Self-denial The Grace of the Gospel teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and to live soberly Tit. 2.11 that is to moderate our appetite after meats and drinks The body must have its due so much as will make it serviceable to the soul but not too much for then it will not bee in subjection to the soul but usurp an uncontroulable power over it There is a mutual sympathy betwixt the soul and the body and the soul too often sympathizeth with the body and follows the temper of it especially when it is pampered when it is stuffed with those things that provoke and stir up lust A man that is cholerick is disposed to passion another that is sanguine to wantonness another that is melancholick to discontent c. Every man if he know himself will finde that in respect of the temper and constitution of his body hee is more or less inclined to some peculiar kinde of sin or other Now in this case the way to deny ones self is not onely to work by spiritual arguments upon the minde but to endeavour to alter the temper of the body by with-holding as much as may bee whatsoever may feed that humour that is predominant in it to the prejudice of the minde Here then that advice of the Apostle is good Not to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13. ult The body is the souls instrument if it have according to its lusts it will bee altogether unserviceable and then though the soul have never so much skill it will accomplish nothing worthy of Self If the organ bee out of tune the Musitian can make no melody There is a proportionable allowance of meats and exercise for the body which if it have render it more able to attend the soul and serve it in its noblest operations but when this proportion is exceeded it hath the quite contrary effect Beware therefore of too much indulgence to the flesh you will never bee able to deny the lusts of the minde while you cannot deny the lusts of the flesh and its just with God that our souls should be in subjection to our bodies when wee endeavour not to keep our bodies in subjection to our souls The Eleventh Direction 11 Study your own nothingness It was a Precept much in use amongst the Stoicks one of those Sects of Philosophers that ran-countred Paul at Athens Act. 17.18 l Vox merino adscripta oraculis quae a Deo est aut certum non sine Deo Lepf Physiolog Stoicer l. 111. E coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Juvenal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy self and certainly it is a Precept that if rightly understood is of great use amongst Christians especially in this point of Self-denial A man will never throughly deny himself till hee throughly know himself As the reason why men seek God no more is because they know him so little so this is the reason why they seek themselves so much because they know themselves so little Men are apt to think themselves something when indeed they are nothing Gal. 6.3 they forget themselves to bee but men they remember not that they are but creatures and hence it comes to pass that they set themselves in the place of God that they set up their own wisdome against Gods wisdome their own will against Gods will their own interest against Gods interest as if they were the onely independent beings the onely self-sufficient beings in the world as if there were no Lord over them to whom they must bee accountable in any of their undertakings This was the reason why Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go to serve the Lord in the wilderness because hee thought there was no Lord above him as youread Exod. 5.2 And Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce to let I srael go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go This was the reason of that proud vaunting of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power and for the glory of my Majesty It was because hee knew not that the most High ruleth in the Kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever hee will vers 25. This was the reason why Herod took that blasphemous acclamation of the people to himself Act. 12.22 This was the reason why those lukewarm Laodiceans said They were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing they knew not that they were wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked Rev. 3.17 By all these instances it is more than evident that while men continue ignorant of their own nothingness and because of that do think of themselves above what is meet they will never deny themselves they will never acknowledge God the Creator as their last end and so take him for their chief good nor God the Mediator as the onely means to the enjoyment of it Oh therefore if you mean to do any thing in this duty of Self-denial if you would not content your selves only with the notion of this duty but would willingly bee under the power of it then begin this day and continue hence-forward to study what poor inconsiderable nothings you are It was Davids question while hee was musing on this Theam Lord what is man that thou regardest him or the Son of man that thou thinkest on him Psal 144.3 4. It is quaestio diminuens a diminishing question and the answer therefore is Hee is vanity vers 4. for weakness hee is a worm for sinfulness a beast for selfishness a Devil Oh it were well if wee could resolve to study this question Wee are apt to ask this question of others in a way of scorn and contempt when wee hear such a one named wee are ready to say Why what is hee and when any thing affronts us What are you Sure you do not understand your self c. Oh it were more fit a great deal to retort this question upon our selves and say What am I and what is my fathers house that I should take upon mee in this manner as I do This is one of the most necessary points of Catechisme wherein wee should bee instructed this would bee a good help to Self-denial and indeed there is much of Self-denial in it Study therefore your own nothingness 1 In point of being you are nothing Consider your selves in comparison of God and what are you If the whole world bee but as the drop of a bucket and the small dust of the ballance as the Prophet speaks how inconsiderable a part of that drop and that dust are you If all the Inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing in his sight as Nebuchadnezzar speaks Dan. 4.35 how inconsiderable a part of that nothing are you Consider your selves absolutely and what are you why once you were nothing and now you are but one remove from nothing and you may quickly bee reduced to nothing
of in the explication of this duty of Self-dental 1 Argumentativa negatio an argumentative denial As when the Respondent denies the Assertion of his Opponent and the arguments that he brings to prove it This is in Scholis 2 Judicialis negatio a Judicial denial as when the Judge denies the Malefactor his life will not bee intreated but resolves to pass sentence of death upon him This is in Foro. 3 Hostilis negatio a Warlike denial as when one Enemy will by no means suffer the other to be quiet but endeavours continually by all means to destroy him This is in Castris These three as will appear in the application of them do make up the whole of this duty of Self-denial The first is the arraignment and conviction of Self The second the sentencing and condemnation of Self The third the actual execution of it In the first * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-wisdome is denied In the second †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Jo. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-lust In the third * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-will First There is an Argumentative Denial of Self a denial in a way of argumentation and reasoning with Self There is a twofold reasoning with self a reasoning of consultation and a reasoning of contestation 1 A reasoning of consultation This is the most ordinary and usual kinde of reasoning but most abominable seeing Self-consultors take counsel but not of God idolizing the wisdome of the flesh within themselves which yet m Rom. 8.7 is enmity against God as the grand Oracle to which they recourse continually as able to give advice and direction upon all emergencies wherefore they retire themselves into themselves summoning in all their thoughts to a privy councel not at all attending to the counsel of the Word without them nor to the secret hints of the Spirit of God within them both which they lay aside as dissenting in their votes Even as Ahab when he was to advise about his war with the King of Syria would not send for Michaiah because said hee n 1 King 22.8 hee doth not prophesie good concerning mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hee in Homer on the like occasion There are not two greater enemies in the world than Self and Christ and their counsels are mutually destructive one of the other therefore Self will not advise with Christ in any thing The natural man i.e. the Selfish man is not nor indeed o Rom. 8.7 can bee subject unto Christ hee 's now a secret enemy then an open and professed rebel alwayes an actor in a way of opposition against him striving with him for his Crown and scrambling with him for his Scepter This designe of prevailing against Christ Self carries on by advice and counsel from carnal reason which still adviseth the breaking of his bonds and the casting away all those cords that are any way obligatory to his service Counsel in a selfish heart is the first and great engine that moves all the lesser wheels of opposition against Jesus Christ the womb that conceives and the breast that suckles all those devillish plots and contrivances whereby it keeps up its own kingdome and labours to ruine Christs for frustra sunt arma foris c. A notable instance we have of this in the second Psalme The Kings of the eearth set themselves and the Rulers took counsel together against the Lord. Now mark what was the result of this debate the issue of this consultation Let us break say they his bonds and cast his cords from us This is the counsel that Selfe gives whensoever it is consulted with 1 If it bee a bond of injunction a cord of duty Self presently gives counsel for the breaking of it A Selfish man is an Heifer unaccustomed to the yoak and therefore no wonder that hee draws back when Christ would draw him forward It is the nature of Self to work for it self and not for another Besides the service of Christ is of a spiritual nature and heavenly imployments suit not with one that is carnal And further the duties of the Gospel are attended with the contradiction of sinners the shame and the cross accompany them and therefore Self cannot endure them But conscience which in repect of its power and authority is Gods Vicegerent in the soul will not suffer him to be quiet but calls for duty lifting up its voyce and crying aloud Duty Duty man it is thy duty and it will have the full tale also Therefore that hee may quietly omit the duty conscience must bee silenced But how must this bee Why Self prescribes a way presently 1 Let conscience bee blinded that it may not see it to be a duty If this cannot bee done then 2 Let conscience bee bribed that it may not say It is a duty If this will not do then 3 Let conscience bee broken and this will bee sure to do it Thus do many men when they have convictions upon their spirits they labour either to extinguish the light or else to get it on the same side with their lusts but if they can doe neither as many times they cannot especially if they live under a convincing Ministery then they resolve to sin against their light as for such and such duties they are not consistent with their carnal interess therefore come what will of it they cannot they will not submit unto them Thus what ever bee in the premises they are resolved this shall bee the conclusion We will not have this man to reigne over us Luke 19.14 2 If it bee a bond of prohibition a restraining bond self administers counsel for the breaking of this too The commandement that comes to a selfish man forbidding him to proceed any further in the pursuit of his carnal projects for the satisfaction of his lusts now when the commandement comes Self comes too for the making void of this commandement T is Pauls expression Rom. 7.9 When the Commandement came sin revived Then the Commandement comes when t is understood by conscience and conscience dares not but speak unto the soul what it understands whether it bee a duty or a sin Now when the Commandement comes in this manner unto Conscience declaring the sin and threatning the vengeance that will follow it Self is presently alarum'd and in all haste calls a Counsel for the breaking of this bond It cannot endure that its licentiousness should be restrained and therefore deals with Conscience here as before it endeavours to widen and wire-draw the Conscience to delude and cheat it and if this cannot be affected it resolves to do violence to it Balaam when he was convinced what a dangerous sin it was to curse the people of God which notwithstanding for the Gold and Silver and great promotion that was offered him he had a great mind to do presently begins to consult to see if there
I seen withjoy saith David thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto thee 1 Chron. 29.17 I have no greater joy saith John than to hear that my children walk in truth Epist 3.4 6 Wee may rejoyce in Gods works therefore in our own good works for they are the works of God 1 Wee may rejoyce in Gods works Thou Lord saith David hast made mee glad through thy work I will triumph in the works of thy hands Psal 92.4 If wee may triumph in the works of Gods hands much more then in the works of his Spirit But 2. Such are all our good works 1 Pet. 1.2.22 It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do saith the Apostle Phil. 2.13 Upon this account therefore the Church comforteth her self Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us This cannot bee said of any of our evill works for they are the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 and therefore wee can take no comfort in them 7 Wee may rejoyce in such works as God rejoyceth in but God rejoyceth in our good works Hee rejoyceth in his own works Psal 104.31 but our good works are his own works ut supra 8 Wee may rejoyce in such works as God accepteth therefore in our good works Go thy way eat thy bread with joy saith Solomon and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Eccles 9.7 9 Wee may rejoyce in such works as do evidence our communion with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ therefore wee may rejoyce in our good works for they do evidence it If wee say that wee have fellowship with him saith the Apostle and walk in darkness wee lye and do not the truth But if wee walk in the light as hee is in the light wee have fellowship one with another 1 Joh. 1.6 7. 10 We may rejoyce in such works as shall bee rewarded with eternal life therefore in our good works Here note two things 1 That our good works shall bee rewarded with eternal life This the Apostle expresly affirmeth Rom. 2.6 7 10. That God will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality Eternal life But to them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath c. But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile 2 That upon this account wee may take comfort from them This the Apostle did 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith hence forth there is laid up for mee a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shal give me at that day By all this it appears that it is no unlawful thing to take comfort from our good works as Antinomians teach and consequently no part of Self-denial 2 It is not meant that wee may not plead them unto God as expecting favour and mercy at his hands for them When God hath inabled us to bee and do that for him which hee requireth wee may warrantably pray that hee would bee and do that for us which hee hath promised And thus holy men have frequently f Not in regard of any matter of merit but in regard of Gods gracious promises See Eng. Anotat 2. Ed. upon Isa 38.3 done upon all occasions Thus Hezekiah did 2 King 20.3 I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight And Nehemiah chap. 5.19 Thinke upon mee my God for good according to all that I have done for this people And chap. 13.14 Remember mee O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the Officers thereof And David Psal 26.1 Judge mee O Lord for I have walked in mine integrity And Psal 86.2 Preserve my soul for I am holy And Psal 119.22 Remove from mee reproach and contempt for I have kept thy testimonies And 31. I have stuck to thy testimonies O Lord put mee not to shame And vers 38. Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear And vers 94. I am thine save mee for I have sought thy Precepts 3 It is not meant that wee may not have respect unto the recompence of reward in the doing of them It is said of Christ that for the joy that was set before him hee indured the Cross and despised the shame Heb. 12.2 And of Moses that when hee was come to years hee refused to be called the son of Pharaohs Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt because hee had respect unto the recompence of reward Heb. 11.24 25 26. And Paul saith of himself Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while wee look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4 17 18. the Greek is g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quand nons regardous Fren. while wee aime at them as our scope or mark according to that Phil. 3.14 I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus This is the character that is given of all good men Rom. 2.7 that they are such as by patient continuance in well-doing do seek for glory and honour and immortality And it is according to the Precept of our Saviour Matth 6.33 Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and of the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.24 So run that yee may obtain And Col. 3.1 Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God And 1 Tim. 6.12 Lay hold on eternal life Ob. But is not this Self-seeking Ans Yes But it is such Self-seeking as hath much of Self-denial in it Consider that of our Saviour Matth. 16.25 Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it There is a Self-seeking that is stark naught and there is a Self-seeking that is very good yea our duty and such is the Self-seeking here spoken of Christ requires that wee should lose our life in order to our finding it that wee should lose our finful and sometimes our natural life in order to our finding spiritual and eternal life and so makes that which is the right Self-seeking indeed the end of Self-denial To glorifie God and to save our own souls are ends that every one ought to have in his eye and all other particular ends also that are subordinate unto
over-awes the conscience with the authority of it When faith hath told what it is that is commanded it then proceeds to tell who it is that doth command It discovers the stamp of Divine authority the image and superscription of a Deity deeply imprest upon the command and over-awes the heart with that It ushers in the command with a Thus saith the Lord and this it sets 1 Against our own wills Thy Kingdom come Thy will bee done is the voice of faith in the soul Not my will but thine Lord. Faith tells the soul It is fit that God should have his will in every thing 2 Against the wills of others Wee ought to obey God rather than men was Peters answer Act. 5.29 If it bee the will of God no matter what it is not who bee for it or against it faith will certainly put a man upon the practice of it Faith convinceth the soul what an abominable evil it is to refuse to obey any of Gods commands That rebellion is as the sin of Witchraft and stubbornness as iniquity and Idolatry 1 Sam. 15.23 by which means it prevents all deliberation and consultation with flesh and blood so that the soul is fully resolved presently to do its duty come what will of it This it doth by convincing the soul of the Sovereignty of God over it which is necessary to Self-denial for while a man thinks that hee is sui juris and that there is no Lord over him hee will never deny himself but serve himself as his last and highest end in all that hee doth This was the reason why they spake vanity every one with his neighbour with flattering lips and a double heart Psal 12.2 they said Our lips are our own who is Lord over us verse 4. Now faith discovers the quite contrary that there is a Lord over us even The most High God possessor of heaven and earth Gen. 14.19 and that hee hath an absolute Sovereignty and Dominion over us to do with us what hee pleaseth and to require of us what hee will 1 Jure creationis by right of Creation Psal 100.3 which though it bee knowable by reason yet not so clearly nor so convincingly as by faith Heb. 11.3 But especially 2 Jure redemptionis by right of redemption 1 Cor. 6.20 which wee know onely by faith and yet reason can make the inference from it that therefore wee should not live to our selves but to him by whom wee live the second time By this means the soul sees Self-denial to bee a duty as clear as the light Answ 2. Faith doth mightily convince a man of the danger if hee do not dâ—â—y himself and of the benefit if hee do It assures a man that if hee seek himself it will not bee for the better but for the worse and on the contrary that if hee deny himself it will bee for the better and not for the worse This is that which very much hinders men from venturing upon this duty of Self-denial they doubt whether it would not bee better for them to seek themselves and worse if they should do otherwise Now faith puts it out of doubt that it would not bee better but worse if they should seek themselves and on the contrary c. Faith doth this two wayes 1 It mightily over-aws the soul with the terrible threatnings denounced against Self seeking on the one hand 2 It effectually perswades it with the precious promises made to Self-denial on the other 1 It mightily over-awes the soul with the terrible threatnings denounced against Self-seeking on the one hand This it doth two wayes 1 It brings to minde the many threatnings that are in the word denounced against it and fully convinceth the soul of the truth of them As Whosoever shall deny mee before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven Mat. 10.33 Hee that findeth his life shall lose it vers 39. Whosoever will save his life shall lose it Matth. 16.25 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 bee cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mark 8.38 If yee live after the flesh yee shall dye Rom. 8.13 If any man de file the temple of God him shall God destroy 1 Cor. 3.17 Hee that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption Gal. 6.8 The fearful and unbeleeving and the abominable and murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 21.8 2 It makes a clear representation of the dreadful evils contained in these threatnings tells the soul what a woful wretched case it should bee in if ever these threatnings should bee executed upon it By this means it works fear in the soul and makes it tremble at the thoughts of Self-seeking which is a special means to keep us from it By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house Heb. 11.7 This it doth by giving the soul a sight of God in these threatnings 1 As able to execute them Who knoweth the power of thine anger Even according to thy fear so is thy wrath Psalm 90.11 2 As resolved to execute them upon all such as resolvedly go on in a way of self-seeking Lest there should bee among you man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turneth away from the Lord our God Lest there should bee among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood and it come to pass when hee heareth the words of this Curse that hee bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkeuness to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the Curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the Curses of the Covenant Deut. 29.18 19 20. 2 It effectually perswades it with the precious promises made to Self-denial on the other hand This it doth likewise two wayes 1 It brings to minde the many promises that are in the word made unto it and fully convinceth the soul of the truth of them As Whosoever shall confess mee before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven Mat. 10.32 Hee that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it vers 39. Every one that hath for saken houses on brethren or sisters or fathers or mothers or wife or children or lands for my sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit ever lasting life Mat. 19.24 If wee bee dead with him wee shall also live with him if wee suffer wee shall