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SERMON XV.

PROV. XXX. 12.

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 greatest step towards Ileaven, is to flep out of our own door, and over our own threshold ; to go wholly out of ourselves, and wholly in to Chrift. Inilead of going abroad, and out of ourselves, 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 washed from their filthinefs."

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; becaufe that is ufed to rob him of his glory, which fhould have brought him in the greatest revenue 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 worships a golden image, a golden calf: yea, worships himself, 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."

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Having profecuted the two firft obfervations we took notice of from these 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, a

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grofs and damnable miflake, about the state and cafe of their immortal fouls.

The method we lay down, for profecuting this obfervation, through divine afhitance, fhall be the following. I. To prove and clear the truth of the doctrine. II. Touch a little at the nature of felf-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 thyfelf, come not near, for I am holier than thou. Chap. lviii. 2, 3. They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forfook not the ordinances of their God: they afk of me the ordinance of jullice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have 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 themfelves and their duties. Self-conceit is felf-deceit; "For if a man think himfelf to be fomething, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself," Gal. vi. 3.: or, he that conceiveth of himself highly, deceiveth himfelf greatly. "How canft thou fay, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? See thy way in the valley; know what thou haft done," &c. Jer. ii. 23. They 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 caft off the thing that is good. Why are you faying, "My God, we know thee?" You are all miftaken, faith God; you have neither part nor portion in

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me. If you confult the parable of the ten virgins, Mat. xxv. you will there fee, that the foolish virgins had an· high profeffion, and very high pretenfions to religion : they entertained an high opinion of themfelves and their lamps; tho' 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 prophefied 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 blifs for the fame. We are cautioned to this purpofe; "Let no man deceive himfelf: 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 himfelf to be fomething, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself," Gal. vi. 3. All 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 foul-ruining difeafe and distemper, namely, the church of Laodicea; "Thou fayft, I am rich, and increased 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 themfelves to be pure, who yet were never washed from their filthinefs? But,

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 inftead of an hundred. Though our fins be great, we can leffen them.

But,

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But, on the contrary, in our good things or graces, 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 themfelves, as he deceived the people of Samaria, AЯs 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 themfelves to be great men, to be the dear children of God, and that the power of Chrift 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 feem to be more ftrict. Is it not evident from experience, that there are more proud profeffors than poor converts? And hence, in a day of trial, multitudes of professors 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 wafhed from their filthiness.

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II. The fecond thing propofed 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-valuing of himself, 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 themfelves to be in a good condition, when yet they are in a bad one.

1. It may be confidered, I fay, with refpect to the godly; they may imagine themselves better than indeed they are, when they think their fmoaking flax is a blazVOL. I.

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ing flame; when they look at their graces through a magnifying glafs, and think them great, when indeed they are but mall. They may look upon their own graces, as parents upon their own children, and think them the fairest of all others; James and John feem to be thus affected, when Chrift tells them, "Are ye able to drink of my cup, and to be baptized with my baptifm?" Mat. xx. 22. Yea, fay they, 66 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 firength, when he faid, Why cannot I follow thee now? Yea, Though all men forfake thee, yet will not I."

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

deed they want.

which in

[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 unjuft, 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 elfe where; how they devoured widows' houfes, through colour of long prayers; by teaching their children to ftarve their own parents, to offer to the altar; which, in effect, was juft to fill their purfe. Here was injuftice and extortion; and yet, because it was more covertly carried on, and not fo evident as that of the publicans and common thieves; therefore they bless themselves, as if they had been no extortioners, no unjuft perfons. Thus many will free themselves of pride: Why? Because they do not exceed in their apparel; and yet they may be fwelled with pride and felf-conceit; and difcover it in many other refpects. Thus

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