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THE DANGER OF FALSE CONFIDENCE
THERE is not a more intimate connexion between any two things than between sin and misery. However specious an appearance any hypocrite may make in the world, God, who sees his heart, will sooner or later expose and punish his hypocrisy. The Israelites on different occasions professed to repent, and to return to God: but they were “as a deceitful bow,” that effected not the purpose for which it seemed to be bent: on which account God commanded the prophet to “set the trumpet to his mouth,” and to proclaim their speedy destruction. The prophet’s testimony is then confirmed by God himself in the words before us: in which we may see,
I. The vain confidence of the ungodly—
All men have, to a certain extent, the very confidence expressed in my text. As amongst the Jews, so amongst ourselves, the grounds of that confidence are diverse, whilst the confidence itself is the same.
[Some found it on their bearing of the Christian name. They have been born of Christian parents, and educated in a Christian country, and therefore they account themselves children of the Most High; exactly as the Jews claimed to be the children of God, because they were descended from the stock of Abraham, and had been admitted into covenant with God by circumcision. Hence we find them confidently asserting that “God was their Father [Note: Joh_8:33; Joh_8:39-41.].”
Others found it on their belonging to a peculiar Church. As the Jews said of themselves, “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these [Note: Jer_7:4.],” so persons belonging to the Church of England esteem themselves especially favoured of the Lord on that account, whilst all the various classes of dissenters arrogate to themselves the same high privilege, as arising out of their separation from the Established Church, and the imagined superiority of their respective advantages for spiritual instruction.
Others found their confidence on their moral conduct, and their regular observance of all the external duties of religion. But like the Pharisees of old, whilst their regular deportment makes them objects of admiration to those around them, they shew by their whole conduct that they have only “the form of godliness without any of its power.” Yet do they value themselves as standing high in the favour of God, and would be filled with indignation if their acceptance with him were questioned, or their state before him made even for a moment a subject of doubt.
Others again found their confidence on their having embraced the principles of the Gospel, and professed themselves in a more peculiar manner the followers of Christ. These are apt to consider themselves as lights shining in a dark world [Note: Psa_78:34-37.] — — — and, with more than ordinary boldness, will adopt as their own appropriate and distinctive privilege that assertion of the ancient Church, “My Beloved is mine, and I am his.” Now I am far from saying that none are entitled to express this confidence; for I know that it is the Christian’s privilege to possess it, and to “hold it fast even to the end.” But it is far too easily adopted, and too generally entertained. For thousands who “call God their Rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer, do, in fact, only flatter him with their mouths, and lie unto him with their tongues [Note: Mat_7:21-23.]:”and many of the most confident among them will meet with that repulse in the last day, “Depart from me; I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity [Note: See Isa_58:2.].”]
Seeing, then, that there are so many who indulge a vain confidence before God, let me declare to you,
II. The disappointment that awaits them—
Whatever have been the erroneous standards which men have adopted for themselves, there is one, and one only, by which they shall be tried in the last day; and that is, the word of God.
Accordingly God casts in the teeth of self-deceivers their violations of his word—
[The Jews, as Jews, were bound to walk according to God’s law. But they had “cast off their allegiance to God, transgressing his covenant, and setting at nought his commandments [Note: ver. 1].” And this is the very state of us Christians. What a covenant has God made with us in Christ Jesus, “a covenant ordered in all things and sure,” and comprehending our every want, both in time and eternity! In this covenant we have the remission of all our sins accorded to us freely for Christ’s sake, and all needful supplies of the Holy Spirit, for the sanctification of our souls, yea, and eternal glory also vouchsafed to us as the purchase of the Redeemer’s blood. But how little have we regarded this covenant, or sought an interest in it! In fact, “we have rather trodden under foot the Son of God by our continuance in sin, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and have done despite to the Spirit of his grace [Note: Heb_10:29.].” And, as for the laws either of the first or second table, we have never made them the rule of our conduct, or even desired to conform to them any further than suited our own interest or convenience. In our baptism indeed we engaged to walk according to the revealed will of God; but in our whole lives we have rebelled against him, and “cast off the thing that was good.”]
What then can we expect at God’s hands?
[He told the hypocritical Jews that “their Assyrian enemies should pursue them.” True, the Assyrians thought only of gratifying their own ambition; but they were a sword in God’s hand to “avenge the quarrel of his covenant:” and they did fearfully execute on these transgressors the Divine judgments.
And has not God instruments at hand to inflict punishment on us? See the perturbed state of Europe at this moment [Note: Of France and Belgium more particularly, May 1831.],” and see how we ourselves are approximating towards it. The outrages and conflagrations which have recently pervaded our land will have been as nothing in comparison of what we may soon behold, if God give us up to that anarchical spirit which now threatens to bear down all before it — — — Truly the occasional prayers which have for some time been in use amongst us by the appointment of our ecclesiastical superiors, may yet well be continued amongst us, for the averting of those judgments which we have so justly merited.
Amongst the professors of religion, too, there is a spirit not unlike to that which prevails in the ungodly world, a spirit of unhumbled inquiry, and of dogmatical assertion, tending only to divide the Church of God, and to diffuse uncharitable feelings amongst those who ought to “love one another with a pure heart fervently.” To what that also may grow, God alone knows. But it is a sad scandal to the Church of God, and can be pleasing to none but Satan, the author and abettor of all evil.
But there are other enemies that may pursue both the world and the Church of God: for most assuredly the wrath of God shall follow and overtake sin, whether it be found in the openly profane, or in the professors of the Gospel of Christ. “The sin of every man,” whoever he may be, shall assuredly, in due season “find him out.” A man’s profession may have raised the admiration of all around him: but if it prove at last unsound, he shall sink the deeper into irremediable shame and misery [Note: Job_20:4-7.] — — —]
Application—
1. Let us examine well the grounds of our confidence—
[I would by no means be understood to condemn all confidence, but only to recommend a careful examination of the grounds on which our confidence is built. We may, if we will attentively discriminate between things which differ, find a very broad distinction between the confidence which is delusive, and that which is truly scriptural. As a general observation, we may say, that that alone is scriptural which is attended with holy fear and jealousy: for even St. Paul himself laboured incessantly to “bring all his bodily appetites into subjection, lest, after having preached to others, he himself should become a cast-away.” That which stands on a presumptuous conceit about God’s decrees, and is sanctioned only by an appeal to past experience, may well be questioned: but that which is founded rather on the general promises of the Gospel, and is borne out and warranted by an appeal to the present experience of the soul, may safely be treasured up as an invaluable blessing. And if this latter appear more fluctuating than the other, let not that render it less estimable in your minds: for it is far the more scriptural and safe. In fact, Satan exerts himself to the uttermost to strengthen the confidence which is erroneous, that so his vassals may not suspect the delusion under which they labour; whilst, on the other hand, he infuses doubts into the minds of the upright, that they may not reap the full benefit of their confidence in God. Only let your confidence be humble, and its habitual effect be practical, and then you may say boldly, “O God, thou art my God!” and may hold fast your confidence, and the rejoicing of your hope firm unto the end.]
2. Let us endeavour to maintain a close walk with God—
[Whilst this, as I have already shewn, is the proper test of our confidence, it is also the means whereby our confidence is to be made more and more assured. “If we abide with God, he will abide with us: but if we forsake him, he also will forsake us [Note: 2Ch_15:2.].” Here we see, that, if the text is true, so will the converse of it be found true also. Only let us “hold fast that which is good,” and no enemy whatsoever shall prevail against us. You all know how the Apostle sets all his enemies at defiance [Note: Rom_8:33-39.] — — — And thus may we also do: for, “if God be with us, who can be against us?” Our office is, to serve the Lord. His office, if I may so speak, is to save us. Only then let us attend to our part, and we may with safety leave to our heavenly Father the execution of his.]