and to that the Apostle alludes when he calls it the Bond of Perfectnesse God so loved the world sayes our Saviour that Hee gave His onely begotten Son for us He as it were gave up His Interest in His Son to procure an Vnion with us In another place He sayes Greater love then this ha's no man John 15.13 then to lay down his life for his friends May we not say Greater Selfe-denyall then this no man can shew surely we may for it appeares by that verse following our Text that to lose ones life is one of the greatest acts of Selfe-denyall This then is the great commendation of Selfe-denyall that it is not Faith alone nor Hope alone but the love of God the Bond of them That Love of which St. Paul gives so vast commendations amongst which one is that it seekes not its own 1 Corin. 13.5 Galat. 5.6 That Love by means whereof Faith producing its works becomes to tum Christiani the Totall of a Christians Dutie By this meanes it is that Love climbes up even into Heaven it selfe whereas Faith that shall cease when once we come to Vision Hope that shall be explete when once we come to Fruition But Self-denying Love is strong as Death Cant 8.6 that therefore shall be perfected not abolished when once we come to Vnion Then when our corrupt selves shall bee swallow'd up of Perfection and God shall be All in all I hope by this time it appeares fully of what Generall importance this Vertue is to the whole Body of Theologie all those Three Theologicall Vertues being so immediately founded on it Other Arguments might be us'd to this purpose I shall onely produce one more as irrefragable as 't is briefe out of the Apostle's words 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined sayes he to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified in you now when is Christ crucified in us but when we are crucified to the World the Flesh and the Devill in conformity unto Him Thus does St. Peter expound it plainly 1 Pet. 4.1 Christ therefore suffering for us in the flesh be yee also arm'd with the same minde for he that suffers in the flesh ha's ceast from sinne By this now it appeares that Selfe-denyall is not onely the Vnum but also the Vnicum necessarium of a Christian which had the Corinthians but learnt the Apostle would have requir'd no more of them Here perhaps you will aske me But does not our Saviour even in this Text we entreat of require more then so of us to wit that We should take up our Crosse and that we should follow his Example Does he not usher in these with the very same Siquis Hee does that Precept of Self-denyall 't is plaine he does Why then we may well conclude that this Precept of Selfe-denyall ha's no preheminence above the others No the very positure of it in the first place proves the contrary and gives it the preheminence above them For hereby we being absolutely in the first place obliged to that whatsoever obligation the other fasten on us either it must be Nothing and Void if it contradict the first or if it doe not but make for it it must be subservient to it Now who sees not that the two following Precepts are so farre from contradicting the first that they make exceedingly for it For first if Self-denyall bee a Vertue of such Generall importance as we have prov'd it cannot be though a reflext act in it selfe yet a meere immanent act in its consequence it must be perfected without though it be begun within our selves it must be exprest and held forth to others partly to shew the sincerity thereof to others Mat. 5.10 that the Glory thereof may be rendred to God our Father which is in Heaven Now what fitter expedient could possibly bee found to doe this then the Crosse whereby the world is crucified to our selves and our selves unto the World whereby the Flesh the Old Man is crucified within us For as our Saviour by His Crosse was lifted up like the Brazen Serpent in the Wildernesse so our Selfe-denyall is as it were lifted up by that Crosse we are to take up and made conspicuous Nor is this Crosse an Evidence onely of our Self-denyall but also a Meane to helpe us thereunto Certainly every Crosse must be contrary to our selves otherwise 't is not a Crosse and as certain it is our Self-denyall must be perform'd by the helpe of Contraries No fitter Meane then can be imagin'd to helpe it forward then the Crosse For if as Hippocrates and all Physitians tell us all Cures must be perform'd by Contraries we may very aptly compare Selfe-love to the Disease or Humour that is to be purged out of us the Crosse to that Physick which must helpe to doe it and Selfe-denyall to that expulsive Faculty wherewith the Grace of God endues us As for those other words and follow Me they also have a plaine reference to this Precept of Self-denyall as being not onely our Saviour's Grant wherein He gives full power licence and authority to all that shall come to Him with those two precedent Qualifications to become His Followers and Disciples that is Christians but also a Third Precept enjoyning us with Constancy and Perseverance to imitate the Perfectest Pattern of Self-denyall in our Saviours owne example who as the Apostle tells us Rom. 15.3 did not please that is Deny'd himselfe Whereas therefore wee compar'd the Crosse to that Physicke that must cure us of Self-love we may compare this Precept to that Rule of Dyet which must prevent our Relapsing So then notwithstanding what can be alledg'd out of the words Self-denyall must still have the preheminence But yet this is not enough for here some perhaps will flie to Argument and wonder how all our Religion should be built on Self-denyall What All of it Anasceuasticall no Catasceuasticall part thereof All tending to Mortification no part to Vivification All to doffe the Old Man none doe on the New I looke this should be cast in my way by those qui ad pauca respiciunt But 't is nothing These Distinctions are but of divers Notions not of divers Things Our Deeds of Mortification are at once Deeds of Vivification Our putting off the Old Man cannot bee without putting on the New Our Aversion from the Creature if regular and uniforme is our Conversion unto God It must needs be so if God and the Creature be as to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contraries without any Meane imaginable betwixt them for then he that forsakes the Creature must needs betake himselfe to God even as he that forsakes the Earth must needs goe towards Heaven As for this present World it is no other but our Exile because our Enemies are Masters of it Our Life is our Pilgrimage our Journey Heaven that is our Countrey and our Religion is our Motion from the one to the other Now this Motion you may terme as you please
by this Vertue of Self-denyall analyz'd Matth 7 1◠or reduc't to Atomes Our Saviour too much to the same purpose tells us This is all the fruit of the Law and the Prophets what Self-denyall no but one branch of it Equanimity to doe as we would be done to If that Vertue then were the Summe of the whole Old Test what may wee thinke of this Precept of Self-denyall that goes farre beyond it but that it is the Summe also of the New And sure our Fore-fathers were all of the same Opinion as appeares by the Primitive Constant Necessary Forme of Baptisme wherein we stipulate with God to Deny the World the Flesh and the Devill and that wee may doe so manfully to fight under the Crosse which is Christs Banner wherein to continue Christs faithfull Souldiers and Servants to our lives end So that as long as we live in the Church Militant and that is even untill we arrive unto the Church Triumphant so long must we be Souldiers exercis'd in this spirituall Militia of self-denyall and the Crosse If then this be to be Baptiz'd into conformed unto Rom. 6.3 Phil. 3.10 11 12 14. the death of Christ if it be to arrive unto the Resurrection of the Dead as it no question is * Compare that place with Romans 6.3 4 5 6 verses and it will appeare plainly Besides the word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to relate to the Ancient manner of Baptizing in hot climats wherein the party baptized rose againe out of the water as if from the Dead Rom. 15.3 then this is the Prize of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus that Marke which St. Paul did and every true Christian ought to propound unto himselfe in all his Actions But let us not thus rest in Generalls but descend to more Particulars We hold that the Summe of the whole both Law and Gospel is comprehended in those three Theologicall Vertues Faith Hope and Charity Now let us see what dependance each of these have on Self-denyall First for Faith the most Evangelicall Vertue of them 't is plaine it is imply'd in this Negative Precept of Self-denyall by the same reason that our Expositours say the Affirmative Precepts are imply'd in the Negatives of the Decalogue 'T is true to Deny our selves is formally an Affirmative action but materially 't is a Negative it being no more but this not to assent unto our selves Hee then that by Antithesis would raise an Affirmative thereunto must acknowledge it to be no other but this to Assent and Adbere unto God Now what else is this but Faith which is no other but an Affiance plac't in God whether it be by a simple Assent of the Minde onely which is Faith strictly taken or by an Adberence also of the Will and Affections Genes 15.6 which is Faith truely Justifying and Evangelicall This was that Faith of Abraham when Rom. 4.18 not considering his owne and Sarah's ineptitude to be Parents he had an immoveable respect unto the Infallibility of God's Promise And that Faith I 'm sure was Justifying This was that Faith by reason of which St. Paul said Galar 2.20 Hee liv'd not but Christ liv'd in him and the life that be liv'd was by the Faith of the Son of God So that to preach this Doctrine of Self-denyall is not to preach up the Law and Workes again but cleane contrary to preach the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purely and the Righteousnesse of Faith For besides that our Saviour urg'd this Doctrine never any more and yet sure was no Minister of the Law as 't is opposed to the Gospel The Jewes by the Law of Workes sought to establish their owne Righteousnesse by their owne Strength to their owne Glory all which are utterly inconsistent with Self-denyall Whereas we Christians by the Law of Faith establish not our own but God's Righteousnesse not by our own but by God's Strength not to our owne but to God's Glory It must needs bee so where Self-denyall takes place it cannot be so where it does not We need no more proofe for the matter then that alone Text of St. Paul Phil. 3.10 where the Apostle having first Denyed his owne Righteousnesse to wit that of the Law plainly describes the Righteousnesse of God by Christ upon Faith to bee a Righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Knowing Christ and the Power of His Resurrection and the Fellowship of His sufferings and to be conform'd to Him in His Death Now if this Conformity be the Fellowship of His Sufferings and that Fellowship be the Power of His Resurrection and that Power be the Experimentall Knowledge of Christ to wit Crucified within us all which is cleare what else is that Conformity and consequently the Righteousnesse of Faith but the Denyall of our selves being a Conformity to that act of Christ wherein Hee Deny'd Himselfe most perfectly Thus much for Faith But now for Hope the Second of the Three Theologicall Vertues there is more doubt of that indeed whether that may be reconciled with this Doctrine of Self-denyall since that having our owne Good for its Object seemes to be a Self-seeking act proceeding onely out of self-Self-love But yet upon more serious examination of the matter we shall see it will not prove so For though Hope such onely I meane as is truely Christian have Good alone for its Object and be a Self-seeking act in effect yet is not built on self-Self-love but wholly on Self-denyall To cleare this seeming Paradox the better we must lay down Three Grounds all of them as we conceive undenyable First that God alone is good as our Saviour plainly tells us and so the onely Object of our Hope Matth. 19.17 Secondly that all love of our selves is not vitious for certainly Hee that bids us love our Neighbour as our selves Ibid. vers 19. bids us love our selves in some sort otherwise that could not be the Rule of our love to our Neighbours since wee cannot make a Rule of Nothing Lastly that that love of our selves which is terminated in our selves is onely vitious as supposing our selves and not God alone to bee Good but that which arises from and may bee resolved into God that onely is lawfull Now hence we argue thus That Hope which aimes onely at the Fruition of God and yet at our owne good but onely in and from Him must needs be both a Self-seeking act and yet an act of Self-denyall for it seeks our good though not as it is ours But such is true Christian Hope as appeares from those Three Grounds I laid Ergo. But that this may be the more rightly understood we must observe such Hope is a Self-denying act properly and directly but a Selfe-seeking act onely improperly and at second hand for it supposes our good to be finis rei not agentis not our Designe but our Felicity Did it in every sense Deny our selves that is no way conduce to our
according to its severall Intentions either a Flight from our Selves or a Journey unto God either Self-denyall or Charity either Hatred of the Creature or Love of God it matters not much which of them The Motion is still the same whatsoever Name you give it But if you joyne both these together as our Saviour does in the next verse and stile this Motion Selfe-denyall for the Love of God which is no other but our Self-denyall here in Precept then all Objection is remov'd and you have a compleat Epitome of Religion To illustrate this somewhat further We must consider Our Vertues now under the Covenant of Faith not of Workes are not to be lookt upon as Actions of men in perfect Health so as they were in Paradise but onely as on the way of Recovery that is mixt with much feeblenesse and imperfection As long as wee live here the Flesh does lust against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh by reason of which contrariety wee doe not the things we would as the Apostle tells us Gal. 5.17 Therefore as Plato conceiv'd of Knowledge it was all but Memory so must we of our present Righteousnesse and Holinesse that 't is all but Recovery But then will not this make much for the disparagement of the Gospel though for the advancement of Self-denyall that our best Estate under it is but Recovery wheras that of Adam in Innocency was of perfect Health No it will not For though our Vertues now consider'd in Arithmeticall Proportion be inferiour to Adam's yet consider'd in their Geometricall Proportion with reference to the Naturall auknesse and weaknesse of the Workman and so the Difficulty of the Worke thus they are Superiour and aske a greater measure of Grace to performe them Briefely compare our Workes with his and they are Inferiour compare our Working with his and it is Superiour We perceive the Sunnes heat farre more intense in the Summer then in the Spring and yet in the Spring-time it is in its Ascent and acts more strongly What 's the reason of it One maine one seemes to be the Winter's remaining Cold which is his taske to Master so Adam's Vertues in Innocency would have appear'd more perfect and glorious then ours doe now or can doe and yet wee have a greater measure of Grace by Christ's Redemption then Adam had by Creation What 's the reason of it Surely no other reason can be given but this We have Self-love and Sin to master in us Adam had not Our Grace therefore acts more vigorously though it be not so successefully and so ours ha's more of Vertue Adam's more of Felicity in it Therapeuticall Physick is both more Difficult and more precious then Prophylacticall 'T is farre more hard to recover our Health then to preserve it Harder to recover the top of a Hill as we are descending then being at the top to keep our Station so a farre greater measure of Grace is requir'd to recover our lost estate then was at first to have retain'd it No Vertue shines so gloriously as that which grapples with most Difficulty No Victory is so Triumphant as his whose Enemy was most Puissant If then the Ministration of the Law had been glorious in Adam persevering it was Nothing to the glory of the Gospel which excells it in our Recovering For though the Law and Gospel both drive at one and the same marke yet does the Gospel by its Method attain that which the Law could not retaine at first nor re-attaine afterwards by its Method to wit our Vnion with God Accordingly therefore the Promises of the Gospel are more Glorious The Gospel promises a heavenly Paradise the Law but an Earthly one The Gospel promises it Eternally the Law but Temporally Heb. 11.40 These are those better things without which the Law could not be perfected nor lead us to Perfection And such indeed it became the Son of God to bestow who it 's believ'd never restor'd any to their former health and Limbes but with far greater strength and Vivacity We Conclude then notwithstanding what ha's been alledg'd Self-denyall is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Breviate of Christian Religion What Praise then in former time was given to Law-givers for the Abridgement of their Lawes the same is most justly due to our Saviour for His Abridgement of Christianity in this one Precept of Self-denyall For if we esteeme the summe of the Morall Law in those Ten Words of the Decalogue a most excellent Compendium this must needs be more admirable that ha's contracted the whole both Law and Gospel into these few words Deny thy selfe We know the Benefit of that was that the Law might be written on the Phylacteries of their Hands and the Frontlets between their Eyes that so whatsoever they did whether eate sit walke or meditate the Law might still be in their sight to keep them from all evill And may not then greater Benefit be made of this short Precept which even by the finger of God is in some measure written in every ones not Head alone and Hands but Heart also that he may doe it Surely if the Heathen thought their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy to be written in Gold on the Doores of their Temples with much better reason may we engrave this Precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Golden Letters on the Porches of our Churches Or if we like the Jewish Rites better as is reason wee may make this Precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Phylactery of our Hearts That whatsoeever sinne the World the Flesh or the Devill tempt us unto whether it be the lust of the Flesh or the lust of the Eyes or the Pride of Life whatsoever Temptation God proves us with to part with our Goods Friends Gifts of Body or Minde yea our very Body and Life it selfe we may resist and overcome them all by this alone Delphick Sword of Self-denyall For if we shall doe so marke the Benefit will accrue to us thereby This alone Precept constantly attended to will carry on the Generall Worke of our Regeneration in so Naturall and Vniforme a Method as no other Precept whatsoever can doe The Workes of Art and Nature differ mainly in this Point that Nature working from an Internall Principle carryes on its work uniformly in all parts at once in our Nourishment and Augmentation whereas Art working from an Externall Principle as we see in the Statuaries trade is faine to frame one part after another untill at length the whole is finished Just so it is in the Forming of the New Creature in us if our spirituall growth therein be Vniforme in all its Members alike 't is a figne it proceeds from this Internall Principle of the Divine Nature in us whereby Denying and Forsaking our selves we firmly depend on God But if our Growth therein be Partiall that is if one Member of the New Creature in us runnes out into a Monstrous exuberance while many others fare the worse for
HEAVTONAPARNVMENOS Or a Treatise of SELF-DENYALL Intended for the Pulpit but now committed to the Presse for the PUBLIKE BENEFIT Inutilis olim Ne videar vixisse 1 COR. 2.6 7 8 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we speake wisdome among those that are perfect but not the wisdome of this world c. LONDON Printed by W. WILSON for RICHARD ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivy-Iane 1646. A Treatise of Self-Denyall MATTH 16.24 If any one will come after me let him deny himselfe BUt in the first place let us with all thankfulnesse adore the Divine Bounty for this inestimable Jewell of His most Holy VVord revealed to us and with all humility implore the light and aid of his most Blessed Spirit that we who can doe nothing without Him may with Him be able to see His Truth and seeing it sell all we are worth to purchase it To this alone Glory in our Eternal Good through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Occasion of these words will be the best key to our Discourse And that was this Our Saviour now drawing fast upon the Catastrophe of His Life and being in the last Act thereof to expresse the Perfection of Self-denyall that the suddennesse of the Tragedy might not drive his Disciples into an unwonted extasie Verse 21. acquaints them often with it before-hand well knowing that the blow foreseene in time when it came would make the lesse impression Yet Peter it seemes Verse 22. somewhat mov'd above the rest whether by the instinct of flesh and bloud or the suggestion of the Devill or both which is most likely taking him aside began to rebuke Him saying Sir favour your selfe this barme shall not befall you Most strange audaciousnesse in a Disciple to his Master whether we looke at his words or his behaviour No such thing shall befall you and yet but just then He had flatly affirmed the contrary What else was this but with the Devill in Paradise to oppose his owne infallibility to his Masters Gen. 3.4 Jer. 5.12 that is in plaine English to give Him the Lye An intolerable presumption And yet thereupon to inferre He ought to favour that is make much of or seek Himselfe this was no other but a downe-right Devillish Temptation A true but slyer Copy of that Originall one of the Serpent who tempted our first Parents by self-self-love to affect a Deity But lastly the better to perswade this Gen 3.5 to take Him aside to put Him beside His course and there earnestly to advise Him this was just like the Devils tolling Adam from his Worke to the fatall Tree of Perdition All which seriously considered we cannot but though with no small admiration aknowledge Peter but even now made a Claviger of the Heavenly Kingdome Verse 19. was herein the Devills Spokes-man Such was the daring boldnesse that by long practise he was growne to No lesse Instrument could serve him to frustrate the Second Covenant then the Senior Disciple of our Saviour's who us'd but a despicable Serpent to doe as much to the First All that can bee said in Peters behalfe is he meant no harme to our Saviour in those words but good rather the reason as I suppose why he made so bold with Him as he did But this though the common pretence of blinde zeale is not enough to excuse it the Devil to be sure meant harm enough who in those words of his had no lesse matter in designe then the irrecoverable Destruction of all Man-kinde the reason as it may seem why our Saviour check'd not him Verse 23 but Satan speaking in him The best of it was this Our Saviour the Second Adam being the Lord Himself from Heaven 1 Cor. 15.17 did not like that First Adam form'd out of the earth give way to this temptation no not for a moment but forthwith repelled it bid Satan be gone And whereas Peter endeavoured in a sort to divert Him He converted Himselfe into His course againe bids Peter not stand like Satan thus before Him to oppose Him but get him behinde Him rather and become His follower in this though never so hard enterprise of Self-denyall Which that Peter might resent more kindly and not conceive himselfe hardly dealt with as if evill had been return'd him for his good our Saviour to undeceive him vouchsafes a Reason of his Reproofe Because he savourd not the things of God meaning this great matter of Self-denyall but onely the things of men to wit that traiterous sin of Self-love And not content with this that He might the better set Satan packing Verse 24 and yet keep Peter by Him by way of Antithesis He layes here the Foundation of what Peter went about to destroy such a Schools or Sect of men as should savour the things of God and not the things of men that is a Sect of Christians or self-denyers That this was the sole Designe of these words we are now upon will evidently appeare from the formost of them If any one will come after Me rightly understood for they being a Si quis of Invitation of any man to this Schoole import no more but this If any one will become my Disciple or a Christian 'T is true the Name of Christian was not then taken up but here was the Foundation layd thereof For as the Pythagoreans were so called from the first Author of their Sect Pythagoras and the Epicureans from the first Author of theirs Epicurus so were the Disciples from their first Author Christ Acts 11.26 at length in Antioch first called Christians Disciples then and Followers in this sense becomming termes Synonymous this comming after must not be so literally understood as if the Disciple were continually to tread in his Masters steps but that if he did jurare in verba that is take upon him to defend his Masters singular Dogmata or Opinions though he seldome or never bare him company 't was sufficient Thus a Metempsychosis or Transanimation being the singular Dogma of Pythagoras it became the Characteristick of the Pythagoreans who in pursuance of it abstain'd the eating Flesh Thus an Acatalepsia or Incomprebensibility of all things being the singular Dogma of Arcesilaus it became the Characteristicke of the Academicks who in pursuance of it call'd all Sciences in question Thus the maintaining Pleasure to bee our Summum Bonum being the singular Dogma of Epicurus it became the Characteristick of the Epicureans who in pursuance of it deny'd Gods Providence in sublunary matters And thus this Doctrine of Self-denyall being the singular Dogma of Christ above all others He would have it here become the Characteristick of all Christians who in pursuance of it should become Crucigeri or Cruciani as anciently they were called that is Crosse-bearers yea takers of it up This difference though wee may observe betwixt theirs and this Dogma of our Saviours their 's had no necessary influence on whatsoever else they taught but so has this
Dogma of Self-denyall being the very Foundation of Christianity yea the Grand Designe of all Theologie The Law of Nature that which was Adam's Rule in Innocency did not designe this but suppose it There was no such thing then in the world as our Selfe contradistinct from God So that had Adam persevered in his Integrity our Theologie had been Geneticall altogether that is by the Progressive method of Workes of the Law not the Regressive method of Faith and Mortification we should have attain'd after a perpetuall tenour of liquid Happinesse here the eternall Fruition of it hereafter But now by the Intrusion of our Self into the world upon Adam's Fall our Theologie is turn'd Analyticall altogether St. John plainly telling us 1 John 3.8 our Saviour appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that be might analyse or dissolve the works of the devill What those Works were is evident their sole Foundation being that worke of his on Adam whom he tempted to seeke himself yea so far to seek himself Gen. 3.5 as to become Aemulus to God Himself the Naturall and last aime of self-Self-love if it never receive check This was the Devills first Handsale his Masterpiece that Grand Fundament all Designe on which he ha's built his Kingdome ever since That therefore our Saviour might dissolve all his works as compendiously as might be He by this Doctrine strikes at the Foundation knowing if that were undermin'd the whole Building would soon totter By this He layes the Axe to the Root of the Tree Matth. 3.10 knowing if that were up the Branches would soon come to the ground But that He might doe this the better and to provide lest His Postulata should not be granted necessary it was Mankinde should be throughly convinc't of these Particulars That there was such a thing as our Selfe crept into the world That it was utter enmity with God I â—â—â—ly that it was beyond our Hability to remove it A Glass◠〈◊〉 might reflect these Particulars to our view was wantin◠〈◊〉 a more commodious one could not possibly be found tâ—…t old almost obliterated Law of Nature retriv'd Hereupon the Divine Majesty Himselfe committed that Law to writing which though it were to prevent the like obliteration for the future done in Tables of stone yet could not have effected it had not Moses beside recorded it in his Pentateuch a farre more lasting Monument Matth. 5.18 for when Heaven and Earth shall passe away that Record shall not but continue to a tittle as our Saviour tells us Now by this Glasse was soone discovered what a Masst of Selfe-love we were buried in How irreconcileable enmity God conceiv'd thereat Lastly our owne utter Imbecillity to subdue it This was plaine No longer then might we flatter our selves with a conceite of our still continuing Innocency Rom. 7.9 Nor could wee still pretend in our excuse any Ignorance of our misery either from our Guilt or our Imbecillity But of necessity we were forc't to pray in aide of some Saviour beside yea above our selves to deliver us out of it The World now being by this meanes made ripe for this purpose for so John B. had made sufficient discovery the Fulnesse of time then came wherein our Saviour was to appeare to take this Worke in hand Himselfe and so put the last Complement to our Theologie This He did at large in His Sermon on the Mount but briefly in this Text the Epitome of that And because the Method of teaching is both more short and more efficacious by Example then by Precept He ha's left us in His Life but especially in His Death The Consummatum est of all as perfect a Patterne of this Precept as Mortality can reach to By which Death making a full Satisfaction for us in a most admitable compendium He ha's likewise obtain'd of His Father for those that live by His Faith First a Pardon for Adam's selfe-love imputed to us Secondly sufficient Grace to enable us sincerely to deny it in our selves And lastly a Pardon for all our owne Defaults therein and Frailties repented of Upon all which necessarily followes our Adoption first into God's Favour by Him And then our Re-admission into that Patrimony we forfeited in Adam Self-denyall being thus as we see the Catholique Designe both of Law * See below in the fift Point in the Margent and Gospel it must needs have some Influence more or lesse on every Vertue we can practise 'T is no marvaile then our Saviour makes it here the onely Fundamentall or if ye will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Probatum est of a Christian since Eccles 12.13 Quod caput est rerum quas lex praescripsit Jësu crucem subire semet a se abdicere H. Grot. in Instit puer as the Wife-man said of keeping the Law we may well say of this Doctrine It is totum hominis Amans whole Duty to fulfill it Wherefore else is it that all things now under the Gospel goe so by Contraries To Exalt we must abase our selves To be the First we must become last of all To be strong we must become weak To be wise we must become Fooles To subdue our enemies we must love them To save our Lives we must lose them with many such like Wherefore I say is it but because we are now to worke out our salvation by Self-deniall that is by such a way as pulls downe our high thoughts that thwarts our perverse Principles that so God onely may be exalted and as at first he was so may at last become All in all 1 Cor. 15.28 Wherefore was it that all the Precepts of the Decalogue were penn'd in a Negative forme none in the Affirmative but the two Middle ones the more strictly to oblige us to them but because they were calculated for our Lapst estate For hereby God taught us that our Obedience to it now was to proceed not as formerly first via remotionis then via positionis First by way of the Removall of self-Self-love before it could proceed to the production of works of Love Psaline 34.14 first by flying that which is evill before we can come to doe that which is good Whereupon we may well conjecture that had Adam persevered Innocent and the Morall Law then been written as it was since all its Precepts had beene penn'd in the Affirmative Does not Esay tell us Chap. 27. Ver. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is all the fruit to take away our sinne If then no sinne but proceeds out of Self-love as is most certaine and so no Vertue to supplant it but proceeds from self-denyall then is this Vertue of Self-denyall the onely fruit of our Religion And so much appeares in the words next following in that place for how does he meane our sinnes should be taken away but when even the Holiest stones of the Altar should become as Chalke-stones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pulverizated or beaten asunder that is
Self-denyall Matth. 7.14 which our Saviour calls a strait entrance into a spacious Kingdome In handling of them therefore I shall not be so presse as to insist strictly on the Words lest doing too much honour to the Cabinet I prejudice the Jewel But I shall take some liberty to my selfe and though I neglect not the Words yet shall handle them Common-place-wise and so insist upon this Method First shew the Nature and full Meaning of this Precept Secondly its Possibility or Peisablenesse Thirdly its Congruity in Reason Fourthly its Necessity in Religion Fiftly its Excellency above any Precept of the Law whatsoever And lastly its Vtility to all those that shall obey it To shew then the Nature of this Precept we must let you see first what is meant here by our Selves Then what is meant by Denying Lastly what by Denying our selves By ones Selfe here He meanes that which the Stoicks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather that which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2.3 That is those Principles and Opinions which by Nature now corrupted are in every one and encline him to establish his own Independencie of any other whatsoever yea even of God Himselfe and to crook every thing toward himself so making himselfe the sole end of his thoughts words and actions In a word Our Selfe strictly taken is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas-Resp Interrog sextae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our owne Will to be or have any thing contrary to the Will of God Our being any thing may well be styl'd our Selves there is no doubt of that So may our having any thing too for as much as we have and owne nothing but what we adhere unto and becomes a part of our selves by Love which Love does interesse us therein But that we may the better understand the true Nature of our Selves as contradistinct from God wee must consider that the whole Systeme of Ens consists but of two parts God and the Creature as it were of the Sunne and its radius its Beame or Ray. That God is of and by Himselfe or to speake more properly not of nor by any other Therefore that He alone claimes Selfnesse as I may terme it to Himselfe Exod. 3.14 because He alone is what he is His Essence and Existence are both one He is his owne basis and foundation Then we must consider that the Creature is no wayes of it selfe but wholly of God because Existing eminently and radically in Him God therefore He cannot possibly Deny Himselfe as the Apostle tells us but as for the Creature that cannot but Deny it selfe 2 Tim. 2.13 if it act as it should doe But then surely you will aske How comes it to passe there is any Selfnesse in the World beside that of God alone that our Saviour should speak here of the Creatures Selfe For this wee must know that indeed and in truth there is no such thing in rerum naturâ as the Creatures Selfe contradistinct from God but onely in Corrupt Opinion and Desire And so even now I intimated deriving its true Originall from our owne proper Will And so much our Saviour intimates here to us commanding our act of Denyall to attend it the proper Adjunct of Non ens of that which in very truth is nothing Now this Opinfonate affected Propriety or Selfnesse comes about thus God having in the Beginning created the whole World for Himselfe and therein manifested His Power in making all things to serve and feare Him as their Lord would also manifest his Goodnesse and therfore made some things to love Him too that is to serve Him as a Father no lesse then as a Lord. This that He might doe 't was fit His Service should be Rationall Rom. 12.1 that is proceed from a rationall Appetite to wit the Will informed by the Vnderstanding So then He made such a Creature as was capable of such an Appetite and therewith He endu'd it Now 't was necessary this Appetite should be free so that it might love or not love God's Goodnesse freely The Reason is Because God is a Perfect Good and so requires Perfect Love to attend it But now Perfect love as it casts out Feare according to the Apostle 1 John 4.18 so it casts out Force too as which would argue Imperfection in the Good it loves that it could not of it selfe without the aid of an Extraneous force attract love proportionable thereunto For this cause He made the Apperite of the Will free as by His Assistance to continue in Obedience to His owne Will so by its owne mutability to deflect from that to desire an Independent subss istence of it selfe and thereto to bend its whole Activity Being thus enfranchised it made use of its owne Freedome to the worst part and so rebel'd against God its Maker forgetting Him and directing all things to it selfe For so to omit the Sin of the Angels not revealed to us we finde that Adam not content with that Condition wherein he was set by God brake that Law wherein he was to acknowledge his Dependence and Obedience by which act of his he did interpretatively renounce God his Maker and directly sought and set up himselfe Here now came in our Propriety self-Self-love Self-will into the World and therewith sinne the Originall of all evill as well of that which is simply such sinne as of that which is such to some things onely and in some respects misery For so we finde in the story that Adam thus seeking himselfe found himselfe indeed but to his owne Destruction Or rather to speak more truely did not sinde but quite lose himselfe as will appeare out of God's words concerning him For when hee had done that for which hee was so asham'd and afraid together that hee was faine to hide himselfe God comming into the Garden askt Adam where art thou Not but that He knew very well where he was but that Adam knew not what he had made himselfe and so God askt the question meerely to shew he was no where or Nothing at least in His Account This loe had Adam gotten by his late Prevarication that he who by Creation was newly made like God Himselfe by Sinne and Rebellion became the next degree to Nothing And by this we have already deliver'd may sufficiently be perceiv'd what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this same Selfe is which our Saviour here speaks of that not our Selfe onely that which here is to be deny'd but the immediate consequents of it Sin and Death are indeed nothing in the World to be sure not of God's making but if any thing Creatures of our owne and therefore evill wholly evill and that continually But now more dictinctly to unfold the Nature of this Selfe we have brought into the world we may observe three sorts of things wee are bidden to Deny in Scripture and in them a three-fold Selfe They are either such things as are absolutely
thus much indeed the Apostle tells us in so many words That we are 1 Cor. 6.20 not our own but God's because redeem'd by a Price whereupon he straight infers We ought to serve not our selves but God with our Bodies and our Soules seeing they are His. If then we must serve Him with them both certainly we must Deny our selves For in all Reason we ought to obey His Will whose Servants we are but we see our Text tells us 't is His Will wee should Deny our Selves therefore Deny our Selves we must because of our Redemption But yet because this is the Command of Him who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word and Reason of His Father and our Designe in this Point is not to Draw but Lead men to this Duty Necessary it is we shew you the Equity thereof That the Injunction of this Duty flowes not from the meere Will of our Redeemer but from the Nature of our Redemption which exacts no lesse at our hands if we meane to be Partakers of it That we may partake of the Redemption wrought by Christ 't is necessary we be in Christ as to partake of Adams Curse 't is necessary we be reputed in Him But in Christ we cannot be otherwise then by Representation so therefore and no otherwise are we reputed in Him For amongst other things He is likened unto for this purpose as a Head a Root an Elder Brother one notable resemblance of Him is to the First Fruits therefore more then once he is called the First Fruits from the Dead by vertue of whom wee partake not the Corporall onely but also the Spirituall Resurrection Now we know the First Fruit is the Masse meerely by a Representation of it as we may see in the Law of the First Fruits 1 Cor. 15 20 21. Lev. 23. 10 11. but more plainly by the Apostle Col. 1.14.18 Rom. 11.16 If the first fruit sayes he be holy the Masse is also holy Represented then we are in Christ as the Masse in the First Fruit Mat. 3.17 and so in Him God is well pleased with us But now represented we cannot be without some Similitude and Conformity as a Picture cannot represent a Man if it be no wayes like him Accordingly therefore the Masse is ever like the First fruits the First fruit being nothing else but as the Name imports a certaine portion taken out of the Comon Masse or Heap And so the Apostle sayes there must be a Conformity betwixt us and Christ 1 Cor. 5.49 that as we have borne the Image of the earthly Adam so we must beare the Image of the Heavenly Now to what Image of Christ must wee be conform'd the Apostle tells us Rom. 8.29 to the Image of his suffering that so He may be as the First fruits so the First born amongst many Brethren As He being in the form of God and accompting it no robbery to be equall to Him yet tooke upon Him the Image of a servant humbled emptied displeased that is to use his own term here Denyed Himselfe for our sakes that were his Enemies so we who most truly are Nothing Galat. 6.3 Esaiah 40.17 yea lesse then Nothing and Vanity of our selves should in acknowledgment thereof humble empty displease yea crucifie our selves for His sake who first loved us and gave Himselfe for us To this sayes St. Paul we are predestinated a Rom. 8.29 and in another place he sayes we are appointed b 1 Thes 3.3 To this sayes St. Peter we are called c 1 Peter 2.21 Hence proceede those frequent Axiomes of the Apostles If we be planted into the Likenesse of His Death we shall be also in the Likenesse of His Resurrection d Romans 6.5 If we suffer with Him we shal Reigne with Him e Rom 8.17 If we Dye with Him we shall live with Him If we Deny Him He will Deny us f 2 Tim. 2.11.12 and the like Hence also those that are His true Brethren are said to beare about with them the Brands g Gal. 6.17 the Dying of the Lord Jesus h 2 Cor. 4.10 to be crucified together with Him i Gal. 2.20 yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vicissim replere that is by way of correspondence to fill up againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Leavings as I may say of the afflictions of Christ in their own flesh k Coloss 1.24 And this one would thinke might be sufficient to stop the mouth of all false reasoning But yet we cannot expect it should doe it so but that Nature not yet satisfied in the Point will set Reason on worke to confute what ha's been said And at length it is conceived enough may be bolted out of Scripture it selfe to doe it Ephes 5.29 For does not St. Paul make the Love of our selves our motive to love our wives because no man ever yet bated his owne flesh Matth. 19.19 And does not our Saviour out of the Law make it the Rule of our Love to our Neighbours commanding us to love them as we should doe our own selves Now if it be so then certainly we are not to Deny our selves for to love and to Deny our selves are contrariant acts Love that tends to Vnion Denyall to separation To this we answer fully having somewhat toucht it before that so much of us is in this place term'd our selves cōsequently so much of us no more to be Denyed as is Contrary and Repugnant to the Will of God Now the Will of God is In this Point as I shewed even now that we should preserve our selves our Being and our Wel-being too by all Meanes possible But ever provided those Meanes be Honest that is such as He bath set us out plainely in His Word which is His will Now this makes nothing against Self-denyall for here we must observe that in loving our selves so only and no more we are to Deny our selves seeing this we are not to do in love and obedience to our selves but only to the Will of God Thus much I say of necessity we must note for this Because if whensoever it shall please God to make an extraordinary exception to those Ordinary Meanes as sometime he ha's done and does still to the Martyrs and Witnesses of His Trueth if then we shall love our selves our Lives or any thing that we have we take the ready way to lose them for ever but if we lose them we shall indeed save them as our Saviour tells us So then Verse 25. notwithstanding what Nature and Reason can object it remaines a firme Conclusion we must Deny our selves And so we hope enough hath beene said to convince any Reasonable man of the Equity Congruity of this Precept of Self-denyall But yet because there are many Vnreasonable men in the world that will not live by Faith and Reason but by Sense and Experience and therefore will nor doe nor beleeve what
one therefore enjoying those or such like things uses them as the Meanes whereby to obtaine their End Happinesse But now we have a Generall Rule The Meanes are to be sought after not for themselves but onely for the End It must needs therefore be he that helps us to the end though he does not withall to the Meanes yet gives us the Meanes too because he gives us that for which onely the Meanes are good and desireable If then Christ promises and gives us the end we seek for in those things as He does and that in this Life to wit Happinesse Hee must needs therewithall by consequence give us the Meanes the Things themselves But does He moreover and above give us an Hundred fold in too Yes that he does and more For we must know that though we seek for Happinesse by such Meanes yet they are not the true Meanes to obtaine it for then some time or other in them we should finde it But that no man ever yet could doe but still having enjoy'd any or all of them they were faine to complaine with St. Augustine Cor irrequietum est donec veniat ad Te That Mans desire cannot be satisfi'd in any Creature not till it come at God And so much we find wittily insinuated by a Spanish Author Mat. Aleman 1 Book ch 7. in his Fable of Jupiter who being offended with Men for worshipping their Petty God Content to a neglect of himselfe took Content away from them unto himselfe and clapt his Brother Discontent into his clothes that so men finding no Content on Earth might seek for it onely with him in Heaven The Fable does Moralize it selfe and signifies nor more nor lesse unto us then what is the Subject of Solomon's Ecclesiastes Eccles 1.1 Vanity of Vanities all is but Vanity that therefore here we must not set down our staffe but seek further to that City in the Heavens whose Maker and Builder is God But now thither those Meanes wee spake of would never lead us for then our Saviour would never have bidden us forsake them to follow Him A plaine Argument they are not Meanes and Helpes but Remoraes and Hindrances rather from Following Him and obtaining Happinesse And then I hope it cannot bee but Christ in bestowing on us that Happinesse we seek after but being blinde and erring cannot arrive unto and this too by making us forsake what we mistake for Happinesse but is indeed our Shame and Misery does bestow on us the full worth of those Meanes and an Hundred fold to boot But now to the maine Point That Christ promises and bestowes even in this life true though not full Happinesse on all those that forsake all and Deny themselves This we think possible to make appeare the Promise out of the Text the Performance out of the Nature of Self-denyall The Promise we say is contain'd in the Text not in so many words indeed but by most plaine and infallible Consequence For the Text sayes If any one will follow Christ he must Deny himselfe to doe it I hope then if he does so if he does Deny himselfe He promises hee may and shall follow him But now what is it to follow Christ It is to be wheresoever Christ is So He Himselfe expounds it John 12.26 But how does He meane that by a locall Motion Certainly Nothing lesse for then all Christians must get them wings and flye up to Heaven where now our Saviour is But in Spirit for He sayes they are to be with Him to see His Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 John 17.24 That is as the Apostle expounds it to be transform'd from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord which is nothing else but to be spiritually Happy For the Performance of this Promise that will bee evident in the Act of Selfe-denyall Which that wee may see you must know that Happinesse is the Fruition of and Vnion with God Himselfe That that Vnion must be by Love the Vniting affection Now if there be nothing in the whole world beside God and the Creature If these two make up every thing then certainly he that Denyes and forsakes the Creature must needs love God or not love at all That the Will should not love at all is impossible for then it should not be a Will seeing to Will and to Love are both one Therefore Denying the Creature 1 John 4.16 it must needs love God therefore be Vnited to Him therefore be Happy Againe God being our Summum bonum as we all grant the Perfect Good he must needs attract proportionable that is Perfect Love If He does not attract such love every where as 't is plaine He does not very few loving God in Sincerity there seemes to be no other Reason of it but this the defect of mens sight that they see Him not to be such that is their Perfect Good Now of this Defect there can be no other Reason rendred but this The interposition of the Creature betwixt us and God and our beholding and loving of it more then Him These are the Clouds that hinder us from beholding and admiring the Glory of the Sunne of Righteousnesse this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.1 Aquin. Lect. 1◠in locum the Apostle speakes of that sinne or as Thomas that Occasion of sinne that does so easily so every way beset us and therefore must be put away before we can runne the race of Happinesse that is set before us So then it must needs be If wee shall put away that sinne if we shall doffe our Selves and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.2 look off the Creature to look on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith and so see God onely in every thing then wee shall be united and one with Him as He with us then our Will shall no longer be ours but swallow'd up of His and we shall no longer be rul'd by it but His Will shall rule within us In a word we shall be in this World as we were in Paradise that is enjoy true solid Happinesse But marke yee with this difference it is Our Happinesse here is but Inchoate not as hereafter it shall bee Consummate Here our Paradise is beset with Bryars and Thornes not as the First where was nothing but what was profitable and delightfull Therefore though our Saviour promises a Hundred fold here yet 't is with Persecution and therefore the Apostle tells us we must runne our Race with Patience Heb. 12.1 Heb. 10.36 for in another place hee sayes We had need of Patience that so we may attaine the Premise For the need we have of this Patience arises hence because of that Crosse we must beare as soon as we begin to Deny our Selves for so it followes in the Text Let him Deny himselfe and take up his Crosse What Crosse is that it is no other but that which wicked Selfe-will'd men will lay upon our backs For though we for our