because if wee doe not deny our selves wee destroy our selves because when we yeeld to our selves wee yeeld to the disease and when wee yeeld to the disease wee destroy our selves this disease is the flesh every man is aeger inter morbum medicum now which is better for a a man to hearken to the Spirit the Phisitian or to the flesh the disease This reason is taken out of the sixt of the Galatians he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting He that yeeds to his flesh doth destroy himselfe for all the wayes of sinne leade downe to the chambers of death that is they bring death at the latter end that is the fruit and wages of it at the last but he that doth deny himselfe doth best provide for himselfe for he hath not onely the generall promise but also the particular promise there is noe man that hath left house or brethren c. Both in regard of our selves and in regard of God there is equity for it nothing is hard to a reasonable man when hee sees a reason that it is best for him to doe it hee is easily perswaded to it besides it is the greatest folly in the world to goe about to joyne God and our selves together God and sinne God and other respects for you loose both by this for God hates such an one and you finde no content in minde neither can you serve your selves perfectly if you joyne your selves with God and therefore you can have no absolute content and there will bee a reluctancy which way so ever you turne Againe suppose they should both bee joyned yet the more you gaine in the flesh the more you loose of God and the Spirit Now hee that hath any union desires more union with God and this cannot bee unlesse you have lesse union with the flesh Againe it is needelesse to joyne God and your selves together you may have enough in God you adde but a candle to the Sunne and water to the Ocean and then you goe about an impossible thing for you cannot serve two masters all your labour will be lost Amaziah walked in the wayes of God but hee lost all his labour because his heart was not perfect with the Lord. But now it will bee objected how is it possible that a man should deny himselfe In shunning sin may he not have an eye unto hell and in walking the wayes of God may he have an eye to heaven To this I answer that we deny not but that a man may love himselfe for its impossible that he should do otherwise for iâ—s impossible but that the will should bee carried to that which is good or apprehended to be good and it is a sinne for a man to hurt himselfe it is a sinne for a man to kill himselfe and every hurt is a degree to that and God would not command that which is sinfull and againe useth those as motives to seeke salvation Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand If you will come in behold here is a kingdome for you feare not him that killeth the body c. The wayes of wisedome are wayes of pleasure And lastly it is a plant that God himselfe hath planted in the hearts of men and such plants as our heavenly father hath planted no man ought to plucke up This is the worke of nature and that which is opus naturae est opus authoris naturae And grace doth not take away nature gratia non tollit naturam sed attollit it doth not take it away but it reformes it it doth not extinguish it but sets it in order it doth not dry up this streame but turnes it into the right channell it doth not extirpate these plants but as the horse rider takes not away the nature froÌ„ the horse but doth guide him so it takes not the desire of nature away but guides it aright and if wee doe it in all desires of nature wee must needs doe it in the chiefest desire in the desire of salvation but we would have a man to deny himselfe no further then the want thereof doth hurt him Now the way to hurt your selves is to make your selves the end but the way for a man to doe good to himselfe is not to follow his owne will nor to seeke himselfe but to seeke God when his will comes in opposition with any command of Gods for that is the difference betweene a regenerate and an unregenerate man the unregenerate man thinkes his best way to get comfort is to rely on himselfe and the creatures not to seeke it from God but the regenerate man seeing the vanitie of the creature and the fulnesse of God rejects these things and onely followes God and serves with a willing heart and minde Both seeke their owne good but a diverse way Is it so then that none can have interest in Christ without selfe-denyall then first wee make this use of this Hence wee see that both cannot stand together seeking a mans selfe and following Iesus Christ. Hee that will follow mee must deny himselfe there is an necessitie chuse you which you will have if you will follow mee you must you must deny your selves and if you will follow your selves you must not have me the words are put in a necessary disjunction therefore deceive not your selves in this to thinke you may follow your selves and yet follow Christ. To deny a mans selfe is if there bee any thing pleasing to him to part with it for Christ if there bee any thing pleasing if a man be not willing to part with it for Christ hee cannot have Christ and salvation If any thing bee evill and hurtfull which hee most shunnes and avoydes if hee cannot undergoe it he must goe without Christ. But if you aske what neede there shall bee of so generall denyall I answer these very words to deny a mans selfe shewes us so much for to deny himselfe is to deny the whole body of himselfe wee must not deny some part of our selves as pleasure and profit which are but some branches but we must deny all And therefore you see in Peter that was the profession that hee made Lord wee have forsaken all and followed thee If wee hold any thing betweene our teeth wee must let goe our hold of Christ. Hee that will seeke praise and credit among men must not have interest in Christ. How can yee beleeve which seeke honour of one another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God onely it will make him stâ—ll bee out of the way when any such thing comes in competition So the rich man in the Gospell because hee had set his heart upon his wealth Christ told him that time that he could not follow him The light of the body is the eye if the eye be single
he will bee sure to keepe sinne off for that is it which destroyes him hee will be sure to maintaine a good conscience But now take another man a common man that hath nothing given him but the bulke of the body that is satisfied with meate drinke and cloathing and house and friends and the flesh and sinne hee will let all goe that destroyes himselfe God Christ faith and a good conscience and all and therefore wee are to judge aright of ourselves as the Apostle It is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwels in mee The Apostle counts the flesh a troubleblesome guest hee would gladly be rid of him and so we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed we have a building given us of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heavens That is the regenerate part so long as that is going up it makes no matter though the outward man suffer much So long as this new building is goeing up it makes no matter though the old one be pulled downe but when a man hath no such new building going up he hath reason to keepe up the old let a mans judgement bee right let him conceive that to bee himselfe which is in himselfe and then it is easy to deny himselfe You never deny your selves but you are great gayners by it and let a man yeeld to the flesh and hee looses by it and that is the reason that is given verse the 24. and in other Gospels who soever shall lose his life for my sake shal save it but when a man shall save his life his libertie his credit when God calls for it shall be but as a flower God wil blow upon it he shall quickly loose it hee that will save any of those he shal quickly loose them God will so bring it to passe in the end if you would consider that promise whosoever shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or fathers or mothers or wives or lands for my sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit life everlasting there would bee no difficultie in this thing But you will say wee see such as walâ—e most perfectly most deny themselves aâ—e most despised most trampled on but this is no good argument For as in the midst of all contents God can fill our hearts with bitternâ—sse so in the midst of all wants God can fill our hearts with all comforts as tribulations abound so comfort abounds the Apostle Paul found this so he had his consolations abounding when his afflictions increased Consider with your selves whether any man lost any thing by denying himselfe to honour God Did Abraham loose by it by denying himselfe in his sonne Isaack no his sonne was given him was Salomon a looser by denying himselfe in riches and honour when he asked wisedome to governe the commonwealth No he gained all did Ioseph loose by denying himselfe in his lust Though for the present to lose by it being cast into the prison yet that was but a step to his honours None ever gained by yeelding to the flesh As Ruben by yeelding to his lust his father tells him Rueben thou art my might and the beginning of my strength Thou shalt not be excellent because thou wentest up to thy fathers bed thy excellency is gone Hee should have had a Priesthood because hee was the first borne but hee lost it for Levi had it he should have had the kingdome but lost it for Iudah had it Hee being the first borne should have had a double portion but he lost it for Ioseph had it thus he was a loser in it though at first he seemed to gaine Now if these things be setled in us we shal come easily to deny our selves now that you may be perswaded to this coÌ„sider two things Consider all these creatures wherein you see comfort can neyther doe you good nor hurt without God there is nothing that doth good but the blessing of God or the cursing of of God that is no creature can comfort unlesse God bids it comfort us for that is the blessing of it when God must say refresh him comfort him strengthen him or else it cannot doe no good I am the Lord who shew mercy judgement and righteousnesse he shewes mercy not the creatures Therefore wee had neede to deny our selves in any thing that is contrary to him The creatures are but instruments and you know all instruments worke by some efficacy which they receive from their efficient cause they comfort with borrowed comfort as the ayre inlightens with borrowed light and the water heats with borrowed heate If you get your requests riches and honours and pleasures to you eyther they will be snares to you or crosses to you we cannot promise our selves good from them as they come from Gods promise but onely from his mercy So on the other side when we deny our selves we can have no hurt by them unlesse God bids them hurt us let the Axe be never so keene yet it will never doe any thing except the carpenter takes it in his hand and sets to the work so the tongues of men though they bee as sharpe as a sword yet Shimei cannot curse David till God bids him curse him Put case that they will hurt you or doe you good yet all things wherein God bids you deny your selves you must God hee keepes all things commit therefore what thou hast to him put them into his hand It was the speech of a great and wise man when he fell from the favour of the King if I had served God as I have served the King I had not come to this that is had I committed the Kings favour to Gods keeping I should not have lost it There is no change here upon earth but there is first a change in heaven except there bee an eclipse first there you shall finde none here to helpe you to deny your selves labour to act these three graces First the knowledge of God Secondly Faith Thirdly love Labour to act them stirre up in you first the knowledge of God consider that you shall finde him worthy that you should deny any thing for him consider that hee is the fairest often thousand As a man faith of a friend that hath done much for him that hath ventured his life for him if that friend should come to him and aske him any thing if he have any ingenuity in him he will say let him have it for hee is worthy of it so must wee doe with Christ. Thus Paul argues this I saith that every one of you saith I am Paul I am Apollo I am Cephas I am Christ is Christ divided was Paul circumcised for you that is those men are not to bee named with Christ hath not hee beene crucified for you is not worthy to be looked after before other men So David when hee
are there none that finde this pleasure yes there are some that are removed out of their sicknesse those that have a desire to keepe the Law of God finde this pleasure and content as the Apostle speaketh of wisedome wee speake among you that are perfect So we may say of all the wayes of God though to carnall men to sicke men to wounded men to those that have a sore conscience they are not pleasant yet to the perfect they are pleasant that is to those that have attained to the highest pitch of a godly life but those that are sincere and upright for so perfect is taken in that place If the wayes of God bee so full of difficulty and crosses how can a man undergoe them this is the way to make men affraid of the wayes of God it is a hard thing for flesh and blood to doe all this and who shall bee religious and who shall bee saved if all this be true For answer to this as Christ sayd to his Disciples A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heaven that is a man that sets his heart upon riches whose heart is not in his owne hands should turne when he would for to doe this to walke in these wayes of God with man it is impossible while hee is left to his owne strength yet it is most possible with God but how is it possible for answer to this foure things there are which makes it easie It is possible if God give you a new nature yee shall have new affections and new delights if wee have a new Law given us wee shall have new delights in it and then wee shall doe it with delight and facility If you consider that though the toyle of Christians and it being taken alone and it doth make them of all men most miserable as the Apostle saith if we have our reward here we are of all men most miserable yet if you put into the other end of the ballance that which wee have for reward that w ch accompanies the paines they are made sweete As it is with the Merchant man tell him of the danger he must undergoe then it is difficult for him to undertake but he considering the gaine hee shall get by his travaile undertakes it And so the covetous man greeves to breake his ease but the gaine sweetens all the toyle for we say Finis dat amabilitatem medijs let a man looke to the end and it will sweeten the whole labour So Phisicke though it bee bitter yet considering it procureth our health it is easily taken of us Though the wayes of God are odious to the flesh yet if we looke to the crop the gaines the victory that followeth then wee may walke in them with ease If the burthen be heavy yet if a man have a new sufficient strength given him hee rasily beares it If you put a heavy burthen upon a child having but a childes strength it will presse him downe but give a man strength and he will easily bare it Set a man to doe a work and if he have no skill then it is hard to be done but if he have skil the art then hee doth it with ease so if God give strength equall to the burthen which he layeth on us then wee doe it with ease if God give new habits new graces w ch abilitate us make us to beare the burthen For a man to part with the things that are pleasant to him according to the the flesh with the things that he prizeth much that he thinkes his life and his safetie consists in while he thinkes of them thus it is hard to deny himselfe but let a man bee enlightned once and they bee shewed him to be onely as vanishing things while hee sees them as vanitie hee will dispise them and therefore the Scripture calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man grieves at the flowers which are within his hand or for the losse of some counters or false treasure or that the shadow perisheth Now the things of the world are like to these as Saint Iames saith The rich shall vanish away as the flower of the grasse that is though hee be glorious for a time in the sight of all men and in his owne conceite yet this beauty presently perisheth and so a man must reckon of his treasure but as some counter or counterfeit treasure as that place declares If we have not beene faithfull in the unrighteous Māmon who wil trust us in the true treasure intimating that the other is but a false treasure that is that it is but Copper that is but a counter it is but a counterfeit thing So againe the things of this world are but shadowes the best of the wicked are but as a shadow now when one comes home to Christ hee sends his Spirit into his heart to inlighten him which shewes him the vanitie of these earthly things and then hee is willing to part with them Now wee come to the use of it first then learne hence to prepare for crosses make account of them that is wee must not looke for pleasure here seeke for great things here our great things are layd up in heaven In the world saith Christ yee shall have trouble that is here you shall have crosses if you will be downe right in your profession and walke in the streight way of the Gospel you must resolve to part with those things that are most pleasant to you and to undergoe those things which are most unpleasant to you when you resolve to serve God with a perfect heart you must make account to beare whatsoever crosses shall come and if any better thing come you must count that as gaine looke about and consider what is deare to you and resolve to leave it And know that when the knot is tied between God and you and the band be made then you are engaged to this it may be God will not bring you to it but you must howsoever prepare for it shall a souldier goe to war and not make account of enemies hee is no good souldier that resolves not to dye in battell shall a Pilote goe to Sea and not resolve for a tempest Aristotle speaks of a fortitude which comes from ignorance when they see the thing more difficult and their strength lesse then they thought of they presently desist and so wee finde it with many Christians because they considered not before of the danger they leave off the good way that they began to walke in many a man goes out of Egypt leaves the flesh and resolves to take a new course but hee dyes by the way and never arriveth at heaven by reason of the difficultie he meeteth with never expected therefore say with your selves though Sommer be now yet Winter may come though it be faire to day yet wee know not but a storme may come before night prepare therefore for a storme in a