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There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes; and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

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[The eighth Sermon on this text.]

HE greateft ftep towards Heaven, is to step out of our own door, and over our own threshold; to go wholly out of ourfelves, and wholly in to Chrift. Inftead of going abroad, and out of ourfelves, by selfdenial, we naturally ftay at home, by felf-conceit and proud imagination of our own excellency: There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes; and yet is not wafhed from their filthiness.

It is idolatry to worship an holy angel, as well as a curfed devil. To make our virtues our God, is idolatry, as well as to make our belly our God: nay, it rather adds to the idolatry; because that is ufed to rob him of his glory, which fhould have brought him in the greatest revenew of glory. If a man boafts of his vices and fins, he pulls down the throne of God, and worfhips a devil: if a man boafts of his virtues and graces, he pulls down the throne of God with that wherewith he fhould build it up; and worfhips a golden image, a golden calf: yea, worships himfelf, while he trufts in his own beauty and purity. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes: and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

Having profecuted the two firft obfervations we took notice of from thefe words, we now proceed to the third propofition which we obferved from them, namely,

DocT. 3. That felf-conceit is incident to a multitude of profeffors.

Many, who are most impure, look upon themfelves

as pure; and labour under a fad a woful delufion, grofs and damnable mistake, about the state and cafe of their immortal fouls.

The method we lay down, for profecuting this observation, through divine affiftance, fhall be the following.

I. To prove and clear the truth of the doctrine.
II. Touch a little at the nature of self-conceit.
III. Enquire into the grounds, caufes, and fprings of it.
IV. Point out the evil of it, both in refpect of the
finfulness and danger of it.

V. Deduce fome inferences from the whole.

I. The first thing then to be effayed, is, To prove and clear the truth of the doctrine, viz. That felf-conceit is incident to a multitude of profeffors. This point is evident both from fcripture and experience.

1. It is clear from a multitude of fcriptures. Not only the words of the text, but many other fcripture paffages confirm it; fuch as, Ifa. lxv. 5. Which fay, Stand by thyself, come not near, for I am holier than thou. Chap. Iviii. 2, 3. They feek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteoufnefs, and forfook not the ordinances of their God: they ask of me the ordinance of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore bave we fafted, and thou feeft not? wherefore have we afflicted our foul, and thou takeft no knowledge? They were much in duty; much more than the generality of profeffors in our day but they had an high conceit of themselves and their duties. Self-conceit is felf-deceit : t; For, if a man think himself to be fomething, when he is nothing, be deceiveth himself, Gal. vi. 3.: or, he that conceiveth of himself highly, deceiveth himfelf greatly. How canst thou fay, I am not polluted, I have not gone af ter Baalim? See thy way in the valley; know what thou haft done, &c. Jer. ii. 23. Thy faid they were not polluted; and yet they are called to fee their way in the valley. It is obferved by the prophet Hofea, chap. viii. 2, 3. concerning Ifrael, that they cry, My God, we know thee; and yet they cast off the thing that is good. Why are you faying, My God, we know thee? You are all mifVOL. I. Kkk

taken,

41, faith God; you have neither part nor portion . me. If you confult the parable of the ten virgins, Matth. xxv. you will there fee, that the foolish virgins had an high profeflion, and very high pretenfions to religion: they entertained an high opinion of themselves and their lamps; though yet they had no oil in their veffels. Yea, it is told of many, Mat. vii. 22. that they fhall fay, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name caft out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? To whom Chrift will fay, I never knew you; depart from me. And here it is plainly implied, that they will expect to be rewarded with eternal bliss for the fame. We are cautioned to this purpofe; Let no man deceive himself: if any man among you feemeth to be wife in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wife, 1 Cor. iii. 18. If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know, chap. viii. 2. If any man think himself to be fomething, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself, Gal. vi. 3. which fuppofes that many think fomething of themselves, who yet are nothing, and are but cheating their own fouls; and of all deceit this is the most terrible.-In a word, we find a whole church labouring under this foulruining disease and distemper, namely, the church of Laodicea; Thou fayft, I am rich, aud increafed with goods, and have need of nothing; and knoweft not that thou art wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked, Rev. iii. 17.-Is it not plain from thefe fcriptures, that many look upon themselves to be pure, who yet were never washed from their filthiness? But,

All

2. Let us next compare thefe fcriptures with experience. We may fee this doctrine abundantly clear from experience. Are we not exceeding ready to judge ourfelves better than indeed we are? And to magnify ourfelves, our states, our virtues, above what they are? We act very differently in refpect of our good things, from what we act with refpect to our evil. As to our fins and evils, we have a trick of extenuation, that though our fins be exceeding many, yet we can, like the unjust steward, write down fifty instead of an hundred. Though our fins be great, we can leffen them.

But,

But, on the contrary, in our good things or grac whether real or fuppofed, we have a trick of aggravation to make them greater and more than they are; here we write an hundred for fifty. And here we have the art of multiplication. It is with many, as it was with Simon Magus; they deceive themselves, as he deceived the people of Samaria, Acts viii. 9, 10. He made them believe that he was fome great man; yea, that he was the great power of God: whereas, indeed, he was but a bafe forcerer; and one that wrought lying miracles by the power of Satan. So, many conceit themselves to be great men, to be the dear children of God, and that the power of Christ dwelleth in them; when, indeed, they are nothing but Satan's vaffals.

Is it not evident from experience, that many are dreaming that matters are well enough with them? They have a good heart, they think; and they truft in God, they fay; and hope to be faved as well as others, that seem to be more ftri&t.-Is it not evident from experience, that there are more proud profeffors than poor converts? And hence, in a day of trial, multitudes of profeffors apoftatife: they are offended at Chrift and his crofs; they fall off from the faith, like leaves from the trees, in the time of harvest. They had only an high pretence to devotion, and an high conceit of themfelves; but were never truly washed from their filthiness.

II. The fecond thing proposed was, To touch a little at the nature of this felf-conceit. Why, in general, "It is a falfe apprehenfion, whereby a man hath an "over-weaning and over-valueing of himfelf, and his "actions; judging of himself more highly than he "ought to do." This felf-conceit may be confidered, either as it takes place in the godly, who may apprehend themselves to be in a better condition than they are; or as it takes place in the wicked, who may judge themlves to be in a good condition, when yet they are in ad one.

It may be confidered, I fay, with refpect to the hey may imagine themselves better than indeed vhen they think their fmoaking flax is a blaz

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dame; when they look at their graces through a gnifying glafs, and think them great, when indeed .hey are but fmall. They may look upon their own graces, as parents upon their own children, and think them the fairest of all others: James and John seem to be thus affected, when Chrift tells them, Are ye able to drink of my cup, and to be baptized with my baptifm? Matth. xx. 22. Yea, fay they; We are able: While yet, alas! they were fcarce able to fee Chrift drink that cup; and therefore fled away when it was coming near. Thus Peter alfo feems to be too high minded, about his grace and strength, when he faid, Why cannot I follow thee now? Yea, Though all men forfake thee, yet will not I.

2. It may be confidered with refpect to the unregenerate, and all the wicked and ungodly, who judge themfelves to be in a good state, when indeed they are in a bad one. And here this self-conceit hath especially these two parts, or two things in it. 1. When men apprehend that they want that evil, which indeed they have. 2. When they imagine they have that good which indeed they

want.

:

[1] When men fuppofe that they want that evil, which indeed they have; or think they are not fo bad as indeed they are. Thus the Pharifee talks how free he is of common vices, Luke xviii. 11.; that he is not unjust, nor an extortioner and yet our Lord Jefus, who could not be deceived, charges that whole tribe with manifold enormities, Matth. xiii. 4,-39. Luke xi. 29, -44. and elsewhere; how they devoured widows houses, through colour of long prayers; by teaching their children to ftarve their own parents, to offer to the altar; which, in effect, was just to fill their purfe. Here was injuftice and extortion: and yet, because it was more covertly carried on, and not fo evident as that oʻ the publicans and common thieves; therefore they bl themselves, as if they had been no extortioners, n juft perfons. Thus many will free themselves of Why? Because they do not exceed in their and yet they may be fwelled with pride ar ceit; and difcover it in many other refr

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