, still we need direction how to exercise grace, otherwise religion will degenerate into a fondness and superstition, and patience will be turned into blockishness; zeal into an indiscreet heat, and constancy into humorous stiffness. There are many nice and critical cases in religion which we shall not understand without the continual direction of the Spirit. Let me instance in those rules: Eccles. 7.16-18, ' Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself overwise. Why shouldst thou destroy thyself? Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish. Why shouldst thou die before thy time? It is good that thou shouldst take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all.' How shall we know how to take the middle way, that we may neither hazard conscience nor endanger ourselves by a sullen and rigid obstinacy? God will direct us how to temper zeal with prudence - ' He that feareth God shall come out of them all.' Through false appearances and the weakness of grace we are apt to miscarry - ' Fear God,' that is, acknowledge him, and he will decide the case.

[3rd.] In all your particular actions and affairs self-wit is very confident and presumptuous, and we speak as if all were in our own hands: I will carry on this business, and thus and thus order my affairs. But alas! where we seem most wise we are most infatuated. Pharaoh was never such a fool in his life as when he said, 'Let us go wisely to work,' Exod. 1.10. God loves to confute men in their vain confidences; and when they lean to their own understanding, they seldom prove successful; for then we entrench upon God's prerogative, and God will have the creature know that all their actions are in his power, and the success depends upon his blessing. This is the bridle God hath on the world, the disposal of their affairs: Prov. 20.24, 'Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?' We cannot see the event of things in the course of our lives, what is expedient, and what not, therefore we must ask counsel of God. Man would fain work out his own happiness, and like a spider, climb up by a thread of his own weaving; but it is gone with a breath - ' The hope of the hypocrite is like a spider's web.' Men that will be their own carvers, they seldom carve out a good portion to themselves. God will have us daily to acknowledge the dominion of his providence, and live in a continual dependence, that so there may be a constant respect between us and him - ' Lord, teach me,' saith David, 'on thee do I wait all the day long:' Ps, 25.4, 'Show me thy way, O Lord; teach me thy paths.' David would not give over his dependence, no, not for a moment. Thus I have shown how far we should not lean upon our own understanding.

[2.] I shall show you how hard a matter it is to draw men off from dependence upon their own wisdom.
It is natural to us all, but especially it is incident to young christians, who are hugely given to dogmatise, because their notions, being hasty and fervorous, are accompanied with more confidence, though with less reason. They are peevish and obstinate in their sense, and none so humorously conceited of what they hold as they. It is incident also to men of great parts. Simple men that are not able to raise doubts and objections are more credulous - 'The simple believeth every word;' but these, that have such an high claim and title to the exercise of reason, are wont to scoff at matters of faith, to lose the reverence and respects of religion, at least are not so soon won to close with the simplicity of the gospel. But I say it is naturally incident to us all, and truly, hardly cured, for several reasons.
Partly, because the evil is so close and spiritual. Christians do not easily fall to open idolatry, to worship a stock and a stone, but they easily idolise their own understanding, and so their respects to God are intercepted, or but coldly rendered. We are not so sensible of the defects and weakness in the understanding as we are of distempers in the will. Distempers of the will are always accompanied with some combat and strife, by which they are exposed to the view and notice of conscience; but the distempers of the understanding are more silent, and when we are convinced of them, they seem more pardonable, because they do not work such disturbance as other sins do; it is a secret and sly evil. And partly, because a natural wit befriends carnal desires. There is a league and a conspiracy between the soul and the spirit, between the understanding and the carnal desires: Heb. 4.12, 'The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit;' it can dissolve the cursed league and conspiracy between a carnal understanding and a carnal heart. It is an easy matter to deceive him that will be deceived. We love our understanding, for there bad counsel hath more credit than the best and most sacred suggestions of the Holy Ghost. Our wit is forestalled by affection, so that we are willingly directed by the dictates of our own hearts, and it is troublesome to us so much as to suspect them. And partly through pride. Natural wit is very confident. It is no easy thing for a man to pluck the eyes out of his own head, and to give his hand to another to lead him which way he pleaseth. Man is loath to have the leading part of his soul to be debased. By our understandings we are distinguished from the beasts, and therefore we cannot endure to cease from resting in our own understanding and parts. That man is extremely proud of his understanding, appears by two sensible experiences or observations.

(1.) We rather would be accounted wicked than weak; sooner own a wickedness in morals than a weakness in intellectuals. In wickedness there seems to be somewhat of bravery and choice; we all affect the repute of wisdom: Job 11.12, 'Vain man would be accounted wise, though he be born as the wild ass's colt.' Though man be foolish and gross of conceit, yet he would fain be accounted wise: Gen. 3.5, 'Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.' Ever since the fall we catch at knowledge. The pharisees were mighty angry with our Saviour when he charged them with blindness: John 9.40, 'Are we blind also?' Will you say we are ignorant that are the great rabbis, and doctors of the people?

(2.) Another observation is, that errors are more touchy than vices. Men do with greater patience bear with declamations against sin than convictions of error, which may arise partly from this, because erroneous persons usually take up their errors out of interest, and men cannot. endure the voice of a hated truth. But chiefly, and the most universal reason, is our natural pride; men are conceited of the sufficiency of their understanding, and so become impatient when they are convinced of their mistake.

The signs whereby leaning to our own understanding is discovered.

(1.) When men are puffed up with a conceit of their knowledge, it is a sign they lean upon it. Why? For esteem and admiration is an inseparable evidence of trust. Therefore the scriptures that do dissuade us from leaning upon our own understanding, dissuade us also from being wise in our own eyes, or conceit: Rom. 12.6, 'Be not wise in thy own conceit;' and Prov. 3.7, 'Be not wise in thy own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil.' These two always go together, self-conceit and self-dependence: 1 Cor. 8.2, 'Knowledge puffeth up;' and, 'If any man thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing as he ought to know.' Our ignorance is never cured till we come to heaven; and it is a good progress in grace to be sensible of it. When men think they are above ordinances, they know as much as men can teach them for substance, they know nothing. It is a sign they have never waded into the depth of the scripture. Menedemus was wont to say of them that went to Athens to study the first year, he thought they were wise men; the second year, philosophers; the third year, orators that could talk of wisdom; the next year that they were plebeians, that they understood nothing but their own ignorance. Usually thus it is in growth in scriptural knowledge. Young christians are very opinionated, but when they look into the breadth of the commandment, then they see their own ignorance - that 'they know nothing.' This is the reason why the children of God have such a low opinion of their understandings. A man would wonder at their expressions: Prov. 30.2.3, 'Surely I am more brutish than any man, I have not the understanding of a man; I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.' The more he saw, the more he was acquainted with his ignorance; so that he durst not attribute any wisdom to himself. None are so sensible of their ignorance as those that abound in knowledge. Look, as when the sun appears, the light of the candle seemeth nothing; so when God comes and enlightens their mind, oh; what a brutish creature was I ! But now, self-admiring argues great confidence.

(2.) When men dare undertake anything without asking counsel from God: Prov. 3.6. 'In all thy ways acknowledge him.' We are not to lessen our dependence, no, not for a moment. Whenever you go forth in the strength of human counsel and reason, you do, as it were say, In this business I can do well enough without God. It is a great contempt to put upon God when in the things of the family, church, or commonwealth we do not seek him earnestly. Not only in doubtful and difficult cases, which are wholly above our strength and wit to decide, but in all your ways God must be sought and acknowledged. The prophet Jeremiah speaks as one that was sensible of his dependence: Jer. 10.23, 'Lord, 1 know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.' There should be such an actual sense and feeling upon the soul. So David said, Ps. 25.4, 'Show me thy ways, O Lord; on thee do I wait all the day.' A christian dares not to go into the study, shop, nor into the assembly or council, without God. Mr Greenham, when one came to ask his advice in a business, he answered, Friend, you and I have not prayed yet.

(3.) If thou wert never moved to bless God for making Christ to be wisdom. You know what the apostle saith, 1 Cor. 1.30, 'He is made to us of God wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.' I observe, many bless God because Christ was made redemption and sanctification, for natural conscience is sensible of the sad consequences of sin; but usually we lean upon our own understanding, we do not bless him for being made wisdom to us: John 14.6, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' Many may bless him for life, for the hopes of glory; but hast thou blessed him, because he hath been a prophet to teach thee? This is always the first work of grace, to convince us of our brutishness and folly - as Paul, when he was converted, was made blind - that we may prize Christ the more, that we may say to Christ, as Moses to Hobab, his father-in-law, Num. 10.31, 'Leave us not, I pray thee, that thou mayst be to us instead of eyes;' that thou mayst run to Christ for eye-salve: Rev. 3.17,18, 'Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thy eyes with eye-salve,' etc. When men are never convinced of their natural blindness, they do not prize Christ in all his offices; it is no small matter that he is a prophet to guide thee; the truth, as well as the way and the life.

(4.) When men cite God before the tribunal of their own reason, this is a sign that the word and counsel of God was never exalted in their judgments. In matters of faith, worship, and obedience, we are to fetch our light from the scripture. And we would set up an higher tribunal, and fetch all from our reason, and give laws to heaven. Usually men will dispute against the righteousness of God's decrees, the simplicity of his ordinances, the mysteries of faith : Rom. 9.20, 'Who art thou, O man, that disputest against God?' When men are apt to pick quarrels with religion, to cavil and snarl at God's ways, to dispute away duties rather than practise them, it is an ill sign. All the ways of God seem unjust and incredible to the carnal reason of men; they cannot believe how Christ should be God and man in one person; how it should be just that by one man's transgression all should be made sinners, and why God should elect some, and leave others in their corruption. Ah, foolish man! who art thou, that disputest against God? They cannot believe the same body shall rise again: suppose it be thrown into the sea, and eaten up by fishes, and those fishes devoured by men, and those men torn with wild beasts, they cannot see how it is possible God should restore to every body his own substance: Mat 22.17, 'Ye err, not knowing the scriptures, and the power of God:' the power of God showeth that it may be so; the scripture that it is so. There is the rule and ground of truth. So men will dispute against the simplicity of the ordinances: 2 Kings 5.11,12, 'Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?' They cannot see but reading at home may be as effectual as the public ministry. So they cannot see why men should pray, since God's decrees are past, and his decrees are unalterable; if he will, he may give mercy and salvation without their prayers; and if he will not, he cannot be won to it by their importunity. Who art thou, O man, that repliest against God?

(5.) When men despise the advice and help of other christians. The Lord will have us to profit by one another. He withdraws himself many times to this end and purpose, that we may be endeared one to another, as well as engaged to himself. Certainly the head cannot say, I have no need of the foot. As God would establish a dependence between himself and us, so he would establish a dependence between christians among themselves; therefore grace doth not only come from God, but we receive it in part through the means of the body: Col. 2.19, 'And not holding the head, from which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.' The admonitions of the weakest christian, they may be of great use to enkindle zeal, if not to better our knowledge; as a wisp of straw may enkindle a great block. Now when a man thinks his own wit sufficient, and that he need not be taught of any, it is an evil sign: Prov. 26.12, 'Seest thou a man wise in his own eyes, there is more hope of a fool than of him.' A fool will rather be counselled than one given to self-conceit. You cannot put wine, or any other liquor, into a blown bladder till the wind be voided, and the bladder rid of it, so here such puffed bladders are in a sad condition, can receive nothing, they can make no progress in grace.

In the next place I must join dissuasives and directions together. If you would cease from your own understanding -

(1.) Be sensible of the utter impotency of nature: 1 Cor. 2.14, 'The natural man understands not the things that are of God.' He is not only actually ignorant, but unable to conceive; not only through negligence, but weakness; not only will not, but cannot; there is a prejudice and positive enmity in the heart. The mind of man is not white paper, but it is prepossessed with carnal principles, atheism, unbelief, profaneness, libertinism. As the stomach that is ill-affected with choler casts up all the food it receiveth as soon as it is swallowed, so we reject all holy doctrine. Though we may like generalities, yet when we are pressed to practice, carnal reason will discover itself. We are apt to think ourselves angels, but we are but beasts: Eccles. 3.18, 'I said in my heart, concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.' Nay, after regeneration we have great cause still to suspect ourselves. There are two voices, flesh and spirit. And our wisdom that we have, is often enthralled, and made a prisoner to sinful passions and affections. Therefore when we go about any business, especially when we come to the word, we should never do it without lifting up our souls to God for the spirit of wisdom and revelation: Eph. 1.17,18, 'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.'

(2.) Consider the mischief of self-conceit, or dependence upon our own wisdom. Most men in the world are ruined by it; of Babylon is said, 'Thy understanding hath undone thee.' Who would choose him for a pilot that drowns every vessel that he governeth? it is as inconsistent with salvation, as trusting in wealth. It is true, the object is more excellent, but therefore the temptation is the more dangerous. Now, 'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God,' Mat. 19.24. Consider, what a great folly it is; Bis desipit, qui sibi sapit - He that is wise in his own eyes is twice a fool; a fool by having but a little knowledge, and by his great conceit of it.
And then it is the ground of all the creature's miscarriages. Apostasy from religion, whence comes it? From idolising self-wit, John 6.65. Christ had spoken something which they understood not, of eating his flesh - ' From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him,' because they could not fathom it by the line and plummet of their reason. It is the usual rise of heresy; then a man is ripe to breed monstrous opinions in the church. When men will have the mysteries of faith demonstrated by the law of reason, like a sick man who will not swallow his pills, but chew them; when he tastes the bitterness, he presently bringeth them up, and so loseth a wholesome remedy.
Then it is the ground of all corruption in life, the lust of covetousness, it is rooted upon self-conceit, Prov. 23.4. When Solomon dissuadeth from covetousness, 'Labour not to be rich,' then presently, 'Cease from thy own wisdom.' See how these two precepts are coupled, as if the Spirit of God should say, if you hearken to carnal wisdom, that will tell you of honour, great pleasure, and of flourishing in your family; that you shall want nothing; but be not wise in your own eyes, that will be a means to keep you from labouring to be rich, from prostituting your precious time, care, and strength, only to advance secular interests.

Thirdly, I come now to speak of dependence upon our spiritual strength, and grace received: Gal. 2.20, 'I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me,' where there is an abnegation of all his own strength with respect to the spiritual life. The work of the inferior agent is denied, that the supreme may have all the glory: not I, but Jesus Christ.

1. I shall show you the consequence and weight of this part of self-denial.
2. How far forth our spiritual strength is to be denied.
3. What are the signs whereby dependence upon our own strength may be discovered and found out.

[1.] For the consequence and weight of this: I shall show you in several considerations, that certainly this is a necessary part of self-denial.

(1.) Because dependence maintains the commerce between God and man; it is the ground of the creature's respect to God. A proud creature is loath to be beholden, to come out of itself, and to fetch all from another. We had rather keep the stock ourselves. When the prodigal had his portion in his own hands, away he goes from his father. We would be strangers to the throne of grace were it not that there were a continual dependence upon God for the supply of grace. Those two great duties of prayer and praise are built upon dependence. So that in effect the whole spiritual life is but a profession of our dependence upon God.

1st. To instance in prayer. If we did not depend upon God for daily receiving, the Lord would seldom hear from us. Most of the prayers in the apostle's writings are for a supply of grace: 2 Thes. 1.11, 'Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power;' and Eph. 3.14-17, 'I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with all might, by his Spirit in the inner man,' etc. This was the reason, why Paul prayed for others, and why the saints pray for themselves, that they may have new strength from God in the inward man. So Heb. 13.20, 'Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight.' This is the great cause of Christ's intercession, to maintain the life which we have received. God would oblige us to continual visits and intercourse with himself by keeping grace in his own hands.
2nd. For the duty of praise. Self loves to divide the glory with free grace; and truly, if we be not sensible of our dependence upon God, we shall never think of setting the crown upon grace's head. The saints that are kept humble, are also kept thankful; they see they can do nothing themselves, and therefore they come and give God the glory: Luke 19.16,' Thy pound' saith the faithful servant, 'hath gained ten pounds;' as if he had said, It was not my industry, but thy pound. This makes the children of God to come with ingenious acknowledgments - ' Not I,' said Paul, 'but Christ that liveth in me.' Alas! I do little in the spiritual life, it is Christ that doth all. I live, there is some concurrence; but mine is nothing to what Christ doth. So 1 Cor. 15.10, 'I laboured more than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.' They take off the crown from the head of self, and lay it at the feet of Christ. As Joab sent for David when he had conquered Rabbah, to take the honour of the victory; so when they have done anything through grace, they send for God to take the honour, They know whence their supplies come, and that makes them thankful.

(2.) It is a very great sin to rest in ourselves; it crosseth the very end of the covenant, and robs Christ of his free grace. In all God's dispensations to the creature, his aim is to magnify his own grace; and the great end of our being christians is to be to the 'praise of his glorious grace,' Eph. 1.12. When we come to heaven, it is a great question which we shall most admire, grace or glory. Certainly when our affections are wrought up to the pitch of the glorified estate, we shall value glory for grace's sake; for this is God's great end, that grace may have the glory. Therefore it is a necessary part of a christian's work, to keep his heart still sensible of his dependence upon grace; therefore self-sufficiency after grace received is a great sin. The more we rest in self, the more we rob grace. Carnal men, they are hardly sensible of foul and gross sins; but a christian is sensible of spiritual evils, and of these chiefly. When we humble ourselves for want of life and quickening, there may he something of hypocrisy in that; because quickening serves the pride of parts, and we would all discover gifts with applause. Now it is a sign of grace to be humbled for depending upon our own strength and endeavours, because we would not rob Christ of his chiefest honour and glory.

(3.) It is a sin not only foul in its nature, but severely punished by God. The saints have never so foully miscarried as by their self-confidence. Who would have thought that Lot who was pure and chaste in Sodom, should have committed incest in the mountain, when there was none but he and his own daughters? Though he avoided the filthiness of Sodom, where there was a multitude to draw him to evil, yet he fell foully when there was none but his own family. In the dreadful falls of God's children we may see that nature is but a sorry undertaker. No man knows how far his heart will carry him till it comes to the trial. Who would have thought that Peter's high resolution would end in curses and blasphemy, and denying of Christ? The man of God, that spake against the altar of Bethel, could deny the king's request, but could not deny the old prophet to turn back and eat; 1 Kings 13.8. compared with the 19th verse.; when grace had left him, then he falls. The prophet saith of Ephraim, that 'he was a cake not turned,' baked but of one side; for a great while we may stand fast; but when once we grow secure, we may sadly miscarry. Hezekiah knew how to be sick, but not how to be well. The Spirit of God will not flatter us in our vain confidences; when we proudly trust in ourselves, the Lord, to punish pride, will deny his assisting grace, and so we soon feel the disappointment of a trust misplaced. When God framed us and renewed us by grace, he doth still reserve a dominion over particular acts of grace. Grace is but a creature; if we rest in it, we may make grace an idol; it is not an independent thing, but dependeth in, esse, conservari et operari. There is a constant concurrence necessary to strengthen the habit as well as to produce the act, without which habits are dead and useless.

How far spiritual strength is to be denied. The question is needful, lest while we seek to establish devotion we lay a ground for laziness; therefore I shall show it in four propositions -

(1.) That there is somewhat in a christian which we may call spiritual strength;
(2.) That this strength is to be maintained and supported; and
(3.) To be drawn out in constant exercise; yet
(4.) Not to be rested in, for several reasons.

1st. There is somewhat in a christian which we may call spiritual strength. The familists say, That grace is Christ himself working in us, and that there are no habits of grace; that it is not we that repent and believe, but Christ. But certainly this is false and foolish; there is something poured out upon a christian: Zech. 12.10, 'I will pour out upon them a spirit of grace and supplication;' and there is something that remains in them, called the 'seed of God,' 1 John 3.9, which cannot be Christ or the Spirit, because it is called the new creature and the inward man, that is created after God. And a good treasure, that a christian hath of his own, a good stock God hath bestowed upon him: Mat. 12.53, 'A good man out of his good treasure,' etc. There is a stock of grace conveyed into the soul which may be increased; therefore we are said, 2 Peter 3.18, 'To grow in grace.' All which things are not compatible to the Spirit; nay plainly, the fruits of the Spirit, which are the created habits of grace, are distinguished from the Spirit himself: Gal. 5.22, 'Now the fruits of the Spirit are these, love, faith, gentleness,' etc; so 2 Tim. 1.5, 'The unfeigned faith that is in thee.' In regeneration there is introduced into the soul a stock of knowledge, a whole frame of grace, faith, and patience, and love, and hope, and these abide upon the heart. They are not transient operations of the Holy Ghost, nor the Holy Ghost himself, but such habits as abide still in the heart. Besides, if in acts of grace there were nothing but an operation of the Holy Ghost, and a man were a mere patient, then all our defects, and the faintness of our operation, were to be charged on the Spirit; as a ship is an innocent piece of timber, therefore the splitting thereof is not charged upon the ship, but the pilot.

2nd. This strength is with diligence to be maintained and supported; we are to be very careful that we do not waste our stock, and prove bankrupts with grace received. When we embezzle our habitual treasure, God is exceeding angry, and then he withdraws his actual influence. By gross sins we maim and distemper the new nature, and it is a long time ere it can be set right again. It cost David much labour and travail of soul to get a right spirit within him: Ps. 51, 'Lord create in me a clean heart;' it was a creating work. It must be constantly maintained, for we may easily embezzle and weaken it in a great measure.

3rd. It must be stirred up and improved to holy actions - ' A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things.' God hath given us a treasure to trade withal. Grace teacheth no man to be lazy. The doctrine of dependence on Christ doth not take us off from endeavours, but from resting in them. But you will say, What can we do with habitual grace, if there be not some predetermining influence? I answer -

[1st.] Some small power there is to an act, otherwise what difference were there between a regenerate and an unregenerate man, if a renewed man were totally disabled? The days of our unregeneracy are thus described, Rom. 5., 'Then were we without strength;' but certainly, when we are taken to grace, there is some kind of power; God's image is repaired in such persons; they have renewed faculties, Eph. 4.23. God hath given us gifts and abilities to work which are not altogether in vain; motion and operation followeth: Col. 2.6, 'As you have received Christ, so walk in him.' Something you may do by virtue of the new nature. Thou mayst call upon thy soul, and awaken it; it is thy work to quicken habitual grace, and to do what thou canst to bring it forth: 2 Tim. 1.6, 'Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee.' It is an allusion to the priest that kept in the fire of the altar; so we are to stir up ourselves as much as we can. Isa. 64.7, The Lord complains, 'There is none that stirs up himself.' As we are men, we have understanding and memory, and can revive truth upon the conscience in an outward and literal way; but as we are renewed men, so we have a sanctified understanding and memory, and that is more, and a greater advantage; so we may call upon the soul and stir it up, and grieve for deadness.

[2nd.] I answer, all the moral actions of the regenerate are commanded by God: though the principle of motion be but natural, yet we are under a command to be doing; want of predetermining grace will be no excuse. God may do what he will as to matter of assistance, but I must do what I am commanded in matter of duty. God is at liberty to act, but we are not; we are bound, but the Spirit is free. Therefore, putting forth the exercise of grace, being a moral thing, and that which falls under a command, we are obliged to it.

[3rd.] It is God's way to meet with his creatures in the midst of their endeavours: Rom. 8.26, 'The Spirit helpeth our infirmities.' Helpeth together - the word importeth such help as when another steppeth it, to sustain the burden that lieth too heavy upon us, When we wrestle and strive in a way of duty, God will come in with his assistance. - We know not the counsel of God; he may join with us, but we refuse his help and put it away if we act not. Up and be doing, and the Lord will be with thee. Within there must be a habit of grace; without, there is an assisting grace. We must be doing, and leave alone God with his own gracious work.

[4th.] This strength, though it must be improved and stirred up to action, yet it must not be rested in. When God frames the new creature, he doth not leave us as a clock to go of ourselves. God hath reserved the dominion over particular acts of grace to himself, that so he may keep the creature in a constant dependence. Not only the seed, but the tree; and not only the tree, but the fruit, dependeth upon grace. We are not only the planting of the Lord, grow in his courts, but our fruit is found in him: Hosea 14.8, 'In me is thy fruit found.' Grace is not only seen in renewing the faculty and strengthening the habit, but also in quickening it to bring forth fruit.
Because this is the matter in hand, I shall lay down several reasons and considerations to enforce it.

[1st.] Because though we are renewed, yet it is but in part. The maim of nature is not fully recovered till we come to heaven; we still halt of the old fall; our nature is not altered of a sudden, but still tasteth of the old leaven; there is a constant weakness while we are in the world. Many would flatter nature, and say of it as Christ said of the damsel, she is 'not dead, but sleepeth,' as if original corruption were not a deadly maim, but only a swoon and languishment. After grace is put into the heart, we still find that our graces are weak and feeble. The children of God complain, Gal. 5.17, 'The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.' We cannot act with such freedom and courage as we would in the holy life. So Paul, personating a regenerate man, saith, Rom. 7.18, 'To will is present, but how to perform that which is good, I find not.' The new nature may purpose and will, but we cannot perform a good work without a new concurrence.

[2nd.] Because the habit of grace is but a creature, it is not an independent thing, like the Spirit of God himself. If we rest in it, we may make grace an idol. There is need of the concurrence of grace, to strengthen the habit and produce the act, without which the habits will be but dead and useless. This is that the apostle intimates when he saith in 2 Thes. 1.11, 'We pray always that God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.' Grace is a creature, therefore depending, as all other creatures, upon God, and cannot stir or move without God. The apostle saith, Acts 17.18, 'That in him we live, and move, and have our being;' we are moved and acted by him, if God should but suspend his influence, the creature cannot move, nor stir a joint or arm. If God should but 'let loose his hand,' as it is expressed, Job 6.9, all creatures would fall into nothing. There is a providential assistance that is necessary to all created agents; as the fire could not burn the three children, though the property was not destroyed, but because God's influence was suspended; all things would fall into nothing if he should let loose his hand. I produce these things for demonstration; for in the exercise of every grace God doth not only work by a general concurrence, as a universal cause, but by special aid and assistance. Every act is from God, as the author of nature, and graciousness of the act is also from God, as the author of grace. There is a great deal of difference between the natural elevation of the faculty and the gracious exercise of it. As the apostle saith, 2 Cor. 3.5, 'Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.' As the apostle saith, 2 Cor. 3.5, 'Of ourselves we are not able to think a good thought.' We are so far from a good work that we cannot so much as think without an influence of providence. Nor can we think graciously without the influence of grace. Therefore to the resistance of any sin, or to the performance of any holy duty, there must be some concurrence from God. We cannot rest in any creature or created thing, but still look up to him as the independent cause that sends forth his influence. Nay, this holds in the very angels; grace is always necessary every moment to the angels, to prevent possible sins, and to stir up actual rejoicing in God; they had need of a continual influence from their creator, so have we.

[3rd.] Because of the several indispositions of the saints. We are always weak, but sometimes we lie more wind-bound and suspended than at other times, and are not able to move and stir. The children of God find a great many corruptions, a loathness and shyness of God's presence, especially after long guilt, and there needs a 'day of power to make them willing,' Ps. 110.3. So also they find deadness; when they have given content to the flesh, their hearts are apt to grow flat and dead, and they lose the savouriness of their spirits; therefore David begs for quickening: Ps. 119.37, 'Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way.' And sometimes they are in straits, they are bound up and suspended. The mind is like very tender part, soon offended and out of temper. Men, you know, are very seldom indisposed for bodily labour; but now the affairs of the christian life, being wholly spiritual, there will be much unfitness and distemper as to them; the soul will soon be indisposed.

[4th.] A fourth reason is the sovereignty of God, who keepeth grace in his own hand, and gives it out at pleasure, that he may make the creature beholden to him. God delights to have men and angels to be his debtors, and therefore he exerciseth all his dispensations to them with a liberty and freedom - 'He giveth the will and the deed, according to his good pleasure,' Phil. 2.3. He gives the power and the faculty, and the act; he suspends and enlargeth the acts of the understandings and affections of men according to his own pleasure. We cannot be masters of any one good act without grace. He will be master of his mercies, that he may keep the power in his own hands, that we might wait upon him by a humble and actual trust.

[5th.] The necessity of a continued influence from Christ. Grace is in his keeping: 2 Tim. 2.1. 'Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.' That grace which makes us to work strongly in duty, and with good effects it is in Christ not in ourselves: John 15.5, 'Without me you can do nothing;' separated from Christ, we can act nothing. Members divided from their head, they cannot live; so out of our mystical head we cannot live and act. There is not one individual act of grace but Christ is interested in it, as the soul is in the motion of every member. There must not only be a constant union, but a continual animation and influence: Phil. 4.13, 'I can do all things, through Christ that strengtheneth me,' not only hath strengthened, but strengtheneth by a constant influence. You saw Adam was an ill keeper of his best jewels; and because Christ is a good steward, he knows the value of spiritual privileges; therefore all is put in his keeping; it is put into safe hands, that we may be sure to find it when we have need. But you will say, If we can do nothing without Christ, what difference is there then between the state of nature and the state of grace? I answer, By grace we have new faculties, which have some small power, though we can be confident of little success. Before conversion we were wholly passive, there was no co-operation; but now we have renewed faculties, there is a sub-operation; we act as instruments, in the virtue of the principal agent; we have a will to close with the things of God, and an understanding to judge aright of them an moved by God; how we may carry out the work of God, and act as instruments in his hand, by virtue of the principal and supreme cause.

[6th.] Another consideration to press you to a continual dependence upon God in the exercise of your spiritual strength, is the sad experience of God's children whenever they have been left to themselves. I need not instance in the angels, which did 'excel in strength;' yet when left, they fell. I need not speak of Adam in innocency, how he fell when God left him, when he left him, I say, to the freedom of his own will. But let us speak of holy men of God that are under the same dispensation we are, the most holy and sanctified men of God: 2 Chron.32.31, it is said of Hezekiah that 'the Lord left him, that so he might know what was in his heart.' God will show us what we are in ourselves; if he should but suspend grace and spiritual influences but for a moment, what poor chaff are we before the blast of every temptation! As when a glass is shaken then the dregs appear, so it is with us. I now come to give you the signs.

[3.] The signs of depending on our spiritual strength.

(1.) If you would know whether you do so, observe the frame of the heart both before and after duty. (1.) Before duty, and every address to God whenever we come to worship, we should have actual thoughts of our own weakness. When we come to pray, Lord, we know not how to pray, how to act faith, and how to draw forth grace; we should still be 'poor in spirit,' that is a grace of constant use. But now, when men are full of parts and gifts, and think 'to go forth and shake themselves as at other times,' as it is said of Samson when his strength was gone; when we think to find the same savouriness and smartness of expression, God will make us see how much we are mistaken. Therefore when we have not actual thoughts of our own weakness when we come to perform any holy exercise, it is a sign we are too full of our own gifts and abilities. (2.) After the duty, art thou moved to bless God for the supplies of his grace, especially if gifts have been discovered with applause? Art thou able to say with David, 'Lord, of thine own have I given thee?' canst thou cast the crown at the feet of Christ? canst thou take all thy excellency, and lay it down at Christ's feet? If it be not thus with us, it is a sign we depend too much on our own strength.

(2) Another note is a confident presumption of the success of future actions and undertakings, without taking God along with us in our resolution. Thus Peter, he was a sad instance of leaning upon himself: Mat.26.74, 'Though all men should deny thee, yet I will not deny thee.' The confidence of the children of God is built upon the expectation of grace; and if God will undertake for them, then they can be confident of the success of their endeavours: Ps. 119.32, 'I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart.' Look to the ground, whether it be built upon thy own resolution, or the expectation of his grace.

(3.) When man dare venture upon occasions of sinning and temptations, certainly this is a great confidence, and it cannot proceed from divine grace, for God when he keeps us, he will keep us in his ways, not when we tempt his providence. Therefore when men can delight in carnal company, and put themselves upon such a snare, it is a sign they depend not upon God. For what is the fruit of depending upon God? avoiding all occasions of evil. Therefore when men dally with temptation, it is a sign they place confidence in their own strength,

(4.) Despising of ordinances. These are the pipes by which God conveys his influences to us, and by which the habits of grace are strengthened, by the power that goes out in them. There must be dependence upon God in the use of means if we would maintain grace: Luke18.8, 'Take heed what you hear, for to him that hath shall be given.' Attend upon ordinances. Why? for otherwise you will lose the flush of gifts which puff you up. Many despise hearing when they have got a little knowledge.

(5.) It is a sign of dependence upon ourselves when we contemptuously insult over others that are weaker than ourselves; for if we did acknowledge all to be from grace, how could we be proud? Who would dare to be proud of that which is but borrowed? Who could be proud because he is most in debt? If we have wore gifts than they, we are more obliged to God, and this keeps the hearth of God's people humbled: 1 Cor. 4.7, 'For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?' Thy merit is no more than theirs, and in thyself thou art as incapable of spiritual blessings as they are, and in holy duties thou canst do no more than they can; for what dost thou add to duty? Nothing but what will lessen the value of it; they can add corruptions and weakness of their own, so canst thou. The pharisee, you know, that condemned the publican, he speaks of grace in pretence - 'God be thanked, I am not as other men,' etc.; but because 'he despised others,' Christ spake that parable. When men are proud and confident of their own abilities, and despise others, there is a depending upon themselves; they have much cause of thankfulness, but none of pride.

Fourthly, I come to speak of the fourth head - viz., Dependence upon the supplies of the outward life. And -

1. To show that there is such a sin.
2. How evil and heinous it is, that it is capable of the highest aggravations.
3. What are the notes and evidences by which this secret vein of guilt may be traced and found out in the soul.
4. The proper cure and remedy.

1. That there is such a sin appears by the testimony of scripture, and by experience.

(1.) By the testimony of scripture, which is the best judge of the heart: Mark 10.23,24, 'And Jesus looked round about him, and said to his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!' Now because this seemed harsh unto the disciples, who were leavened with the conceit of a pompous Messiah, therefore, ver. 24, it is said, 'The disciples were astonished at his words. And Jesus answered and said, How hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!' Christ allays the wonder, it is not simply impossible for a rich person, a man that possesseth wealth, to be saved, poor Lazarus sleeps in the bosom of rich Abraham; there may be godly rich as well as godly poor; but it is impossible for them that 'trust in riches.' Our Lord shows how irreconcilable it is with the hope of salvation, as impossible as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. That place showeth that there is such a sin, a sin that we may easily commit when we have anything in the world. And because men think light of spiritual sins, that do not end in a gross and foul act, he showeth how irreconcilable it is with all hopes of salvation when it reigneth. So Job, when he doth protest his own innocency: Job 31.24, 'If I have made my gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence. If I have rejoiced because my wealth is great, and because my hand hath gotten much.' Job, to vindicate himself from hypocrisy, reckoneth up the usual sins of hypocrites, and among the rest this is one, To make gold our hope, and fine gold our confidence. He had before named extortion and oppression, and now carnal confidence. It is not enough that our wealth be not gotten by fraud, cozenage, and extortion; but we must not trust in it, nor make it our confidence, Luke12.15-21. The rich man is not charged, that he had gotten his goods wickedly, but that he had trusted in them - 'Soul, eat, drink, and be merry, thou hast goods laid up for many years.' Men think them to be the staff of their lives, and the stay of their posterity ; therefore it is said, 'The rich man's wealth is his tower,' as elsewhere it is said, ' The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.' A godly man thinks himself never safe till he be gotten within the verge of the covenant, till he be within the munition of the rocks that God hath provided for the safety of his soul. But the rich man, till he be walled and entrenched within his wealth, he never thinks he is safe and secured against all the changes and chances of this present life; and so God is laid aside, not 'the name of the Lord,' but his wealth is his 'strong tower.' Therefore is covetousness called idolatry, and a covetous person an idolater, Eph. 5.5. It is not so much because of his love to money, as because of his trust in money. The glutton loveth his gullet, and the gratifications of his appetite; he makes his 'belly his god,' but he doth not trust in his belly-cheer, thinks not to be protected by it, as the covetous person doth by his estate, and so becometh an idolater, making the 'creature his god.' The covetous man is an idolater, because he robs God of the chiefest respect the creature can show to him, which is confidence and trust; he thinks he is the better and safer, because of the abundance of his goods.

(2.) By experience, I shall prove first it is incident to all men, and that they are ensnared who are least sensible of it.

1st, it is incident to all men. Every man is naturally an idolater, and he makes the creature his god; few or none are free from this idolatry; we all stick to the creature too much. The rich, the poor, all sorts of men, may be comprised under this censure. The poor cannot be exempted, for those that have not wealth idolise it too much in fancy and conceit, they imagine what a happy thing it is to be in such a case - oh, had they wealth, this were enough to make them happy! and because they have not, therefore they trust in those that have it, which is idolatry upon idolatry; therefore it is said, Ps. 62.9, 'Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie;' therefore a lie, because they disappoint those that trust in them, to the wrong of God. To appearance, men of low degree can do little or nothing, but men of high degree are a lie. It supposeth a promise, and a breach of promise. Men of high degree tempt us to trust in them, and then they will surely prove a lie. The miscarriages of the poor are by a servile dependence on such as have not power to hurt or help them, if God will not; they are apt to say, I shall lose such a friend, hazard his frowns and displeasure, all their hopes are built upon his favour, so they come to displease God. But chiefly this sin is incident to the rich: Ps. 62.10, 'If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.' Usually, as our estate grows, so doth our confidence, the distemper is bred up in us by degrees. Great men, their minds are secretly and unawares enchanted with their estates, and delight in the fruition of them, and from thenceforward we begin to date our happiness, and so grow secure, and neglectful of God and holy things. Many that are in want despise wealth, and live in actual dependence upon the providence of God; but as soon as they begin to have somewhat of the creature, their hearts begin to value their estates, as if they could live alone, and without God, and then they are altogether intent about increasing their store, or keeping and retaining that which they have gotten. As Antigonus's soldier, who had a grievous disease upon him, yet fought valorously, but when cured, became as timorous as others, because then he began to prize his body; so when we are poor our hearts may be taken from the creature, but when riches increase, we begin to think that our 'mountain stands strong;' and that now we are secure against all the strokes and changes of providence.

2d. It is a secret sin that is found in those that are least sensible of it. We are blinded with foolish and gross conceits, and are apt to think that a man doth not make money his idol if he doth not pray and offer sacrifice to it, and adore his gold with outward ceremonies, as the heathens did their idols of gold and silver; whereas the sin is to be determined, non exhibitione ceremoniarum, sed oblatione concupiscentiarum, saith Gregory - not by formal rites of worship, but by the working of the heart towards it. Many carnal christians are idolaters in affection; though not by external rites of worship, yet in the inward workings of their heart. We smile at the vanity of the heathens that worshipped stocks and stones, and onions and garlic, and yet we do worse, though more spiritually; we worship the creature, and set it up instead of God. Though we do not actually say to gold, 'Thou art my confidence,' or use such gross language to riches as, You shall deliver me, or, I will put my trust in you; yet our hearts do secretly say so when we make it our main care to get or gain wealth, Therefore it is not enough that you break not out into such actual thoughts. Remember, there are implicit as well as explicit thoughts; this is the interpretation of our actions when we do not make God our portion, but trust in the abundance of our wealth; our hearts say so, Thou art our confidence, and we do not perceive it. Many declaim against the vanity of outward things, and yet their hearts secretly trust in them. There is a difference between speaking as an orator and acting as a Christian. Many may make it their common theme and common place; they grant the creature is vain, and wealth but an unstable possession, because they are in judgment convinced of the vanity of them. Men will say, We know well enough money is but refined earth, and we esteem as basely of it as others do; but their hearts work towards it, and they are loath to part with it. Their 'inward thought is that their houses shall endure for ever,' Ps. 49.12. This is not the fruit of habituated meditation, or mature deliberation, stilt money hath thy heart and trust, and thou thinkest thou canst not be happy without it. He that gives God good words is not said to trust in him; so he that gives the world bad words, that can speak contemptuously of the creature, yet he may trust in the creature all the while.

[2.] I will endeavour to show you the evil of the sin, and how great it is.

(1.) Job saith, chap. 31.24, it is a denying of God, to make gold his confidence. You take away God's honour, and wholly lay him aside. Do not flatter yourselves, a man cannot trust in God and riches too: Jonah 2.8, 'And they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.' You renounce God by trusting in wealth. The same altar will never serve God and Dagon; the Philistines could not bring it to pass, do what they could; nor will the same heart serve for God and the world, Now consider what dishonour this is to leave God for the creature; it is as if a woman should leave her husband, and dote upon her slave, or as if a fool should throw away his treasure, and fill his chest with coals; or take away his precious garments, and fill his wardrobe with dung.

(2.) And then it is idolatry, the setting up of another God. We first commit adultery, by diverting our love and esteem from the true God, and then we commit idolatry, by fixing our hope and expectation in the creature. Trust is only due to God. Now by trusting in worldly pelf you dethrone God, and put money in his place; therefore it is said, Col. 3.5, 'coveteousness which is idolatry;' and there is a parallel expression: Eph. 5.5,' Nor covetous man, who is an idolater.' Mammon is the idol, and the worldling the priest. The inward worship is esteem and trust, and the outward care and endeavour is to wallow in wealth. All their care is about their present accommodations, whereas a man's main care should be for heaven and grace, and for other things he should refer himself to God's allowance.

(3.) This must needs be a very great sin, for it is the ground of all miscarriage in practice. When men think they cannot be happy without money, they dare not obey God, for fear of offending mammon; they shall lose their wealth, which is their happiness: 1 John 5.3-5, 'For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus Christ is the son of God? It is notable, when the Spirit of God speaks of 'keeping the commandments,' he presently speaks of 'victory over the world.' What is the connexion and contexture between these two sentences? The world, that is the great hindrance of keeping the commandment; it hinders the soul from looking after heavenly things. It is impossible a man should fix his heart on things above, unless he be weaned from trust in the world. All our esteem of riches comes from the trust in them. If men were truly persuaded that all things were vain, they would make out after other satisfactions; but men think there is no want in their condition, therefore they neglect heaven.

(4.) It is the ground of all disquiet and discontent of mind. If a man would live a happy life, let him but seek a fit object for his trust, and he would be safe; we lose the equal poise of our spirits, because we bind up our life and happiness with the life and presence of the creature. David saith, Ps. 30.6,7, 'I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved, my mountain standeth strong. Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.' When once we begin to think of a strong mountain, and set up our hopes and heart here, it doth but make way for a great deal of trouble. A man shall never want trouble that misplaceth his trust; he will always be up and down as the creature is. Whereas a christian whose heart is fixed in God is like the nave and centre of a wheel, it is still in its own place and posture, though the wheel move up and down; such christians keep their spirits in an equal balance in all providences. A child of of God whose heart is fixed on God, though there be a great change made in his condition, he is where he was still; but a wicked man, his hope and comfort ebbs and flows with his estate; when his estate is gone, his confidence is gone. It is a sad thing to have our hopes fixed upon that which is subject to so many casualties, the waves, the wind, the fire, the wrath of man, the undermining of thieves, the unfaithfulness of a debtor. Certainly we shall never have peace till our confidence be rightly placed. Ps. 112.7, it is said of a godly man, 'He shall not be afraid of evil tidings.' Why? Because 'his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' Though there come messenger upon messenger, as to Job, one bringing him news of a bad debt, another of a loss at sea, another of an accident by fire, a tempest, an earthquake, or it may be of the violence of thieves, or robbers, he is not 'afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed,' trusting in God. As Job, he was equally poised and equally balanced in spirit, his joy doth not ebb and flow with the news that is brought to him. But now see the contrary in wicked men: Jer. 49.23, they have heard evil tidings, therefore their heart fainteth. The enemy was broken into the country, all their estate that lay upon the borders was lost, for of that the prophet speaks; this causeth faintness and trembling at the heart. It is a sad thing to put your joy and your contentment under the creature's power. Now till your trust be rightly placed, so it will be.

(3.] The third thing is, to give you the signs by which this confidence may be discovered. I will give you but three plain evidences:
by your care to get wealth;
by your thoughtfulness in the possession of it;
and by your grief for the losing of it.

(1.) By your carking care in getting an estate; when men cumber themselves with much business, and have confidence in the means, with neglect of God, it is a sign we think we cannot live without an estate. A man that is always getting crutches showeth that he cannot go alone. There is a lawful labour. Wealth may be sought for the necessaries of life, and for the exercise of good works; but when men make it their main aim to get an estate, it is a sign they place their happiness in it; they make it their chiefest good, and utmost end. Now because it is hard to distinguish honest labour from worldly care, you must examine it by the disproportion of your endeavours in spiritual and heavenly things. Our Saviour concludeth his parable against trusting in riches: Luke 12.21, 'So is he that heapeth up treasures to himself, and is not rich towards God.' Men make most provision for the world, and a little slender care serves for heaven. They have no care to provide suitably for their souls; all their endeavours are to leave their posterity an estate, but they are not so careful to see grace in their hearts. That which they desire is to see them well matched, well provided for, but are not troubled about their carnal or unregenerate estate. They can be contented with slight assurance in the matter of heaven, but all things seem too little to settle their estate upon earth. A little degree of sanctification serves the turn, but in the world they would still have more and more, join house to house, and field to field, not faith to faith, and virtue to virtue. They have a lean soul. and a fat estate: they suffer the lean kine to devour the fat - when they suffer worldly cares to eat up all their vigour and strength, which they should reserve for communion with God. Bernard saith, Felix domus ubi Martha queritur de Maria - Oh that is a blessed family where Martha can complain of Mary! Luke 10.40. She complains Mary was too much in spiritual things. But alas! it is usually quite contrary: Mary may complain of Martha - all our care and endeavours are spent in the world, and we content ourselves with some drowsy devotion towards God. When there is such a disproportion, this is a sign men had rather enjoy wealth than God. Heavenly things should have the first place, and our principal strength: Mat. 6.37, 'Seek first the kingdom of God;' but you are all for the fatness of an outward portion, neglect heavenly things, and are for that which would perpetuate your names on earth.

(2.) When in possessing wealth you look upon it as the surety and pledge of your happiness and felicity, you then place the chief stay and trust of your souls in the things of this life. When a man hath gotten an estate, then he grows proud, and drunk with temporal happiness, as if he were above fate, and all the changes to which the creatures are obnoxious; this is a sign men dote upon their wealth, amid make a god of it. Vain admiration always ends in vain expectation. We think we are above the control of providence, we have enough for us and ours: Luke 12.19, 'Soul, take thy ease, thou hast goods laid up for many years.' When God gives us an estate, we think we have enough to make ourselves and children happy. Oh, it is good to keep the heart sensible of the changes of providence every moment; and when we glitter most in the splendour of an outward estate, let us remember man at his best estate is but vanity. Many times we cannot roast that which we have got in hunting; God may blast all in an instant. But especially if this security put you upon injurious practices, when a man dares venture upon a sin in a confidence that his greatness and wealth shall bear him out. When men wax insolent to God; and proud and injurious to men, and all upon confidence of their present greatness, as if they were sufficiently secured and fenced against all changes whatsoever - when they grow fat and wanton against God and men, as Deut. 32.15, this is that the Spirit of God speaks against, Ps. 62.10, 'Trust not in oppression, be not vain in robbery;' when men care not what wrong they do to their inferiors because they are sure and safe, as if God could not bring them down, surely and certainly, and suddenly and wonderfully, by strange and unexpected means.

(3.) When we are loath to let them go upon just and convenient reasons. As suppose, if they be taken away by providence, men's hearts are so depressed as if all their happiness were gone. Job was otherwise; he had messenger upon messenger of evil tidings, yet blessed God. It was Gregory's observation, Sine dolore amisit, quia sine amore possidet; Job lost his estate without grief, because he possessed it without love and trust. His heart was not fixed upon his estate, therefore he parts with it most easily. Carnal men are troubled when their riches take wing, because they are their god. Their hearts are depressed beneath the heart of man, because their happiness is gone; as Micah said, 'Ye ask me what aileth me, when ye have taken away my gods.' Or else they are loath to let them go voluntarily, upon any good occasion. A carnal man, he holds his life by them, he cannot be happy without them; therefore he dares not dispose of them for holy uses, or for his own relief.

[4.] To give you the remedies and cures of this distemper.

(1.) God only can do it thoroughly, and to purpose. We read, Mark 10.23, that 'Jesus looked round about, and said unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!' and ver. 24, 'The disciples were astonished at his words.' But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, 'Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.' Then it is said, ver. 26, 'And they were astonished out of measure, and said, Who then can be saved? And Jesus said, With God all things are possible.' It is impossible to enter and trust; it is as impossible almost to have it and not to trust in it. This blessing then is to be sought of God with greater care and diligence; you should put up more frequent prayers for this grace than you do for wealth and life. To have a competent measure, and not to trust in it, it is a greater blessing than the greatest abundance in the world. Therefore let this be one of your constant prayers, 'Lord, let not my heart be set upon these things.'

(2.) Man must use endeavours, for we confute our prayers by idleness; for when a man doth not use the means, he shows his designs are not hearty. Now the means to attain this are these following -

1st. Frequent practices of charity: we should be as careful to employ wealth to charitable uses, as worldlings are to gather wealth: Luke 12.33, 'Sell that you have, and give alms. Provide for yourselves bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, and moth corrupteth not.' There is no remedy nor cure, but only in laying them out, and then they will be ours for ever. This is a real profession, you look upon all these things as vanity, and only useful as you have a further opportunity of service of doing good. There is no means to prevent the danger of trust and confidence, but a constant exercise of good works; these are the true riches. The way of destroying idols was by crumbling them to pieces. It is better to be a steward than a treasurer; to have them in our hands, that we may give them to others, than to have them in our hearts, that we may adore them ourselves; therefore while thou possessest them, it is not thou that art rich, but thy chest; but when thou distributest them, and art rich in good works, these are the riches that can never be lost.

2nd. Make but suppositions, and see how thou canst bear the loss of all things when but represented in conceit and imagination - If God should blast my estate, if such a friend should prove unfaithful, such a debtor defraud me. The church, Hab. 3.17,18, doth make a supposition - ' Though the fig-tree should not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine, and the labour of the olive should fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.' Suppose that God should send a dear year, and there should be scarcity in all things, what then? Can I comfort myself in these things? The fool in the Gospel durst not suppose what might fall out that night; it would discompose all his mirth to have thought of a sudden stroke that night, Luke 12.19,20. He dreams of many years. This would keep your souls in an equal poise, either to keep or forego an estate. Men do not acquaint their souls with suppositions of loss and danger, and so grow secure.

3rd. Meditate upon the vanity of the creature. Talk hardeneth and deludeth men, but meditation leaveth deep effects. There is a moral efficacy in constant and serious thoughts; the world puts fair titles on them, and calls them goods, treasure, and substance; but God calls it shadows, lies, running after shadows. How different are the notions of the word from those of the world; the word looks upon it as a vain shadow: Ps. 39.6, 'Surely every man walketh in a vain show, surely they are disquieted in vain;' the word shows they are not only vanity, but lies: Ps. 62.9, 'Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie.' The creatures lie by our own thought, they abuse us by our trust, and they will surely prove a lie. A man should not rest in any creature, unless he hath a mind to be deceived; now no man would be deceived. Nay, the scripture speaks of them as if they were nothing: Prov. 23.5, 'Wilt thou cast thine eyes upon that which is not?' In comparison of better things, they are rather said not to be than to be. And consider, riches take to themselves wings; the thief, the sea, the displeasure of the magistrate, the violence of the soldier, and our own unadvised words many times are wings to riches, that make them fly away from us; but the more enduring substance is in heaven, Heb. 10.34.

4th. Improve experiences to this end and purpose; it is a lesson God hath taught us now in these times. Men were never more greedy of the world, and God never more showed us the vanity thereof; the greatest men have proved a lie to their dependents; how many have experience of these things! They, and their fathers and grandfathers, have laid out all their wit, labour, and toil to get a great estate, and are deprived of it all in a moment, and now it is bestowed upon others. Thou hast known many great ones who are now no more thought of; either they are dead and gone, and others enjoy their places; or if alive, their flower is gone, they live like a neglected stalk. How often hath God stained all worldly glory, and the world will do so still; it will forget thee, as it hath forgotten many others. How many in these times have had heirs that they never thought of, those that have been strangers to their blood and family! Job 27.17, 'Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.' They may provide and heap up a great estate, and think now they and their families are ennobled for ever; but riches take wing, and God bestows them upon others that we never dreamed of.

5th. Lay up several gracious maxims and principles in the soul.

1. None ever trusted in the world, but they had cause to complain. Mammon's drudges have hard work, and worse hire and wages; as Jacob after he served seven years, and when be expected beautiful Rachel, he receives Leah. Riches will surely disappoint the trust you put in them; they promise contentment, but that promise is but a lie; they do but distract the head and heart with cares. They promise peace, plenty, and security, which they can never bring to you. They are called 'deceitful riches.' A man should not trust in any creature, unless he had a mind to be deceived. At death especially we shall see how the world hath beguiled us: Job 27.8, 'What is the hope of the hypocrite, when God shall take away his soul?' a sorry gain and purchase. When our service is ended, we see what kind of wages mammon giveth us in the day of wrath: Zeph. 1.18, 'Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath.' Justice will not be bribed with money, we cannot buy a pardon. Consider, if a man had taken a long voyage to the Indies, and had brought many commodities with him, and not one fit for the traffic of that place; just so it is here, we are bound for a city where gold and silver will make no traffic, thou canst not buy one hour for repentence. Consider how justly the saints and blessed angels may laugh at thee when thy foolish trust is disappointed - Lo, this is the man that trusted in his riches, and would not make the Lord his portion.
2. The more wealth, the more danger. In a net, when great fishes are taken, the lesser escape; so it is in public calamities, they that are the poorest, many times have the best portion. A tree that hath largeness and thickness, being loaden with boughs, provoketh others to lop it, or else it falleth by its own weight. Nebuchadnezzar, when he had forced Jerusalem, he carries away the princes and noble captains, but the poor were left in the land. Therefore never believe the world, it promiseth life, continuance, advancement of families, but no man can assure himself to hold his wealth one night; remember, you have to do with a cheater.
3. Thy estate, it is not thy life. Thy life and happiness is not bound up with thy estate; Luke 12.15, it lies not in abundance, but in the providence of God.
4. Remember, God is the author of all the wealth we enjoy. This will draw off the heart from the creature, that it may with more entire trust fix and fasten upon God himself. In want and distresses we see the creature is vain, but few will own this in abundance: Prov. 10.22, 'It is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich.' By what means soever thou hast thy estate; if it comes to thee by inheritance, yet it is God that gave it to thee; it is of God's grace, that a man was born of such rich friends, not of beggars. If thy estate comes by gift, remember, the hearts of men are in God's hands, and it is he that can make them able and willing. If thy estate comes by industry and skill, and diligence in thy calling, bless God that gives thee thy skill and success; many have not the skill, and many have not the success that have as great skill as thyself,

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