196 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK I.
themselves up to God. Therefore it is notable, when the scripture speaks of wicked men, it is said, ' What hope hath the hypocrite, when God shall take away his soul ? ' and Luke xii. 19, ' This night shall thy soul be required of thee.' The children of God consent to give up their souls, estates, and friends, upon the call of providence. Tiiere is a subscription to God's will — ' It is the Lord.' Nay, there is not only patience, but they can even bless God, because his will is accomplished : Job i. 21, ' The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.' They can see as much cause of blessing God, not only when he doth enrich them, but when he doth impoverish them, and lays his hand upon them ; this is to cause our wills to be swallowed up in the will of God, and this is to be like the great jmttern Christ himself — ' Not my will, but thine be done ; ' we should not be like our great master if we did not this. Christ indeed prays against affliction, so may we. We should not liave known the greatness of his self-denial if he had not manifested his natural desires, but he re- fers himself to God. And so must we also.
[3.] When a man is vile in his own eyes, and reflecteth with most indignation upon his own sins. There are none that pass a severer doom than the children of God do upon themselves when they have sinned against God; they need no other judge than their own con- sciences to pa.ss a sentence upon them. Men naturally are apt to favour themselves ; they are slight in self-humiliation, and deep in censure of others. With indignation they reflect upon the sins of others, but with indulgence upon their own. As Judah, when it was told him, ' Tamar thy daughter liath jilayed the harlot ; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. Judah said, bring her forth, and let her be burnt,' Gen. xxxviii. 24. But when she showed him the tokens, and that he had defiled her, then he was calm enough. It is otherwise with God's children, no sins so odious to them as their own: 1 Tim. i. 15, 'Jesus Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' Oh, there is no such sinner in the world as I am, saitli Paul. So Prov. XXX. 2, ' Surely I am moi'e brutisli than any man, and I have not the understanding of a man.' How could a godly man say so ? It is the fruit of spiritual indignation. A godly man spends the most of his revenge and spiritual indignation upon himself. Oh, there cannot be a more brutish person than I have been, that have sinned against so many mercies, so many obligations, and so much light ! These are not compliments, but they speak them with bitter feeling. Saith Chrysostom, They do not only speak it in humility, but in truth. They can but know the sins of others by guess and imagination, but they feel their own sins, they know them by sense. As in sorrow we are apt to say. There is none like mine. Wiiy? Because we feel the gripes of our own pains. So the children of God, tliey feel how griev- ously they have sinned against God. Saith David, Ps. Ixxiii. 23, ' I was as a beast before thee.' Tliey know they have more mercies than others, and more obligations than others, therefore their offences seem to them to be more grievous. Well, if the heart be brought to this pass, that the heat of indignation is spent upon thy own sins, and these things be spoken not by rote and imitation, but out of deep sense and feeling, it is a comfortable sign that self is dethroned in thee.
Book I.] a treatise ot' self-denial. 197
Fourthly, To give you the means of seh'-denial, whereby this worl^. may be made more easy.
1. If you would deny yourselves, lessen your esteem and your affec- tion to worldly things. I join them together because affection follows esteem. If you would deny youi'self for Christ, you must prize the worst of Christ before the best of the world. See Ps Ixxxiv. 10, ' I had rather,' saith David, ' be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.^ When an earthen pitcher is broken, a man is not trouhled at it, because he hath not set his esteem and heart upon it, being but a trifle. What made Moses so eminent for selt-denial that he could refuse all the honours of Pharaoh's court, and choose rather ' to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ' ? It is said, ' He esteemed the reproach of Clu-ist to be greater riches, than the treasures of Egj-pt,' Heb. xi. 25. Moses' esteem was set right. Again, lessen the alTection ; the greatness of our affection causeth the greatness of our affliction. Therefore we are so troubled to part with things, because our hearts are too much set upon th m. AVe greaten the things of the world in our e^5teem and affection ; then it is a trouble to part with them for Christ's sake. Alas ! all these outvrard things, they serve but to prop up a tabernacle that is always falling. But how shall we lessen our esteem and affection ; is that in our power ? I answer, You may do much, deny lusts in their first motion, ere they grow upon your esteem and affection, and prevail by delight in the soul. When anything be- gins to sit too close and too near the heart, it is good for a christian then to be wary, and ask this question, How shall I deny this for God ? 1 Cor. vi. 12, 'I would not be brought under the power of anything.' Though the objects you converse withal be lawful, yet when they en- croach upon thy spirit, then deny them. And then take heed what ihou dost account thyself. It is a great part of christian prudence to know wliat is ourselves. Do not count sin thyself See how the apostle parts it, Rom. vii. 17, ' It is no more I, but sin that dwelletli in me.' Thou should.st be able to say concerning all carnal desires, It is not I, but sin. There is an old and corrupt self So thou shouldst not count the world tliyself, that is none of thee : Luke xii. 15, ' Take heed, and beware of covetousness.' What is the reason ? ' For man's life con- sisteth not in the abundance of what he possesseth.' It is not thy- self, thou are neither further from the grave nor the nearer to true contentment ; I may be happy without this.