species So when the bodies of men are commixed with other Substances the wise God can make a sudden extraction and clothe every Soul with its own Body did not the same numerical Body rise it would be rather a Creation than a Resurrection Acts 26.8 Why should it be thought incredible that God should raise the dead God can do it because of his Power Mat. 22.29 And he cannot but do it because of his Truth The Doctrines of Faith do not oppose Reason but transcend it 2. Reason must be denied in Agendis In Duties enjoyned to be practised There are many Duties in Religion which carnal Reason quarrels at God saith it is The glory of a man to pass by an offence Prov. 19.11 No saith carnal reason it is Cowardise The Heathens thought it gallantry of spirit to revenge injuries God saith the paths of holiness are strowed with Roses Prov. 3.17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness No saith Reason they are severe and Cynical I must crucifie my delights and drown my mirth in Tears God saith Religion is gainful 1 Tim. 6.8 Godliness is great gain It brings contentment arising from the favour of God it brings Temporal riches Prov. 3.16 In her left hand riches and honour The way to be prosperous is to be pious No saith Reason if I follow the Trade of Religion I shall break 2 Chron. 25.9 What shall I do for the hundred Talents In this case carnal Reason must be denied and oppugned He who will go no further than Reason will come many Leagues short of Heaven 2. A Christian must deny his Will This is Brugensis gloss upon the Text The will is the primum mobile the great wheel in the Soul that moves all the Affections The Will in innocency was regular it did eccho to Gods Will but since the fall though it retains its freedom in moral actions yet as to spiritual it is depraved If the Will could cease from sinning saith Bernard there would be no Hell The greatest wound is fallen upon the Will The Mariners Compass being stricken with Thunder causeth the point of the Needle to stand wrong Mans Nature being corrupted causeth the Will to point wrong it inclines to evil There is in the Will not only impotency but obstinacy Acts 7.51 Ye have always resisted the Holy Ghost Now here we must deny our Will and bring it to Gods Will. If a Stick that is crooked be laid upon ground that is level we do not go to bring the ground even with the Stick but to make the Stick even with the ground So Gods Will is not to be brought to ours but our Will being crooked must be brought to Gods Will. We pray Thy will be done The way to have our Will is to deny it 3. A Christian must deny his own righteousness his civilities duties good works Phil. 3.9 That I may be found in him not having mine own Righteousness The Spider weaves a web out of her own bowels an Hypocrite would spin a web of Salvation out of his own Righteousness But St. Paul like the Bee suck'd Salvation from the flower of Christs Righteousness Isa. 64.6 Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Our best duties are fly-blown with sin Put Gold in the fire and there comes out dross Our most golden services are mixed with unbelief The Angel pouring sweet odours into the prayers of the Saints Revel 8.3 shews that they are in themselves unsavoury and need Christs sweet odours to perfume them Use Duty but trust to Christs Righteousness for Salvation Noah's Dove made use of her wings to fly but trusted to the Ark for safety And if we must deny our holy things in point of Justification then much more our Civilities A Stake may be finely painted but it hath no root A Man may be painted with Civility yet have no root of Grace a moral person is washed not changed The life may be Civil when the heart is Wicked as the Sea may be Calm when the Water of it is Salt The Pharisee could say he was no Adulterer Luke 18.11 But could he say he was not proud The civiliz'd person may have a secret antipathy against goodness he may hate Grace as much as Vice Civility is but a crack'd Title to Heaven A piece of Brass may shine but wanting the Kings image it will not go currant A man may shine with moral Virtues but wanting the Image of God consisting in holiness he will not pass currant at the day of judgment Morality is good but God will say Yet lackest thou one thing Mark 10.31 Civility is a good Iacobs staff to walk with among men but it is a bad Iacobs ladder to climb up to Heaven 4. A Christian must deny all Self-confidence How confident was Pendleton of himself This fat of mine saith he shall melt in the fire for Christ but instead of that his courage melted The same Hebrew word signifies both confidence and folly Self-confidence betrays folly Peter did presume too much upon his own strength Mat. 26. 34 Though I should dye with thee yet will I not deny thee But how soon was his confidence shaken and blown down with the breath of a Maid Mat. 26.71 72 He denied with an Oath saying I know not the man Peters denying of Christ was for want of denying himself Self-jealousie is good Rom. 11.20 Be not high-minded but fear The trembling reed oft stands when the confident Cedar falls Who that knows the fierceness of a Tryal or the falseness of his Heart will not fear How have some professors shined as Stars in the Churches Hemisphere yet have been falling stars Porphyry Iulian Cardinal Pool Gardner Iudas The Apostles have been called by some of the Antients the eyes of the World Christs feet theChurches breasts Iudas was one of these yet a Traitor Nay some of the Saints through Gods withdrawing the influence of his Spirit have for a time relapsed As Cranmer and Origen whose heart fainted in the seventh persecution and he offered incense to the Idol Deny self-confidence 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest be fall 'T is just with God that he who trusts to himself should be left to himself The Vine being weak twists about the Elm to support it A good Christian being conscious of his own imbecillity twists by Faith about Christ. Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ strengthening me Sampsons strength lay in his hair ours lyes in our Head Christ. 5. A Christian must deny self-conceit Job 11.12 Vain man would be wise In the Hebrew it is empty man Man is a proud piece of flesh He is apt to be highly opinionated of himself Ostendit avis junonia pennas Acts 8.9 There was a certain man named Simon giving out that himself was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some great one Sapor writes himself Brother of the Sun and Moon Commodus the Emperor called himself The Golden
Hercules The Persian Kings would have their Images worshipped of all that came into Babilon Such as view themselves in the flattering glass of self-love appear bigger in their own eyes than they are They think their spark a Sun their drop a Sea They are highly conceited of their acumen their wit and parts and are ready to despise others The Chineses say that Europe hath one eye and they have two and all the World else is blind De meliore luto Titan praecordia finxit Deny self-conceit Rom. 12.3 I say to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think Prov. 23.4 Cease from thy own wisdom Not cease from being wise but from conceiting thy self wise That you may deny all high supercilious thoughts of your selves consider 1. Self-conceit is no small sin Chrysostom calls it the mother of Hell It is a kind of Idolatry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-worshipping 2. Whatever noble endowment you have it is borrowed As he said of that Axe which fell in the water 2 Kings 6.5 Alas master for it was borrowed All a Mans Gifts his pregnancy of Parts ripeness of Wit are borrowed from Heaven and what wise Man would be proud of a Jewel that is lent 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou didst not receive The Moon hath no cause to be conceited of her light which she is beholden to the Sun for 3. Whatever acuteness of Wit or sageness of Judgment you have think how far short you come 1. How far short do you come of that knowledg which Adam had in innocency He was the Oracle of Wisdom he could unlock Natures dark cabinet and find out those secrets which do amuse us Adam had a full inspection into the causes of things He was a kind of earthly Angel But how far short do you come of him Your knowledg is checker'd with ignorance There are many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard knots in Nature which cannot easily be untied Why the Loadstone leaving Gold and Pearl should draw Iron Why Nilus should overflow in Summer when waters are usually lowest What way the light is parted Job 38.24 Why the Sea should be higher than the Earth yet not drown it How the bones grow in the womb Eccles. 11.5 What is the reason of all occult qualities He who sees clearest hath a mist before his eyes By eating the tree of knowledg we lost the key of knowledg 2. How far short do you come of that knowledg which Satan hath He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his knowledg We read of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 And his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his stratagems 2 Cor. 2.11 Satan is an intelligent spirit Though he hath lost his sanctity yet not his knowledg Though he hath lost his brest-plate yet not his headpiece He hath wit enough to deceive the Nations Rev. 20.3 His understanding is nimble and being compared with ours is like the swift flight of an Eagle compared with the slow motion of a Snail Why then should any be puffed up with a conceit of their knowledg wherein the Devil far out-strips them 3 How far short do you come of the knowledg they have who are perfected in glory He who is higher than a Dwarf may be lower than a Gyant Such as excel others in natural abilities are of a lower stature than the glorified Saints 1 Cor. 13. 12 We see in aenigmate through a glass darkly But the Saints in bliss have a full-eyed Vision of God Their light which did burn here like fire when it is smothered is now blown up into a pure flame An Infant glorified knows more than the most profound Rabbies on earth In Heaven all shadows fly away the Sun of Righteousness having risen there with his illustrious beams This may pull down the plumes of pride and self-conceit 4. Your dark-side is broader than your light-side Your ignorance is more than your knowledg Your knowledg is but as the light of a Torch your ignorance as the Cimmerian darkness Job 26.14 How little a portion is known of God The septuagint renders it How little a drop To think to comprehend the Deity is as if we should go to span the Ocean Christians the greatest part of your knowledg is not so much as the least part of your ignorance This may demolish all high imaginations You have no cause to be conceited of the knowledg you have but rather to be humbled for what you want 5. Think what an Hell of sin you carry about you Sin is the accursed thing Josh. 5.13 It is the quintessence of evil It is like a stain to beauty It was Typified by the menstruous cloth which was the most unclean thing under the Law What though you have knowledg sin doth eclipse it As if a Woman should have a fair Face but a Cancer in her Brest Your knowledg doth not so much adorn you as sin doth debase you 6. Grace can never thrÃve where self-conceit grows As a Body cannot thrive in a Dropsie so neither can the Soul thrive which is swell'd with this Dropsie of Pride and Self-conceit A proud head makes a barren heart 7. A Supercilious conceitedness is odious and doth much lessen any worth in a person 'T is like a cloud in a Diamond The more one values himself the less God and Angels value him Let a Person be eminent yet if he be self-conceited he is loved of none he is like a Physician that hath the Plague though he may be admired for his skill yet none care to come near him 8. Such as are well opinionated of their own excellencies are in the ready way to ruine Either God infatuates them or denies a blessing to their labours or suffers them to fall into some great sin Peter who was so well conceited of himself as if he had had more grace than all the Apostles besides the Lord let him fall very far He denied Christ with an Oath nay an imprecation Mat. 26.74 Peter wished a curse on himself if he knew Christ nay some think he cursed Christ. The Lord sometimes lets vain conceited persons fall not only foully but finally The Doves saith Pliny take a pride in their Feathers and in their flying high at last they soar so high that they are a prey to the Hawk So when men fly high in self-conceitedness they become a prey to the Prince of the Air. Let all this make us deny our selves let it kill the Worm of self-conceit If we are proud of our knowledg the Devil cares not how much we know Let St. Paul be our pattern though he were the chief of the Apostles he calls himself the least of Saints Ephes. 3.8 and 2 Cor. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though I be nothing This illustrious Apostle a Star of the first magnitude did shrink into nothing in his own eyes 'T is excellent
to be like Moses whose face had a lustre on it but he wist not that the skin of his face did shine Exod. 34.29 6. A Christian must deny his appetite The sensitive appetite is sick of a boulimy it cries give give St. Paul did beat down his Body 1 Cor. 9.27 Such a proportion only is to be taken for the recruiting of Nature as may help forward Gods service In licitis perimus More are hurt by excess in lawful things then by medling with unlawful As more are killed by Wine than Poison Many make their Belly their god Phil. 3.19 And to this god they pour drink-offerings Clemens Alexandrinus writes of a Fish whose heart is in its belly An emblem of epicures whose heart is in their Belly they are devoted to sensualness Excess in meat or drink clouds the mind chokes good affections provokes lust The rankest weeds grow out of the fattest soil Intemperancy shortens life as too much Oyl extinguisheth the Lamp Many dig their own graves with their teeth Christ cautioned his Apostles Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness Seneca could say he was born to higher things than to be a slave to his Body What a shame is it that the Soul that princely thing which sways the scepter of Reason and is a-kin to the Angels should be enslaved to the bruitish part Deny the sinful cravings of the flesh What hath God given conscience for but to be a golden Bridle to check the inordinacy of the Appetite 7. A Christian must deny his ease Prov. 1.23 Ease slays the simple The Flesh is full of sloath and effeminacy 't is loath to take pains for Heaven Prov. 19.24 A sloathful man hides his hand in his bosom He is loath to pluck it out though it be to lay hold on a Crown Weeds and vermin grow in untill'd ground and all vices grow in an idle untilled heart How can they expect to reap an harvest of Glory who never sowed any seed Is Satan so busie in his Diocess 1 Pet. 5.8 and are Christians idle Are they Like the Lillies which toil not neither do they spin O deny your ease Seneca an Heathen devoted himself to labour and spent part of the Night in study Hannibal forced his way over the Alps and craggy Rocks We must force our way to paradise Let us shake off sloath as Paul did the Viper Never think to be brought to Heaven as the passengers in a ship are brought to their port sleeping 1 Chron. 22.16 Arise and be doing God puts no difference between the sloathful servant and the wicked Mat. 25.26 Those people in Hetruria who like Drones entred into the Hive and consumed the honey were expelled from others and condemned to exile Such as idle away the day of grace and fold their hands to sleep when they should be working out Salvation God will condemn to a perpetual exile in Hell 8. A Christian must deny carnal policy This is the wisdom of the flesh 2 Cor. 1.12 Carnal Policy is craft The Politician consults not what is best but what is safest The Politician is made of willow he can side with all parties his Religion is cut according to the fashion of the times he can bow either to the East or to the Host zeal for truth is blotted out of the Politicians Creed It was a speech of Sir Thomas Moor he would not follow Truth too near the heels lest it should dash out his brains 'T is judged by some a piece of Policy not to declare against errour for fear of losing a party The Politician is a Latitudinarian he hath distinctions beyond Aquinas and can digest those things which others tremble at The Ostriches wings help her to out-run other creatures Sinful policy makes men run further than they can who are of purer Consciences In short the Politician is an Ecebolius he like the Camelion can change into all colours and be as his company is He can be either serious or feathery He can imitate either Cato or Cataline I grant Christian prudence is commendable but the Serpent must not devour the Dove That Policy is unjustifiable which teacheth to avoid duty Deny carnal Policy dare to be honest The best Policy is to hold fast integrity 9. A Christian must deny his inordinate passions Jam. 1.26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue this mans religion is vain Every member of the Body is infected with sin as every branch of Wormwood is bitter but the Tongue is full of deadly poison Jam. 3.8 St. Augustine compares the Tongue to a furnace and too often hot sparks of anger fly out of it The Holy Ghost once descended in cloven tongues of fire Acts 2.3 But the Apostle Iames speaks of a Tongue that is set on fire of Hell chap. 3.6 Some cannot rule their own spirit but are carried away with their passions as a Charet with wild Horses Many saith Hierom who will not be drunk with Wine will be drunk with rash Anger Eccles. 7.9 Anger resteth in the bosom of fools Anger may be in a wise Man but it rests in a Fool. There is I know an holy anger against sin but the fury of passion is the scum which boils off from an unsavory heart Passion disturbs Reason and unfits for holy Duties Hot passions make cold prayers O Christians deny your selves Pray that God will set a watch before your lips Psal. 141.4 Labour to quench the fire of wrath with a flood of tears It is recorded of Mr. Iohn Bruen in the County Palatine of Chester that though he was naturally of an hasty cholerick spirit yet at length he got the Victory over his passions and grew so meek and calm that his very nature seemed to be quite altered Grace doth to the Passions as Christ did to the Sea when it was stormy Mark 4.39 He said Peace be still and there was a great calm Grace turns the fierceness of the Lion into the meekness of the Dove 10. A Christian must deny his sinful fashions Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this World viz. to the guise and mode of it Did the old Christians rise out of their graves our strange fashions might fright them into their graves again Was there ever such excess in Hair 1 Cor. 11.24 If a man have long hair it is a shame More money is sometimes laid out for a Periwig to cover one head than would cloath Twenty Poor One asking Reverend Mr. Dod why he did not Preach against those Ruffians who wore long hair he replied If Grace come into their heart it will make them cut their hair Nor can the female sex be excused for their excess in Apparel Seneca complained of those in his time who hung two or three patrimonies at their ears some wear half their revenues upon their backs Lysander would
who is ashamed of Christ Christ will be ashamed of him Mark 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him shall the son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father with his holy Angels CHAP. III. Containing the ground of the Proposition THE grand Reason why we must deny our selves is because we can be saved no other way A Town or Castle may have several ways leading to it but there is but one way leads to the coelestial Paradise and that is self-denial Without self-denial we can never come up to Christs terms If the World be not denied Christ cannot be loved If self-righteousness be not denied Christ cannot be trusted if the will be not denied Christ cannot be obeyed Therefore self-denial is of as absolute necessity as Heaven CHAP. IV. An Inference drawn from the Proposition FRom all that hath been said See how hard a thing it is to be a Christian. Were it only to put on the Mantle of profession it were easie even Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 But a Man must deny himself this self-emptying or self-annihilation is the Strait Gate through which a Christian must enter into the Kingdom of God He is to deny not only those things which are without him his worldly profits but which are within him his sins nay his righteousness Self is an Idol and it is hard to sacrifice this Idol but this must be done Either Carnal Self must be denied or Natural Self damned CHAP. V. A check to Epicures and Sensualists THis justly indites those who live in a contradiction to the Text who instead of denying themselves let loose the reins and give themselves up to all manner of pleasure and licentiousness Eccles. 7.4 The heart of fools is in the house of mirth Such the Prophet deciphers who do not mortify but gratify the flesh Amos 6.4 5 That lye upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches that chant to the sound of the vial that drink wine in bowls c Pleasure like Circe inchants mens minds and transforms them into beasts There is a place in Africa called Tombutium where the Inhabitants spend all their time in Piping and Dancing And have not we many who consume their hours in Plays and Stews As if God had made them like the Leviathan To play in the water Psal. 104.26 How will their countenances be changed when God shall say Give an account of your stewardship These frolick sensualists live as if there were no World to come They pamper their Bodies but starve their Souls As if one should feed his Slave but starve his Wife Do Epicures deny themselves Indeed in one sence they do for the enjoying their lusts they deny themselves a part in Heaven In the Country of Sardinia there is an Herb like Baulm that if a Man eat much of it he shall dye laughing Such an herb is Pleasure if one feeds immoderately on it he will go laughing to Hell Esau lost the blessing while he was hunting O! How many while they are hunting after worldly pleasures lose blessedness There is a sad cup brewing which will spoil the sinners mirth Psal. 75.8 In the hand of the Lord there is a cup the wine is red it is full of mixture This Wine is the wrath of God and it is mixed the worm and the fire help to mix the Cup. The Lord will proportion a sinners torment to his pleasure Rev. 18.7 How much she hath lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her CHAP. VI. The want of Self-denial lamented IN the next place we may sadly lay to heart the want of Self-denial O Self-denial Whither art thou gone Terras Astraea reliquit We live in a knowing Age yet few know how to deny themselves Selfishness is the reigning sin of the World This makes the times have a bad aspect 2 Tim. 3.1 2 Perillous times shall come for men shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of themselves Self may have divers Actions brought against it It is an enemy to the publick Whence come wars Jam. 4.1 Whence is robbery and bribery Whence is oppression and circumvention but from those selfish lusts which men cannot conquer When Lentulus had in his Will declared Tiberius Cesar to be his Heir so basely selfish was Cesar that he sent and killed Lentulus that he might have present possession of his Goods Self-denial lodgeth but in a few breasts It is Rara herba a Sacred exotick herb which is grown very scarce Luke 18.8 When the son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth May it not be said Shall he find Self-denial on the earth Self-denial is gone a long Pilgrimage and who can tell when it will return CHAP. VII Containing a swasive to Self-denial MY next work is to perswade Christians to the Practice of this momentous duty of Self-denial Man lost himself at first by self-exaltation and he must recover himself by self-denial 1. Self-denial is just and equal How much hath Christ denied himself for us He eclipsed his Glory Phil. 2.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He emptied himself What wonderful self-denial was it for Christ to leave his Fathers bosom and be incarnate For Christ to be made flesh was more than for all the Angels to be made worms Christ denied his name and repute Heb. 12.2 He endured the shame He denied worldly grandure and riches 1 Cor. 8 9. For our sakes he became poor The Manger was his Cradle the Cobwebs his Curtains He denied his Life Phil. 2 8 He became obedient to death 'T is but equity we should deny our selves for Christ. 2. Self-denial is the sign of a sincere Christian. Hypocrites may have great knowledg and make fair pretences but it is only the sincere Saint can deny himself and lay his life at Christs feet This was a touchstone of Moses sincerity he denied the pleasures of the Court and chose affliction rather than iniquity Heb. 11.25 I have read of an holy Man who was once tempted by Satan to whom Satan said why takest thou all this pains what dost thou more than I Art thou no Drunkard no Adulterer no more am I dost thou watch I never sleep dost thou fast I never eat What dost thou more than I Why said the good Man I tell thee Satan I give my self to Prayer nay more I deny my self Nay then saith the Devil thou goest beyond me for I exalt my self and so vanished 3. Self-denial is a rational thing For if self be an enemy then it is wisdom to discard it There is a rationality in all Gods commands Why would he have us deny fleshly lusts but because They war against our souls 1 Pet. 2.11 Why would he have us deny Pride but because of its noxious quality Prov. 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction Where Pride leads the Van Destruction brings up the Rear God