2 COR. 13. 5.
THe differences between carnal Presumption and godly Assurance have been at large declared. Let us in the next place consider what are the fit engines to batter down those strong holds, That the carnal-confident man runneth into, what way may be taken to undeceive such a man, and to put him in a way of Salvation.
And in the first place, This may be laid down as a most certain truth, That there1 are none more indisposed for Christ, none have higher mountains and hils in the way, then the falsly perswaded Christian. Christ told the Pharisees, That the Publicans and Harlots got to heaven before them. Ille morbus vix est sanabilis, qui sanitatem imitatur, saith one, That disease is hardly curable that is like unto health: and the task must be great to remove such an one from his stedfastness, because two things are to be done; the former to make known his false righteousness he is perswaded of, and the latter the true righteousness he is to be assured of. As the Philosopher who was to teach one that was infected with false opinions, required a double fee, because his work was double, dedocere, to unteach, and docere to teach. This was the great labour the Prophets of God were put upon; and Christ who had the tongue of the learned, preached many Parables to make the full hungry, and the rich empty in themselves. What the Heretick is in matter of Doctrine, the same is a carnal presumer in matter of practice and conversation. Now as the former is seldom reduced, because there is obstinacy and contumacy in him against all admonitions; so is the latter scarce ever truly debased and humbled, because of the self-love that cleaveth to him.
But if ever any thing be able to overrule and conquer him, these remedies following are likely to do it.
First, A powerfull and soul-searching Ministry, that will so pierce into, and discover2 the hidden things of the heart, that thereby he may come to be made known to himself. The Ministery of the Word is like the Sunne in the firmament, from whose light nothing is hidden. Thus the Prophets, the Apostles, they were lights. And what conviction might the Jews have had of all their self-fulness and hypocrisies, if they had not shut their eyes against the light, 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. The weapons of the Ministry, though they be not carnal, yet are mighty to the pulling down of strong-holds, and every thing that exalteth it self, by this is meant all kinde of opposition. What the woman of Samaria said concerning Christ, that he discovered Whatsoever she had done: So sometimes may we say, Come and hear a Sermon that hath laid open all the vilenes and inward filthines, all the poverty and wretchedness that is within me.
A second Remedy is, A particular opening and applying of the Law in the purity3 and rigidity of it. Matth. 5. What an excellent course did our Saviour there take, to make his hearers afraid of themselves, and to see more sins in themselves then ever they thought of! He makes the Law so spiritual, reaching so deeply into all the motions and lusts of the soul, that they must needs be as foul as Blackmoors in Gods eyes, while they did admire their own beauty. Thou blessest thy slf because of the innocency in thy outward conversation and freedom from all gross sins, but no dunghill is fuller of Snakes and Worms then thy heart is of filthy lusts. Thus Rom. 7. Paul, as good as he was in his own eyes, when he looked into the glasse of Gods word, his holy Law, he found so many blots and blemishes in himself, that he had no longer life or hope within him. Hence it is that men to keep themselves from appearing so deformed as they are, limit the sense of the Law, as if it were not so exact as it is, like the Elephant bemudding the water, that it may not see its own deformity.
The third Remedy is, To discover the fulnesse and necessity of Christ. And indeed4 if Christ be so necessary, as the Scripture saith, and that in such a way, as that his Righteousness must be all in all; Then thereby is demonstrated, that all which we have is nothing but sinne and weakness. If Christ be commended unto us under the titles of a Saviour, Physician, Redeemer, then certainly we are sick, in bondage and utterly undone in our own selves. Why dost thou then (O vain man) boast so in thy own self! Why art thou so strongly perswaded of thy own sufficiency? If it be so, What needs a Christ? Was not he incarnated? Did he not suffer in vain? If a Starre were able to give light to the world, and to dispel all darkness, what need is there of a Sunne? If the stream hath enough to refresh, what use is there of the Ocean? Wouldst thou then come to be poor and miserable in thy own eyes? Consider in what glory, riches, fulness and absolute necessity the Scripture sets Christ forth, and then thou maiest quickly abhor thy self.