So for men of private stations. It is not the duty of public persons only, all conditions are liable to self-seeking; many times your private callings may be against the public interest, either of religion or civil welfare, as they that made shrines for Diana, when the gospel came, and reformation likely to be wrought, Acts xix. 24, they cried, ' Our gain will be gone.' Therefore in this case you should be content to sink and to suffer loss, as the lighter elements descend to conserve the universe. Or, it may be, you have thriven by iniquity of traffic ; now you are to deny yourselves by making restitution : Luke xix. 8, ' I will restore fourfold, and give to the poor.' Kestitution is a hard duty, but a necessary one; and you must vomit up your sweet morsels where- with you have surefeited, or else conscience will not be healthy. And so for other callings and relations : minister and people. Ministers, of all men, had most need to practise this duty. We are to deny our own ends. How many carnal ends may a man promote by his service in the ministry ? Fame, applause, the satisfying of our necessity ; we are not to preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. We are to deny ourselves in our learning and parts ; we are debtors to the learned and unlearned, we are to become all things to all ; and ChrisC hath lambs as well as sheep. We must be content to go hack ten degrees, that we may condescend to all, not to soar aloft in speculation ; possibly this may be more for our fame and repute of learning, but less for profit. So for people : in hearing you must deny the curiosity of the ear, that others may profit by plainer lessons, and that every one may have his portion in due season. It is a great part of self-denial to suffer the words of exhortation, (ruilt is apt to recoil when tender parts are touched. Now you are to deny yourselves, to love the reproof
186 A TKEATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK I.
as well as the comfort, and count it precious oil. Consider the submis- sion that was in Hezekiah when the prophet came with the bitter threatening of a curse that should cleave to his posterity — ' Good is the word of the Lord ! ' a sweet submission of a sanctified judgment, Tsa. xxxix. 8. All that was good in it was, that it should not come in his days. So also for all sexes : it is a duty for men ; not only for men, who are called out to public actions, but for women also, they are to deny themselves in their delicacies of life, that they may exer- cise themselves in the grave duties of religion, that they may not wax wanton. It is necessary also in all duties ; to instance in those two great ones which do divide and take up the whole christian life, prayer and praise, both of them should be practised with self-denial. When we come for grace, we should deny our own merit — 0 Lord, not for our own righteousness. And when grace is received, when we come to praise God, self must vanish, that God may have all the praise, Mat. 16. When the good servant gives an account of his faithfulness, he saith, ' Not my industry, but thy pound hath gained ten pounds ; ' he gives it all to grace. So 1 Cor. xv. 10, the apostle checks himself, as if he had spoken unbeseeming — ' I laboured more than you all, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me ; ' so Gal. ii. 20, ' I live,' then presently draws in his words again, ' not I, but Christ liveth in me.' As the elders throw their crowns at the Lamb's feet, so all our excellences must be laid at the feet of Christ ; as the stars disappear when the sun ariseth, so we must shrink into nothing in our own thoughts. When Joab had conquered Eabba, he sent for David to take the garland of honour ; so when we have done anything by grace, we must send for Christ to take the honour. Prayer is the humble appeal to mere}', disclaiming of merit ; and praise is the setting of the crown upon Christ's head; not I, but the grace of God that is wrought in me.
To apply this, all men are to practise this duty, in all things, at all times, and with all their hearts.
[1.] All men are to practise it. Oh ! do not put it off to others ; no man can exempt himself. Usually, when these duties are pressed, we think they are calculated for men in great places, and rich men ; but it is a duty that lies upon all, all are apt to seek themselves. When Christ spake something concerning Peter, it is said, 'Peter looked about on the disciple Jesus loved.' So we are apt to look about to others. Look for it, before you die you will be eminently called to this service. Never christian went out of this world, but, one time or other, God tried him in some eminent point of self-denial. As it is said, God tempted Abraham, tried him in that difficult point of offer- ing his son, Gen. xxii. 1 ; so Christ tried the young man — ' Go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor,' Mat. xxii.