detur alicui pro aliquâsententiâ cum judicio prolata non est meritum sed donum simpliciter River ibi proportion to the reward but betwixt our good works and the reward there is no proportion our good works are not tanti they are not so much worth that eternal life should be given for them our light performances cannot in this sense work for us a farre more exceeding eternal weight of glory Therefore when ever any such proud conceits of deserving doe arise in our hearts as rise they will so long as any thing of Self is in us we must endeavour to suppresse them casting our selves wholly upon the Free Grace and mercy of God in Christ pleading his righteousnesse and expecting whatever wee stand in need of upon his account And so much for this third Subsection of denying Self in respect of good works SVBSECT IV. Of denying Self in respect of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are in the world 1 Joh. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of the world 1 Cor. 7.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are upon the earth Col. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earthly things Phil. 3.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of the flesh Rom. 8.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnal things 1 Cor. 9.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that pertaine to this life 1 Cor. 6.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things present Rom. 8.38 c. 1 Cor. 3.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that are seen 2 Cor. 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temporal things ibid. worldly Enjoyments THere is much by way of Self-denial also required in respect of worldly enjoyments all which may bee reduced unto these three heads Pleasures Profits and Honours according to that of the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.16 All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life For the right understanding of the Duty as it is to be practised in reference unto these things I shall speak to it as before in reference to the former particulars both Negatively and Affirmatively 1 Negatively It is not meant that we may not make use of Creature-comforts but only in case of necessity God gives us not only for necessity but delight also There was no necessity that there should be Wine at that Marriage Feast in Cana of Galilee Joh. 2.1 yet for the greater pleasure and delight of those that were bidden and to shew that a more liberal use of the Creatures at such a time was not unlawful our Saviour turned abundance of water into Wine and that the richest Wine too God gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not but especially to Beleevers he envies them not the use of Creatures having bestowed himself upon them A Beleever hath the best right of any unto the Creatures and hee may more warrantably take comfort in them than any other can All things are yours saith the Apostle to the beleeving Corinthians things present as well as things to come 1 Cor. 3.23 It hath been an occasion of much inward trouble and disquietnesse to many especially young Converts that apprehending so much of their owne vilenesse and unworthinesse by reason of their sinfulnesse and being ignorant of their Christian liberty they have thought they might not lawfully make use of those outward comforts and refreshments which God hath given to sweeten their way to Heaven but certainly the due circumstances being observed we may with b The care of the outward man bindes conscience so farre as that wee should neglect nothing which may help us in a cheerful serving of God in our places and tend to the due honour of our bodies which are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and companions with our souls in all performances Doctor Sibbes Soules conflict c. 13. Sect. 13. Our flesh is to bee subdued to reason not to infirmities that it may be a Servant to the Soul but not a burden Rein. treat of Pass 164. better leave make use of them than refuse them There is no vertue in bodily abstinence considered in it self nor is it any otherwise profitable than as it serves to keep the body in subjection to the government of the soul sometimes indeed God calls to extraordinary humiliation and then we must fast wee must afflict our bodies as well as our souls and yet even then if by reason of weaknesse wee should not bee able to hold out in the duty a moderate refreshment by eating and drinking is permitted to us 1 But to fast at c Jejunandum quidem est necessitate corporis castigandi ne superbiat contra spiritum sed non secundum regulam praescriptum Pomeranus set times as if our fasting were more acceptable to God at such times than at other to abstaine from some meats as if they might not lawfully be eaten or to afflict the body as if the whole of mortification did consist in that this is Superstition and though it should be taught or enjoyned us under never so much shew of Devotion and Self-denial we may not submit to it Wherefore if yee be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world saith the Apostle to the Colossians why as though living in the world are yee subject unto Ordinances touch not taste not handle not which all are to perish with the using after the Commandements and Doctrines of men which things have indeed a shew of wisdome in Will-worship and humility and neglecting of the body or punishing or not sparing the body not in any honour d Hoc est pro modo necessitatis quantum carnisitis est pro sustentatione conservatione corporis Marlorat to the satisfying of the flesh Col. 2.20 21 22 23 24. Some place so much of their religion in these and such like forbearances that they are ready to condemne all others of Libertinisme and Prophanenesse that make not like conscience of them that they themselves doe Our Saviour came eating and drinking and they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners Matth. 11.19 It is hard escaping a Censure when blinde Zeal is to be Judge Men cannot endure that others should make bold where they themselves out of a superstitious conceit dare not so much as meddle The greatest contests amongst Professors many of them doe arise from hence that they will not allow one another their just liberty in things indifferent but making more sins than God hath made condemn one another at their owne will and pleasure without any warrant from the Word at all what is this but to usurpe the place and authority of God There is one Law-giver that is able to save and to destroy who art thou that judgest another Jam. 4.12 It is not for us to make either sins or duties To condemne men for that which the Law of God doth not condemn is to judge the Law it self Jam. 4.11 and
ABCdaries there are many such in the Church of God 127 Abilities Pretended denial of our own parts and abilities The causes of it in divers sorts 92 93 94 Ability the delusion of those that begin to reform their lives upon a conceit of their own ability to do good 58 59 Abuse of gifts wherein it doth consist 112 Abuses in Preaching 117 118 c. Acti agimus 351 Action in every action as there must bee an expression of our obedience so likewise of our dependance 152. The Scripture is a sufficient rule to direct us in all particular actions 161 Adam hee might in the state of innocency impetrare but not mereri obtain by working but not deserve 64. hee was to to exercise himself in the work of a Gardiner in that state 173 Adversity we must be as lively and active in adversity as in prosperity 151 Adulterer how he is inthralled 298 Affectation of high mysteries 126 Affections they must be exercised sutably to all Gods dispensations 193. the workings of natural affection not to be denied 220 Affirmation Self will affirm that which is not to bee affirmed both of sins and duties 28. speakes many times in bare affirmations onely without arguing the case or urging what it saies by the strength of seeming roason 29 Afflictions they can do us no good of themselves 192. wee may lawfully hate and decline them ibid. but we may not judge them to be the greatest evil 195. nor indeavour by any sinful means to decline them 196. nor be impatient under them 204 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quid per initia designaverit 269 Ambitio scenam desiderat 119 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 57 Ann Askew martyr her saying at the stake 219 Angels their excellency what 307 Antinomians their doctrin concerning fetching comfort from good works refuted 133 Arminians boast of a power within themselves to make themselves new creatures 54 55. their condemnation if they perish will be of all mens most just they will have least to plead for themselves 57 Assurance the sense of the least grace sufficient to it 47 B. BAcksliding what it is and the manner of it opened 145 Baptismal covenant the frequent renewing of it pressed 412 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 369 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 273 Baynham Martyr his abjuration and trouble of conscience for it 199 Beauty what it is 269. three things required to a perfect beauty 272. self-denial a Christians beauty 269 Beleever hee hath the best right of any unto the creatures 168 Bilney Martyr his abjuration 197. and trouble of conscience for it 198 Boasting for a man to boast of that which is not his own is very uncomely and unjust 103 Body it is to be kept under 345. Every man if hee know himself will finde that in respect of the temper and constitution of his body hee is more or lesse inclined to some particular sin or other 346. It is the soules Instrument ibid. Bondage not a selfish man in the World but is in Worse than Egyptian or Turkish bondage 295 Bradford Martyr his saying 220. 230 Broachers of false doctrin a wretched generation of self-seekers 122 Burden a self-denying man can bear great burdens 265 Buyers a discovery of their selfish in divers particulars 253 C. CAlling several reasons why we are to be diligent in our particular callings 171 172 c. Catechisme the rotten charters pleaded by many against it what they are 127. one of the most necessary points of Catechism wherein wee should bee well instructed 350 Cathedram habet in coelis qui corda docet 261 Censure its hard escaping a censure when blind zeal is to be judge 170 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 275 Chief good mans judgement depraved concerning it 180 Children they must be corrected 226 Christ hee was not a pencilin his tongue and a sponge in his life and conversation but a walking Commentary upon his own doctrin 17 Christians they should strive to excel not onely in grace but in gifts also 80 Chymists 115 Cleernesse requisite to a perfect beauty 278 Comming after Christ two things meant by it 11 Command of superiours not to bee the rule of our obedience 158 Commands of God not the measure of our Power but of our Duty 7. 422. If God command wee must look more at the Quis than the Quid. 159 Commodities unlawful to be sold 256 Conceitednesse 96 Confidence It is not our Confidence but the ground of it that argues our estate to bee good 48. the danger of being confident of the goodnesse of our spiritual condition without looking after the evidence of inherent grace 52 Conscience several waies of silencing it prescribed by self 25 26. Nothing will so furiously fly in it's face at the last as the horrid sin of self-seeking 286 Consent what ever the Devil effects in any temptation is by consent had from sinfull self first 291 Consideration of the evil of selfishnesse a special help to self-denial 319 320 Consummating grace 59.60 Contests the greatest contests amongst professours many of them do arise from hence that they will not allow one another their just liberty in things indifferent 170 Contradiction To come after Christ without denying self is a contradiction 240 Conversion natural men can do nothing to prepare themselves for it 68 Conviction from the Word and from the world 144 Co-operation to expect that God should john his strength with ours and co-operate with us hath not more of ignorance than of arrogance in it 61 Corruption attributed in scripture not onely in general to the whole man but to every part of it in particular 239 Covenant wee are frequently to renew our covenant with God 412. the benefit of making a particular covenant for self-denial 415 Covetous man how he is inthralled 299 Counsel in a selfish heart the first and great engine that moves all the lesser wheeles of opposition against Christ 24. what counsel self gives shewn in two particulars 25 Cranmer Martyr his recantation 212 Creatures a beleever hath the best right of any unto the creatures 168 Cross the custome of carrying unto the place of execution 13. several acceptions of the word 14. Every man must begin at his Christ's Cross before hee can be a good proficient in Christs school ibid. Cultus non institutus non est acceptus 337 Cure the first step towards a cure is to finde out the disease 301 D DAmnation It is impossible for any one without comming after Christ in the way of holiness to escape eternal damnation in Hell fire 235 Darling-sin 327 Debt the covenant of works being broken man stands bound unto God in a twofold debt 71 Deceit wee may bee deceived in thinking that wee have denyed our selves 311 312 Deformity Other mens deformities serve as foiles to set off the perfections of accomplish't men with greater lustre and glory 97 Deliberation necessary things come not under deliberation 262. Wee may not deliberate in a case already determined by God 336
not only in this our Israel but in most parts of the World yet me thinkes thou shouldst bee welcome for his sake it seems to mee to bee highly and hugely obligeing that if Christ denyed himself his glory for us wee should deny our selfes our sinnes for him yea I may say for our selves surely they will do but little for Christ that will not for his sake bee content to bee happy Moreover Oh thou most rare Self-Denial this addes to thy beauty and takingness and should indear thee to all the professing world that thou commest forth in season for when should Self-Denial bee Preacht and Prest but when men that say they are Christians savour the things that are of men and not the things that are of God then t was Matth. 16. that Christ said to his Disciples if any will come after mee let him deny himself Shall I adde that some graces and duties are to bee acted but now and then but this alwaies a Christian should bee often in Self-Tryall c. but alwaies in Self-Denial for when other duties are but as Letters this must bee as the vowel to give it a sound and make it a word there cannot bee a Monosyllable spelt in Religion without this vowel of Self-Denial In a word to disabuse the mistaken World which look upon this as a pusillanimous and dispiriting Doctrine a puleing quality fitted onely to little soules If God and Reason may be heard to speak there is nothing more becomming brave Spirits than Self-Denial it argues the greatnesse of their courage that they are Persons of high and noble Soules who can give the Denial to that which hath been born and bred with them and is therefore so near and dear to them rather than adventure to break the Command of their Lord and Soveraign T is effeminate and worse it hath nothing of masculine and manly in it to indulge and gratify selfish inclinations and fleshly appetites hath not God said it hee that ruleth his spirit that subdues and denies himself is better a person of more honour and of higher command than hee that takes and rules a City and he that dares not undertake such an Heroick Conquest is not worthy the name of a stout and gallant man How many valiant Sword-men of the World have shewn themselves meer cowards who have come Conquerors out of the field and then lived and it may bee dyed base slaves to a lust at home As one said of a great Romane Captain who as hee rode in his triumphant Chariot through Rome had his eyes fixed on a Courtizan that walkt the streets Behold how this goodly Captain that hath Conquered such Potent Armies is himself conquered by one silly woman hee might have better said by his own lust Well then if thou wilt save thy self generously away with thy selfe for hee that will loose himselfe shall save himselfe but hee that will save himself shall loose himself and then what wilt thou do but pule and sneak complain and lament with such a sad out-cry as this Ah! my too much of mee mee much annoy'd And my self-plenty my poor self destroyed To conclude all let mee beseech thee for Christs sake and thine own souls sake to learn not onely the name and notion but the thing and not to please thy self with the word without the spirit power and practice of Self-Denial Now that the Author thy and my self and all the world may put Self-Denial in practice and so as to abound and persevere therein to the end is the hearty Prayer of the Authors thine and every mans Friend and Servant in Christ Jesus RALPH VENNING A Table of the several Chapters and Sections in the following Treatise Chap. 1 The Text. Sect. 1 THe Introduction to the Text. P. 1 Sect. 2 The Occasion of it Page 4. Sect. 3 The Division Page 6 Sect. 4. The Explication Page 7 Chap. 2 The Doctrine Page 18 Sect. 1 Shewing what is meant by self Page 18 Sect. 2 Shewing what it is to deny self more generally Page 21 Sect. 3 Shewing what it is to deny self more particularly Page 42 Subsect 1. Of denying self in respect of inherent grace Page 43 Subsect 2. Of denying self in respect of Common gifts Page 75 Subsect 3. Of denying self in good works Page 129 Subsect 4. Of denying self in respect of worldly enjoyments Page 167 Subsect 5 Of denying self in respect of worldly sufferings Page 191 Subsect 6 Of denying self in respect of our Relations Page 220 Chap. 3 The Demonstration Page 231 Chap. 4 The Application Page 242 Sect. 1 Of Information Page 242 Sect. 2 Of Exhortation Page 259 Subsect 1 Motives to self-denial from the Excellency of it Page 265 Subsect 2 Directions for the practice of self-deniall Page 308 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL CHAP I. Matth. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me SECT I. The Introduction to the Text. THat multitudes perish eternally even of a Mat. 7.21 22 23. c. 21.21 22 23 24. Lu. 13.24 25 26 27 28 29. 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Gal 5.19 20 21. those that live under the Gospel though but few do beleeve it will be found to be no mistake at the last day Two things there be that ruine them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their b Luke 9.26 c. 19.14 27. Eph. 5 6. Col. 3 6. 2 Thess 1.8 9. c. 2.10 11 12. disobedience in standing off and their c Jer. 3.20 1 Tim. 4.1 2. 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. 13. Heb. 6.4 5 5. c. 10 26 27 28 29 38 39. 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. treachery in falling off from Religion notwithstanding all the preaching in the world there are but few that will be induced to d 1 Tim. 6.12 make a profession but few that wil be perswaded to e Heb. 4.14 c. 10.23 hold it fast I speak not of that vulgat profession that denominates men Christians in contradistinction to Heathens but of that which gives them the signal name of Professors in contradistinction to nominal Christians As for the former there are none with us that deny it and not many that do disclaim it Verily as for the latter it is far otherwise Some like the deaf Adder f Psal 58.4 stop their ear others will not suffer it to be g Exod. 21.6 Deut. 15.17 boared Some will by no means put their hand to the plough others afterwards will look back but both are unfit for the Kingdome of God Luke 9.62 That which keeps off the One that they do not enter into the wayes of godliness is h Joh. 7.13 c. 11.48 ch 12.4 Act. 19.27 fear of suffering that which drives off the Other that they do not persevere in them is i Mat. 13.21 impatiency under it The cause of both these if we trace them to their spring-head will be found to be nothing else
But the testimony or application is false for in spending in that manner hee is prodigal Now when we have found out wherein the fallacy lies whether in the principle or testimony we must have a care 2 To give a peremptory denial And though we should not be able to unriddle all the mysterious fallacies of Carnal reason yet we must by no means yeeld our assent to any thing that is brought against the Truth though I cannot dispute for the Truth yet I can burn for the Truth said that worthy Martyr in Queen Maries days But we shall be the better enabled with more confidence and resolution to give a denial to all those Objections that Self shall at any time make against the Truth the more careful wee bee in acquainting our selves with the Principles of the Gospel and the more serious we be in charging them home upon our own Consciences This indeed would be an effectual way of reasoning down Self when a man can set himself in the presence of God seriously seeking after his minde and will revealed in his Word and then bring all these Carnal principles of Self unto the Test and upon the discovery of their disagreement with the Principles of the Gospel discard them and charge it upon his Conscience to beleeve the other and walk by the other 'T is not the knowledge of Gospel-Principles that is sufficient to beat down Self but there must bee a charging them upon my Conscience I must make them my principles such and such principles I walked by formerly I but now I have found out better and these henceforth shall bee my principles I will walk by these So that when self urgeth Carnal Principles and Carnal Rules upon me I must answer Self those are not my principles I have now another rule to walk by those are destructive principles destructive to the purity and peace of my Conscience I will not walk by them Thus of this first kind of Self-denial by way of argumentation and reasoning Secondly there is another kinde of Self-denyal and that is a judicial denyal such a denyal as that of a Judge upon the bench when hee refuseth to shew mercy to the convicted malefactor Self must not only bee arraigned and convicted but also sentenced and condemned Sentence of death must bee pronounced upon Self Before Self was an Advocate and pleaded its own cause now it becomes a Solicitour and petitions for its life And thus it will do when it cannot prevail with all its subtilties and carnal reasonings but is foiled at its own weapon it will become an humble suitor it will come with tears in its eyes Now it dares not enter the lists of disputation as before there is so much convincing light in the Conscience but it goes another way to work it presents it self as an object of pitty it speaks the soul fair and flatters with it lest it should bee condemned Self in this case will bee content to lose much it will bee content to lose the name of Reason and Wisdome so that it may live And here many carnal hearts are at a stand they have so much light as stops the mouth of Self itdares not argue and reason the case they know it is guilty but yet they will not passe the fatal sentence upon it They are afraid to condemn it for if they should do that it would bee very difficult to recal the sentence and far more difficult to comply with Self afterwards it would breed far more guilt and horror in the Conscience it being a great aggravation of sin to do that for which a man is already self-condemned But it is not enough to reason down Self wee must bring the matter in debate to a Judgement after wee have debated throughly and heard what Self can say for it self wee must come to some resolution what to do with Self wee must debate it to destruction In Acts 3.13 14. it is said that the Jewes denyed Christ now turn to the 19th of Joh. v. 15. and wee shall see how they did it They cryed out away with him away with him crucifie him Even so must wee deny Self when it begs for its life saying away with it away with it crucifie it Many know that God hath decreed the destruction of Self and yet are afraid lest the decree should bring forth too soon yea they will pray for the killing of their lusts even while they are loath that God should hear their prayers As Augustine confesseth of himself r Confess l. 8. c. 7. Sect. 2. etiam petieram à te castitatem dixeram Da mihi castitatem continentiam sed noli modo Timebam enim ne me cito exaudires cito sanares à morbo concupiscentiae quem malebam expleri quam extingui I desired saith hee in the beginning of my youth that thou wouldst give mee chastity and I said give mee O Lord chastity and continency but not yet for I was afraid lest thou shouldest have heard mee too soon and healed my disease too soon which I had rather have had satisfied than extinguished What do they speak but that the work of conversion is yet very doubtful to say no more There is an hostile Self-denyal This is the actual execution of Self Self must not only bee convicted and condemned but actually crucified and throughly mortified Self is not to live in the soul it hath lain under the curse ever since its departure from God and this curse will eat out its very life in all that belong to God This wee must submit unto if ever wee mean to bee Christians indeed wee must bee content to let Christ do whatsoever hee pleaseth within us hee must have his will of us hee must bee suffered to say where and what hee will If wee will bee Saints wee must have fellowship with him in his death as well as in his resurrection wee must bee crucified as hee was crucified that the body of sin may bee destroyed and herein wee are not to bee passive only but active too wee must by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 This implies a twofold act of Self-denyal 1. An act of retention or with-holding from Self those things that keep it alive Two things have I required of thee saith Agur Prov. 30.7 deny mee them not or with-hold them not from mee befor I dye So 1 King 20.27 Hee sent unto mee for my silver and my gold and I denyed him not Heb. I kept not back from him This then is to deny Self to with-hold and keep back from it those things it would have Wee must not fulfill the lusts of Self So the Apostle Rom. 13. ult make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof And truly wee may very well bee sparing unto Self it hath usurped much but nothing is its due Self is an hellish vorage that still cryes give give a bottomelesse gulf that sucks in all before it Where it lives
had in earthly things Therefore though God make never so great offers of other things unto him though hee tell him of grace and glory hee regards it not nay though hee offer himself unto him though hee tell him Hee will bee his exceeding great reward upon condition that hee will walke before him and bee perfect hee makes no other reckoning of it then as hee apprehends some earthly thing to bee meant by it Even as the Jews who when Christ told them Hee was the bread of God that cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world were much affected with it and said unto him Lord evermore give us this bread Joh. 6.34 But when afterwards they understood it was such bread as was to bee eaten by faith they cried out This is an hard saying who can hear it vers 60. Worldly men cannot indure to think of being happy by God alone they cannot conceive its possible that that good which is in the creatures should bee found in him without the creatures They onely judge of what is before them they apprehend no other reality and beleeve no other than what they apprehend therefore whatsoever is said of spiritualls seems a meer contradiction unto them an utter impossibility Therefore they say in their hearts There is no God no heaven no life eternal because they see not things that are invisible They wonder what men mean when they talk of being happy in a way of communion with and conformity unto God they count them a company of fools and mad men that will forgo that happiness which they might have in this present world for they know not what imaginary happiness so they judge it is in another world to come Hence they are prejudiced against the wayes of godliness and think it not onely a vain but a dangerous thing to bee Religious The name indeed of Religion sometimes serves their turn as when they live in places where it brings in gain or credit and then they make a profession but the thing it self they abominate as being the greatest let and hindrance to that wicked worldly designe of theirs which under that profession they mainly prosecute But where a profession is not of any such use and advantage they abandon that too and so become either notoriously prophane and dissolute or at best but civilly honest And thus they continue untill such time as their eyes bee opened to see into the emptiness and vanity of all things here below the word of God having no effectual operation upon them before for while they imagine their onely happiness is to bee found here they will neither bee nor do what is necessarily required in order to their finding it elsewhere It is a good signe of a mans repentance and turning to God when his judgement is rectified concerning these things that whereas before hee thought his chiefest good to bee in them hee now looks upon them as altogether destitute of it and therefore must have something better than the best of them to make him really happy as wee see in Solomon after his recovery from his fall who could then say Vanity of vanities Vanity of vanities all is vanity Eccles 1.2 And in Paul after his conversion who tells the Philippians that hee counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord for whom hee had suffered the loss of all things and did count them but dung that hee might win Christ and bee found in him Phil. 3.8 9. Such a light is set up in the soul at its first conversion as discovers unto it the excellency of those things that are spiritual and eternal in comparison of which all the outward glittering glory of temporal things is darkned so that it sees no glory in them by reason of the glory that doth excel And yet sometimes it is apt to bee misled by those false representations of these things that fancy and imagination not well governed now and then gives of them upon a shallow apprehension of a greater good in them than indeed there is taken from the senses These things are suitable unto the senses and Self a remainder whereof is in the best earnestly contends that what testimony they give of them may bee accepted The bâ—st therefore had need to bee very watchful and above all things to strengthen faith whereby they shall have an evidence of things not seen and then the things that are seen will have no such influence upon them but they shall bee inabled thereby to give a peremptory denial to whatsoever shall bee suggested by Self on their behalf which is the first thing that is here required The next is 2 That Affection that Self bears to them Set your affection on things above and not on things on the earth Col. 3.2 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. In particular 1 That love that Self bears to them Self judging them to bee the chiefest good as wee shewed in the former particular loves them as the chiefest good Love is the immediate issue and natural product of the judgement no sooner doth the judgement conceive any thing to bee good but a childe of love is born presently and sucks the breasts If men judge this or that to bee good they cannot choose but bee in love with it and proportionable to the degrees of goodness that they discover in the object are the degrees of love that they bear unto the object If it bee goodness apprehended in a remiss degree the love is but a remiss love if in an intense degree the love is intense if they apprehend it to bee all in all they love it with all their hearts the understanding makes the primary discovery of the object the judgement determines concerning the goodness of it and the will takes it upon trust from the judgement Now it matters not whether it bee a real good or not if it do but appear to bee so to the judgement that is enough to draw the will after it If I bee lifted up saith Christ I will draw all men unto mee if I bee lifted up on the Cross lifted up from the Grave lifted up from earth to Heaven but especially if I bee lifted up in mens judgements if they once lift mee up above themselves above all other persons and things so as to give me the preheminence so as to make me all in all in order to the obtaining of the chief good So it is with the World if it bee lifted up in drawes all men unto it if the Devil once carry up the glory of the World to an exceeding high Mountaine and shew it from thence it drawes all men unto it This effect it had upon David when hee judged his worldly estate to bee a mountaine when hee lookt upon it as a mountaine exceeding high and strong when the world and the glory thereof appears as a
so wee must deny 4 That use that Self would make of them Self would make no other use of them but to satisfie the flesh that which it gets in a sinful way it would spend in a sinful way but in this Self must bee denied Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 The time is short it remaineth that both they that have Wives bee as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. wee must use what wee have from God for God Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruites of all thine increase Prov. 3.9 Whether yee eate or drink doe all to the glory of God 1 Corinth 10.31 We must deny 5 That possession that Self would keep of them Self would have us keep them when God would have us part with them and that is when wee can no longer keep them but wee must part with Christ in this case Self must bee denied and wee must willingly forsake all according to that in Luke 14.33 Whosoever hee bee of you that for saketh not all that hee hath hee cannot bee my Disciple And thus much for this Fourth particular of denying Self in respect of worldly enjoyments The Fifth is SVBSECT V. Of denying Self in respect of worldly Sufferings OF this also as I have done of the former I shall speak both Negatively and Affirmatively 1 Negatively It is not meant that wee may not at all judge them to bee evil so as not to conceit any u Some out of their high and ay ery imagination and out of their Iron and flinty Philosophy will needs think outward good and ill together with the affections of grief and delight stirred up thereby to bee but opinions and conceits of good and evil only not truly and really founded in Nature but taken up of our selves But though our fancy be ready to conceit a greater hurt in outward evils than indeed there is as in Poverty paine of Body loss of Friends c. yet we must not deny them to be evils Sibbes Souls Conflict c. 13. Sect. 6.215 hurt to bee in them so farre as they doe deprive us of any good and there is some good that they doe deprive us of so farre they may be accounted to bee hurtful Psal 144.10 indeed being sanctified they work in us Rom. 5.3 4. and for us 2 Cor. 4.17 a farre greater good than any they doe deprive us of and in respect of that wee may say It is good that wee have been afflicted as David doth Psal 119.71 but this is accidental to the nature of the things themselves they have no good in them nor can they doe us any good of themselves they are so farre from making us better as of themselves that without the effectual working of the Spirit of God with them they make us farre worse than ever before 2 It is not meant that wee may not bee at all a verse from them so as not to endeavour any way to decline them so farre as they may be truly judge to be evil so far they may bee justly hated and declined by us The vv See Reinolds Treat of Pass 114. unalterable object of our hatred is all manner of evil not only that of deformity and sin but that also of destruction and misery This affection God hath implanted in our nature for the conservation of our wel-being which hee requires us not only to desire but also by all lawful means such as he himself hath appointed to endeavour which cannot bee done without an inward abhorring of whatsoever is really prejudicial to it such as may cause us to fly from it and therefore it is not to bee condemned as sinful and consequently not to bee denied Wee finde that even in our Saviour when that bitter Cup of sufferings was put into his hand though in respect of the appointment of his Father as it was a means of fulfilling his eternal Decree concerning the Salvation of the Elect there was a ready willingnesse to drink it up Joh. 18.11 yet in respect of the anguish that thereupon seized on his Humane Nature there was a very great aversnesse from it And therefore he prayed earnestly once and again yea a third time Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from mee Mat. 26.39 3 It is not meant that wee may not bee at all sensible of them so as not to grieve and mourne under them God requires that our affections should bee exercised x As God any way discovereth himself so the Soul should be in a sutable plyablenesse Then the Soul is as it should bee when it is ready to meet God at every turne to joy when hee calls for it and to mourne when hee calls for that to labour to know Gods meaning in every thing Sibbs Souls Confl c. 8. Sect. 3.102 sutably to all his Dispensations that when hee pipes to us in his Providences wee should dance and when hee mournes to us in his Providences we should mourne too Mar. 11.16 17. There are times when the Lord calls to mourning and wee doe provoke him exceedingly when we doe not observe them as wee may see Isa 22.12 13 14. And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with Sackcloath and behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eate and drink for to morrow wee shall dye And it was revealed in my eares by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not bee purged from you till you dye saith the Lord of Hosts The Prophet Jeremy complaines unto God of the men of Jerusalem for their stupidity and insensiblenesse under his corrections O Lord saith hee are not thine eyes upon the truth Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction Jerem. 5.3 It is a grievous evil not to grieve when God brings any evil upon us wee should bee sensible of the least stroke of the Rod and humble our selves under the mighty hand of God upon us in any affliction Many thinke it the strength of their grace that they can bear affliction without grieving but the truth is it is the strength of their corruption by reason whereof they have stupid sottish hearts and doe not take notice of the hand of God in any thing that befalls them What strength is it to beare what wee doe not feele Any one can doe that even one that hath no Grace at all This then is not to deny Self But 2 Affirmatively To deny Self in respect of worldly sufferings is 1 Not so to judge them to bee evil as to conceit a greater hurt to bee in them than indeed
there is Self will tell us they are the greatest evil in the World whereas they are nothing to spiritual and eternal evils but light afflictions in comparison of the evil of Sin and that farre more exceeding eternal weight of misery that it works for all such as live and dye in it when Self therefore speaks in this manner to us wee must give it a peremptory denial It is storied in the Book of Martyrs of George Tankerfield that immediately before his going to the Stake to bee burned being then at an Inne in Saint Albanes hee prayed his Host to let him have a good Fire in his Chamber which accordingly hee had and then sitting on a forme before the Fire hee stretched out his legge to the flame and when it had touched his foot hee quickly with-drew his legge shewing how the Flesh did perswade him one way and the Spirit another y Acts and Mon. l. 10. 1535. The Flesh said O thou Fool wilt thou burne and needest not The Spirit said bee not afraid for this is nothing in respect of fire eternal z Acts and Mon l. 10. 1371. The like is storied of the good Bishop and blessed Martyr Mr. John Hooper Sir Anthony Kingston his Friend coming to him a little before his death thus expressed himself to him I am sorry to see you in this case for as I understand you bee come hither to dye But alas consider that life is sweet and death is bitter therefore seeing life may bee had desire to live for life hereafter may doe good To this the Bishop replied True it is Master Kingston I am come hither to end this Life and to suffer Death here because I will not gain-say the former Truth that I have heretofore taught amongst you and I thank you for your friendly counsel although it bee not so friendly as I could have wished it True it is Mr. Kingston that Death is bitter and Life is sweet but alas confider that the Death to come is more bitter and the Life to come is more sweet therefore for the desire and love I have to the one and the terrour and fear of the other I doe not so much regard this death nor esteem this life 2 Not to be so averse from them a Some of the Christians in the primitive times would not cast one grain of Frankinsence into the fire up on the Heathen Altars to save their lives as to endeavour by any sinful means to avoyd them Self will bid us sin rather than suffer but we must not adventure upon the a least evil of sin to avoyd the greatest evil of suffering b Condaeus tribus ipsi a Carolo nono Galliarum Rege propositis missa morte perpetuo carcere respondit se Deo favente primum nunquam electurum ex duobus reliquis vero alterum voluntati Regis liberum relinquere The three Children in Daniel told the King when he threatned to cast them into a burning fiery Furnace for not worshiping his Golden Image If it bee so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us but if not be it known unto thee that wee will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden Image which thou hast set up Dan. 3.17 18. Such a resolution must be taken up by every one that means to come after Christ which although in the opinion of worldly Polititians and Time-servers it be folly and madness will bee found to bee wisdome in the end when after by their sinful complyance they have escaped the hands of them that kill the body they fall into the hands of him that kills both Body and Soule in Hell God is not wont to let such men goe unpunished nay he will be sure to meet with them either in this life by terrifying their Consciences or by bringing upon them those evils they thought to escape or in the life to come if they repent not before by appointing them their portion with unbeleevers and hypocrites in the Lake that burnes with Fire and Brimstone where shall bee weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth for ever 1 By terrifying their Consciences c Acts and Mon. l. 8.914 Mr. Bilney in the dayes of King Hen. 8. by the perswasion of some friends abjured but oh what an Hell did hee feel in his Conscience afterwards Serm. 7. Master Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward thus expresseth it I knew a man my self Bilney little Bilney that blessed Martyr of God who what time he had borne his Faggot and was come againe to Cambridge had such Conflicts within himself that his friends were afraid to let him be alone they were faine to be with him day and night and comfort him as they could but no comforts would serve and as for comfortable places of Scripture to bring them unto him it was as though a man should cut him thorow the heart with a sword And in another Sermon preached in Lincolnshire he hath these words concerning it That same Mr. Bilney who was burnt here in England for Gods Words sake was induced and perswaded by his Friends to bear a Faggot at the time when the Cardinal was aloft and bare the swinge now when the same Bilney came to Cambridge againe a whole year after hee was in such an anguish and agony that nothing did him good neither eating nor drinking nor any other communication of Gods Word for hee thought that all the whole Scriptures were against him and sounded to his Condemnation so that I many a time communed with him for I was familiarly acquainted with him but all things whatsoever any man could alledge to his comfort seemed unto him to make against him d Acts and Mon. l. 8.938 Mr. â—ainbam the year following having in like manner abjured was released and dismissed home where hee had scarce a month continued but he bewailed his Fact and Abjuration and was never quiet in his minde and Conscience untill the time hee had uttered his fall to all his acquaintance and asked God forgivenesse before the Congregation in those dayes in a Ware-house in Bow-lane and immediately the next Sabbath after hee came to Saint Austines and stood up there before the people in his Pew there declaring openly with weeping tears That hee had denied God and prayed all the people to forgive him and to beware of his weaknesse and not to doe as he did for said hee If I should not againe returne unto the truth having the New Testament in his hand this Word of God would damne mee both Body and Soule at the Day of Judgement And there he prayed every body rather to dye by and by than to doe as hee did for hee would not feele such an hell againe as he did feele for all the worlds good Thus severely did God chastise these two good men for a time shewing them what Hell meant by some few scalding drops of his immediate Wrath let fall upon their Consciences thereby making them
Nephews the young man charged him with hypocrisie and dissimulation to whom hee replied I am a cast away a Vessel of Wrath yet dare you call it dissembling and phrensie and can mock at the formidable example of the heavie Wrath of God that should teach you fear and terrour But it is natural to the flesh either out of malice or ignorance to speak perversly of the works of God The Natural man discerneth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned One of his familiar friends chanced to say that certainly he was overcome with Melancholly which hee over-hearing answered Well be it so seeing you will needs have it so for thus also is Gods wrath manifested against mee you see Brethren what a dangerous thing it is to stop or stay in things that concern Gods glory especially to dissemble upon any termes what a fearful thing is it to bee near and almost a Christian Never was the like example to this of mine and therefore if you bee wise you will seriously consider thereof O that God would let loose his hand from me that it were with me now as in times past I would scorne the threats of the most cruel Tyrants bear Torments with invincible resolution and glory in the outward profession of Christ till I were choaked in the flame and my body consumed to ashes Now seemed to bee verified upon him that whereof in the beginning hee had been so seasonably fore-warned that if hee proceeded to fulfill his wicked promise of Abjuring in his owne Country hee might haply repent too late Now if God would with-draw his hand from him if it might be with him as in former dayes hee would doe and suffer any thing for-Christ but upon no termes might his wish bee granted all hope of mercy was quite cut off from him so that afterwards his purpose of mischieving himself by a Knife that hee had hastily snatched up being by his Friends prevented with indignation hee cryed out I would I were above God for I know hee will have no mercy on me And thus being in continual torment by little and little hee wasted away until at length hee appeared a perfect Anatomy expressing to the view nothing but sinews and bones and at last without any shew of hope or comfort yeelded up the ghost Let none wonder that I have been so large in telling this mans Story some it may be have forgotten it others not so much as heard of it and amongst all the examples of this kind there was none more fit that I could pitch upon whereby to make it known in what a dreadful manner God sometimes punisheth Apostate professors in this life by terrifying of their Consciences Hee punisheth them sometimes also 2 By bringing upon them those evils they thought by means of their sinfull complyance to escape u Acts and Mon l. 10.1710 Cranmer signed a Recantation as hee confessed himself afterwards contrary to the truth hee thought in his heart for fear of Death and to save his Life if it might have been but hee was forced to suffer notwithstanding his recantation as soon as ever hee had signed his Recantation the Queen signes the Writ for his Burning and then was he in a farre worse condition than before having neither inwardly any quietness in his own Conscience nor outwardly any help in his adversaries In the Story of William Wolsey a godly Martyr that was burned at Ely w Acts and Mon. l. 10.1558 this amongst other things is recorded that while hee was in Prison hee delivered some money to bee distributed amongst his friends and to one Richard Denton above all the rest besides the money that he sent him hee desired this Message might also be delivered that he marvelled he tarried so long behind him seeing hee was the first that did deliver him the Book of Scripture into his hand and told him that it was the Truth desiring him to make hast after as fast as he could This Message being delivered Denton returnes this answer I confesse it is true but I cannot burne But hee that could not burne in the Cause of Christ was afterwards burned against his will when Christ had given peace to his Church for some years after his House was set on fire and hee going in to save his goods was burnt in it Thus God sometimes punisheth Apostates here howsoever if they repent not hee will bee sure to punish them hereafter 3 By appointing them their portion with unbeleevers and hypocrites in the Lake that burnes with Fire and Brimstone where shall be weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth for ever So it is fore-told Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbeleeving shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And it cannot be otherwise for Christ hath said Whosoever shall deny mee before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven Matth. 10.33 and if so there is no remedy but hee must to hell How much better were it for us then by hearkning unto Christ and doing our duty to expose our selves to the greatest of those evills which men can only bring upon our Bodies and are but for a time than by hearkning unto Self and committing of Sin to make our selves obnoxious to the least of those evills which God can bring both upon our Bodies and Soules and also are for eternity Without doubt did wee but beleeve it wee should not bee so averse from them as to endeavour by any sinful means to decline them which is the Second particular required by way of Self-denial in respect of worldly sufferings The next is 3 Not to be so sensible of them as either to bee impatient under them or by any sinful means to endeavour to come out of them It is our duty to bee sensible of our sufferings but wee must take heed wee be not over-sensible Self will bee murmuring and repining against God and quarrelling with Instruments but wee must by no means give way unto it but labour with quietnesse and calmness of spirit whatever our crosse be to bear the burden of it So Paul exhorteth the Romanes Rom. 12.12.14 Be patient in tribulation bless them that persecute you blesse and curse not So hee himself practised 1 Cor. 4.12 13. Being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed wee entreat So Peter exhorteth servants 1 Pet. 2 18 19 20. Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward for this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when yee are buffered for your faults ye shal take it patiently but if when yee doe well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable with God What an hard lesson is this to flesh and bloud and how few professing Servants are there to say nothing of others that make
other parts A fair face end a crocked body comely upper parts and the lower parts ancomely suit not well because comlinesse stands in onenesse in a fit agreement of many paris to one when there is the head of a Man and the body of a Beast it is a monster in Nature And is it on t as monstrous to have an understanding head and a fierce untamed heart Sibbs Souls Conflict 139 140. another thing wherein beauty doth consist and is also in Self-denial where there is Self-denial there is not only Integrity but Symetry and proportion a comely proportion 1 Of graces unto graces A Self-denying man is one that hath grace for grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is grace answerable unto grace and not only in Christ as John 1.16 but in himself also Hee hath knowledge answerable unto zeal and zeal answerable unto knowledge love answerable unto faith and faith answerable unto love godly sorrow answerable unto godly joy and godly joy answerable unto godly sorrow for while grace is not hindred as while Self is denyed it is not it puts forth it self in all the powers and faculties of the soul alike As in the body when there is no obstruction the nourishment is equally distributed to all the members and the growth of one is answerable to the growth of another It is true indeed that some that are eminent in the exercise of some particular Graces are as defective in others but the reason is from the opposition of the corruptions contrary to those Graces not so much weakned as others are If corruptions were alike mortified Graces would be alike exercised 2 Of Actions unto Graces If these things be in you and abound saith the Apostle having spoken of adding several Graces one to another in the precedent Verses they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful 2 Pet. 1.8 Self-denial will not suffer any grace to lye dead in the soul A Self-denying man lives up to the height of his Graces Obj. This no doubt hath an exceeding great beauty in it but God only sees it what proportion is in mens Actions unto their Graces we cannot discern Ans True but there is another that you may discern namely the proportion 3 Of Actions unto professed Principles A Self-denying man lives up to his Principles hee professeth that Sin is the greatest Evil in the World and hee lives answerable to this profession by abstaining from all appearance of evil 1 Thess 5.22 manifesting his hatred even of the garment spotted with the flesh Epi. Jude v. 23. Again he prosesseth that the glory of God is to be preferred before all persons and things in the World and hee lives answerable to this Principle by for sakeing father and mother brother and fister Matth. 10.37 houses and lands and all that hee hath Luke 14.33 when they come in competition with it he so lives as if there no n See Burroughs Mos Choice 315. talking of any of the Principles of godlinesse yet they might be found in his life and conversation 4 Of Actions unto Actions many men in their preaching and praying and conference seeme to bee like Angels but take them out of these duties and they are but as other men nay farre worse doe but observe them in their dealings with men and they will be found to bee stark naught and to have nothing of the power of godlinesse in them there is no suitablenesse in their ordinary and common actons to their actions in matters of Gods Worship These are the o It is a shameful thing for men that make profession of Religion not to bee raised above Moralities now when the men of the World that have skill in this shall see that godlinesse teaches men to be just and that theirs is a more acurate Justice then that which is in the World this convinces men but when they shall see men talking so much of godliness and Church-Discipline and yet when they come to deal with them they are so cunning and will fetch over men as well as any and men know not where to finde them these are burdensome members to a Church that wrong Religion Burroughs Mos choice 317. blots and the reproaches of Christian Religion which teacheth men to make conscience not only of the duties of the First Table but of the Second also which a Self-denying man doth and is therefore the only cred it and glory of it A Self-denying man denies all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and lives not only godly but righteously and soberly in this present world Tit. 2.12 he acts in all things by the same rule in all places in all companies he is as conscientious and acurate in his dealings with men as in his dealings with God his life is spun out aequali stamine with an even thred there is no incoherence no inconsistency in any of his Actions he is not zealous in some duties and luke-warme in others but alike zealously affected in all Let men take him when they will and where they will he is still the same man they shall find no in-and out dealing by him This is his beauty this makes him deservedly amiable in the eye of the world There is one thing more required to beauty which is also to be seen in Self-denial and that is 3 Cleernesse Self-denial as it is said of Wisdome Eccles 8.1 makes the face to shine it wipes off all that soyls and dis-colours the brightnesse of it A Self-denying man is fair as the Moon and clear as the Sun Cant. 6.10 hee is filius lucis a Childe of Light walking in light his light shines before men so that they may see his good works Matth. 5.16 he holds forth the vertues of him that hath called him out of darknesse into marvellous light Grace moves it self aright and gives its p Pulcher a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equidens velim a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deducere cum pulchritudo magnam partem coloris sit a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc Cicere 4. Tusc Corporis quaedam opta figura membrorum cum coloris quaedam suavitate dicitur pulchritude Etiam pulcher cui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beckman de Origin Lat. Ling. colour in him He is purer than Snow whiter than Milk more ruddy than Rubies his polishing is of Saphire his face is as the face of an Angel he is altogether lovely The Third Excellency of Self-denial 3 It is a Christians dignity and preheminence Self-denial is that which differenceth man from man Saints from men This you have in that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.3 For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are yee not carnal and walk as men Envying and strife and divisions wheresoever they be doe speake abundance of selfishnesse and if these abound amongst Professors they become like the men of the World who are not able to deny themselves in any thing either towards God or man A selfish walking is a walking
thing yet he doth not find himself in any thing he is dispossessed of himself being either carried away captive by his wandring desires after something that hee wants or kept close prisoner by his cares and feares of something that he hath he hath no real peace at all within himself no solid joy and contentment in his life Obj. You will say that cannot be so for we observe that none doe live more merry lives none are so jocund and merry as such men and that it is not possible the life of Self-denial should yeeld half so much pleasure and contentment as theirs doth Answ I answer what joy and pleasure what peace and contentment soever they have it is no real joy no real peace and contentment as Salomon saith Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is heavie so it is with many of them even in their revelling and roaring fits when you would think they had sung away care and drunk away sorrow there is heavinesse at their heart the guilt of some sin as heavie as a Mill-stone upon their Conscience they have many heart-qualmes though they put never so good a face upon the matter the joy and pleasure that they have is but as the joy and pleasure of a man in a dream As when a hungry man dreameth and behold hee eateth but hee awaketh and his soul is empty or as when a thirsty man dreameth and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint and his soul hath appetite Isa 29.8 or as the joy and pleasure of a Mad-man who hath no rational ground for his joy in any thing it is but the working of imagination and will quickly end in real sorrow as it is threatned Isa 50.11 Behold all yee that kindle a fire that compasse your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that yee have kindled this shall yee have at mine hand yee shall lye down in sorrow Nothing will so furiously fly in the face of Conscience at the last as the horrid Sin of Self-seeking though men will not see the aggravation of it now they shall see it then and yet many have some glimpses of it in this life and this is the reason why they are so puzled concerning their title to heaven and happinesse and why their evidences are so litigious and snarled because of a secret lurking of Selfishnesse as yet not thorowly denied and while it is thus it is impossible there should be any true peace in the soul What peace said Jehu so long as the Whoredomes of Jezabel remaine a King 9.22 There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 48.22 false Prophets may speake peace and a seduced heart but God will not speake it whose sole Prerogative it is to speake and give it The Wisdome from above is first pure and then peaceable Jam. 3.17 there must be purity before there can bee peace the word which is translated pure signifies chaste the Wisdome that is from above is first chaste now what is Self-denial but the chastity of the Soul in keeping its conjugal love for Jesus Christ where this is there is peace peace is an inseparable companion of Self-denial Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee Isa 26.3 O the joy and peace that Self-denying men have 1 They have abundance of joy and peace in their acting for Christ Great peace have they which love thy Commandements saith David Psal 119.156 and nothing shall offend them 2 They have abundance of joy and peace in suffering for Christ I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation saith Paul 2 Cor. 7.4 I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake 2 Cor. 12.10 Mr. Philpot r Acts and Mon. l. 10.1668 in a Letter to the Lady Vane thus writes The world wondreth how we can bee merry in such extreame misery but our God is omniptent which turneth misery into felicity beleeve mee dear Sister there is no such joy in the world as the people of Christ have under the Crosse I speak by experience therefore beleeve me and fear nothing that the world can doe unto you for when they imprison our bodies they set our Souls at liberty with God when they cast us down they lift us up yea when they kill us they bring us to everlasting life And in s Ibid. another Letter to the same Lady I that am under the Crosse with you thanks be to God therefore have felt in the same more true joy and consolation than ever I did by any benefit that God hath given me in my life before for the more the world hates us the nigher God is unto us and there is no perfect joy but in God wherefore Christ said In mee yee shall have joy but in the world affliction blessed bee God which sendeth us this affliction that wee might perfectly joy in him In t 1669. another Letter to the same Lady We have more to be glad touching our selves of this time than we have had any time before in the which wee have so ready a way to goe unto God and so good an occasion to shew our duty in glorifying his holy Name for if wee bee imprisoned in this cause we are blessed if wee lose all that we have we are blessed an hundred fold if wee dye wee are blessed eternally so that in suffering of persecutions all is full of blessings In u 1670. another Letter to the same Lady O blessed are they that mourne in the world to God-ward for they shall bee eternally comforted God make my stony heart to mourne more than it doth I have so much joy of the reward that is prepared for mee most wretched sinner that though I be in a place of darkness and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyful as though I were under no cross at all yea in all the daies of my life I was never so merry the Name of the Lord be praised therefore for ever and ever and hee pardon mine unthankfulness Our enemies do fret and fume and gnash their teeth to see and hear that wee under this grievous affliction in the world can bee so merry Wee are of them counted as desperate persons for the certain hope and feeling which wee have of our everlasting salvation and it 's no marvaile for worldly men cannot perceive the things of God they are meer foolishness and an abomination to them Bee thankful unto our God mine own dear helper for his wondrous working in his chosen people Pray instantly that this joy be not taken from us for it passeth all the delights of this world This is the peace of God which surmounteth all understanding this peace the more his chosen be afflicted the more they feel and therefore cannot faint neither for fire neither for water 3 As they have abundance of joy and in
their actings and sufferings for Christ so likewise in their enjoyments from Christ There is no comfort in Wife or Children or Houses or Lands till a man hath denied himself in them Comfort doth not arise from the meer enjoyment of these things but from the enjoyment of Christ in them now till a man deny himself in them hee can have no enjoyment of Christ in them nor any evidence that they are sanctified to him Saint James exhorts those that are rich to rejoyce in this that they are made low Jam. 1.10 to bee poor in spirit while one is rich in estate is great cause of joy indeed wee may rejoyce in this and now do you need any help to conceive of the excellency of Self-denial in this respect Can you not easily tell your owne hearts there is abundance of excellency in peace and quietnesse Any thing for a peaceable quiet life you say Pacem te poscimus omnes You know what an excellency there is in Natural and Civil peace there is a farre greater excellency in spiritual peace This is a peace that passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 no man can fully understand what the happinesse of those is that doe enjoy it Here then is the excellency of Self-denial that though it break all peace with Sin and Carnal Friends as such yet it preserves our peace with God who as he is the worst enemy so he is the best Friend The Sixth Excellency of Self-denial 6 It is a Christians safety and security It secures him 1 In time of temptation So long as he denies himself there is no temptation can prevail against him The Devil comes but findes nothing in him and therefore goes as hee comes without doing him any hurt at all Hee that is born of God saith the Apostle keepeth himself i.e. by denying himself and that wicked one toucheth him not 1 Joh. 5.18 hee toucheth him not tactu scil corruptivo with an infectious touch so as to make any impression of his Devillish nature upon him hee stands upon his guard il se garde seymesme Fren. and keeps off the Devil so that he cannot reach him much less fasten upon him with any temptation And the reason is evident till a man yeeld the Devil cannot overcome him all that hee can do is but to sollicite and importune him hee cannot force him into any act of sin whether hee will or no Whatsoever hee effects in any temptation is by consent had from sinful self first which by a resolute self-denial being with-held his most devillish enterprizes come to nothing Self-denial quencheth all the fiery darts of the devil 2 In time of persecution When destruction and misery do on every side threaten him yet even then being in a way of Self-denial hee is safe and nothing can hurt him He is sure to bee preserved Either so 1 That no evill shall befall him Psal 91.9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. verses Dan. 3.25 -27. Or if any do 2 That it shall work for his good Rom. 8.28 Sometimes 1 For his temporal good by advancing his outward condition Gen. 41.40 Alwayes 2 For his spiritual good by mortifying his corruptions Is 27.9 and quickning his graces Job 36 10.-15 And 3 For his eternal good by increasing his glory 2 Cor. 4.18 which shews that he is safe from the greatest evil and indeed that which onely is to bee feared namely the suffering the wrath of God to all eternity in Hell The assurance whereof must needs deliver him from those soul-distracting thoughts and fears which usually seize upon others and bring them to their wits end when such dangers stare them in the face as their ill-boding consciences tell them may at one stroak both kill them and damn them And vv Justum tenacem propositi virum non civium ardor prava jubentium Non vultus instantis Tyranni Mente quatit solidâ neque Auster Dux inquieti turbidus Adriae c. Si fractus illabatur orbis Impavidum ferient ruinae Horat. therefore though the earth bee removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waters thereof roar and bee troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof hee will not bee afraid though an Hoast should encamp against him his heart shall not fear though war should rise against him yet in this hee will bee confident being fully perswaded 1 That the worst that can befall him though never so painful to the body is but of a short continuance Luk. 22.53 2 That in the mean time hee hath the presence of God with him to support him under it Isa 43.2 3 That if it kill him it sends him home to his Fathers house where hee shall never suffer more but bee everlastingly happy Rev. 21.4 And 4 That his happiness there shal be so much the x Majora certamina majora sequuntur praemia Tertu Our light afflictions work for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more than hyperbolieal eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 greater by how much the greater his misery was here 2 Cor. 4.18 whereupon he is ready not only to bee bound but to dye for the Name of the Lord Jesus whensoever he is called to it Act. 21.13 and therefore follows him fully with Caleb Numb 14.24 and whither soever hee goeth with the hundred and forty and four thousand Rev. 14.4 which being the effect of Self-denial upon the assurance of safety that it gives him which nothing shall ever bee able to indanger how abundantly doth it speak the excellency of it The onely thing men have in their thoughts in time of danger when they are in jeopardy every moment and their lives do hang in doubt before them is how to provide for their safety and if there bee any thing not impossible to bee done in order to their security they will not stick to do it but here is the undoing of the most they mistake the lesser danger for the greater to avoid the danger of suffering in their bodies for a while here they run the hazzard of suffering both in body and soul to alleternity hereafter the folly and madness whereof would seriously bee considered for would wee not so account it if any one to avoid the pain of a cure should choose to dye of his wounds And is it not the greater madness rather than indure to bee opposed or persecuted for one to choose to bee damned This I say would be seriously considered We forbear our duty many times lest such a man should become our enemy whereas by our forbearance we make God our enemy We are convinced it is a duty there is an express command of God for the practice of it but such an one is an enemy to it and therefore in point of prudence we think it best to forbear but is it any prudence to make God our enemy Will not this be found to be a prudential foolery and madness in the end We would be out of danger
but this is the way to bring our selves into the greatest danger of all for by this means instead of falling into the hands of man wee are in danger of falling into the hands of God and as the Apostles sayes It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 for our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Let us not then fear them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather let us fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Let us sanctifie God in our hearts and make him our fear and our dread carefully avoiding whatsoever is displeasing in his sight and y Honzo time Deum mundum ridebis Austin then wee need not fear what men can do unto us This is the sixth particular to shew the Excellency of Self-denial The seventh Excellency of Self-denial 7 It is a Christians freedome and liberty A self-denying man is the only free man as for others of what rank or order soever they be they are all slaves There is not a selfish man in the world but is in worse than Egyptian or Turkish bondage led captive by no better than the Devil so the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.26 That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will They think themselves the only free men while they do as they please walking in the way of their heart and in the sight of their eyes but the truth is they z Those that think it their only happiness to do what they will that they might bee free cross their own desires for this is the way to make them most perfect slaves Sibs Soul-Conflict are the veriest slaves led up and down like so many brute beasts that have no dominion over their own actions Yee know saith the Apostle that yee were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb Idols even as yee were led 1 Cor. 12.2 yea they are carried unto their own destruction not considering that it is for their lives as Solomon notes of him that follows the lewd woman Hee goeth after her streightway as an Oxe goeth to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Prov. 7.22.23 In this condition were all self-denying men till such time as they could deny themselves as Eph. 2.2 And you hath hee quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past yee walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the aire who worketh in the children of disobedience amongst whom also wee had all our conversation in time past and this was their shame because while it was thus they were the servants of sin Rom. 6.17 and of corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 and yeelded their members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity Rom. 6.19 and all this while they were free from righteousness vers 20. and this was their shame vers 21. What fruit had you in those things whereof yee are now ashamed Sin is the most shameful evil because it is the greatest debasing of Excellency and that for this reason because it brings a man into the most shameful vassallage and slavery of any thing in the world All slavery is shameful but this the most shameful because hereby the humane nature is most abused being used to a quite contrary end to that for which it was made The end of man is to glorifie God and to injoy him for ever in these two his chief good doth consist but by sin neither of these are attainable for as in sin there is no conformity unto God so there is no communion with him and therefore a sinner as he doth nothing for the glory of God so he doth nothing for his own good whatsoever he doth while he sins it is to his own hurt and the greatest hurt that a creature is capable of because the more he sins the more he deprives himself of the chief good because the more he sins the more hee deprives himself of God Now a selfish man such an one as cannot deny himself cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2.14 and therefore cannot cease from doing himself mischief therefore he works out his damnation in every thing that he doth destruction and misery are in all his wayes which shews that he is in the most wretched and miserable bondage of any in the world It is nothing that what he doth he doth willingly for the more willingly any one acts to his own hurt the more wretched and miserable he is as when a man cuts and wounds himself as every selfish man doth the woful effects whereof though for the present he doth not feel if free grace prevent not he will certainly rue to all eternity His heart is so set upon his sinful wayes that there is no turning him out of them neither promises on the one hand nor threatnings on the other are sufficient to reclaim him Hee feedeth of ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that hee cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lye in my right hand Isa 44.20 Though he be convinced in his conscience as many times he is that the course he takes will be his ruine yet he is so miserably inthralled by his lusts that he cannot give over Though the Adulterer know that by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a peece of bread and that the Adulteress will hunt for the precious life that shee hath cast down many wounded yea that many strong men have been slain by her and that her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death though he know that the dead bee there and that her guests are in the depths of hell yet hee will not obey the voyce of his teachers nor incline his ear to them that instruct him to remove his way far from her and not to come nigh the door of her house but after her he goes hee goes the way to her house in the twylight in the evening in the black and dark night till strangers be filled with his wealth and his labours be in the house of a stranger till a dart strike through his liver and his flesh and his body are consumed Though the Covetous man knows that when hee dyeth hee shall carry nothing away and that his glory shall not descend after him yet how doth he labour to be rich rising up early and sitting up late and eating the bread of sorrows though he hear that Covetousness is Idolatry and that the love of the world is enmity against God and how almost an impossible thing it is for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heaven though God himself say it he will not beleeve it he is resolved to have something of the world though he lose his soul for it
tells us in the former words I thought upon my wayes I considered the evill of them and then turned out of them Hee went on very confidently and contentedly before but it was because hee did not consider whither hee was going hee did not ponder his paths but as soon as he began to reflect upon himself and to consider where hee was and whither hee was going how hee dishonoured God and defiled his own soul in those wayes hee presently makes a stop and turns about unto Gods testimonies This is the reason why men go on so long time together in a sinful course why they walk in the way of their heart and the sight of their eyes without any regret of conscience It is because they do not consider what they are doing nor whither they are going like the young man Prov. 7.22.23 that being inticed by the lewd woman hee goeth after her streightway as an Oxe goeth to the slaughter as a Bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not i. e. considereth not that it is for his life God notes this as the cause of his peoples rebelling against him and their continuance in their rebellion Isa 1.3 Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Oh! if ever wee mean in good earnest to deny our selves and to follow the Lord fully in the paths of righteousness and holiness let us every day steep our thoughts in a serious meditation of the exceeding sinfulness of self-pleasing and self-seeking of making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof As a man will not come after Christ in obedience to his call in the Gospel till hee apprehend it to be good yea absolutely best for him so to do so hee will not give a peremptory denial to the requests and commands of Self till hee apprehend it to bee evill yea the greatest evill in the world to yeeld unto them Therefore whensoever wee discover any thing of selfishness in any of our actions that wee are byassed in any particular by a selfish principle to the promoting of a selfish interest in opposition to the interest of Christ let us not think on it sseightly but seriously let our thoughts dwell upon it debating and discussing the matter in and out to the uttermost considering the nature the causes the effects and aggravating circumstances of it I have shewn you before the Excellency of Self-denial now consider the evill of selfishness 1 As the Apostle saith of the Love of money 1 Tim. 6.10 so it may bee truly said of Self-love that it is the root of all evil This is the most breeding sin you may graft any wickedness upon this stock See 2 Tim. 3.1 there the Apostle brings in a black Catalogue of the vilest sinners and hee puts selfish men in the front In the last dayes saith hee perillous times shall come for men shall bee lovers of their own selves covetous beasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection This is a sin with an Imprimis the Commander in chief in the black Regiment of Lusts It is the Devils Generalissimo See what a k Hinc ficae hinc venena hinc falsa testamenta na scuntur hinc furta hinc peculatus expilationes direptionesque sociorum Civium hinc opum nimiarum potentiae non serendae postremo etiam in liberis civitatibus existunt regnandi cupiditates quibus nihil nec â—e trius nec saedius excogitari potest Cic. number of Evils are wrapt up in this one Evil. 1 The Evil of Injustice Justitia est suum cuique dare Justice consists in giving to every one his due according to our Saviours rule Matth. 22.21 Render unto Casar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods and that of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 Render unto all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Now Self keeps back both from God and man that which is their due 1 From God Our soules are his Ezek. 18.4 our bodies his 1 Cor. 6.19 but Self keeps back both from him it imployes all the powers and faculties of both as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin 2 From men Self is the cause of all that unjust dealing that defrauding and going beyond one another of all that extortion and oppression that is in the world Self will not suffer the proud man to give honour to whom honour is due nor the covetous man to give tribute to whom tribute is due nor the envious man to give love to whom love is due nor the merciless man mercy to whom mercy is due 2 The Evil of Idolatry A Selfish man is the man of sin that exalts himself above all that is called God he makes himself his god hee falls down and worships himself making himself his ultimate end in every thing hee doth and walking by his own rule c. 3 The Evil of Unthankfulness If hee hath any thing more than others hee boasts as if hee had not received it if hee hath any thing less hee murmures as if hee had not his due 4 The Evil of Unbeleef Christ hath said Whosoever will save his life shall loso it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it Matth. 16.25 And that it is better for him to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to bee cast into everlasting fire Matth. 18.8 but hee will not beleeve it and so makes Christ a lyar 5 The Evil of Unmercifulness By seeking himself hee loseth himself by endeavouring to save himself hee destroyes himself This is the greatest cruelty in the World See Prov. 11.17 6 There is much of the Devil in it When Peter tempted our Saviour to save himself from the shameful death of the Cross hee said Get thee behinde mee Satan Hee calls him Satan not only because hee tempted him but because of the sin to which hee tempted him All sin is the Devils Vel per modum imaginis vel per modum servitutis either by way of likeness or service to him selfishness is so in both respects 7 It is the great Make-bate in the world the great divider it divides men from God and men one from another 8 It is the onely hindrance of mens closing with Christ The young man could not close with Christ because hee could not deny himself 9 This causeth God to reject all our services Isa 58.5 10 It is a contradiction to our prayers Latimer said of Peter that when hee tempted Christ hee forgot his Pater noster for that was Thy Kingdome come Thy will bee done By these and such like considerations the horrible Evil of Selfishness may bee discovered which is the second thing to bee done in order to the practice of Self-denial The third Direction 3 When upon serious consideration you have discovered the horrible Evil and exceeding sinfulness of your selfishness bee much in the duty
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
whensoever God pleaseth Your beings are invironed with non-entity and border upon it you do but precariously subsist upon the first being as the streams do upon the fountain and the beams upon the Sun If God should withhold his conserving influence you would quickly return to your first nothing again and bee as if you had never been and wherein then are you to bee esteemed 2 In point of working you can do nothing Without mee saith Christ you can do nothing Joh. 15.6 As without God wee are nothing so without Christ wee can do nothing 1 Not any thing at all Acti agimâ—â— that wee move being first moved by God is true as well in Naturals as in Spirituals In him wee live move and have our being Act. 17.28 Not onely our esse but our operari is dependent upon a cause without our selves 2 Not any thing that is good As there is none that is good of himself but God so there is none that doth good of himself besides God There is none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.12 Not that wee are sufficient of our selves to think a good thought saith the Apostle but all our sufficiency is of God 1 Cor. 3.5 All our ability as of our selves is to do evill They are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge Jer. 4.22 3 Not any good thing well As when left to our selves wee fail in the matter so likewise in the manner Wee know not what to pray for as wee ought Rom. 8.36 nor how to pray as wee ought Jam. 4.3 Yee have not he cause yee ask amiss 3 In point of propriety you have nothing 1 Your beings are not your own Neither your souls All souls are mine saith God Ezek. 18.4 nor your bodies 1 Cor. 6.19 What know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you he adds and ye are not your own 1 You did not make your selves God formed the body out of the dust of the earth and breathed in the soul 2 You did not redeem your selves for you are bought with a price therefore saith hee Glorifie God in your body and your spirit which are Gods mark it Which are Gods vers 20. 2 Your estates are not your own It is certain you brought nothing into the world and it is as certain you can carry nothing away Naked came I into the world and naked must I return saith Job When David had prepared in great abundance for building of the Temple hee said Lord of thine own have wee given thee 1 Chron. 29.14 4 In point of merit you deserve nothing 1 Not the least temporal mercy I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant saith Jacob Gen. 32.10 hee speaks of temporal mercies Yee do not deserve the least crumb of bread the least drop of water the worst rag to cover your nakedness 2 Not the least spiritual mercy Not the least measure of grace not the least measure of comfort It is not meet to cast the childrens bread unto dogs 3 Not the least eternal mercy Not the least degree of glory The rich man in Hell could not have one drop of those Rivers of pleasures Psal 16.11 If wee cannot deserve that which is temporal much less can wee deserve that which is spiritual least of all that which is eternal When wee have done all though wee could do as much as all the Angels in heaven yet in the conclusion wee must say Wee are unprofitable servants and wee must cry Grace Grace unto the salvation wee are made partakers of These four things put together shew abundantly what silly sorry things wee are and the serious consideration of any one of them would bee enough much more of all together to bring down those high and towring imaginations that exalt themselves against God and Jesus Christ and make you vile and base in your own eyes This would teach you these three things three special points of Self-denial 1 Not to depend upon your selves not to lean to your own wisdome not to follow the imaginations and counsel of your own hearts When a man shall think with himself in this manner I am nothing and I can do nothing I cannot do any thing of my self not any thing that is good not any good thing well either for body or soul the result must needs bee this Why should I then go out in my own strength Why should I bee self-confident in any thing that I am about to do as if I could compass it by my own strength or my own policy There is abundance of Self in this When men are called forth to act in any private duty or publick service how apt are they to go out in their own strength and to act in confidence of their own parts and abilities As Peter hee would confess Christ and stick close to him come what would of it whosoever should forsake him hee would not flinch Now to help against such thoughts as these what better than to act in the sight and sense of our own nothingness When wee come to preach or pray or discourse or administer justice or buy or sell c. to think thus Lord of my self I can do nothing but mine eyes are wholly upon thee 2 Not to ascribe unto your selves this would inable you to say Non nobis Domine Not unto us Not unto us O Lord but to thy Name bee the praise and glory There is abundance of Self in this in arrogating and ascribing all or part to our selves as if in some things we might thank our selves and were not beholding either to God or Christ Wee are very prone if wee have any thing or if wee have done any thing that is praise-worthy to take the glory of it to our selves 1 If wee have any thing that hath an excellency in it wee are apt to boast as if wee had not received it which fault the Apostle took notice of and sharply reprehended amongst the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.7 If wee have a fairer face a more comely body a more elegant speech c. If wee have a quicker apprehension a more acute judgement a more faithful memory c. we are apt to think if not to boast as if wee had it from our selves and were not beholding for it to another Now what an excellent means for the curing of this pride and vain-glory is the consideration of our own nothingness that what wee are wee are by the grace of God as the Apostle By the grace of God I am that I am It is free Grace hath made a difference where there was none by nature The neglect of this makes us rob God of abundance of glory 2 If wee have done any thing that hath an excellency in it wee are too much taken with it 1 Wee spend time in reflecting upon it in our own thoughts in admiring our selves for it thinking how bravely
of God wee shall bee shut out of heaven The next thing here required is 2 To aim at it as our end When a man aims at a mark hee hath it in his eye looks off from all other things and fixeth his eye upon that alone This then is another part of the Direction Aim at the recompence of reward that is make it your design and the scope of all your actions that you may attain it 1 This would make things of the world of small account with us 1 The good things of the world as pleasures profits and honours See Heb. 11.9 10-35 vers 2 The evil things of the world Christ for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame Heb. 12.2 Paul speaks of his manifold sufferings as but one light affliction while hee looked not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4.17 2 This would turne the scales in any temptation You know a man sets at nought all things whatsoever they be that will not further him to the attaining of his end which his heart is set upon as his chief good and therefore offer him never so much hee will not regard it if it make not for his end and though never so many difficulties way-lay him hee makes nothing of them that so hee may attain his end Thus it is with one whose heart is set upon the recompence of reward though the Devil come with temptations of pleasure or profit saying All these will I give thee yet hee prevails not so when with afflictions c. 3 This would make us press forward with strength of resolution in our Christian race so that nothing should bee able to turn us out of our way See Phil. 3.14 Come to one that is running a race and tell him of such a merry meeting such a good bargain c. hee will not hearken there is no talking to him So it is with a Christian that hath nothing more in his thoughts than that hee may come to the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The Fourteenth Direction 14 Set faith a worke bee much in the exercise of faith Faith hath a mighty influence upon the soul to the inabling of it in the practice of this duty of Self-denial Read over the Eleventh of the Hebrews wherein you have a little book of Martyrs containing the Acts and Monuments of a number of Saints before Christs coming in the flesh all which by the exercise of this grace of faith overcame the world the Devil and Self the greatest enemy of all Quest Wherin lyes the power of faith to carry a man through this duty of Self-denial Answ 1. Faith doth mightily convince a man that it is his duty to deny himself Till a man bee convinced that it is his duty hee will never deny himself till hee see that hee is obliged hee will never make conscience of it This is the first thing wherein the power of faith is seen in inabling a man to deny himself Now faith doth this three wayes 1 It takes special notice of the command of Self-denial As If any man will come after mee let him deny himself Mat. 16.24 Bee not conformed to this world but bee yee transformed Rom. 12.2 Bee kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another vers 10. Minde not high things but condescend to men of low estate vers 16. Bee not wise in your own conceits ibid. Recompence to no man evil for evil vers Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification Rom. 15.2 Let nothing bee done through strife or vain-glory but in low liness of minde let each esteem other better than themselves Phil. 2.3 Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others vers 4. Whensoever one is tempted in any sinful way to seek himself faith if it bee exercised brings in some command or other to the contrary Faith deals much in the commands As it carries the soul out of it self for subsistence by vertue of a promise so it carries it above and beyond nay contrary to it self in operation and working by vertue of a precept Faith is the principal grace that brings the soul into obedience unto Christ in Gospel-duties therefore the obedience of the Gospel is called the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 Now this it doth first by setting before the soul some command or other which must bee considered of before any thing bee done one way or other But this is not all Besides this 2 It makes a full discovery of the true minde and meaning of it It tells not onely that there is a command but what it is that is commanded It discovers not onely in the general that it is a duty but also in particular wherein it lyes It is not enough that wee have a command but it must bee rightly interpreted When men judge of a command by their own wisdome they give no other interpretation of it than may accord with their own lusts so making it to speak as they would have it And thus it is before faith Men conceit they can serve God and themselves too God and Mammon well enough whatsoever the command saith to the contrary notwithstanding There seems Indeed to bee some contradiction but they know how to reconcile it by the fair and candid construction that they make of it And hence they will have to do with the command as well as others for though in one sense they grant it makes against them yet in another which they put upon it it makes nothing at all against them if it make not for them so that they often plead that for their justification which is the onely thing that condemns them Saul interpreting the command by carnal policy qualifies it so as might serve his own turn and therefore notwithstanding the command hee thinks hee might do as hee did and afterwards stands upon it that he had performed it 1 Sam. 15 13-20 I but now when faith comes it gives the true sense of the Command and will not suffer carnal reason to bee the Interpreter but tells the soul This is the meaning and nothing else And it silenceth all objections to the contrary so that the soul hath nothing to say or plead against the Command in any of the specialties of it but that all is holy just and good and must bee obeyed Faith stops the mouth of carnal reason and brings it to a non-plus Faith brings in the command with spiritual evidence and demonstration Now a thing is then demonstrated when a man sees that it must needs be so and cannot be otherwise when all objections are answered and nothing left to create the least shaddow of doubt or scruple concerning it but it presently vanisheth before the brightness of the appearance of the evidence of it When this is done then 3 It mightily
also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God Rev. 2.7 Hee that overcometh shall not bee hurt of the second death vers 11. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which us man knoweth saving hee that receiveth it vers 17. Hee that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and hee shall rule them with a red of iron vers 26 27. And I will give him the morning star vers 28. Hee that overcometh the same shall bee cloathed in white raiment and I will not blat out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels Rev. 3.5 Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the temple of my God and hee shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new Name vers 12. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with mee in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne vers 21. 2 It makes a clear representation of the great and glorious things contained in these promises and gives the soul assurance of them The Apostle tells us of faith that it is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 1 The substance or subsistence of things hoped for it gives them a substantial being long before they bee as if they did already actually exist Hence the object of faith is present that is faith considers it as present Faith beleeves that God doth answer before hee answers As God in answering sometimes prevents our asking Isa 65.24 Before they call I will answer so when faith is exercised it prevents Gods answering Before the Lord giveth I know I have it Faith reallizeth the blessings promised before they have a being When mercies are but in their principles in their conception and birth when they are but in their cradle and swadling bands faith speaks as gloriously of them as if they were fully acted and grown up before the eye And therefore it is 2 The evidence or demonstration of things not seen not onely because it apprehends them which neither sense nor reason doth but because it apprehends them and discovers them unto the soul as cloathed upon with so much certainty and reality When a man can discern no ground of incouragement either by sense or reason faith spies it presently Now this hath a mighty influence on the soul to carry it on in a way of Self-denial While we look not at the things which are seen but at things which are not seen saith Paul We count our sufferings but a light affliction 2 Cor. 4.17 18. By this means it begets hope in the soul as by the other fear and this makes one resolute to undertake any service though never so difficult and ready to undergo any suffering though never so dangerous in obedience to the will of God for his glory This it doth by giving the soul a sight of God in these promises 1 As able Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleef but was strong in faith giving glory to God being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able also to perform Rom. 4.20 21. 2 As faithful to accomplish them Through faith also Sarah her self received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a childe when shee was past age because shee judged him faithful who had promised Heb. 11.11 Answ 3. Faith sets a-work all other graces which are requisite to bee exercised in any one act of Self-denial and secures them in their working This appears partly in the former particular by what hath been said of fear and hope but I shall speak more directly and fully unto it in this There is not any one act of Self-denial but to the performance of it there is required the acting of several graces in their kinde so that if any one of these graces should not bee acted there would bee no acting of the rest and consequently no Self-denial the act of Self-denial would bee prevented Now faith hath a mighty influence upon every grace to set it a work according to the nature and quality of the duty that is to bee performed and to maintain it in its working so that it shall prevail I will shew this in these four particulars 1 That to every act of Self-denial is required the exercise of several graces 2 That if any one of those which are required should bee stopt and hindred in its acting there would bee a stop of all the rest and consequently no Self-denial 3 That faith hath a mighty influence to set all of them a work 4 That faith secures them in their working 1 To every act of Self-denial there is required the exercise of several particular graces several graces must bee exercised in the judgement and in the will and in the affections See an instance in Moses his Self-denial Heb. 11.25 26 27. of grace exercised 1 In his judgement Hee esteemed the repreach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt vers 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accounting or judging or having accounted or judged c. 2 In his will hee refused to bee called the Son of Pharaohs daughter vers 24. and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season vers 25. 3 In his affection Hee forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King vers 27. Some acts of Self-denial consists meerly in the exercise of grace others are performed by the exercise of grace These are the inward acts of Self-denial which are terminated within the minde these are the external acts To both are required the acting of several graces As grace is not single in its being so not in its working as there is a connexion of graces in the habit so likewise in the operation 2 If any one of those which are required should bee stopt and hindred in its acting there would bee a stop of all the rest and consequently no Self-denial As there is a conjunction so likewise there is a dependance of the several graces one upon another a conjunction in their being and a dependance in their working so that if one bee stopt all the rest stop too As it is in a watch if one wheel stop all the wheels when they come to the motion of that wheel stop too When there is required three or four particular graces to the making up of one and the same act of Self-denial if any one of them bee wanting
sincerity without any hypocritical reservation and bollownesse Resolution as a strong stream bears down all before it Little good is done in Religion without this and with it all is as good as done Dr. Sibbs Souls Conflict cap. 28.442 particular Covenant for Self-denial that is seriously and solemnly to promise that in and through the strength of Christ you will carefully avoid such and such particular wayes wherein at any time you have given contentment to the flesh I have made a Covenant with mine eyes saith Job why then should I looks upon a Maid Job 31.1 and that come what will of it if God give you life and liberty you will perform such and such particular duties that at any time you have neglected David sware unto the Lord and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house nor go up into my bed I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eye-lids until I finde out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob Psal 132.2 3 4 5. Till you bee able thus to binde your selves you will never bee constant in your obedience but you will play fast and loose with God Let mee put this Question to you Have you not often been under convictions of sin in neglecting such a duty and have not such thoughts as these come into your minde It is best to promise by a solemn Vow and Covenant unto God that I will never neglect this duty more have you not been much pressed and urged by the importunity of conscience to enter into such a Covenant to make such a Vow and have you not been afraid to do it lest afterwards you should not omit it with so much ease as before and therefore have put it off from time to time Well consider what hath been the issue Hath not this refusal to ingage brought you within a while to a total omission of the duty Again It may bee you have been much pressed in spirit to covenant against such a particular sin but you have been loath to bee bound up and therefore have satisfied conscience with some purposes against it you have resolved you would not commit any more and you have made that to serve the turn notwithstanding you have been ever and anon put in minde by some secret whisper of conscience to make a solemn Covenant and Vow against it Well see what hath come of it have you not relapsed again and again into that sin notwithstanding all your purposes and resolutions against it Hath it not proved the stumbling-block of your iniquity You will never bee able to deny your selves in abandoning any evil as you ought till you bee willing to come under the strictest engagement that is against it The Nineteenth Direction 19 Imitate the Lord Jesus Christ See what an example of Self-denial hee hath given you 1 Though hee was the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 and Jam. 2.1 The brightness of the Fathers glory Heb. 1.3 yet bee sought not his own glory Joh. 8.50 Though hee was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to bee equal to God Phil. 2.6 yet hee made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man and being found in fashion as a man hee humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross vers 7.8 Now think with your selves what the glory is that of right must s At the very instant wherein the Son advanced our nature into the highest pitch of dignity by admitting it into the unity of his sacred person that nature so assumed was worthy to bee crowned with all glory and bonour and hee in that nature might them have set himself down at the right hand of the Throne of God If hee had minded only his own things hee might at the very first have attained unto the joy that was set before him but looking on the things of others hee chose rather to come by a tedious way and wearisome journey unto it not challenging the priviledge of a Son but taking upon him the form of a mean servant Whereupon in the dayes of his flesh bee did not serve as an honourable Commander in the Lords Host but as an ordinary Souldier hee made himselfe of no reputation for the time as it were emptying himselfe of his high State And Dignity Bishop Usher Mystery of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God page 10. needs accompany the personal presence of God in a man whom hee hath taken up to bee one person with him Consider what glory it is that Christ hath now in heaven since his ascension and session at Gods right hand there why this was his right and due the very first moment of his Incarnation onely hee was contented to bee a while without it for the accomplishing of the work of our Redemption 2 Though hee was the Heire of all things Heb. 1.2 Though the earth was his and the fulness thereof 1 Cor. 10.26 28. yet hee sought not his owne wealth but became poor for our sakes 2 Cor. 8.9 The foxes have holes and the birds of the aire have neasts but the Son of man had not where to lay his head Matth. 8.20 3 Though all power in heaven and in earth was given to him Matth. 28.18 yet being called to suffer hee would not save himself Matth. 16.23 Though hee could have prest Legions of Angels yet hee would not permit any one to strike a blow in his quarrel Matth. 26.52 53. but voluntarily subjected himself to the power and force of his blood-thirsty enemies I might here multiply particulars but that I hasten to a conclusion There is scarce any one duty of Self-denial but wee have an example of it in the practice of our Saviour and therefore it is requisite that wee have it continually in our eye And it will bee of great advantage what ever it bee wherein wee are called to deny our selves not only by way of Direction for it but by way of t Because the soul never worketh better than when it is raised up by some strong and sweet affection let us look upon our nature as it is in Christ in whom it is pure sweet calme meeke every way lovely This sight is a changing sight Love is an affection of imitation wee affect a likeness to him wee love Let us learn of Christ to hee humble and meeke and then wee shall finde rest to our soules The setting of an excellent Idea and platform before us will raise and draw up our soules higher and make us sensible of the least moving of spirit that shall be contrary to that the attainment whereof wee have in our desires Hee will hardly attain to mean things that sets not before him higher persection Sibbs Souls Conflict c. o. 137. Motive to it which is the reason that from hence the several duties of Self-denial