hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voyce and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation John 5.28 29. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you When the Lord Jesus shall bee revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall bee punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9. Even as Sodome and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Epist of Jude vers 7. But the fearful and unbeleeving and the abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the Second Death Revel 21.8 Thus I have proved the first Particular That it is impossible for any one to come after Christ to eternal happinesse without coming after him in the way of holinesse The Second That it is impossible for any one to come after Christ in the way of holinesse without denying himself I prove thus Arg. If it bee impossible for any one to come after Christ in the way of holiness without denying one that will never consent that hee should walk in the way of holinesse but if hee be not denied will certainly lead him into the way of sin then it is impossible for any one to come after Christ in the way of holinesse without denying himself But it is impossible for any one to come after Christ in the way of holinesse without denying one that will never consent that he should walk in the way of holinesse but if he be not denied will certainly lead him into the way of sin Therefore it is impossible for any one to come after Christ in the way of holiness without denying himself The reason of the Consequence is because 1 Self will never consent that any one should walk in the way of holiness One that is at enmity against God and neither is nor can bee subject to the Law of God will never consent that any one should walk in the way of holiness but such is Self Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Againe one that lusteth against the Spirit and is contrary to the Spirit will never consent that any one should walk in the way of holinesse But this is true of Self Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other Therefore Self will never consent that any one should walk in the way of holiness But 2 If he be denied will certainly lead him into the way of sin For 1 He is wholly deprived of vertue whereby he should be inclined to doe well For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18 2 He is wholly depraved by the opposite habit of Vice which succeeds for Contrariorum immediatorum necesse est alterum inesse subjecto capaci alterum non inesse that being absent this must needs bee present and fill up its roome being immediately contrary to it Hence in the Scripture an homogeneal corruption is attributed not only in the general to the whole man but also to every part of it in particular h Cum igitur peccatum duo dicat aversionem ab in commutabili bono conversionem ad bonum commutabile ex ordine Divina providentiae a scientia ceciderit in ignorantiam a bonitate in malitiam a potentia in infirmitatem ab unitate potentiarum in concupiscentiam sequitur nec defective solum sed etiam effective hominem ignorare quid sit bonum suum quae sint media perveniendi ad illud id est non solum potest dici quod non scint sed etiam quod false presumit esse quod non est Ferrius Scholast Orthod specime c. 19. Sect. 3. as to the understanding Gen. 6.5 Rom. 8.5 to the Conscience Tit. 1.15 i At voluntas non potest non velle quod inde cavit intellectus Cum ergo falsum tantum intelligat c. sequitur ut voluntas velit tanquam bonam quod verè bonum non esse nec posse non vesse ib. Sect. 5. Nam etsi electiva facultas in homine maneat quam diu mane◠homo quam nihil eripire potest certum est tamen ingenitam pravitatem vetare ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene utatum homo id eligat quod vere bonum fit secundum Deum Rivet com in Exod. c. 2. 752. c. 1. to the Will Gen. 8.21 to the affections Rom. 1.24 and to all the members of the body Rom. 6.19 3 Being thus deprived and depraved as he doth nothing that is good Romans 3. There is none that doth good no not one vers 12. so whatsoever hee doth is evil as it followes Their throat is an open sepulcher with their tongues have they used deceit the poyson of Aspes is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed bloud destruction and misery are in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known vers 13 14 15 16 17. And it must needs be so for Operatio sequitur esse as is the Habit so is the Action that proceeds from it but there being no other Habit in Self but such as inclines him to sin being wholly deprived of that power whereby hee should will well as I have shewn above it followes that hee doth nothing but sin and therefore if hee be not denied will certainly carry one into the way of sin Now that it is impossible to come after Christ in the way of holiness without denying such an one c. cannot be doubted for not to deny such an one is to come after him in the way of sin and to come after him in the way of sin is not to come after Christ in the way of holiness and to come after Christ in the way of holiness and not to come after Christ in the way of holiness are contradicents and that both should be true is impossible for Posito uno ex contradicentibus removetur alterum contra the affirmation of the one is the denial of the other therefore to come after Christ in the way of holiness without denying ones Self is impossible therefore to come after Christ to eternal happiness therefore to come after Christ at all therefore whosoever will come after Christ must of necessity deny himself Quod erat demonstrandum
peccatores efficienter nisi illa in obedientia prius imputetur ipsis peccatum enim quâ—d neque nobis inhaeret neque imputatur non potest in nobis quilquam efficere Ames Bellar. enervat Tom. 4.140 imputation As for the righteousness of Sanctification inherent in our selves it cannot justifie us because it makes no satisfaction to the Justice of God the righteousness whereby we are justified is such a righteousness as makes a full and perfect satisfaction to the Justice of God for all that it can justly require either by way of punishment for sin or by way of obedience to the Moral Law The Covenant of Works being broken man stands bound unto God in a two-fold Debt a debt of suffering for his first Transgression and of perfect and perpetual conformity to the Law both habitual and actual for time to come God will have the Threatning fulfilled as well as the Precept observed and the Precept observed as well as the Threatning fulfilled This the Justice of God requires and therefore it is neither suffering according to the Threatning alone nor being conformable according to the Precept alone but both together that satisfies Gods Justice therefore inherent righteousness alone cannot justifie because the Curse of the Law for sin remaines still to be suffered This God stands upon to have sin punished to the full according as he hath threatned and therefore the punishment must bee endured either by the Sinner himself or by another for him and in his stead that is able to bear it that so God may bee sufficiently revenged for all the wrong that sin hath done unto him therefore they doe miserably mistake that talk of Justification either by habitual or actual righteousness alone for that is not full satisfaction to the Justice of God and that which is not full satisfaction in this case is no satisfaction at all and where there is no satisfaction to the Justice of God there can be no Justification Suppose a man should attain to that perfect and compleat habitual conformity to the Law which is required for of that onely wee speak in this place yet this could not justifie him because it could not acquit him from his sin in losing that which hee had before This After-conformity would not make amends for the former that was lost This Conformity recovered is a debt as well as the former which was lost and the payment of one debt will not satisfie for the non payment of another But that conformity to the Law which is even in the best of Saints since the Fall is not z Lex non tantum actualem obedientiam sed omnimodam cum lege conformitatem requirit secus enim lues originalis peccatum non effet VVolleb l. 1. that perfect and compleat conformity which the Law requires for wee are renewed but in part there is a remainder of corruption still A law in our members warring against the law of our minde Rom. 7.23 Therefore if wee were to bee tried onely by the preceptive part of the Law wee could not bee justified for so long as any thing is lacking of that conformity which the Law requireth it is impossible that the Law should judge us righteous Therefore there remains nothing but a fearful expectation of a most dreadful sentence of condemnation to bee passed upon us if wee will venture to bee tried for our eternal estates by any thing that is in our selves For this reason holy men in Scripture have alwayes renounced their own righteousness David prayes Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143.2 If God will not withdraw his anger saith Job The proud helpers do stoop under him How much less shall I answer him and choose out my words to reason with him whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my judge Job 9.13 14 15. I know nothing by my selfe saith Paul yet am I not hereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 And therefore he professeth That he accounted all things but dung that hee might win Christ and be found in him not having his own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Philip. 3.8 9. And indeed every man that sees himself in the glass of the Law will see a necessity of another righteousness than his own every man I say except the man St. James speaks of Who having beheld himself therein goeth away and streightwar forgetteth what manner of man hee was Jam. 1.24 And thus much of Denying-self in respect of Inherent Grace SUBSECT II. Of Denying-self in respect of Common-Gifts WE have seen what it is to deny Self in respect of Grace I shall now shew what it is in respect of Gifts And 1 What it is for those that want Gifts 2 What for those that have them 1 What it is for those that want Gifts And here I shall speak as before both Negatively and Affirmatively 1 Negatively For those that want Gifts to deny Self in respect of Gifts is not 1 To deny the excellency usefulness or necessity of them None are more apt to stight and contemn Gifts than those that are most defective in them And of these some do it out of ignorance speaking evil of the things that they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12 and Jude vers 10. Others out of pride being loath to acknowledge themselves to be wanting in any thing that is excellent Others out of a blinde devotion to Grace as if a good opinion of Gifts were some way or other derogatory from Grace and these think it a matter of Self-denial not to think well of any thing that is not grace But as Grace must have its due esteem so must Gifts also Gifts are excellent though not so excellent as Grace For 1 They are the purchase of Christ the fruits of his Resurrection and Ascention Ephes 4.8 When hee ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave Gifts to men It was the manner of the Roman Conquerors in their Triumphs to ascend up to the Capitol in a Chair of State with their prisoners following at their Chariot wheels on foot having their hands bound behinde them and as they went along the Victor was wont to throw some Missilia certain peeces of Coyn and other rich gifts to be gathered up by the people Even so the Lord Jesus when hee ascended in triumph up to Heaven having spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly Col. 2.15 and gave gifts unto men And this speaks the excellency of them Princes in their Triumphs do not give mean gifts but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Royal gifts they do not onely triumph in their Victory but in their Liberality also which makes their Victory far more glorious Even so the Lord Jesus to make his Ascention more splendid and glorious hee gave Gifts to men and these Gifts
not be executed they think there is some use of them in terrorem to over-awe men a little that they might not be wicked over much but that God never threatned with intent to execute or if they must be executed then 2 It is but upon those that despise the Promises but for their parts they relye on them 3 However it be they think they must not despair but be of a good courage and hope to the last breath and therefore notwithstanding all the threatnings they have these and these promises and here they will hold fast If this doe not fully comfort them then 3 They look into themselves and conclude that though they be guilty of a great many sins yet they are but infirmities and failings for they often hear that to fall into such and such sinful Acts may consist with grace and for their parts they cannot help it they swear indeed but it is but now and then when they are provoked they are sometimes drunk but it is but now and then when they are drawn in by good company and they doe forget themselves are they be aware and it is not so much many times only they have weaker braines than others and men thinke they be drunke when they are not 4 They consider the examples of godly men in Scripture who have been guilty of the same sins as Noah Lot David Peter c. and hence they argue that every man hath his failings and the best must have their graines of allowance And the Apostle saith that in many things we offend all and If any man saith he hath no sin he is a lyer and now they can hold no longer but presently fly out upon other Professors as meer pretenders to perfection and Saintship which they hold to bee a thing impossible on this side Heaven and so fall to scoffing and jeering and rayling upon those that live more conformably to the rules of their Religion than themselves Hence 5 They think that all those many of them at least that doe condemne them live in the same sins secretly or in as bad of another kind though they will not swear say they they will lye and though they will not be drunk they will play the Gluttons and that they cannot endure good fellowship with the rest of their Neighbours it is only from pride and Self-conceitednesse Stand off touch me not I am holier than thou Hence again they conclude as for perfection no mortal man is capable of it it is but in vain to endeavour after it or pretend unto it If this doth not quiet their guilty consciences then 6 They hope they shall repent and then they are sure all will bee well then there will bee no fear for At what time soever a sinner repents c. As for example the Thief upon the Crosse therefore if they can but cry God mercy before the last gasp they doubt not but they shall make a good end But 7 At the worst come the worst that can come they shall doe as well as others and they think that others have souls to save as well as they and why should they fear more than other men They consider that not only the generality of the common people but many of the wise and learned especially of the great and mighty doe commonly practise the same things or as bad or worse and they think if there were any danger they would bee ware of it howsoever to make all sure beside their constant attending of the publick Ordinances 8 They will pray in their Closets and in their Families and repeat to their people the Sermons they have written and sing Psalmes and besides sometimes they will put themselves to a voluntary pennance as to fast such a day yearly it may be weekly or to part with some gaineful imployment or to give away a great sum of money to good uses as serves best for the quieting of their consciences fearfully vexed with the guilt it may be of some particular sin above all others that they live in Now Readers if you be any of you of this number as I suppose some of you be give me leave in a few words a little to expostulate and reason with you Yet beleeve the Scriptures to be the Word of God and in them ye think ye have eternal life search them therefore and peruse them diligently view every line from the beginning to the end ponder every word and see if upon the most exact and curious observation you can find the least syllable of any comfort or encouragement for any one that allowes himself in any one known sin They speak much indeed of Gods mercy to sinners but to what Sinners are they not beleeving and repenting sinners only and who are they but such as in their purposes and endeavours turne from every known sin Doe they say he will be merciful to any presumptuous sinners to any such as hold fast deceit and refuse to returne Hear what they say Whoso confesseth his sins and forsaketh them shall have mercy but he that covereth them shall not prosper Prov. 28.13 For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness mark it all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men namely of such men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 You think God is merciful true but is hee not also just is he not also wrathful and revengeful See how the Prophet describes him God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies Nah. 1.2 It followes indeed in the next verse The Lord is slow to anger but mark what comes after and will not at all acquit the wicked where the Lord proclaimes his Name in this manner unto Moses The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 even there he also addes and that will by no meanes cleare the guilty visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and upon the childrens children to the third and to the fourth generation vers 7. God beares with you now and is good unto you you think he will deale thus with you in the world to come and therefore you sin with the more boldness but hear what he saith These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I teare you in peices and there be none to deliver Psal 50.21 22. Patientia laesa transit in furorem The long suffering and goodness of God being abused will at length grow into fury and then woe be unto all such as shall be found in their sins the more of the goodness of God hath been spent upon them here the more of his wrath shall
more ungodliness You doe not so much as resolve against every known sin but your hearts are fully set in you to doe wickedly you doe not watch against it before it be committed but run your selves upon temptations and after it is committed are you ashamed nay you are not at all ashamed neither can you blush none of you smiteth upon the thigh saying What have I done None of you repenteth him of his wickedness as those holy men did from whose example of sinning but not of turning from their sinne you fetch so much comfort But you hope you shall repent too at last at last Why doe you not endeavour it at present Doe you think you can repent when you will or have you any engagement upon God that whensoever you please hee should work it in you Qui promisit poenitenti veniam non promisit differenti poenitentiam He that hath promised to grant a pardon to the penitent hath no where promised to grant repentance to him that delayes to repent How can you expect it you have rather cause to feare that hee will give you over to a reprobate minde Romans 1.28 and to your owne hearts lusts Psalme 81.12 that you may live all your dayes in your sinnes and at last dye in them John 8.24 and afterwards bee damned for them 2 Thes 2.12 Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if yee will heare his voice harden not your hearts lest hee swear in his wrath you shall not enter into my rest Heb. 3.7 XI There is a time even in this life after which God will shew no mercy it is possible to sinne away a day of Grace long before you dye and then though you call upon him hee will not answer though you seek him early you shall not finde him for that you hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord you would none of his counsell you despised all his reproof Therefore you shall eate of the fruit of your owne way and be filled with your owne devices for the turning away of the simple shall slay you and the prosperity of fooles shall destroy you Prov. 1.28 32. Beware therefore of going on any longer against your light presently abandon every known sin practise every known duty necessity is laid upon you and woe be to you if you doe it not Though you should make never so glorious a profession though you should performe never so many duties if you stick but at one so that you will not performe that too it is impossible but you should bee shut out of heaven as you may see in the Story of the Young man Luke 18.22 And though you should abandon never so many sinnes if you sticke but at one so that you will not abandon that too it is impossible but you should bee turned into Hell out of which there is no redemption there you must lye and lye to all eternity Thinke upon this and then see whether it bee best to gratifie the flesh either by the forbearance of any known duty or practise of any known sinne as you doe Let not the example of the generality of the World move you better goe to Heaven with a few than to Hell in the crowd Thus much Readers I thought fit to preface as a necessary preparative to the profitable reading of this Treatise of SELF-DENIAL The blessing of the Lord goe along with it Not else but that I am Your Servant in the work of the Gospel Theoph. Polwheile To not only the Christian Reader but to any Reader that hath a mind or if not that hee may have a mind to be a Christian and that not only in shew but in truth not only in word but in deed SElf-denial bless us what a strange hard word what a prodigious and monstrous thing is this saith poor selfish man Self-denial forsooth what am not I my self Doe not I my self live and live for my self How can I bee a man and put off the man How can I be my self and deny my self Is it not to be beside my self and that 's to be mad to be without my self Thus alas doth poor man play the foole in wit he rageth and is confident as if there were such good reason for and such good sense in self-seeking as that the Doctrine of Self-denial were but a Paradox yea an absurdity a contradiction and very non-sense He highly applaudes even to admiration that by him mistaken and mis-interpreted saying of Solomon Prov. 9.12 if thou bee wise thou shalt be wise for thy self and for his part he will praise none but them that doe well unto themselves Psal 49.18 he will admit none to the name of wise and worthy persons but dismiss them for a company of un-intelligent in-significant and poore spirited Sneakes yea for dull Sots witless Dolts and God Almighties Fools that preferre not themselves before every thing else Man indeed is so dear to himself that Self-interest seemes to be his all in all the first mover the circumference and center of all he doth the principle from the rule by the end for which he acts any good or forbears to act any evil and this is natural to him but though Nature be master of this Art and can teach man to seek his owne good yet Nature is not such a Doctor in Divinity nor hath attained to such a degree of learning and wisedome as to teach man wherein his true good and interest lies so that it is no wonder that poore man is filled with indignation at such a word much more at such a thing as Self-denial is Alas in what a sad uneasie and restless condition must poor man be that hath a nature so freely inclined and strongly addicted to his owne interest and yet is not owner of a judgement and discretion able and acute enough to tell him what it is and how it may be attained so that did not God who is a God of grace and mercy take pitty on poore man for so I must alwayes call him he would doe nothing but undoe himself and that by seeking himself But God God blessed and to bee blessed for evermore who is a Lover of Soules and the preserver of men who would not that they should perish but that all men should come to the knowledge of the truth and bee saved God I say hath shewn in and by his Word what is mans good and wherein his true interest and happiness doth consist how hee may love seek and save himself which is so dear unto him beside ex abundanti which is a wonder God invites and if I may so speak courts man hereunto not that hee needs man for he is God happy for evermore whether man be saved or damned but by the most obligeing and most indearing way in the World that man himself may be the gainer and injoy himself in the injoyment of a good infinitely better than himself even God himself When God exhorts and perswades man to obedience why is
that another should do better than themselves and therefore they presently begin to imitate striving to do the like though contrary to their own genius and so mar all 2 In excelling others who in all particulars are even with them They cannot indure that others should stand upon the same levell with themselves and therefore are ever climbing up to the higher ground till at length they tumble down lower than before 2 Self-confidence and an over-high opinion and conceit of their own abilities whereby they fondly imagine they can do any thing as well or better than others they think nothing is too hard for them but that they shall either finde a way or make one to their desired glory As some despairing of their own sufficiency shun those imployments wherein had they confidence answerable to their abilities they might do worthily so others presuming upon it make many fruitless adventures to the discredit of themselves and detriment of others Other things might bee mentioned to shew how much of Self there is in this Abuse but they are all or most of them reducible unto these two Generals which indeed are the principal causes of the other Abuse also which is when they will bee medling with things 2 Which cannot bee understood when they will bee aspiring and reaching after the knowledge of things not revealed when they will bee trying to unlock and open those secret and reserved mysteries which the counsel of God hath wisely shut up and hid from their eyes Some imploy all their studies to finde out the principles of Mettals and to conjoyn them otherwise than before they have been that from thence may result a Catholick Medicine for the perfecting of imperfect Mettals and for restoring of sick and decayed bodies of what sort soever and these are they that stile themselves Students in the most Divine mysteries of Hermetick learning Some set themselves on work to foreknow and fore-tell future events as South-sayers Astrologers and divers Enthusiasts Some cast it up just how long it shall be to the day of Judgement Others how many Centuries it shall last Some beat their brains to finde out what God was doing before hee made the world Others to know whether there bee not more worlds than one whether the stars bee not peopled and inhabited in like manner as the earth is Some try experiments for finding out the first common matter of all things Others that they may see the naked essence of any thing Some inquire into the estate of Spirits and they tell us that some of them are mortal also how many years they live Others into the Hierarchy of Angels and they tell us of their several offices and imployments their several orders and the number of them Some inquire where heaven is to bee after the day of Judgement and tell us that Christ shall reign upon the earth and all the Saints with him for ever Others dig deep to finde out the place of the damned and they tell us that at the center of the earth is the fire of hell and that it is kindled by the Primum Mobile and influences of the Stars I might quickly fill up many pages should I proceed to set down but one half of the many gross fopperies and monstrous conceptions that have been Midwifed into the world by these and such like bold and presumptuous inquiries of fanatick Chymists and Theosophists But these few may serve as a sufficient Induction for the discovery of the Abuse wee now speak of the causes whereof to shew how much of Self there is in it are 1 A prurient desire and hankering after knowledge e See Culverwels Treatise of the light of Nature cap. 13. And Baxter on the Arrogancy of Reason against Divine Revelations Men long for the fruit of the forbidden Tree and would fain bee plucking some Apples from it they cannot indure that any thing should bee concealed from them they would have an open and unlimited prospect of the whole compass and extent of being They would know all that is knowable and so would bee as Gods in point of knowledge which was that which overthrew our first Parents 2 An eager desire of glory and of having the pre-eminence in all things They would be thought to be the Nonsuch in the world both for Philosophy and Divinity and therefore f See Reynolds Treat of Pass 490. and Observations upon Anthroposophia Theomagica Sect. 1. disdaining the common road wherein others have gone before them they chuse to walk in wayes of their own making studying if it bee possible to finde out some new concerning Truths never before discovered 3 A proud conceit of themselves as if they had an All-comprehending wisdome and were able to see through the nature and reason of all things yea g There bee those which fâ—â—â—e out the depth of the highest secrets of God nothing is unknown unto them neither in heaven nor hell c. Dâ— Espaigne e Popular Errors Sect. 2. chap. 7 to fathome the bottomless depths of the counsels of God This the Apostle notes as the main cause of mens intruding themselves into things which they have not seen that they are vainly puft up by their fleshly minde Col. 2.18 that is by the conceited h Mentem carnis vocat humani ingenii pe spicaciam quantacunque eit Calv. in loc perspicacity of their fleshly understandings From hence it is that they do so Magisterially give sentence upon every thing nothing must bee true or false but according as they do apprehend Though it bee the most unquestionable truth attested to and sealed by him that is Truth it self and cannot lye yet if they do not understand i See the forementioned Treatise of Mr. Baxter of the Arrogancy of Reason c. the quiddity or nature of the thing if they cannot finde out the causes the end and use of it if they cannot see a possibility of accomplishing the matter by natural means there is then no truth in it it is but a eunningly devised fable and they will not beleeve it On the contrary though it bee the most prodigious lye yet if they fancy it to bee a truth k Sibi arrogant authouitatem de omnibus judicandi suam censuram suum judicium pro oraculis haberi ab omnibus volunt Calv. in loc supradict it must pass for an Oracle they confidently obtrude it upon the world and challenge all mens belief of it Thus wee see how much of Self there is in it when men exercise their gifts about high things that are above their own apprehensions The next particular is when they exercise them about high things that are above 2 Other mens apprehensions whose information and instruction they are more especially bound to take care of This is the usual fault of many great Scholars that are Preachers that though they do not study such things as are above their own capacities yet they preach such things as are above the
had in earthly things Therefore though God make never so great offers of other things unto him though hee tell him of grace and glory hee regards it not nay though hee offer himself unto him though hee tell him Hee will bee his exceeding great reward upon condition that hee will walke before him and bee perfect hee makes no other reckoning of it then as hee apprehends some earthly thing to bee meant by it Even as the Jews who when Christ told them Hee was the bread of God that cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world were much affected with it and said unto him Lord evermore give us this bread Joh. 6.34 But when afterwards they understood it was such bread as was to bee eaten by faith they cried out This is an hard saying who can hear it vers 60. Worldly men cannot indure to think of being happy by God alone they cannot conceive its possible that that good which is in the creatures should bee found in him without the creatures They onely judge of what is before them they apprehend no other reality and beleeve no other than what they apprehend therefore whatsoever is said of spiritualls seems a meer contradiction unto them an utter impossibility Therefore they say in their hearts There is no God no heaven no life eternal because they see not things that are invisible They wonder what men mean when they talk of being happy in a way of communion with and conformity unto God they count them a company of fools and mad men that will forgo that happiness which they might have in this present world for they know not what imaginary happiness so they judge it is in another world to come Hence they are prejudiced against the wayes of godliness and think it not onely a vain but a dangerous thing to bee Religious The name indeed of Religion sometimes serves their turn as when they live in places where it brings in gain or credit and then they make a profession but the thing it self they abominate as being the greatest let and hindrance to that wicked worldly designe of theirs which under that profession they mainly prosecute But where a profession is not of any such use and advantage they abandon that too and so become either notoriously prophane and dissolute or at best but civilly honest And thus they continue untill such time as their eyes bee opened to see into the emptiness and vanity of all things here below the word of God having no effectual operation upon them before for while they imagine their onely happiness is to bee found here they will neither bee nor do what is necessarily required in order to their finding it elsewhere It is a good signe of a mans repentance and turning to God when his judgement is rectified concerning these things that whereas before hee thought his chiefest good to bee in them hee now looks upon them as altogether destitute of it and therefore must have something better than the best of them to make him really happy as wee see in Solomon after his recovery from his fall who could then say Vanity of vanities Vanity of vanities all is vanity Eccles 1.2 And in Paul after his conversion who tells the Philippians that hee counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord for whom hee had suffered the loss of all things and did count them but dung that hee might win Christ and bee found in him Phil. 3.8 9. Such a light is set up in the soul at its first conversion as discovers unto it the excellency of those things that are spiritual and eternal in comparison of which all the outward glittering glory of temporal things is darkned so that it sees no glory in them by reason of the glory that doth excel And yet sometimes it is apt to bee misled by those false representations of these things that fancy and imagination not well governed now and then gives of them upon a shallow apprehension of a greater good in them than indeed there is taken from the senses These things are suitable unto the senses and Self a remainder whereof is in the best earnestly contends that what testimony they give of them may bee accepted The bâ—st therefore had need to bee very watchful and above all things to strengthen faith whereby they shall have an evidence of things not seen and then the things that are seen will have no such influence upon them but they shall bee inabled thereby to give a peremptory denial to whatsoever shall bee suggested by Self on their behalf which is the first thing that is here required The next is 2 That Affection that Self bears to them Set your affection on things above and not on things on the earth Col. 3.2 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. In particular 1 That love that Self bears to them Self judging them to bee the chiefest good as wee shewed in the former particular loves them as the chiefest good Love is the immediate issue and natural product of the judgement no sooner doth the judgement conceive any thing to bee good but a childe of love is born presently and sucks the breasts If men judge this or that to bee good they cannot choose but bee in love with it and proportionable to the degrees of goodness that they discover in the object are the degrees of love that they bear unto the object If it bee goodness apprehended in a remiss degree the love is but a remiss love if in an intense degree the love is intense if they apprehend it to bee all in all they love it with all their hearts the understanding makes the primary discovery of the object the judgement determines concerning the goodness of it and the will takes it upon trust from the judgement Now it matters not whether it bee a real good or not if it do but appear to bee so to the judgement that is enough to draw the will after it If I bee lifted up saith Christ I will draw all men unto mee if I bee lifted up on the Cross lifted up from the Grave lifted up from earth to Heaven but especially if I bee lifted up in mens judgements if they once lift mee up above themselves above all other persons and things so as to give me the preheminence so as to make me all in all in order to the obtaining of the chief good So it is with the World if it bee lifted up in drawes all men unto it if the Devil once carry up the glory of the World to an exceeding high Mountaine and shew it from thence it drawes all men unto it This effect it had upon David when hee judged his worldly estate to bee a mountaine when hee lookt upon it as a mountaine exceeding high and strong when the world and the glory thereof appears as a
you to it which hee surely would not have done if your former opinions had not been erroneous Hee answered All those many sins that in the former part of my life I committed then did not so much trouble me for I trusted that God would not lay them to my charge but now having sinned against the Holy Ghost God brings all my sins to remembrance and thus guilty of one guilty of all and therefore it is no matter whether my sins be great or small they are such as Christs Bloud nor Gods Mercy belongs to mee God will have mercy on whom hee will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth this is it that gnaws my heart he hath hardned me and I finde that hee daily more and more doth harden me and therefore I am out of hope I feele it and therefore cannot but despair I tell you there was never such a Monster as I am I knew that Justification is to be expected by Christ and I denied and abjured it to the end I might keep this fraile life from adversity and my Children from poverty and now behold how bitter this life is to me and God only knowes what shall become of this my Family but surely no good is likely to betide it but rather daily worse and worse and such a ruine at length as that one stone shall not be left on another But why should you said f A Doctor that came to comfort him Gribaldus conceit so deeply of your sin seeing you cannot but know that many have denied Christ and yet never fell into despair Well said he I can see no ground of comfort for such neither can I warrant them from Gods revenging hand in Wrath though it pleaseth God yet to suffer such to be in peace and besides there will a time of change come and then they shall be thorowly tried and if it were not so yet God is just in making mee an example to others I assure you it is no small matter to deny Christ and yet it is more ordinary than commonly men doe conceive of as often as a Christian doth dissemble the knowne truth as often as he approves of false worship by presenting himself at it so often as he doth not things worthy of his calling or such things as are unworthy of his calling so often he denies Christ thus did I and therefore am justly punished for it Some time after this came in two Bishops one of them being Paulus Vergerius desired him to pray with him the Lords Prayer Spira consented and went on with some enlargement upon several Petitions to whom when hee had done they said You know that none can call Christ Jesus the Lord but by the Holy Ghost I perceive replied he that I call on him to my eternal Damnation They told him he was in a spiritual desertion and therefore should not beleeve what Sathan suggested to him but those rather whom hee judged to bee in a good estate and more able to discerne of him than himself beleeve us said they we tell you that God will bee merciful to you O here is the knot said he I would I could beleeve but I cannot Then hee began to reckon up what fearful Dreames and Visions he was continually troubled withall that hee saw the Devils come flocking into his Chamber and about his Bed terrifying him with strange Noises that these were not Fancies but he saw them as really as the standers by and that besides these hee felt continually a racking torture of his mind and a continual butchery of his Conscience being the very proper pangs of the Damned wights in Hell Desperation it self continually tortures me and now I count my present estate worse than if my Soul separated from my body were with Judas and the rest of the Damned and therefore I now desire rather to bee there than thus to live in the body After this againe one told him that hee was not to beleeve himself but rather him that was in a good estate and I testifie to you said hee that God will bee merciful to you Nay answered he for because I am in this ill estate therefore can I beleeve nothing but what is contrary to my Salvation and comfort But you that are so confident of your good estate look that it be true for it is no such small matter to bee assured of sincerity A man had need be exceeding strongly grounded in the truth before hee can bee able to affirme such a matter as you now doe it is not the performance of a few outward duties but a mighty constant labour with all intention of heart and affection with full desire and endeavour continually to set forth Gods glory there must bee neither fear of Legats Inquisitors Prisons nor any Death whatsoever Many think themselves happy that are not it is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall goe to Heaven One that came to see him told him that he had been with him at Venice some eight weekes before O cursed day said Spira O cursed day O that I had never gone thither would God I had then dyed Afterwards came in a Priest bringing with him a Book of Exorcismes to Conjure the Devil out of him whom when Spira saw shaking his head he said I am verily perswaded indeed that God hath left me to the power of the Devils but such they are as are not to be found in your Letany To Vergerius by many Arguments exhorting him to beleeve Belike said hee you think I delight in this estate if I could conceive but the least spark of hope of a better estate hereafter I would not refuse to endure the most heavie weight of the Wrath of that great God yea for twenty thousand years so that I might at length attaine to the end of that misery which I now know will bee eternal but I tell you my will is wounded Hee exhorted the company that were present in this manner Take heed to your selves it is no light or easie matter to be a Christian it is not Baptisme or reading of the Scriptures or boasting of faith in Christ though even these are good that can prove one to be an absolute Christian You know what I said before there must bee a conformity in Life a Christian must bee strong unconquerable not carrying an obscure profession but resolute in expressing the Image of Christ and holding out against all opposition to the last breath Many there are that snatch at the Promises in the Gospel as if they did undoubtedly belong to them and yet they remaine sluggish and carelesse and being flattered by the things of this present World they passe on their course in quietnesse and security as if they were the only happy men whom neverthelesse the Lord in his providence hath ordained to eternal Wrath as you may see in Saint Lukes rich man thus it was with me therefore take heed He disdainfully refusing some meat that was brought him by one of his
and therefore will fawn and flatter lye and dissemble couzen and cheat do any thing submit to any thing so he may but get a penny by it Who hath wo who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of the eyes They that tarry long at the wine saith Solomon they that go to seek mixt wine and yet the Drunkard will not beware hee looks upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his colour in the cup when it moveth it self aright though at the last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder His eyes behold the strange woman and his heart utters perverse things he is as hee that lyeth down in the midst of the Sea or as hee that lyeth upon the top of a Mast They have stricken mee saith hee and I was not sick they have beaten mee and I felt it not when shall I awake I will seek it yet again How miserable is the condition of these men that are made to serve in this manner to their own destruction and yet it is not by any outward force upon them onely they are drawn away of their own lust and inticed Some perceiving they have of their own wretchedness but alas they cannot help themselves they can do nothing in order to their recovery Though the most effectual means be propounded they have no heart to make use of them they are fettered with their lusts as with chains and cannot move one step in the way that leads to life Here then is the Excellency of Self-denial that by means thereof as nothing can constrain us to do any thing that is for our hurt so nothing can restrain us from doing any thing that is for our good So long as wee deny our selves neither men nor devils can stop us in our way The greatest hindrances in the way to heaven are from within if there be none from within those from without can do nothing How should this make us in love with Self-denial we prize our civil liberty why should we not prize our a Haec est absoluta libertas in seipsum habere maximam potestatem inaestimabile bonum est suum fieri Sen. Ep. 75. spiritual liberty as much any why not much more How happy do wee think our selves when without any let or hindrance wee can follow our earthly Callings and do what is of concernment to our well-being in this world Would we not be much more happy if without any let or hindrance we could follow our heavenly calling and do what is of concernment to our well-being in the world to come This is no motive to such as think it their only liberty to sin but to such as prize their spiritual and eternal good being convinced that by the free exercising of themselves unto godliness it is only attainable it will be a prevailing argument not only to begin but to continue the strictest course of Self-denial according to the precepts and practice of their Saviour The eighth Excellency of Self-denial 8 It is a Christians Sovereignty and Dominion Christians are frequently in Scripture stiled Kings and the reason is chiefly from that Sovereign Power and Dominion they have over themselves their own lusts and passions which they obtain by Self-denial For as in the Civil government of others hee hath the Royal power who hath the Negative voyce whereby hee can stop all proceedings so that nothing can bee done but according to his liking so it is in the spiritual government of ones self When a man by denying himself can hinder the out-breaking of his corruptions when by a peremptory No. he can withstand the importunity of temptations and keep in his spirit that it stir not one way or other but according to the dictates of reason rightly informed by the word hee may be truly said to reign And he reigns not only over himself but the b He is made full Lord of the four elements and constituted Emperour of the world He is in the fire of choler and not burned in the water of flegme not drowned in the aiery sanguine and yet not blown away with every blast of transient pleasure hee descends also into the sad earthy Melancholly and yet is not buried from the sight of his God Hee stills the raging of the sea bee clears up the lowring heavens and with his breath blows away the clouds Hee sports with the beasts of the earth the Lion licks his band like a Spaniel and the Serpent sleeps upon his lap and stings him not He playes with the Fowls of heaven and the birds of the aire sit singing on his fist All the Creation is before him and be calls every one of them by their proper names See the second Lash of Alazonomastix p. 183. and Mastix his Letter Sect. 11. world also for by this means hee makes every thing become tributary and work for his good not onely that which hee hath but that which hee hath not also not onely that which is for him but that which is against him too so that hee hath the most c Sibi imperare maximum est imperium Sen. Latius regnes avidum domando Spiritum quam si Libyam remotis Gadibus jungas uterque Poenus Horat. Car. l. 2. Od. 2. Serviat uni ample Dominion the most noble Empire the most glorious Monarchy of any in the world As for others they are so Kings that they are also d Refraenet prius libidines spernat voluptates iracundiam teneat coerceat avaritiam ceteras animi labes repellat tum incipiat aliis imperare cum ipse insprobissim is dominis dedecori ac turpitudini parere desierit Dum his quidem obediet non modo Rex sed liber habendus omnino non erit Cic. Parad. Roctius appellabitur Rex quam Tarquinius qui nec se nec suos regere potuit Idem 111. De Finib slaves for while they rule over other mens bodies and estates they are slaves to their own and other mens lusts and therefore to speak properly they do not reign at all being not able to rule their own spirits nor to keep under their own bodies which every self-denying man doth and therefore is not only the most glorious but indeed the only true King the consideration whereof I would offer unto those that are so ambitious of getting up into some great place of honour and command amongst men as very proper and effectual for the making them in love with Self-denial The Ninth Excellency of Self-denial 9 It is a Christians gain and advantage A self-denying man if selfish men might bee judges is the greatest loser in the world but verily hee is the greatest e A selfish man loseth by his gains but a Self-denying man gains by his losses gainer for though hee part with all it is for him that is All in All it is for the Pearle of price Matth. 13.44 for the Lord Jesus together
brethren c. Let all the Merchants in the world say here whether there bee any gain like to this you count ten in the hundred a great matter but here is an hundred for one What a rich return is here for one pound here is an hundred And this is according to the tenour of the Scripture all along In the keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward saith the Psalmist Psal 19.11 Behold the righteous shall bee recompenced in the earth saith Solomon Prov. 11.31 As for those that seek themselves in a sinful way it is said of them too That they have their reward Matth. 6.2 I but that is far differing from this 1 That is rather of their own choosing than Gods giving 2 It is an effect of common providence it comes not to them by promise 3 It is given in wrath not in love 4 It is such as godly men are afraid of Psal 17.14 5 It is onely in this life but this in the life to come also so that it is but an earnest-penny of a full payment hereafter Quest But what have they Answ Why consider 1 They have many times a great increase of the same things in specie in which respect the latter end of Job was better than his beginning 2 Though they have not the same things yet they have all that comfort and contentment which those things would afford if they had them 3 They have all this an hundred fold more than before so that if they had an hundred houses for one that they lost c. they could not have more comfort and contentment than nowthey have 2 There is a recompence of reward for them in the world to come Luke 14.14 Things present are yours saith the Apostle to the Corinthians and things to come also and who can tell what those things are Wee know what wee are saith St. John but not what we shall bee Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what things God hath prepared for them that love him Say what you will of them you cannot say too much they are beyond our apprehensions and therefore may well exceed our expressions Our Saviour comprizeth all in these two words Life Everlasting in which note 1 The greatness of the reward it is Life 2 The continuance of it it is Everlasting 1 The greatness of it it is life and what greater reward can bee given to a guilty prisoner than his life of all things in the world there is none to be compared to this Skin for skin and all that a man hath will hee give for his bodily life but what is that to spiritual life This is comprehensive As by death in the first Covenant all the evils written and not written are meant So by Life here all good things whatsoever that are needful to make the soulfully and compleatly happy 1 It shall bee a life of Perfection There shall bee the presence of all good and an absence of all evil Grace shall bee then in its triumph and so shall comfort too Sorrow and sighing shall flye away 2 A life of Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4.17 Massie glory The very body shall bee made like unto Christs glorious body Phil. 3.21 When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 2 The continuance of it it is Everlasting Life without end Therd is no death death dyes at the beginning of this life I am hee that liveth and was dead saith Christ and behold I am alive for evermore Rev. 1.18 And because I live yee shall live also Joh. 14.19 Wee shall bee for ever with the Lord. For ever Oh comfortable word Were it not for this it would bee but a small recompence of reward but this makes it infinite and oh an infinite reward for a finite service How is this Lord Can wee speak of this and hear it without wonder By the consideration of this those that are in heaven can setch in all the comfort that they shall to all eternity injoy every moment Thus you see the Object Now consider 2 The Act which is eying or having respect to this recompence of reward Moses had the recompence of reward in o A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his eye The Object affects not but as it is apprehended it will have no influence upon our wills and affections to prevail to Self-denial unless wee have it in our eye unless wee behold it Two things then are herer equired 1 To think upon it To eye a thing is to have it in our thoughts The expression is figurative and this is one thing meant by it that wee have it much in our thoughts I shall branch out this head into two particulars 1 Think upon it solemnly and seriously It is not a transient thought or two now and then occasionally that will do the deed it must bee a serious thinking wee must think on it over and over again and again wee must have it continually running in our mindes Finally brethren saith Paul whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just c. If there bee any vertue any praise thinke on these things Phil. 4.8 As wee are to think on our duty so on our reward also If there bee any vertue any praise Wee yeeld unto Self oftimes out of forgetfulness not onely out of forgetfulness of the Precept which tells us what wee should do by way of obedience but also out of forgetfulness of the promise which tells us what wee should expect by way of recompence and reward Not thinking of the end makes us go out of the way The reason why men seek the things of this world so much is because they miude earthly things to this the Apostle opposeth the having our conversation in heaven Phil. 3.21 2 Think seriously upon it in time of temptation This is a special season Now if ever wee should have heaven in our eye Moses refused having respect unto the recompence of reward whereby is intimated that hee had it in his eye at that instant when hee was tempted to yeeld When any business of concernment is proposed before wee determine any thing wee say Wee will thinke upon it Now there are two things that wise men use to think on in such cases 1 What they shall get on the one hand And secondly What they may lose on the other and accordingly they resolve Let us do so in this case when wee are tempted to seek our selves in any base sinful way let us consider if wee do this wee may haply get a little pleasure that will last for a season and yet that is a question I but if wee deny our selves and do it not wee shall have pleasure that indures to all eternity if wee do it not wee may likely lose the favour of men some preferment c. I but if wee do it wee shall surely lose the favour