The reasons may be referred to two heads. Our own way can never be right, either —
1. To please God ; or,
2. To do ourselves good.
1. Not to please God. This appears in that : —
[1.] God will not stand to our appointment. Nothing pleaseth him but what he hath required ; all other things he looketh upon as mere invention or imagination. Though man should be very zealous in his own way, with never so devout an intention, it is not acceptable. There is naturally implanted in the creature some desire to please God. Now, you will never do it in your duties, or in your lives, if your car- riage be not suitable to his rule : Micah vi. 7, 8, ' Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, and the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?' Here is a very liberal proposal. But what doth the prophet rejoin upon this? * He hath showed thee, 0 man, what is good ; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ? ' There is the trial what God hath required of us. He will not stand to the creatures' courtesy ; it is his prerogative to appoint what pleaseth him best. God hath been angry with things, though done with a good intention, if not according to what he hath showed. Uzzah's breach sets forth this : 2 Sam. vi. 7, ' God smote him for his error ; ' it is said there, for 'doing besides the rule.' So you may see in a case that concerneth conversation as well as worship : Rom. x. 2, it is said of the Jews, that ' they have a zeal of God, but not according to know- ledge.' They were very furious in it ; they had good intentions, but they did not understand God's way. A man may seem to have much zeal, and much scrupulous tenderness of doing good, and avoiding evil ; but it is such as is in his own fancy and apprehension, but not in God's law; he hateth it. The false teacheis had some seemingly strict ordinances: Col. ii. 21, 22, ' Touch not, taste not, handle not;' but they were the doctrines and commandments of men. Thus you see God will not like our way, though it should be never so strict, and accommodated with the advantage of many devout and pure intentions.
312 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 6.
A popish spirit may be very devout, but God regardeth it not, because it is not according to his appointment. A good intention cannot make the action good, but the conformity of it to the rule ; otherwise, those that sknv the apostles and crucified Christ pleased him ; many of them did it with a devout heart to that way which seemed right to them and they thought was pleasing to God : John xvi. 2, ' The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service.' They think this is well, and will please God. Usually that hath been the lot of the saints hitherto, to suffer under such rage as hath been rashly and unadvisedly conceived for God s sake. Ecdesia nunqitam magis passu est quam sub nomine ecdesicc. Therefore I say, God doth not look to the intention of a thing, but the conformity of it to the rule, and to his appointment, that he liketh ; otherwise that which is odious to him would seem right in our eyes.
[2.] Suppose God should commit it to ourselves, yet we should never do that which would please him. If God had left us no direction but the light of our own reason, we would never reach the right way, but there would be divers hindrances ; as —
(1st.) Ignorance. Natural men know not which way to go about it : they are described, Koni. i. 21, to be such as 'became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened,' A frivolous mind every man hath ; the word is SiaXo'yia/jiol(;, they are vain in their dis- courses and reasonings : they have very unsavoury apprehensions of the ways of God. It is spoken of the heathen there. And the like you shall see of the Jews, and of natural men within the church : Jer. iv. 22, ' For my people is foolish ; they have not known me, they are sottish children, and they have no understanding ; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.' Men of parts are sometimes extremely ignorant in point of duty towards God and man, and therefore certainly their own path must needs be a wrong way. Brethren, it signifies not what men in a notional way can discourse or argue concerning duty, for their foolish darkness will be discovered when it cometh to practice.
(2dly.) Their antipathy against anything that concerneth the ways of God. Our way must needs be seen, for our heart is exceeding averse to the will of God : Rom. viii. 7, ' The carnal mind is en- mity against God.' Mark, it is not only an enemy, but enmiUi. There is the si)irit of malice in it against all the ways of God. Therefore, God's ap[)ointments and carnal devices will never be brought together ; if you be wise to the flesh, you cannot be wise to duty. A carnal wise heart must needs err in its choice then. There is a disallowing of all that is good, and an approving of all that is naught: this is most suit- able to us. 8ee Isa. v. 20, ' Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil ; that put darkness for light, and liglit for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter,' The j)ropliet useth divers ex- pressions to set out that wicked disvalniug of the ways of God that is in all carnal hearts. They think all the comfort and sweetness is in their own ways of jolUty and excess, and for God's ways they look upon them as bitter and dark, such as will banish mirth and eat out all contentment, and fill the heart with sad fears and darkness. Oh, how are these men mistaken I