3, Our Lord would teach us by his own example to cast all the honour we receive upon God. We may own goodness in creatures, but not to the wrong of God ; at least, all must be acknowledged to be transferred by him, and we must be faithful to the supreme giver. This is a common sin, that when God doth any good by the creatures, the minds of men stick in the creatures, and never look up to God, and from thence came idolatry first into the world. Therefore, to cure this evil, when we receive any praise and commendation, we should refer it to 'the Father of lights, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift,' James i. 17. The apostles, that did not set up a trade for themselves, but went abroad as factors for Christ, were very jealous of usurping divine honour. When Peter had made a lame man walk, Acts iii. 12, ' Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk ? ' He was loath that the glory of God should be hidden. So Acts xiv, 14, 15, when the men of Lystra would have worshipped them, ' They rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do you these things ? we also are men of like passions with you.' On the contrary, it cost Herod dear for owning the api)lauses of the people : Acts xii. 22, 23, ' The people gave a shout, saying. It is the voice of a god, and not of a man : and immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost/ The receiver is as bad as the robber, and therefore Herod was smitten for taking what the people ascribed to him. We should be very tender in this point, when good is done by us or ascribed to us, to refer all to God, who is the author of all that little good we do for him. This is the constant practice of humble and self-denying spirits : Luke xix. 16, he doth not say, ' my industry,' but ' thy pound hath gained ten pounds.' And when Paul had been much in labours, much in afflictions and mighty in spirit, he said, 1 Cor. xv. 10, ' By the grace of God I am what I am ; ' and ' not I, but the grace of God that was with me.' So Gal. ii. 20, ' I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.' As the heathens were wont solemnly to cast their crowns and garlands into their foun- tains, this is to crown the fountain of all our mercies. God's children, that
VeR. is.] SEEMONS upon mark X. 17-27, 423
are seen in tlie work, disappear in the praise, that Ijrod only may be acknowledged ; and therefore tliey are rather buffeted than pleased with their own praises. Look, as Joab when he had conquered Rabbah, sent for David to wear the honour of the conquest, 2 Sam. xii. 27, 28, so should we deal with God, cast all our crowns at his feet. If we do anything, let God have all the glory. Christ himself hath taught us so to do, ' Why call you me good ? there is none good but one, that is God.'
4. I suppose the chief reason was to beat down this pharisaical con- ceit. This young man was too highly conceited of his own and others' external goodness and righteousness before men, ' Good master, what good thing must I do ? ' not looking to the inward power of grace in the heart. The pharisees, whose leaven he was tainted with, had this conceit, as if men were of themselves good, and perfectly good ; and therefore, to teach him humility and self-annihilation, he takes this advantage from the compellation given him, to inform him that in proper speech God only is good, and that humility and brokenness of heart doth better become men than the conceit of their own goodness and righteousness and self-sufficiency ; and therefore, ' Wliy callest thou me good ? '
Secondly, I come to Christ's instruction of him, ' There is none good but one, that is God ; ' and there you have two propositions —
1. That in some sense there is no man good.
2. That God only is good. 'El fn) is ]-)ut not exceptively, as if God •were a man, but adversatively ; no man is good, but there is one good, that is God.
Doct. 1. There is no mere man that is absolutely and perfectly good. It will be needful to explain this. I shall do it negatively, and affir- matively.
First, For the negative part.
[1.] It is not to be so understood as if in no sense man were good, for it is said in Luke vi. 45, ' A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good.' Some degree and kind of goodness may be ascribed to men ; and it is said of Barnabas that he was ' a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost,' Acts xi. 24 ; and Joseph of Arimathea was said to be ' a good man and just,' Luke xxiii. 50. Therefore certainly in some sense a man may be said to be good.