I. 1. I shall, first, endeavour to shew, What it is for a man, to _deny himself and take up his cross daily_. This is a point which is of all others most necessary to be considered, and throughly understood, even on this account, that it is of all others most opposed, by numerous and powerful enemies. All our nature must certainly rise up against this, even in its own defence: the world consequently, the men who take nature not grace for their guide, abhor the very sound of it. And the great enemy of our souls, well knowing its importance, cannot but move every stone against it. But this is not all: even those who have in some measure shaken off the yoke of the devil, who have experienced, especially of late years, a real work of grace in their hearts, yet are no friends to this grand doctrine of Christianity, tho’ it is so peculiarly insisted on by their master. Some of them are as deeply and totally ignorant concerning it, as if there was not one word about it in the bible. Others are farther off still, having unawares imbibed strong prejudices against it. These they have received partly from outside Christians; men of a fair speech and behaviour, who want nothing of godliness, but the power, nothing of religion, but the spirit: and partly from those who did once, if they do not now, _taste of the powers of the world to come_. But are there any of these who do not both practise self-denial themselves and recommend it to others? You are little acquainted with mankind, if you doubt of this. There are whole bodies of men who only do not declare war against it. To go no farther than _London_. Look upon the whole body of _Predestinarians_, who by the free mercy of God, have lately been called out of the darkness of nature, into the light of faith. Are they patterns of self-denial? How few of them even profess to practise it at all! How few of them recommend it themselves, or are pleased with them that do? Rather do they not continually represent it in the most odious colours? As if it were seeking _salvation by works_, or _seeking to establish our own righteousness_? And how readily do _Antinomians_ of all kinds, from the smooth _Moravian_, to the boistrous, foul-mouthed _Ranter_, join the cry, with their silly, unmeaning cant, of _legality_, and _preaching the law_? Therefore you are in constant danger of being wheedled, hectored, or ridiculed out of this important gospel-doctrine, either by false teachers or false brethren; (more or less beguiled from the simplicity of the gospel) if you are not deeply grounded therein. Let fervent prayer then go before, accompany, and follow, what you are now about to read, that it may be written in your heart by the finger of God, so as never to be erased.
2. But what is self-denial? Wherein are we to deny ourselves? And whence does the necessity of this arise? I answer, the will of God is the supreme, unalterable rule for every intelligent creature: equally binding every angel in heaven, and every man upon earth. Nor can it be otherwise: this is the natural, necessary result of the relation between creatures and their Creator. But if the will of God be our one rule of action, in every thing, great and small, it follows by undeniable consequence, that we are not to do our own will in any thing. Here therefore we see at once the nature, with the ground and reason of self-denial. We see the nature of self-denial: it is the denying or refusing to follow our own will, from a conviction that the will of God is the only rule of action to us. And we see the reason thereof, because we are creatures; because _it is he that hath made us and not ourselves_.
3. This reason for self-denial must hold, even with regard to the angels of God in heaven: and with regard to man, innocent and holy, as he came out of the hands of his Creator. But a farther reason for it arises, from the condition wherein all men are since the fall. We are all now _shapen in wickedness, and in sin did our mother conceive us_. Our nature is altogether corrupt, in every power and faculty. And our will, depraved equally with the rest, is wholly bent to indulge our natural corruption. On the other hand, it is the will of God, that we resist and counter-act that corruption, not at some times, or in some things only, but at all times, and in all things. Here therefore is a farther ground for constant and universal self-denial.