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…

Now in the pursuing of this Doctrine, because I have already opened the nature of this self-trusting; I shall only aggravate the evil of it, that because the godly are so prone to it, they may the more bewail it, and watch against it. And certainly the people of God do not think and meditate upon the evil of this sin enough, you hear them complaining often of other sins, they lie heavy upon their hearts, but very little of this whereas this is like sweet poison, it destroyeth, and you feel it not. And

Now in the pursuing of this Doctrine, because I have already opened the nature of this self-trusting; I shall only aggravate the evil of it, that because the godly are so prone to it, they may the more bewail it, and watch against it. And certainly the people of God doe not thinke and meditate upon the evil of this sinne enough, you heare them complaining often of other sinnes, they lie heavy upon their hearts, but very little of this whereas this is like sweet poison, it destroyeth, and you feele it not. And

First, It must needs be a sin highly displeasing God, Because he doth so severely chastise his own people to prevent this sin. The sharper physic is given, ¹the greater danger of the disease. God would not have exercised Paul, thus above his strength, but that he might see his own feebleness and infirmity, and might accordingly trust in God only. Lighter and lesser afflictions do not drive thee out of all humane props; thou hast some creature-consideration or other, that doth make thee bear up thy heart; but when God cuts every rope, and drives the ship into the midst of the Sea, among waves and tempests, then thou art provoked to look up unto God. Let then the children of God lay to heart this sin more, and examine themselves in every affliction that doth befall them. Thou many times sayest, Oh that I could find out the sin, the Jonah that hath raised this tempest! Oh that I knew what was the peculiar corruption God would bring me in mind of by this trouble upon me! Why, try and search, whether thou hast not secretly trusted in thy own self, or in some earthly hopes? Whether thy heart hath been weaned from all things? It may be there is this or that creature thou doest inordinately lean upon, and therefore because thou doest not yet trust in God with all thy heart, he doth thus embitter thy condition to thee. Insomuch that were the children of God in no danger of self-dependence or creature-dependence, they should seldom meet with the rod of God upon their backs. Who was a man of greater afflictions and exercises than David was? And who speaketh more of trusting in God than he doth? This he learned by all his temptations.