1. They cannot endure to be searched by the word : John iii, 20, 'Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.' Men will stand out as long as they can, in defence of their own righteousness, and are loath to be convinced and discovered to themselves, and to be seen what indeed they are, and that is the reason they cannot endure a reproving light, a searching ministry. But the word doth seize upon them by chance, as sometimes it will. Thus Felix, when Paul rubs his privy sore, dis- coursing of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, it sets him all in an agony : ' Felix trembled,' Acts xxiv. 25, What then? He puts it off to a more convenient season. When God ransacks the
VeR. 20.] SERMONS UPON MAIiK X. 17-27. 455
conscience by his word, they are not pleased with this, but seek diver- sions. Lusts quench and drown their convictions. The apostle James compares a careless liearer, chap. i. 23, 24, to ' a man beholding his natural face in a glass ; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of person he was.' Men content themselves with a slight transient glance, and are troubled for the l>resent ; they have but a weak impression wrought upon them, which is soon worn out. Or —
2. When God searcheth them by afEiction ; when they do not judge themselves, they are judged by the Lord. As Joseph's brethren, their consciences had slept many years securely in their sins, but God casts them down, and revives their thoughts ; they have many tremblings and workings of soul : Gen. xlii. 21, ' They said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us and we would not hear him, therefore is this evil come upon ns.^ Now how few are there that will hear the rod, or, if they be a little affected when the smart is upon them, they go away as heart-whole as ever, and when they are well, are as vain as ever, and do not profit by their troubles. Therefore, since there is so much ignorance of the legal and gospel covenant, so many sottish errors where- with men are prepossessed, so mucli self-love, negligence, and loathness to search, so much security, and not improving conditions when God searcheth, no wonder a man is so conceited of himself.
Use. Let us take heed of self-conceit and self-righteousness. Esi^eci- ally Lhis concerns you that have a civil and sober education, and are as to externals blameless. As you love your own souls, take heed of a self-righteousness. Though you do not run into the same excess of riot which others do, and are free from outward vice, yet God hath enough against you to condemn you for ever. Therefore study the covenants ; lay aside gross conceits of God and holiness ; take heed of being blinded with self-love ; search often and see what claim you have to heaven ; observe ordinances and providences, and improve your con- victions, that you may turn to the Lord ; else you may have a flatter- ing hope, but can have no solid peace in your consciences, till with brokenness of heart you quit your own righteousness, and fly to Christ alone.
And that you may not be besotted with a dream of your own righteousness, consider —
1. How light every one of us shall be found when we are put in the balance of the sanctuary : 'All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirits,' Prov. xvi. 2. Mark what is weighed, not 02ms, the matter of the action, but our work, with the motives, the principles, the ends of it, and the state of your hearts ; and it is weighed, it is put into the balance. God knows all things by number and weight.
2. Consider how different the judgment of God and men will be: Luke xvi. 15, * Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knows the heart ; for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God.' Mark, God may loathe it in the same degree that men respect it ; for these are the tei'ms propounded, ' highly esteemed among men,' and ' abomination in the sight of God.'
456 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. V.
Our rose may prove a nettle with him, our gold mere brass, and our spices very dung when God looks upon us.
3. Consider that self is an incompetent judge in its own case ; and therefore you, that are to endure God's judgment, should not stand merely to the judgment of self. If your own heart acquit you, you cannot rest upon that ; you can find no evil in the action, but God can : 1 Cor. iv. 4, ' For I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified ; but he that judgeth me is the Lord.' Alas ! though your heart cannot charge you with anything, yet God can ; and if your hearts condemn you, God may much more, for he knows us better than our- selves : 1 John iii. 20, ' For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.'