Use 1. Now, our proneness to it doth justify God's dealings in many things, as (1.) Why dotli God humble great ones irith great ajflictions? Wliy doth he humble great men, great and excellent Christians, with gi'eat falls ? That they might not trust in themselves ; no, not in their own present graces. God will not bring a man to salvation now by grace in himself to give him title to heaven. His graces must only be to help his evidence that he is not an hypocrite, and to give evidence to others, that others ' may see his good works,' &c.. Mat. v. 16. But if he come to trust in them once, to set them in Christ's stead, God will abase his pride by sufi'ering him to fall, that he may go out of himself, to be saved by Christ, and to seek for mercy in Christ.
(2.) And this is the reason why God in his providence doth great things by small means, without means, and against means sometimes. WTien he crosses and curses great means, it is that we might not ' trust in ourselves.' We are prone to self-confidence ; and because God will cure it, for we must not carry it to heaven with us, therefore he is forced to take this kind of dispensation.
Proud flesh will always devise something but that which it should do, to uphold itself withal. It will not be driven from all its holds ; God hath much ado to work it out from all its holds. If it have not wealth, it will have wit and policy ; or if it have not that, it will have civil life, and out- ward works to trust to, and to swell it with. But to come and give God the glory of salvation only by mercy, and to depend only on God, and to see an insufficiency in any thing we do, it can hardly be brought to pass. Insomuch that that article of justification by the obedience of Christ only, it is merely a spiritual thing, altogether transcending nature.
No marvel if we find such opposition from the Church of Eome, and all, unless it be the true church; they understand not the main article, of salva- tion only by mercy, because nature is so desperately prone to self-con- fidence.
Use 2. Let us take heed of false confidence in the things of this life, of confidence in any thing but God.
But to come to some trials. You will say, how shall we know whether we put over much confidence in them or no ?
(1.) It is an easy matter to know it. We trust them too much when we grow proud upon any thing, when our spirits are lifted up. ' Charge rich men that they be not high-minded,' 1 Tim. vi. 17, insinuating that they are in danger to be high-minded. * If riches increase, set not yom- hearts
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 9. 131
npon them,' saifch the Psalmist, Ps. Ixii. 10. There is great danger when the heart is set on them, and Hfted up, when men think themselves so much the better as they are greater. Indeed, if they weigh themselves in a civil balance it is so, but the corrupt nature of man goes further, and thinks a man intrinsically better, and more beloved of God for these things. It is a dangerous sign that we trust too much to them.
(2.) Again, ovennitch r/ric/, if ihci/ be taken airai/ any of them, or if ue be crossed in them. The grief in wanting betrays the love in enjoying. It is a sign that Job had gotten a great measure of self-denial, not to trust in himself or his riches, though he were a rich man, because when they were taken away, ' Blessed be God,' saith he, ' thou gavest them, and thou hast taken them away,' Job i. 21. He that can stand when his stay is taken from him, it is a sign he trusts not too much to his stay. He that is so weak that when his stay is taken away, down he falls, it is a sign he leans hard. Those that when these things are taken from them, when their friends are taken away, or their honours, or riches are taken away, yet they can support themselves out of di\'iner grounds, it is a sign they did not overmuch trust these things. Natm'e will work something, but overmuch grief betrays overmuch love always.
Again, which is but a branch of the other, we may know that we over- much set by them, hi/ frettinr/ to be crossed in any of these things. A man may know Ahithophel trusted too much to his policy and wit : when he was crossed he could not endure it. We see he made away himself for very shame, 2 Sam. xvii. 23. When a man is crossed in his wit and policy, Avhen he is crossed in those projects he hath laid ; when he is crossed in his preferment, or riches, or friends, then he is all amort,* he frets, which is more than grieving ; when he not only grieves, but with Ahithophel he goes to ill courses. It is a sign he trusted too much, and too basely to them before.
(3.) Again, when the enjoying of these things is joined tvith contempt and base esteem of others, it is a sign that we rest too much in them. There is more trust put to them than thej should bear. We should not, in the enjoying of honom% or riches, or pleasures, or any thing, think the meaner of others.