abased shall you be in your owne eye able to say with the Prophet Woe is me J am undone I am a man of uncleane lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hoasts 2. The more ashamed shall you be of your former loosenes smiting with Ephraim upon your thigh ashamed and confounded for the reproach of your youth the more ashamed shall you be of your present uncleannesse abhorring your selfe with Iob below the dust and ashes 3. The more powerfull shall you be in the suppression of all sinne in the repelling of every temptation able to say with Joseph how shall I doe this evill and sinne against God 4. The more fervent and reverent shall you be in your hearing prayer and supplication standing with Cornelius as before the Lord in hearing his messenger and praying like Paul with the understanding and with the spirit 5. The more diligent and industrious shall you be in Gods service knowing the terrour of the Lord running like the Sunne the race which God hath set before you serving the Lord with feare and trembling doing the will of God from the heart 6. The more gracious shall you be in all your speeches speaking the words of God and as in the fight of God 7. The more circumspect shall you be in your carriage being all the day long in the feare of God and walking with God as Enoch and Noah did 8. The more couragious and undaunted shall you be in all difficulties and oppositions made against you not afraid of the many thousands that set themselves against you remembring and apprehending as Ezekiah did that God is with you a present help in trouble for you 9. The more shall you in a holy manner sleight and undervalue all the glory dignity wealth and fulnesse of the world having with you and within you that God who in your eye and apprehension transcends the world more then the most orient pearle the bafest drosse the choisest Paradise the most loathsome prison or the brightest Sunne the rotten glocworme 10. The more easily fully freely joyfully and permanently shall your hearts and thoughts come off from the creature from your selfe and from every thing here below as the eye comes gladly from the candle to the Sun upon the appearing and apprehension of the same as the Bride comes gladly from her owne people and her fathers house to her most honourable amiable and lovely Bridegroome or as the Prodigall came readily from the Swine and the huskes to his Fathers house where he apprehended fulnesse of bread 11. The more patient shall you be in all trouble apprehending God as a Father in love chastising you as a Physician launcing you and as a Refiner purging you you shall say with old Eli It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 12. The more content shall you be in every condition contentedly able with Job to receive the evill of affliction as well as the good of peace at the hands of the Lord the apprehension of Gods presence with you shall satisfie and quiet you when every other thing is taken from you the apprehension of this shall powerfully and sweetly dispose you to quiet your selfe in the will of God humbly and readily to submit your selfe to the hand of God thankfully to take that portion which God giveth you assuring your selfe it is that which God in his wisedome seeth best for you Thrice blessed is that person who hath this apprehension of God still ruling and affecting him setledly dwelling and working within him there is nothing more availeable to keep the soule of man in a holy frame and disposition then the sence and feeling of Gods ever being present with him Secondly this should also move man to labour for infallible and sure interest in God It is the misery of man to be without God the happinesse of man to have God for his God to be able to say with Thomas My God and my Lord and in all estates to cry with David O Lord thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living It is mans having of God that makes the meditation of God sweet and comfortable to man What doth the shining of the Sunne advantage man if his eye receive not the light thereof What doth plenty of water in the well benefit the thirsty if he neither draw nor drinke of it What did fulnesse of bread in his Fathers house profit the prodigall sonne living among the swine and ready to starve with lacke of broad What doth it availe the soule that God is an eternall an Almighty an Al-seeing an alsufficient God if he live like the swine and feed upon the huskes of the world and come not unto God have no interest in God no taste no sence no feeling of the goodnesse of this God he must starve dye perish and be damned without God The charge therefore given to the children in Salomon concerning wisedome let me give to you concerning God Get God get the Lord forget him not neither decline from the words of his mouth forsake him not and he shall preserve thee love him and he shall keep thee God is the principall thing therfore got God and withall thy getting get the Lord. The gaine of all is losse without God the losse of all is gaine with God have all the power of the world without God thou art weake have all the wealth of the earth without God thou art poore have all the learning art and policye of men and Devils without God thou art foolish blinde and ignorant have all the honours of Nobles Kings and Emperours without God thou art base have all the beauty of the comeliest creatures without God thou art ugly loathsome and monstrous have all worldly and fleshly joyes and pleasures without God thy soule is in a condition of torments have all the liberties immunities and prerogatives of the freest Cities States and Kingdomes yet without God thou art in the most dishonourable slavish and basest bondage have God and though thou hast nothing else thou hast the strongest rocke to support thee the brightest Sun to guide thee the noblest crowne to honour thee the choisest pearle to enrich thee the fullest fountaine to fill thee the sweetest Paradise to solace and delight thee even God himself to be all in all in stead of all and ten thousand times more then all for ever unto thee * ⎠* FINIS A Table of the chiefe things contained in this Treatise on Psal 118. v 26. CHAP. I. AN Illustration of Christs comming and entertainment and opening the words Pag. 1. Note 1. Christ comming proves most ioyfull to them that savingly receive and entertaine him p. 4. Note 2. Man hath greatest cause of all creatures to reioyce in and for the comming of Christ Jesus ibid. Note 3. Whosoever truly reioyceth in Christ doth also wish well to the Cause and Kingdome of Christ p. 5.
brother to him that is a great waster accordingly he that is sloathfull in Christs worke that doth not readily put forth his hand to the helpe and assistance of Christ and his Church is brother to him that is a great waster of the Kingdome and Church of Christ Christ lookes on all Neutralists as on enemies and not on servants he that holds not wholy with Christ doth very shamâ—fully neglect Christ there is no consistence between the service of two Masters men cannot possibly at once be the followers of two contrary leaders And what are these time serving Politicians and carnall Neutralizing middle men but spirituall Harlots their hearts are divided betwixt Christ and other lovers Ignominious Disgracers of the Christian name and profession their way like the goings of the lame whose legs are not equall prodigious Traitours to their heavenly Prince the truth the cause and Church of Christ The very off spring of Judas Shamefull exposers of themselves to the scorne and hatred of all men both good and bad it happening unto these middle men as to them who dwell in the middle roomes of some high building as they are smoaked and smothered by them that dwell under them and polluted with slime and filth from them that dwell over them so smoake and smother disgrace and shame is the portion of such neutralizing and middle people they that cleave heartily to neither side are justly suspected and abhorred of each side He that is neither thoroughly for God nor for man is rejected both of God and man doe not say then in the day of Christs and worlds contestation as sometime the Roman Cato did in the civill warre betweene Caesar and Pompey Quem fugiam video quem sequar non video I discerne whom to fly but I see not whom to follow Whosoever be deserted Christ must be fully followed or the curse of Meroz must be expected Curse ye Meroz said the Angell of the Lord curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants therof because they came not to the helpe of the Lord to the helpe of the Lord in the day of the mighty Which words I wish as once Chrysostome did that sentence Eccles 2.11 were engraven on the doore-posts into which these Politicians and Neutralizers enter on the Tables where they sit on the dishes cut of which they eat on the cups out of which they drinke on the bedsteeds where they lie on the walles of the houses where they dwell on the garments which they weare on the heads of the horses on which they ride and on the fore heads of all them whom they meet that they might learne and continually remember That there is bitter curse attending not only them that openly oppose Christ but also such as neglect to minister their assistance to Christ Who will spew all them out of his mouth who are neither hot nor cold such as halt in the profession of Christ are the greatest abomination to Christ Christ will make their condition very base and ignominious who are not Zealous in Christs cause and service 4. Be not terrified with the multitude of opposers or oppâ—sitions which thou shalt see against Christ but rather say as that noble Souldier in Erasmus did to him that told him of that numerous and mighty Army which came against him Tanto plus gloriae reforemus quoniam â—o plures superabimus the number of opposers makes the Christians conquest the more illustrious say to thy soule in this case as Hezekiah did to his Souldiers in the like Be strong and couragious be not affraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there be more with us then with him with him is an arme of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to helpe us and to fight our battles And the people rested themselves upon the word of Hezekiah King of Iudah and that thy heart may not meditate a revolt from Christ nor entertaine a thought of conspiring with the profane multitude in hope of temporall preservation and safety consider 1. How the profanest part doth ever in the issue prove the weakest part the power of ungodlinesse cuts in sunder the sinewes of the greatest earthly forces as Jonah weakened the Marriners in the Ship Achan the Souldiers in the Army and a reigning disease the greatest body of flesh their sinne against God brings a curse on them that oppose God and though they may prosper for a season for the tryall or castigation of Gods children yet at length like the rod in the fathers hand they are burnt or broken God at length resolves even unto nothing all the powers which exalt themselves against Heaven as is manifest in the fall of the Midianites Goliah Absolom Zera the Aethiopian the King of Assiria and infinite others 2. Consider how they who for safety forsake Christ and betake themselves unto an arme of flesh Have no other but a withered reed to leane on no other then a sandy Foundation to build upon They go like the children in the Prophet with their vessels to empty pits and returne ashamed they shelter themselves with the men of Shechem under a bramble where they are pierced and goared instead of being shadowed their imaginary way and meanes of supportation turnes to their reall shame and ruine all worldly powers to them that desert the Lord Iesus prove not onely vaine helpers but miserable destroyers for thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the heath in the desart and shall not see when good commeth but shall inherit the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited Wâ—en a people have most of man for them and least of God with them then are they usually nearest unto utter ruine 3. Consider how they who goe from Christ and unite themselves to the profane and disaffected multitude for safety doe engage themselves in a common quarrell against Christ and make Christ their enemy and having armed Christ against them all the world cannot preserve them but now they are dash'd in peeces as a Potters vessell by an iron rod now Christ like a Rocke fals upon them and grindes them unto dust Conjunction with Christs enemies is the worst of all wayes and meanes for refuge Shouldest thou helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord said the Prophet to that good King Iehoshaphat therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. 4. Consider how combination with the adversaries of Christ and his cause for temporall preservation hath ever more a crosse and curse attending it enterprizes against the Lord Iesus have in all ages proved dismall to their undertakers Who saith Iob did ever harden himselfe against the Almighty and prosper No weapon saith the Lord that is formed against thee shall prosper and
and women came and offered freely to the building of the Tabernacle so let us both men and women all that have a willing and a loving heart to Christ come and offer our selves and all that we have to Christ for the building up of the Church and Kingdome of Christ for the advancement of the Gospell of Christ And to excite and move our selves hereunto doe but consider how the exaltation of Christ his Gospell and Kingdome is the honour and glory of a Christian what is the glory of a servant but the enrichment of his Master by his industry what is the honour of a Subject but his loyalty to his King his exalting the name crowne kingdome and jurisdiction of his Prince what is the honour of a wife but her fidelity to her husband her cleaving close to her husband her bringing forth of many children to her husband and what is the crowne and dignity of all Christians but their serviceablenesse to Christ their exaltation of the name of Christ their cleaving close to Christ their bringing forth of much fruit to Christ their enlarging the territories of Christs kingdome Alphonsus had written on his Symboll as a character of his greatest honour these words Pro Lege pro Grege for the Law and for the people and this is the most honourable character of a Christian to make his heart and tongue his thoughts within and his works without to carry this inscription for Christ and for his Kingdome for his Church and for his Gospell He is every way of all persons the most honourable and glorious who is every way most for Christ Jesus 2. The argument and evidence of our love to Christ Where is our love to Christ as to our Lord and Master as to our King and Captaine as to our head and husband if we seeke not Christs honour if we doe not endeavour the exaltation of Christs kingdome Ionathan loved David as his owne soule and he stript himselfe of the roabe that was upon him and gave it to David and his garments even to his sword He that loves Christ will keep backe nothing from Christ he will disroabe himselfe to honour Christ to exalt his kingdome and beautifie his Gospell Jacob loved Rachel and he served for her twice seven yeares He that loves Christ will put himselfe upon any hardnesse for Christ Christian love reputes the honouring and exaltation of Christ Jesus a sufficient recompence to its greatest losses and hardest service Love will make a man even holily prodigall in his layings out for the exaltation of Christs Gospell and kingdome 3. Observe the perill of not endeavouring the welfare of Christs Church and Gospell He that is not a friend of Christ is an enemy against Christ he that doth not help to set up Christs kingdome is by interpretation and in Gods construction an overthrower of Christs kingdome He that is not with me is against me saith Christ and he that doth not gather doth scatter He that is not a labourer is a scatterer in Christs vineyard He that fights not under Christs ensigne is a souldier under Satans banner He that is slothfull in his worke is brother saith Solomon to a great waster Thus he who doth not labour for Christ is a brother to them that are great wasters of the kingdome of Christ and fearefull is the curse pronounced on them that stand still and put not their helping hand to Christs Kingdome Cause and Gospell Curse ye Meros said the Angell of the Lord Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty 4. Looke upon Christs sparing and withholding of nothing for our exaltation Christ humbled himselfe to the lowest degree of humiliation and abasement for our elevation and advancement He emptied himselfe to fill us he abased himselfe to honour us he stript himselfe to apparell us he made himselfe a man of sorrowes to fill us with spirituall and soule-refreshing consolations Ye know saith Saint Paul the grace the love the bounty the rich liberality of our Lord Jesus Christ that though be was rich rich in the glory of his divine Essence in his absolute dominion over all creatures in his plenary possession of heaven and earth Yet for your sakes he became poore vailing his Diety Majesty and glory under the poore and unworthy garment of humane flesh being borne of poore parents and appearing in the forme of a servant humbling and abasing himselfe to the death the shamefull death of the crosse that ye through his poverty might be rich rich in the participation of the divine nature rich in the fruition of the fulnesse of Christ Christs humiliation is the meritorious cause spring and fountaine of mans exaltation Christ was very free and full in his exinaition and abasement for our honour and advancement The condition of man was so extreamely base and shamefull that nothing but the humiliation of the Sonne of God was able to restore honour to him And how ready should we be to put all under the feet of Christ to imploy all to the honour of Christ who hath done so much to honour us We should saith Chrysostome preferre nothing above Christ because he preferred nothing above us As he vailed and bowed downe himselfe and all that was his for our salvation so should we vaile and bow our selves and all that is ours for the exaltation of his Gospell and kingdome The meditation of Christs abasing himselfe for us should make us studious and inquisitive how to honour Christ Thou hast been carefull for us with all this care said the Prophet to the woman of Shunem what is to be done for thee Thus should we say to Christ thou hast been humbled and abased thou hast suffered a great suffering for us what is now to be done for thee what shall we doe to honour thee to exalt and magnifie thy name who hast undergone so great disgrace and shame for us The more Christ humbled himselfe for us the more he should be exalted by us Christ made himselfe a sacrifice for us and we should sacrifice our selves and all that is ours to him and his service Christ gave himselfe for our salvation and we should give our selves to him and the exaltation of his kingdome Christ was contented to be made low and as a very nothing as a worme and no man that we might be made the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all and we should be content to abase our selves and to be reputed vile and as nothing in the eyes of men to set up Christ to make him and his Gospell glorious in the eyes of the people He doth neither wisely nor graciously consider Christs humiliation that doth not give himselfe to the exaltation of Christs name and kingdome 5. Meditate the sweet the great and wonderfull blessing that commeth unto men by the
and heavenly comforts arising to the soule from a through self-denyall and full subiection unto Christ Hence ariseth the comfort of liberty and freedome from the servitude of the creature and of every sinfull lust ministring matter of greater joy to the soule then Israel had to see themselves freed from Pharaoh and the burthens of Eâ—ypt Hence ariseth the comfort of the evidence of grace by this man knowes the holy and gracious worke of God Now he can give thanks to God the Father for that he hath made him meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light and hath delivered him from the power of darknesse and translated him into the kingdome of his deare Sonne Now he can with joy say with the Psalmist come and I will shew what the Lord hath done for my soule Hence ariseth the comfort of alacrity and cheerfulnesse in the service now the heart is enlarged and man can runne the way of Gods commandements now he commeth forth like the Sun and rejoyceth like a mighty man to run his race Hence springeth the joy of love to Christ now the objects of all corrupt and base love are removed and Christ is become the sole object of the soules love and now it delights it selfe in Christ as the bride in the bride-groome Hence commeth the comfort of Christs power and presence now he is discerned reigning in the soule as a Prince of peace in his Throne subduing all corrupt and carnall lusts as Joshuah subdued the Amalekites driving Satan from the soule of man as the Gibeonites discerned Joshuah driving away the Amoritish Princes now he is discerned dispelling all blindnesse and errour from the understanding as the Sunne dispelleth darknesse from the eye now he is discerned binding up the broken heart and healing the wounded conscience as the sicke discerneth the Physitian healing his disease now he is discerned pacifying and quieting the troubled and perplexed soule as the Disciples discerned him appeasing and calming the stormy tempest now he is discerned powring in the spirituall oyle of heavenly consolation into the soule as the wounded man in the parable discerned the Samaritan powring oyle into his wounds now he is discerned feasting cheering and ministring the sence of his love to the heart as the Spouse in Solomon discerned the bridegroome in the banquetting house spreading his love over her as a banner and this ministers matter of sweet and singular comfort and hence ariseth the comfort of sweet and gracious communion with God the Lord dwels with the humble The more man goes out of himselfe the nearer he commeth unto God the more man is emptied of himselfe the more he enjoyes of God Very sweet and manifold is the consolation which the soule derives from holy and gracious selfe-denyall 6. The mitigation and sweetning of all disasters Self-denyall in all troubles tryals losses and temptations is to the soule like the honey-combe in the belly of the Lyon unto Sampson a blessed sweetner of them affliction is ever so much the lesse burthensome by how much the more perfect man is in the worke of self-denyall He that truly and throughly denyes himselfe puts a low price upon all outward abilities and can take the spoyling of his goods ioyfully he sees and feeles the good of afflictions and can readily receive them as a wise patient a bitter purgation and quietly beare them as an Oxe the yoake that is accustomed thereunto he can sing with Paul in the prison he can walke comfortably in them as the three children in the fiery furnace he can rejoyce with ioy glorious and unspeakable that he is accounted worthy to suffer for the cause of Christ The want of self-denyall makes affliction a most insupportable burthen 7. The Contentation which Self-denyall ministers with the least earthly portion and possession He that can deny himselfe knowes how to want and how to abound and to be content in every state the humble man possesseth Christ and in possessing him possesseth all things there is more in a holy mans little then in a carnall mans great abundance God proportions his thirst accordingly CHAP. VIII SEeing this self-denyall is a worke so necessary so excellent of such great profit so rare and few partakers of it it may be demanded how a man may discerne it and assuredly know himselfe to have attained to it Whereunto I answer that Christian gracious and true selfe-denyall may bee discerned by these ensuing market or characters 1. Captivation of a mans owne reason wisedome and will Self-denyall emptieth man of self-wisedome and self-wil He that denyes himself is not wise in his owne eyes or wise in himselfe but all his wisedome is in Christ he hath a very low opinion of his owne understanding he reputes his owne wisedome to be folly his owne knowledge to be ignorance his owne reason to be blind and carnall he complaines abaseth and shames himselfe before the Lord for his ignorance he confesseth and saith with Agur surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisedome nor have the knowledge of the holy He that abounds most in saving knowledge is most sensible of his ignorance and hath the lowest opinion of his owne wisedome The more a man is taught of God the more he sees his ignorance of God he that hath high thoughts of his owne understanding is far from the least and weakest beginnings of Christian learning he never truly learned Christ in the Gospell that hath not denyed his owne humane reason When the Sun appeareth and sends his light into the house the light of the candle which lightened the house before the dawning of the day goeth out and appeares as no light when Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse shineth into the heart then mans humane reason and the wisedome of the flesh the only light of the soule before the dawning and appearance of Christ these goeth out and is lookt upon as darknesse it selfe and Christ is made the only guide and counsellor of the soule the eye thereof receiveth all its light from Christ shining in the Gospell Carnall wisedome pusseth up saving knowledge humbleth In much wisedome saith Solomon is much griefe and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow because the more man knows the more he sees amisse Thus the more a man increaseth in the knowledge of Christ the more he sees amisse in himselfe the more he is grieved for his owne ignorance and corruption true wisedome is ever accompanied with godly sorrow and self-denyall and self-denyall casteth downe imaginations or carnall reasonings and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Self-denyall makes him that formerly seemed to be wise in this world according to the opinion of the world dreaming of a sufficiency of wisedome in himselfe to guide himselfe making himselfe his owne
By the trouble which remaining and rebelling lusts are unto the soule of man If they be troublesome to the soule as the Canaanites to Israel as thornes in our sides and prickles in our eyes as diseases in our flesh and burthens on our backs as rebels and mutinous persons in a common-weale are a trouble to the common-weale Though we are not fully freed from yet we have truly denyed them when sinne is not sweet as wine but bitter as gall to our palate not pleasant as bread but troublesome as gravell to our teeth not pleasing as the wife of a mans bosom but offensive as a contentious and quarrelsome inmate there the lusts of a man are denyed they doe not raigne and beare dominion they have not the full and peaceable possession where they are a trouble Paul was one that had in a very high measure denyed himselfe yet he complaines of sinne as of a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and sometimes leading him captive yet this being a trouble to him as a dead member to the body as a mote to the eye as a thorne to the foot the Lord comforts him with the sufficiency of his grace My grace is sufficient for thee 2. By the godly griefe and sorrow of the heart of man for the lusts yet remaining and making warre within him When the presence and opposition of corruption makes man to sorrow as a woman in travell untill his soule is delivered and discharged of them to mourne as the Israelites lift up their voice and wept because the Canaanites continued among them and to grieve for the presence of sinfull lusts in his heart as Sarah was grieved for the presence of the daughters of Heth in her house When a mans sorrow is continually before him because sinne is continually within him such a man may assure himselfe of his self-denyall He that hath a continuall godly sorrow for his sinne is not under the dominion of sinne true repentance argues an infallible denyall of corrupt and carnall affections 3. By a holy gracious and constant Contestation against the lusts which remaine within him He that feeles the Spirit the regenerate part striving against the flesh as Rebeckah felt Jacob striving against Esau in her wombe He that fights against his lusts as Joshuah against the Amalekites he that makes warre against his corruptions as the house of David against the house of Saul and prevailes and increaseth his strength as the house of David did may ascertaine himselfe of freedome from the Lordship and power of his corruptions He that warres against sinne makes no provision for sinne any more then a man doth for the enemy against whom he wages warre He that warres a good warfare against Satan the world and his owne lusts holding faith and a good conscience is a blessed conquerour hath won the conquest though much assaulted by Satan and his owne corruptions It is not mans being assaulted by his lusts but mans yeelding to his lusts which argues absence of self-denyall 4 By mans humbling himselfe for his want of humility and tendernesse and softnesse of heart freely confessing the pride self-love and high thoughts which he discerneth in himselfe shaming and loathing himselfe for the obstinacy haughtinesse and deceitfulnesse of his heart as David considering and feeling the pride and rebellion of Absalon went weeping with his head covered and his feet bare So man that feeles the pride and rebellion of his heart must mourne humble and abase himselfe before the Lord for it the hypocrite is proud of his humility the sincere man is abased and ashamed for the remainders of pride which he discerneth in himselfe The state of him that is exalted with his gifts is very dangerous the state of him that is made vile in his owne eyes with the sence of his corruptions is hopefull and gracious It is a blessed argument of self-denyall when the sence of a mans secret self-love and lurking corruption doth abase him in his owne apprehension pride and self-love have no dominion as long as the soule is moved to humiliation by the sight and sence of them He that abhorres abases and humbles himselfe because his heart is not more humble is undoubtedly truly humbled though his humility want some perfection 5. By mans frequent and fervent prayer to be freed and throughly purged from all pride self-love and sinister respects He cannot be a lover and servant of sinne that prayes feelingly fervently and constantly against his sinne If Moses hands be lifted up the Amalekites will fall If the heart be constantly lifted up in holy and gracious prayer unto God proud lusts and self-respects will fall prayer will surely bring them downe and worke the heart to a very humble and gracious frame The Church prayed and Peter was set free from his fetters from the souldiers and Herods prison holy and earnest prayer hath a very forcible operation to worke the soule to spirituall freedome from all sorts of evill to make it truly sincere and humble both in the inward disposition secret intention and outward execution of every action Certainly mans prayer is but lip-labour no cordiall prayer but vaine babling words of custome or of ostentation if they make not the heart sincere and humble He that knowes the holy humble constant and earnest way of his heart in secret prayer with God may assure himselfe of his self-denyall before God CHAP. XII AS Self-denyall is a holy and gracious worke of Gods Spirit a lively and honourable character of a true Christian the prostrating of mans selfe and all that he hath under Christ The seeking and exalting of Christ above all is the crowne and glory of a Christian so self-seeking and self-exaltation is a very shamefull and dangerous evill an evill indeed very common Most men sowing to the flesh and not to the Spirit to themselves and not to Christ Men generally moving and tending in their understandings wils thoughts and affections to themselves as rivers to the sea levelling the arrowes of their endeavours to some carnall marke of their owne and not to the honour of Christ All saith the Apostle seeke their owne all comparatively in respect of the paucity of others seeke their owne their owne profit their owne ease their owne pleasure their owne honour they confine themselves within themselves they seeke themselves and not the things which are Jesus Christs The honour of Christ the edification of the Church of Christ the propagation and welfare of the Gospell they seeke not this they mind not this they intend not they are all given said the Prophet of old to their covetousnesse to the minding and seeking of themselves their owne low base and unworthy ends from the highest of them to the lowest and from the Priest unto the people Self-seeking like the deluge overslowes the whole world few then addressed themselves unto the Arke few
present plentifull possession This is the constant anâ— common lot of them that seeke themselves and not the Lord Jesus to be strangers to contentment and satisfaction in the great abundance of the world A foolish sonne saith Solomon is a griefe to his father and bitternesse to her that bare him his parents have no contentment in him such a foolish birth such an unhappy possession is the worldly fulnesse of self-seekers a griefe and bitternesse to their soules they have no satisfaction with it it is a bed of thornes and a feast of gall and gravell bread of sorrowes as the Psalmist termes it Their dayes saith Solomon are sorrowes and their travell griefe their heart taketh not rest in the night they are eveâ— discontented the Lord gave Israel Manna from Heaven he fed them with Angels food yet having a self-seeking lust within them they were not contented they murmured and fell a lusting after the flesh-pots of Egypt their Manna seemed to be a light bread If God doth not crucifie mans carnall lusts and affections man meets with nothing but distraction and trouble in the choisest condition under Heaven what felicity like that of our first parents being created after Gods Image placed in Paradice and having nothing within or without them to molest them yet through self-seeking having a desire to be as Gods they undervalued and grew discontented with their present holy happy and blessed estate Surely did not the blessed vision and fruition of God abolish the lust of self-seeking man would in a short time be discontented with Heaven Like the lapsed Angels he would not long keep his station but grow weary of that glorious Kingdome CHAP. XIII SElf-seeking opens the eares of men to Satan and corrupt Counsellors makes men ready to give audience to Satans suggestions and the perswasions of his instruments prone to entertaine any ungracious counsell that may promote their owne carnall ends and further the accomplishment of their fleshly and worldly purposes This makes men hearken to corrupt teachers Satans trumpeters As the Israelites hearkened to Sheba the sonne of Bichri when he blew the trumpet of Rebellion and drew the people from David This makes men apt to receive him that comes in his owne name with a humane carnall and deceitfull doctrine when like the deafe adder they stop their eares against him that comes in Gods name preaching Christ sincerely seeking Gods glory and handling the word of God truly Self-seekers are of the world worldly minded carnally disposed and therefore they heare him that speaketh of the world that delivereth a carnall and earthly doctrine to them The world wonders after the beast all self-seekers are very ready to become Antichrists followers Ahab was a man that sold himselfe to commit wickednesse a great self-seeker and when the Devill became a lying spirit in the mouth of his Prophets he gave them full and ready audience followed their counsell though to his utter ruine contrary to the charge of the true Prophet Self-seeking makes a man a ready embracer a great admirer of corrupt perswasion a prophane despiser of wholsome admonition our first Parents inclining to self-seeking gave present entertainment to Satans counsell and eat of the forbidden Tree Self-seeking makes the heart to Satans suggestions like tinder to the fire it kindles without any resistance Judas having a worldly and self-seeking spirit his heart was open to entertaine Satan as ready to betray Christ for gaine as the Devill was to suggest the thought or the Priests to offer the money Self-seekers are of all others the fittest subject to receive Satans counsels to swallow his hookes when they are baited with something sutable to their owne lusts and tending to their owne ends there is no power nor possibility for that man to decline Satans temptations who is strongly addicted to self-seeking Satan seldome failes of accomplishing his end in such as are given to the seeking of their owne ends 8. Self-seeking doth exceedingly abase man it makes man the Lord of the creature to become the servant of the creature It fils him with base thoughts about the creature with base counsels to gaine the creature with base and servile love to the creature with base confidence in the creature with base services under the creature Self-seekers are even the most base of all persons Such are under the creature and their owne lusts as Israel under Pharaohs burthens and taskmasters Man by self-seeking spoiles himselfe both of corporall and spirituall freedome therefore these are stiled the servants of Mammon The servant is not his own but his Masters goes and comes at his Masters command cannot dispose of himselfe but is disposed by his Master works not for himselfe but for his Master Thus self-seekers are not their owne but the creatures goe and come at the command of the creature As the souldiers in the Gospell went and came at the command of the Centurion and did what he would have them They cannot dispose themselves to any good duty they cannot put themselves upon the service of Christ they cannot marry themselves unto Christ but are altogether at the disposall of the creature they are so under the power of the creature that with the invited guests in the Parable they cannot come to Christ They cannot intend Christ the honour of Christ and the everlasting welfare of their owne soules the creature and their owne lusts are the prime and ultimate objects of their intendments they can looke neither above nor beyond these And the Apostle expresseth the shamefull abasement of such men by terming their belly their God and their glory their shame their belly their God true worshippers put themselves under God study how to please God referre all to to the glory of God Self-seekers prostrate themselves under the creature study how to please their lusts and referre all to their owne corrupt and carnall ends and that wealth that honour that ease that pleasure that applause wherein they now glory proves their shame at the last The present condition of self-seekers is a wretched bondage and their latter end most shamefull and ignominious 9. Self-seeking makes a man both an Idolater and an Idoll An Idolater in serving the creature and his owne lusts and an Idoll in exalting and setting up himselfe in the roome of God Self-seekers bow downe to the creature and to their owne base and carnall affections As Gideons many thousands bowed downe to the waters Jacob prophesied of Issachar Issachar is a strong Asle couching downe between two burthens and he saw that rest was good and the land that it was pleasant and bowed his shoulder to beare and became a servant unto tribute Such base sloathfull and stupid asses are all self-seekers couching downe between the creature and their fleshly lusts as between two burthens They see it appeares to them in their carnall apprehension that the creature is
very ignorant they know not the state and condition of their owne soules Ephraim had gray hairs here and there upon him howbeit saith the Prophet he knew it not Self-admirers are full of the characters of profanenesse carry about them the signes and symptomes of spirituall blindnesse basenesse uncleannesse poverty bondage and everlasting ruine but they know it not No man more ignorant of himselfe then he that hath highest thoughts of himselfe the Pharisees were great selfe-admirers extraordinarily lifted up with the thought of their owne wisdome holinesse and perfection yet very miserably blinde and ignorant blind leaders of the blind without the law as S. Paul confesseth without the knowledge of the law in their understandings without the inscription of the law in their hearts without conformity to the law in their lives Without the light of the law discovering their sinnes without the power of the law humbling their soules ignorance of mans owne vilenesse begets self-admirations the Laodicean was strangely puffed up with thoughts of his owne spirituall excellencies and the maine ground therof was his blindnesse he said he was rich and increased in goods and wanted nothing not knowing that he was poore blinde naked miserable and wretched he that is of all men the worst is usually in his owne opinion the best carnall men thorough their blindnesse doe often take that for very great spirituall riches which in the account of God is no other then very poverty and basenesse 2. Self-admirers are non-apprehensive of the Majesty and perfection of God and transcendent beauties of Christ mans opinion of himself is sutable to his apprehension of God the more apprehensive the soule is of Gods incomprehensible Majesty holinesse and glory the more it is abased in the sense of its owne emptinesse basenesse and impurity I have heard of thee saith Job unto the Lord by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes he that is filled with the admiration of Gods perfections is emptied of self-admiration and made very low and base in his owne thought and meditation of himselfe When the Prophet Esay had in vision seen the Lord sitting upon the throne he cryed out and complained of his uncleannesse then he said woe is me I am undone I am a man of uncleane lips the sight of other mens rich and costly apparell makes a poore man blush and be ashamed of his owne rotten rags God and Christ are questionlesse great strangers to the thought of self-admirers of such the Psalmist saith God is not in all their thoughts were the soule of man well studied and insighted in full and frequent in the meditation of and throughly acquainted with the Lords perfections he could not but be much abased in the knowledge sence and feeling of his owne imperfections His comelinesse with Daniel would be turned into corruption and his face toward the ground he would be humbled below the dust and be baser in his owne eye than the earth mens unacquaintednesse with Gods excellencies is a maine cause of their being self-admirers 3. Self-admirers are very ungratefull and sacrilegious they rob God of the praise of all his gifts they ascribe all unto themselves they say with Nebuchadnezar is not this great Babell that I have built by the strength of mine owne arme and for the honour of my name as they referre all to their owne ends so they looke on all as proceeding from their owne strength They sacrifice saith the Prophet to their net and burne incense to their drag God is neglected their own art wit power and industry are admired they deisie themselves and their own abilities God is not regarded his honour is wholy ecclipsed they go not like David in the name of the Lord in the name of Gods authority commanding them in the name of Gods wisdome guiding them in the name of Gods power assisting them in the name of Gods glory to honour him but like Goliah they goe in their owne name in the name of their owne pride exciting them in the name of their owne fancy leading them in the name of their owne wit art and strength helping them and in the name of their owne praise and honour moving them this is the Alpha and Omega of their undertaking the first in intention the last in execution Self-admirers of all others are the most injurious unto God and Christ Jesus 4. Self-admirers are uncapable of Christ and his graces no man partakes lesse of Christ then he that doth most admire himselfe such a man hath no right nor cleare discerning of Christ no sence and feeling of his want of Christ no hunger nor thirst after Christ no honorable opinion and esteem of Christ no room in his soule to receive and entertaine Christ and therfore continues empty of Christ There is more hope saith Solomon of a foole then of a man that is wise in his owne eyes he is full of self-wisdome and therfore is uncapable of instruction as a full vessell of other liquor the Pharisees had their own learning in such admiration that they utterly rejected Christs Doctrine The full stomack saith Solomon loatheth the honey-combe the full soule loatheth slighteth undervalueth those Doctrines and gifts of Christ which are sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe Self-admirers are very profane despisers of Gods choysest gifts and graces and as they are full of self-opinion so God turns them away empty of things heavenly and spirituall he sends the rich away empty God fils that mans soule alone with heavenly goodnesse who is emptied of all opinion of his own excellencies 5. Self-admiration alienates the soule from God cuts off all communion and acquaintance betweene the soule and God God will not looke in grace and favour towards him God opposeth himselfe against him he resisteth the proud by withholding his grace from him by rejecting his prayer and supplication by infatuating his wisedome by dissipating his power by crossing his undertaking by leaving him as a prey to Satan and powring contempt upon him The Lord is very terrible in his opposition against the proud person Very great and uncomfortable is the distance between God and self-admirers He that admires himselfe cannot draw nigh to God by holy and humble supplication pride hath such dominion within him he cannot draw nigh to God by faith he leanes so much upon himself he cannot draw nigh to God by love self-love doth so strongly oversway him he cannot draw nigh to God by obedience his pride will not suffer him to stoope to Gods precepts he cannot draw nigh to God by holy hunger and thirst after Gods gifts and graces he is so transported with the thought of his owne fullnesse Self-admiration excludes man from all the wayes of communion betweene God and his children therefore trust in the Lord saith the Wise-man and leane not to thine
owne understanding in all thy wayes acknowledge him be not wise in thine owne eyes feare the Lord and depart from evill implying that as long as a man leanes to his owne wisdome and hath himselfe in admiration he can neither trust in God nor humbly acknowledge God nor truly feare God nor depart from evill but continues in the state of a totall and uncomfortable alienation and estrangement from God 6. Self-admiration is attended with shame and confusion at last Goliah much admired himself his owne stature and armour yet was shamefully overthrowne in the battle the Sword in which he gloried cut off his head God often turnes the instrument and matter of mans pride into the instrument and matter of mans shame Nebuchadnezar magnified himselfe above measure in his Palace which he had built but from thence he was driven to dwell and eat grasse among the beasts the Lord will make the condition of proud people most base and contemptible hee that magnifies himselfe above men is unfit for the society of men beasts and brutish creatures are the fittest conforts for ambitious self-admirers Looke then ô man upon the basenesse and uncleannes of thy Originall upon the absence of all spirituall good upon the presence and plenitude of all sin upon thy imbondagement unto Satan upon thy inthralment unto the creature upon thy servitude under many noisom lusts upon the rottennes and deceitfulnes of thy heart upon the loathsomnes of thy wayes upon the imperfection of thy best services upon the strict account which thou must make for all thy abilities and be no more a self-admirer but a self-shamer a self-condemner a humbler of thy soule and an admirer of God and Christ Jesus for all thy freely received favours CHAP. XV. SEcondly In this may we also behold the pernicious and hatefull evill of self-exaltation mans magnifying himselfe above the statutes and ordinances of God by setting up his own inventions above his brethren by thinking better of himselfe then of others hunting after the praise and applause of men striving to commend himself to men and to make himselfe glorious in the eyes of men this is repugnant to the property and practise of them that live the life of true holinesse of them that prostrate themselves and all that is theirs under the feet of Christ Jesus and evill from which the Apostle disswades us let us not be desirous of vaine glory Let us not exalt our selves above others let us not strive nor study to bee magnified of others let us not please and blesse our selves in the vain applause of others it is not humane applause but Gods approbation which ministers matter of true glorying to a Christian we should rejoyce to see God glorified but feare to heare our selves applauded least our persons be idolized least our hearts be vainly elevated and Gods glory obscured It is the crown and glory of a Christian to abase himselfe in the eyes of his Brethren for Gods exaltation but shame at last will be that mans portion who is ambitious and studious of selfe-exaltation that man hath no cause to thinke that God will at last put the crowne of glory upon his head who now takes the crown of praise from his God them that honour me saith the Lord will I honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed them that honour me by consecration of themselves to my service by subjection unto my precepts by sincere intendment of me and my glory in their undertakings them will I honour with the communication of my choysest graces to their soules with the dispensation of my blessing upon their labours by causing their way to be prosperous and by making them amiable and acceptable in the eyes of their godly brethren and by putting into the hearts of their very enemies an honourable opinion of them humble subjection under God holy walking with God and comfortable fruition of the witnesse of God is the most bright and beautifull crowne of a Christian he that can most readily suffer himself to be abased for God shall undoubtedly be most highly exalted by God but God shall cover that mans face with shame and confusion who dishonours God by false exaltation for they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed saith the Lord they that despise me by nourishing dishonourable thoughts in themselves of my most glorious and incomprehensible essence of my most sacred and divine attributes of my most wise and unsearchable counsels or of the high and holy way of my most powerfull just and gracious providence they that despise me by contemning my statutes by neglecting my ordinances by slighting my servants by profaning my name and my service or by not using and benefitting by my word by my chastisements and favours they shall be lightly esteemed accounted vile in my sight and made vile in the eyes of men he that exalts himself and his own lusts to the dishonour of his God is of all persons the most base and ignominious And self exaltation is indeed a very great and dangerous evill For 1. Self-exaltation is the root and spring of many foule impieties the unhappy mother of many cursed daughters mans pride and prophane contempt of Gods precepts is the Originall of all vices mans elevating himselfe and his owne corrupt affections and carnall purposes above the sacred limits which God hath set him leads him into every transgression Pride in the heart like Sheba in Israel blowes the Trumpet and draws the whole soule into rebellion against God as he drew Israel to rebell against David Self-exaltation moved our first Parents to eat the forbidden fruit Corah Dathan and Abiram to rebell against Moses Saul to plot the death of David Pharaoh to lay heavy burthens upon the children of Israel Absolon to labour the deposition of his Father from the throne Pride makes a man inâ—atiable in his desires contentious with his neighbours injurious to his fellow-servants slanderous in his speeches a contemner of such as are truly holy and gracious and impatient of the yoake of Gods precepts thorough pride man will not have Christ rule over him hee will not stoope and bow to Gods Commandement but exalts himselfe above God and becomes a law-giver to himself walking after the counsell and imagination of his owne heart God hath ever least possession where pride hath most sway and dominion all sorts of vices are the Subjects of the Common-weale of that soul where pride sits in the heart as a King in his throne Pride saith Augustine is the beginning end and cause of all sinne pride being not onely sin but also no sinne can could or may be without pride since sinne is nothing else but a contempt of God whereby we despise his precepts and nothing perswades man to this but pride and pride saith Aquinas is the beginning of all sinne in regard of time the first sinne of the Divell in heaven and of Adam in Paradise in regard