Secondly, Blind; i. e. without fpiritual illumination, and fo neither knowing their difeafe, nor their remedy; the evil of fin, nor the neceffity of Chrift. Thirdly, Naked; + without Chrift and his righteousness. Sin is the foul's fhame and nakednefs; Chrift's pure and perfect righteoufnefs is its covering or garment; this they wanted, how rich foever their bodies were adorned. These were Laodiceans; i. e. a just or righteous people (according to the notation of that word) whose garments with which they covered themfelves, were made of the homefpun thread of their own righteoufnefs. Thirdly, The difeafe of Laodicea is here opened to them in its aggravations: "Thou faidft I am rich, and increafed with goods, and "have need of nothing; but knoweft not," &c. To be really graceless and Chriftlefs, is a miferable condition; but to be fo, and yet confidently perfuaded of the contrary, is most miferable: to have the very fymptoms of death upon us, and yet tell those that pity us we are as well as they, is lamentable indeed! O the efficacy of a fpiritual delufion! this was their difeafe, gracelefnes; and the aggravation of it, was their fenfeleffness. Secondly, We have a proper remedy prefcribed, ver. 18. "I counfel "thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayeft be rich," &c. In which we have to confider, First, what is prescribed for the cure. Secondly, Where it is to be had. Thirdly, How to be obtained. First, What are the remedies prefcribed; and they are three; gold, white raiment, and eye-falve. Firft, gold, the cure of poverty, yea, gold tried in the fire; i. e. grace that hath been variously proved already; and the more it is proved, the more its truth will be confpicuous. The next is white raiment, the remedy against nakedness. And, laftly, eye-falve, the effectual cure of blindnefs. Under all thefe choice metaphors, more choice and excellent things are fhadowed, even fpiritual graces, real holinefs, more precious than gold. Chrift's imputed righteoufnefs, the richest garment in all the wardrobe of heaven; and spiritual illumination, the most excellent collyrium or eyefalve that ever was, or can be applied to the mental eye or under- / standing of man in this world. Secondly, Where thefe precious remedies may be had; and you find Christ hath the monopoly of them all; Buy of me, faith Chrift in the text; he is the repofitory of all graces. Angels, minifters, ordinances cannot furnifh you with them without Chrift. Thirdly, How they may be obtained from him; Buy of me. On VOL. V. No. 46. 3 U -Durham in loc. TUQhos Nec morbam fciens, nec remedium Η γύμνος Carens juftitia quæ veftitus eft Chriftianorum. Pareus. Nil miferius mifero non miferante feipfum. i. e. None is more to be pitied than a pitiable finner who does not pity himself. ⇓ Hoc Movotoλior eft Chrifti, extra quod nulla eft falus. 2 3 this place Eftius, and others, build their doctrine of merit; which is to build a superstructure of hay and stubble upon a foundation of gold. The exigence of the very text itfelf deftroys fuch conceits: for what have they that are poor, wretched, miferable, and want all things, to give as a price, or by way of merit for those inestimable treafures of grace ? Buying therefore in this place can fignify or intend no more than the acquifition, compaffing, or obtaining these things from Jefus Chrift, in the ufe of fuch means and methods as he hath appointed and in the ufe of them we merit grace no more than the patient merits of his phyfician by coming to him, and carefully following his prefcriptions in the ufe of fuch medicaments as he freely gives him: And that place, Ifa. Iv. 1. (from which this phrase ieems to be borrowed) fully clears it; "He that hath no money, let him "come and buy wine and milk without money, and without price.” From all which, thefe three obfervations fairly offer themfelves to us. Doct. 1. That many profeffors of religion are under very great and dangerous miflakes in their profeffion. P 517 Doct. 2. That true grace is exceeding precious, and greatly enriches the foul that poffeffeth it. P528 Doct. 3. That only is to be accounted true grace which is able to endure all thofe trials appointed, or permitted for the discovery of it. 35 The first doctrine naturally rifes out of the fcope of the text, which is to awaken and convince unfound profeffors. The fecond, from the ufe the Holy Ghoft makes of the beft and 2 choiceft things in nature, to fhadow forth the ineftimable worth and precioufnefs of grace. And the third, from that particular and moft fignificant metaphor of gold tried in the fire; by which I here underftand a real and folid work of grace, evidencing itfelf to be fo in all the proofs and trials that are made of it; for whatfoever is probational of grace, and puts its foundness and fincerity to the teft, is that to it which fire is to gold: In this fenfe it is used in fcripture, Pfal. lxvi. 10. « Thou haft tried us as filver is tried:" And Zech. xiii. 9. «I will bring "the third part through the fire, and will refine them as filver is ❝ refined, and try them as gold is tried." So that whatfoever it is which examines and tries grace whether it be found and fincere, that is the fire Chrift here fpeaks of; and fuch grace as abides these trials, is the gold here intended. 1. CHAP. II. Wherein the first Doctrine is opened and proved briefly, as a preliminary DOCT. I. That many profeffors of religion are under very great and dangerous miftakes in their profeffions. SECT. I. LL flattery is dangerous; felf-flattery is more dangerous; but A felf-flattery in the bulinefs of falvation, is the most dangerous of all. To pretend to the good we know we have not, is grofs hypocrify; to perfuade ourselves of the good we have not, though we think we have it, is formal hypocrify; and this was the cafe of thofe felf-deceivers in the text. My defign in this difcourfe is not to shake the well-built hopes of any man, or beget groundlefs jealoufies, but to difcover the real dangerous flaws in the foundation of many men's hopes for heaven: Every thing is as its foundation is, and debile fundamentum fallit opus; that failing, all fails. There is a twofold felf-fufpicion or fear in God's own people: The one is a fear of caution, awakening the foul to the use of all the cauben preventive means for avoiding danger; this is laudable: The other a groundless fufpicion of reigning hypocrify, tending only to defpondency: this is culpable: By the former the foul is guarded against danger; by the latter it is betrayed into needless trouble, and debarred from peace. Good men have fometimes more fear than they ought, and wicked men have lefs than they ought: The former do fometimes thut their eyes againft the fair evidences of their own graces; the latter fhut their eyes against the fad evidences of their fin and mifery. This is an evil in both, but not equally dangerous; for he that huts his eyes against his own graces and privileges, lofeth but his peace and comfort for a time; but he that thuts his eyes against the evidences of his fin and mifery, lofeth his precious foul to all eternity. Of this latter fort of felf-deceivers the world is full, and thefe are the men I am concerned with in this point. Oh! that fome men had lefs trouble! and oh! that fome had more! If the foolish virgins had been lefs confident, they had certainly been more fafe, Matth. xxv. If thofe glorious profeffors in Matth. vii. 22. had not shut their eyes against their own hypocrify, Chrift had not shut against them the door of falvation and glory. Ananias and Sapphira; Hymeneus and Philetus; Alexander and Demas, with multitudes more of that fort, are the fad instances and proofs of this point. It is faid, Prov. xxx. 12. "There is a generation that is pure "in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” Through what falle fpectacles do the men of that generation look upon their own fouls; the men of that generation are multiplied in this generation: Never was any age over-run with a generation of vain, felf-cozening, formal profeffors, as this generation is. Three things I fhall here endeavour to do: 1. To give evidence beyond contradiction to this fad truth, that among profeffors are found many felf-deceivers. (2.) To affign the true caufes and reafons why it is fo. And. (3) Improve it in thofe practical inferences the point affords. SECT. II. HAT there are multitudes of fuch felf-deceivers among profeffors, will appear, TH 1. First, Py this, that there are every where to be found more profeffors than converts; unregenerate profeffors, whofe religion is but the effect of education. Chriftianity, by the favour of an early providence, was the first comer, it firft befpoke them for itfelf; thefe are Christians of an human creation, rather born than new-born believers. Now all these are felf-deceived, and hafting to damnation, under the efficacy of a strong delufion; "for if a man think himself to "be fomething when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself," faith the apoftle, Gal. vi. 3. Surely our birth-privilege, without the newbirth, is nothing, yea, worse than nothing, as to our laft and great account: That which ftands for a great fum in our arithmetic, it is nothing, it is but a cypher you fee in God's. "Except a man be born "again (faith the lips of truth) he cannot fee the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. Poor felf-deceivers, ponder those words of Chrift; you have hitherto thought your civil education, your dead and heartless duties, enough to denominate you Chriftians before God; but go now, and learn what the fcripture meaneth; and be affured you muft experience another manner of converfion, or elfe it is impoffible for you to efcape eternal damnation. 2. Secondly, It is too manifeft by this, that many profeffors are only acquainted with the externals of religion; and all their duties are no more but a compliance of the outward man with the commands of God: This is the fuperficial religion which deceives and betrays multitudes into eternal mifery. True religion feats itself in the inward man, and acts effectually upon the vital powers, killing fin in the heart, and purging its defigns and delights from carnality and felfifhnefs; engaging the heart for God; and fetting it as a bow in its full bent for him, in the approaches we make to him. But how little are many profeffors acquainted with thefe things? Alas! if this be all we have to ftand upon, how dangerous a ftation is it? What is external conformity but an artificial imitation o that which only lives in the fouls of good men? Thus was Jehu deceived; he did many acts of external obedience to God's command, "but Jehu took no heed to walk in the ways of the Lord God of If"rael with all his heart," 2 Kings x. 31. And this was his overthrow. This alfo was the ruin of thofe formalifts, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. they came and fat before the Lord as his people: The word was to them as a lovely fong; mightily charmed with the modulation of the prophet's voice, and his lively gestures; but all the while their hearts went after their covetoufnefs. And what abundance of such pharifaical, fuperficial religion is every where to be found? 3. Thirdly, It appears by this, that every trial made by fufferings upon profeffors, blows away multitudes, like dry leaves in Autumn, by a ftormy wind; many fall from their own stedfaftness in shaking times; profperity multiplies vain profeffors, and adverfity purges the church of them; "Then fhall many be offended," Matth. xxiv. 10. This the fcripture every where marks as a fymptom of hypocrify; Pfalm lxxviii. 8. "A generation that fet not their hearts aright, and "whofe fpirit was not ftedfaft with God." 1 John ii. 19. " But "they went out, that they might be made manifeft, that they were "not of us." Matth. xiii. 21. "For when tribulation or perfecu"tion arifeth becaufe of the word, by and by he is offended" But fhould one have told them in the days of their firft profeffion, that all their zeal and labour in religion would have ended in this, it is like they would have replied as Hazael to the man of God, 2 Kings viii. 13. But what, is thy fervant a dog, that he should do this great "thing?" Quantum mutatus ab illo ? O how unlike is their dark and dirty evening to their glorious and hopeful morning! These profeffors have more of the moon than of the fun, little light, lefs heat, but many changes: They deceive many, yea, they deceive themselves, but cannot deceive God. During the calm what a flourish do they make? And with what gallantry do they fail? By and by you may hear horrendas tempeftates, and foon after you may fee flenda naufragia, dreadful fhipwrecks after a furious ftorm; and no wonder, for they wanted that 1 Pet. iii. 17. 18:07 that ballaft and establishment in themfelves that would have kept them tight and ftable. περιγμου, 4. Fourthly, It is too apparent by this, that many profeffors fecretly indulge and shelter beloved lufts under the wings of their profef- i fion. This, like a worm at the root, will wither and kill them at laft, how fragrant foever they may feem to be for a feafon. Gideon had feventy fons, and one bastard; but that one baftard was the death of all his feventy fons. Some men have many excellent gifts, and perform multitudes of duties; but one fecret fin indulged and allowed, will deftroy them all at laft. He that is partial as to the mortification of his fins, is undoubtedly hypocritical in his profeffion. If David's evidence was good |