One branch of self-denial here treated of is the denial of our own wills, not only in a subjection to God's laws, but in a submission to his providences ; and how congruous and fit a thing is it that the author of our beings should govern us and dispose of us according to his own pleasure ! Men do what they will with their own ; and God's right to them, and to everything that they have, is far more absolute than their right can possibly be over themselves, or anything that is theirs ; especially when his right to them is what they have owned and consented to when they entered into his covenant, and chose him for their God, and gave up themselves and all they had to him to be at his disposal. Can it be thought that God deals hardly with any when he takes fi-om them, not only what he has given to them, but what they themselves have given back to him again in their covenant-engagement ? He is a God, and therefore can do no wrong to his creature ; and he is their God, and therefore will do them no harm. As he is a God, he is under
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178 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
110 law, but his own nature and will ; and as he is their God, he is engaged by covenant to make all occurrences work for their good in the issue. And what if God withdraw the endeared objects of their affections, that the beams of their love, being contracted, may more strongly centre upon his most amiable and blessed self; that the world beiug embittered to them, they may more earnestly long for their heavenly country ; and that finding the sweetest flowers here to be fading and withering, they may loosen their hold of all things here be- low, and take the faster hold upon God and eternal life. Sure such providences ought to be entertained not only with submission, but thanksgiving.
The great and powerful instrument by which God works these blessed effects in the liearts of his people is faith, which is a grace of his own operation ; that faith which unites the soul to Christ and fetches in those supplies from the covenant of grace which are for their support and comfort in all their afflictions : that faith which realiseth the un- seen glory, presentiateth our future hopes, looketh beyond time to eternity, and so deadeneth the heart to all the delights and smooth pleasures of sense, and reconcileth it to all the rougher paths of God's providences. How excellent, useful, and pleasant a life is this life of faith, which the author handles in the other treatise!
Your ladyship being so well instructed in the school of Christ, hav- ing for so many years sat under the ministry of the worthy author of these following treatises and sermons, I doubt not but your serious thoughts have often suggested these and many other such-like consid- erations for your encouragement and support under God's afflicting hand ; and may you every day find more and more relief from them! Yet I hope your ladyship will pardon the liberty I have taken of being your remembrancer herein, the place in which I have the honour to serve your ladyship in your family for so many years obliges me thereto; and I am the more encouraged to hope for your favourable acceptance hereof, having been a witness of so many instances of your ladyship's condescending goodness.
May the great God of heaven and earth enrich with the choicest blessings my noble lord and your ladyship, that you may be examples of a holy, self-denying obedience and active faith ; and so by how much the more conspicuous you are in that eminent station God hath set your honours in, by so much the more useful and exemplary you may be to all that are about you. That God would lengthen out both your years to further usefulness, and after a long and fruitful life here on earth, and a large experience of the goodness of God to yourselves, and those that have descended from each of you, you may be gathered into God's garner as a full-ripe shock of corn coming in its season. So prays, as in duty bound, right honourable your ladyship's most obedient servant and chaplain,
William Tatlob.
A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL.
BOOK I.
If any man loill come after me, let him deny himself — Mat svi. 24.
The occasion of these words standeth thus : Christ had foretold his passion, and Peter taketh ofifence. The cross though it be the badge of Christianity, is always displeasing to flesh and. blood, and we dislike heaven, not for itself, but for the way we travel to the land of promise, through a howling wilderness. Carnal fancy iraagineth a path strewed with lilies and roses : we are too tender-footed to think of briers and thorns. Peter giveth vent to his distaste by carnal counsel — * Master, favour thyself.' Peter's speech to his master is much like the voice of the flesh or Satan in our own hearts ; when duty cannot be done without diSiculty and disadvantages, our carnal hearts say, Favour thyself, let this be far from thee. Christ rebuked Peter, or rather the devil in Peter — ' Get thee behind me, Satan.' God's own children may often play Satan's game. Peter speaketh out of an innocent affection and rest)ect to his Master, and the devil hath a hand in it. And therefore it is a high point of spiritual wisdom to be skilled in his enterprises — ' We are not ignorant of his devices,' saith the apostle, 2 Cor. ii. 11. The devil turns and winds on every band ; the same Satan that stirred up the high-priests to crucify Christ, sets his own disciple upon him, to dissuade him from being crucified. He was afraid of the work of redemption, and therefore seeketh either to binder the sufferings of Christ, or to make them so ignominious that the scandal might take off from the efficacy. When Christ was upon the cross he })layeth the same game, but by other instruments : Mat. xxvii. 40, ' If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.' Though he had our Saviour at that pass, yet he was afraid what the work would come to. It is very notable that when Christ rebuketh Peter, he doth with the same severity check the devil, tempting him to idolatry, and Peter dissuad- ing him from sufferings; it is spoken to both, ' Get thee behind me, Satan,' compare Mat iv. 10, with ver. 23 of this chapter. So strong an inclination had our Lord to die for us, that he looked upon carnal pity to his person with the same indignation and scorn which he doth upon a temptation to idolatry. However, the condescension and tender- neFS of Christ to his erring disciple is to be observed : he doth not only rebuke him, but instruct him, and the rest of his disciples. Thus can Christ make an advantage of our failings ; Peter's carnal counsel was