2. Because no creature can be sui juris at his own dispose, and to live according to its own pleasure. If any might plead exemption, then certainly Christ, as man, might, because of the glorious fellowship that was between the human and divine nature. But see, when Christ took human nature, he was bound to submit his human will to the Godhead ; when he took our nature, he took our obligation upon himself, and therefore he saith, Heb. x. 9, ' Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God.' AVhen Christ came into the world, this was his work, to do his Father's will. He brought himself into the condition of a creature, and then, having taken our nature, he was to take our obligation upon himself, which Christ performed. Christ and his Father had but one will between them both : John v. 30, ' I seek not my own will, but the will of my Father that sent me ; ' there was a perfect resignation. Christ did so obey as if he had no private human will of his own, but only the will of his Father. Christ did not look to his own ends, to the safety and conveuiency of his human nature, but to what was his Father's will. And wilt thou stand upon terms with God ? And dost thou think thou art too great to submit and stoop to God ? Xay, consider the holy angels, that have many privileges above man, yet they have no exemption from duty and homage ; they have many privileges, freedom from troubles, sicknesses, diseases, and from all the infirmities and clogs of the flesh, but they are not freed from obedience — ' They obey his commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word,' Ps. ciii. 23. — The Psalmist speaks of the angels there, they still owe homage to their creator. Those courtiers of heaven are servants of God, and followers with us in the same obedience. Now Christ in his prayer, Mat. vi., hath referred us to the example of his angels — ' Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.' You upon earth are not held to a harder law than they are in heaven ; they obey his will, and so must you. Certainly, no men are too good nor too great to obey God. If the example of the angels be too high, then look to all the creatures, they obey God, and somtimes contrary to their natural tendency and motion, as the sun stood still ; and it is said in the Gospel, Mat. viii. that ' the winds and seas obeyed him.' Man only is eccentric and exorbitant in his motions ; they glorify God in their way. The sun shall rise up in
244 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK I.
judgment against many a carnal wretch, God hath set to them a decree, beyond which they shall not pass ; and they obey the laws of their creation, but we are disobedient, and break through all restraints.
3. Consider the right God hath to us, as we are his creatures, and as we are new creatures ; as we are bare creatures, we hold our being and all that we have continually from God. Now you know, the more a man holds of a lord, the more homage he is bound to perform. Thou boldest thy life and all thy comforts by his allowance ; the more thou hast, the more is due, though usually it be quite contrary : the more we have from God, the more we slight him. Qui majores terras pos- sident, minores census solvunt — Many times, they that hold the greatest lands pay the least rent ; so the more we hold from God, the less care- ful we are to give in i>eturns of obedience to him : Jer. v. 5, ' I went to the great men, but they have altogether broken the yoke.' Those that have more means of instruction, that have higher breeding, have greater obligations upon them ; but these usually are the worst. A horse that is kept low is easily ruled by his rider ; but when he grows lusty and fat, he lifts up the heel against him, and will not suffer the bit ; so when men grow great and prosperous, when God hath fenced them with pros- perity, then they wax wanton and disobedient. And as we are new creatures : 1 Peter iv. 2, ' That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.' The great aim of grace is to cure the disorders of the will, and to bring us into a stricter bond of service to the Lord ; therefore usually at con- version this is made explicit by our own solemn vow. A good heart is contracted to Christ, as an evil heart is to the world : Cant. ii. 16, * My beloved is mine.' All that is thine is God's ; you have no will of your own, you have given up yourselves to another ; take heed of re- tracting the vows of your solemn covenant and fealty that you have sworn to God.
4. There is a great deal of reason our wills should be given up to the will of God, because we are not able to manage them ourselves. By the laws and customs of all nations fools and madmen are to be ruled by their kindred, not to be left to their own wills, but to the will of another ; now naturally we are mad fools, as Titus iii. 3, ' Foolish and disobedient,' and have not the guidance of our own will ; therefore it is not fit that it should be left in our power, but given up to God. If we be our own pilots, we shall soon shipwreck ourselves. When God requires the resignation of our will, it is but the taking a sword out of a madman's hands. A man's own will, it is the cause of all the mis- chief that comes to him, and, at last, of his ruin. Tolle voluntatem, tolle infernum, saith Bernard — There would be no hell were it not for the perverseness of a man's will. It is Chrysostom's ])Osition, Nemo Icediiur, nisi a seipso — Man could never be hurt were it not for him- self and his own will ; others may trouble us, but cannot hurt us ; the devil may tempt us, but not hurt us till we consent ; theworld may frown upon us, but it cannot harm us ; so the apostle intimates, 1 Peter iii. 13, ' Who can harm you if you be followers of that which is good ? ' It is presently added in the next verse, ' But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.' Men may trouble and molest you, but cannot