(2.) AVhen men dare undertake anything without asking counsel from God: Prov. iii. 6, 'In all thy ways acknowledge him.' Wo are not to lessen our dependence, no, not for a moment. Whenever you go forth in the strength of human counsel and reason, you do, as it were, say, In this business I can do well enough without God. It is^ a great contempt to put upon God when in the things of the family,, church, or commonwealth we do not seek him earnestly. Not only ia
222 A TIIEATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK I,
doubtful and difficult cases, which are wholly above our strength and wit to decide, l)ut in all your ways God must be sought and acknow- ledged. The prophet Jeremiah speaks as one that was sensible of his dependence : Jer. x. 23, ' Lord, 1 know the way of man is not in him- self ; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.' Tiiere should be such an actual sense and feeling upon the soul. So David said, Ps. XXV. 4, ' Show me thy ways, 0 Lord ; on thee do I wait all the daJ^' A christian dares not to go into the study, shop, nor into the assembly or council, without God. Mr Greenham, when one came to ask his advice in a business, he answered, Friend, you and I have not prayed yet.
(3.) If thou wert never moved to bless God for making Christ to be wisdom. You know what the apostle saith, 1 Cor. i. 30, ' He is made to us of God wisdom, and rigliteousness, and sanctification, and redemp- tion.' I observe, many bless God because Christ was made redemption and sanctification, for natural conscience is sensible of the sad conse- quences of sin ; but usually we lean upon our own understanding, we do not bless him for being made wisdom to us : John xiv. 6, ' I am the way, the truth, and the life.' Many may bless him for life, for the hopes of glory ; but hast thou blessed him, because he hath been a prophet to teach thee ? This is always the first work of grace, to con- vince us of our brutishness and folly — as Paul, when he was converted, was made blind — that we may prize Christ the more, that we may say to Christ, as Moses to Hobab, his father-in-law. Num. x. 31, ' Leave us not, 1 pray thee, that thou mayst be to us instead of eyes ; ' that thou maystrun to Christ for eye-salve : Kev. iii. 17, 18, ' Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thy eyes with eye-salve/ &c. When men are never convinced of their natural blindness, they do not prize Christ in all his offices ; it is no small matter that he is a prophet to guide thee ; the truth, as well as the way and the life.
(4.) When men cite God before the tribunal of their own reason, this is a sign that the word and counsel of God was never exalted in their judgments. In matters of faith, Avorsliip, and obedience, we are to fetch our light from the scripture. And we would set up an highe)- tribunal, and fetch all from our reason, and give laws to heaven. Usuall}' men will dispute against the righteousness of God's decrees, the sim- plicity of his ordinances, the mysteries of faith : Kom. ix. 20, ' Who art thou, 0 man, that disputest against God ? ' When men are apt to pick quarrels with religion, to cavil and snarl at God's ways, to dis- pute away duties rather than practise them, it is an ill sign. All the ways of God seem unjust and incredible to the carnal reason of men.; they cannot believe how Christ should be God and man in one person ; how it should be just that by one man's transgression all should be made sinners, and why God should elect some, and leave others in their corruption. Ah, foolish man ! who art thou, that disputest against God ? They cannot believe the same body shall rise again ; suppose
DuOK I.] A tr!':atisk of self-denial. 22o
it be thrown into the sea, and eaten up by fishes, and those fishes de- voured by men, and those men torn with wild beasts, they cannot see how it is possible God should restore to every body his own substance : Mat. xxii. 17, ' Ye err, not knowing the scriptures, and the power of God : ' the power of God showeth that it may be so ; the scripture that it is so. There is the rule and g^round of truth. So men will dispute against the simplicity of the ordinances : 2 Kings v. 11, 12, * Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel ? ' They cannot see but reading at home may be as effectual as the public ministry. So they cannot see why men should pray, since God's decrees are past, and his decrees are unalterable; if he will, he may give mercy and salvation without their prayers; and if he will not, he cannot be won to it by their importunity. Who art thou, 0 man, that repliest against God ?