DISCOURSE: 2039
THE FOLLY OF PRIDE AND BOASTING
2 Corinthians 10:18. Not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
ONE would be ready to suppose, that the more any person excelled in every thing that was good, the more he would be filled with self-complacency; and that the less holy any person was, the more he would be humbled under a sense of his vileness. But observation and experience attest that the very reverse of this is true. The godly do indeed enjoy the testimony of a good conscience; but they are far from boasting of their own superior worth; they rather “prefer others in honour before themselves,” and account themselves “less than the least of all saints.” But formalists and hypocrites are ever ready to commend themselves on account of their fancied excellencies, and to assume a credit which does not belong to them.
There were at Corinth some of this description—some conceited teachers, who had entered into the Apostle’s labours, and were endeavouring to advance their own influence in the Church by weakening and subverting his. To put the Corinthians on their guard against them, St. Paul shews them how different had been his conduct from that of these vain-glorious men: he had brought the Gospel to those regions where it had never been heard before; whereas they were “boasting in another man’s line of things made ready to their hand:” he had moved in the sphere appointed him by God; they were going beside and beyond the line marked out for them: he had sought only the glory of the Lord; while they were puffed up with pride, and seeking their own glory. He then lays down a rule, applicable indeed to these teachers in the first instance, but equally proper for us also. That “not they who commend themselves will be approved, but those whom the Lord commendeth.”
In discoursing on these words we shall shew,
I. From whence self-approbation arises—
The hearts of men are by nature proud: and their pride finds abundant scope for exercise;
1. From their over-rating the quality of their actions—
[If what they do appears to be good, they are not strict in inquiring whether it be really so: they do not wish to detect those deficiencies which might render them dissatisfied with themselves. They do not examine the principle from which their actions flow, or the manner in which they are performed, or the end for which they are done: whereas these are the things which alone can determine the real quality of their actions. They take for granted that all is right, because they see nothing wrong; and thus are filled with self-admiration and self-complacency, when, if they formed a proper estimate of their conduct, they would rather be filled with shame and self-abasement.]
2. From their judging of them by an erroneous standard—
[Though men are not nice and scrupulous in weighing their actions, they involuntarily and imperceptibly judge of them by some standard. Now the standard by which they try them, is that of popular opinion, and general practice: and whatever stands this test, they conclude to be deserving of praise. They never think of weighing themselves in the balance of the sanctuary: the popular scale is more suited to their minds: that is not turned by small matters: it is so favourably constructed that a small weight of virtue will over-balance a heavy load of iniquity; and the many grains of allowance thrown into it are almost sure to make it preponderate in their favour. No wonder then that they applaud themselves, when, if they took the word of God as their standard, they would find cause for nothing but humiliation and contrition.]
3. From their ascribing them to a wrong cause—
[Because they are free agents in all that they do, they suppose that the merit of every good action must belong to them. But they forget that “God is the sole author of every good and perfect gift;” that it is “he who of his own good pleasure gives us both to will and to do:” and that consequently all the honour is due to him alone. Granting then that their actions were really as excellent as their overweening conceit would paint them, yet they would have no ground for self-commendation. The more they did for God, the more they would be indebted to God; by whose agency alone they were either inclined, or empowered, to do any thing that was good. But when they leave God out of their thoughts, and ascribe their virtues to their own will and power, they must of necessity contract habits of self-preference and self-esteem.]
4. From their overlooking their defects—
[The proud and vain-glorious reflect only on what they do; and never think at all of what they leave undone, or of the deficiencies which are found in their very best actions. They perform one duty perhaps, and neglect many. They attend to some injunction of the second table, but forget entirely the precepts contained in the first. They mark their observance of the letter of a command, but quite overlook their inattention to its spirit. They will have no more gods than one: but they will not “love that God with all their heart, and mind, and soul, and strength.” They will “draw nigh to God with their lips,” but will not inquire whether they have “worshipped him in spirit and in truth.” What can we expect from such partial views of their conduct, but that they will vaunt and boast themselves, as if they were worthy of the highest commendation?]
Having traced the self-applause of men to its true source; we proceed to shew,
II.
The folly and danger of it—
To illustrate this, let two things be considered:
1. God will not regulate his judgment by theirs—
[Man is often influenced by the opinions of his fellow-creatures; and it is proper that he should be so; because others may have more accurate information than he, or be more capable of forming a just conclusion from the premises before him. But “unto God all things are naked and open:” however specious any appearances may be, He cannot be deceived: He will “lay righteousness as a line or plummet” to the souls of men, and thereby mark the smallest deviations from perfect rectitude. In vain will the boaster vaunt before him; for he will with one single interrogation confound him utterly, and lay him in the dust. In vain will the self-deceiver bring forward in his defence the good actions that he has done; for his God and Judge will indignantly dismiss him as unworthy of the smallest regard [Note: Matthew 7:21-23.]. To have the approbation of men will avail him nothing: for “God will not judge according to appearance, but will judge righteous judgment:” “he will shew, that many things which are highly esteemed among men, are an abomination in his sight [Note: Luke 16:15.]:” and, when he passes sentence on them, he will “be justified in his saying, and and clear when he judgeth [Note: Psalms 51:4.].”]
2. Instead of sanctioning, he will reprove, their conceit—
[Nothing is move odious in the sight of God than pride: “the proud in heart, we are told, are an abomination to the Lord [Note: Proverbs 16:5.].” Indeed “pride was not made for man:” it assimilates us, as much as any thing can do, to the devil himself: and will certainly bring us into the same condemnation with him [Note: 1 Timothy 3:6.]. Our own high opinion of ourselves will have an effect directly opposite to that which we wish. It will cause our God to “resist [Note: James 4:6.],” abase [Note: Daniel 4:30-32; Daniel 4:37.], and utterly destroy us [Note: Isaiah 10:12-16. with Luke 18:14.].
We need go no further to prove that men, “measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise [Note: ver. 12.].”]
That we may be preserved from this most destructive habit, we will point out,
III.
The most effectual antidotes—
1. Study the holy law of God—
[That is the only true standard of good and evil: and “by that is the knowledge of sin.” That reaches to the inmost thoughts and dispositions, as well as to the outward acts.—It was by a view of that, as extending to every desire of the soul, that Paul was made to feel himself a guilty and undone sinner [Note: Romans 7:9.]: and that once understood, will bring all of us into the dust before God.]
2. Watch the motions of your own hearts—
[Little do we suspect how much evil we should discover, if we were to mark the motives and principles by which we are actuated. Even when we are influenced by a good principle in the first instance, Satan will find some occasion to sow tares with the wheat, and to defile our very best actions. Let us then exercise a holy jealousy over ourselves: let us not be too confident, even when we are most unconscious of any secret evil [Note: 1 Corinthians 4:3-4.]: let us especially be on our guard against every self-complacent thought: and let us abase ourselves, that we may be exalted of our God.]
3. Bear in mind the strictness of the scrutiny in the day of judgment—
[God “weigheth” not our actions only, but “our spirits:” there is not a thought of our hearts that is not open to his all-seeing eye. He views at once the rule, and the observance of it; and every deviation from the line of absolute perfection is marked by him. True indeed it is, that whilst we are looking to the blood of Christ to cleanse us from our secret faults, and to the Spirit of Christ to perfect in us his good work, God will not “be extreme to mark what is done amiss:” but, if we harbour any secret lust, or indulge any unhallowed principle, our God will search it out, and judge us according to it [Note: 1 Corinthians 4:5.]. Our self-commendation will then avail us nothing; but we shall stand or fall according to the decision of an omniscient and unerring Judge.]