[2.] Other things are only evil respectively as they prove idols or snares to us ; and so life, and all the ornaments, comforts, and con- veniences of life ; as liberty, honours, wealth, friends, health, they are all called self. The reason is, because by love, which is the affection of union, they are incorporated with us, and become parts of us: Hosea iv. 18, 'Ephraim is joined to idols;' they are cemented with them. Now that which is to be denied in these things is not so much the thing itself, but our corruption that mingleth with them, and causeth them to become a snare to the soul.
The point that I shall insist on out of the whole is —
Doct. That it is the duty of all that would be Christ's disciples to deny themselves.
I shall handle the doctrine of self-denial —
1. In general.
2. In its several kinds and subjective parts.
First, In general. In managing this argument, I shall use this method, viz. —
1. Give the extent of self-denial.
2. The reasons of this duty, with the most effectual motives and arguments of persuasion.
3. The signs by which we may know whether we omit or practise it.
4. The helps which the scripture prescribes for our furtherance in so great a work.
First, And as a foundation for all the rest, I shall consider the ex- tent of this duty, both in regard of the object, or the things which are to be denied, and in regard of the subject, or the persons who are to practise it.
182 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BooK I.
1. Fur tlie object— A man's own self, it is a bundle of idols. Since God was laid aside, self succeeded in the crown ; we set up everything that we call our own. Everything before which we may put that pos- sessive ' ours' may be abused and set up as a snare, all the excellences and comforts of human life, both inward and outward.
For the understanding of this, and. that you may know how far self is to be denied, I must premise some genei-al considerations, and then instance in some particulars ; for it seemeth harsh and contrary to reason that a man should deny himself, since nature teacheth a man to love himself and cherish himself: Eph. v. 29, ' No man ever hated his own flesh ; ' and grace doth not disallow it. Therefore —
[1.] In general, you must know when respects to self are culpable. There is a lawful self-love — ' Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' James ii. 8 ; in which there is, not only a direction to love our neigh- bour, but a concession and allowance implied to love ourselves; and in so doing, we do well. By an innocent and natural respect nature for- tifies itself, and seeks its own preservation. A man may respect him- self in a regular way. That self which we must hate or deny is that self which stands in opposition to God or competition with him, and so jostleth with him for the throne; lay aside God, and self steppeth in as the next heir; it is the great idol of the world, ever since the fall, when men took the boldness to depose and lay aside God, as it were, self succeeded in the throne. Fallen man, like Keuben, went up to his father's bed. Self intercepted all those respects and embraces which were due to God himself, and so man became both his own idol and idolater. It is with God and self as it was with Dagon and the ark , they can never stand together in competition ; set up the ark, and Dagon must fall upon his face ; set up Dagon, and the ark is deposed and put down. Well then, if we would know when self is sinfully re- spected, we must consider what are the rights and the undoubted flowers of the crown of heaven ; I mean, what are those special privi- leges and respects that are so appropriated to the godhead, as that they cannot without treason to the King of all the earth, be alienated from him or communicated to any creature. Now these are four: —
(1.) To be the first cause, upon whom all things depend in their being and operation.
(2.) To be the chiefest good, and therefore to be valued above all beings, interests, and concernments in the world.
(3.) To be the highest lord and most absolute sovereign, who swayeth all things by his laws and providence.
(4.) To be the last end, in which all things do at length terminate and centre.
1st As God is the first cause, so he would keep up the respects of the world to his majesty by dependence and trust. Now it is the ambition of man to affect an independency, to be a god to himself, sufficient for his own happiness. Our first parents greedily catched at that bait: — ' Ye shall be as gods,' Gen. iii. 5. The devil meant it not in a blessed conformity, but a cursed self-sufficiency ; and we are all apt to be taken in the same snare, which certainly is a very grievous sin. Nothing can be more hateful to God, This therefore is a great