But to proceed: As we must renounce our affection for riches, so likewise our affections for relations, when they stand in opposition to our love of, and duty to GOD: For thus saith the Saviour of the world: “If any man will come after me, and hateth not his father and mother, his children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Strange doctrine this! What, hate our own flesh! What, hate the father that begat us, the mother that bare us! How can these things be? Can GOD contradict himself? Has he not bid us to honour our father and mother? and yet we are here commanded to hate them. How can these truths be reconciled? By interpreting the word hate, not in a rigorous and absolute sense, but comparatively: not as implying a total alienation, but a less degree of affection. For thus our blessed Saviour himself (the best and surest expositor of his own meaning) explains it in a parallel text, _Matthew_ x. 37. “He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: He that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.” So that when the persuasions of our friends (as for our trial they may be permitted to be) are contrary to the will of GOD, we must say with _Levi_, “we have not known them;” or, agreeably to our blessed LORD’s rebuke to _Peter_, “Get you behind me, my adversaries; for you savour not the things that be of GOD, but the things that be of man.”
Farther, we must deny ourselves in things indifferent: for it might easily be shewn, that as many, if not more, perish by an immoderate use of things in themselves indifferent, as by any gross sin whatever. A prudent christian therefore, will consider not only what is lawful, but what is expedient also: not so much what degrees of self-denial best suit his inclinations here, as what will most effectually break his will, and fit him for greater degrees of glory hereafter.
_Lastly_, To conclude this head, we must renounce our own righteousness: For, though we should give all our goods to feed the poor, and our bodies to be burned, yet, if we in the least depend on that, and do not wholly rely on the perfect all-sufficient righteousness of JESUS CHRIST, it will profit us nothing. “CHRIST is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” We are compleat in him, and him only. Our own righteousnesses are but as filthy rags. We must count all things but dung and dross, so that we may be found in him, not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of GOD, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD.
And is this the doctrine of christianity? is not the christian world then asleep? If not, whence so much self-righteousness, whence the self-indulgence, whence the reigning love of riches which we every where meet with? Above all, whence that predominant greediness after sensual pleasure, that has so over-run this sinful nation, that was a pious stranger to come amongst us, he would be tempted to think some heathen Venus was worshipped here, and that temples were dedicated to her service. But we have the authority of an inspired apostle to affirm, that they who live in a round of pleasure, “are dead while they live.” Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and CHRIST shall give thee light.” But the power of raising the spiritually dead belongeth only unto GOD. Do thou therefore, O Holy JESUS, who by thy almighty word commandest _Lazarus_ to come forth, though he had lain in the grave some days, speak also as effectually to these spiritually dead souls, whom Satan for many years hath so fast bound by sensual pleasures, that they are not so much as able to lift up their eyes or hearts to heaven.
II. But I pass on to the second general thing proposed, to consider the universal obligation and reasonableness of this doctrine of self-denial.