false teachers at Corinth ; " They measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wiseV For what have they to do with others ? It is not by any comparative goodness that their character will be esti- mated. Whether they be better or worse than others, they are in God's sight precisely what they are in themselves : and, whilst they form a judgment of themselves by the relative situation which they occupy in the scale of general goodness, they only deceive their own souls.]
3. From comparing our present with our former state —
[It may be, that at an early period of our lives we were gay and dissipated : and that since that time we have reformed, and become observant of many duties. Yet still we may be very far from a state that is pleasing and acceptable to God : we may even (and it is no uncommon case) be more odious in his eyes than before, by having become more inflated with pride and self-confidence, in proportion as we have reformed our external conduct. For what is this, but to exchange " fleshly for spiritual filthiness," and to acquire the image of Satan in proportion as we have relinquished that of the beast? But, waving this circumstance, which may or may not exist, the question is, not what reformation we have experienced, but what yet remains to be reformed? It matters little that the outward conduct is changed, if the heart remains the same. If we are not " new creatures in Christ Jesus," we have attained nothing to any good purpose : and, if we look with compla- cency on any change short of that, we fancy ourselves some- thing when we are nothing, and fatally deceive ourselves.]
4. From judging under the influence of partiality and self-love —
[Self-love blinds us: it hides from us our faults ; or puts such a specious gloss upon them, that they are scarcely dis- cerned as faults. It magnifies our virtues too, and not unfre- quently represents as virtues what in reality are grievous sins. If there be any point in our character that is more favourable, (as generosity, or benevolence, or any other good quality,) self- love represents that to us as constituting almost the whole of our character, and then fills us with self-complacency in the contemplation of it. Thus it was with the Pharisees of old, who " trusted in themselves that they were righteous," whilst in the sight of God they were no better than " whited se- pulchres." And thus it will be with all of us, until God open
b 2 Cor. x. 12.