THE SELF-VISE INQUI1REP.
]XIONG the various deceptions a.gainst which St.:Paul warns us, a principal one is tlmt of afalse wisdom; as in the text. The Corinthians prided themselves on their intellectual acuteness and knowledge; as if any thing could equal the excellence of Christian love. Aceordingly, St. Paul writing fo them says, " Let no maa deceive himself. If any man anaong you seemeth fo be wise in this world" (i.e. bas the reputation of wisdom in the world), "let him become a fool (what the world calls a fool), that he may (really) be wise." "For," he proceeds (just as real wisdom is foolishness in the eyes of the world, so in turn), "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." This warning of the Apostle against out trustbz7 out vwt wisdo»z, may lead us, through God's blessing, fo some profitable reflections to-day.
6 T/e Self-wise The world's wisdom is said fo befooliswss in God's sig'ht; and the end of if error, perplexlty, and then ruin. "He taketh the wise in their own eraftiness.'" Here is one espeei,l reason why professed inquirers after Truth do hot find if. They seek if in wrong" way, by a vain wisdom, whieh leads them away ri'oto the Truth, however it may seem fo promise sueeess. Let us then inquire what is this vai» wisdo»z, and then we shall the better see how if leads men astray. 2%w, when if is said that fo trust out own notions wrong" thing",and vain wisdom, of course this is hot meant of all our own notions whatever; for we must trust out own notions in one shape or oflmr, and some notions whieh we form are rig'ht and true. The question, therefore, is, what is that evil trusting" fo ourselves, that sinful self-confidence, or self-eoneeit, whieh is ealled in the text the "wlsdom of the world," and is a ehief cause of out g'oing" wrong" in out relig'ious inquiries? These are the notions whieh we may trust blame; riz. sueh as eome fo us by way of our Conscience, for sueh eome ri'oto God. I mean our eertainty tha there is a rig'ht and a wrong, tha.t some things oug'ht fo be donc, and other thins not done; that we have duties, the neg'leet of whieh brins remorse; and further, God is g'ood, wise, powerful, and rig'hteous, and tha we should try fo obey Him. Ail these notions, and multitude of others like these, eome by natural conscience, i.e. they are impressed on all our minds from our earliest years without our trouble. They do no lroceed from the mere exercise of out minds, though it is *rue fley are s*rengthened and formed thereby. They proeeed from God, whether wiflfin us or without us; and flmugh we emmot trust them so implieitly as we ean rust the Bible, beeause the trufls of the Bible are aetually preserved in writing, and so cannot be lost or altered, still, as far as we bave reason fo think them *rue, we may rely in them, and make mueh of them, without ineurring the sin of self-confidence. These notions whieh we obtain without out exerfion will never make us proud or eoneeited, beeause they are ever a- nded with a sense of sin and guilt., ri'oto the remembranee hat we have at rimes transgressed and inured them. To trust hem is hot l he fidse wisdom of the world, or foolishness, beeause they eome fi'om he Allwise God. And far ri'oto leading man into error, they will, if obeyed, of a eertainty lead him fo a firm belief in Scripture; in which he will find all those vague conjectures and imperfect notions about Truth, which his own heart taught him, abundantly sanctioned, completed, and illustrated. Such then are the opinions and feelings of whieh a man is hot prou& What are those of which he is likely tobe proud? those which he obtains, hot by nature, but by his own industry, ability, and research; those whieh he possesses and others not. Evel T one is in danger of valuing himself for what he does; and hence truths (or fancied truths) whieh a man bas obtained for himself after much thought and labour, such he is apt fo make much of, and to rely upon; and this is the source of that vain wisdom of which the Apostle speaks in the text.
Now (I say) this confidence in our own reasoning" powers no only leads fo pride, but fo "fooliskness" also, and destructive error, because i will oppose itself to Scripture. A man who fancies he can final out truth by himself, disdains revelation. He who thinks he has found it out, is i»l)atiott of revelatiou. He fears i will interfere with his own imaglnary discoveries, he is unwilling to consult it and when if does interfere, then he is angry. We hear mueh of this proud rejection of the truth in thc Epistle from whieh the text is taken. The Jews felt auger, and the Grecks disdain, at the Christian doctrine. "The Jcws required a sign (according" fo thcir preconceivcd notions eoncerning 3{essiah's coming'), and the Greeks seek after wisdom (some subtle train of reasoning'), but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling'-block, and fo the Greeks foolishness. '' In another place the Apostle says of the misled Christians of Corinth, "Now ye are ïull" of your own notions, "now ye are rieh, ye have reigned as kings wlt]tott ces*; '' i.e. you have prided yourself on a wisdom, "without," separate ri-oto, the truth of Apostolic doctrine. Confidence, then, in our own reasoning powers leads fo (what St. Paul calls) foolishness, by eausing in out hearts an indifference towards, or a distaste for Scripture information.:But, besides thus keeping us ti'om the best of guides, it also makes us fools, because it is a confidence in a guide. Out reasoning powers are very veak in all inquiries into moral and relious truth. Clear-sighted as reason is on other subjects, and trustworthy as a guide, still in questions connected with our duty to God ami man it is very unskflfifl and equivocating'. Af ter al], it barely reaches the saine great truths which aie authoritatively set forth by Conscience and by Scripture; and if it be used in religious inqulries, xvithout reference to these divinely-sanctioned informants, the probability is, it will miss the Truth altogether. Thus the (so-called) wise will be taken in their own craftiness. All of us, doubtless, recollect our Lord's words, wh]ch are quite fo the purpose; "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise an«lrudez (those vho trust in their own intellectual powers), and hast revealed them unto babesï' those, i. e. that act by faith and for conscience sake. The fnlse visdom, then, of which St. laul speaks in the text, is trusting our own powers for arriving a religious truth, instead of taking what is dlvinely provided for us, whether in nature or revelaion. This is the way of the world. In the world, Reason is set against Conscience, and usurps its power; and hence men become "wise in their own conceits," and "leaningto their own understandings," « err from the truth.":Let us now review some particulars of thls contes between our instinctive sense of right and wrong, and our weak and conceited reason. It begins within us, when childhood and boyhood are past; and the ime comes for our entrance into life.:Before tha rime we rusted our ivinely-enlightened
22o The Sclf-wisc Inquircr. sense of duty and our righ feelingimplicifly; and though (alas l) we continually transgressed, and thereby impaired this inwm'd guide, af least we did hot question its authority. /'et we had that original temper of faith, wrought in us by ba.ptism, the spirit of little children, without which our Lord assures us, none of us, young or old, can enter the kingdom of heavcn *.:But when out minds became more manly, and the world opened upon us, then in proportion to the intellectual gifts with which God had honoured us, came the temptation of unbelicf and disobedience. Then came reason, led on by passion, to war against out better knowledge. We wcre driven into the wilderness, after our Lord's manner, by the very Spirit given us, which exposed us to the Devil's devices, belote the rime or power came of using the gift in God's service. And how many of the most higMy endowed then fall away under trials which the sinless Son of God withstood! He/hels for all who are tempted, having Himselfsuffered temptation; yet what a sight must He sec, and by what greag exercise of mercy must the Holy Jesus endure, the bold and wicked thoughts which often reign the most triumphantly in the breasts of those (af least for a time) whom He bas commissioned by the abundance of their talents to be the especial ministers of His will! A murmuring against that religious service which is perfect fi'eedom, compla.ints that Christ's yoke is heavy, a rebellious rising against the authority of Conscience, and a proud argui?g against the Truth, or at least an endurance of doubt and seoffing', and a. light, unmeaning" use of sceptieal arguments and assertions, these are the beginnings of apostasy. Then corne the affectation of originality, the desirc fo appear manly and independent, and the fear of the ridicule of out acquaintance, all combining to make us first speak, and then really think evil of the supreme authority of religion. This gradual transgression of the first commandment of the Law is generally attended by a. transgression of the fifth. In our childhood we lovcd both religion and our home; but as we learn to despise the voice of God, so do we first affect, and thcn feel, an indifference towards the opinions of our superiors and clders. Thus out minds become gradually hardened against the purest pleasures, both divine and hmnan. As this progress in sin continues, our disobedience becomes ifs own punishment. In proportion as we lean to our own undcrstanding, we are driven to do so for want of a better guide. Out first truc guide, the light of innocence, is gradually withdrawn from us; and .othing" is left for ris but to "grope and stumble in the desolate places," by the dira, uncertain light of reason. Thus we are taken in out own craftiness. This is what is. sometimes called judieial blin(lzess; sueh as Pharaoh's, who, ri'oto resisting, God's will, ai length did hOt know the difference between light and darkness. Itow far each individual proceeds in thls bad course, depends on variety of causes, into "the consideration of which I need hot en,er. Some are frightened at themselves, and turn back into the right way belote if is too late. Others are checled; and though they do not seek God with all their heart, yet are preserved from any strong and full manifestation of the evil principles which lurk withiu them; and others are kept in a correct outward form of religion by the ch'cumstances in which they are placed. But there are others, and these many in number, perhaps in all ranks of lire, who proceed onwards in evil; and I will go on fo describe in part their condition,—the condition, that is, of those in whom intellectual power is fearfully unfolded amid the neglect of moral truth. The most common case, of course, is that of those who, with their principles thus unformed, or rather unsettled, become engaged, in the ordinary way, in the business of lire. Their first simplicity of character went early. The violence of passion followed, and was indulged; and itis gone, too, leaving (without their suspecting it) most baneiul effects on their mind; just as some diseases silently change the constitution of the body. Lastly, a vain reason has put into disorder their notions about moral propriety and duty, both as to religion and the conduct of lire. If is quite plain, that, having nothing of that faith which " overcomes the world," they must be overcome by if. Let if hot be supposed I ara speaking of some strange case which does hot concela us; for what we know, it concerns some of us most nearly. The issue of our youthful trial in good and evil, probably bas had somewhat of a decided character one way or the other; and we may be quite sure that» if if has issued in evil» we shall hot know it. Deadness to the voice of God, hardness of heart, is one of the very symptoms of unbelief. God's judgments, whether to the world or the individual, are hot loudly spolen. The decree goes forth to build or destroy; Angcls hear it; but we go on in the way of the world as usual, though our souls may have been, af least for. season, abandoned by God. I mean, that if is not af all unlikely that, in the case of some of those who now hea.r me, a great pmoE of their professed falth is, mere matter of words, not ideas aml_]»'iw;2les; that wha opinions they really hold by any exertion of their own minds, bave been reaehed by tire mere exereise of their intellect., the random and accidental use of their mere reasoning powers, whcthcr they be strong or not, and are hot the result of habitual, firm, and progressive obedience to God, not the knowledge which an honest and good heart impa.rts. Our religious notions may lie on the mere surlace of our minds, and have no roof within them; and (I say) from this circumstance,— that the indulgence of early passions, though l%rgotten now, and the misapplication of reason in our youth, bave left an indelibly evil character upon our heart, a judlcial hardness and blindness. Let us think of this.-. if may be the state of those who have had fo endure only ordinary temptations, from the growth of that reasoning, faculty with which we are all gifted. ]3ut when that gift of reason is something especial,— clear, brilliant, or powerful,—then out danger is increased. The first sin of men of superior understanding is to velt«e themselves upon if, and look down upon othcrs. They make intellect the measure of praise and blame and instead of considering a comraon faith
224 The çe(/- wise tobe the bond of union between Christian and Christian, they dream of some other fellowship of civilization, refinement, literature, science, or gcneral mental i]lumination, to uni gifted minds one with a.nother. Having thus cast down moral excellence from its true station, and set up the usurping empire of mere reason, next, they place a value upon all truths exactly in proportion to the possibility of provin them by means of that mere reason. Hcnce, moral and relig'ious truths are thought litfle of by them, because they fall under the province of Conscience far more than of the inllect. Religion sinks in their estimation, or becomes of no account; they begin to think all religions alike; and no wondcr, for they are like mon who bave lost the faculty of discerning colours, and who never, by any exercice of reason, can make out fle diffcrcnce between white and black. As the code of morals, they acknowledge it in a measure, that is, so çar as ifs dick can be çï'oved by reasoning, by an apl»eal to sight, and fo expedience, and without refcrence to a natural sense of right and wrong as thc sanction of these informants. Thinking much of intellectual advancement, they are much bent on improving the world by making all e intellectual and they labour to convince themselves, that as men grow in knowledge they will grow in virtue. As they proceed in their course of judicial blindness, from tndervaluby they learn to devise or fo hale the authority of Conseienee. They treat it as a weakness, whieh all men indeed are subjeet,—they themselves in the number,—espeeially in seasons of siekness, but of whieh they bave eause to be ashamed. The notions of better mon about an ovcr-rul]ng":Providence, and the Divine will, designs, appointmcnts, works, judg'mcnts, they treat with scorn, s rrational; espccially tf (as will offert be the case) these notions are conveyed in incorrect lang'nae, with some accidcntal confusion or intellectual weakness of expression. And all these inducements fo 1]ve by s]ght and no by fitith are greatly increased, when men are enga'e in any pursuit whlch properly elos fo the intellect. Hencc sciences conversant with experhncnts on the mater]al creation, tend fo make men forg'et the existence of Slirit and the Lord of spirits. I will hot pursue the course of infidelity ]nto ifs worst and grossest forms; but if may bc instructive, before I conclude, to t,ke the case of such a man as I h.ve been describing, whcn under thc influence of some rclentin's of conscience towards the close of his ]ifc. This is u case of no unfrecluent occurrence; that is, if must frequently happen that the most hardcned conscience is af thnes visited by sudden compunctions, though general|y they are but momentvry. But if sometimes happens, further than this, th,t a man, fi'om one cause or other, feels he is not in a sale state, anà struggles with hhnself, and the struggle terminates in u manner which affords a fi'esh illustration of the working" of that wisdom of the world which in God's siht is foo]ishness. How shall sinner, who has formed hls character upon unbelief, trusting sht and reason rather than Conscience and Scrpture, how shall he beg'in to repent? Vhat must he do? Is if possible he can overcome himself, and new make his heart in the end of his days.9 îs possible,—not with man, but with God, who glves grace fo all who ask for it; but in only one way, wa.q ff Hic co»z»zctnd»zen[s, by a slow, tedious, toilsome self-discipline; slow, tedious, and toilsome, that is, fo one who bas been long ha.rdening" himsclf in a dislike of it, and indulging" himsclfin the rapid flig'lts and easy victories of his reason. Therc is but one way to heaven; the narrow way; and he who sers about o seek God, though in old age, must enter if at the saine door as others. Ho must retrace his way, and bcg'in again with the very beginning as if ho were, boy. And so proceeding, labouring, watching, and praying,—he seems likely, after all, to m,ke but little progress durin the brief remn,ant of his lire; both because the rime left to him is short, and because he bas to undo while he does a work;he bas to oveome that resistance from his old stout will and hardened heart, which in youth he would hot bave experienced. Now if is plain how humbling this is to his pride: he wlshes tobe saved; but he cannot stoop o be a penitent all his days: to beg" he is aslmmed. Therefore he looks about for othcr mcans of finding a safe hope. And one wa.y among others by which he deceives himself, is this saine ide, that he may gaiti religious knowledge merely by his reason. Thus if happens, that men who have led profligate lires in their youth, or who bave passed their da.ys in the pursuit of wealth, or in some other excitement ofthe world, hot unfrequently settle down into ]tere«ie« in their latter years. ]3efore, perhaps, they professed nothing-, and suffered themselves fo be eulled Christians und members of the Church; but at length, roused to in(luire after truth, and forgetting that the pure in hem't alonc cun see God, and thercfore that they hmst begin by a moral reformation, by sclf-dcnial, they inquire mcrely by the way of reasoning.:No wonder they err; they cannot undcrstand any part of the Church's system whether of doctrine or discipline yet they ttin themselves judges and they treat the most sacred ordinances and the most solemn doctrines, with scorn and irreverence. Thus "the last state of such men is worse than the first." In the woMs of the text, they ought to bave become fools, that they might have been in the end really wise; but they prefer another way, and are taken in thcr own craffiness. May we ever bcar in mind, that the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom '' tlmt obediencc to out conscience, in all thlngs, great and snmll, is the wEy to know the Truth that pride hardens the heart, and sensuality debases it and that all those who lire in pride and sensual indulence, can no more comprehend the way of the Holy Spirit, or know the voice of Christ, than the devils who bclieve with dead faith and tremble! "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may bave right to the tree of lift, and may enter in through the gares into the city"... where there is "no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in if; for the glory of God doth lighten if, and the Lamb is the light thereof .» Prov. L 7. Rev. xxL 23; xxï 14,