An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Let us in the next place consider, Wherein a godly man, yea an eminent Paul ⟨p. 309⟩may become guilty of trusting in himself. For seeing God hath taken that way for our justification, which is wholly to take us off our selves; and ¹the Gospel-grace is therefore exalted, that we may be debased; how can it come about that the dregs of this sin should still be polluting the most holy man? But

Let us in the next place consider, Wherein a godly man, yea an eminent Paul ⟨p. 309⟩may become guilty of trusting in himself. For seeing God hath taken that way for our justification, which is wholly to take us off our selves; and ¹the Gospel-grace is therefore exalted, that we may be debased; how can it come about that the dregs of this sinne should still be polluting the most holy man? But

1. 1How even a godly man may be guilty of self-confidence, by trusting, 1. In his spiritual gifts.

First, Even a Paul, an eminent godly man, may sinfully trust in those spiritual gifts and assistance, which God hath vouchsafed to him rather than others. This spark of fire will quickly kindle in tinder. Hath God given a man great gifts, great abilities in prayer, great enlargements above others: It must be the great work of grace to keep this man humble and low, so as not to trust on them. 2 Cor. 12. 7. Paul there declareth what wonderful honour God had vouchsafed to him; he was lifted up to the third Heaven; he had abundance of revelations. So that God did in many extraordinary ways communicate himself to Paul. But could Paul be thus lifted up upon the pinnacle, and his head not turn round? Can he drink of this wine, and not be giddy? No, he is in much danger; and therefore observe what way God taketh with him at the seventh verse, Lest I should be puffed up above measure, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to buffet me. What this was is greatly disputed by the learned; to be sure it was so heavy and burdensome a temptation, that he prayed to God often, That it might be removed, but God would not take it off; and the reason is twice declared, Lest I should be puffed up above measure; what is this but to have confidence in his gifts and revelations with those extraordinary dispensations of Gods love to him. If then the green Tree be so apt to receive these sparks of vain-glory and self-confidence, what shall the dry Tree do? Examine then thy self, the more Gods assistance is with thee, Art thou the more lowly in thy own eyes? Doest thou find an holy fear and trembling under these approaches of God to thy soul? Art thou affected at these wonderful workings of God upon thee, as Peter, when he saw that great miracle about the fishes, presently to remember his own sinfulness: Or as those in the Old Testament, who when they had any glorious apparitions of God vouchsafed to them, were so considerative of their own frailty and imbecility, that they generally thought they should die immediately? Thus the more Gods gifts abound in thee, doest thou the more go out of thy self? And think, now I am in a temptation, the Devil is ready to puff up with self-content, and so to make these great gifts to become a snare to thee; to turn these earrings (as it were) of gold, into an Idol to worship it.