one therefore enjoying those or such like things uses them as the Meanes whereby to obtaine their End Happinesse But now we have a Generall Rule The Meanes are to be sought after not for themselves but onely for the End It must needs therefore be he that helps us to the end though he does not withall to the Meanes yet gives us the Meanes too because he gives us that for which onely the Meanes are good and desireable If then Christ promises and gives us the end we seek for in those things as He does and that in this Life to wit Happinesse Hee must needs therewithall by consequence give us the Meanes the Things themselves But does He moreover and above give us an Hundred fold in too Yes that he does and more For we must know that though we seek for Happinesse by such Meanes yet they are not the true Meanes to obtaine it for then some time or other in them we should finde it But that no man ever yet could doe but still having enjoy'd any or all of them they were faine to complaine with St. Augustine Cor irrequietum est donec veniat ad Te That Mans desire cannot be satisfi'd in any Creature not till it come at God And so much we find wittily insinuated by a Spanish Author Mat. Aleman 1 Book ch 7. in his Fable of Jupiter who being offended with Men for worshipping their Petty God Content to a neglect of himselfe took Content away from them unto himselfe and clapt his Brother Discontent into his clothes that so men finding no Content on Earth might seek for it onely with him in Heaven The Fable does Moralize it selfe and signifies nor more nor lesse unto us then what is the Subject of Solomon's Ecclesiastes Eccles 1.1 Vanity of Vanities all is but Vanity that therefore here we must not set down our staffe but seek further to that City in the Heavens whose Maker and Builder is God But now thither those Meanes wee spake of would never lead us for then our Saviour would never have bidden us forsake them to follow Him A plaine Argument they are not Meanes and Helpes but Remoraes and Hindrances rather from Following Him and obtaining Happinesse And then I hope it cannot bee but Christ in bestowing on us that Happinesse we seek after but being blinde and erring cannot arrive unto and this too by making us forsake what we mistake for Happinesse but is indeed our Shame and Misery does bestow on us the full worth of those Meanes and an Hundred fold to boot But now to the maine Point That Christ promises and bestowes even in this life true though not full Happinesse on all those that forsake all and Deny themselves This we think possible to make appeare the Promise out of the Text the Performance out of the Nature of Self-denyall The Promise we say is contain'd in the Text not in so many words indeed but by most plaine and infallible Consequence For the Text sayes If any one will follow Christ he must Deny himselfe to doe it I hope then if he does so if he does Deny himselfe He promises hee may and shall follow him But now what is it to follow Christ It is to be wheresoever Christ is So He Himselfe expounds it John 12.26 But how does He meane that by a locall Motion Certainly Nothing lesse for then all Christians must get them wings and flye up to Heaven where now our Saviour is But in Spirit for He sayes they are to be with Him to see His Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 John 17.24 That is as the Apostle expounds it to be transform'd from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord which is nothing else but to be spiritually Happy For the Performance of this Promise that will bee evident in the Act of Selfe-denyall Which that wee may see you must know that Happinesse is the Fruition of and Vnion with God Himselfe That that Vnion must be by Love the Vniting affection Now if there be nothing in the whole world beside God and the Creature If these two make up every thing then certainly he that Denyes and forsakes the Creature must needs love God or not love at all That the Will should not love at all is impossible for then it should not be a Will seeing to Will and to Love are both one Therefore Denying the Creature 1 John 4.16 it must needs love God therefore be Vnited to Him therefore be Happy Againe God being our Summum bonum as we all grant the Perfect Good he must needs attract proportionable that is Perfect Love If He does not attract such love every where as 't is plaine He does not very few loving God in Sincerity there seemes to be no other Reason of it but this the defect of mens sight that they see Him not to be such that is their Perfect Good Now of this Defect there can be no other Reason rendred but this The interposition of the Creature betwixt us and God and our beholding and loving of it more then Him These are the Clouds that hinder us from beholding and admiring the Glory of the Sunne of Righteousnesse this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.1 Aquin. Lect. 1◠in locum the Apostle speakes of that sinne or as Thomas that Occasion of sinne that does so easily so every way beset us and therefore must be put away before we can runne the race of Happinesse that is set before us So then it must needs be If wee shall put away that sinne if we shall doffe our Selves and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.2 look off the Creature to look on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith and so see God onely in every thing then wee shall be united and one with Him as He with us then our Will shall no longer be ours but swallow'd up of His and we shall no longer be rul'd by it but His Will shall rule within us In a word we shall be in this World as we were in Paradise that is enjoy true solid Happinesse But marke yee with this difference it is Our Happinesse here is but Inchoate not as hereafter it shall bee Consummate Here our Paradise is beset with Bryars and Thornes not as the First where was nothing but what was profitable and delightfull Therefore though our Saviour promises a Hundred fold here yet 't is with Persecution and therefore the Apostle tells us we must runne our Race with Patience Heb. 12.1 Heb. 10.36 for in another place hee sayes We had need of Patience that so we may attaine the Premise For the need we have of this Patience arises hence because of that Crosse we must beare as soon as we begin to Deny our Selves for so it followes in the Text Let him Deny himselfe and take up his Crosse What Crosse is that it is no other but that which wicked Selfe-will'd men will lay upon our backs For though we for our
Self-denyall Matth. 7.14 which our Saviour calls a strait entrance into a spacious Kingdome In handling of them therefore I shall not be so presse as to insist strictly on the Words lest doing too much honour to the Cabinet I prejudice the Jewel But I shall take some liberty to my selfe and though I neglect not the Words yet shall handle them Common-place-wise and so insist upon this Method First shew the Nature and full Meaning of this Precept Secondly its Possibility or Peisablenesse Thirdly its Congruity in Reason Fourthly its Necessity in Religion Fiftly its Excellency above any Precept of the Law whatsoever And lastly its Vtility to all those that shall obey it To shew then the Nature of this Precept we must let you see first what is meant here by our Selves Then what is meant by Denying Lastly what by Denying our selves By ones Selfe here He meanes that which the Stoicks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather that which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2.3 That is those Principles and Opinions which by Nature now corrupted are in every one and encline him to establish his own Independencie of any other whatsoever yea even of God Himselfe and to crook every thing toward himself so making himselfe the sole end of his thoughts words and actions In a word Our Selfe strictly taken is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas-Resp Interrog sextae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our owne Will to be or have any thing contrary to the Will of God Our being any thing may well be styl'd our Selves there is no doubt of that So may our having any thing too for as much as we have and owne nothing but what we adhere unto and becomes a part of our selves by Love which Love does interesse us therein But that we may the better understand the true Nature of our Selves as contradistinct from God wee must consider that the whole Systeme of Ens consists but of two parts God and the Creature as it were of the Sunne and its radius its Beame or Ray. That God is of and by Himselfe or to speake more properly not of nor by any other Therefore that He alone claimes Selfnesse as I may terme it to Himselfe Exod. 3.14 because He alone is what he is His Essence and Existence are both one He is his owne basis and foundation Then we must consider that the Creature is no wayes of it selfe but wholly of God because Existing eminently and radically in Him God therefore He cannot possibly Deny Himselfe as the Apostle tells us but as for the Creature that cannot but Deny it selfe 2 Tim. 2.13 if it act as it should doe But then surely you will aske How comes it to passe there is any Selfnesse in the World beside that of God alone that our Saviour should speak here of the Creatures Selfe For this wee must know that indeed and in truth there is no such thing in rerum naturâ as the Creatures Selfe contradistinct from God but onely in Corrupt Opinion and Desire And so even now I intimated deriving its true Originall from our owne proper Will And so much our Saviour intimates here to us commanding our act of Denyall to attend it the proper Adjunct of Non ens of that which in very truth is nothing Now this Opinfonate affected Propriety or Selfnesse comes about thus God having in the Beginning created the whole World for Himselfe and therein manifested His Power in making all things to serve and feare Him as their Lord would also manifest his Goodnesse and therfore made some things to love Him too that is to serve Him as a Father no lesse then as a Lord. This that He might doe 't was fit His Service should be Rationall Rom. 12.1 that is proceed from a rationall Appetite to wit the Will informed by the Vnderstanding So then He made such a Creature as was capable of such an Appetite and therewith He endu'd it Now 't was necessary this Appetite should be free so that it might love or not love God's Goodnesse freely The Reason is Because God is a Perfect Good and so requires Perfect Love to attend it But now Perfect love as it casts out Feare according to the Apostle 1 John 4.18 so it casts out Force too as which would argue Imperfection in the Good it loves that it could not of it selfe without the aid of an Extraneous force attract love proportionable thereunto For this cause He made the Apperite of the Will free as by His Assistance to continue in Obedience to His owne Will so by its owne mutability to deflect from that to desire an Independent subss istence of it selfe and thereto to bend its whole Activity Being thus enfranchised it made use of its owne Freedome to the worst part and so rebel'd against God its Maker forgetting Him and directing all things to it selfe For so to omit the Sin of the Angels not revealed to us we finde that Adam not content with that Condition wherein he was set by God brake that Law wherein he was to acknowledge his Dependence and Obedience by which act of his he did interpretatively renounce God his Maker and directly sought and set up himselfe Here now came in our Propriety Self-love Self-will into the World and therewith sinne the Originall of all evill as well of that which is simply such sinne as of that which is such to some things onely and in some respects misery For so we finde in the story that Adam thus seeking himselfe found himselfe indeed but to his owne Destruction Or rather to speak more truely did not sinde but quite lose himselfe as will appeare out of God's words concerning him For when hee had done that for which hee was so asham'd and afraid together that hee was faine to hide himselfe God comming into the Garden askt Adam where art thou Not but that He knew very well where he was but that Adam knew not what he had made himselfe and so God askt the question meerely to shew he was no where or Nothing at least in His Account This loe had Adam gotten by his late Prevarication that he who by Creation was newly made like God Himselfe by Sinne and Rebellion became the next degree to Nothing And by this we have already deliver'd may sufficiently be perceiv'd what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this same Selfe is which our Saviour here speaks of that not our Selfe onely that which here is to be deny'd but the immediate consequents of it Sin and Death are indeed nothing in the World to be sure not of God's making but if any thing Creatures of our owne and therefore evill wholly evill and that continually But now more dictinctly to unfold the Nature of this Selfe we have brought into the world we may observe three sorts of things wee are bidden to Deny in Scripture and in them a three-fold Selfe They are either such things as are absolutely
thus much indeed the Apostle tells us in so many words That we are 1 Cor. 6.20 not our own but God's because redeem'd by a Price whereupon he straight infers We ought to serve not our selves but God with our Bodies and our Soules seeing they are His. If then we must serve Him with them both certainly we must Deny our selves For in all Reason we ought to obey His Will whose Servants we are but we see our Text tells us 't is His Will wee should Deny our Selves therefore Deny our Selves we must because of our Redemption But yet because this is the Command of Him who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word and Reason of His Father and our Designe in this Point is not to Draw but Lead men to this Duty Necessary it is we shew you the Equity thereof That the Injunction of this Duty flowes not from the meere Will of our Redeemer but from the Nature of our Redemption which exacts no lesse at our hands if we meane to be Partakers of it That we may partake of the Redemption wrought by Christ 't is necessary we be in Christ as to partake of Adams Curse 't is necessary we be reputed in Him But in Christ we cannot be otherwise then by Representation so therefore and no otherwise are we reputed in Him For amongst other things He is likened unto for this purpose as a Head a Root an Elder Brother one notable resemblance of Him is to the First Fruits therefore more then once he is called the First Fruits from the Dead by vertue of whom wee partake not the Corporall onely but also the Spirituall Resurrection Now we know the First Fruit is the Masse meerely by a Representation of it as we may see in the Law of the First Fruits 1 Cor. 15 20 21. Lev. 23. 10 11. but more plainly by the Apostle Col. 1.14.18 Rom. 11.16 If the first fruit sayes he be holy the Masse is also holy Represented then we are in Christ as the Masse in the First Fruit Mat. 3.17 and so in Him God is well pleased with us But now represented we cannot be without some Similitude and Conformity as a Picture cannot represent a Man if it be no wayes like him Accordingly therefore the Masse is ever like the First fruits the First fruit being nothing else but as the Name imports a certaine portion taken out of the Comon Masse or Heap And so the Apostle sayes there must be a Conformity betwixt us and Christ 1 Cor. 5.49 that as we have borne the Image of the earthly Adam so we must beare the Image of the Heavenly Now to what Image of Christ must wee be conform'd the Apostle tells us Rom. 8.29 to the Image of his suffering that so He may be as the First fruits so the First born amongst many Brethren As He being in the form of God and accompting it no robbery to be equall to Him yet tooke upon Him the Image of a servant humbled emptied displeased that is to use his own term here Denyed Himselfe for our sakes that were his Enemies so we who most truly are Nothing Galat. 6.3 Esaiah 40.17 yea lesse then Nothing and Vanity of our selves should in acknowledgment thereof humble empty displease yea crucifie our selves for His sake who first loved us and gave Himselfe for us To this sayes St. Paul we are predestinated a Rom. 8.29 and in another place he sayes we are appointed b 1 Thes 3.3 To this sayes St. Peter we are called c 1 Peter 2.21 Hence proceede those frequent Axiomes of the Apostles If we be planted into the Likenesse of His Death we shall be also in the Likenesse of His Resurrection d Romans 6.5 If we suffer with Him we shal Reigne with Him e Rom 8.17 If we Dye with Him we shall live with Him If we Deny Him He will Deny us f 2 Tim. 2.11.12 and the like Hence also those that are His true Brethren are said to beare about with them the Brands g Gal. 6.17 the Dying of the Lord Jesus h 2 Cor. 4.10 to be crucified together with Him i Gal. 2.20 yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vicissim replere that is by way of correspondence to fill up againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Leavings as I may say of the afflictions of Christ in their own flesh k Coloss 1.24 And this one would thinke might be sufficient to stop the mouth of all false reasoning But yet we cannot expect it should doe it so but that Nature not yet satisfied in the Point will set Reason on worke to confute what ha's been said And at length it is conceived enough may be bolted out of Scripture it selfe to doe it Ephes 5.29 For does not St. Paul make the Love of our selves our motive to love our wives because no man ever yet bated his owne flesh Matth. 19.19 And does not our Saviour out of the Law make it the Rule of our Love to our Neighbours commanding us to love them as we should doe our own selves Now if it be so then certainly we are not to Deny our selves for to love and to Deny our selves are contrariant acts Love that tends to Vnion Denyall to separation To this we answer fully having somewhat toucht it before that so much of us is in this place term'd our selves cōsequently so much of us no more to be Denyed as is Contrary and Repugnant to the Will of God Now the Will of God is In this Point as I shewed even now that we should preserve our selves our Being and our Wel-being too by all Meanes possible But ever provided those Meanes be Honest that is such as He bath set us out plainely in His Word which is His will Now this makes nothing against Self-denyall for here we must observe that in loving our selves so only and no more we are to Deny our selves seeing this we are not to do in love and obedience to our selves but only to the Will of God Thus much I say of necessity we must note for this Because if whensoever it shall please God to make an extraordinary exception to those Ordinary Meanes as sometime he ha's done and does still to the Martyrs and Witnesses of His Trueth if then we shall love our selves our Lives or any thing that we have we take the ready way to lose them for ever but if we lose them we shall indeed save them as our Saviour tells us So then Verse 25. notwithstanding what Nature and Reason can object it remaines a firme Conclusion we must Deny our selves And so we hope enough hath beene said to convince any Reasonable man of the Equity Congruity of this Precept of Self-denyall But yet because there are many Vnreasonable men in the world that will not live by Faith and Reason but by Sense and Experience and therefore will nor doe nor beleeve what
parts Deny our Selves never so much yet because the World will not doe so too so long as we remaine in the Body that will hate and persecute us as those that doe the Workes of Darknesse hate John 3.20 and curse the Discovery of the Light This is the Happinesse of every Particular Man that shall Deny himselfe But now if every Man should doe so Good God! what a Happinesse were that to all men what an Alteration would that make in the World What a Golden Age should we have All things then would become New and these Old things Old Principles would passe away and vanish For whereas there was never more of Hell upon Earth then now the Devill never looser never more raging then now by reason of the generality of self-Self-love and Self-will that would banish the Devill out of the World or at least so binde his hands hee should not hurt us that would make this Earth a true perfect Paradise where no other Will should rule but God's and He onely should be exalted He should be All in all For then our Vnderstandings being full of Truth and Knowledge and our Wills of Candour and Ingenuity and our Affections absolutely commanded by them both all Factions and Fractions in the Church and State would be salv'd and remov'd Then all our actions being measur'd by Temperance and Moderation our Bodies should not bee impair'd by Diseases or Physick and Death be not an Abridgement but a Period unto Nature And then too all Covetousnesse Malice and Envy being exterminated the World Charity should be the sole Proprietour of our Wealth and our Goods we should then think best bestow'd when upon God and His Churches service Finally then there should be Pax perennis a Perpetuall Inviolable Peace the Gates of Janus's Temple should continually be shut so fast that the Gates of Hell should never open them Let this suffice to have shewn an Hundred fold of Happinesse in this Life to follow according to our Saviour's Promise upon our Self-denyall But He staies not here in this life for Hee tells us moreover this Precept hath the Promise of the Life to come of Life everlasting For the Proofe of this tomake shore worke I shall onely use one Prosyllogisme and that is this The Knowledge of God is Life Eternall The Love of God is the Knowledge of God And Self-denyall is the Love of God therefore Self-denyall is Life eternall The first Proposition is our Saviours a John 17.3 Jer. 22.16 The Second St. Pauls b 1 Cor. 8.3 and St. Johns c 1 John 2.3 4. The third is plaine by necessary consequence * See Page 55. Mat 16.26 For hee that Denyes himself must doe it for somewhat that is better to him then himselfe But now our Saviour tells us The whole creaned World is not to be priz'd of equall value to any one with Himselfe therefore certainly hee that Denyes Himselfe must doe is for the Love of Him onely who is the Creator of Himself and all things else And accordingly the Apostle shewes us that there is a plain Identity in Nature of Charity with Self-Donyall where 1 Cor. 13.5 amongst other things he sayes Charity seeks not his owns things Hee speakes of Charity thereas a Person which yet we know is but a Habit his meaning therefore is by Charity we seek not our câ—â—â—e May we not then by the same reason say Self-denyall loves and adberes to God that is by Self-denyall we come to love God Surely we may We conclude them Self-denyall is not onely the way but the Life Eternall it selfe But this we understand not of Self-denyall inchoate but consummate Nor is this any marvaile for if that be our Happinesse in this life as I have already prov'd this must certainly be that of the Life to come the Life eternall Now this Life Eternall being a thing to us as yet future and to come during our abode in the Body we have no tenure of it otherwise then by Hope that Hope which to use the Apostles Phrase is substantiated by Faith a Heb. 11.1 But this Hope must not bee Absurd we must render a Reason of it b 1 Per. 3.15 And that Faith must not be lifelesse c James 2.20 it must operate by Love d Gal. 5.6 Then let us see whether we can render any sensible Reason or make any evident Demonstration of that Hope without this act of Self-denyall If we examine those acts of ours whereon we ground any Reason or Evidence to entitle us to that life we shall finde them all to be weake yea nothing at all without it What else is our Repentance the maine Evidence of our Salvation but this act of Selfe-denyall It s Aversion from the Creature is formally the same with it Its Conversion unto God is necessarily imply'd in it for who that ha's once put in practise the Denyall of Himself can say otherwise to God John 6.68 then Peter did to our Saviour Whither shall I goe from Thee Thou hast the words of Eternall Life What else is our Faith that universall Engine of all Gospel-Righteousnesse but this act of Self-denyall as formerly I have shewn Certainly without it 't is no better then Presumption for then onely as the Apostle tells us We live by the Faith of the Son of God when we no longer live but Christ lives in us a Gal. 2.20 What is our frequent and attentive Hearing The Apostle tells us it will not profit us except the Word be mingled with Faith in our Hearts b Heb. 4.2 I 'm sure our Saviour tells us that to relie upon it without Practise is but to build our House upon the Sands c Mar. 7.26 a dangerous Paralogisme d James 1.22 or Deceit of our selves But practise the Word we cannot without the Denyall of our Selves unlesse we shall thinke it so Parasiticall as to sew Pillowes under our Elbowes e Ezek. 13.20 In a word we can yield God no true Obedience doe Him no sincere Christian service without this act of Self-denyall Suppose a Self-wil'd lover of himselfe practise some Vertues they are such as Naturally he is not averse from and so costing him but little or nothing they are the lesse valued by God yea perhaps they are such as whereby he hopes to make amends for his darling beloved sins But for one to stabbe and mortifie his peculiar bosome sinnes and to practise their opposite Vertues to sacrifice his Isaac to pull out his Right eye cut off his Right hand hîc specimen specitur hîc certamen cernitur this this is the Tryall of the Saints by this at length God experimentally knowes that we feare Him Gen. 22.12 16 17. this act of ours therefore He sweares that in Blessing He will Blesse that is will Blesse with the Blessing of Blessings even no other but that of Eternall Blessednesse AND now at length to draw up all What Arguments
love which amore appreciativo by a discreet judicious Love we should esteem of little or no value A Childe will not part with his Boble for his Dinner not because it is more worth but because he ha's not the Discretion to judge aright of either So a man may preferre his owne Will his owne Glory before his Estate yea and his Life too as may easily be gather'd from the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.3 not because they are more worth but because he is so mad to judge so Now if this be so as it is most plaine then are we not to judge of mens Self-denyall by the Outward face of their Sufferings but by that Private Interest which by their Affections they have in the things they suffer in For by reason of this it is that a man may suffer more that is with more Resignation of himselfe by the losse of a commodious Vtensill by a Frump from a Great Personage or an open Disgrace then by empaling or any Death of greater torture Then why should any man judge e're the meanlier of his Self-denyall because he suffers not either for or in so great matters as others heretofore have done Let him look onely to himselfe that through Pride of heart he does not rise up against that Crosse which it pleases God to lay upon him Let him freely resigne up the Triall of himselfe to God who knowes well enough how to deale with him and sift him out If it pleases God to prove him by that which is a Toy in it selfe though such an one as to which he is much affected for so usually God deals with us at first let him accept of the Crosse embrace and welcome it God who is well skill'd in the rule of Proportions takes our Patience equally at our hands as if our Crosse were greater He layes not Afflictions upon us thereby Envying us His Blessings No He would have us enjoy them still could we but get the Art to use them as though we us'd them not If we can or rather will not Psal 119.75 then He in very Faithfulnesse weanes us of them to make us look after those that are greater but more Spirituall Finally let him consider that the least Crosse he suffers under is farre above what he is able to beare were he left unto himselfe a John 15.5 that by the Grace of God he is what he is b 1 Cor. 15.10 that God workes in him both the Will to suffer and the Performance and that of His good will c Phil. 2.13 but not against his own That our Part onely is purely to Deny our owne Will and Resigne up our Selves to Him which yet we cannot doe of our Selves 2 Cor. 3.5 as of our Selves that is we cannot doe without Him Now in the last place If any tender Conscience be discourag'd that he findes the Reliques of Self-love struggle in him let him comfort himselfe in this that the Raigning power of it is subdu'd as for the taking away of the Remaining power it is not to be expected in this life Is he sure that same Regulus we spake of Before Pag. 60. is destroy'd his old Habit resisted his old Haunt broken off that he ha's runne counter to the broad road of the Epidemicall Vices of the Times If it be so then ha's he whereof to rejoyce As for the Dead Body of that Regulus it must hang up till the Evening Josh 10.27 till our Death but when our Sun sets that shall bee taken downe Meane time 't is enough he is Dead and Mortifi'd that the Canaanites which are left are Inferiour and not considerable to the Israelites that the Flesh is kept under by the Spirit the love of our Selves by the Love of God What sayes St. Paul 1 Cor. 5.10 he sayes not we should be wholly free from all commerce with evill because then we must be out of the World but that we should not consent to it And therefore he sayes Rom. 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even the very Saints themselves groan in themselves looking for the Adoption the Redemption that is the Glorification of their Bodies Phil. 3.21 to wit then when their Mortall Bodies shall be swallowed up of Immortality and made like to the Glorious Body of the Sonne of God the last and greatest of Miracles This is certaine so long as we are in the Body this vile vain Body of ours will be as Thornes in our eyes and Goads in our sides Josh 23.13 2 Cor. 12.7 that is we shall be tempted of it But then we must know it is not evill to be tempted but to be overcome of a Temptation Yea our Temptation if resisted will redound to our advantage and God's Glory which is perfected in our weaknesse Ibid. Verse 9. Meane time we had need of Patience Heb. 10.36 to runne the Race that is set before us that so we faint not and draw backe And though we see totum mundum jacere in Maligno 1 Joh. 5.19 as St. John said of his time and we may more justly of ours yet are we bidden by our Saviour even in the midst of Tempests and Calamities Luke 21.28 to lift up our Heads because then our Redemption drawes nighest And so wee see indeed oft-times it comes to passe 2 Cor. 4.6 that God drawes the greatest good out of the Extremity of evill the most Glorious Light out of the thickest Darknesse So cum duplicabantur lateres venit Moses when the Israelites taske was doubled Moses came when the Government was taken from Judah Shiloh came And so we may assuredly expect after all these Tempests and Garboyles are blowne over a greater calme of Peace and Piety then ever Such a thing ha's been foretold long since by the Prophets but never was yet never was lesse then now now that Self-love playes the Tyrant in the shape of Self-denyall and therefore yet we may expect it This is certaine Christ must lay all His Enemies at his Feet 1 Cor. 15.25 the greatest of which is Selfe-love and the last its Wages Death these must be subdued under Him And when thinke we should this more likely be effected then when Christ shall come the Second time Heb. 9.28 Tit. 2.13 not in Humility but in Glory when the Church shall triumph Victoriously over all her Enemies In the meane while that it be not now brought to passe let us not be in fault and therefore let every one in particular reforme and Deny Himselfe this will be a good forwarding of the Generall Which though no question wee shall faile of in this deplor'd Selfe-flattering Age wee live in yet this wee may bee assur'd of to our comfort liberabimus animas nostras we shall free and save our owne soules Which He grant unto us Who by Denying Himselfe most perfectly hath left us an Example that we should follow in His steps To whom be given all Honour Glory and Praise both now and ever Amen Postscript I Should have proceeded to raise two Consectaries from this Doctrine One whereof is That Adversity is a safer Condition for a Christian man then Prosperity Answerably whereunto our Saviour bids us take up our Crosse The Other is like unto it That Subjection and Obedience is a farre safer Condition for a Christian man then Soveraignty and command Answerably whereunto our Saviour bids us Follow Him But this Adventure must wait another Tide FINIS April 3. 1646. Imprimatur JOHN DOWNAME Corrigenda PAGE 8. line 17. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 10. l. 23. for is not r. is it not p. 27. l. 1. for He bids r. He bids us Ib. l. 38. place this figure II. in the Marg. p. 30. l. 1. for also that r. also of that p. 34. l. 29. for Precept r. precepts p 36. l. 29. blot out the semicol after Him and place it after God's p. 43. refer the 2d. quot in the Marg. to l. 24. the 3d. to l. 26. p. 64. l. 7. recompence r. recompences