Jonathan Fisher
Sermon No. 2619
Bluehill Dec. 19, 1827

Luke l8:13 - And the publican standing afar off, did not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner.

These words are included in a parable which Christ spoke to those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. The whole parable brings to view two men, the one a Pharisee, one of the most self-righteous sect among the Jews, the other a publican, one of the class of people employed in gathering the tribute imposed upon the Jews by the Romans, who on that account were much disesteemed, and probably were generally selected from the lower classes in society.

The Pharisee is represented as praying in a manner expressive of a high sense of his own goodness, of much self-esteem, and contempt of others. The publican as praying in a manner expressive of a very humble sense of his own state, "and of perhaps, too much dejection of spirits: but he is represented as justified rather than the former, The instruction which Christ draws from the Pharisee is, that every one who exalts himself shall be abased, and that every one who humbles himself shall be exalted, I pray that I may unfold this subject in a manner which shall be of never ending profit to my dear hearers.

Now, my clear hearers, I ask, do you believe that there is a future state? That you have souls, which will forever survive the dissolution of soul and body by natural death? I think you will generally admit that there is such a state; though it may be not with that sense of its reality which is desirable. Do you believe that this first state is to be a state of unspeakable wretchedness in the ease of one class of mankind, and of unutterable glory and happiness in the case of the other class? With some few exceptions I suppose you profess to believe this, but in this regard the faith of many must be very feeble, or they could not exhibit such a continued apathy, and no great want of interest and concern regarding the subject, as they do.

But admitting that you in some degree believe it, in which class do you desire that you may be found, when you shall have done with this world? You will all say, in the class of the glorified and happy. We are all hoping to be found hereafter in this class; take away entirely the hope of this from any one person here present, and we should see that person in a state of anguish and distress that might move the hardest of us. But, oh how deluded are multitudes to be so quiet in a hope of future happiness, when they have not yet taken one step in the way which loads to it, but are running on in full career in the way which leads to future misery!-- But will you, my dear people, give ear to a few instructions concerning what we must be, that we may attain to future happiness? We must perceive in the first place what we now are, and what in the unrenowned state all are. In our unrenowned state we ale all proud and self-confident for a great part of the time; we look upon what we consider our virtues with a vary complacent eye, and think of our vices and follies as trivial matters, We compare ourselves among ourselves, instead of comparing ourselves by the strict rules of the word of God; and because in this our comparison we see others around us who refer more intemperate than we, or more unchaste, or more profane, or more unfaithful, or less honest, less true, less industrious, less patient, less liberal, less forbearing, and the like, we draw an inference in our favor and form the hasty conclusion that even though they should miss of future happiness, we shall attain to it; that even if we should be almost too late, we shall not come wholly short,-- With this hasty conclusion we quiet ourselves, and go on our way, in a state of cold indifference, almost forgetting that there is a holy God, and that we have offended him, I have heard even the drunkard boast that he hurts nobody but himself, The impure person may boast of his good manners and civility, the Sabbath breaker of his industry and honesty, the covetous may pres.... of his religious strictness; his prayers and his fasts, and the profane person of his liberality. Almost all see something in themselves of which they are proud.

That man in his natural state is the subject of pride the blessed Savior teaches when he says in Mark 7:22 that “out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,” etc., and also “side, foolishness” etc. This pride is an evil thing; Prey, 16~5, “every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” Pride keeps the subjects of it at a distance from God, and ignorance of him. Psalm 10:14, “The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts.” Pride inclines the subjects of it to ill treat and abuse those who are under their power; Psalm 10:2, “The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor.” Pride is of a tendency to deceive the subjects of it, so that they shall esteem themselves to be much bettor than they really are.-- “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee”; Oba. 3 Verse, Pride naturally hardens the heart, because the subject of it does not feel his need of contrition and relenting, Daniel 5:20 speaking of Neb., the prophet says, “Then his heart is lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne.”-- Pride appears to have been the sin for which the Devil was also condemned: 1 Tim. 3:6 “Not a novice, but being lifted up with pride, he fell into the condemnation of the Devil;” as much as to say, pride was the leading ground of the Devil’s condemnation. Pride prepares the way f or ruin: Prov. 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride was one of the sins for which Sodom was destroyed, Ez.16:L~.9 “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness,” etc., and Verse 50 “They were haughty and committed abominations before me, therefore I took them away as I saw good.” Pride is a sin to be deeply bewailed, Jar, 13:17 “My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride.” In the Verse after our text, Jesus declares that he that exalteth himself shall be abased.-- Such is ‘ ~ sketch of the account which the holy Scriptures give us of pride.

Now it is necessary in order to our text, that we come to perceive that we are by nature these proud creatures, that we are prone to exalt ourselves at the risk of our ruin. We may be proud because we are so good: but this very pride increases our wickedness, and renders us the more the object of divine displeasure. Solomon reckons a proud look among those seven things which the Lord hates, and which are an abomination to him. Till we see something of the natural pride of our hearts, we shall not be likely to sac the aggravation of our other sins, for pride is of a nature to blind the minds, and to deceive us, as has been noticed. The Apostle Paul speaks of a proud man, as an ignorant man, he is proud, knowing nothing.-But now, my dear hearers, how shall we come to the perception of our pride. It may help to detect it, if we fairly compare ourselves with the lives of sane of the most humble ‘and eminent Christians to whose lives we have faithful memoirs given us. Such as Flav., Dodridge, Bran, Edwards, Martin, Buchan., Scott, and many others. It may further show us our pride to compare ourselves with Scripture saints, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Samuel, Moses, David, Daniel, Stephen, Paul, John and others. But further, it may still more humble us to compare ourselves with the life of the blessed Savior in his human nature, to see how obedient, mock, humble, benevolent, faithful, prayerful, self-denied and devoted to the service of his heavenly Father he is; and finally it may show us our pride in lively colors if we faithfully study the law of God, and consider what our conduct, ought to be, and then compare our conduct with that law and see what in comparison we really are,-- Oh, what shortcomings; what deviations; what transgressions! What have we to boast of? What is there of soundness in our 1-~aarts? What is there of purity in our motives? What is there of tenderness in our consciousnesses? What is there of doing to others and we would have them do to us? what is there of devotedness to the honor of God? What is there of compassion for the souls of men?

When we shall have surveyed what we may think the best side of ourselves, and shall have compared it with the example of Christ, and with the strictness of the demands of divine law, we shall have reason to blush; to be ashamed and confounded, to lay our hands on our mouths, and our mouths in the dust and to cry, God be merciful to us miserable sinners.

It may help to humble us to make the supposition, each one for himself, that he is the only rational creature in this world, except one who is perfectly obedient to the divine law, then let him consider himself as the full authority 9f this law, and then contrast his life with the life of his neighbor, who observes perfectly1 and considers the difference that lies against him. Oh, how little, how vile must each one of us would have occasion to consider himself in such a contrast! But having come to a perception of our state and of the natural pride of our hearts, and the vileness and wickedness of this pride, what then shall we do?-- We should then cast off all confidence in any thing wherein we thought ourselves better than others around us; we should fool that however civil we may have been one towards another in the concerns of this life, we are guilty of treason against our sovereign Lord, and are all involved in that respect in one common condemnation. Feeling ourselves thus justly condemned we should repair with deep humiliation to our Sovereign’s foot, and beg in the most lowly frame of heart, that we may be forgiven freely for Christ’s sake, In real truth we have all occasion to say with the Publican, God be merciful to us sinners. But when we come to God in the name of Christ thus humble, we may come confidently, we may lift up our i eyes to heaven; but that must be in the view of worthiness of Christ, and not in view of any, even the least worthiness in ourselves.

But when we endeavor to go thus with deep humility to the feet of our Sovereign, what further should we do? We should look to the perfect obedience of Christ, as then through which we may be accounted righteous before God, when we come to his bar, and through which We may be acquitted1 in the day of judgment, When we shall have thus come humbly to God in the name of Christ, and shall have thus looked at his atoning mercy1 and to his perfect righteousness, we shall in duo time find an inner spiritual peace in our souls, our consciousness before tumultuous will be restored to a pleasant calm. But shall we rest here? Rest on Christ we must, and that without remission: but shall we rest in a state of indifference in respect to the manner of our lives? By no means: we must with resolution devote ourselves to the service of God; resolutely we must wage war with all sin; faithfully we must endeavor to discharge ovary duty devolving upon us; diligently we must seek out and observe the commandments of our blessed Savior. “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them,” says Christ, “he it is that loveth me.

Though pride is a leading sin among the sins of our fallen state, it is not our only sin. It is no doubt the sin especially by which our first parents fell, for it was in the thought of being wise, of being as Gods, that they ate of the forbidden tree,-- But in addition to pride, we are naturally the subjects of selfishness1 covetousness, anger, revenge, malice, hatred of that which is good, profanity, impurity, injustice, falsehood, ingratitude and many more species of wickedness. In the consideration of that our pride becomes the more hateful, for this calls for deep self-abasement, rather than for pride.

But now, my dear hearers, what will you do? I much fear that many of you in a self—confident spirit will continuo to choose your own way, a way of indolent neglect of the great end of your being, the service of God, a humble and penitent submission to him, and a security of an inheritance of the world of Glory, through receiving with a broken heart the Lord Jesus Christ. I much fear that while the Holy Ghost says, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation, to-day if ye will hear his voice harden not your heart; you, proud of your own wisdom, will say, No, some future day will be the time for us to attend to spiritual subjects; now is the time to secure the profits, the pleasures, and the honors of this life; now we must provide for our bodies, that they may be sheltered, fed, clothed, ornamented, gratified, and that our carnal minds may be amused. What we shall have accumulated an estate, when we shall have made our fill of pleasure, when we shall haw risen to honor, when we shall be satiated with the world, then we mean to attend in good earnest to the saving of our souls and to the securing a heavenly inheritance.

This is in general the language of the proud wisdom of the world. The world shows it on every side, it is proud of being wiser than God, it is probably thinking, we shall in our way secure all those temporary pleasures, and that will be clear gain for us, and after all that we shall come to heaven, and be as happy there as those who have suffered the most for obtaining that glory. But my dear hearers, in respect to such wisdom as this, it is, that God taketh the wise in their own craftiness. They intend in a crafty manner to take illicit pleasure and then to take heaven; God intended to let them take a portion of illicit pleasure; but he will be as wise as they, he will not suffer them afterward to profane his treasures, so he will come and out them off, in the midst, and then what will be.. come of all the pride of their wisdom. Oh, they will see that it was consummate folly.

Are any of you, in any measure, my dear hearers, disposed to cast off your pride, and to be the subjects of that wisdom which the world calls foolishness? Today then, humiliate yourselves under the mighty hand of God, and he will exalt you in due time. The proud heart of man may think what it will, but there is no way of salvation for us, rebel sinners, but to come down before God into the dust of humiliation, we must abase ourselves in the view of our sins, or bye and bye, God will abase us for our sins into the depths of hell.--

Does any one of us fool his heart relenting within him? Does any one of us fool his soul in a manner sinking down into the earth under a sense of guilt, and of unworthiness to appear to God? Does any one of us begin to utter in his heart the request, God be merciful to mc, a sinner? Does any one of us begin to say to God, I am vile, for Christ’s sake forgive me. I am unclean. Oh wash me in the fountain set open for the house of David that I may be clean? If I know that this were true of any of my dear hearers, I think my heart would rejoice within me. But if any of you will continue to hold up your faces against God yet longer, and to presume upon months and years to come, after which to give God the dregs of your lives, no wonder if God in effect shall say, ye shall not enter into my rest, my spirit shall no longer strive with you, ye are joined to your idols. I will leave you to yourselves. But if you will now, my dear hearers, become truly humble before God, if you be spared a few years longer, you will enjoy much more solid comfort in life, than if you should retain the pride of your hearts; and if within three or four days you should be upon a dying bed. Oh what comfort it will give you to feel that God has granted you immortality. Whose way then would you think to be the wisest: the sinner’s way or God’s way? Oh, that blessed hope that from our humble state God will soon exalt us to the heavens of glory.