(3.) It divideth the church by vain jangling about unnecessary things, and turneth all religion into a way of dispute ; for this pride and presuming above our measure is that which breedeth contention. When the weak will guide all, and they will sit judges in matters of religion, and mould churches, even those who are scarce gotten into any sense of the first principles or knowledge in the way of God ; when men presume beyond their skill, and confidently determine ; hence come offences, grieving their guides, censuring their fellow- brethren, scandalising the world. 0 brethren ! how much doth it deserve to be written over the doors of every place you meet, ' Be not wise in your own conceit.' Much of >the devil's work is done in the world by raw heady professors, who, having weak undei-standings and strong passions, will take upon them to rule all, till they undo all by their turbulency. And here is the mischief ; the nature of this ignor- ance is to be ignorant of itself ; as he that never saw the light kuoweth not what it is. There is a good deal of knowledge necessary to make men know their ignorance ; and therefore there is no way but to check the presumption as much as we can.
(4.) It hindereth serious godliness by an unprofitable misspence of time, and a needless distracting our thoughts, and a neglect of search- ing into things more necessary and useful for ourselves and others. The apostle telle tli. us, that ' he that dotetli about questions is proud,
VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXXXI. 431
and neglecteth the doctrine which is according to godliness,' 1 Tim. vi. 3, 4.
Use 1. To press you to take heed of this sort of pride ; not pressing into God's secrets, or going beyond our bounds, and the limits of our gifts and calling, or censuring his word and works.
1. Consider that it is the honour of God to hide a thing, that he may the more humble us. There are some truths in his word we know not the reasons of them ; we must accept them upon his revela- tion. We will allow parents to conceal the reasons and ends of many precepts from their children ; and princes have their arcana imperii, their mysteries of state. And why must you not allow this to God ? Prov. XXV. 2, ' It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.' Especially in his providence. There is a veil upon his proceedings : ' What I do thou knowest not now ; but hereafter thou shalt know,' saitli Christ to Peter, John xiii. 7. God's name is written both upon his word and works, and therefore they have somewhat in them that is incom- prehensible.
2. Many times the inconspicuousness of the reasons of providence is not from the object, but a defect in the faculty. Blind men think the sun is put out, when the web is upon their own eyes. Shall we pre- sumptuously censure the word and works of God who are blind and hasty ? Sometimes blinded by our passions and carnal prejudices ; our judgment is perverted by an indulgence to sense and carnal aflfections ; and while we examine God's providence by sense, we mistake it. Sometimes there may be order where we think is confusion, and beauty where we see nothing but rudeness, and love where we interpret hatred ; when Christ died, when Joseph was sent to prison, &c. The first lines in a picture or statue have no beauty in them. Suspend your judgment till the work be brought to an end: ' Judge nothing before the time,' 1 Cor. iv. 5.
3. What a monstrous arrogancy it is in us to sit as judges of God's word and works, and presumptuously to pass censures upon them ! This will appear if we consider either our baseness or the majesty of God.
[1.] Our baseness. We are but a handful of enlivened dust, poor worms that but lately started out of nothing, and shall soon be turned into dust again ; and shall we take upon us, and have such an opinion, that we should know the secrets of the king of kings, and must have an account of all his dealings ? As if every rustic should press into the cabinet of princes, and demand an account of all things they do in the administration of the kingdom. Will the eternal God bear it, that poor worms should inquire into all his secrets ?
[2.] The majesty of God. It is a despising of his majesty, and a strange pride, to call our Maker to an account, and know of him the reason of all his works, or else we will not be satisfied. Can we dis- pute with God, or comprehend the counsels of God ? ' His judgments are a great deep,' Ps. xxxvi. 16, ' And his ways past finding out,' Kom. xi. 33. Not according to our laws, but his own infinite wisdom. A cockleshell may as well contain the ocean as we fathom all the depths of God.
Use 2. In point of practice. We should not affect great things
432 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXXXI. [SeR. III.
in the world, or be unsatisfied with tliat degree and state of life wherein God hath placed us, and so aspire after greater. Now this is a token of humility.