be poured out upon them hereafter What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 Therefore thinkest thou O man that thou shalt escape the Judgement of God Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath against the day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgement of God who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life but to them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Rom. 2 3-9 You thinke that he that made you will not damne you But what saith Isaiah It is a people of no understanding therefore hee that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Isa 27.11 You thinke God cannot be so cruel but if yee walke according to the course of this World in the lusts of your flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and dye so I tell you he will not only damne you but damne you with delight Ah saith he I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Isa 1.24 Because I have called and yee refused I have stretched forth mine hand and no man regarded but yee have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your feare cometh as a desolation and your destruction cometh as a Whirlewind when distress and anguish cometh upon you Prov. 1 24-27 Your flying unto the Promises while in this condition will doe you no good for there is no promise in all the Book of God belongs unto any upon any other termes but the renouncing and abandoning of every knowne sin Why doe you look to the Promises and doe not mind the conditions of them If God promise to be merciful to such as beleeve and repent what is that to you so long as you doe neither If God promise absolutely to work the condition in some what is that to you so long as there is no evidence that hee hath wrought it in you God hath no where promised to save men in their sins he hath appointed holiness as a necessary antecedent to eternal happiness for without holiness no man shall see God Hebrews 12.14 If the Promises be yours whose then are the Threatnings who are they against whom the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven in the threatnings of his Word but such as you who hold the truth in unrighteousness For the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of Fathers and murderers of Mothers for Man slayers for Whoremongers for them that defile themselves with man-kind for men-stealers for lyars for perjured persons and if there bee any other thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1.9 10 11. When the threatnings speake so plaine naming the very sins whereof you know your selves guilty as allowing your selves in them why doe you not make application and say we are the men Oh! what shall we doe to escape the Judgements threatned Doe you not thinke that God is as true in his threatnings as in his promises Remember how he dealt with the old World how with the Israelites in the Wilderness For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape saith the Apostle if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.2 Let us therefore feare least a Promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seeme to come short of it for unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them being not mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.1 2. Some doe not so much as beleeve the Promises to bee true it may be you doe and yet this is not enough to prove you to be as you think you bee beleevers this is not the beleeving to which Salvation is promised for the Devils beleeve both Promises and Threatnings to bee true and doe somewhat more it may bee than you doe they beleeve and tremble James 2.19 and yet shall never be saved God having reserved them in everlasting Chaines under darkness unto the Judgement of the great day Jude vers 6. You beleeve the promises of the Gospel to be true but you doe not so beleeve as to obey the Gospel you doe not so beleeve as to close with the Lord Jesus as he is therein tendred to you to bee your Prophet to teach and instruct you and your King to rule and governe you as well as your Priest to make satisfaction for you You walk on still after the imaginations of your owne hearts and doe your owne wills and therefore doe not beleeve therefore you have no ground to hope that you shall bee saved for you are yet in your sinnes which notwithstanding you account them but infirmities are reigning sinnes for as much as you yeeld your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sinne but doe not yeeld your selves unto God Romans 6.13 Know you not that to whom you yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants you are to whom you obey whether of sinne unto death or of obedience unto life vers 16. and doe you not obey sin when you willingly and readily fulfill its commands When you goe at its bidding and come at its beckning Will you call this an infirmity Will you call this a failing It is but an infirmity and yet you sinne willingly Willingly nay you sinne wilfully like a company of mad-men running on headlong in the wayes of sinne against all checks of Conscience and gainsaying of your understandings Your rebellion witnesseth against you your stubbornness testifieth to your face you are as the swift Dromedaries traversing their wayes as the wild Asses used to the Wilderness that snuffe up the Wind at their pleasure You have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds The Lord hath stricken you but you have not grieved hee hath consumed you but you have refused to receive correction you have made your face harder than a rock you have refused to returne How then can you say you cannot help it Behold you speake and doe evil as you can you doe evil with both hands earnestly adding sinne unto sin as if you could never sinne enough waxing worse and worse and still encreasing unto
brethren c. Let all the Merchants in the world say here whether there bee any gain like to this you count ten in the hundred a great matter but here is an hundred for one What a rich return is here for one pound here is an hundred And this is according to the tenour of the Scripture all along In the keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward saith the Psalmist Psal 19.11 Behold the righteous shall bee recompenced in the earth saith Solomon Prov. 11.31 As for those that seek themselves in a sinful way it is said of them too That they have their reward Matth. 6.2 I but that is far differing from this 1 That is rather of their own choosing than Gods giving 2 It is an effect of common providence it comes not to them by promise 3 It is given in wrath not in love 4 It is such as godly men are afraid of Psal 17.14 5 It is onely in this life but this in the life to come also so that it is but an earnest-penny of a full payment hereafter Quest But what have they Answ Why consider 1 They have many times a great increase of the same things in specie in which respect the latter end of Job was better than his beginning 2 Though they have not the same things yet they have all that comfort and contentment which those things would afford if they had them 3 They have all this an hundred fold more than before so that if they had an hundred houses for one that they lost c. they could not have more comfort and contentment than nowthey have 2 There is a recompence of reward for them in the world to come Luke 14.14 Things present are yours saith the Apostle to the Corinthians and things to come also and who can tell what those things are Wee know what wee are saith St. John but not what we shall bee Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what things God hath prepared for them that love him Say what you will of them you cannot say too much they are beyond our apprehensions and therefore may well exceed our expressions Our Saviour comprizeth all in these two words Life Everlasting in which note 1 The greatness of the reward it is Life 2 The continuance of it it is Everlasting 1 The greatness of it it is life and what greater reward can bee given to a guilty prisoner than his life of all things in the world there is none to be compared to this Skin for skin and all that a man hath will hee give for his bodily life but what is that to spiritual life This is comprehensive As by death in the first Covenant all the evils written and not written are meant So by Life here all good things whatsoever that are needful to make the soulfully and compleatly happy 1 It shall bee a life of Perfection There shall bee the presence of all good and an absence of all evil Grace shall bee then in its triumph and so shall comfort too Sorrow and sighing shall flye away 2 A life of Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4.17 Massie glory The very body shall bee made like unto Christs glorious body Phil. 3.21 When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 2 The continuance of it it is Everlasting Life without end Therd is no death death dyes at the beginning of this life I am hee that liveth and was dead saith Christ and behold I am alive for evermore Rev. 1.18 And because I live yee shall live also Joh. 14.19 Wee shall bee for ever with the Lord. For ever Oh comfortable word Were it not for this it would bee but a small recompence of reward but this makes it infinite and oh an infinite reward for a finite service How is this Lord Can wee speak of this and hear it without wonder By the consideration of this those that are in heaven can setch in all the comfort that they shall to all eternity injoy every moment Thus you see the Object Now consider 2 The Act which is eying or having respect to this recompence of reward Moses had the recompence of reward in o A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his eye The Object affects not but as it is apprehended it will have no influence upon our wills and affections to prevail to Self-denial unless wee have it in our eye unless wee behold it Two things then are herer equired 1 To think upon it To eye a thing is to have it in our thoughts The expression is figurative and this is one thing meant by it that wee have it much in our thoughts I shall branch out this head into two particulars 1 Think upon it solemnly and seriously It is not a transient thought or two now and then occasionally that will do the deed it must bee a serious thinking wee must think on it over and over again and again wee must have it continually running in our mindes Finally brethren saith Paul whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just c. If there bee any vertue any praise thinke on these things Phil. 4.8 As wee are to think on our duty so on our reward also If there bee any vertue any praise Wee yeeld unto Self oftimes out of forgetfulness not onely out of forgetfulness of the Precept which tells us what wee should do by way of obedience but also out of forgetfulness of the promise which tells us what wee should expect by way of recompence and reward Not thinking of the end makes us go out of the way The reason why men seek the things of this world so much is because they miude earthly things to this the Apostle opposeth the having our conversation in heaven Phil. 3.21 2 Think seriously upon it in time of temptation This is a special season Now if ever wee should have heaven in our eye Moses refused having respect unto the recompence of reward whereby is intimated that hee had it in his eye at that instant when hee was tempted to yeeld When any business of concernment is proposed before wee determine any thing wee say Wee will thinke upon it Now there are two things that wise men use to think on in such cases 1 What they shall get on the one hand And secondly What they may lose on the other and accordingly they resolve Let us do so in this case when wee are tempted to seek our selves in any base sinful way let us consider if wee do this wee may haply get a little pleasure that will last for a season and yet that is a question I but if wee deny our selves and do it not wee shall have pleasure that indures to all eternity if wee do it not wee may likely lose the favour of men some preferment c. I but if wee do it wee shall surely lose the favour
it but oh that hee would heare and keep my Commandements always for his good when God dehorts and disswades from sin why is it but that man might not wrong and injure himself God hath so twisted his own glory our good together that he expects no service from us which shall not be more a service to our selves God hath so graciously ordered the matter that the very meanes of our happiness is a part of it our duty a priviledge and our work wages so that wee cannot doe our selves a greater courtesie than in doing God the best service our greatest interest lies in surrendring our selves wholly unto God to feare God and keep his Commandements is the whole as duty so happiness of man for all the rest that is under the Sun is but impertinent and unprofitable yea to call it by its owne name very vanity and vexation of spirit We doe but miscall and flatter the World yea abuse our selves also when we attribute to it and adorn it with the fine words and specious titles of Grandeure and Gallantry beauty and bravery delight and delicacy pleasure and prettiness honour and happiness alas these are but pompous shewes glittering and gaudy nothings the rosiness of the most glaring and charming beauty the whistling of the most silken bravery the chinking of bewitching white and yellow dust which we call gold and silver the sparkling Crownes which doe tempt and captivate the amorous the genteel otherwise proud the covetous and the ambitious Sons of men will one day appeare to be but a cheat of Fancy and that such as have been enamoured of them have but deceived and jugled themselves out of true happiness for a false one and espoused themselves to a meer paultry vanity which if it be any thing is a something worse than nothing Welcome my wealth this loss hath gain'd me more Riches adiew When I again grow greedy to be poor Herb. Imit I le wish for you Welcome my credit this disgrace is glory Honours adiew When for renown and fame I shall be sorry I le wish for you Welcome content this sorrow is my joy Pleasures adiew When I desire such griefs as may annoy I le wish for you And as for sin it is so ugly a thing so vile and abominable that the worst of words are not bad enough to call it by it s owne name is the very worst sinful sin Rom. 7.13 yet as if that were not significant enough the Apostle could not but adde an exceeding to it to denote how hyperbolically vile a thing it is it is good for nothing but to be hated and to have stones of scorne contempt and indignation thrown at it such a deformed Hagge is not fit for the embraces of men no nor of Devils it is not only the cause but the hell of hell and if there were no other hell it were yet damnation enough to be a sinner for as such the poore wretch is in a state of separation from God whom to injoy is eternal life and Heaven and therefore it can be no less than Death and Hell to be without him and thus the Scripture concludes no less peremptorily than truly and justly that men in their sins are condemned already and must be so for ever without the interposition of repentance and faith before they dye Sin Oh that I could a sin once see Herb. We paint the Devil foul yet he Hath some good in him all agree Sin is flat opposite to th' Almighty seeing It wants the good of vertue and of being Sin Sin Herb. Imit I would faine define thee but thou art An uncouth thing All that I bring To shew thee fully shews thee but in part I say thou art the sting of Death 't is true And yet I find Death comes behind The work is done before the pay be due I say thou art the Devils work yet hee Should much rather Call thee father For he had been no Devil but for thee What shall I call thee then if Death and Devil Right understood Be names too good I 'le say thou art the quintessence of evil By all this it most clearly appears that Grace is mans glory that the service of God is mans freedome that Self-denial is mans advantage Oh Divine thing Grace how would the Sons of men make Court to thee did they but see what a beautifying what an innobling and to speake as truly as highly in Scripture sense what a deifying thing thou art Surely as Reason is mans advance above bruits grace is mans advance above men other men and himself for it makes a man more a man and more than a man and though man was Created little lower than the Angells yet as a new Creature hee shall not onely bee like and equal to the Angells but it seems is already above them they being his servitours and spirits sent forth to Minister to him and for his good Yea further it makes man like God himself for what is godlinesse but God-likeness that whereby wee are as so many living Images and lively pictures of the Divine nature How highly concerning is it then to put off our self that wee may be our own Not to bee in our selves that in God as naturally so spiritually wee may live move and have our beings for clearly man is never truely his own nor himself but when hee is Gods Dead and lost is his Motto all the while he is a stranger to the life of God Luke 15.32 Man is not himself when hee goes from God that is when hee sins and seeks himself and man then comes to himself as t is said of the Prodigal when hee comes to God so that if man will but do himself the right to bee wise for and good to himself it must be by this Christian Art and knack of Self-Denial not making his own understanding his guide Prov. 3.5 6 7. For he that will bee wise must become a fool not making his own will his rule nor flesh-pleasing or which is all one self-pleasing his end but resigning himself to the conduct of God considering what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God devoting himself to do all hee doth to the glory of God hee may finde himself in not seeking himself and live altogether to himself in not living at all to himself But dear Reader This Treatise which I commend to thy perusal and practice will further and more fully acquaint thee with this thing the nature and excellency of it as to which and the Author my friend I think it improper because needless to say any thing I shall therefore adde but a little more and commend this the book and thee to the blessing of God Go Self-Denial go and prosper I am sure thou wert once and didst then make a glorious triumphant shew in the world when Christ our dear and blessed Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ was here and though thou have been a stranger for a long time
But the testimony or application is false for in spending in that manner hee is prodigal Now when we have found out wherein the fallacy lies whether in the principle or testimony we must have a care 2 To give a peremptory denial And though we should not be able to unriddle all the mysterious fallacies of Carnal reason yet we must by no means yeeld our assent to any thing that is brought against the Truth though I cannot dispute for the Truth yet I can burn for the Truth said that worthy Martyr in Queen Maries days But we shall be the better enabled with more confidence and resolution to give a denial to all those Objections that Self shall at any time make against the Truth the more careful wee bee in acquainting our selves with the Principles of the Gospel and the more serious we be in charging them home upon our own Consciences This indeed would be an effectual way of reasoning down Self when a man can set himself in the presence of God seriously seeking after his minde and will revealed in his Word and then bring all these Carnal principles of Self unto the Test and upon the discovery of their disagreement with the Principles of the Gospel discard them and charge it upon his Conscience to beleeve the other and walk by the other 'T is not the knowledge of Gospel-Principles that is sufficient to beat down Self but there must bee a charging them upon my Conscience I must make them my principles such and such principles I walked by formerly I but now I have found out better and these henceforth shall bee my principles I will walk by these So that when self urgeth Carnal Principles and Carnal Rules upon me I must answer Self those are not my principles I have now another rule to walk by those are destructive principles destructive to the purity and peace of my Conscience I will not walk by them Thus of this first kind of Self-denial by way of argumentation and reasoning Secondly there is another kinde of Self-denyal and that is a judicial denyal such a denyal as that of a Judge upon the bench when hee refuseth to shew mercy to the convicted malefactor Self must not only bee arraigned and convicted but also sentenced and condemned Sentence of death must bee pronounced upon Self Before Self was an Advocate and pleaded its own cause now it becomes a Solicitour and petitions for its life And thus it will do when it cannot prevail with all its subtilties and carnal reasonings but is foiled at its own weapon it will become an humble suitor it will come with tears in its eyes Now it dares not enter the lists of disputation as before there is so much convincing light in the Conscience but it goes another way to work it presents it self as an object of pitty it speaks the soul fair and flatters with it lest it should bee condemned Self in this case will bee content to lose much it will bee content to lose the name of Reason and Wisdome so that it may live And here many carnal hearts are at a stand they have so much light as stops the mouth of Self itdares not argue and reason the case they know it is guilty but yet they will not passe the fatal sentence upon it They are afraid to condemn it for if they should do that it would bee very difficult to recal the sentence and far more difficult to comply with Self afterwards it would breed far more guilt and horror in the Conscience it being a great aggravation of sin to do that for which a man is already self-condemned But it is not enough to reason down Self wee must bring the matter in debate to a Judgement after wee have debated throughly and heard what Self can say for it self wee must come to some resolution what to do with Self wee must debate it to destruction In Acts 3.13 14. it is said that the Jewes denyed Christ now turn to the 19th of Joh. v. 15. and wee shall see how they did it They cryed out away with him away with him crucifie him Even so must wee deny Self when it begs for its life saying away with it away with it crucifie it Many know that God hath decreed the destruction of Self and yet are afraid lest the decree should bring forth too soon yea they will pray for the killing of their lusts even while they are loath that God should hear their prayers As Augustine confesseth of himself r Confess l. 8. c. 7. Sect. 2. etiam petieram à te castitatem dixeram Da mihi castitatem continentiam sed noli modo Timebam enim ne me cito exaudires cito sanares à morbo concupiscentiae quem malebam expleri quam extingui I desired saith hee in the beginning of my youth that thou wouldst give mee chastity and I said give mee O Lord chastity and continency but not yet for I was afraid lest thou shouldest have heard mee too soon and healed my disease too soon which I had rather have had satisfied than extinguished What do they speak but that the work of conversion is yet very doubtful to say no more There is an hostile Self-denyal This is the actual execution of Self Self must not only bee convicted and condemned but actually crucified and throughly mortified Self is not to live in the soul it hath lain under the curse ever since its departure from God and this curse will eat out its very life in all that belong to God This wee must submit unto if ever wee mean to bee Christians indeed wee must bee content to let Christ do whatsoever hee pleaseth within us hee must have his will of us hee must bee suffered to say where and what hee will If wee will bee Saints wee must have fellowship with him in his death as well as in his resurrection wee must bee crucified as hee was crucified that the body of sin may bee destroyed and herein wee are not to bee passive only but active too wee must by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 This implies a twofold act of Self-denyal 1. An act of retention or with-holding from Self those things that keep it alive Two things have I required of thee saith Agur Prov. 30.7 deny mee them not or with-hold them not from mee befor I dye So 1 King 20.27 Hee sent unto mee for my silver and my gold and I denyed him not Heb. I kept not back from him This then is to deny Self to with-hold and keep back from it those things it would have Wee must not fulfill the lusts of Self So the Apostle Rom. 13. ult make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof And truly wee may very well bee sparing unto Self it hath usurped much but nothing is its due Self is an hellish vorage that still cryes give give a bottomelesse gulf that sucks in all before it Where it lives
throughly sensible of the desert of their most horrible Sin in renouncing his most blessed Truth to the undaunted and constant profession whereof notwithstanding out of the superabounding riches of his grace hee recovered them againe so that most resolutely and cheerfully afterwards they sealed it with their bloud But it hapned otherwise to that unparalleld example of Divine Justice Francis Spira who after his Abjuration being suddainly Thunder-struck with the terrible and amazing Sentence of his eternal Condemnation was plunged irrecoverably for ought that appeared to the contrary into the bottomless gulph of Despair This wretched man being accused to the Popes Legate for professing and teaching some of Luthers opinions this especially That wee must only depend on the Free Grace and unchangeable love of God in the death of Christ as the only sure way of Salvation and being summoned to appear before him after some consideration had of the manifold danger hee was in and resolution taken up to stand to his profession and to maintaine his Doctrine notwithstanding hee began to think with himself what misery this his rashnesse would bring him unto that he should lose his substance gotten with so much care and travell undergoe the most exquisite torments that malice it self could devise be counted an Heretick of all and in the conclusion dye shamefully Hereupon he goes to the Legate and acknowledgeth his fault in entertaining an Opinion concerning some Articles of Faith contrary to the Orthodox and received Judgement of the Church of Rome professing his hearty sorrow for it and humbly begging pardon for so great an offence The Legate perceiving him to faint pursued him to the uttermost caused him to subscribe this Confession and made him promise that at his returne to his owne Towne hee would declare it to the people acknowledge the whole Doctrine of the Church of Rome and abjure the Opinions of Luther as false and Heretical Spira having promised in this manner forth-with addresseth himself for his journey homeward but as he went along thinking with himself how impiously hee had denyed Christ and his Gospel at Venice and engaged himself to doe it the second time in his owne Country hee thought hee heard a voyce speaking unto him in this manner Spira What dost thou here whether goeft thou hast thou unhappy man given thy hand-writing to the Legate at Venice yet see thou dost not seal it in thine owne Country thou canst not answer for what thou hast already done nevertheless the gate of Mercy is not quite shut take heed that thou heapest not sin upon sin lest thou repent when it will be too late This filled him so full of doubts and perplexing thoughts that hee knew not which way to turne nor what to doe but afterwards being arrived in his owne Country and advised by his friends telling him That it was requisite he should take heed that he did not in any wise betray his Wife and Children and all his friends into danger seeing that by so small a matter as the recitiug of a small Schedule which might be done in lesse space than half an hour he might both free himself from present danger and preserve many that depended on him he goes to the Praetor and proffers to performe his fore-said promise made to the Legate and the next morning hee desperately enters into the publick Congregation where Masse being finished in the presence of friends and enemies and of the whole Assembly yea and of Heaven it selfe hee recites that infamous Abjuration word for word as it was written then was hee sent home restored to his e Hee was a Civil Lawyer an Advocate of great rank and esteeme endowed with outward blessings of Wife and eleven Children and wealth in abundance Dignities Goods Wife and Children but no sooner was he departed but he thought he heard a direful voyce saying to him Thou wicked wretch thou hast denied mee thou hast renounced the covenant of thy obedience thou bast broken thy vow hence Apostate bear with thee the Sentence of thy eternal Damnation Hee trembling and quaking in body and mind fell downe in a swoon and from that time forward never found any peace or ease of his mind but continuing in uncessant torments hee professed that hee was captivated under the revenging hand of the great God and that hee heard continually that fearful Sentence of Christ that just Judge and was utterly undone Phisicians were sent for but they could effect nothing by their skill upon him and therefore after they had understood the whole truth of the matter wished him to seek some Spiritual comfort They that came to administer Spiritual comfort to him propounded many of Gods promises recorded in the Scripture and many examples of Gods mercy but My Sin said hee is greater than the Mercy of God They told him that God would have all men to be saved he answered He would not have damned reprobates to bee saved I am one of that number I know it for I willingly and against my knowledge denied Christ the Mercy of God extends not to me nor any like to me who are sealed up to Wrath I tell you I deserve it my owne Conscience condemnes mee what needeth any other Judge Some bade him consider the example of Peter who denied Christ thrice and with an Oath and yet Christ was merciful to him Hee answered In that he was pardoned it was not because he wept but because God was gracious to him but God respects not mee and therefore I am a reprobate no comfort can enter into my heart there is no place there but only for torments and vexings of spirit I tell you my case is properly my owne no man ever was in like plight and therefore my estate is fearful Then roaring out in the bitterness of his spirit he said It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Some whispering said that hee was possessed which he over-hearing it said Doe you doubt it I have a whole Legion of Devils that take up their dwellings within mee and possesse me as their owne and that justly too for I have denied Christ Whether did you that willingly or no said they That is nothing to the purpose said hee Christ saith Whosoever denies me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven Christ will not bee denied no not in word and therefore it is enough though in heart I never denied him They asked him whether he thought there were worse paines than what hee endured for the present hee said That he knew there were farre worse paines for the wicked shall rise to their Judgement but they shall not stand in Judgement this I tremble to think of yet I desire nothing more than that I might come to that place where I may be sure to feele the worst and bee freed from fear of worse to come Why doe you said they esteeme this so grievous a sin when as the learned Legate constrained
tells us in the former words I thought upon my wayes I considered the evill of them and then turned out of them Hee went on very confidently and contentedly before but it was because hee did not consider whither hee was going hee did not ponder his paths but as soon as he began to reflect upon himself and to consider where hee was and whither hee was going how hee dishonoured God and defiled his own soul in those wayes hee presently makes a stop and turns about unto Gods testimonies This is the reason why men go on so long time together in a sinful course why they walk in the way of their heart and the sight of their eyes without any regret of conscience It is because they do not consider what they are doing nor whither they are going like the young man Prov. 7.22.23 that being inticed by the lewd woman hee goeth after her streightway as an Oxe goeth to the slaughter as a Bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not i. e. considereth not that it is for his life God notes this as the cause of his peoples rebelling against him and their continuance in their rebellion Isa 1.3 Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Oh! if ever wee mean in good earnest to deny our selves and to follow the Lord fully in the paths of righteousness and holiness let us every day steep our thoughts in a serious meditation of the exceeding sinfulness of self-pleasing and self-seeking of making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof As a man will not come after Christ in obedience to his call in the Gospel till hee apprehend it to be good yea absolutely best for him so to do so hee will not give a peremptory denial to the requests and commands of Self till hee apprehend it to bee evill yea the greatest evill in the world to yeeld unto them Therefore whensoever wee discover any thing of selfishness in any of our actions that wee are byassed in any particular by a selfish principle to the promoting of a selfish interest in opposition to the interest of Christ let us not think on it sseightly but seriously let our thoughts dwell upon it debating and discussing the matter in and out to the uttermost considering the nature the causes the effects and aggravating circumstances of it I have shewn you before the Excellency of Self-denial now consider the evill of selfishness 1 As the Apostle saith of the Love of money 1 Tim. 6.10 so it may bee truly said of Self-love that it is the root of all evil This is the most breeding sin you may graft any wickedness upon this stock See 2 Tim. 3.1 there the Apostle brings in a black Catalogue of the vilest sinners and hee puts selfish men in the front In the last dayes saith hee perillous times shall come for men shall bee lovers of their own selves covetous beasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection This is a sin with an Imprimis the Commander in chief in the black Regiment of Lusts It is the Devils Generalissimo See what a k Hinc ficae hinc venena hinc falsa testamenta na scuntur hinc furta hinc peculatus expilationes direptionesque sociorum Civium hinc opum nimiarum potentiae non serendae postremo etiam in liberis civitatibus existunt regnandi cupiditates quibus nihil nec â—e trius nec saedius excogitari potest Cic. number of Evils are wrapt up in this one Evil. 1 The Evil of Injustice Justitia est suum cuique dare Justice consists in giving to every one his due according to our Saviours rule Matth. 22.21 Render unto Casar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods and that of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 Render unto all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Now Self keeps back both from God and man that which is their due 1 From God Our soules are his Ezek. 18.4 our bodies his 1 Cor. 6.19 but Self keeps back both from him it imployes all the powers and faculties of both as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin 2 From men Self is the cause of all that unjust dealing that defrauding and going beyond one another of all that extortion and oppression that is in the world Self will not suffer the proud man to give honour to whom honour is due nor the covetous man to give tribute to whom tribute is due nor the envious man to give love to whom love is due nor the merciless man mercy to whom mercy is due 2 The Evil of Idolatry A Selfish man is the man of sin that exalts himself above all that is called God he makes himself his god hee falls down and worships himself making himself his ultimate end in every thing hee doth and walking by his own rule c. 3 The Evil of Unthankfulness If hee hath any thing more than others hee boasts as if hee had not received it if hee hath any thing less hee murmures as if hee had not his due 4 The Evil of Unbeleef Christ hath said Whosoever will save his life shall loso it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it Matth. 16.25 And that it is better for him to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to bee cast into everlasting fire Matth. 18.8 but hee will not beleeve it and so makes Christ a lyar 5 The Evil of Unmercifulness By seeking himself hee loseth himself by endeavouring to save himself hee destroyes himself This is the greatest cruelty in the World See Prov. 11.17 6 There is much of the Devil in it When Peter tempted our Saviour to save himself from the shameful death of the Cross hee said Get thee behinde mee Satan Hee calls him Satan not only because hee tempted him but because of the sin to which hee tempted him All sin is the Devils Vel per modum imaginis vel per modum servitutis either by way of likeness or service to him selfishness is so in both respects 7 It is the great Make-bate in the world the great divider it divides men from God and men one from another 8 It is the onely hindrance of mens closing with Christ The young man could not close with Christ because hee could not deny himself 9 This causeth God to reject all our services Isa 58.5 10 It is a contradiction to our prayers Latimer said of Peter that when hee tempted Christ hee forgot his Pater noster for that was Thy Kingdome come Thy will bee done By these and such like considerations the horrible Evil of Selfishness may bee discovered which is the second thing to bee done in order to the practice of Self-denial The third Direction 3 When upon serious consideration you have discovered the horrible Evil and exceeding sinfulness of your selfishness bee much in the duty
off from these things for which end you must bee much in the study of the nothingness of them and that in these four particulars 1 In point of discrimination There is a difference indeed betwixt men and men but these things do neither make it nor argue it 1 They do not make a difference They make a difference indeed before men Jam. 2.2 3. yet not before the best of men Psal 15.4 16.3 Howsoever not before God Rom. 2.11 Luke 16 23. 2 They do not argue it Eccles 9.1 Many think God loves them because they have a greater share of these things than others have but these things are not Gods Love-tokens hee gives them in greatest abundance to his enemies The Turkish Empire is but a crust given to dogs Luth. 2 In point of reparation These things are short of our losses They can neither recover what wee have lost nor recompence it 1 They cannot recover what wee have lost Three things wee have lost which these things can not regain 1 The Image of God Now these things contribute nothing to the regaining of it They do not make us good men but rather worse Ecceles 5.13 Mat. 13.22 2 The favour of God These things cannot purchase it again They cannot make satisfaction to the justice of God Psal 49.7 8. 1 Pet. 1.18 3 Communion with God These things do not fit us for it Jam. 2.5 2 They cannot recompence the loss of any of these Some things there are which when wee have lost wee cannot recover again but yet wee may get other things instead of them that will make amends but the things of the world will not make amends for the loss of any of these Mat. 16.26 Can any thing make amends for the loss of the chief good 3 In point of satisfaction They can neither satisfie our desires nor our expectations 1 They cannot satisfie our m Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit desires Eccles 1.8 4.8 2 Not our expectation See Luke 12.20 4 In point of security They cannot deliver us either from temporal or eternal evils 1 Not from temporal evils Not from contempt Psal 107.40 Not from n Non domus aut fundus non aeris acervus c. sickness Psal 49.9 Not from death Luke 12.15 2 Not from eternal Prov. 11.4 Luke 16.24 The serious consideration of these things would teach us 1 Not to set our affections upon them Prov. 23.5 2 Not to labour immoderately after them Isa 55.2 3 Not to venture upon any sin for the obtaining of them Act. 8.20 Heb. 11.25 4 Not to omit any duty for fear of losing them Dan. 6.10 The Thirteenth Direction 13 Have an eye continually to the recompence of reward This Direction I take from the example of Moses recorded Heb. 11.24 25 26. In the 24. verse yee have his Self-denial hee refused to bee called the Son of Pharaohs daughter and in the 25. vers yee have the reason of it Hee had respect unto the recompence of reward 1 You have what hee did 2 Why hee did it First What hee did Hee refused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he denyed the same word that is in the Text hee denyed to bee called the Son of Pharaohs daughter Here is a strange denial indeed such a peece of Self-denial as a carnal heart cannot sufficiently wonder at May the wisdome of the world bee judge in this case it will bee censured as the grossest act of folly that ever any man in the world could bee guilty of for Quis nisi mentis inops who but one besides himself who but a mad man that hath not the use of his reason and knows not what hee doth would refuse such an honour Thus if Moses should bee arraigned at the tribunal of Carnal reason hee would bee found guilty and bee condemned for the veriest fool in the world I but to bee sure Moses was no fool hee knew what hee did well enough hee had something else in his eye which hee knew would abundantly recompence the loss of all that honour and pleasure which hee might have had had hee continued the Son of Pharaohs daughter And therefore hee peremptorily refused that which with so much shew of reason hee was importuned to accept For hee had respect unto the recompence of reward which is the second thing why hee did it Sometimes when a man refuseth a good offer and wee come to hear of it though for a great while wee very much wonder at it yet at last wee conclude that hee would not have done it for nothing but that there was something in the matter that every one knows not of that hee had something in his eye which hee preferred before it and so wee may say of Moses here hee would not have refused all this honour out of an humour Moses had somewhat else in his eye and what was that Why it was the recompence of reward and the respect hee had unto that quite took away all respect unto the honours and pleasures of Pharaohs Court. We see then that if we would deny our selves it will be good for us to have continually in our eye the recompence of reward Two things there are to bee opened in this Direction 1 The Object 2 The Act. 1 The Object and that is the recompence of reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retributio mercedis Men are afraid of this duty of Self-denial for fear they shall undo themselves I but no such fear this is the way to make themselves For hee is faithful that hath said it and hee is able to make it good Hee that will lose his life shall finde it Whosoever denies himself for the Lord Jesus in obedience to his command for his glory hee shall not lose his reward there is a reward promised and it shall bee a recompence that is such a reward as shall abundantly make amends for all This recompence of reward is twofold 1 The recompence of reward in this world 2 The recompence of reward in the world to come This distinction you have in Matth. 19.29 Peter said unto Christ verse 27. Behold wee have forsaken all and followed thee what shall wee have therefore Christ answers Every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life In Mark 10.29 it is more express Verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left house or brethren c. but hee shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands and in the world to come eternal life In Luke 18.30 it is In this present time 1 Then there is a recompence of reward for all that deny themselves in this world in this present time They shall bee so far from being losers that they shall be the greatest gainers they shall have an hundred fold houses
may bee known of God was manifest in them for God had shewed it unto them vers 19. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate minde to do those things which are not convenient vers 28. 2 The Spirit is ingaged to bee with us while wee follow his motions so that though wee bee tempted wee shall not bee overcome by temptation The Lord is with you while you bee with him 2 Chron. 15.2 Now as Paul Rom. 8.31 If God bee for or with us who can bee against us Thousands of Devils and temptations may bee against us but they cannot prevail against us Therefore David Psal 16.8 because hee is at my right hand I shall not bee moved When the Spirit is leading us if wee continue to follow him hee will continue to lead us on still and while wee are led by his Conduct wee walk under his Protection so that no temptation shall overcome us Paul was sorely tempted there was given him a thorn in the flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet him 2 Cor. 12.7 Now the motion of the Spirit was that hee should continue praying which course hee continuing hee obtained this answer My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakness vers 9. so that the temptation could not prevail it was his affliction but not his sin While wee are acted by the motions of the Spirit wee have the power of the Spirit helping our infirmities Rom. 8.26 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bears together with us against the adverse oppressing power of any thing that comes against us Now the Spirit is a Spirit of power and stronger than the Spirit that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord Zach. 4.6 Though it doth not presently subdue all our corruptions yet it inables us if we follow him to go on conquering and to conquer wee have our daily victories It doth not suffer a man to spend his time in fruitless resistances but gives sin its deaths wound so that though there bee an inhabitation of sin yet there is no domination sin shall not reign over him Rom. 6.14 It roots up the strongest and most deep-rooted lusts and corruptions it levelleth the highest imaginations and takes down all that exalts it self against Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 3 Beleevers finde by experience that they are never more free from yeelding unto Self than when they most carefully follow the motions of Gods Spirit This was one of the first things that I took notice of in my self After a temptation had prevailed then I could say If that I had followed such a good motion that I had before I had not come to this Whence I gathered this rule as having found it so by experience that if a man follow the motions of the Spirit hee shall not bee left to fulfill the lusts of the flesh Beware therefore of neglecting the motions of Gods Spirit for by this means it is quenched and then either 1 It will not move at all or 2 It will not move effectually 1 It will not move at all Before there were frequent hints and items given ever and anon good suggestions but now there is a cessation you are seldome troubled with them the Spirit lets you alone so that you are off and on in and out in your obedience very unconstant in the performance of holy duties scarce pray for a week together c. 2 If the Spirit do move yet not effectually If the Spirit speak its onely by way of conviction not of perswasion it makes you sensible of your duty but not willing to perform it Before you found it with your selves as David saith it was with him no sooner did the Lord say Seek yee my face but your heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek I but now it is otherwise you have many strong impressions upon your spirits many impulsions but all comes to nothing 3 Now is Sathans opportunity When the holy Spirit departed from Saul hee was presently haunted with the evil spirit If Gods Spirit move not Sathans will If Gods Spirit move not effectually Sathans will And then how is it possible that any one in such a case should not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Oh therefore 1 If the Spirit of God move if you have a good thought put into your minds to perform such a duty do not put it off but close with it presently and thankfully say as David O Lord God keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy servant and prepare his heart unto thee 1 Chron. 29.18 See Cant. 5.4 2 If the Spirit of God awakens conscience and tells you it is a sin Oh take heed 1 Of stifling that conviction and 2 Of going on resolutely in opposition against it This not onely grieves but vexeth the holy Spirit of God Isa 63.10 2 If you would deny your selves exercise the graces of the Spirit This is a second thing that is here meant by walking in the Spirit so the phrase is to bee understood vers 25. If yee live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit that is seeing you are made partakers of spiritual life let your walking bee answerable thereunto i. e. Spiritual which consists in the exercise of grace This also is a special preservative from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh A little grace well exercised doth much this way Thou hast a little strength saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia and hast kept my word and hast not denied my Name Rev. 3.8 Now if a little grace well exercised do thus what will not a greater measure and strength of grace well exercised do Why consider the exercise of grace is that which makes little grace great grace and weak grace strong grace as by trading the Talents increased Matth. 25.20 Now where grace is in its strength a man is not easily prevailed upon by the lusts of the flesh but on the contrary where corruption is high and grace low there corruption doth frequently get the better and temptation usually carries him away And so it is when grace is not exercised though it bee strong grace for strong grace not exercised doth by little and little languish and decay as Rev. 3.2 Now when grace is thus impaired it is unable to resist and withstand corruption and if grace do not withstand it what is there that can And if corruption bee not withstood wee must needs bee overborn by it By this it appears how needfull it is to bee much in the exercise of grace if wee mean not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the soul is continually acting and it must needs bee acted by one of these two for this is the nature of immediate contraries such as grace and corruption are as hath been shewn before Besides by the exercise of grace the soul is kept in