[2.] My next proviso is that you will sometimes make the world give way to grace, and rather encroach upon your temporal than spiri- tual necessities. Too, too often we find the ' lean kine devour the fat.' Now it is good sometimes to take revenge, and let grace encroach upon the world, for special and solemn duties. Look, as it is a sin to feed without fear, so it is a sin to trade without fear, lest we should be too much in the world, Kemember, ' we are debtors, not to the flesh,' Eom. viii. 12. Did we promise we would be all for the flesh ? No, but rather we are ' debtors to the Spirit,'we have entered into covenant to gain all opportunities for heaven. It is better to make business give way to duty, than duty to business. Bernard hath a pretty ex- pression, Felix ilia domus tthi Martha queritur de Maria — That is a happy family where Martha is complaining of Mary ; when the world complains of duty, rather than duty complains of the world, for the greatest part of our time and care should be spent in the work of God.
4. The great trial of our esteem and love to God is when duty and interest are utterly severed. When we are put upon an exigency or strait either to deny ourselves or Christ ; as in the similitude of the dog following his master, when two walk together in company, we do not know whose he is ; but when they part, the matter is tried. God and mammon may sometimes walk together, but when they part company, you are put to your choice, whether you will leave God or the company of mammon. I leave all upon this decision, because such
Book I.] a treatise of self-denial. 271
straits and cases are called BoKL7]i,a<;, trials — ' Knowing the trial of your faith worketh patience;' and 'count it all joy when ye fall into divers trials/ James i. Our affections are brought into the lists, and God and angels sit as spectators to behold the combat. Here are deliber- ate debates ; and when in a deliberate debate the world gets the victory of conscience, it is an ill sign ; here you show whether your esteem and a solid complacency be in God or no. The things of religion, in the absence of a temptation, seem best, but when you are brought to an actual choice, either of duty or sin — when duty is left without sensible encouragement, or loaded with sensible discouragement, what will you do then ? which will you prefer ? Eev. xii. 11, ' They loved not their lives unto the death ; ' when it came to the pinch. A temptation, represented in fancy and speculation, is nothing so terrible as it is in its own appearance. We may be of great confidence in fancy, as Peter was ; but when we are called out to death itself, then not to love our friends or lives, to hazard the frowns of a father, the familiarity of kindred, provisions for your children, it is a sign your love to God is real. It is true, in such a case as this is, a child of God may be over- borne by the violence of such a temptation, but speedily he retracts his error. Here is the great trial, when we are called out (as first or last we are) to break a law or hazard an interest, to please men or to please God ; then are we put to it, to see if we will deny ourselves or Christ. The high priest under the law had the names of the tribes upon his breast, but the name of God on his front or forehead — Exod. xxviii. 29, compared with 37 — to show that he was to love the people, but to honour God ; an emblem of every christian, if his relations be on his breast, yet the honour of God must be on his forehead. That interest must be chief and predominant ; when we can venture upon the dis- pleasure of God to gratify our interest, this is to love ourselves more than God.
But you will say, Many of us are still left in the dark, every one is not called to martyrdom and public contests. How shall we judge of our own hearts, and know Avhether we have this kind of faulty sell- love ? whether we mistake and misplace ourselves, or not ? I answer, We need not wish for these cases, they will come fast enough, before we come to heaven. But if they come not, there are a great many other cases by which you may try your souls— cases that do not belong- to martyrdom. I shall (1.) Show what are the acts of self-love ; (2.) What showeth the reign and state of it ; (3.) Give some remedies.
1. The acts of this kind of self-love are many. All sins are a conversion from God to the creature ; and so far as we sin, we prefer the creature before God. But there are some special acts of sin that are to be taxed and censured upon this occasion. When a man can break a law to salve an interest, and makes duty to give way to relations, this is to venture on God's displeasure to gratify a friend. No affection to the creature should di-aw us to ofiend God. So it is said to Eli ; 1 Sam. ii. 29, ' Thou honourest thy sons above me.' Eli did not think so, in his heart ; but this was the interpretation of his act. By virtue of his office he should have put them by the priesthood ; but he chose rather to please his sons than God, and was more careful of the credit of his sons than of the credit of God's worship, which was extremely scand-