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
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-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
Dogma of Self-denyall being the very Foundation of Christianity yea the Grand Designe of all Theologie The Law of Nature that which was Adam's Rule in Innocency did not designe this but suppose it There was no such thing then in the world as our Selfe contradistinct from God So that had Adam persevered in his Integrity our Theologie had been Geneticall altogether that is by the Progressive method of Workes of the Law not the Regressive method of Faith and Mortification we should have attain'd after a perpetuall tenour of liquid Happinesse here the eternall Fruition of it hereafter But now by the Intrusion of our Self into the world upon Adam's Fall our Theologie is turn'd Analyticall altogether St. John plainly telling us 1 John 3.8 our Saviour appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that be might analyse or dissolve the works of the devill What those Works were is evident their sole Foundation being that worke of his on Adam whom he tempted to seeke himself yea so far to seek himself Gen. 3.5 as to become Aemulus to God Himself the Naturall and last aime of Self-love if it never receive check This was the Devills first Handsale his Masterpiece that Grand Fundament all Designe on which he ha's built his Kingdome ever since That therefore our Saviour might dissolve all his works as compendiously as might be He by this Doctrine strikes at the Foundation knowing if that were undermin'd the whole Building would soon totter By this He layes the Axe to the Root of the Tree Matth. 3.10 knowing if that were up the Branches would soon come to the ground But that He might doe this the better and to provide lest His Postulata should not be granted necessary it was Mankinde should be throughly convinc't of these Particulars That there was such a thing as our Selfe crept into the world That it was utter enmity with God I â—â—â—ly that it was beyond our Hability to remove it A Glass◠〈◊〉 might reflect these Particulars to our view was wantin◠〈◊〉 a more commodious one could not possibly be found tâ—…t old almost obliterated Law of Nature retriv'd Hereupon the Divine Majesty Himselfe committed that Law to writing which though it were to prevent the like obliteration for the future done in Tables of stone yet could not have effected it had not Moses beside recorded it in his Pentateuch a farre more lasting Monument Matth. 5.18 for when Heaven and Earth shall passe away that Record shall not but continue to a tittle as our Saviour tells us Now by this Glasse was soone discovered what a Masst of Selfe-love we were buried in How irreconcileable enmity God conceiv'd thereat Lastly our owne utter Imbecillity to subdue it This was plaine No longer then might we flatter our selves with a conceite of our still continuing Innocency Rom. 7.9 Nor could wee still pretend in our excuse any Ignorance of our misery either from our Guilt or our Imbecillity But of necessity we were forc't to pray in aide of some Saviour beside yea above our selves to deliver us out of it The World now being by this meanes made ripe for this purpose for so John B. had made sufficient discovery the Fulnesse of time then came wherein our Saviour was to appeare to take this Worke in hand Himselfe and so put the last Complement to our Theologie This He did at large in His Sermon on the Mount but briefly in this Text the Epitome of that And because the Method of teaching is both more short and more efficacious by Example then by Precept He ha's left us in His Life but especially in His Death The Consummatum est of all as perfect a Patterne of this Precept as Mortality can reach to By which Death making a full Satisfaction for us in a most admitable compendium He ha's likewise obtain'd of His Father for those that live by His Faith First a Pardon for Adam's selfe-love imputed to us Secondly sufficient Grace to enable us sincerely to deny it in our selves And lastly a Pardon for all our owne Defaults therein and Frailties repented of Upon all which necessarily followes our Adoption first into God's Favour by Him And then our Re-admission into that Patrimony we forfeited in Adam Self-denyall being thus as we see the Catholique Designe both of Law * See below in the fift Point in the Margent and Gospel it must needs have some Influence more or lesse on every Vertue we can practise 'T is no marvaile then our Saviour makes it here the onely Fundamentall or if ye will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Probatum est of a Christian since Eccles 12.13 Quod caput est rerum quas lex praescripsit Jësu crucem subire semet a se abdicere H. Grot. in Instit puer as the Wife-man said of keeping the Law we may well say of this Doctrine It is totum hominis Amans whole Duty to fulfill it Wherefore else is it that all things now under the Gospel goe so by Contraries To Exalt we must abase our selves To be the First we must become last of all To be strong we must become weak To be wise we must become Fooles To subdue our enemies we must love them To save our Lives we must lose them with many such like Wherefore I say is it but because we are now to worke out our salvation by Self-deniall that is by such a way as pulls downe our high thoughts that thwarts our perverse Principles that so God onely may be exalted and as at first he was so may at last become All in all 1 Cor. 15.28 Wherefore was it that all the Precepts of the Decalogue were penn'd in a Negative forme none in the Affirmative but the two Middle ones the more strictly to oblige us to them but because they were calculated for our Lapst estate For hereby God taught us that our Obedience to it now was to proceed not as formerly first via remotionis then via positionis First by way of the Removall of Self-love before it could proceed to the production of works of Love Psaline 34.14 first by flying that which is evill before we can come to doe that which is good Whereupon we may well conjecture that had Adam persevered Innocent and the Morall Law then been written as it was since all its Precepts had beene penn'd in the Affirmative Does not Esay tell us Chap. 27. Ver. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is all the fruit to take away our sinne If then no sinne but proceeds out of self-Self-love as is most certaine and so no Vertue to supplant it but proceeds from self-denyall then is this Vertue of Self-denyall the onely fruit of our Religion And so much appeares in the words next following in that place for how does he meane our sinnes should be taken away but when even the Holiest stones of the Altar should become as Chalke-stones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pulverizated or beaten asunder that is
Good it could not be so much as Hope On the other side Did it wholly seek our selves and not deny our selves it could not but be vitious as appeares from the last ground But thus coupling both these together it deservedly becoms the Second of those Three Grand Theologicall Vertues I spake of By reason of this sure it was that God promised Abraham the Faithfull He would be his exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.1 Psal 71.5 That David sayes of God Thou art my very Hope ô Lord God Thou art my Trust even from my youth And in another place Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee * See a Harmony of Texts for this Psal 2.12 34.10 125.1 Prov. 16 20. Esay 30.18 Jer. 17.7 c. And that we may not think the Gospel behinde hand with the Law in this matter because it promises to us the Life Eternall our Saviour speaking to of His Father plainly tells us a Joh. 17.3 This is Life Eternall to know Thee the onely true God and whom Thou hast sent Jesus Christ Now the Apostle tells us who they are alone that know God b So Jer. 22.16 And such is God's Knowledge of us Gen 22.12 Matth. 7.23 Gen. 3.9 1 Joh. 5.3 1 Corinth 8.3 If any one sayes hee Love God He that is God is knowne of him And so does St. John 1 Epist 2.3 In this sayes he we know we know Him if we keep his Commandements If any one doubt how this Hope can commend any Meanes to us in this life proportionable to that end the Fruition of God Almighty let him consider those latter words of our Saviour's That Eternall Life was not onely to know God but also in order to that c Joh 14.5 6. to know Him whom He had sent Jesus Christ So then the way to enjoy God is to enjoy Christ the bright splendour of His Glorie and Character of His Person Heb. 1.3 as the way for us to partake of the Sunne is to partake of his Rayes and Brightnesse But then what is it for us to know Christ now so that we may enjoy Him Is it to know Christ onely in His Person No but also in His Example For His Person is in Heaven and so must be till the Last day but His Example He hath left behinde Him for us Many enjoy'd His Corporeall Presence upon Earth 2 Pet. 2.21 that are now in Eternall chains with the Devills therefore the Apostle plainly tells us If he did know Christ after the Flesh henceforward he knew Him so no more 2 Cor. 5.16 For sayes hee every one that is in Christ is a New Creature Hence it was that he sayes in another place a Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ How so why because b Gal. 2.20 he liv'd not but Christ liv'd in him that is he exprest in his life c 2 Cor. 4.10 the Life and Dying or the Vertues of the Life and Death of the Lord Jesus These Vertues then let us embrace and enjoy here in order to the Fruition of God And that we may truely doe so let it not be for their Vtile if it be Possible whatsoever we fancie it to be but their Honestum onely As for their Vtile feare it not it will follow Consonant to this the Wise-man affirmes that not onely a Back-slider in heart shall be fill'd with his owne wayes but also that a Good man shall be satisfied from himselfe Prov. 14.14 Consonant to this Mat. 5.3 c. our Saviour pronounces all his Beatitudes yea in the Present tense on those who but for that of God and Godlinesse that is in them 1 Cor. 15.19 are the pittifullest men in the World Consonant to this too the Apostle affirmes out of the Prophet That neither eye hath seen nor eare hath heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God ha's prepar'd and that in this life for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 This now is that Hope that maketh not ashamed of any Crosses because of the love of God shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5.5 This is that Hope whereby wee must be sav'd Rom. 8.24 And if ye will receive it This is that Spirituall that better Hope of the Gospel Heb. 7.19 by the bringing in of which it leads us to Perfection whereas the Carnall Hope of the Law could perfect nothing Thus at length I have made appeare how true Christian Hope is so farre from being evacuated 't is onely solidly establisht by this Doctrine of Self-denyall As for all sensuall Hope let it goe and perish for what it is a meere Cheat and Lye no better for the Good it aimes at is just like Adam's forbidden fruit and indeed was represented by it which in appearance promised the knowledge of Good but in effect perform'd nothing but the Experience of Evill But as for those that embrace the Commandements of God onely out of Hope of the Promised Reward as the Scripture condescending to our Infirmities does encourage them so I dare not by any meanes presume to censure them We condemne not Attrition though wee commend Contrition above it neither doe we condemne them that embrace Vertue for its Reward though deservedly we commend them more highly that embrace it for it selfe With the Prophet Zach. 4.10 Matth. 12.20 we must not despise the day of small things and with our Saviour not breake the bruised reede nor quench the smoaking flaxe But yet these are to be admonisht that such Hope is rather Legall then Evangelicall therefore that they are not to rest still in their Minority but to grow on towards Perfection it being a shame to a Christian not to aspire to that which even the Heathen by their speculative Learning could descry when one of them sayes Oderunt peccare Boni virtutis amore I have been the larger in this Point lest this Precept of Self-denyall should seeme to want that maine Engine of Obedience Hope of a Reward Indeed this seemes to be the Reason why our Saviour no sooner had delivered this Precept with its Attendants but straight in the next Verse He prevents this maine Objection against it saying He that will save his life shall lose it Verse 25. but he that will lose his life for my sake shall save it I come now to make amends in speaking more briefly of the Third Theologicall Vertue and that is Love or Charity See the sixth point below towards the end That this Vertue is totally built on Selfe-denyall if not the very same with it appeares plainly from the Naturall effect of Love in Generall which is to resigne up its proper Interest and place it in another Hence we say Animus est ubi amat non ubi animat The minde is where it loves not where it lives Colos 3.4 John 3.16 Hence Love is called vinculum unionis
according to its severall Intentions either a Flight from our Selves or a Journey unto God either Self-denyall or Charity either Hatred of the Creature or Love of God it matters not much which of them The Motion is still the same whatsoever Name you give it But if you joyne both these together as our Saviour does in the next verse and stile this Motion Selfe-denyall for the Love of God which is no other but our Self-denyall here in Precept then all Objection is remov'd and you have a compleat Epitome of Religion To illustrate this somewhat further We must consider Our Vertues now under the Covenant of Faith not of Workes are not to be lookt upon as Actions of men in perfect Health so as they were in Paradise but onely as on the way of Recovery that is mixt with much feeblenesse and imperfection As long as wee live here the Flesh does lust against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh by reason of which contrariety wee doe not the things we would as the Apostle tells us Gal. 5.17 Therefore as Plato conceiv'd of Knowledge it was all but Memory so must we of our present Righteousnesse and Holinesse that 't is all but Recovery But then will not this make much for the disparagement of the Gospel though for the advancement of Self-denyall that our best Estate under it is but Recovery wheras that of Adam in Innocency was of perfect Health No it will not For though our Vertues now consider'd in Arithmeticall Proportion be inferiour to Adam's yet consider'd in their Geometricall Proportion with reference to the Naturall auknesse and weaknesse of the Workman and so the Difficulty of the Worke thus they are Superiour and aske a greater measure of Grace to performe them Briefely compare our Workes with his and they are Inferiour compare our Working with his and it is Superiour We perceive the Sunnes heat farre more intense in the Summer then in the Spring and yet in the Spring-time it is in its Ascent and acts more strongly What 's the reason of it One maine one seemes to be the Winter's remaining Cold which is his taske to Master so Adam's Vertues in Innocency would have appear'd more perfect and glorious then ours doe now or can doe and yet wee have a greater measure of Grace by Christ's Redemption then Adam had by Creation What 's the reason of it Surely no other reason can be given but this We have self-Self-love and Sin to master in us Adam had not Our Grace therefore acts more vigorously though it be not so successefully and so ours ha's more of Vertue Adam's more of Felicity in it Therapeuticall Physick is both more Difficult and more precious then Prophylacticall 'T is farre more hard to recover our Health then to preserve it Harder to recover the top of a Hill as we are descending then being at the top to keep our Station so a farre greater measure of Grace is requir'd to recover our lost estate then was at first to have retain'd it No Vertue shines so gloriously as that which grapples with most Difficulty No Victory is so Triumphant as his whose Enemy was most Puissant If then the Ministration of the Law had been glorious in Adam persevering it was Nothing to the glory of the Gospel which excells it in our Recovering For though the Law and Gospel both drive at one and the same marke yet does the Gospel by its Method attain that which the Law could not retaine at first nor re-attaine afterwards by its Method to wit our Vnion with God Accordingly therefore the Promises of the Gospel are more Glorious The Gospel promises a heavenly Paradise the Law but an Earthly one The Gospel promises it Eternally the Law but Temporally Heb. 11.40 These are those better things without which the Law could not be perfected nor lead us to Perfection And such indeed it became the Son of God to bestow who it 's believ'd never restor'd any to their former health and Limbes but with far greater strength and Vivacity We Conclude then notwithstanding what ha's been alledg'd Self-denyall is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Breviate of Christian Religion What Praise then in former time was given to Law-givers for the Abridgement of their Lawes the same is most justly due to our Saviour for His Abridgement of Christianity in this one Precept of Self-denyall For if we esteeme the summe of the Morall Law in those Ten Words of the Decalogue a most excellent Compendium this must needs be more admirable that ha's contracted the whole both Law and Gospel into these few words Deny thy selfe We know the Benefit of that was that the Law might be written on the Phylacteries of their Hands and the Frontlets between their Eyes that so whatsoever they did whether eate sit walke or meditate the Law might still be in their sight to keep them from all evill And may not then greater Benefit be made of this short Precept which even by the finger of God is in some measure written in every ones not Head alone and Hands but Heart also that he may doe it Surely if the Heathen thought their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy to be written in Gold on the Doores of their Temples with much better reason may we engrave this Precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Golden Letters on the Porches of our Churches Or if we like the Jewish Rites better as is reason wee may make this Precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Phylactery of our Hearts That whatsoeever sinne the World the Flesh or the Devill tempt us unto whether it be the lust of the Flesh or the lust of the Eyes or the Pride of Life whatsoever Temptation God proves us with to part with our Goods Friends Gifts of Body or Minde yea our very Body and Life it selfe we may resist and overcome them all by this alone Delphick Sword of Self-denyall For if we shall doe so marke the Benefit will accrue to us thereby This alone Precept constantly attended to will carry on the Generall Worke of our Regeneration in so Naturall and Vniforme a Method as no other Precept whatsoever can doe The Workes of Art and Nature differ mainly in this Point that Nature working from an Internall Principle carryes on its work uniformly in all parts at once in our Nourishment and Augmentation whereas Art working from an Externall Principle as we see in the Statuaries trade is faine to frame one part after another untill at length the whole is finished Just so it is in the Forming of the New Creature in us if our spirituall growth therein be Vniforme in all its Members alike 't is a figne it proceeds from this Internall Principle of the Divine Nature in us whereby Denying and Forsaking our selves we firmly depend on God But if our Growth therein be Partiall that is if one Member of the New Creature in us runnes out into a Monstrous exuberance while many others fare the worse for
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-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
evill and so to be Deny'd of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all cases whatsoever or else they are evill onely respectively and but in some Cases to be Deny'd Tit. 2.12 Of the first sort are all Vngodlinesse and worldly lusts in the words of the Apostle Which that they are our Selves yee may see by this alone That whosoever goes about to Deny or reprove them in any one when hee hits upon his peculiar darling lust that which ha's most of himselfe in it hee Winches presently and Complaines hee spoke against himselfe The other sort which are evill onely in some cases are such things as are either without us as our Goods of Fortune our Wealth which we ordinarily terme our Selves when we say such a man ha's undone himselfe meaning his estate also our Friends Father Mother Wife Children c. For these we use to call our Second selves Or else those things that are within us as our Life which without any Trope wee usually terme our Selves and our Saviour makes the highest Object of our Actual Self-denyall John 15.13 then those things that accompany it the Goods of our Body and Minde our Beauty Strength Learning c. All these three selves are comprehended here in the Text for here we are bidden to Deny non nostra sed nos not ours onely but our Selves without any Specification at all and therefore to Deny what wee take to bee most properly our Selves our Lives and Livelihood and that containes the other two Virtually in it As for our Soule though that be our better part yet comes it not within the Precincts of our Text. For if by it we meane its two essentiall Faculties the Vnderstanding and the Will these so farre as they are corrupted are Deny'd in that first sort of things we spake of even now which are absolutely evill and so our Vnderstanding is to be Deny'd by Faith strictly taken our Will by Obedience to the will of God and both together by that Faith which is truely Evangelicall that which works by Love But if by the Soule we meane its Life and Happinesse in its conjunction with Gods favour it is a great question indeed whether that may be Deny'd of us fince that conjunction cannot be violated but by the commission of some sinne or other by us And yet seeing we have two famous examples of it in Moses and Paul that really wisht it might be done could it have consisted with God's glory and never were reprov'd for 't we may admit it may be done Voto in Wish if it might stand with God's Honour howbeit that so it is not required of us But that this was ever done de facto is hard to say though some have adventured to affirme Se Calvin Inst cap. 16. Sect. 10. 11 12. Perkins on the Creed The Consession of Faith Printed cum Priviligio 1629. And Jacob against Bilson An. 1600. it came to passe once to wit in our Saviour Himselfe who suffered and subjected His Soule to the Sorrowes of Hell and Eclipse of God's Favour towards Him for certaine houres upon the Crosse for our Sinnes But that indeed His * Acts 2.27.31 Soule was not left therein because in so short a space Hee made an Infinite Satisfaction But I dare not presume to dogmatize in so Dangerous a Point Thus we see in the Generall here is a double Self to be deny'd of us One absolutely evill and ever to be Deny'd the other Evill onely in some cases and but at sometimes to be Deny'd That therefore is to be Deny'd for it selfe this for that For had not the First Adam brought that into the World he had never been brought to Deny this And yet for all that the Second Adam came to thrust that out of the World Hee was brought to Deny this but then it was for our Selfe-love imputed to Him And thus we have seen what is here meant by our Selves Next see we what it is to Deny and then lastly what to Deny our selves To Deny we know what that is either when we contradici what is affirm'd and affirme the contrary or else when we refuse to grant ones Request and neglect or oppose it The first is Logicall in words the other Morall in our actions of commerce one with another For the Word here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that they say comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take away so that it is the same upon the matter with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then it seems our Saviours meaning was first that we should take away our selves then take up the Crosse or rather take up this to take away that In the Latin it is abneget which signifies to deny one and denying him to thrust him from one so that it is a Verball and Reall denyall both Howbeit nego if we look at the Originall is to deny Really too comming of ne and ago to doe nothing for one Therefore nego is to deny Morally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Logically This for the Word Now for the Meaning of it it is not amisse to consider those other termes wherby cur Saviour was wont to illustrate this Denyall Luke 14 26. in other places parallell hereunto In one place He bids us Hate all even our very Lives to be His Disciples Now he that Hates one will never consent or yield to him in any thing but ever denyes what hee desires Our Saviour therefore desiring we should Deny our selves not formally in Word but really in Heart and Deed bids us doe it out of the Affection of Hatred to our Selves But because our Selves in some sense and every thing that belongs to our selves are not alwayes bad and to be Hated as I have said And it were Incivility contrary to the Lawes of God and Nature to hate our Parents or goe about to make away our selves therefore must we take Hating for loving lesse And so in another place our Saviour expounds it Mar. 10.37 38 saying He that loves Father or Mother more then Me or so much either is not worthy of Me. So then thus wee are to take it Deur 20.16 17 18. We are to Hate our selves and ours Deur 20.10 11 12 c. when they are Contrary to Christ when not yet to love them lesse that is onely in Him Laftly Because Love is the Affection of Vnion Hatred of Division and wee use to separate our Selves from what wee Hate therefore in Denying of our Selves He bids forsake all we have Luke 14.33 that is as usually 't is exprest to come out of our Selves as Abram out of Chaldaea Lot out of Sodom Israel out of Egypt The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is contrary to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore it signisies we should not subordinate our owne things to our selves not make our selves the Determinate end of them but though