CHA P. II. Wherein the first Doctrine is opened and proved briefly, as a preliminary Difcourfe to the principal Subject herein defigned. That many profeffors of religion are under very great and dangerous mistakes in their profeffions. A LL flattery is dangerous; self-flattery is more dangerous; but felf-flattery in the business of falvation, is the moft dangerous of all. To pretend to the good we know we have not, is grofs hypocrify; to perfuade ourselves of the good we have not, tho' we think we have it, is formal hypocrify; and this was the cafe of those self-deceivers in the text. My defign in this difcourfe is not to fhake the well-built hopes of any man, or beget groundless jealoufies, but to dif cover the real dangerous flaws in the foundation of many mens hopes for heaven: Every thing is as its foundation is, and debile fundamentum fallit opus; that failing, all fails. There is a twofold felf-fufpicion or fear in God's own people: The one is a fear of caution, awaking the foul to the ufe of all the preventive means for avoiding danger; this is laudable: The other a groundless fufpicion of reigning hypocrify, tending only to defpondency; this is culpable: By the former the foul is guarded againft danger; by the latter it is betrayed into needless trouble, and debarred from peace. Good men have fometimes more fear than they ought, and wicked men have less than they ought: The former do sometimes fhut their eyes against the fair evidences of their own graces; the latter fhut their eyes against the fad evidences of their fin and mifery. This is an evil in both, but not equally dangerous; for he that fhuts his eyes against his own graces and privileges, lofeth but his peace and comfort for a time; but he that shuts his eyes against the evidences of his fin and mifery, lofeth his precious foul to all eternity. Of this latter fort of felf-deceivers the world is full, and these are the men I am concerned with in this point.. Oh! that some men had less trouble! and, oh! that fome had more! If the foolish virgins had been lefs confident, they had certainly been more fafe, Matth. xxv. If thofe glorious profeffors in Matth. vii. 22. had not shut their eyes against their own hypocrify, Chrift had not shut against them the door of falvation and glory. Ananias and Sapphira; Hymeneus and Philetus; Alexander and Demas, with multitudes more of that fort, are the fad inftances and proofs of this point. It is faid, Prov. xxx. 12. "There is a generation that is pure in "their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthinefs." Through what falfe fpectacles do the men of that generation look upon their own fouls; the men of that generation are multiplied in this generation: Never was any age over-run with a generation of vain, felf-cozening, formal profeffors, as this generation is. Three things I fhall here endeavour to do: 1. To give evidence beyond contradiction to this fad truth, that among profeffors are found many felf-deceivers. (2.) To affign the true caufes and reasons why it is fo. And, (3.) Improve it in those practical inferences the point affords. SECT. II. HAT there are multitudes of such self-deceivers among THA 1. First, By this, that there are every where to be found more profeffors than converts; unregenerate profeffors, whose religion is but the effect of education. Chriftianity, by the favour of an early providence, was the first comer, it first befpoke them for itself; thefe are Chriftians of an human creation, rather born, than new-born, believers. Now all these are felf-deceived, and hasting to damnation, under the efficacy of a strong delufion; " for if a man think himself to be fome"thing when he his nothing, he deceiveth himself," faith the apoftle, Gal. vi. 3. Surely our birth-privilege, without the newbirth, is nothing, yea, worse than nothing, as to our last and great account: That which ftands for a great fum in our arithmetic, it is nothing, it is but a cypher you fee in God's, "Except a man be born again (fays the lips of truth) he cannot "fee the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. Poor felf-deceivers, ponder those words of Chrift; you have hitherto thought your civil education, your dead and heartlefs duties, enough to denominate you Chriftians before God; but, go now, and learn what that fcripture meaneth; and be affured you must experience another manner of conversi on, or else it is impoffible for you to escape eternal damna tion. 2. Secondly, It is too manifest by this, that many professors are only acquainted with the externals of religion; and all their duties are no more but a compliance of the outward man with the commands of God: This is the fuperficial religion which deceives and betrays multitudes into eternal misery. True religion feats itself in the inward man, and acts effec tually upon the vital powers, killing fin in the heart, and purging its defigns and delights from carnality and selfishness; en: gaging the heart for God; and fetting it as a bow in its full bent for him, in the approaches we make to him. But how little are many profeffors acquainted with these things? Alas! if this be all we have to ftand upon, how dangerous a ftation is it? What is external conformity, but an artificial imitation of that which only lives in the fouls of good inen? Thus was Jehu deceived; he did many acts of external obedience to God's command, "but Jehu took no, heed to walk in "the ways of the Lord God of Ifrael with all his heart," 2 Kings x. 31. And this was his overthrow. This alfo was the ruin of thofe formalifts, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. they came and fat before the Lord as his people: The word was to them as a lovely fong; mightily charmed with the modulation of the prophet's voice, and his lively gestures ; but all the while their hearts went after their covetoufnefs And what abundance of fuch pharifaical, fuperficial religion is every where to be found? 3. Thirdly, It appears by this, that every trial made by fufferings upon profeffors, blows away multitudes, like dry leaves in Autumn, by a ftormy wind; many fall from their own ftedfaftnefs in fhaking times; prosperity multiplies vain profeffors, and adverfity purges the church of them; "Then shall "many be offended," Matth. xxiv. 10. This the fcripture every where marks as a fymptom of hypo crify; Pfalm xxviii. 8. "A generation that fet not their "hearts aright, and whose spirit was not ftedfaft with God." 1 John ii. 19. "But they went out, that they might be made "manifeft, that they were not of us." Matth. xiii. 21. "For "when tribulation or perfecution arifeth because of the word, "by and by he is offended." But fhould one have told them in the days of their first profeffion, that all their zeal and labour in religion would have ended in this, it is like they would have 1 réplied as Hazael to the man of God, 2 Kings viii. 13. "But what, is thy fervant a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Quantum mutatus ab illo ? O how unlike is their dark and dirty evening to their glorious and hopeful morning! Thefe profeffors have more of the moon than of the fun, little light, lefs heat, but many changes: They decieve many, yea, they deceive themselves, but cannot deceive God. During the calm, what a flourish do they make? And with what gallantry do they fail? By and by you may hear horrendas tempeftates, and foon after you may fee flenda naufragia, a dreadful fhipwreck after a furious ftorm; and no wonder, for they wanted that do spryor, that 1 Pet. iii. 17. ballaft and establishment in themselves that would have kept them tight and ftable. 4. Fourthly, It is too apparent by this, that many profeffors fecretly indulge and shelter beloved lufts under the wings of their profeffion: This, like a worm at the root, will wither and kill them at laft, how fragrant foever they may feem to be for a feafon. Gideon had feventy fons, and one baftard; but that one bastard was the death of all his feventy fons. Some men have many excellent gifts, and perform multitudes of duties; but one fecret fin indulged and allowed, will destroy them all at laft. He that is partial as to the mortification of his fins, is undoubtedly hypocritical in his profeffion. If David's evidence was good for his integrity, furely fuch profeffors will never clear themselves of hypocrify. "I was alfo upright before him, and kept myself from mine iniquity,' faith he, Pfalm xviii. 23. This is the right eye, and right hand which every fincere Chriftian muft pluck out, and cut off, Matth. v. 29, 30. 86 Which is a metaphor from chirurgeons, whofe manner it is, when the whole is in danger by any part, to cut it off, ne pars fincera trahatur ; left all perish. Their fuppreffing fome lufts, raifeth their confidence; the indulging of one, razeth the foundation of their hopes; and thus they deceive themselves. 5. Fifthly, This alfo manifefts the felf-deceits of many profeffors, that the fecret duties of religion, or at least the secret intercourse of the foul with God in them, is a fecret hid from the knowledge and experience of many profeffors. To attend the ordinances of God in the feafons of them, they know; to pray in their families at the ftated hours there VOL. VII. of, they know; but to retire from all the world into their clo fets, and there to pour out their hearts before the Lord, they know not. To feel somewhat within, paining them like an empty hungry stomach, until they have eaten that hidden manna, that bread in fecret; I mean refreshed their fouls with real communion with the Lord there; this is a mystery locked up from the acquaintance of many that call themselves Chriftians; and yet this is made a characteristical note of a fincere Christian by Chrift himself, in Matth. vi. 6. O reader! if thy heart were right with God, and thou didst not cheat thyfelf with a vain profeffion, thou wouldst have frequent business with God, which thou wouldst be loath thy dearest friend, or the wife of thy bofom fhould be privy to: Non eft religio ubi omnia patent; religion doth not lay all open to the eyes of men. Obferved duties maintain our credit, but fecret duties maintain our life. It was the faying of an heathen about his fecret correspondency with his friends, what need the world be acquainted with it? Thou and I are theatre ⚫ enough to each other.' There are inclofed pleasures in religi on, which none but renewed fouls do feelingly understand. 6. Lastly, How many more profess religion in these days, than ever made religion their bufinefs! Philofophy tells us, there is a to pyov and a wapipyo", a main bufinefs ; and a by-bufinefs; the fame is found in religion alfo. There are that give themselves to the Lord," 2 Cor. viii. 5. whofe converfation, or trade, is in heaven, Phil. iii. 18. the end or scope of whofe life is Christ, Heb. xiii. 7, 8. who give religion the precedency both in time and affection, Pfalm v. 3. Rom. xii. 11. who are conftant and indefatigable in the work of the Lord, 1 Cor. xv. 58. And there are also that take up religion rather for oftentation than for an occupation, who never mind the duties of religion, but when they have nothing elfe to do; and when their outward man is engaged in the duties of it, yet their heart is not in it; they hear, they pray, de un e, as Chyryfoftome fpeaks, but their fouls, their thoughts, and minds are abroad. It is not their bufinefs to have fellowship with God in duties, to get their lufts mortified, their hearts tried, their fouls conformed to the image of God in holiness. They pray as if they prayed not, and hear as if they heard not; and if they feel no power in ordinances, no quickening in duties, it is no difappointment at all to them; for thefe |