(4.) Especially, security shews that we trust too much in them, when we bless ourselves, I shall do well. ' Soul, soul, thou hast goods laid up for many years,' Luke xii. 19, saith the fool, and he was but a fool for it, to promise certainty for uncertainty. A man cannot stand in that which cannot stand itself. To promise life in a dying condition, to promise any thing in this world, when the very nature of them is uncertain, ' Thou fool,' saith the Scripture. If his soul had been so full of Mth as his bams were of corn, he would never have said, ' Soul, soul, take thy rest,' for these things ; but he would have trusted in God. It is a sign we trust too much to these things, when we secure ourselves all will be well, and bless ourselves, as the Scripture speaks.
;. (5.) Again, it is a sign we trust too much to these things, u'hen upon con- fidcnce of these thinys ire go to ill and un.warra)itahle courses, and tit ink to be borne out by these tltinys. As when the younger sort shall pour forth them- selves to vanity, and are careless of swearing and licentiousness, that they care not what to do, they shall live long enough to repent, &c. This is a diabolical trust, that God will give them no secm'ity in. So when men
* That is, ' spiritless,' ' inanimate.' This from Sihbes supplements excellently Richardson, sub voce. — G.
132 COMMENTAHY ON
that liavo riches will venture on bad causes, and think to carry it out with their purse, they trust in matter of oppression, and tliink to bear out the matter with their friends, or with tluar place, or with their wits ; this is false trust. ' Thy wisdom hath caused thee to rebel,' as the prophet saith concerning Babylon, Isa. xlvii. 10. They thought they had reaching heads, and so ventured upon I'cbellious courses. When any of these outward things draw us to unwarrantable, unjustifiable courses, it is a sign we plant too much confidence in them : and it is a sign, if we belong to God, that he intends to cross us in them. The very confidence in these things hath drawn many to ill courses, to do that that they should not do, as good Josiah, Hezekiah, David, and the rest.
Thus we see how we should examine ourselves, whether we tnist too much in these things or no.
Now, since we are thus prone to this false confidence, and since we may thus discern it ; if we discern it in ourselves, how shall we cm-e it ? That in the next doctrine: — That we viiyht not trust in ourselves. From whence observe,
Doct. It is a dangerous state to trust in ourselves.
This ill disposition, to trust in ourselves, or anything out of ourselves, but only in God, in whom we should trust, it is dangerous. For a man may reason thus from the text : That which God is forced to take such des- perate courses for, as to bring such an excellent man as St Paul to such extremity, and all that he should not trust in himself, that he was not only prone to, but it was a dangerous estate for him. But God brings him to death's door, that he ' received the sentence of death, that he might not trust in himself,' that he might see the nothingness of all things else. There- fore it was a dangerous estate for him to trust in himself.
It is ill in respect of I. God ; II. ourselves.
I. In respect of God. To trust to ourselves, or the creature, is
1. To idolize ourselves, or the creature. We make an idol of the thing we trust in. We put God out of his place, and set up that we trust in, in God's room ; and so provoke God to jealousy. When men shall trust their wits in matters of religion, as in popery they do (they serve God after their own inventions), what a dishonoui- is it to God ? as if he were not wise enough to prescribe how he will be worshipped. ' Go after me, Satan,' saith Christ to Peter, Mat. xvi. 23. He calls him devil. Why ? what hurt was it ? He came with a good intention '? That which papists* think they please God most in, they are devils in ; and these things that they teach are ' the doctrines of devils,' 1 Tim. iv. 1. ' But the wisdom of the flesh is death ; it is not subject to the law of God, nor can be subject,' saith the apostle, Rom. viii. 7. So it is dangerous, because it is ofiensive to God. ' There is a way that seemeth right in a man's own eyes : the issues whereof are the issues of death,' Prov. xiv. 12. It is idolatry in regard of God.
2. And it is spifitual adultery. For what should take up our affections ? Should we not place our joy, our delight, which follows our trust alway ; for trust carries the whole soul with it : what should take up our joy and delight ? Should not God, and heaven, and heavenly things ? should not these things have place in our hearts, as they have in their own worth ? When we take these affections f.om God, and place them upon the creature, they are adulterous affections. When we love riches or pleasures better than God that gave us all, it is an adulterous, whorish love. ' Oh ye