Thirdly, Trusting in our own duties, and resting on our own right- eousness, and not on Christ's solely, is a close, secret, spiritual, dangerous, and unperceivable sin, which the nature of man is exceedingly prone unto, Isa. Iviii. 1 -3 ; Zech. vii. 5, 6. The pharisees were mightily given up to trust in their own righteousness, to rest on their own righteousness, and to boast and glory in their own righteousness. Mat. xxiii., Luke xviii.; and this proved their mortal disease, their damning sin. Trustino- in their own righteousness had so besotted and benumbed them, that they had no mind, no heart to open the gates of their souls, that the King of glory might enter in. And this was that which undid the Jews, Rom. X. 3, ' For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted them- selves to the righteousness of God.' And it is observable, the apostle useth an emphatical word of a Jew, Rom. il 17, 'Thou restest in the law,' iravacraii?!, thou art secure in the law, and in some admirable privilege and signal testimony, of God's love. This was Bernard's temptation, when being assisted in duty he could stroke his own head with Bene feeisti, Bernarde, O Bernard, this was gallantly done, now cheer up thyself !' It was the saying of a precious saint, that he was more afraid of his duties than of his sins, for the one made him often proud, and the other made him always humble. ^ It was good counsel Luther gave, Cavendum est non solum a peccatis, sed a bonis oj^erilus, we must take heed not only of our sins, but of our good works. Duties can never have too much diligence used about them, nor too little confidence placed in them. They are good helps, but bad saviours. It is necessary we do them, but it is dangerous to rely upon them. If the devil cannot dissuade us from performing religious duties, then his next work will be to persuade us all he can to rely upon them, to make saviours of them, because this will as much gratify Satan, and as certainly ruin our souls, as if we had wholly neglected them. 0 man ! thine own righteousness rested in, will as certainly and eternally undo thee as the greatest and foulest enormities. This soul-sickness is that spiritual idolatry that will undo thee, for thou makest thyself a saviour, and thy duties a saviour, and sayest of thy duties as they did of the golden calf, 'These are the gods that brought thee out of the land of Egypt." Open wickedness, open idolatrj', slays her thousands, but secret idolatry, a secret resting upon duties, slays her ten thousands. Multitudes bleed inward by this disease, and die for ever. Open profaneness is the broad dirty way that leads to hell, but religious duties rested in, is as sure a way, though a cleaner way to hell. Pi'ofane persons and formal professors shall meet at last
^ Look, as there is nothing more pleasing to Christ than the renouncing of all con- fidence in our own duties and righteousness ; so there is nothing more provoking to Christ, than the setting up of our own duties and righteousness. This is a secret impos- thume that kills thousands.
^ John Foxe the Martyrologist, as before. — G.
496 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. V.
in one hell. Ah, Christians ! don't make religious duties your money, lest you and your money perish together. The phoenix gathers sweet odoriferous sticks in Arabia together, and then blows them with her wino-s and burns with them ; so do many shining professors burn them- selves with their own duties and services. You know in Noah's flood, all that were not in the ark, though they clamb up the tallest trees, and the highest mountains and hills, yet were drowned : so let men climb up to the highest duties, yet if they be not housed in Christ, and in his righteousness, they will be as certainly damned, as the men in the old world were certainly drowned. Adam and all his posterity was to be saved by doing ; * Do this and live.' And hence it is natural to all the sons and daughters of Adam to rest on duties, and to look for life and happiness in a way of doing ; but if salvation were to be had by doing, what need of a Saviour ? Well, remember this once for all, such as rest on duties, such as rest on their own righteousness, or on anything on this side Christ, such shall find them as weak as the Assyrian, or as Jareb. They cannot heal them, they cannot cure them of their wounds. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb, yet could they not heal him, nor cure him of his wound, Hosea v. 13. Duties are to Satan as the ark of God was to the Philistines ; he trembles to see a soul diligent in the use of them, and yet not daring to rely on them but on Christ; but when he can draw poor souls to confide in their duties, and to rest on their duties, then he has his de- sio-n, then he claps his hands for joy, then he cries out. Ah ! ah ! so would I have it. There is no sin that doth so formally and immediately oppose Christ, and reject Christ, and provoke Christ, as this of resting upon self-righteousness ; and therefore above all, pray against this, and watch against this, and weep over this. There is no man in his wits that hath a precious lading, that will dare to adventure it in a cracked and broken vessel; so there is no Christian in his wits that will dare to adventure the everlasting safety of his soul upon the leaking vessels and bottoms of his own holiness or services. O sirs ! your duties cannot satisfy the justice of God ; they cannot satisfy the law of God ; your present duties cannot satisfy for your former sins and rents that be be- hind. A man that pays his rent honestly every year, does not thereby satisfy for the old rent not paid in ten or twenty years before. Thy new obedience, 0 Christian, is too weak to satisfy for old debts, and therefore roll thyself on Christ, and Christ alone, for life and for salva- sion. Bellarmine could say after all his disputes for relying on works, on saints and angels, Tutius est, &c} The safest way is to rely on Jesus Christ. Now, let all these things work you to renounce your own righteousness, and to take sanctuary alone in the pure, perfect, and most glorious righteousness of Jesus Christ, and in the free grace of God. Paul is called by one [Augustine] the best child of grace in the world ; for whatsoever he was, or had, or did, he ascribeth all to free grace, Eph. iii. 8; he was the chiefest of the apostles, and yet less than the least of all saints ; he was very eminent in grace, and yet what he
^ The authority for this is tho great cardinal's own treatise on ' Justification,' lib. v. cap. vii. After defending tlie Komish as against the Protestant Evanf^elical, he made til is remarkable concession : ' Propter incertiludinem proprice justitiai d pcriculum inanii ffloricB, tudssiniiim esse in sola misericordia Dei et benigniiate fiduciam suom reponere.' — G.