May 7

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?—Matthew 19:20.

Moral honesty is a lovely thing, and greatly tends to the peace and order of the world; but it is not saving grace, nor gives any man a good title to Christ and salvation. Indeed there can be no grace in that soul in which civility and moral honesty

12 are not found; but these may be found in thousands that have no grace.

That which ruins souls, is not the exercise of moral virtues, but their reliance upon them: they use their morality as a shield to secure their consciences from the convictions of the word, which would show them their sinful and miserable state by nature. Let debauched and profane persons look to it, I am well enough, saith the proud moralist; though, alas! poor man, his being less evil, at best, could but procure him a cooler hell, or a milder flame. This was the case of the young man, and like a young man, indeed, he reasons. He sums up all the stock of his civil life, and thinks it strange if that be not enough to make a purchase of eternal life. What lack I yet? Alas! poor soul, every thing necessary to salvation: the very first stone was not laid, when he thought the building was finished. And this is the case of multitudes, both old and young: and that which greatly confirms and settles them in this their dangerous security, is the general, indistinct doctrine of some, who pretend to be guides to the souls of others, the scope of whose teaching aims at no higher mark than to civilize the people, and press moral duties upon them, as if this were all that were necessary to salvation. This indeed is the way to fix them where they are; if Christ had not taken another method with Nicodemus, and his ministers had not pressed the necessity of regeneration, and the insufficiency of moral honesty to salvation, how then had the number of true converts been? at most they are but a handful in comparison of the unregenerate.

O that God would bless what follows, to undeceive and save some poor soul out of this dangerous snare of the devil!

1. Blind not yourselves with the lustre of your own moral virtues, a life smoothly drawn with civility through the world: for though it must be acknowledged there is a loveliness, and attracting sweetness in morality and civility, yet these things rather respect earth than heaven, and are designed for the conservation of the order and peace of this world, not for your salvation and title to the world to come. Without justice and truth, kingdoms and commonwealths would become mountains of prey, and dens of robbery. Where there is no trust, there can be no traffic; and where there is no truth, there can be no trust; but it never gave any man an interest in Christ, or a title to salvation. The Romans and Lacedæmonians, who perished in the darkness of heathenism, excelled in morality; there is nothing of Christ or regeneration in these things, how much of excellency soever be ascribed to them. Paul, the Pharisee, was a blameless person, touching the law, and yet at the same time, not only utterly ignorant of Christ, but a bitter enemy to him, and all that were his. Till you can find another way to heaven than by repentance, faith, and regeneration, never lean upon such a deceitful and rotten prop, as mere civility is.

2. Civilized nature is unsanctified nature still; and without sanctification there is no salvation. Civility adorneth nature, but doth not change it. Moral virtues are so many sweet flowers strewed over a dead corpse, which hide the loathsomeness of it, but inspire not life to it. "Morality hides and covers, but never mortifies, nor cures the corruptions of nature;" and mortified they must be, or you can not be saved. Take the best nature in the world, and let it be adorned with all the ornaments of morality, and add to these all the common gifts of the Spirit, which are for assistance and ministry; yet all this can not secure that soul from hell, or be the groundwork for a just claim to any promise of salvation: all this is but nature improved, not regenerated. Morality is neither produced as saving grace is, nor works such effects as grace worketh; there are no pangs of repentance intruding it, it may cost many an aching head, but no aching heart for sin; no such distressed outcries as that, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Nor doth it produce such humility, self-abasement, heavenly tempers, and tendencies of soul, as grace doth. Cheat not yourselves, therefore, in so important a concern as salvation is, with an empty shadow.

3. Civility is not only found in multitudes that are out of Christ, but may be the cause and reason why they are Christless. Mistake not, I am not pleading the cause of profaneness, nor disputing civility out of the world; I heartily wish there were more of it to be found in every place; it would exceedingly promote the peace, order, and tranquillity of the world: but yet it is certain, that the eyes of thousands are so dazzled with the lustre of their own morality, that they see no need of Christ, nor feel any want of his righteousness, and this is the ruin of their souls. Thus Christ brings in the Pharisee with his proud boast, that he is "no extortioner, adulterer, nor unjust, nor such an one as that publican." O what a saint doth he vote himself, when he compared his life with the others! Well, then, beware you be not deceived by thinking you are safe, because you are got out of the dirty road to hell, when all the while you have only stepped over the hedge into a cleaner path to damnation.

"Faded my virtuous show,— My form without the power; The sin-convincing Spirit blew, And blasted every flower: My mouth was stopp'd, and shame Cover'd my guilty face; I fell on the atoning Lamb, And I was saved by grace."