2. In the next place, take heed of a superficial righteousness ; for this is plain confidence in the flesh. This maketh you senseless and ignorant of your danger, and careless of the means of your recovery, and so your conviction and conversion is more difficult. And therefore Christ saith, that publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of God before pharisees and self-justiciaries, Mat. xxi. 31. No condition is more dangerous than to be poor and proud ; corrupt, and yet conceited and confident. The most vicious are sooner wrought upon than those that please themselves in external observances, without real internal lioliness or change of heart.
This is twofold : — 1. Outward ordinances. % Partial morality.
1. Outward ordinances : to rest in your attendance upon and use of these. Consider how displeased God was with those that submitted
54 A DESCRIPTION OF [PlIIL. III. 3.
to sacraments without reformation : 1 Cor. x. 1-5, * With many of them God was not well pleased, but they were overthrown in the wilderness.' Spiritual meat and spiritual drink could not keep them from destruction when they murmured, when they fell from Christ to idolatry, when they lusted after quails, when they tempted Christ ; and will he be more favourable to you r* Oh, rest not then in the outward use of the ordinances of Christ ! God may vouchsafe you this favour, and yet not be well pleased with you. Many that have eaten and drunk in his presence, yet are finally rejected for their sins, Luke xiii. '2G. Many prize the seal, yet tear the bond ; that is, break the covenant, yet seem to value the seal of the covenant, that they may have contidence in the flesh, in the bare external per- formance.
2. Partial morality: those that live fairly and plausibly, but want the true principle, the spirit of Christ ; the true rule, the word of God ; the true end, the glory of God ; that are in with one duty and out with another ; fail in their duties to God or men ; are much in worship, but defective in common righteousness ; love friends, but cannot forgive enemies ; it may be they w^ill forgive wrongs, but make no conscience of paying debts. Now there are two arguments against these : these neither understand the law nor the gospel ; not the law, its strictness, purity, and spiritual exactness ; nor the gospel, which offereth a remedy only to the penitent, those who are deeply affected with the pollution of their natures, the sins of their lives, and the con- sequent misery ; but those that are puffed up with a vain conceit of the goodness of their estate, without any brokenness of heart.
[1.] They are injurious to the law, as they curtail it and reduce it to the external work. Gal. iv. 20. Ye that desire to be under the law, hear what the law saith ; if you will stand to that covenant, do you know what it is ? The duty is impossible, Rom. viii. 3. The penalty is intolerable, for ' the law worketh wrath ;' and it is a law of sin and death to the fallen creature, Rom. viii. 2. The curse is very dreadful and terrible. Nothing more opposite to the law than this partial righteousness. The law, well understood, would humble them.
[2.] This resting in a partial external righteousness is also opposite to the gospel, which inviteth us in a broken-hearted manner to accept Christ. He came to call sinners, not those who are righteous in their own eyes, Mat. ix. 13. It is a remedy for lost sinners, not for them that need no repentance : Luke xv. 7, ' I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance.' Nothing is more opposite to the gospel than this confidence in the flesh. The woman that was a sinner was preferred before Simon a pharisee, Luke vii. 44; and the self-condemning publican before the self-justifying pharisee, Luke xviii. 13 ; the penitent adulteress before her accusers, John viii. The most despised sinners, repenting and believing in Chri.st, find more grace and place with him than those that satisfy themselves with some external conformities.
A second use is by way of examination. Are you of this temper, that you have no confidence in the flesh ? If you are : —
Phil. III. 3.] the true cikcumcision. 55
1. You are still kept liumble and thankful ; humble, with a sense of sin and deserved wrath ; confessing and forsaking your sins, and glorying in Christ only, you are kept vile in your own eyes, and in a humble admiration of grace : Luke vii. 47, ' Wherefore I say unto you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven her, for she loved much,' &c. She loved much, because much was forgiven. When God is pacified, yet you loathe yourselves : Ezek. xvi. 63, ' That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.' And you ascribe all to the mercy of God and the merit of Christ ; blessing God for him and imploring pardon for your best duties, our righteousness being but as filthy rags.