4. Take heed of scoffing and mocking at the word of God, and the serious counsel that is given you to reconcile yourselves to Jesus Christ. The chair of scorners is an eminent preferment in Satan's school : Ps. i. 1, ' Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scorn- ful.' I cannot say these are guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost, for scorners are invited to return : Prov. i. 22, 23, ' How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and the scorner delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge ? Turn you at my reproof ; behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you ; I will make known my words unto you.' We know not their measures of conviction, or that thorough evidence
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they have ; yet for any in the bosom of the church to do it, where Christ is professed and owned, is very dangerous. Oh, take heed, as you love your salvation, that you do not make a jest of religion, nor scoff at that doctrine which seeks to draw you to Christ, nor reproach the sanctifying work of the Spirit in any, because they desire to fear God and walk with him. Take heed of mocking at serious diligence as preciseness. Shall the image of God be made a scorn ? To scorn at godliness is to scorn at the Holy Ghost, whose office and work it is to sanctify. But this is not the unpardonable sin ; yet it comes very near that which is unpardonable, so that the thought thereof should humble all that are guilty, and make them fear so horrible a sin,
5. Take heed of presumptuous sins. It is a fearful advantage the devil gets by the wounds which wilful sins give the conscience. Every gross sin is not it, but when committed against knowledge and con- science, especially if we have time for deliberation and consideration of God's prohibition and displeasure.
Secondly, It serves by way of consolation, for such as fear they have committed this sin. Complaining christians have no reason to fear it. The nature of this sin is to harden the heart. They that are guilty of it despise our Lord Jesus Christ, but are not at all grieved to think that they have lost him. And therefore, if thou hast a value and esteem for him, and a desire of him, it is certain that thou hast not committed this great sin.
SERMONS UPON PSALM CXXXI.
SERMON L
Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty ; neither do I exer- cise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. — Ps. cxxxi. 1.
The purpose of David in this psalm is both to exhort and direct the people of God constantly and perpetually to place all their hopes and confidence in Grod. He exhorteth them to hope, and directeth them in the right way of hoping and trusting God. He doth both by pro- pounding his own example ; wherein —
First, He professeth his humility, and so denieth the opposite of this hope, and that is presumption and self-conceit, ver. 1.
Secondly, By declaring his submission and absolute resignation of himself to the will of God. Both together teach us this lesson —
Doct. That an holy humble heart, that is content to live at God's finding, can best trust in God.
It must needs be so —
1. Partly in regard of God ; for those that exalt themselves shall be humbled. He is a party against the proud: James iv. 6, 'He resisteth the proud,' avrndaaeTai. Pride crosseth God's design of abasing all flesh before him.
2. Partly in regard of trust. Pride and self-conceit are contrary to trust, to the very nature of it ; for it is an humble dependence upon God for all : Zeph. iii, 12, ' I will leave an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.' Whereas a proud spirit beareth up itself upon itself, its own merit and sufficiency. So if we seek great things for ourselves, and not refer ourselves to God, we set him a task to provide meat for our lusts. Therefore it is said, Heb. xiii. 5, ' Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.' Implying that the heart must be purged from covetousness, ambitious affectation, or aspiring after worldly greatness, before it is fit to meddle with promises.
Use. Therefore, if we would trust in God, we must be sensible of sin and impotency to help ourselves, and, however matters be, refer all to God, with an humble and quiet mind.
I begin, first, with his profession of humility. Therein I shall a
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little discourse — (1.) Of the exactness or integrity of it : (2.) The sincerity of it ; (3.) The lawfulness and usefulness of it.
First, The integrity and exactness of it. He did carefully beware of all pride in heart, gesture, and practice. For you may observe three degrees —
1. Pride is seated in the heart ; therefore he saitli, ' My heart is not haughty.'