The Vain Self-Flatteries of the Sinner

The Vain Self-Flatteries of the

Sinner

For he flattereth himself in his own

eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

In the foregoing verse, David says, that

the transgression of the wicked said within his heart, "that there

is no fear of God before his eyes;" that is, when he saw

that the wicked went on in sin, in an allowed way of wickedness,

it convinced him, that he was not afraid of those terrible

judgments, and of that wrath with which God hath threatened

sinners If he were afraid of these he could never go on so

securely in sin, as he doth.

In our text he gives the reason why the wicked did not fear.

It was a strange thing that men, who enjoyed such light as they did

in the land of Israel, who read and heard those many awful threatenings which

were written in the book of the law, should not be afraid to go

on in sin. But saith the Psalmist, They flatter themseIves in

their own eyes: They have something or other which they make a

foundation of encouragement, whereby they persuade themselves

that they shall escape those judgments; and that makes them put

far away the evil day.

In this manner he proceeds, until his iniquity be found to be

hateful; that is, until he finds by experience that it is a more dreadful

thing to sin against God, and break his holy commands, than he imagined.

He thinks sin to be sweet, and hides it as a sweet morsel under

his tongue: He loves it, and flatters himself in it, till at

length he finds, by experience, that it is bitter as gall and

wormwood. Though he thinks the commission of sin to be lovely,

yet he will find the fruit of it to be hateful, and what he

cannot endure. Proverbs xxiii. 32. "At last it will bite

like a serpent, and sting like an adder."

Here observe,

1. The subject spoken of is the WICKED MAN, of whom the

Psalmist had been speaking in the foregoing verse. 2. His action in flattering himself in his own eyes; i.e. he

makes himself and his case to appear to himself, or in his own eyes,

better than it is. 3. How long he continues so to do, until his iniquity be found to

be hateful. 'Which may be taken for his sin itself, the wicked

will see how odious sin is to God', when he shall feel the

effects of his hatred, and how hateful to angels and saints; or

rather the cause is here put for the effect, the tree for its

fruit, and he will find his iniquity to be hateful, as he will

find the hatefulness and feel the terribleness of the FRUIT of

his iniquity.

Wicked men generally flatter themselves with hopes of escaping

punishment, till it actually comes upon them.

There are but few sinners who despair, who give up the cause

and conclude with themselves, that they shall go to hell; yet there

are but few who do not go to hell. It is to be feared that men go

to hell every day out of this country; yet very few of them

suffer themselves to believe, that they are in any great danger

of that punishment. They go on sinning and travelling in the

direct road to the pit; yet by one mean or other they persuade

themselves that they shall never fall into it, In my present discourse, I shall,

1. Mention some things in confirmation of the doctrine, that

sinners flatter themselves with the hope of impunity. 2. Mention some of the various ways wherein sinners flatter

themselves in that hope. 3. Show that sinners generally go on flattering themselves, till

punishment actually overtakes them. I. I am to mention some things in confirmation of the doctrine,

that sinners flatter themselves with the hope of future impunity.

1. We are so taught in the word of God. Beside our text, you

may see, Deuteronomy xxix. 18, 19. "Lest there should be among

you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away

this day from the Lord our God. Lest there should he among you a

root that beareth gall and wormwood, "and it come to pass

when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in

his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the

imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst."

Where it is supposed that they whose hearts turn away from God,

and are roots that bear gall and wormwood, generally bless

themselves in their hearts, saying, WE SHALL HAVE PEACE.

See also Psalm xlix. 17,18. "When he dieth, he shall

carry nothing away: His glory shall not descend after him, though while

he lived, he BLESSED HIS SOUL." And Psalm 1:21. "These

things thou hast done. and I kept silence: Thou thoughtest that I

was altogether such a one as thyself: But I will reprove thee,

and set them in order before thee."

2. It is very evident, that sinners flatter themselves that

they shall escape punishment, by this, that otherwise they would

be in dreadful and continual distress. Otherwise, as long as they

are in sin, they could never live and go about so cheerfully as they

now do: Their lives would be filled with sorrow and mourning, and

they would be in continual uneasiness and distress; as much as

those that are exercised with some violent pain of body. But it

is evident that it is not in fact so; it is apparent that men are

careless and secure; that they are not much concerned about

future punishment, and that they cheerfully pursue their business

and recreations. Therefore they undoubtedly flatter themselves, that they

shall not be eternally miserable in hell, as they are threatened

in the word of God

3. It is evident that they flatter themselves with hopes that

they shall escape punishment, as otherwise they would certainly be

restrained at least from many of those sins in which they now live:

They would not proceed in wilful courses of sin. The transgression

of the wicked convinced the Psalmist, and is enough to convince

every one, that there is no fear of God before his eyes, and that

he flatters himself in his own eyes. It would be impossible for

men allowedly from day to day to do those very things, which they

know are threatened with everlasting destruction, if they did not some

way encourage themselves, they should nevertheless escape that

destruction.

II. I shall mention some of the various ways wherein sinners

flatter themselves in their own eyes.

1. Some flatter themselves with a secret hope, that there is

no such thing as another world. They hear a great deal of preaching,

and a great deal of talk about hell, and about the eternal

judgment; but those things do not seem to them to be real. They

never saw any thing of them; they never saw hell, never saw the

devils and damned spirits; and therefore are ready to say with

themselves, How do I know that there is any such thing as another

world? When the beasts die, there is an end of them, and how do I

know but that it will be so with me? Perhaps all these things are

nothing but the inventions of men, nothing but cunningly devised

fables.

Such thoughts are apt to rise in the minds of sinners, and the

devil sets in to enforce them. Such thoughts are an ease to them; therefore

they wish they were true, and that makes them the more ready to think

that they are indeed true. So that they are hardened in the way

of sin, by infidelity and atheistical thoughts. Psalm xiv. 1.

" The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."

Psalm xciv. 6, 7. "They slay the widow and the stranger, and

murder the fatherless. Yet they say, the Lord shall not see;

neither shall the God of Jacob regard it,"

2. Some flatter themselves that death is a great way off, and

that they shall hereafter have much opportunity to seek salvation;

and they think if they earnestly seek it, though it be a great

while hence, they shall obtain. Although they see no reason to

conclude that they shall live long, and perhaps they do not

positively conclude that they shall; yet it doth not come into

their minds that their lives are really uncertain, and that it is

doubtful whether they will live another year. Such a thought as

this doth not take any hold of them. And although they do not

absolutely determine that they shall live to old age or to middle

age, yet they secretly flatter themselves with such an imagination.

They are disposed to believe so, and do so far believe it, that

they act upon it and run the venture of it.

Men will believe that things will be as they choose to have

them, without reason, and sometimes without the appearance of reason,

as is most apparent in this case, Psalm xlix. 11. "Their

inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and

their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands

after their own names."

The prepossession and desire of men to have it so, is the

principal thing that makes them believe so. However, there are several

other things which they use as arguments to flatter themselves.

Perhaps they think with themselves, that since they are at

present in health, or in youth, or that since they are useful

men, do a great deal of good, and both them selves and others

pray for the continuance of their lives; they are not likely to

be removed by death very soon.

If they shall live many years in the world, they think that it

is very probable they shall be converted before they die; as they expect

hereafter to have much more convenient opportunities to become converted,

than they have now. And by some means or other, they think they

shall get through their work before they arrive at old age.

3. Some flatter themselves that they lead moral and orderly

lives, and therefore think that they shall not be damned. They think

with themselves that they live not in any vice, that they take

care to wrong no man, are just and honest dealers, that they are

not addicted to hard drinking, or to uncleanness, or to bad

language; that they keep the Sabbath strictly, are constant attendants

on the public worship, and maintain the worship of God in their

families. Therefore they hope that God will not cast them into hell.

They see not why God should be so angry with them as that would

imply, seeing they are so orderly and regular in their walk; they

see not that they have done enough to anger him to that degree. And

if they have angered him, they imagine they have also done a

great deal to pacify him.

If they be not as yet converted, and it be necessary that they

should experience any other conversion in order to their salvation,

they hope that their orderly and strict lives will move God to

give them converting grace. They hope that surely God will not

see those that live as they do go to hell. Thus they flatter

themselves, as those we read of. Luke xviii. 9. "That trusted

in themselves that they were righteous."

4. Some make the advantages under which they live an occasion

of self flattery. They flatter themselves, because they live in a

place where the gospel is powerfully preached and among a religious

people, where many have been converted; and they think it will be

much easier for them to be saved on that account. Thus they abuse

the grace of God to their destruction; they do that which the scriptures

call despising the riches of God's goodness: Romans ii. 4.

"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and

forbearance, and long suffering; not knowing that the goodness of

God leadeth thee to repentance?"

Some flatter themselves, because they are born of godly

parents, who are dear to God, who have often and earnestly prayed for

them, they hope that their prayers will be heard; and that

encourages them to go on in the way of neglecting their souls. The

Jews had great dependence upon this, that they were the children

of Abraham: John viii. 33. they make their boast. "We be

Abraham's seed; and in verse 39. "Abraham is our

father."

5. Some flatter themselves with their own intentions. They

intend to neglect themselves, and give themselves liberty for a while

longer, and then to reform. Though now they neglect their souls,

and are going on in sin; yet they intend ere long to bestir

themselves, to leave off their sins, and to set themselves to

seek God. They hear that there is great encouragement for those

who earnestly seek God, that they shall find him. So they intend

to do; they propose to seek with a great deal of earnestness.

They are told, that there are many who seek to enter the kingdom

of heaven, who shall not be able; but they intend, not only to

seek, but To STRIVE However, for the present they allow themselves

in their ease, sloth, and pleasure, minding only earthly things.

Or if they should be seized with some mortal distemper, and

should draw near to the grave, before the time which they lay out

in their minds for reformation, they think how earnestly they

would pray and cry to God for mercy; and as they hear God is a

merciful God, who taketh no delight in the death of sinners, they

hence flatter themselves that they shall move God to have pity on

them.

There are but few who are sinners, and know themselves to be

such, who do not encourage themselves with intentions of future

repentance and reformation; but few who do not flatter themselves,

that they shall in good earnest set themselves to seek God some

time or other. Hell is full of GOOD INTENDERS who never proved to

be TRUE PERFORMERS: Acts xxiv. 25. "Go thy way for this

time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for

thee."

6. There are some who flatter themselves, that they do and

have done, a great deal for their salvation, and therefore hope they

shall obtain, when indeed they neither do what they ought to do, nor

what they might do in their present state of unregeneracy; nor

are they in any likely way to be converted They think they are

striving, when they neglect many moral and some instituted

duties; nor do they exert themselves as if it were for their

lives; they are not violent for the kingdom of leaven.

There are doubtless many such; many are concerned, and are

seeking, and do many things, and think that they are in a very fair

way to obtain the kingdom of God; yet there is great danger that

thy will prove at last to be some of the foolish virgins, and be

found without oil in their vessels.

7. Some hope by their strivings to obtain salvation of

themselves. They have a secret imagination, that they shall, by degrees,

work in themselves sorrow and repentance of sin, and love towards

God and Jesus Christ. Their striving is not so much an earnest

seeking to God, as a striving to do them selves that which is the

work of God. Many who are now seeking have this imagination, and

labor, reach, pray, hear sermons and go to private meetings, with

the view of making themselves holy, and of working in themselves

holy affections.

Many, who only project and design to turn to God hereafter,

are apt to think that it is an easy thing to be converted, that

it is a thing which will be in their own power at any time, when

they shall earnestly set themselves to it.

8. Some sinners flatter themselves that they are already

converted. They sit down and rest in a false hope, persuading themselves

that all their sins are pardoned; that God loves them; that they

shall go to heaven when they die; and that they need trouble

themselves no more: Revelation iii. 17. "Because thou

sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of

nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,

and poor, and blind, and naked."

III. Sinners very generally go on flattering themselves in

some or other of these ways, till their punishment actually overtakes

them. These are the baits by which Satan catches souls, and draws them into

his snare. They are such self flatteries as these that keep men

from seeing what danger they are in, and that make them go

securely on in the way they are in, "as the bird hasteth to

the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life."

Those that flatter themselves with hopes of living a great

while longer in the world, very commonly continue so to do till death

comes. Death comes upon them when they expect it not; they look

upon it as a great way off, when there is but a step between them

and death. They thought not of dying at that time, nor at anytime

near it. When they were young, they proposed to live a good while

longer; and if they happen to live till middle age, they still

maintain the same thought, that they are not yet near death; and

so that thought goes along with them as long as they live, or

till they are just about to die.

Men often have a dependence on their own righteousness, and as

long as they live are never brought off from it. Multitudes uphold

themselves with their own intentions, till all their prospects

are dashed in pieces by death. They put off the work which they

have to do till such a time; and when that comes, they put it off

to another time, until death, which cannot be put off, overtakes

them. There are many also that hold a false hope, a persuasion

that they belong to God; and as long as they live, by all the marks

and signs which are given of a true convert, they never will be

persuaded to let go their hope, till it is rent from them by

death.

Thus men commonly uphold themselves, and make themselves easy,

till hell fire makes them uneasy. Everlasting ruin comes upon

them as a snare, and all their hopes are at once cut off, and

turned into everlasting despair: I. Thessalonians v. 3. "When

they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh

upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not

escape."

APPLICATION

1. Hence we learn one reason why there are but few saved, and

why so many perish from under the gospel. All men know that they

must die, and all that sit under the light of the gospel have

been told many a time, that after this there is an other world;

that there are but two states in that other world, a state of

eternal happiness, and a state of eternal misery; that there is

but one way of escaping the misery and obtaining the blessedness

of eternity, which is by obtaining an interest in Christ, through faith

in him; and that this life is the only opportunity of obtaining

an interest in Christ. Yet men are so much given to flatter

themselves in those ways which we have mentioned, that there are

but few that seasonably take care of their salvation. Indeed they

cannot but be in some measure concerned about their souls; yet

they flatter themselves with one thing or other, so that they are

kept steadily and uninterruptedly going on in the broad way to

destruction.

2. Hence we learn the reason why awakening truths of

scripture, and awakening sermons, make no more impression upon men.

It is in itself a wonderful and surprising thing, that God's

denunciations of eternal misery, and threatenings of casting sinners

into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever and

ever, do not affect them, do not startle them. But the truth is,

they flatter themselves, by such means as we have mentioned, that

this dreadful misery is not for them; that they shall escape it,

though multitudes of others are involved in it. They take not

these threatenings to themselves; they seem to think that they do

not belong to them.

How many are there in this congregation, who, for all the

awakening sermons they have heard, are yet secure in sin! And who,

although they are sensible that they are in a Christless

condition, and are still going on in sin, yet intend to go to heaven,

and expect that by some means or other they shall arrive there.

They are often told, that God is very angry with them; yet they

think God is a very merciful God, and they shall be able to

pacify him. If they be told how uncertain life is, that doth not awaken

them, because they flatter themselves with long life. If they be

told how dangerous it is to delay the business of religion, they

promise themselves, that they will hereafter engage in it with more

earnestness than others, and so obtain the end, the salvation of

their souls. Others, when they are told that many shall seek who

shall not he able to obtain, think surely, that they, having done

so much for salvation, shall not be denied.

3. Let every sinner examine himself, whether he do not flatter

himself in some of those ways which have been mentioned. What is

it in your own minds which makes you think it is safe for you to

delay turning to God? What is it that encourages you to run such

a venture as you do by delaying this necessary work? Is it that

you hope there is no such state as heaven or hell, and have a

suspicion that there is no God? Is It this that makes you secure

? Or is it that you are not much afraid but that you shall have

opportunity enough a great while hence to mind such things? Is it

an intention of a future seeking a more convenient season? And

are you persuaded that God will hearken to you then, after you

shall have so long turned a deaf ear to his commands and

gracious? Are you encouraged to commit sin, because you hope to

repent of it? Are you encouraged by the mercy of God to be his enemies?

And do you resolve still to provoke him to anger, because you

think he is easily pacified?

Or do you think that your conversion is in your own power, and

that you can turn to God when you please? Is it because you have

been born of godly parents that you are so secure? Or do you

imagine that you are in a fair way to be converted? Do you think

that what you have done in religion will engage God to pity you,

and that he never can have the heart to condemn one who has lived

in so orderly a manner? Or do you think that you are indeed

converted already? And doth that encourage you to take a liberty

in sinning? Or are you secure, because you are so stupid as to

think nothing about these things? Do you let these concerns

wholly alone, and scarcely ever think at all how it will be with

you after you are dead?

Certainly it must be one or more of these things which keeps

you in your security, and encourages you to go on in sin. Examine,

therefore, and see which of them it is.

4. By the text and doctrine be persuaded to leave off thus

flattering yourselves in your own eyes. You are therein informed, that

those who do as you do commonly continue so doing till their punishment actually

comes upon them. Thereby you may be convinced of the vanity of

all such flatteries. Be afraid of that which you are sure is the

devil's bait: "Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight

of any bird," Proverbs i. 17.

You are not only told in the scriptures, that sinners are

generally thus allured to hell, but your own reason may convince

you that it is so. For doubtless other sinners have as much

ground to hope to escape punishment as you; and it is evident,

that they generally do hope to escape. Men under the gospel

almost universally think they shall not go to hell: If it were otherwise,

they could have no peace or comfort in the world. Yet what

multitudes have we reason to conclude go down from under the

preaching of the gospel to the pit of destruction! Now, this is

surely enough to convince any sober, prudent person of the folly

of such flattery, and of the folly of every one that doth not immediately

set about his great work with his might. If you could have access

to the damned, you would hear many of them curse themselves, for

thus flattering themselves while they lived in this world; and

you would have the same doctrine preached to you by their

wailings and yellings which is now preached to you from the

pulpit.

If your temptation to security be unbelief of the fundamental

doctrines of religion, such as the being of God, of another world,

and an eternal judgment, you may consider, that though that makes

you secure at present, yet it will not do always, it will not

stand by when you come to die. The fool often in health saith,

There is no God; but when he comes to die, he cannot rest in any

such supposition. Then he is generally so much convinced in his

own conscience, that there is a God, that he is in dreadful amazement

for fear of his eternal wrath. It is folly, therefore, to flatter

yourselves with any supposition now which you will not then be

able to hold.

If you depend on long life, consider how many who have

depended on the same thing, and had as much reason to depend on it

as you, have died within your remembrance.

Is it because you are outwardly of an orderly life and

conversation, that you think you shall be saved? How

unreasonable is it to suppose, that God should be so obliged by

those actions, which he knows are not done from the least respect

or regard to him, but wholly with a private view! Is it because

you are under great advantages that you are not much afraid but that

you shall some time or other be converted, and therefore neglect

yourselves and your spiritual interests? And were not the people

of Bethsaida, Chorazin and Capernaum, under as great advantages

as you, when Christ himself preached the gospel to them, almost

continually, and wrought such a multitude of miracles among them?

Yet he says, that it shall be more tolerable in the day of

judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah, than for those cities.

Do you expect you shall be saved, however you neglect

yourselves, because you were born of godly parents? hear what Christ

saith, Matthew iii. 9. ''Think not to say within yourselves, we

have Abraham to our father." Do you flatter yourselves that

you shall obtain mercy, though others do not, because you intend

hereafter to seek it more earnestly than others? Yet you deceive

yourselves, if you think that you intend better than many of

those others, or better than many who are now in hell once

intended.

If you think you are in a way of earnest seeking, consider,

whether or no you do not mind other things yet more? If you imagine

that you have it in your own power to work yourselves up to repentance, consider,

that you must assuredly give up that imagination before you can

have repentance wrought in you. If you think yourselves already

converted, and that encourages you to give yourselves the greater liberty

in sinning, this is a certain sign that you are not converted.

Wherefore abandon all these ways of flattering yourselves; no

longer follow the devil's bait; and let nothing encourage you to

go on in sin; but immediately and henceforth seek God with all

your heart, and soul, and strength.