No More Learning

For God might Exp. II. answer him after a sort in thought, . and say," Why dost Serm. thou ask of Me that thou mayest not be confounded ?
-- Wherefore ? Because thou hast called upon Me ? Do not men daily call upon Me, that they may fulfil it may be the adulteries which they lust after ? Do not men daily call upon Me, that those may die from whom they are expecting an inheritance ? Do not men daily call upon Me, who are devising some fraud, that they may execute it with a pros perous issue ? How then dost thou claim so great a reward as to say, Let me not be confounded, for I have called upon
Thee ? All those men it is true call, but do not call upon Thee. Thou dost call upon God, when thou dost call God unto thyself. For this is to call upon ' Him, to call Him unto thyself, to invite Him, so to say, into the home of thine heart. Now thou wouldest not dare to invite any householder merely, unless thou first knewest how to prepare an habitation for him. For what if God say to thee, " Lo, thou hast called upon Me, I come to Thee. Where shall I enter in ? Shall
I bear this great filth of thy conscience ?
invite My servant into thine house, wouldest thou not first take care to cleanse it ? Thou dost call Me into thine heart, and it is full of rapine. The place into which God is called a 's U|N of blasphemies, is full of adulteries, is full of frauds, is full of evil lusts ; and dost thou call upon Me ? " Of such
Ps. 14,4; men in short what saith the Psalm in another place? They
have not called upon the Lord. And in very truth they have called, and yet they have not called upon Him. I say briefly, since the question has arisen how a man can claim so gIreat a reward, by alleging one only merit, in saying,
for
called upon by so many bad men ; the question has arisen, and we must not pass from it: I say briefly then to the covetous man, Dost thou call upon God. Why dost thou call upon God? That He may give thee gain? Thou dost call then upon gain, not upon God. Because thou canst not have this gain, which thou covetest, by thy servant,
because thou canst not have it by thy tenant, by thy client, by thy friend, by thy satellite, thou dost call upon God, thou makest God the minister of thy gain. God is held
1 Invo- care
a al. ' I
e&a* God. '
If thou wast to
'
hare called Tliee, when
upon we see that God is
Christ despised by those who love what He cared not to have. 267
cheap by thee. Wouldest thou call upon God ? Call upon Ver. Him for His own sake1. Thou covetous one! is it a little. 18'. -
gratis
thing to thee if God Himself fill thee ?
thee without gold and silver, wouldest thou have none of Him ? What then of those things which God hath made is sufficient for thee, for whom God Himself sufficeth not? " With good reason then doth the Psalmist pray, Let me not be confounded, for Ihave called upon Thee. Call ye upon the Lord, Brethren, if ye would not be confounded. For the Psalmist dreads a confusion of some sort, of which he I in the
former part of the Psalm, In Thee, O Lord, have
let me not be put to confusion fur ever. For that ye may know that he fears this confusion, what did he add wIhen he
had said, Let me not be confounded for ever, for
If God come to
spoke
trusted,
have called upon Thee ? Let the ungodly be ashamed, and be brought down to hell: with that confusion, of course, for
ever.
5. Ver. 18. Let the deceitful lips be made dumb, which
speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. This Righteous One is Christ. Many lips speak iniquity against Him in pride and contempt. How in pride and contempt ? Because He, Who came in such humility,
to the proud. Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by them that love honours, He Who endured so great reproaches ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by these that so highly prize this life,
He Who died ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by those who think the death of condemnation on the Cross shameful, He Who was crucified ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by the rich, He, Who spent a life of poverty in the world, when He was the
Creator of the world? All these things which men love, because Christ would not have them, that He might shew by His not having them that they were to be contemned, not because He had it not in His power to possess them, all
that love these things contemn Him. And whosoever of His servants would follow His footsteps, to walk himself in that lowliness in which He hath learnt that his Lord walked, is contemned in Christ, as a member of Christ; and when the Head and the members are contemned, whole Christ
appeared contemptible
208 Tongues of the Wicked not silenced in this life.
in pride and contempt. When will those lips be made dumb ? In this life ? Never. Day by day do they cry out against Christians, most of all against the lowly, day by day do they blaspheme, day by day do they bark, multiply punishment by those tongues, with which they shall thirst in hell, and long in vain for a drop of water. It is not now then that these men's lips are made dumb. But when ? When their iniquities shall lead them over on the
Wisd. 4, contrary part ; as it is said in the book of Wisdom, Then shall
Psalm Himself is contemned, for this whole Righteous One is the ExpVi Head and the Body. And it must needs be that Whole Serm. Christ Himself be despised by the proud and the ungodly,
---- that that may befall them which is said, Lei the deceitful lips be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the
20'
the righteous stand in great boldness against those that have afflicted them. Then shall they say, These are they whom we had sometimes in derision and in a proverb of reproach. How are they numbered among the sons of God, and their
Righteous
Yfisd. 5,i0t is among the Saints ? We fools counted their life mad ness. Then shall their lips be made dumb, who speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. For
al. ' why just now they say to us, Where is your God ? What do ye
worship ? What do ye see ? Ye believe, and ye are dis- tressed; that ye are distressed is certain, what ye hope for is uncertain. When that we hope for shall come in certainty, then shall the deceitful lips be made dumb.
vor- ship?
ye not "ee.
6. Wherefore see what follows, for that the deceitful lips shall be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. The Psalmist, who thus lamenteth, hath given heed, he hath seen the good things of God within in the spirit, hath seen these good things which are seen in secret, but are not seen by the ungodly. He seeth that they therefore
pride and contempt, because they have skill to see the good things of this life, but the good things of the life to come they skill not even to imagine. But that he might set forth the value of good things of the life to come to men whom
He enjoins to endure, not love things present, he cried out and added,
Ver. 19. How great is the multitude of Thy sweetness, O
speak iniquity against the Righteous in
Sweetness of God is for those who fear Him, and not man. 269
Lord. Here if an ungodly man should say, " Where is Ver.
this multitude of sweetness ? " I will answer, How can I shew thee the multitude of this sweetness, who hast lost thy palate from the fever of iniquity ? Didst" thou not know what honey is, thou wouldest not cry out, how good it is," unless thou hadst tasted it. Thou hast no palate of the heart for tasting these good things: what shall I do for thee? How shall I shew thee ? He is not one to whom I can say,
Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. How great is thePeMfi. multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord, which Thou hast hid
for them that fear Thee. What " hast hid for them ? "
Thou hast preserved for them, not denied to them, to
the end that they alone may attain unto it, (for that
good which cannot be common to the just and to the ungodly,) to the end that they may by fear attain unto
it. For as long as they still fear, they too have not
yet attained but they believe that they shall attain, and
they begin with fear. For nothing sweeter than the immortality of wisdom; but the fear the Lord is the Prov.
'
Thee in sight of the sons of men. Not " Thou hast per
fected in sight of the sons of men," but, " for those that
hope in Thee in sight of the sons of men;" that is, Thou
hast perfected Thy sweetness for those that hope in Thee in
sight of the sons of men. As the Lord saith, Whosoever Mat. i0, shall deny Me before men, him will also deny before My3 Father. Therefore thou trust in the Lord, trust before
men lest haply thou hide this trust of thine in thine heart, and fear to confess Him when objected to thee as crime that thou art Christian. But to whom objected now that he Christian There are so few left who are
not Christians, that may rather be objected to them that they are not Christians, than that they should dare to object to any that they are Christians. Notwithstanding say to you, my Brethren, begin, whosoever thou art that hearest me,
Christian, and see be not objected to thee even by Christians, Christians that in name, not in life and conversation. No man feels this but he who has had
to live as
1! ).
beginning of wisdom. Which Thou hast hid for them that
fear Thee.
7. But Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in
is
a
if it
it
isI is,
I
is it
it
?
a
if
is a
;
;
a
'
is
it
of is
9,
270 Walk with God before men. God hides us in Himself.
Psalm trial of it. Give heed then, look well into what thou hearest.
ExpVi. Wonldest thou live as a Christian ? Wouldestthou follow the
Serm. steps of thy Lord? It is objected to thee; thou art ashamed,
-- and in thy shame thou dost leave off. Thou hast lost the
Rom. io way. Thou seemest to thyself to have believed with the
heart unto righteousness; but thou hast lost, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. If then thou wouldest walk the way of the Lord, trust in God even in the sight of men ; that is, be not ashamed for thy trust. As He liveth in thine heart, so let Him dwell in thy mouth ; for not without a cause hath Christ been pleased that His mark should be imprinted on our forehead, as on the seat of shame, and that a Christian should not be ashamed at the reproach of Christ. If then thou shalt have done this in the
sight of men, if thou shalt not have been ashamed thereof before men, if thou shalt not have denied Christ in sight of the sons of men, either by word or deed, hope thou that the sweetness of God is perfected for thee. What comes next ?
8. Ver. 20. Thou wilt hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenancel. What is this place? He said not, Thou wilt hide them in Thy heaven; he said not, Thou
wilt wilt hide them in paradise; he said not, Thou wilt hide
them in Abraham's bosom. For the future places of the saith he. Saints are designated in Holy Scripture by many names*.
Let all whatsoever is out of God, be held cheap. Let
jjim wno defendeth us in the place of this life, be Himself Thy our place after this life. Because even this very Psalm tenanae aDOve sa'1^ l^'s to Him, Be Thou unto me a God, Who
a ' fide- protecteth me, and a house of refuge. Therefore shall we
hidden in the countenance of God. Are ye waiting to near from me what retreat there is in the Face of God ? Cleanse the heart, that He may Himself enlighten you, and He upon Whom ye call may enter in. Be thou His house, and He will be thy house; let Him dwell in thee, and thou shalt dwell in Him. If thou shalt entertain Him in this life in thy heart, He shall entertain thee after this life with His Countenance. [Thou uilt hide them, saith he. Where ? In the hidden place of Thy Countenance. ] From the troubling of men. For there they are not troubled when they are hid. In the hidden place of Thy Countenance
10.
lOxf. **<<"?
them
in the hidden
al. U'Ssig-De nificati-
A good conscience finds way into His Tabernacle. 271
they are not troubled. Is there, think ye, a man in this Ver. world so happy, as, that when he begins to hear men's ? 0'21. reproaches because he serveth Christ, he flieth in heart to
God, and beginneth to have trust in His sweetness, and enter, with his conscience, into the countenance of God from
the troubling of men from whom he heareth reproaches? He doth enter doubtless, if he have wherewith to enter, that if this same conscience be not laden, make not heavy burthen for him -- at the narrow gate. Thou wilt hide them, then, in the hidden place of Thy Countenance
from the troubling of men. Thou wilt protect them in Thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues. Some
time or other Thou wilt hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenance from the troubling men, that thence
forward no troubling of men may harrass them but mean while, whilst they sojourn in this life, since they who serve thee are exposed to many contradicting tongues; what dost Thou do for them Thou wilt protect them in Thy taber nacle. What the tabernacle The Church of the present time, for for this reason called tabernacle, because as
yet sojourneth on this earth. For tabernacle habitation of soldiers encamped in an expedition.
are called tabernacles. tabernacle not home.
thou as sojourner on thy expedition that having been saved in thy tabernacle, thou mayest be received in glory into thy
house. For thy everlasting home will be in heaven, only thou shalt have lived well in this tabernacle. Therefore in this tabernacle Thou wilt protect them from the contra diction tongues. Many tongues contradict, divers heresies, divers schisms make noise, many tongues contradict the true doctrine, do thou run to the tabernacle of God, hold to the Catholic Church, depart not from the rule of truth, and
thou shalt be protected in thy tabernacle from the contra diction of tongues.
9. Ver. 21. Blessed be the Lord,for He hath made His mercy marvellous in the city compassing. What the city of compassing? In Judaea alone were God's people placed, as were, in the midst of the world, where the praises of God were celebrated, and sacrifices offered unto Him, where prophecy did not cease foretelling those future
the These Fight
it
it
of
A
?
is
if
is
a
of
a
is
;
is
a a
of ;
a
if it
it
is,
is
?
a
272 God's Mercy made marvellous all around from Judcea.
Psalm 'events which we now see in course of fulfilment. This
XXXI Exp. II.
people were, as it were, in the midst of the nations. This Prophet marked and saw that the Church of God should be in all nations ; and because all nations were around on every side, which placed the single nation of the Jews in the midst of them, he called these nations compassing her about on every side the city of compassing. Thou didst indeed, O Lord, make Thy mercy marvellous in the city Jerusalem; there Christ suffered, there He rose again, there He ascended up into heaven, there He did many wonderful things : but
greater is Thy praise, for that Thou hast made Thy mercy marvellous in the city of compassing, that is, in all nations hast spread abroad Thy mercy. Nor hast Thou kept Thine ointment in that Jerusalem, as in a vessel; but as from a broken vessel the ointment hath been poured forth through out the world, that it might be fulfilled which is said in holy
Scripture, Thy name is as ointment poured out. And so Thou hast made Thy mercy marvellous in the city of com- passing. For He ascended up into heaven, He sitteth at the right hand of the Father, after ten days He sent the Holy Ghost : the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost, they
Serm.
Sol.
3? ? e ' Acto 1,
Acts 8,
began to preach the wonderful works of Christ; they were stoned, slain, dispersed in flight.
And when they were made to flee from thence as from one place, as brands burn- iog with Divine fire, they filled the whole wood of the world, kindled by the heat of the Spirit and the light of truth ; and the Lord made His mercy marvellous in the city of com passing. / said in
Ps. 94, 1
10. Ver. 22.
my Call to remembrance ecstasy.
the title of the Psalm. See here is that I Mark what ecstasy.
he saith,
/ said, saith in
he, my ecstasy, have been cast
forth fro/m the sight of Thine Eyes. I said in my panic,
said in my ecstasy. He saw that he was
that is,
struck inwardly by some great tribulation or other, such
as there is no want of: he gives/ heed to his panic-stricken
and trembling heart, and saith,
the sight of Thine Eyes. If I were in Thy sight, I should not fear thus : if Thou hadst Thine Eye upon me, I should not tremble thus. But as he saith in another Psalm, If / said my foot hath been moved, Thy mercy, O Lord, helped
have been cast
forth from
panic-
Humble crying in the heart wins God's help. 273
me ; so at once he saith here, Therefore Thou hast heard Ver.
the voice my prayer. Because I confessed, because I said,
--
I of
have been cast the sight Thine forth from of
because I have not been proud, but accused my own heart, and staggering in my tribulation have cried out to Thee, Thou
hast heard my prayer. That therefore hath been fulfilled wIhich I set forth from that other Psalm. For what is here,
I
of Thine Eyes, is there, If
Therefore Thou hast heard, 0 Lard, the voice of my prayer. Mark that in Peter's case, He seeth the Lord walking on the water, he thinks Him a spirit: the Lord crieth out, It is I; be not afraid. Peter hath affiance, and saith, Ifit be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. So hereby do I prove whether it be Thou, if in Thy word I am able to do as Thou art able. He saith, Come. And the word of the Bidder is made the power of the hearer. Come, saith He ; and he came down : he began to go, he was going without fear, as trusting in Him ; but when he sawIthe wind boisterous, he was afraid. I said in my ecstasy, have been cast forth
from the sight of Thine Eyes. And beginning to sink, he cried, Lord, I perish. And Jesus, stretching forth His hand to him, raised him up, saying, O thou of little faith, wIherefore didst thou doubt ? I said, therefore, in my ecstasy,
said in my ecstasy,
have been cast the
I
And what is there, Thy mercy, O Lord, helped me, is here,
Eyes,
forth from sight
said my hath been moved. foot
though I were now beginning to perish in the sea, Thou hast heard, IO Lord, the voice of my prayer. Now Thou heardest,
cried unto Thee. Crying unto God is not with the
when
voice, but with the heart. Many who are silent with the lips, cry with the heart ; many clamorous with the mouth, with heart averted are able to obtain nothing. If then thou
I cried unto Thee, saith he, Thou heardest the voice of my prayer.
criest, cry inwardly where God heareth. When
11. Now then that he made trial, to what doth he exhort us? (Ver. 23. ) Love the Lord, all ye His Saints. As if he
should say, Trust me, I have made trial of it ;
I have had tribulations, I have called upon Him, and have not been
deceived; I have hoped in God, and have not been con
founded ; He hath enlightened my thoughts, He hath esta- T
Mat. 14, ~31'
have been cast the sight Thine Eyes; and, as forth from of
274 Love ofthe world hinders love of God. He will repay at last.
Psalm Wished mv fear. Love the Lord, all ye His Saints; that is,
X X XT Do love the Lord, who love not the world, that is, all His Exp II. ye
Skem. Saints. For how do I tell him to love the Lord, who still
.
III. loves the amphitheatre ? How do I tell him to love the Lord,
? ferte donee efferati<<
LXx
return
earth. Tlie Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away : as it pleased the Lord, so hath it been done. Blessed be the
--
who still loves the stage-player, still loves the harlequin, still loves wine-bibbing, still loves all the pomps and all the
12. For the Lord will require truth. You know that now
many evil doers are seen ; you know that now they are
puffed up in their vanities : the Lord will require truth.
And He will repay them that do exceeding proudly. Bear
with them until you bear ' them to their graves, endure them
until ye are free from them ; for it must needs be that the '
Lord who requireth truth will repay them that do exceeding proudly. Art thou at once about to ask, When will He repay ? When He wills. Thou mayest be certain that He will repay ; doubt not of His repaying; for the time, do not venture to give counsel to God. Assuredly He will require truth, and will repay them that do exceeding proudly. Some He will repay even here ; and we have seen and learnt that He doth repay. For when they that fear the Lord are abased, if perchance they had been distinguished in some dignity of this world, though abased they have not fallen, because they have not shut out God from their hearts : God is their exaltation. Job seemed abased when he lost his property, when he lost his children ; when he lost what he was keeping, when he lost those for whom he was keeping ; he was left without inheritance, and what is sadder, without an heir; he was left with his wife alone, no comforter to him, but rather the devil's helper; he seemed abased: see whether he were wretched, see whether he were not in the
vanities and lying madnesses of the world ?
" Learn not to love, that thou mayest learn to love ; turn away, that thou mayest be turned to; pour out, that thou mayest be filled. " Love the Lord, all ye His Saints.
I tell such,
Job l, h/idden place of God's Countenance. NakeId, saith he, came
out my mother's womb, naked shall
of into the
name of the Lord. These pearls of praise of God, whence are they ? Behold him poor without, rich within. These
Wise men can wait God's time of retribution. 275
pearls of praise of God would not proceed out of his mouth, Ver. except he had a treasure in his heart. Ye who would be ---- rich, covet such riches as ye cannot lose even by shipwreck. Therefore, when such as these are abased, deem them not wretched. Ye are mistaken, ye know not what they possess
within. Ye who love the world, judge from your own selves, because, when ye lose such things, ye are reduced to wretched ness. Do not by any means think this; they possess within wherewith to rejoice. Their Ruler is within, their Shepherd and their Comforter is within. These are they who fall miserably, even they who place their trust in this world. Their outward glitter is taken away, nothing remains within but the smoke of an evil conscience. They have no source of comfort, they have no place whither they may go abroad, they have no place whither they may return within : aban doned by the pomp of the world, void of the grace of the
Spirit, they are in deed abased. And with many God dealeth thus in this life, but not with all. For if He dealt thus with none, Divine Providence would seem as it were to slumber ; if He dealt thus with all, Divine long-suffering would not be
Nevertheless, thou, Christian, hast learnt to Rom. 12, forbear, not to repay vengeance. Wouldest thou avenge
thyself, O Christian ? Christ is not yet avenged. Hast thou suffered from the evil, and hath not He suffered ? Did not
He first suffer for thee, Who had no cause for suffering?
For in thee tribulation is the refiner's furnace, (if so be thou
art gold and not chaff,) that thou mayest be cleared of dross,
not be turned into ashes.
13. Love the Lord, all ye His Saints, for the Lord will require truth, and will repay them that do exceeding proudly. But when will He repay ? O that He would repay now, now would I see these men abased, and laid
low ! Hear what follows, Quit you like men. Do not hang down the weary hands in tribulation, let not your knees totter. (Ver. 24. ) Quit you like men, and let your heart be strengthened. Let your heart be strengthened to endure and bear all the ills of this life. But who are they to whom the Prophet saith, Quit you like men, and let your heart be
strengthened ? Is it to them who love the world ? Nay. But listen to whom he speaketh, All ye who trust in the Lord. t2
preserved.
x? $,.
270 Self to be condemned in confessing sin.
PSALM XXXII. FIRST EXPOSITION.
To David himself; for understanding
i. To David himself; for understanding; by which it is
Psalm
Exp. I. understood that not by the merits of works, but by the grace
'
~ of God, man is delivered, confessing his sins.
2. Ver. 1. Blessed are they whose unrighteousness isfor
given, and whose sins are covered: and whose sins are buried in oblivion. (Ver. 2. ) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, nor is there guile in his mouth : nor has he in his mouth boastings of righteousness, when his conscience is full of sins.
kept silence, my bones waxed old:
3. Ver. 3. Because
'om. because I made not with my mouth
B
l'
unto salva- tion, all firmness in me has grown old in infirmity. Through
my roaring all the day long: when I was ungodly and a blasphemer, crying against God, as though defending and excusing my sins.
4. Ver. 4. Because day and night Thy Hand was heavy upon me: because, through the continual punishment of Thy scourges, / was turned in misery, while a thorn was
I
fixed through me: I was made miserable by knowing my misery, being pricked with an evil conscience.
/ acknowledged my sin, and my unrighteous
5. Ver. 5.
ness have 1 not hid: that is, my unrighteousness have I not
Iwill
teousness to the Lord: I said, I will confess, not against God,
(as in my ungodly crying, when I kept silence,) but against myself, my unrighteousness to the Lord. And Thou for- gavest the iniquity of my heart; hearing the word of con fession in the heart, before it was uttered with the voice.
6. Ver. 6. For this shall every one that is holy pray unto Thee in an acceptable time: for this wickedness of heart shall every one that is righteous pray unto Thee. For not
concealed. / said,
confess
against myselfmyunrigh
confession
They who confess not, but resist, ruled with scourges. 277
by their own merits will they be holy, but by that acceptable Ver.
time, that is, at His coming, Who redeemed us from sin. Nevertheless in the flood of great waters they shall not come nigh him: nevertheless, let none think, when the end has come suddenly, as in the days of Noah, that there remaineth a place of confession, whereby he may draw nigh unto God.
7. Ver. 7. Thou art my refuge from the pressures, which have compassed me about: Thou art my refuge from the pressure of my sins, which hath compassed my heart. O
Thou, my Rejoicing, deliver me from them that compass me about: in Thee is my joy : deliver me from the sorrow, which my sins bring upon me. / will give
8. Diapsalma. The answer of God : (ver. 8. )
thee understanding, and will set thee in the way, in which thou shall go ; I will give thee understanding after confession,
that thou depart not from the way, in which thou shouldest go ; lest thou wish to be in thine own power. / will fix Mine Eyes upon thee : so will I make sure upon thee My
Love.
9. Ver. 9. Be not ye like unto horse or mule, which have
no understanding: and therefore would govern themselves. But saith the Prophet, Hold in their jaws with bit and bridle. Do Thou then, O God, unto them, that will not come nigh Thee, what man doth to horse and mule, that by scourges Thou make them to bear Thy rule.
10. Ver. 10. Many are the scourges of the sinner: much is he scourged, who, confessing not his sins to God, would be his own ruler. But he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy compasseth him about; but he that trusteth in the Lord, and submitteth himself to His rule, mercy shall compass him about.
11. Ver. 11. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righ teous: be glad, and rejoice, ye righteous, not in yourselves, but in the Lord. And glory, all ye that are right in heart: and glory in Him, all ye who understand that it is right to be subject unto Him, that so ye may be placed above all things beside.
1"
Mat. 24,
278 Danger of trusting to faith without obedience.
EXPOSITION II.
Psalm j. A Psalm of the Grace of God, and of our justification, Exp. ll! by no merits of ours preceding, but by the Mercy of our Lord God preventing us, highly commended by the mouth
Seep. of the Apostle, as the lesson preceding this Psalm hath conveyed unto all, is undertaken by my weakness to be handled together with you, My Beloved. Wherefore first I recommend my infirmity to your prayers, as saith the Apostle, that utterance may be given unto me in the opening of my mouth, so to speak, as may be both to me not dangerous to utter, and for you wholesome to hear. For the human mind doubting and wavering between con fession of infirmity, and the boldness of presumption, is ever buffeted on this side and on that, and in such wise driven, that yet to fall to either side is to be cast headlong. For if one hath wholly given himself up to his own infirmity, and hath inclined to such thoughts as to say, The Mercy of
Eph. 6,
See S.
FaUh "God to all sinners, in whatever sins persisting, so they
a^id
believe that God delivereth, God pardoneth, is so sure at the last, that none can perish of ungodly believers, that is, that none can perish of those who say to themselves, What ever I do, with whatever crimes and wickednesses I be defiled, how much soever I sin, God delivereth me by His Mercy, because I have trusted in Him. Whoever then saith that none of such can perish, by evil thoughts is led to look for impunity of sin ; and the Righteous God, to Whom the
Ps. 101, Psalmist sings of Mercy and Judgment, not Mercy only, but also Judgment, finds one mispresuming of himself, and abusing God's Mercy to his own destruction, and so must needs condemn him. Such a thought therefore casteth a man headlong : but if any, terrified thereby, hath lifted up himself to a certain bold presumption, and hath presumed on his own strength, his own righteousness, and hath pro posed in his heart to fulfil all righteousness, and so to do all things which are commanded in the Law, as in none to
Danger of man's presuming on his own strength. 279 offend, and to have his own life in his own power so that he Ver.
',--
no where slip at all, no where fail, no where stumble, no where be in the dark, and attribute this to himself, and to the power of his own will : even if haply he hath fulfilled all things which seem righteous in the eyes of men, so that nothing be found in his life, which can be reproved by men, that very presumption and proud boasting God condemneth. What then, if a man justify himself, and presume on his own righteousness? Hefalleth. If one considering and weighing his own infirmity, and presuming on God's mercy, neglect to cleanse his life from sins, and hath plunged himself in all the depths of wickedness ; he also falleth.
The presumption of righteousness is as the right hand,
the thought of impunity of sin is as the left. Let us hear
the voice of God, saying to us, Turn not to the right hand, P'm. *, nor to the left. Presume not of thy righteousness, so to
reign ; presume not of God's Mercy unto sin. From both
the Divine command recalleth thee, both from this height,
and from that depth. Hither if thou ascend, thou wilt
fall headlong; thither if thou sink, thou wilt drown. Turn
not (saith He) to the right hand, nor to the left. Again
I say briefly, what ye should all keep fixed in mind ; Pre
sume not of thy righteousness, so to reign; presume not of
God's Mercy unto sin.