of reason humane wisedome carnall pollicy and pretended deuises of mans braine And hence it is that they are so easily embraced so hardly forsaken which thing while the World considers not they are ready to iudge with them against the Truth All these are discouered and reprooued in that they haue a shewe of carnall wisedome and are measured grounded and guilded ouer with witty reason Luke 26.15 plausible and cunning deuises but at no hand agreeing with the simplicity of truth and wisedome of God who iudges not according to outward appearance nor lookes not nor likes as man liketh Vse 2 Secondly this admonisheth vs to deny reason and humane wisedome in matters of Gods Worshippe and so suspect what euer is most plausible to it we must not bring our thoughts or conceites with vs but resolue to abandon the same Captiuating as St. Paule speakes our thoughts and bringing euery imagination into the subiection of Iesus Christ if wee once know the minde of God wee may not reason against it for as where the Phylosopher ends the Physition beginnes So where reason ends Grace and Faith beginnes Yea this shewes how needfull it is for euery Christian to labour for regeneration whereby hee may be renewed in the spirit of his minde and endewed with the spirit of Reuelation and with iudgement to discerne things excellent that hee call not good euill and euill good but that hee may bee able to prooue and approoue what the good perfit and acceptable will of God is and this is that wisedome to bee wise to sobriety Rom 12.3 And thus much for the first branch of Deniall The second thing that wee must deny in our selues is the deniall of our owne Wills 2 Branch our Will which must be Denied Iudgments Elections Choyces and Determinations in matters of Religion This is a harder taske then the former for the will is wil-full peremtory head-strong causing to walke after the stubbornesse of our owne hearts is violent in her elections Ieremy 18. approbations refusalls as the Prophet Ieremy brings in the Iewes in the 18. Chapter saying desperately wee will doe this or that Ieremy 44.25 And Ieremy 44.25 Wee will do what seemes good to vs we will offer Cakes to the Queene of Heauen that is the Sunne So that this is most necessato be denied for our will is most contrary to Gods Will his is holy heauenly pure peaceable but ours are froward carnall malicious and this is the true rule and ground of obedience the deniall of our owne will and the subiecting of it to another Reason The Reason of this is plaine For wee must not trust to the discourse and iudgement of the minde as being vaine whence ariseth the choyce of the will Then may wee not hearken to the voyce of the will which is more corrupt through it owne peruersnesse And will oft chuse and follow that which the vnderstanding presents as the worse Secondly for whence comes obedience from the Subiect to the Prince from the Sonne to the Parents and so seruants must not follow their owne will but their Maisters directions how much more ought wee who alwayes may iustly suspect our selues and neuer can suspect the will of Christ and of God it beeing the square of right for therefore is a thing good iust and equall because God wills This our will therefore as contrary to the will of God as fire and water must bee subdued wee cannot serue God and Mammon nor our owne will and Gods will It is meete that Hagar should stoupe to Sarah Thus Christ pleased not himselfe and came not to doe his owne will but his Fathers As hee hath notably taught vs by his owne example Heb. 10.7 Heb. 10.7 In the Volume of thy Booke it is written I should doe thy Will loe I come to doe it Oft Christ witnesses this I came not to doe my owne will Matthew but my Fathers that sent me And how necessary this is may appeare by that one example of Christ who with a holy striuing did subdue his will though most holy to the righteous will of his Father Math. 26.39 Father if it be possible let this Cup passe yet not my will Mat. 26.39 but thine be done Sundry particulars of this will bee set downe when wee come to the generall necessity of all and therefore wee come to the Vse Vse 1 This first shewes vs an other ground of false Religion or Innouations in the true to wit the want of deniall of our owne will Col. 2.20 21. hence Collos 2.20 21. to the end all false Religions are called will-worship they haue a shewe of wisedome in will-worship and therefore are condemned For all the former poynts of Popery they haue come partly from reason and wisedome partly from selfe-will abusing their authority and pretending a spirit of infallability and not erring and therefore to doe what they lift Vse 2 This shewes vs the difficulty of true Religion for what can bee harder to man then to ouercome himselfe to deny his owne reason and choyce and wholly to subiect himselfe to Gods to renounce his owne will and to chuse and doe the will of God This is harder then to offer all outward sacrifice then to vndergoe the seuerest penance of whip and sack-cloath So that the Papist was not aware of this as in truth they know it not nor teach it and therefore as if Christianity had beene a sport and had not in it to take men vp withall these holy and hard taske-maisters would impose burthens of their owne Vse 3 The third vse is for admonition to Deny our wills in matters of religion for so much as wee preuaile with our selues so much we thriue in religion if wee can set vp Gods will as the rule and soueraigne commander then as good subiects wee shall obey and this we should be mooued vnto because it is Gods prerogatiue royall to bee serued as hee will seeing the rule of all seruice obedience is the wil of the commander not the commanded especially as God being most wise so his will is most iust yea it is our life whereas to follow our owne willes proued our destruction in Adam and still would do if wee giue way to the swinge of our wills neither let vs thiuke much of it the Angells in Heauen do it Christ Iesus on earth did it And thus much for the second branch the third followes The third part of Selfe-Deniall is of out affecctions 3 Branch is our Affections which are to be Denied desires lusts appetites and petitions of the flesh and espetially that euill roote of Concupiscence with the vitious and depraued affections of selfe loue couetuousnesse wrath pride enuy vncleannesse these as they are more corrupt sensuall and violent then either reason or will so neede they more to bee denied these distemper the whole man and oft carry him so headlong that the voyce of reason cannot bee heard this is that the
haue not learned this poynt of Deniall and so in truth keepe themselues from being found in Christ being enemies to the grace of God and righteousnesse of Christ so that while they challenge either part of the praise as co-workers or any portion of merrit and desert they do aduance themselues by a spirituall pride and giue not glory vnto God so that this very end they propound to themselues of their owne glory is sufficient to defile it and make it to God abhominable But in the second place let vs learne this poynt euer to renounce al confidence and conceit of any thing that the Lord hath wrought in vs or by vs and say not to vs but to thy name bee the prayse the Angells in Heauen haue learnt in humility to cast their crownes downe at the feete of the Lambe and to giue al glory to him that was slayne and had redeemed him and excellert is the example of Dauid 1 Chron. 29.11 12 13 14. 1 Chron. 29.13.14 Who am I and what is my people that wee should bee able to offer so willingly for all things come off thee and of thine owne haue we giuen thee Now therefore we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name And thus much of the fift Branch the sixt followes The 6. Branch of denial it is our owne liues Vse 1 The sixt branch of our deniall is our owne Liues for this Christ teaches both in the verse following as also Mat. 10.39 for what euer might hinder vs from the constant cleauing to Christ is to bee denied and all things to bee vnder-valued for Christ Mat. 10.39 or else we are not worthy of him braue was the spirit of Paul Acts 20.24 Act. 20.24 I am not ready onely to be bound for the Lord Iesus but to dye for him neither counted hee his life deare Thus did those worthy Hebrewes in the 11 Chapter so did the Martires of God in our Land in the former ages Heb. 11. All whose stepps wee must follow as Christ vrges by many reasons as that hee that will saue his life should loose it but hee that is willing for Christs sake to loose it shall finde it Which if it bee so it reprooues all fearefull ones against which Christ giues a charge Mat. Mat. 10.28 10.28 Feare not those that can destroy the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Secondly it reprooues those who are so farre from Denying their liues that they wil not deny their vnlawfull and sinfull lusts pleasures or proffits they that haue not learnt yet to part with these things for Christs sake and honor of the truth how can it bee expected that they should part with life it selfe for his sake Vse 2 It must admonish vs by serious meditation to arme our selues against the worst to be ready to giue our life for him who hath giuen his for vs that wee should not dye eternally these things must oft bee thought on for as a holy man sayes The price of Truth varies as the Market and price of Graine Some time graine is cheape some time deare so Truth is offered good cheepe to vs and hath bin a long time with ease and wealth now if the Lord should set a greater price on it wee must not then grudge And thus much for the sixt Branch The seauenth and last Branch of this Denial The 7 branch of Deniall is or wife children country friends c. is the Deniall of all things without vs or about vs that is neere and deere vnto vs as Wife Children Country Friends c. Mat. 10.37 Luke 14.26 Thus Christ himselfe did some times denyed his Parents some times forsooke his Freinds Country but especially hee left his eternall glory Mat. 10.37 the society of his blessed Father and Angells Luke 14.26 and liued as an exile one earth for our redemption so that much more are wee to doe this for this is but that equity of the Law that God himselfe his trueth and worship be loued and embraced aboue all Vse 1 The vse of which point is also for admonition to arme vs what is to bee vndergone for the Gospell all earthly thinges to be forsaken for if a whole countrie should bee infected with the Pestilence who would not by flight prouide for himselfe and his health So must wee flie from spirituall infection and carefully preserue the health of our soules and this wee may bee incouraged vnto by the comfortable promise of Christ Math. 19.29 Math. 19.29 Whosoeuer shall forsake any thing as friendes howses brethren sisters father mother wife children countrie or lands for my names sake he shall receiue a hundreth fold more with persecutions Mark 10.30 and in the end euerlasting life And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the duetie it selfe and the seuerall branches Now it remaines that we speak of the Necessitie thereof The secoud generall head containes the necessitie of Denying our Selues Albeit the necessitie of this Duetie may appeare by that which hath already bene spoken yet it comes further to be declared There are 2. partes of christian profession to which we are called The 1. concernes things to be beleeued Faith Obedience The 2. dueties to be performed Faith Obedience Now either of these doeth require the practise of this duetie For the first seing many misteries of christian faith 1. Faith and the dispensation thereof is such as agrees not with flesh and blood is not subiect to the capacity of fleshly reason nay may seeme absurd and foolishnes vnto it therefore no maruaile if Christ said Deny your selues And Samuel sayd If yee turne to the Lord put away those thinges But let vs see a more particular declaration of this point which is most profitable that so wee may bee directed to knowe in what particular cases or at what times this Selfe-Denyall is to be practised and is of speciall vse First then this Denyall of our selues Reason and Wisedome is most necessary to the beleeuing and subiecting our selues to the Articles of faith for the most of them being such as are aboue if not contrary to naturall reason and comprehension wee shall neuer stedfastly and soberly beleeue the same if wee examine them and reduce them to tearmes of Logick or argument of Reason If we should go through all the Articles of faith and aske aduise and consult with flesh and blood concerning the intertainement of them how many of them would be receiued or beleeued 1. 1 Trinitie That great hid and sacred Mistery of the blessed Trinity of persons in an vnity of Nature and Essence How impossible a thing to the conceit of flesh and blood 2. The Creation of the world all things therein of Nothing 2. Creation It cannot be sayth the Philosopher 3. The Doctrine of particular Prouidence 3. Prouidence That all things
for fewell to nourish the same withall So that Auarice Intemperance Vanity and Ambition proceedes from an admiration of our selues So that when this cast forth all these are banished with it whence it is Esay 11.6 that that change is made in a man by Christianity Essay 11.6 That the Wolfe and the Lambe the Leopard and the Kid should liue together And wee haue it verified in two notable examples of Zacheus and Paul in whom what a wonderfull change was made the Scripture testifies This Deniall of our selues in behauing our selues to our selues is necessary for these ends First this is necessary to the doing aright of any duty for if in the doing thereof wee Deny not our owne Will wisedome reason glory c wee shall rayse our workes on false grounds be carried on therein by carnal ends be made to seeke our owne glory and to guid them according to our owne hearts and so though the duty wee do in it selfe be good yet wee shall many wayes pollute the same as alas dayly experience testifies euen against our selues that in this regard they fayle much Secondly this is necessary to the right composing euery state and condition of life eyther Prosperity or Aduersity for without this in Prosperity we shall be puffed vp and ascribe it to our wisedome and strength We shall enuy at the prosperity of others and if wee be in affliction we shall murmur and repine against God as Dauid shewes in his owne example Psal 73. Saying so foolish and ignorant was hee while hee thought to iudge of these by his owne reason and went not into the sanctuary of God to learne Thirdly this is so necessary that wee shall not be able to espye and discouer muchlesse to dislike and abandon any euill affection and corruption in our selues if wee haue or shall not learne to Deny our selues and to search iudge and esteeme of our selues as the VVord of God doth teach and discouer vnto vs but wee shall iudge our vices to be vertues and not suffer any to tell vs or reprooue vs for the same Briefly to shut vp this poynt with Mr. Calvins VVords Mr. Calvins wordes This makes a man resigne himselfe and all that hee hath to the will of God to deliuer all the affections of his heart to be Captiuated vnto him It makes him to thinke thus There is no more meanes of prospering to be hoped for or to bee thought of but by the blessing of God on which wee may safely cast our selues Secondly that wee are not to trust to the dexterity of our owne wit or fauour of men or vaine imaginations of fortune but we are alwayes to look to God to whom if any thing succeede well it is to be imputed if otherwise wee are to subiect our selues in silence and patience and if any euill happen vnto vs wee are not therefore to iudge our selues miserable neither to complaine of God for our Lot muchlesse by euill meanes to seeke recouery These and the like doth that worthy man make the fruites of the Deniall of our selues And thus much touching the necessity of it as that which we must aboue all labour for that wee may cleaue to the Lord in a constant profession without separation that wee bee not scandalized in the same while wee consult with flesh and blood and not with the VVord of God and therefore must resolue to forgoe the dearest thing What is dearer or nearer a man then himselfe This how it ought to be meditated before hand Luke 14.28 to the end Christ teaches vs by two notable Parables Luke 14. from the 28. verse to the end This is that which was required of Pharaohs daughter as a figure of the Church Psalme 45. Psalme 45. And the difficulty hereof Christ would shew in that affectionate Petition Father if it be thy will let this Cup passe yet not my will but thine bee full-filled So then not to multiply more perticulars these may suffice to conuince vs of the great necessity of this Denial all which wil yet more clearely appeare if wee demonstrate the same by some notable examples To omit those that experience doth shew vnto vs in multitude of scoffers at Gods word cauiling against it for many things because it deliuers such things as suite not with their fancies and reason I say Example 4. omitting these let vs looke into the Scriptures And here first Naaman offers himselfe 2 King 5.10.11 1 Naaman 2 King 5.10 11 who comming to bee healed of a Leprosie and imagining and propounding to himselfe a most reasonable course for the same when the Prophet Elisha adioyned him another contrary to his expectation how was hee offended in displeasure and ready to die rather then to subiect himselfe and his natural reason to the course prescribed A second example is in the same booke 2 Kings 7.2 2 The Prince of Israel 2 Kings 7.2 of the Prince of Israel who would not beleeue the Prophet telling of a strange and suddaine altering of the famine because hee could not in reason conceiue any way of it therefore hee would by no meanes beleeue it Yea Moses himselfe when hee would iudge of Gods power by his owne strength and conceite 3 Moses Numb 11.13 Num 20 11. Num. 13.28 31 32 33. fell into a great distrust of God Num. 11.13 That hee could not giue flesh to such a multitude in the Wildernesse And Num. 20.11 Hee could not giue water out of a rocke Because Reason sayd in was impossible Notable is the example of Ionas 4 Ionas for what made that at first hee did not go to Nineuy but fled to Tarshish himselfe giues the reason Ionah 4 2. Ionah 4.2 because he thought that if the people did humble themselues God would not destroy them and so hee should loose his labour and be counted a false Prophet 5 Israelites What made many Israelites when their captiuity was ended choose rather to dwell in Babell rather then to returne home because they in carnall reason put many feares and doubts both in the iourney and that they should neuer be able to effect the great workes they were to do nor that they should dwell quietly and safely amongst their enemies Let vs come to the examples in the gospell 6 Nichodemus Iohn 3.4 how did Nichodemus stand amazed at the doctrine of regeneration and while he iudged of it in a carnall manner sayd that it could not bee What made Peter bid Christ fauour himselfe 7 Peter Math. 16.22 but that hee sauoured not the things of God and subiected not his iudgment to the doctrine of Christ and nature of his kingdome What made the Disciples so displeased with those that brought little Children to Christ 8 Disciples Mat. 19.13 but that in their carnall imagination proude conceites they thought that Christ could nor would haue any thing to do with children not knowing him to be a Sauiour