2. This hath been practised, not only by the master, but by all the fellows in the same school. Christ set the first copy, and all the saints have written after it, some better, some worse : Kom. xiv. 7, ' None of us liveth to himself, and none dieth to himself , for whether we live, we live to the Lord , and whether we die, we die unto the Lord.' In the context the apostle speaks of the difference of weak and. strong believers ; some weak, some strong, but they all agree in this, none of us, not one that hath given up his name to Christ, is allowedly a self-seeker ; none live to them- selves. The example of the saints is to be considered, lest we should think it exceeds the capacity of the creatuie, and that only Christ could practise it. We find the children of God, those among them that have made the highest progress in Christ's school, they have had lowest thoughts of self. Paul, that was a glorious apostle, yet he saith in one place, 1 Tim. i. 15, that ' he was the greatest of sinners ; ' and. in another place, Eph. iii. 8, thp.t ' he was less than the least of saints.' A man would have thought that Paul, with more congruity of speech, might have said, the greatest of saints and least of sinners, but he saith. the greatest of sinners, and the least of saints , not to lessen grace, but still to lessen self, and put a disgrace upon it. They that are the best scholars in this school most abhor self-conceit
Book I] a treatise of self-denial. 189
and self-seeking. As the laden boughs hang the head and bend downward, so do the children of God that have been most fruitful in the christian couise; as the sun, the higher it is, doth cast the least shadows ; so for self-seeking. 1 wonder how a man can look upon these two great instances of Moses and Paul without blushing. Of Moses : Num. xxxii. 32, ' Blot me out of thy book,' upon condition he would save the people ; as if he could take no comfort in his great spiritual privileges, when the glory of God should suffer loss by the loss of his people. So Kom. ix. 3, ' Let me be accursed from Christ, for my brethren that are in the flesh.' Paul, in an excess of zeal, could be willing to bear the common punisiiment for a common good. We, that are so tender of our honour and respect, so wedded to our ease and private interests, how can we look upon these without shame ? Can Paul and Moses wish to be a common sacrifice for God's glory, and for the redemption of others, and we be so tender to our own respects? Moses speaketh to God himself, and Paul calls God to witness — ' I lie not : ' Eom. ix. 1, 'I speak the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also beareth me witness in the Holy Ghost.' There is a treble oath and asseveration — 'I speak the truth,' 'I lie not,' ' the Spirit bears witness with my conscience.' Or rather, there is a double asseveration, with an appeal to two witnesses, both to the Spirit and conscience. Not as if they could wish for hardness of heart ; but with an excess of zeal they were carried so high in imitation of Christ, to part with their own happiness for a public good.
3. Jesus Christ may justly require it ; all the idols of the world expect it from their votaries. In nature we are sensible that all respects to divine powers are commended by self-denial. We see it in pagans ; when Baal was silent, his priests gashed themselves, 1 Kings xviii. 28 ; they cut themselves, after their manner, with knives and lances, so that the blood gushed out ; to gratify their idol, they would not spare their own blood. So those hypocrites, Micah vi. 6-8, see how liberal they are — ' Shall I give the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil,' &c. To part with a beast in sacri- fice, they thought it was not self-denial enough ; they devise something more costly, all their flocks and herds, their children, the fruit of their womb, their whole substance. So superstitious votaries among the papists, they mangle their flesh with scourges and whips, use excessive fasting and abstinence from meat, pinch their own flesh. And we fatten and feed ouiselves, and cannot deny ourselves for Christ. See the instance in spiritual idols, how worldly and carnal men can deny themselves to compass their ends : Ps. cxxvii. 2, 'They rise early, go to bed late, eat the bread of sorrow ; ' they can deny themselves of sleep, and food, and rest, and all in a devotion to worldly interests : Eccles. iv, 8, ' He bereaves his soul of all good.' There is no end of their toil ; with an unwearied patience they lay out their strength in vain pursuits. Many a covetous man doth shame many a godly man. Religion is a better thing ; shall lust do more with them than the love of Christ with thee ? Lust that will make a man labour in the very fire, though it be but for a thing of nought, to deny himself of the necessary support and conveniences of life. Consider the tyranny of worldly afiection. Certainly we should have a stronger impulse, for we have a better