In short (that I may gather up the discourse), here was wanting Josiah's tenderness, who rent his clothes, and the other man's humility, and Paul's self-denial ; therefore certainly his answer shows that he was not truly acquainted either with the law or with himself. So that the note which 1 shall prosecute will be this —
Doct. That men are too apt to think well of themselves, or of their own goodness and righteousness before Grod.
Here is a young man drunk with a foolish confidence, and therefore boasteth that he had ever performed his duty. And to be sure he hath more fellows in the world, some that are as confident as he, but upon far less grounds. It is said of the scribe that came to Christ, Luke x. 29, ' But he willing to justify himself ; ' that is the temper and dis- position of man. So Rom. x. 3, ' For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.' So Rev. iii. 17, ' Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and stand in need of nothing, and knowest not tliat thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' Oh ! how apt are many to conceit of themselves beyond what they ought !
Object. But what is the cause that men are so apt to overrate their own righteousness and goodness before God ? I answer — Ignorance, error, self-love, negligence, and security.
First, Ignorance ; they are ignorant of the law, and of the gospel.
1. Ignorant of the law, of the spiritual meaning of the law. They think they are well enough if they refrain from outward gross sins, and su say, ' AH these have I kept,' because they keep it in an outward way ;
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as that pharisee, Luke xviii. 11, ' God, I thank thee I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.' Men please themselves in this, as if open and gross sinners were only liable to the wrath of God. Oh ! how natural is it to us to cut short the sense of the law, that which may suit it to our own practice and our own course of duty ! Ignorant persons think that no man is an idolater, or guilty of the breach of the first commandment, but he that doth grossly and. openly worshij) stocks and stones, and beasts and serpents ; and. none a murderer but he that hath killed a man ; none an adulterer but he that hath defiled his neighbour's bed ; none a thief but he that robs by the highway side, or that pilfers another's goods. They look to the gross and outward sense of the law, and not to the inward spiritual meaning thereof. The Lord Christ rebukes this ignor- ance, Mat. V. 22, and shows that rash anger and contumelious words are sins ; and he is a murderer not only that doth kill another, but he that breaks out into passion, that calls his ' brother, fool, he is in dan- ger of hell-fire ; ' that lustful glances are adultery ; that the law re- quires, not only an external conformity in manners and actions, but purity and righteousness in all our thoughts, internal motions, and. the affections of the heart. Therefore the poor ignorant, self-deceiving man, that triumphs over sin as if it were wholly dead in him, because it breaks not out into open wickedness and enormous offences, is wholly mistaken ; as Paul was alive without the law. Oh ! this man is foully mistaken, for he knows not the law aright ; for it doth not only com- mand some external duties, and forbid some of the grosser sins, but reacheth the heart ; it condemneth lust, evil concupiscence, and. inor- dinate motions and. stirrings, A man that keeps the law only out- wardly can no more be said to keep the law than he that hath under- taken to carry a tree, and only takes up a little piece of the bark,
2. They are ignorant of gospel righteousness, which consists in the remission of sins and imputation of Christ's righteousness applied by true faith. What is the reason men are so apt to overrate their own righteousness ? ' They are ignorant of the righteousness of God,' Eom. X. 3. They do not know the true plea in the gospel court, which is not innocency, but a broken-hearted confession of sin. That per- fection of personal obedience which the legal covenant requireth they acknowledge not ; and being ignorant of the second, they patch up a piece as well as they can of the duties of the law ill understood, that the ell may be no broader than the cloth. Ignorance then is one great cause of this disposition in men to justify themselves, ignorance of the legal and gospel covenant ; they are ignorant of the nature, merit, and influence of sin, and of the severity of God's justice.
Secondly, Another cause is error. They are leavened with sottish principles, and that disposeth them to a conceit of their own righteous- ness. I shall name several of them.
1. That they live in good order, and are of a civil harmless life, and are better than others, or better than themselves have been here- tofore, and therefore are in good condition before God ; and yet a man may be carnal for all this. I will take this principle asunder. Take the positive part : A man may live in good order, be of a civil and harmless life, and yet be destitute of grace and of the life of faith.