ere shee was aware was perswaded by him to taste the forbidden fruit Thus Balaam after hee had consulted with the temptation yeelds to curse the people of God Numb 22.22 hee had a great minde to the reward that was promised and therefore consulted how far hee might yeeld It is dangerous entertaining thoughts how far wee may yeeld where wee should not yeeld at all While wee think to yeeld but a little wee yeeld altogether If you would therefore deny your selves follow this Direction Do not deliberate in a case determined already by God himself Cyprian being commanded by the President to deliberate whether hee would obey or bee killed hee made answer In re tam sanct a non est deliberandum in a matter wherein the glory of God is so much concerned I may not deliberate Take this course then when you are tempted to any thing that is sinful chide away the temptation with an angry denial say Get thee hence Sathan It is true Christ suffered himself to bee tempted again and again three times following before hee put the Tempter to flight but this is not imitable by us hee had strength enough whereby to overcome the temptation when hee would yet you see in the third temptation for our imitation he said Get thee hence Sathan If you give not a peremptory denial at the first you give the Devil some hopes of prevailing and you will never bee rid of a temptation till you have done it As for example A beggar comes to your door and is importunate for something you tell him you have nothing for him the times are hard with you you cannot serve every one that comes with much more to this purpose but all this will not make him bee gone till you say peremptorily let him stay never so long you will give him nothing and then hee goes his way Why thus you must do with Sathan which if you do within a while hee will leave you Resist the Devil saith the Apostle and hee will flye from you Jam 4.7 The French have a Proverb When the Spaniard comes to parley of peace then double bolt the door so when Sathan comes to treat of sinning bar up the doors give him no audience He shoots in Satans bow that thinks by parlying with him to put him off 2 Not to the omission of any known duty I say as in the former particular a known duty that which you know is either expresly or by consequence commanded else you are not to do it upon any termes under that notion for as wee cannot make that to bee a sin which God hath not made a sin so wee cannot make that to bee a duty which God hath not made a duty Where there is no Law saith the Apostle there is no transgression so where there is no Law there is no obedience Whatsoever therefore wee do as matter of obedience unto God must have a command from God else it is will-worship and that is abominable Cultus non institutus non est acceptus In vain do they worship mee saith our Saviour teaching for doctrine the commandements of men Matth. 15.9 God threatens the ten Tribes that they shall commit Whoredome and shall not increase because saith hee they have left off to take heed to the Lord Hos 4.9 10. that is as some in point of worship that worship which they thought was most suitable to their own politick ends that worship they set up but by this they provoked the Lord. It is not enough if it be no where expresly forbidden if it bee not commanded we are not to do it Though our ends and aimes be never so good wee may not do evil that the greatest good may come thereof Therefore when wee are moved to do any thing under the notion of a duty and we are not fully perswaded out of the word that it is a duty wee not onely may but ought to deliberate till wee can certainly inform ourselves And yet while wee beleeve it to bee a duty and cannot by any means bee convinced to the contrary though in reallity it bee not so yet wee must do it because an erring conscience bindes for till wee bee fully convinced that wee may and ought to omit it wee cannot omit in faith and if not in faith wee should condemn our selves to omit it But now on the contrary If it bee a duty and wee know it to bee a duty if now wee have a temptation to neglect it wee may not parley with this temptation but forthwith set upon the performance of it When thou saidest seeke yee my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seeke said David Psal 27.8 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandements Psal 119.60 When it pleased God saith Paul who separated mee from my mothers womb and called mee by his grace to reveal his Son in mee that I might preach him among the heathen immediately I consnlted not with flesh and blood Gal. 1.16.17 By faith Abraham when hee was called to go out into a place which hee should after receive for an inheritance obeyeà and hee went out not knowing whither hee went Heb. 11.8 This is that which God expects whensoever he commands us any thing that wee should obey without disputing without reasoning without answering again It is the Devils policy to gain time to prevail with us to put off duties for then hee knows it is more than probable that wee will omit them Some are alwayes promising but seldome or never performing semper victuri alwayes beginning to live but never live in good earnest All will come to nothing till wee come to an unchangeable resolution of doing our present duty The Eighth Direction 8 Never go to the uttermost extent of your lawful Liberty Virtus consistit in medio Vertue lyes in the middle betwixt two extreams there is a twofold middle 1 Of participation when that in the middle partakes of both the extreams as luke-warm betwixt hot and cold it partakes something of both but this is not the middle here meant there is another and that is 2 Of abnegation when that in the middle partakes of neither This is the middle here meant when wee are neither in the defect nor in the excess in the use of our lawful liberty Wee should sin not to use things indifferent at all and so likewise to over use them It is dangerous being in the extreams He that would not fall into the River must not go too near the brink Hee that will go as far as hee may go is in danger to go further than hee should go If wee go one mile in the way of lawful take heed wee go not two in the way of non-expedient All things are lawful for mee saith Paul but all things are not expedient 1 Cor. 10.23 There are many things indifferent and we may lawsully use them but we may sin in using them if wee observe not the rule of expediency This is the
peccatores efficienter nisi illa in obedientia prius imputetur ipsis peccatum enim quâ—d neque nobis inhaeret neque imputatur non potest in nobis quilquam efficere Ames Bellar. enervat Tom. 4.140 imputation As for the righteousness of Sanctification inherent in our selves it cannot justifie us because it makes no satisfaction to the Justice of God the righteousness whereby we are justified is such a righteousness as makes a full and perfect satisfaction to the Justice of God for all that it can justly require either by way of punishment for sin or by way of obedience to the Moral Law The Covenant of Works being broken man stands bound unto God in a two-fold Debt a debt of suffering for his first Transgression and of perfect and perpetual conformity to the Law both habitual and actual for time to come God will have the Threatning fulfilled as well as the Precept observed and the Precept observed as well as the Threatning fulfilled This the Justice of God requires and therefore it is neither suffering according to the Threatning alone nor being conformable according to the Precept alone but both together that satisfies Gods Justice therefore inherent righteousness alone cannot justifie because the Curse of the Law for sin remaines still to be suffered This God stands upon to have sin punished to the full according as he hath threatned and therefore the punishment must bee endured either by the Sinner himself or by another for him and in his stead that is able to bear it that so God may bee sufficiently revenged for all the wrong that sin hath done unto him therefore they doe miserably mistake that talk of Justification either by habitual or actual righteousness alone for that is not full satisfaction to the Justice of God and that which is not full satisfaction in this case is no satisfaction at all and where there is no satisfaction to the Justice of God there can be no Justification Suppose a man should attain to that perfect and compleat habitual conformity to the Law which is required for of that onely wee speak in this place yet this could not justifie him because it could not acquit him from his sin in losing that which hee had before This After-conformity would not make amends for the former that was lost This Conformity recovered is a debt as well as the former which was lost and the payment of one debt will not satisfie for the non payment of another But that conformity to the Law which is even in the best of Saints since the Fall is not z Lex non tantum actualem obedientiam sed omnimodam cum lege conformitatem requirit secus enim lues originalis peccatum non effet VVolleb l. 1. that perfect and compleat conformity which the Law requires for wee are renewed but in part there is a remainder of corruption still A law in our members warring against the law of our minde Rom. 7.23 Therefore if wee were to bee tried onely by the preceptive part of the Law wee could not bee justified for so long as any thing is lacking of that conformity which the Law requireth it is impossible that the Law should judge us righteous Therefore there remains nothing but a fearful expectation of a most dreadful sentence of condemnation to bee passed upon us if wee will venture to bee tried for our eternal estates by any thing that is in our selves For this reason holy men in Scripture have alwayes renounced their own righteousness David prayes Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143.2 If God will not withdraw his anger saith Job The proud helpers do stoop under him How much less shall I answer him and choose out my words to reason with him whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my judge Job 9.13 14 15. I know nothing by my selfe saith Paul yet am I not hereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 And therefore he professeth That he accounted all things but dung that hee might win Christ and be found in him not having his own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Philip. 3.8 9. And indeed every man that sees himself in the glass of the Law will see a necessity of another righteousness than his own every man I say except the man St. James speaks of Who having beheld himself therein goeth away and streightwar forgetteth what manner of man hee was Jam. 1.24 And thus much of Denying-self in respect of Inherent Grace SUBSECT II. Of Denying-self in respect of Common-Gifts WE have seen what it is to deny Self in respect of Grace I shall now shew what it is in respect of Gifts And 1 What it is for those that want Gifts 2 What for those that have them 1 What it is for those that want Gifts And here I shall speak as before both Negatively and Affirmatively 1 Negatively For those that want Gifts to deny Self in respect of Gifts is not 1 To deny the excellency usefulness or necessity of them None are more apt to stight and contemn Gifts than those that are most defective in them And of these some do it out of ignorance speaking evil of the things that they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12 and Jude vers 10. Others out of pride being loath to acknowledge themselves to be wanting in any thing that is excellent Others out of a blinde devotion to Grace as if a good opinion of Gifts were some way or other derogatory from Grace and these think it a matter of Self-denial not to think well of any thing that is not grace But as Grace must have its due esteem so must Gifts also Gifts are excellent though not so excellent as Grace For 1 They are the purchase of Christ the fruits of his Resurrection and Ascention Ephes 4.8 When hee ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave Gifts to men It was the manner of the Roman Conquerors in their Triumphs to ascend up to the Capitol in a Chair of State with their prisoners following at their Chariot wheels on foot having their hands bound behinde them and as they went along the Victor was wont to throw some Missilia certain peeces of Coyn and other rich gifts to be gathered up by the people Even so the Lord Jesus when hee ascended in triumph up to Heaven having spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly Col. 2.15 and gave gifts unto men And this speaks the excellency of them Princes in their Triumphs do not give mean gifts but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Royal gifts they do not onely triumph in their Victory but in their Liberality also which makes their Victory far more glorious Even so the Lord Jesus to make his Ascention more splendid and glorious hee gave Gifts to men and these Gifts
not be executed they think there is some use of them in terrorem to over-awe men a little that they might not be wicked over much but that God never threatned with intent to execute or if they must be executed then 2 It is but upon those that despise the Promises but for their parts they relye on them 3 However it be they think they must not despair but be of a good courage and hope to the last breath and therefore notwithstanding all the threatnings they have these and these promises and here they will hold fast If this doe not fully comfort them then 3 They look into themselves and conclude that though they be guilty of a great many sins yet they are but infirmities and failings for they often hear that to fall into such and such sinful Acts may consist with grace and for their parts they cannot help it they swear indeed but it is but now and then when they are provoked they are sometimes drunk but it is but now and then when they are drawn in by good company and they doe forget themselves are they be aware and it is not so much many times only they have weaker braines than others and men thinke they be drunke when they are not 4 They consider the examples of godly men in Scripture who have been guilty of the same sins as Noah Lot David Peter c. and hence they argue that every man hath his failings and the best must have their graines of allowance And the Apostle saith that in many things we offend all and If any man saith he hath no sin he is a lyer and now they can hold no longer but presently fly out upon other Professors as meer pretenders to perfection and Saintship which they hold to bee a thing impossible on this side Heaven and so fall to scoffing and jeering and rayling upon those that live more conformably to the rules of their Religion than themselves Hence 5 They think that all those many of them at least that doe condemne them live in the same sins secretly or in as bad of another kind though they will not swear say they they will lye and though they will not be drunk they will play the Gluttons and that they cannot endure good fellowship with the rest of their Neighbours it is only from pride and Self-conceitednesse Stand off touch me not I am holier than thou Hence again they conclude as for perfection no mortal man is capable of it it is but in vain to endeavour after it or pretend unto it If this doth not quiet their guilty consciences then 6 They hope they shall repent and then they are sure all will bee well then there will bee no fear for At what time soever a sinner repents c. As for example the Thief upon the Crosse therefore if they can but cry God mercy before the last gasp they doubt not but they shall make a good end But 7 At the worst come the worst that can come they shall doe as well as others and they think that others have souls to save as well as they and why should they fear more than other men They consider that not only the generality of the common people but many of the wise and learned especially of the great and mighty doe commonly practise the same things or as bad or worse and they think if there were any danger they would bee ware of it howsoever to make all sure beside their constant attending of the publick Ordinances 8 They will pray in their Closets and in their Families and repeat to their people the Sermons they have written and sing Psalmes and besides sometimes they will put themselves to a voluntary pennance as to fast such a day yearly it may be weekly or to part with some gaineful imployment or to give away a great sum of money to good uses as serves best for the quieting of their consciences fearfully vexed with the guilt it may be of some particular sin above all others that they live in Now Readers if you be any of you of this number as I suppose some of you be give me leave in a few words a little to expostulate and reason with you Yet beleeve the Scriptures to be the Word of God and in them ye think ye have eternal life search them therefore and peruse them diligently view every line from the beginning to the end ponder every word and see if upon the most exact and curious observation you can find the least syllable of any comfort or encouragement for any one that allowes himself in any one known sin They speak much indeed of Gods mercy to sinners but to what Sinners are they not beleeving and repenting sinners only and who are they but such as in their purposes and endeavours turne from every known sin Doe they say he will be merciful to any presumptuous sinners to any such as hold fast deceit and refuse to returne Hear what they say Whoso confesseth his sins and forsaketh them shall have mercy but he that covereth them shall not prosper Prov. 28.13 For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness mark it all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men namely of such men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 You think God is merciful true but is hee not also just is he not also wrathful and revengeful See how the Prophet describes him God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies Nah. 1.2 It followes indeed in the next verse The Lord is slow to anger but mark what comes after and will not at all acquit the wicked where the Lord proclaimes his Name in this manner unto Moses The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 even there he also addes and that will by no meanes cleare the guilty visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and upon the childrens children to the third and to the fourth generation vers 7. God beares with you now and is good unto you you think he will deale thus with you in the world to come and therefore you sin with the more boldness but hear what he saith These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I teare you in peices and there be none to deliver Psal 50.21 22. Patientia laesa transit in furorem The long suffering and goodness of God being abused will at length grow into fury and then woe be unto all such as shall be found in their sins the more of the goodness of God hath been spent upon them here the more of his wrath shall
any conscience of learning it yet it must bee learnt it must bee practiced and therefore the Apostle addes vers 21 22 23. For even hereunto were yee called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Nothing is more grievous to us than to suffer wrongfully to think we should bee so abused when wee doe not deserve it this goes to our very heart I but let us look upon the Lord Jesus let us consider how undeservedly hee was abused and then it will not bee so grievous hee did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth hee never injured any but went about every where doing good and yet what base usage had hee in the World how ill was hee requited He was scorned reviled betrayed falsly accused blindsolded buffeted spit upon crowned with a Crowne of thornes and at last most shamefully Crucified and yet took all this patiently shall wee then think much to suffer a little when our Saviour hath suffered so much before us Why the Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord It is enough that the Disciple bee as his Master and the Servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold Mat. 10.24 25. I have read of one Elzearius a Noble man that when his Wife wondred at his exceeding great patience in bearing injuries hee thus answered her You know sometimes my heart is ready to rise with indignation against such as wrong mee but I presently begin to think of the wrongs that Christ suffered and say thus to my self desiring to imitate him Although thy Servants should pluck thy beard and strike thee on the face this were nothing to what thy Lord suffered hee suffered more and greater things and assure your self Wife I never leave off thinking of the injuries done to my Saviour till such time as my minde is still and quiet There is enough in this consideration to quiet our spirits in the greatest sufferings But besides it cannot bee said of any thing that wee suffer as it might of all that Christ suffered that it is not deserved It may be said so in allyes sometimes in respect of men but never in respect of God wee have sinned and thereby have deserved worse than the worst that can bee suffered in this world Have we then any reason to complaine Wherefore saith Jeremy doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sins Lam. 3.39 It is of the Lords mercies that wee are not consumed because his compassions faile not vers 22. if he should deale with us according to our deservings hee might justly cast us into Hell Were wee but throughly convinced of this had wee but once the real sence and feeling of it in our selves there would bee no such anguish and vexation in any of our sufferings here as many times we finde to bee in them and wee should bee much strengthened against those temptations whereby Self and Sathan joyning with it would carry us into any sinful way to ease our selves of them which is another thing that wee must have a special care while wee are in a suffering condition to watch against The Crosse is very irksome and tedious to the flesh and therefore as it is unwilling to come under it so it is unwilling to continue under it but as wee must willingly take it up so wee must patiently bear it as wee must not refuse it when Christ will lay it on so wee must not reject it till Christ will take it off It is lawful to use means to free our selves of our troubles but all means are not lawful to bee used Wee must resolve to abide them all our dayes rather than by the committing of the least sin to free our selves of them This was the resolution of that most learned and pious Martyr x Acts and Mon. l. 11.1664 Mr. Philpot as he expresseth it himself in a Letter to Iohn Carelesse written while he was in the Stocks in Bonner's Coal-house The Devil rageth against mee I am put in the Stocks in a place alone because I would not answer such Articles as they would charge me withall in a corner at the Bishops appointment and because I did not come to Masse when the Bishop sent for me I will bee all the dayes of my life in the stocks by Gods grace rather than I will consent to the wicked generation In the eleventh of the Hebrews we read of the Jewish Martyrs in the time of the Old Testament that they were tortured not accepting deliverance they might have had their lives if they would but have complied with their Adversaries in their wicked Idolatrous practices but they would not accept of their lives upon such termes they thought it much better to bee tortured upon the rack of this World than upon the rack of a damnable Conscience The like we read of our English Martyrs y l. 8.1130 Mistris Anne Askew when shee was at the Stake had Letters sent her by the Lord Chancellor offering her the Kings Pardon if shee would recant but shee refusing so much as to look on them returned this answer That shee came not thither to deny her Lord and Master z l. 14.1372 Bishop Hooper when a Box was laid before him with a Pardon in it as was said from the Queen at the sight thereof cryed out If yee love my Soul away with it if you love my Soul away with it a 〈…〉 George Marsh when the Deputy Chamberlaine of Chester shewed him a writing under a great Seal saying that it was a Pardon for him if hee would recant answered That hee would gladly accept the same but for as much as it tended to pluck him from God he would not receive it upon that condition b l. 11.1459 Master Bradford when the Lord Chancellour promised him that if hee would returne againe and doe as they had done hee should have the Queens Mercy and Pardon made this reply My Lord I desire mercy with Gods mercy but mercy with Gods wrath God keep mee from Many more might bee instanced in but these may suffice I shall now pass on to the next Sub-section which is SVBSECT VI. Of denying Self in respect of our Relations THis is the last particular to bee explained and I shall dispatch it in a word 1 Negatively it is not meant that wee should deny the workings of Natural affection towards them God requires that wee should love all men Rom. 13.8 9. even our very enemies Luke 6.32 35. and that wee should express our love by doing good to all men Gal. 6.10 even to our enemies Prov. 25.21 Rom. 12.20 now if wee bee thus bound to all much
tells us in the former words I thought upon my wayes I considered the evill of them and then turned out of them Hee went on very confidently and contentedly before but it was because hee did not consider whither hee was going hee did not ponder his paths but as soon as he began to reflect upon himself and to consider where hee was and whither hee was going how hee dishonoured God and defiled his own soul in those wayes hee presently makes a stop and turns about unto Gods testimonies This is the reason why men go on so long time together in a sinful course why they walk in the way of their heart and the sight of their eyes without any regret of conscience It is because they do not consider what they are doing nor whither they are going like the young man Prov. 7.22.23 that being inticed by the lewd woman hee goeth after her streightway as an Oxe goeth to the slaughter as a Bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not i. e. considereth not that it is for his life God notes this as the cause of his peoples rebelling against him and their continuance in their rebellion Isa 1.3 Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Oh! if ever wee mean in good earnest to deny our selves and to follow the Lord fully in the paths of righteousness and holiness let us every day steep our thoughts in a serious meditation of the exceeding sinfulness of self-pleasing and self-seeking of making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof As a man will not come after Christ in obedience to his call in the Gospel till hee apprehend it to be good yea absolutely best for him so to do so hee will not give a peremptory denial to the requests and commands of Self till hee apprehend it to bee evill yea the greatest evill in the world to yeeld unto them Therefore whensoever wee discover any thing of selfishness in any of our actions that wee are byassed in any particular by a selfish principle to the promoting of a selfish interest in opposition to the interest of Christ let us not think on it sseightly but seriously let our thoughts dwell upon it debating and discussing the matter in and out to the uttermost considering the nature the causes the effects and aggravating circumstances of it I have shewn you before the Excellency of Self-denial now consider the evill of selfishness 1 As the Apostle saith of the Love of money 1 Tim. 6.10 so it may bee truly said of Self-love that it is the root of all evil This is the most breeding sin you may graft any wickedness upon this stock See 2 Tim. 3.1 there the Apostle brings in a black Catalogue of the vilest sinners and hee puts selfish men in the front In the last dayes saith hee perillous times shall come for men shall bee lovers of their own selves covetous beasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection This is a sin with an Imprimis the Commander in chief in the black Regiment of Lusts It is the Devils Generalissimo See what a k Hinc ficae hinc venena hinc falsa testamenta na scuntur hinc furta hinc peculatus expilationes direptionesque sociorum Civium hinc opum nimiarum potentiae non serendae postremo etiam in liberis civitatibus existunt regnandi cupiditates quibus nihil nec â—e trius nec saedius excogitari potest Cic. number of Evils are wrapt up in this one Evil. 1 The Evil of Injustice Justitia est suum cuique dare Justice consists in giving to every one his due according to our Saviours rule Matth. 22.21 Render unto Casar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods and that of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 Render unto all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Now Self keeps back both from God and man that which is their due 1 From God Our soules are his Ezek. 18.4 our bodies his 1 Cor. 6.19 but Self keeps back both from him it imployes all the powers and faculties of both as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin 2 From men Self is the cause of all that unjust dealing that defrauding and going beyond one another of all that extortion and oppression that is in the world Self will not suffer the proud man to give honour to whom honour is due nor the covetous man to give tribute to whom tribute is due nor the envious man to give love to whom love is due nor the merciless man mercy to whom mercy is due 2 The Evil of Idolatry A Selfish man is the man of sin that exalts himself above all that is called God he makes himself his god hee falls down and worships himself making himself his ultimate end in every thing hee doth and walking by his own rule c. 3 The Evil of Unthankfulness If hee hath any thing more than others hee boasts as if hee had not received it if hee hath any thing less hee murmures as if hee had not his due 4 The Evil of Unbeleef Christ hath said Whosoever will save his life shall loso it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it Matth. 16.25 And that it is better for him to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to bee cast into everlasting fire Matth. 18.8 but hee will not beleeve it and so makes Christ a lyar 5 The Evil of Unmercifulness By seeking himself hee loseth himself by endeavouring to save himself hee destroyes himself This is the greatest cruelty in the World See Prov. 11.17 6 There is much of the Devil in it When Peter tempted our Saviour to save himself from the shameful death of the Cross hee said Get thee behinde mee Satan Hee calls him Satan not only because hee tempted him but because of the sin to which hee tempted him All sin is the Devils Vel per modum imaginis vel per modum servitutis either by way of likeness or service to him selfishness is so in both respects 7 It is the great Make-bate in the world the great divider it divides men from God and men one from another 8 It is the onely hindrance of mens closing with Christ The young man could not close with Christ because hee could not deny himself 9 This causeth God to reject all our services Isa 58.5 10 It is a contradiction to our prayers Latimer said of Peter that when hee tempted Christ hee forgot his Pater noster for that was Thy Kingdome come Thy will bee done By these and such like considerations the horrible Evil of Selfishness may bee discovered which is the second thing to bee done in order to the practice of Self-denial The third Direction 3 When upon serious consideration you have discovered the horrible Evil and exceeding sinfulness of your selfishness bee much in the duty
of Humiliation labour in the strength of Christ to affect your hearts with godly sorrow for it Without deep humiliation the consideration of the Evil of Selfishness will bee to little purpose Turn yee to the Lord with weeping saith the Prophet Joel 2.12 It is promised Jer. 50.4 In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping or weeping as they go and seek the Lord. If yee will return unto the Lord in the practice of Self-denial yee must go weeping as yee go Know this that a thorough reformation of any evill must have the foundation of it laid in a deep humiliation Many persons have attempted the denial of themselves in some particulars but because they have not been first thoroughly humbled with the consideration of their sin in seeking themselves in a sinful way they have fallen off again to an eager and hungry prosecution of their own ends though in opposition to the interest of Christ as much as ever before The fourth Direction 4 Lay the Axe to the root of the tree endeavour as much as in you lyes to abate the strength of Original corruption It is but in vain to stand lopping off some particular branches and let the root alone though you lop off never so many it will bring forth as many more 1 Consider the â—oot beareth the branches the branches do not bear the root Rom. 11.18 that is the root is the main support of the branches so here All manner of actual sins are dependent upon the root sin The root administers strength and sufficiency to all the branches it is the onely self-sufficient sin The branch cannot bring forth fruit of it self Joh. 15.4 As the branch hath its being from the root so likewise its fruit therefore when once cut off from the root it withers But though the branches wither the root withers not but brings forth new branches and new fruit in them There is hope of a tree if it bee cut down saith Job that it will sprout again Job 14.8 There is fear that this will sprout again Nebuchadnezzar saw in a Vision a goodly Tree concerning which one cryed Hew down the Tree and cut off his branches shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit Nevertheless leave the stump of hu roots in the earth with a hand of iron and brass Dan. 4.14 15. This Daniel thus explains unto him vers 26. whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots thy Kingdome shall bee sure unto thee So though you hew down the branches yet if you leave the root the Kingdome of Self will bee sure for ever 2 Consider the root hath as many branches under ground as above ground Hos 14.5 Hee shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon Now in Lebanon there were very goodly trees and they cast forth their roots far and wide under ground Thus doth original sin It is a certain truth that so much corruption as at any time discovers it self in any of our actions so much corruption there is in our hearts Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and out of the heart proceed murders adulteries c. saith our Saviour The only way then to abate the strength of sin in the branches is to abate it in the root The Fifth Direction 5 Single forth thy darling sin thy peccatum in deliciis thy Delilah-sin In a sense I may say as the King of Syria to his Captains when hee joyned battel with the King of Israel Fight neither with small nor great save onely with the King this King-sin this Master-corruption I fight saith the Apostle not as one beating the ayre 1 Cor. 9.27 Unless yee fight against this sin yee do but beat the ayre Though the root bear all the branches and send up sap into them yet there are some that partake of the root more than others there are some that are fruitful branches there is a branch of corruption makes strong for it self This darling fin is a kinde of root Though all the branches bee from the root yet one branch hath many sprigs growing forth of it which it doth maintain 1 Tim. 6.10 saith the Apostle The love of money is the root of all evil If you can deny this you will bee able to deny all the rest therefore Davids chief care was to keep himself from this sin I have kept my selfe from mine iniquity Psal 18.23 The Sixth Direction 6 Take heed of sinning against light either by committing any known sin or omitting any known duty This may provoke the Lord to give you up to your lusts and then it will bee impossible for you to deny your selves See Rom. 1.21.24 The Seventh Direction 7 Never parley with a temptation either to the commission of any known sin or to the omission of any known duty 1 Not to the commission of any known sin I say any known sin which you know is either expresly or by consequence forbidden in the word For if you bee moved to the doing of any thing which for ought you can understand from the word is neither expresly nor by consequence forbidden and this thought presently arise in your hearts that it is unlawful and therefore may not bee done Here a parley is not onely lawful but a duty that is before you lay a restraint upon your selves so as not to do it out of a respect of unlawfulness you are to consider it whether there bee any such respect of unlawfulness put upon it by any negative command of God for neither we nor any other creatures either in heaven or earth can make more sins than God hath made nor may wee out of conscience lay a restraint upon our selves where God hath laid none Many persons have much wronged themselves in this particular by laying a conscientious restraint upon themselves from the doing of some actions and the injoying of some things which in their own nature are indifferent and the forbearance whereof is not absolutely necessary nor it may bee in respect of their particular case alwayes expedient and hence they have yeelded to the doing of such actions and the enjoying of such things oftentimes with wavering consciences even before they have been fully convinced of the lawfulness of them so as to have done what they did out of faith Some as it is ordinary amongst the Papists think they may not lawfully eat flesh nor drink wine though the necessity of their bodies bee such that they cannot live without it or that they may not lawfully eat above one meal a day and that a very spare one too whereas their stomach calls for more Now while this opinion and conceit lasts they dare not think it may bee done and yet the appetite and necessity of nature is such that it often puts them upon the use of these things notwithstanding and then afterwards conscience flyes in their face for self-pleasing and hypocrisie and they have