But when they trust in their morality, they deserve our pity —
[I do not suppose that any persons Avould affirm, that they never had sinned at all. I rather conceive, that the Apostle speaks of persons affirming that they never had sin- ned to such a degree as to deserve God's uralbful displeasure. This, alas ! is too often the effect of morality ; that it causes men to overlook their manifold defects, and to be filled with self-complacency, when, if they had juster views of them- selves, they would be bowed down rather with a sense of their o\\ n un worthiness.
Now such persons, how excellent soever they may be in other respects, are in a truly pitiable condition : for " they deceive themselves."
" They deceive themselves " in relation lo the extent of their attainments. They do, in fact, say with the rich youth, •* What lack I yet?" whilst " they lack orie thing," even thai very thing which is indispensable to their acceptance with God. Our Lord brought the young man to the test; and, by a command which he gave, tried him, whether God or the world were the higher in his esteem? It was a grief to the young man to renounce all hope of an interest in the Saviour ; but he knew not how to part with his possessions ; and there- fore abandoned the Lord Jesus rather than them. So, if mo- ralists were brought to the test, they would shew, and indeed they do continually shew, that the love of Christ is not do- minant in tlieir hearts, and that they have never seen him as tliat " pearl of great price, for M-hich they are ready to part witii all."
They deceive themselves also in relation to their state before Odd. They imagine that they do not deserve, and conse- (jucntly are not in danger of, his wrath and indignation. Thus it was with the apostle Paul before his conversion. Hear his own acknowledirement respecting it: "I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died '' :" that is, before 1 understood the spirituality of the
law, ' Mark x. I9— 2.1. ^ Rom. vii. 9.