God hath not left it to the will and power of man to deliver himself.

He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? - Isaiah 44:20

God hath not left it to the will and power of man to deliver himself.

Reasons. 1. That no man may boast. “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” {Ephesians 2:9} That the pride in man might be dashed in pieces. 2. That no man might live in and upon himself, nor joy in himself, but rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh. “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” {Philippians 3:3} 3. That God’s power and free love might be manifested. “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” {Ephesians1:19} 4. That God might have all the glory, Ephesians 1:6, and that no flesh should glory in his presence. I Corinthians 1:29, Galatians 6:14. “In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.” {Isaiah 45:25} 5. All ways besides Christ are bypaths, aside out of the way. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” {John 14:6} 6. Christ’s way and man’s way are contrary each to the other; Christ’s way leads the soul to Christ; man’s way leads only to himself, to deliver himself. 7. We should not be led aside from Christ by anything; hearken then only to Christ. 8. Nor say, “is there not a lie in my right hand,” Isaiah 44:20, an idol, which his right hand hath made, a lie, a mere conceit, never to be depended upon and trusted in. 9. The means of deliverance is so hid from man, that he hath no power to use them. 10. A lie, all that man doth rest upon while he is in the state of nature, is nothing but a lie; oh, he is miserably deluded. 11. The strength and confidence of a deluded man, may be so great, that it may seem to him unreasonable once to question it. 12. Men’s confidence of salvation, may be greater and stronger than the faith of some of those who belong to the Lord; and yet it is false and nothing but the delusion of a deceived heart, and Satan. 13. The greatness or strength of any man’s confidence, cannot assure him that hath it, that it is not a delusion; but it is proved to be true or false by the ground of it, the cause and foundation thereof. If it be built or caused by any of man’s qualifications, either abstinence from sin, doing good, or from his inward peace, comfort, joy, &c., it’s delusional and false. But if it be founded upon Christ, only in his free grace, from the word and promise of God, Romans 15:4, it is true, for it is founded upon a Rock.

- from Samuel Richardson's The Saint's Desire