September 26

Most men will proclaim, every one his own goodness. - Proverbs 20:6.

LET us attend to this assertion, which expresses the commonness of self-applause. We may see it in this nation. What exultation and vanity! What extolling of our own laws, our own fashions, our own customs!-not to bless the Giver of all good, but to run down and disparage others. Thus the Jews called the Greeks “dogs;” and the Greeks accounted all besides themselves “barbarians.” We may see it also in churches. The Papists call themselves “The Catholic and Apostolic Church,” and admit of no salvation out of it. And how strangely do we hear Protestants speaking of other churches, (forgetting that by going back we can prove all are Dissenters!) With what arrogancy do some religious denominations speak of themselves! How do they censure those who cannot pronounce their shibboleth! How do they say, in the language of their early predecessors, “Stand by thyself; I am holier than thou.”

But let us pursue this subject more personally, lest we ourselves should escape; and, instead of regarding the faults of nations and of churches, let us be more forward to self-application. In the first class of those who proclaim their own goodness, we may place the profane. These tell us that they mean well; that their hearts are good,-as if the tree could be good and the fruit bad, or the streams be pure if the fountain were defiled.

Secondly, The Pharisees and the formalists. What attempts do these make to recommend themselves to others! Our Saviour gives an account of one of these. And, after all, what did this man say? Only that he was not so bad as one who was very bad,-that he was free from scandalous vices, and performed duties in which, perhaps, his heart had no concern! And it is amazing what a slender foundation some rest their hope of eternal life upon. Where there is no faith, no repentance, no spirituality, no walking with God, persons entertain a full persuasion of their safety, nay, of the excellence of their character.

Thirdly, The Orthodox Bigot,- those who have received their doctrines from men, while they are entire strangers to grace; whose religious opinions consist entirely in notions.

Fourthly, The Godly. Even these are guilty in a measure. Thus, Peter was guilty of this when he said, “Though all men shall be offended, yet will not I. Though I die with thee, yet will I not deny thee!” And did not the event prove this? Possessors of godliness may talk too much about themselves. If we know, if we have enjoyed, if we have done any thing in itself good, let another praise us, and not our own lips. Persons may even speak of their infirmities and imperfections, in the hope that others will compliment them. Some angle for praise with the bait of humility. Some persons complain of themselves in such terms, that if another had said, “It is indeed true,” they would never have spoken to him again. Alas! “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.”