tells us in the former words I thought upon my wayes I considered the evill of them and then turned out of them Hee went on very confidently and contentedly before but it was because hee did not consider whither hee was going hee did not ponder his paths but as soon as he began to reflect upon himself and to consider where hee was and whither hee was going how hee dishonoured God and defiled his own soul in those wayes hee presently makes a stop and turns about unto Gods testimonies This is the reason why men go on so long time together in a sinful course why they walk in the way of their heart and the sight of their eyes without any regret of conscience It is because they do not consider what they are doing nor whither they are going like the young man Prov. 7.22.23 that being inticed by the lewd woman hee goeth after her streightway as an Oxe goeth to the slaughter as a Bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not i. e. considereth not that it is for his life God notes this as the cause of his peoples rebelling against him and their continuance in their rebellion Isa 1.3 Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Oh! if ever wee mean in good earnest to deny our selves and to follow the Lord fully in the paths of righteousness and holiness let us every day steep our thoughts in a serious meditation of the exceeding sinfulness of self-pleasing and self-seeking of making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof As a man will not come after Christ in obedience to his call in the Gospel till hee apprehend it to be good yea absolutely best for him so to do so hee will not give a peremptory denial to the requests and commands of Self till hee apprehend it to bee evill yea the greatest evill in the world to yeeld unto them Therefore whensoever wee discover any thing of selfishness in any of our actions that wee are byassed in any particular by a selfish principle to the promoting of a selfish interest in opposition to the interest of Christ let us not think on it sseightly but seriously let our thoughts dwell upon it debating and discussing the matter in and out to the uttermost considering the nature the causes the effects and aggravating circumstances of it I have shewn you before the Excellency of Self-denial now consider the evill of selfishness 1 As the Apostle saith of the Love of money 1 Tim. 6.10 so it may bee truly said of Self-love that it is the root of all evil This is the most breeding sin you may graft any wickedness upon this stock See 2 Tim. 3.1 there the Apostle brings in a black Catalogue of the vilest sinners and hee puts selfish men in the front In the last dayes saith hee perillous times shall come for men shall bee lovers of their own selves covetous beasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection This is a sin with an Imprimis the Commander in chief in the black Regiment of Lusts It is the Devils Generalissimo See what a k Hinc ficae hinc venena hinc falsa testamenta na scuntur hinc furta hinc peculatus expilationes direptionesque sociorum Civium hinc opum nimiarum potentiae non serendae postremo etiam in liberis civitatibus existunt regnandi cupiditates quibus nihil nec â—e trius nec saedius excogitari potest Cic. number of Evils are wrapt up in this one Evil. 1 The Evil of Injustice Justitia est suum cuique dare Justice consists in giving to every one his due according to our Saviours rule Matth. 22.21 Render unto Casar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods and that of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 Render unto all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Now Self keeps back both from God and man that which is their due 1 From God Our soules are his Ezek. 18.4 our bodies his 1 Cor. 6.19 but Self keeps back both from him it imployes all the powers and faculties of both as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin 2 From men Self is the cause of all that unjust dealing that defrauding and going beyond one another of all that extortion and oppression that is in the world Self will not suffer the proud man to give honour to whom honour is due nor the covetous man to give tribute to whom tribute is due nor the envious man to give love to whom love is due nor the merciless man mercy to whom mercy is due 2 The Evil of Idolatry A Selfish man is the man of sin that exalts himself above all that is called God he makes himself his god hee falls down and worships himself making himself his ultimate end in every thing hee doth and walking by his own rule c. 3 The Evil of Unthankfulness If hee hath any thing more than others hee boasts as if hee had not received it if hee hath any thing less hee murmures as if hee had not his due 4 The Evil of Unbeleef Christ hath said Whosoever will save his life shall loso it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it Matth. 16.25 And that it is better for him to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to bee cast into everlasting fire Matth. 18.8 but hee will not beleeve it and so makes Christ a lyar 5 The Evil of Unmercifulness By seeking himself hee loseth himself by endeavouring to save himself hee destroyes himself This is the greatest cruelty in the World See Prov. 11.17 6 There is much of the Devil in it When Peter tempted our Saviour to save himself from the shameful death of the Cross hee said Get thee behinde mee Satan Hee calls him Satan not only because hee tempted him but because of the sin to which hee tempted him All sin is the Devils Vel per modum imaginis vel per modum servitutis either by way of likeness or service to him selfishness is so in both respects 7 It is the great Make-bate in the world the great divider it divides men from God and men one from another 8 It is the onely hindrance of mens closing with Christ The young man could not close with Christ because hee could not deny himself 9 This causeth God to reject all our services Isa 58.5 10 It is a contradiction to our prayers Latimer said of Peter that when hee tempted Christ hee forgot his Pater noster for that was Thy Kingdome come Thy will bee done By these and such like considerations the horrible Evil of Selfishness may bee discovered which is the second thing to bee done in order to the practice of Self-denial The third Direction 3 When upon serious consideration you have discovered the horrible Evil and exceeding sinfulness of your selfishness bee much in the duty
it but oh that hee would heare and keep my Commandements always for his good when God dehorts and disswades from sin why is it but that man might not wrong and injure himself God hath so twisted his own glory our good together that he expects no service from us which shall not be more a service to our selves God hath so graciously ordered the matter that the very meanes of our happiness is a part of it our duty a priviledge and our work wages so that wee cannot doe our selves a greater courtesie than in doing God the best service our greatest interest lies in surrendring our selves wholly unto God to feare God and keep his Commandements is the whole as duty so happiness of man for all the rest that is under the Sun is but impertinent and unprofitable yea to call it by its owne name very vanity and vexation of spirit We doe but miscall and flatter the World yea abuse our selves also when we attribute to it and adorn it with the fine words and specious titles of Grandeure and Gallantry beauty and bravery delight and delicacy pleasure and prettiness honour and happiness alas these are but pompous shewes glittering and gaudy nothings the rosiness of the most glaring and charming beauty the whistling of the most silken bravery the chinking of bewitching white and yellow dust which we call gold and silver the sparkling Crownes which doe tempt and captivate the amorous the genteel otherwise proud the covetous and the ambitious Sons of men will one day appeare to be but a cheat of Fancy and that such as have been enamoured of them have but deceived and jugled themselves out of true happiness for a false one and espoused themselves to a meer paultry vanity which if it be any thing is a something worse than nothing Welcome my wealth this loss hath gain'd me more Riches adiew When I again grow greedy to be poor Herb. Imit I le wish for you Welcome my credit this disgrace is glory Honours adiew When for renown and fame I shall be sorry I le wish for you Welcome content this sorrow is my joy Pleasures adiew When I desire such griefs as may annoy I le wish for you And as for sin it is so ugly a thing so vile and abominable that the worst of words are not bad enough to call it by it s owne name is the very worst sinful sin Rom. 7.13 yet as if that were not significant enough the Apostle could not but adde an exceeding to it to denote how hyperbolically vile a thing it is it is good for nothing but to be hated and to have stones of scorne contempt and indignation thrown at it such a deformed Hagge is not fit for the embraces of men no nor of Devils it is not only the cause but the hell of hell and if there were no other hell it were yet damnation enough to be a sinner for as such the poore wretch is in a state of separation from God whom to injoy is eternal life and Heaven and therefore it can be no less than Death and Hell to be without him and thus the Scripture concludes no less peremptorily than truly and justly that men in their sins are condemned already and must be so for ever without the interposition of repentance and faith before they dye Sin Oh that I could a sin once see Herb. We paint the Devil foul yet he Hath some good in him all agree Sin is flat opposite to th' Almighty seeing It wants the good of vertue and of being Sin Sin Herb. Imit I would faine define thee but thou art An uncouth thing All that I bring To shew thee fully shews thee but in part I say thou art the sting of Death 't is true And yet I find Death comes behind The work is done before the pay be due I say thou art the Devils work yet hee Should much rather Call thee father For he had been no Devil but for thee What shall I call thee then if Death and Devil Right understood Be names too good I 'le say thou art the quintessence of evil By all this it most clearly appears that Grace is mans glory that the service of God is mans freedome that Self-denial is mans advantage Oh Divine thing Grace how would the Sons of men make Court to thee did they but see what a beautifying what an innobling and to speake as truly as highly in Scripture sense what a deifying thing thou art Surely as Reason is mans advance above bruits grace is mans advance above men other men and himself for it makes a man more a man and more than a man and though man was Created little lower than the Angells yet as a new Creature hee shall not onely bee like and equal to the Angells but it seems is already above them they being his servitours and spirits sent forth to Minister to him and for his good Yea further it makes man like God himself for what is godlinesse but God-likeness that whereby wee are as so many living Images and lively pictures of the Divine nature How highly concerning is it then to put off our self that wee may be our own Not to bee in our selves that in God as naturally so spiritually wee may live move and have our beings for clearly man is never truely his own nor himself but when hee is Gods Dead and lost is his Motto all the while he is a stranger to the life of God Luke 15.32 Man is not himself when hee goes from God that is when hee sins and seeks himself and man then comes to himself as t is said of the Prodigal when hee comes to God so that if man will but do himself the right to bee wise for and good to himself it must be by this Christian Art and knack of Self-Denial not making his own understanding his guide Prov. 3.5 6 7. For he that will bee wise must become a fool not making his own will his rule nor flesh-pleasing or which is all one self-pleasing his end but resigning himself to the conduct of God considering what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God devoting himself to do all hee doth to the glory of God hee may finde himself in not seeking himself and live altogether to himself in not living at all to himself But dear Reader This Treatise which I commend to thy perusal and practice will further and more fully acquaint thee with this thing the nature and excellency of it as to which and the Author my friend I think it improper because needless to say any thing I shall therefore adde but a little more and commend this the book and thee to the blessing of God Go Self-Denial go and prosper I am sure thou wert once and didst then make a glorious triumphant shew in the world when Christ our dear and blessed Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ was here and though thou have been a stranger for a long time
were any way in the World to make it lawful And thus do many when the thoughts of sinne do lye in the way to any thing they have a minde to they try if it may be otherwise they will see if they can bring down Gods mind to theirs because they are loath to bring up their minds to Gods that so God may deny himself because they will not The Apostle p Ephes 5.10 exhorts us to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God for this end that we may obey it but selfish men prove what is not the will of God because they have no minde to obey it and therefore are glad if they can finde it to be no duty because they list not to practice it and no sin because they are loath to bee restrained from it Thus we see what course men take when they reason with Self in a way of consultation and therefore this is not that reasoning whereby Self is denied this is so farre from Self-denial that it is the veriest self-pleasing and self-seeking that is in the world Self must not bee consulted withall when we are called to come after Christ Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which hee should after receive for an Inheritance obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 When once wee are certain of the command 't is too late to ask counsel In retam sancta non est deliberandum Let us then go on to the second particular 2 A reasoning of contestation this is the reasoning here meant we must not reason with Self in a way of consultation but in a way of contestation This is a principal part of Self-denial for the opening whereof consider these two particulars 1 Self will affirm that which is not to be affirmed both of sins and duties persons and things it will q Esa 5.20 call darkness light and light darkness it will call that which is evil good and that which is good evil it will put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter First it will call darkness light it will say of the grossest errour it is the most glorious truth thus it calls Antinomianisme a Honey-combe Familism the rule of perfection and Arminianisme Gods love to Mankind Secondly it will call light darkness it will say of the most glorious Truths they are but the dreams and melancholly fancies of a company of ignorant and silly people Thus it decries the holy Scriptures as a dead Letter a beggerly Element incky Divinity and a Humane invention Thirdly it will call that which is evil good it will commend the foulest Vices for the fairest vertues thus it calls Drunkenness good fellowship Covetousness frugality and Pride magnanimity Fourthly it will call that which is good evil thus it calls Preciseness hipocrisic and Zeal vain glory Fifthly it will put bitter for sweet thus it says of Religion that it is but a melancholly dumpish thing voyd of all true pleasure and comfort Lastly sweet for bitter and thus it says that the only way to peace and comfort is to make conscience of nothing Thus Self speaks many times in bare affirmations only without arguing of the case or urging what it says by the strength of seeming reason And this is from hence that in Natural men not only through ignorance but also many times through a wilful and inordinate love of that which is evil and inveterate hatred of that which is good this unjust sentencing of truth and falsehood and good and evil is not so much as called in question so that it being taken for granted what Self says there needs no further urging of it But now if that an Ipse dixit a bare affirmation will not prevail there being some conviction or other in the Conscience that gain says it then 2 Self will endeavour to prove what it sayes by strength of argument it will not only say of evil that it is good and of good that it is evil but it will alledge such and such Reasons why it must needs bee so and these Reasons it will urge with much vehemency and importunity pressing them not only upon the judgement for the gaining of the affections but upon the affections also for the winning of the judgement and by this means it so farre prevails with many that the most powerful and convincing preaching will not work upon them Our duty in this case is Two-fold 1. To distinguish 2. To deny 1 To distinguish seeming reason from that which is reason indeed Self produceth its strong reasons as they are called Isa 41.21 but their chiefest strength is the colour and vizard of true Reason wherewith they are disguised strip them of their cloathing and they dis-appear presently they seem to bee reason but indeed are not Like as in a picture of fire wipe off the colours and nothing remains In all the Arguments that Self brings two things are warily to be observed First what it lays down for a principle or rule and Secondly how it doth apply it The fallacie lyes in one of these two and where the fallacy is wee must be sure to deny 1 Sometimes the fallacy or deceit lies in the principle Self hath many wicked and cursed Principles whereby it misleads the generality of the world As 1 Beleeve no more than you can see reason for 2 Moderation in Religion is most commendable whatsoever is beyond it is Hipocrisie 3 Take up a form of hodliness but deny the power thereof 4 Do many things but keep thy Herodias still 5 Perform religious duties but allow as little time for them as may be 6 Engage no further in the cause of Religion than there is a way open for a retreat 7 Every man for himself and God for us all 8 I may make the most of my own 9 Let the buyer look to himself 10 Flesh and bloud cannot endure it 11 I scorn to be beholding 12 Shall I want while I have and when I have it not too 13 Qui nescit dissimulare nescit vivere Hee that cannot dissemble knows not how to live All these are false Principles 2 Sometimes the fallacy is in the application of the Principle as for instance sometimes Self pleads for Prodigality under the name of Liberality for Covetousness under the name of Frugality for foolish Pitty under the name of Lenity and Mercy for Superstition under the name of Devotion for Censoriousness under pretence of Zeal and lastly for Licentiousness under the name of Christian liberty Here the principle is good but the application naught As suppose when a man is profuse in his expences wasting his estate in unnecessary entertainments c. if the question be put whether he do vertuously or not Self will tell him hee does vertuously and to prove it frames this argument Hee that spends liberally does vertuously but thou spendest liberally Ergo. Here the Principle is good for Liberality is a vertue and he that is liberal deviseth liberal things
bear false witnesse against ones self and consequently to break the ninth Commandement Luther judged it no small error in Melancthon that to the intent that all might bee ascribed unto God hee imagined Christ to bee further off from his heart than indeed hee was Solt Deo omnia deberi tam obstinatè asserit ut mihi planè videatur saltem in hoc errare quod Christum ipse fingat longius abesse cordt suo quà m sit reverâ But saith hee Certè nimis nullus in hoc est Philippus Certainly Philip is too-much-nothing in this kinde of Self-denyal It is not humility but pride and foul ingratitude not to acknowledge what good soever God hath wrought in us which is not so well taken notice of as it should by some otherwise very good men and women who now and then will needs thus severely passe sentence upon themselves as having not one jot of goodnesse in them It is commonly observed by such as have to do with men of troubled consciences that notwithstanding they will acknowledge such things to bee in themselves as according to the judgement of the word are the very fruits and real effects of Gods sanctifying Spirit yet by no means will they yeeld that there is a work of grace in their hearts They cannot deny but that there is a change in some measure wrought from what they were before the wayes of God which once they counted too strict and precise and hated under that very notion they now love and account them the happiest souls that walk in them and those sinful wayes which they took pleasure in formerly they now loath and detest and are even ashamed of them and as for the people of God whom in times past they hated and persecuted they now love them dearly and esteem them the only excellent ones upon the earth They cannot deny but they have an hungring and thirsting after the Lord Jesus not only to bee made partakers of his Righteousnesse but his Holinesse also and that nothing without this will content and satisfie them and yet notwithstanding all this they will most unreasonably conclude against themselves that they have no grace and for what reason why because they have not such a measure of grace as they apprehend to bee in others they have not such stirring and strong affections such a measure of grief for sin such a measure of love to and delight in the wayes of godlinesse as others have and hence they conclude they have nothing in themselves more than what may bee found in reprobates and that all is but in Hypocrisy Now could they but see it there is much of Self in this that because they have not so much as they would they will not take notice of so much as they have A little grace must bee owned though in the midst of many corruptions As with one eye we should look upon the evil that is in our selves to bee humbled so with the other we should look upon the good that is in our selves to bee thankful I am black but comely saith the Spouse Cant. 1.5 And I sleep but my heart waketh chap. 5.2 2. It is not to deny the power of it when it should bee exercised Power is most properly proper unto grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is alwayes necessarily in it and it can no more bee conceived without it than a body without quantity or fire without heat To say therefore that grace is not a powerful inabling thing is a very contradiction for it is all one as to say that grace is not grace as to say that fire is not hot is all one as to say that fire is not fire Therefore it is but an idle plea for any one that is godly to say hee can do nothing and that upon this account hee must not attempt the performance of any good duty till the Spirit move him Verily there is much of Self in this Non posse praetenditur non velle in causâ est Want of power is pretended but want of will is the cause why those that are godly do no more than they do I doubt not to affirm that ordinarily it is so Austin wondring at himself as hee tells us L. 8. Confess c 9. why the minde when it commands the body should presently bee obeyed but when it commands it self should bee refisted thus at length resolves the case Non ex toto vult non ergo ex to-to imperat it doth not fully will and therefore doth not fully command Nam in tantum imperat in quantum vult in tantum non fit quod imperat in quantum non vult for in so much it doth command in as much as it doth will and in so much that is not done that it doth command in as much as it doth not will Paul exhorts Timothy to stir up the gift of God which was in him 2 Tim. 1.6 and hee gives this reason vers 7 for God hath given us the Spirit of Power of Love and of a sound minde And the Prophet complaines Isa 64.7 There is no man that stirreth up himself to take hold of God Vulg. Nonest qui surgat there is none that riseth up and so Augustine in the fore-mentioned place speaking of the mind as partly willing and partly unwilling to that which is good Non totus assurgit saith hee it doth not fully rise up Therefore though Natural men who are dead in sin bee without strength and so cannot stir up themselves to a further doing and receiving of that which is spiritually good yet spiritual men who are quickened have a power and ought to stir up that power for the doing of that good which God requires and for the receiving of that good which hee hath promised 3. It is not to deny the use of it as an evidence for the clearing of the goodnesse of our spiritual estate Wee know saith the Apostle that wee have passed from death to life because wee love the Brethren 1 John 3.14 And by this wee know that wee love the Children of God when wee love God cap. 5.2 t Quicquid de aliquo universali dicitur universaliter id etiam d◠omnibus dicitur quesub isto uriversali continentur and by every other grace wee may know it as well as by this The least grace if true and sincere is sufficient to salvation and therefore the sense of the least grace is u Culverwell's White Stone sufficient to assurance Grace is the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and the tree is known by its fruit Mat. 12.33 Some cry up an immediate revelation of the Spirit as the only evidence in opposition to the testimony of a good conscience arguing from inherent Grace but such do not consider that the testimony of Gods Spirit is alwayes accompanied with the testimony of our own spirit as Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the sons of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 w
they depend for some place of honour or profit which either they expect for time to come or for the present do injoy they chuse rather in a way of base servile compliance to discover their corruptions But this is a great dishonour to God and that which provokes him exceedingly It was a great evil in David that hee would play the natural fool before Achish 1 Sam. 21.13 but certainly it is a far greater evil for any one to play the profane fool Let such remember that terrible speech of our Saviour Mark 8.38 Whosoever shall bee ashamed of mee and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the son of man bee ashamed when hee commeth in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Thus I have shewn what it is not Negatively now in the next place I shall shew what it is Affirmatively To deny Self in respect of inherent grace is 1 Not to attribute it to our selves either as the efficient or meritorious cause thereof 1 Not as the efficient cause The work of grace is supernatural such a work as is tar above and beyond any finite power whatsoever to effect which being so abundantly declared in the Scripture sometimes calling it a x Sire novatio naturae nostrae cadem regeneratie creatio dicitur oportet certè ejus generis opus esse quod cum creatione aliquam habeat cognationem nullam autem habebit si homini partes suae ita tribuautur ut quippiam ferisse tatuatur quod agracia Deìnon sit omuino profectum Camero Collat. cum Tileno p. 668. New-creation 2 Cor. 5.17 Ephes 4.24 and a regeneration and new-birth John 3.5 James 1.18 sometimes a vivification or a quickning of those that were dead Ephes 2.5 and a resurrection from the dead Col. 2.21 in all which that there should bee any co-operation of humane power is x utterly impossible one may justly wonder with what face any that do acknowledge it to bee the Word of God can affirm the contrary And yet the Arminians are not ashamed to go up and down boasting and bragging of a power within themselves to do all this and much more without any dependence upon the special grace of God at their own will and pleasure which is too too evident although y Etsi Gratiam Dei Verbis concedant reipsa tamen tollunt quia secundum eos efficacia Gratiae Dei non est absoluta comparatione bonae electionis sed depeudenter se habet a consensu liberi arbitrii unde apud cos vocatur Efficacia Moralis Rive◠in Psal 16. in words they would sometimes dissemble the matter in that they will acknowledge no other efficacy of grace but what consists in a moral suasion onely But some of them speak their mindes plainly z Episcopius Disp de pers Script Posse quemlibet modo usu rationis polleat sine ullâ peculiari immediatâ vel internâ lucis collustratione facillime intelligere ac percipere omnes scripturae sensus qui ad salutem necessarii sunt scitu creditu speratu vel factu c. That any man if hee have but the use of reason without any peculiar immediate or internal illumination can most easily understand and perceive all those meanings of the Scripture which are any way necessary to be known beleeved hoped for or put in practice And that these meanings of the Scripture being apprehended by the understanding are most easily propounded to the will which hath by nature a free and inseparable faculty of choosing any kinde of object whatsoever that is presented by the understanding Again a Jo. Arnold advers Bogerm Positis omnibus operationibus quibus ad conver sionem in nobis efficiendam Deus utitur manet tamen ipsa conversio it a in nostrá potestate liberá ut possimus non converti i.e. nosmetipsos convertere vel non convertere Notwithstanding all the operations that God makes use of for our conversion yet conversion it self so remains in our own free power that wee can bee not converted that is as they explain it wee can either convert or not convert our selves b Owens Display of Arminianisme Where the Idolater plainly challengeth the Lord to work his uttermost and tells him that after hee hath so done hee will do what hee please Most horrid blasphemy Neither the word of God that tells us The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God because they are foolishness unto him and that hee cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 that he is c Hi timli si nihil aliud esser satis arguunt quà m sint illa vana quae de liberi arbitrii viribus in causa salutis vulgo jactantur Erenim si servi sumus peceati quo pacto cum servitute porerit una consistere Libertis Cam. de Effic gratiae Thes 5. the servant of sin Rom 6.20 Enmity against God and therefore neither is nor can be subject to him Rom. 8.7 That every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely evil continually Gen. 6.5 That hee can no more alter his custome of sinning than the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Jer. 13.23 That hee is without strength Rom. 5.6 Can do nothing Joh. 15.5 Being altogether dead in trespasses and in sins Eph. 2.1 Nor Experience whereby wee see that till God do mightily over-power him by the irresistible working of his Spirit within him hee goes on adding sin to sin and iniquity to iniquity the most convincing and perswasive Ministry of the Gospel notwithstanding is sufficient to convince these men Certainly if any of them perish in this damnable error their condemnation is of all mens most just they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altogether inexcusable and can have nothing to plead for themselves For whereas other men plead their Cannot d Fenners wilfull Impenitency Self-murder though that bee not the reason these must needs confess that their Will-not is the onely cause of their destruction For if they can convert themselves whence is it then that they are not converted It is not they say because they cannot therefore it must needs bee because they will not But to let this pass What ever these men think or speak concerning the ability and power of nature in the work of conversion the Scripture wee see teacheth us otherwise That by nature wee are spiritually dead and if so reason will tell us That wee cannot make our selves spiritually alive And therefore let no man presume upon any strength of his own as if hee were able as of himself to answer the Call of the Gospel in turning himself from the power of Sin and Satan unto God but rather pray as Ephraim Jer. 31.18 Turn thou mee and I shall bee turned Indeed if God will undertake the work it shall bee effected and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it but if hee let it
more as it is faine to bee suppressed in silence and disguised with humbleness thus when men grow proud of their gifts do they usually discover their pride Three things therefore are required of all such as have gifts in full of this first particular of Self-denial Not to bee proud of them 1 Not to think too highly of themselves because of their gifts 2 Not to contemn others because of their want of gifts 3 Not to hate others because they doe excell in them We have all these in Rom. 12.3 4 5. where the Apostle speaking to all those that have gifts and commanding them not to be proud of them gives a three-fold reason of so necessary a Commandement all which conclude against this threefold pride which usually as we have seen discovers it self in such as are proud of their gifts The Commandement is in the former part of the third verse set down both in the negative For this I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think and in the affirmative But soberly The reasons of both are in the latter part of that and in the two verses following 1 From the efficient Cause or Author of Gifts and that is God according as God hath dealt or distributed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Gifts soever any one hath he hath them all from God Nemo igitur superbiat ut suis let no man therefore bee proud of them as if they were his own In as much as God gives them it shews that wee have none of our own this should put us in minde of our own penury and emptiness which would bee an humbling consideration It is a very uncomely thing for a man to boast of that which is not his own for one that lives by borrowing to glory in his great estate and it is very unjust too in as much as the glory which is due to his friend by this means hee transferres upon himself By this Argument the Apostle endeavours to take down the pride of the pust up Corinthians a 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou didst not receive it Such stinging interrogations as these would wee but expostulate in this manner with our own hearts would quickly prick the bladder and let out the wind 2 From the proportion of Gifts * Nemo est in Dei familâ—â qui ralenium non acceperit publicâ—m aut privatum Paraens in loc according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith God hath not given all to one man but something to every man There is in the Body of Christ that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part Ephes 4.16 Nemoigitur alium contemnat Let no man therefore contemn another for what he wants but esteeme and honour him for what he hath 3 From the communion of Gifts for as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and everyone members one of another so that the Gifts of one member are not his alone but anothers whatsoever one hath that all the rest have in as much as that one hath it who is a part of themselves all have an interest in it and benefit by it Nemo igitur alio invideat nemo alium odio habeat * Hared first generates envie and this again doth reciprocally encrease hatred and both joyn in mischief Reynolds Treat of Pass 156 Let no man therefore envie or hate another but every one improve his talent for the good of the whole body In the Natural body one eye doth not hate the other that sees as well or better than it self the right eye doth not wish the left put out that so it might see alone one ear doth not wish the other stopt that so it might hear alone one hand doth not wish the other bound up that so it might work alone nor one foot wish the other cut off that so it might walk alone the one doth his office the better for the other Again the eye doth not hate the eare because the eare hears which the eye doth not nor the eare hate the eye because the eye sees which the eare doth not the hand doth not hate the foot because the foot walks which the hand doth not nor the foot the hand because the hand works which the foot doth not but are mutually serviceable one to the other in procuring the good of the whole body whereof they are joynt members b Cotton Eccles c. 4.4 And therefore if wee were united in brotherly love one to another the gifts of one member would be the joy of the rest and the honour of one member the joy of the rest 1 Corint 12.26 one finger envieth not another that weareth a Gold Ring as taking it for an ornament of the whole hand yea of the whole body And thus much of this first particular wherein those that have Gifts are to deny Self in respect of Gifts In the next place For those that have Gifts to deny Self in respect of Gifts is 2 Not to presume upon them As some that have Grace without c i. e. Some particular Gifts which they desire Gifts are sometimes ready to despair so others that have Gifts without Grace are most times ready to presume As their gifts and personal endowments fill themselves with conceit and admiration so they expect they should produce the like effect in others that doe observe them yea that God also should respect them the more for them And these are of two sorts such as presume upon their Natural gifts and such as presume upon their Spiritual gifts 1 Such as presume upon their Natural gifts these look upon themselves as curious pieces of Natures Workmanship and therefore perswade themselves they are the objects of heavens love They argue themselves into a delusion thus God hath imprinted so many Characters of his Image upon my person enabled my person with so many rare endowments embrightned my understanding with orient beams of knowledge by which I can finde out the most hidden secrets of Nature recovered unto reason that dominion and authority which my unruly and seditious passions had usurped and extorted from it beautified my body with purity of complexion eminency of stature proportion of parts and shall I not hence conclude that I am greatly beloved of God Are such Silver vessels made to dishonour Is there not rubbish enough in the world besides to be thrown out of the City of God Must the same fate take hold on me likewise I cannot thus perswade my self Surely these communicated excellencies from God himself are strong arguments to me of the love and good will of God towards me more than to
thing yet he doth not find himself in any thing he is dispossessed of himself being either carried away captive by his wandring desires after something that hee wants or kept close prisoner by his cares and feares of something that he hath he hath no real peace at all within himself no solid joy and contentment in his life Obj. You will say that cannot be so for we observe that none doe live more merry lives none are so jocund and merry as such men and that it is not possible the life of Self-denial should yeeld half so much pleasure and contentment as theirs doth Answ I answer what joy and pleasure what peace and contentment soever they have it is no real joy no real peace and contentment as Salomon saith Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is heavie so it is with many of them even in their revelling and roaring fits when you would think they had sung away care and drunk away sorrow there is heavinesse at their heart the guilt of some sin as heavie as a Mill-stone upon their Conscience they have many heart-qualmes though they put never so good a face upon the matter the joy and pleasure that they have is but as the joy and pleasure of a man in a dream As when a hungry man dreameth and behold hee eateth but hee awaketh and his soul is empty or as when a thirsty man dreameth and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint and his soul hath appetite Isa 29.8 or as the joy and pleasure of a Mad-man who hath no rational ground for his joy in any thing it is but the working of imagination and will quickly end in real sorrow as it is threatned Isa 50.11 Behold all yee that kindle a fire that compasse your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that yee have kindled this shall yee have at mine hand yee shall lye down in sorrow Nothing will so furiously fly in the face of Conscience at the last as the horrid Sin of Self-seeking though men will not see the aggravation of it now they shall see it then and yet many have some glimpses of it in this life and this is the reason why they are so puzled concerning their title to heaven and happinesse and why their evidences are so litigious and snarled because of a secret lurking of Selfishnesse as yet not thorowly denied and while it is thus it is impossible there should be any true peace in the soul What peace said Jehu so long as the Whoredomes of Jezabel remaine a King 9.22 There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 48.22 false Prophets may speake peace and a seduced heart but God will not speake it whose sole Prerogative it is to speake and give it The Wisdome from above is first pure and then peaceable Jam. 3.17 there must be purity before there can bee peace the word which is translated pure signifies chaste the Wisdome that is from above is first chaste now what is Self-denial but the chastity of the Soul in keeping its conjugal love for Jesus Christ where this is there is peace peace is an inseparable companion of Self-denial Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee Isa 26.3 O the joy and peace that Self-denying men have 1 They have abundance of joy and peace in their acting for Christ Great peace have they which love thy Commandements saith David Psal 119.156 and nothing shall offend them 2 They have abundance of joy and peace in suffering for Christ I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation saith Paul 2 Cor. 7.4 I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake 2 Cor. 12.10 Mr. Philpot r Acts and Mon. l. 10.1668 in a Letter to the Lady Vane thus writes The world wondreth how we can bee merry in such extreame misery but our God is omniptent which turneth misery into felicity beleeve mee dear Sister there is no such joy in the world as the people of Christ have under the Crosse I speak by experience therefore beleeve me and fear nothing that the world can doe unto you for when they imprison our bodies they set our Souls at liberty with God when they cast us down they lift us up yea when they kill us they bring us to everlasting life And in s Ibid. another Letter to the same Lady I that am under the Crosse with you thanks be to God therefore have felt in the same more true joy and consolation than ever I did by any benefit that God hath given me in my life before for the more the world hates us the nigher God is unto us and there is no perfect joy but in God wherefore Christ said In mee yee shall have joy but in the world affliction blessed bee God which sendeth us this affliction that wee might perfectly joy in him In t 1669. another Letter to the same Lady We have more to be glad touching our selves of this time than we have had any time before in the which wee have so ready a way to goe unto God and so good an occasion to shew our duty in glorifying his holy Name for if wee bee imprisoned in this cause we are blessed if wee lose all that we have we are blessed an hundred fold if wee dye wee are blessed eternally so that in suffering of persecutions all is full of blessings In u 1670. another Letter to the same Lady O blessed are they that mourne in the world to God-ward for they shall bee eternally comforted God make my stony heart to mourne more than it doth I have so much joy of the reward that is prepared for mee most wretched sinner that though I be in a place of darkness and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyful as though I were under no cross at all yea in all the daies of my life I was never so merry the Name of the Lord be praised therefore for ever and ever and hee pardon mine unthankfulness Our enemies do fret and fume and gnash their teeth to see and hear that wee under this grievous affliction in the world can bee so merry Wee are of them counted as desperate persons for the certain hope and feeling which wee have of our everlasting salvation and it 's no marvaile for worldly men cannot perceive the things of God they are meer foolishness and an abomination to them Bee thankful unto our God mine own dear helper for his wondrous working in his chosen people Pray instantly that this joy be not taken from us for it passeth all the delights of this world This is the peace of God which surmounteth all understanding this peace the more his chosen be afflicted the more they feel and therefore cannot faint neither for fire neither for water 3 As they have abundance of joy and in