SERMON XVIII.

THAT IT IS A VERY SINFUL AND VAIN THING FOR ANY MAN SO TO GLORY IN HIS OWN WISDOM, STRENGTH, OR WEALTH, AS TO PLACE HIS TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN EITHER OR ALL OF THEM.

JER. ix. 23, 24.

Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judg ment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things. I delight, saith the Lord.

IT is generally agreed by the best interpreters, that my text hath reference to the preceding verses, even from the beginning of this chapter. Wherein the holy prophet predicts and foretells things so direful to God's people, and that with so feeling a sense of them, that he himself seems to have suffered little less in the prophecy, than they should in the event of it. He begins, verse 1, thus: O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! As if he had said, I think I can never grieve sufficiently for the dismal slaughter and destruction which I foresee will shortly befall the people of the Jews. My people, i. e. my dear countrymen, the people to whom God hath sent me, as his prophet, the people whom I affectionately love,

and whose welfare I wish as much as, yea, much more than mine own.

In the following verses he most elegantly and pathetically describes both the great sins of the Jews, the causes of God's judgments, and the judgments themselves that should come upon them for those sins; one while sadly reflecting on the one, and then with a no less passion of sorrow passing to the other.

And after all, as well knowing the obdurate and stubborn temper of the Jews, that they would be apt to slight even this dreadful prophecy of his, and fancy that they might escape the threatened destruction, either by their policy and cunning, or by their power and strength, or by their wealth and riches: he, or rather the divine Spirit in him, seasonably obviates and meets with this vain conceit of theirs in the words of my text: Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. As if he had said, This calamity which I predict, no wisdom of yours can prevent, no power or strength of yours shall be able to resist, nor are all your riches and treasures sufficient to redeem you from it; and therefore trust not in any or all of these, but make God your refuge, who only can save you from the evils threatened, or preserve you under them.

This is the connection of my text with what went before in this chapter. I shall now immediately be

take myself to the text itself; which I shall first carefully explain, and then raise my observations upon it.

And first for the explanation, Thus saith the Lord. A solemn preface of God's holy prophets to conciliate authority, and to excite the reverent attention of their hearers to what they are about to say; and it always leads the way to something of great weight and moment following, such as is the matter of my text. And accordingly let me bespeak, yea in the name of God command and challenge, the awful attention of all that hear me this day, from the greatest to the least; for it is not I say it, but Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, &c.

Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. By wisdom may be understood all that knowledge universally, which may seem any way perfective of the mind of man, besides the saving knowledge of God. But by the context we are led to that wisdom especially, which we call prudence, and hath respect to the actions and affairs of human life, and consists in a due contrivance and disposition of means, in order to the avoiding the evils we fear, and the attaining the good things we desire in this world.

Neither let the mighty man glory in his might. By might most interpreters understand bodily strength or valour. And accordingly the Chaldee paraphrast on my text brings the example of Solomon, the wisest of all men, falling from God's favour, to dissuade us from trusting in our own wisdom; the example of Samson, the strongest of men, to shew us the vanity

of bodily strength; and the instance of Ahab, the richest of the kings of Israel, to deter us from confiding in our wealth and riches; of which also Solomon, king both of Judah and Israel, was a greater instance.

And yet methinks the might here spoken of may be extended farther, even to all that power and interest whatsoever which a man hath, or is able to make in this world. Let a man be never so mighty and powerful, either in his own strength and valour, or in his friends and dependents on him, or otherwise, yet he is a fool, if he presumptuously glories in this his might and power, as if it could be his security and protection without the favour of God. What is meant by the rich man and riches I need not tell you. But what is it for a man to glory either in his wisdom, or in his might, or in his riches? In the Hebrew it is -, let him not praise himself. Which the Seventy translate as we do, μὴ καυχάσθω, let him not glory; though other where they themselves render the verb by the Greek ayaλλav, greatly to rejoice. The word undoubtedly signifies any mighty complacence, delight, and satisfaction in a thing. But here by the context it is confined to such a delight and satisfaction in a thing, as is accompanied with a trust and confidence in it as our greatest felicity, safety, and security. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, i, e. Let him not confide or depend on it, as that which will bear him out in the time of danger and distress; and so in the rest. But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me. Which words Grotius thus paraphraseth; " Let him trust on this,

"that he knoweth me, to wit, so as to express this "his knowledge of me in his life and actions"."

The

That I am the Lord, which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. Where Grotius again observes, that it is not said that he knoweth me according to my nature and essence; for so no man, in this life at least, can know God; but that he knoweth me which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness; i. e. according to those properties and attributes whereby I have made myself known to men in my word and works; such as lovingkindness and goodness, justice, and a perfect opórns, rectitude or righteousness, in all my dealings towards the sons of men. same Grotius farther notes it as remarkable, that it is added in the earth, to meet with the vain and wicked conceit of those who held that God's providence extends not to sublunary things, to things on earth, but is employed solely and wholly in the disposal of heavenly things above us; all things here below being left to the determination either of blind chance, or fatal necessity, arising from an inseparable chain of causes linked together in the first creation of things. In opposition to which impious imagination, God himself by his prophet assures us, that we are to know him as a God that exerciseth lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. Which the divine Psalmist also more fully and distinctly expresseth, Psalm cxiii. 5, 6. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth!

a In eo fidat quod me noverit, nimirum si et hoc factis ostendat. Ff

VOL. I.