4. Building upon false evidences, or upon sandy foundations. A formal professor may go very far towards salvation. Temporaries may have awakening grace, much trouble about their condition ; as Ahab and Judas. So many are full of doubts and stinging fears, and
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make their case known, would fain be eased of their smart. They may have enlightening grace, Heb. vi. 7, more than many true Christians have ; Kom. ii. 18, have an ' approbation of the things that are excel- lent, being instructed out of the law ;' 2 Tim. ii. 5, ' having a form of godliness.' Grammatically and logically have a clearer understanding of the sense of words, the contexture and dependence of truths, be able to defend any sacred verity, and express their minds about it ; yea, some sense of Christ and heaven and glory ; yea, they may have affecting grace, be wonderfully taken with the glad tidings of the gospel; may have some taste of the grapes of the good land, may desire to die the ' death of the righteous,' Num. xxiii. 10 ; desire the ' bread of life,' John vi. 34 ; they may delight in holy things, Isa. lviii. 2, as Herod heard the word which John preached gladly, Mark vi. 20 ; the stony ground heard the word with joy. But they have not renewing grace, heart- transforming grace, sin-mortifying grace, nor world-conquering grace. Yet something like these they may have, something like transforming grace ; a change wrought in them, though not such as puts grace in sovereignty and dominion. As to sin-morti- fying grace, there are some conflicts with sin, and they may sacrifice some of their weaker lusts, yet the flesh is not crucified. As to world- conquering grace, they may profess long, hold out against a persecu- tion : 1 Cor. xiii. 1, ' If I should give my body to be burnt, and have not charity, it profiteth not.' Compare Acts xix. 33 with 2 Tim. ii. 10, and 2 Tim. iv. 14. Yea, they may keep some profession till death, have a good esteem among the people of God, and yet the heart never be thoroughly subdued to God.
Use 1. Oh ! then, ' let us not be high-minded, but fear,' Kom. xi. 20 ; and let all this that hath been spoken tend to weaken the security of the flesh, but not the joy of faith. Let it batter down all your false confidence and carnal security, by which you are apt to deceive your own souls, and make you build more surely for heaven. Consider —
1. God may see that which yourselves or men do not ; for he seeth not as man seeth. Others look upon appearance, you yourselves may be blinded with your own self-love, but God knoweth all things, seeth all things ; therefore, though thou hast a name, yet perhaps art dead, Eev. iii. 1 ; and though we ' know nothing by ourselves, yet we are not thereby justified/ 2 Cor. iv. 4.
2. How dreadful it is to know our error by the event rather than by a search ! The foolish virgins said to the wise, ' Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.' They began to see their defect when it was too late. The foolish builder, that built his house upon the sand, his building made as fair a show as any ; but it fell, ' and great was the fall of it.' So is the hope of the hypocrite when God cometh to take away his soul : then they will see and bewail their deceits of heart, but have no time to remedy them. Many think they have god- liness enough while they live, but when they come to die they will find it little enough, and all their false hopes will leave them ashamed.
3. We have need again and again to bring the grounds of our con- fidence into the sight and view of conscience, that we may be sure they will hold weight : Ps. xliv. 18, ' Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined thy way ;' 2 Cor. i. 12, ' This is our rejoicing.
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the testimony of our conscience.' At least, when you suspect your- selves, how do you make a shift to quiet your consciences ? Is it upon solid grounds, and such as will bear weight in the day of Christ? Many are strongly conceited of themselves, when there is little ground for it : Luke xiii. 24, ' Many shall seek to enter, but shall not be able;' Rev. iii. 17, ' Thou thoughtest that thou wert rich, and increased with goods, when thou art poor, and wretched, and blind, and naked.' In a poor case to meet the bridegroom, but they thought themselves in a happy condition.
Use 2. To excite you to this duty, take these considerations : —
1. Your cure is not fully wrought, you are not yet brought home to God : 1 Peter iii. 18, ' Christ also suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.'
2. To keep to your first beginnings, after a long time of growth, is to be babes still : Heb. v. 12-14, ' When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need to be taught the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat : for every one that useth milk, is unskilful in the word of right- eousness, for he is a babe ; but strong meat belongeth unto them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their sense exer- cised to discern good and evil.' A child, if he should continue a child and an infant still, is a monster.