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A52035 The vvorks of Mr Stephen Marshall, late minister of the Gospel at Finching-Field in Essex. And since at Ipswitch in Suffolk. The first part. Viz. I. Of Christ's intercession. And of sins of infirmity. II. The high priviledge of beleevers. They are the sons of God. III. Faith the only means spiritually to feed on Christ. IV. Of self-denial. V. The saints duty to keep their heart in a good frame, etc. VI. The mystery of spiritual life. Attested by Ralph Venning. Thomas Lye. Thomas Jacomb. Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655. 1661 (1661) Wing M747; ESTC R214099 148,133 252

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lived by loading themselves with thick clay good store of Gold and Silver and Houses and Lands but saith he the just live by faith every godly man lives by faith Now this Text of the Prophet Habakkuk it is three or four times in the new Testament alledged by the holy Ghost to prove the very self same Doctrine as for example Rom. 1 17. I wil rather name that first because it proves both these Doctrines I have propounded saith he in verse 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth the Gospel for saith he in verse 17. therein is the righteousness of Christ manifested from faith to faith There now is my former Doctrine that our Life to Salvation it is nothing but the righteousness of God manifested to us and communicated to us yea from one degree of faith to another according as we get more faith so we have more life and as Righteousness is further revealed so we have more faith and consequently more life as it is written the just shal live by faith mark it The manifestation and communication of the Righteousness of Christ it is held out in the Gospel but received by Faith and every Beleever lives by Faith The just shall live by faith So in the Epist. Gal. 3.11 the holy Ghost repeats the very same expression again speaking of the Life of the Saints as it is written The just shall live by faith Again the very same phrase in Heb. 10.38 where the Apostle there is pressing of Beleevers to a holy Life in difficult and troublesom times that are coming upon them and shews what wil become of Apostates and Back-sliders but saith he The just shall live by faith The whol life of al holy men while they are going through the world and get into Heaven all their life is transacted by faith this is clear And I wil ad but another Text that which you find in 2 Cor. 5.7 the Apostle saith expresly We live by faith we live not by sence if you wil take sence there for carnal sence things that are sensible to our outward man we live not to sence or if you wil take it in the more elevated interpretation spiritual sence that is the immediate enjoyment of the light of Gods countenance to ravish us though it is a Treasury to be desired rather than ten thousand worlds yet we live not by it but by faith the Life of Gods people it lies al in the grace of Faith But I wil add two Proofs more that are not particular Scriptures but conclusions that are fit for you to study and wil give a wonderful conviction to your hearts of the truth of this Doctrine That the Life of al Gods people while they are in this world is lived by Faith You shall have this demonstration First That the holy Ghost when he compares spiritual life and natural life together he useth to compare the grace of faith to al those faculties or members which are the whol livelihood of our natural lives those members or faculties which contribute the most to the livelihood of our natural life the holy Ghost makes faith to be al these in our spiritual life pray remember my meaning is thus You know while we are in this world while we live we must be fed take away food appetite eating digesting drinking concocting of it and you destroy a mans life presently Faith is our mouth by which we feed al the food that the soul hath it is by a spiritual mouth and it is faith whereby we feed ordinarily it is compared to our mouth appetite and stomach but then before the food cometh to our mouth the hand receives it and conveys it to the mouth Faith is our hand compared to the hand whereby we do our work and receive our food and carry it Faith is our eye whereby we behold the things we are to act and work upon for the maintaining of our life Faith is the foot whereby the soul is carried both to its business and food hands eyes mouth tast the Spirit of God sets it out by them all thereby signifying to us that what the eye mouth hand and tast contribute to our natural life that doth the grace of faith to our spiritual life while we are in this world That is one Conclusion that I think is a cleered demonstration that while Gods People live in this world it is faith that is their Life The Second which is yet more ful is this That you shal find cleerly in the Scriptures that not only our life in general is attributed to Faith but every thing concerning our life is in Scripture made the work of faith Oh! that we could understand this but you that are spiritual must needs be versed in the truth of this Doctrine I say that not only the bulk of our life in general is said to be the work of Faith but every thing that concerns our spiritual life the holy Ghost doth impute it to the grace of Faith as now I will instance in some things that wil comprehend al the rest All the Life of a Christian is reducible either 1. To the beginning of it Or 2. To the preservation of it and carrying of it on First The Beginning of it We have our spiritual Life begun in us by Faith it is on our part the principle whereby the very spiritual life is received or if you will have it more plainly All those things that are the real principles of our Spiritual Life they are all received by Faith As Jesus Christ who is our Life and is the fountain of our life we recive Christ by faith As many as received him that is as many as beleeved And in Ephes. 3.17 whether Jesus Christ dwels in our hearts by faith That Lord Jesus that remains in us constantly we have him by faith Then The Spirit of Jesus Christ who doth take from Christ and communicate to the Saints for so Christ said when he promised him to his Apostles and Church that shall be his Office to take of mine and give to you saith he How received you the Spirit was it not by faith So that by faith we receive the Spirit as it is the very principle of our life I confess this is a great mystery for Faith it self is the work of the Spirit and yet the Spirit is received by faith but the holy Ghost saith it is so Somwhat I would say to witness that but the time wil not allow it me So that our very beginning of our spiritual life is by faith while we are meerly passive the Spirit of God works alone without us but when we come to be active the very first and al the acts of our lives they are by Faith Well when this life is begun Then Secondly The Preservation the Maintainance of it the acting of it wholly the Spirit of God acts by the grace of Faith as thus All
Riolanus Anatomy 6 Veslingu● Anatomy of the Body of Man 7 A Translation of the New Dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Wherein is added The Key to Galens Method of Physick 8 The English Physitian Enlarged 9 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women 10 Galens Art of Physick 11 New Method both of studying and practising Physick 12 A Treatise of the Rickets 13 Medicaments for the Poor Or Physick for the Common People 14 Health for the Rich and Poor by Diet without Physick The London Dispensatory in Folio of a large Character in Latin The London Dispensatory in twelves a smal Pocket Book in Latin To the Physical Reader THe greatest Reason that I could ever observe why the Medicines prescribed in these Books above mentioned and in many other Physick Books do not perform the Cures promised is the unskilfulness of those that make up the Medicines I therefore advise all those that have occasion to use any Medicines to go or send to Mr. Ralph Clarke Apothecary at the sign of the three Crowns on Ludgate-Hill in London where they shall be sure to have such as are skilfully and honestly made The Printer to the Reader I Have in my hands divers other works of Mr. Stephen Marshals which for their excellency and variety of matter are highly esteemed by all that heard them preach'd Or have read them in writing I intend to print them in several smal Books that they may not be above the reach of a poor man's purse The Subjects on which they treat are Chiefly these that follow VIZ. 1. Of the Covenant of Grace And the great priviledges the Saints have therby 2. Formal Professors seldom become sincere 3. Reformation and turning to God the only means to prevent Ruine 4. Christ the Prince of Peace 5. The Excellency of Christ's Kingdom 6. How Freedom come by Christ. 7. The Vnion between Christ and Beleevers 8. The Riches of the Saints through the Poverty of Christ 9. How Christ is the Head of the Church 10. Christ and his Seed have sufficient strength to destroy their Enemies 11. Christ the Bridegroom Beleevers are his Bride 12. No Participation of Christ but by Faith 13. Faith so precious a Grace that Christ is glad of any thing that may further it 14. An Humble Spirit Infinitly acceptable to God 15. Great Joy to all that Mourn in Zion 16. The double Recompence the Godly shall have after their affliction 17. The Happiness of the Saints under the Cross 18. The untimely Death of good men a Ground of Great Lamentation 19. The Magistrates Dignity Duty and Vsefulness 20. The Churches Danger Deliverance and Duty 21. The Churches praise unto God for their Deliverance 22. A great Mercy in God to prevent his Peoples ingageing one against another in Blood 23. Gods Chosen Ones are the Preventors of destruction 24. Mens Misery is only from themselves Their Deliverance is only from the Lord. 25. The Pearl of the Gospel 26. How the Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation 27. It 's impossible for true Beleevers totally and finally to fall away 28. Parents Duty to their Children 29. Provision for the Poor 30. The Great Judgment of Famine 31. Of the Sacrament The CONTENTS of the first Book of Mr. Stephen Marshals Works VIZ. Of Christs Intercession or Sins of Infirmity SERMON I. On 1 John 2.1 And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous THe scope of the Epistle Opened Page 1 2 3. The words of the Text explained Page 3 4. Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christs Intercession in Heaven is the great dayly Relief that all the Saints diligentest their watchfulest work in the world to keep their hearts in a good frame when once the Lord in mercy hath put them into a good frame Page 132 133 Reasons of the Point Reas. 1. Because the Heart is beyond all comparisons the best part of Man it is the Head Quarter Page 142 Reas. 2. Because the Heart is not only the best part of Man but it is the Treasury wherein better things are laid up than it self Quest. What are the Treasures laid up in the heart of a gracious Man Answer 1. The great God chooses the Heart of every Godly man for his Privy and Presence Chamber 2. Christ Jesus dwels there Emmanuel dwels there in whom are bid all the Treasures of God 3. The Holy Ghost dwels there too the Heart of every Godly man is his Temple 4. All the Graces of the Spirit of God are laid up there 5. The Word that is the the rule of our life is laid up there Reas. 3. Because the Lord whom we profess to serve looks only at the Heart in al the Sacrifices we perform to him Reas. 4. The Devil makes all his Assaults and Batteries against the Heart and counts all his labor lost if he get not into the Heart Reas. 5. Because the Heart is not to be trusted but is deceitfull false cosening even the Heart of the best man in the world 139 Reas. 6. Because out of it are the Issues of Life thy whol Conversation wil be as thy Heart is kept Use 1. Serves to reprove thousands with a bitter reproof who would fain go for Children of God and yet 1 They are exact in keeping their Houses c but neglect their Hearts Page 143 144 2. Others are curious about their Bodies to Feed Physick Adorn them but neglect their Hearts Others are careful also of their manners and Conversation to avoid scandal and yet neglect their Hearts 4 Others keep indeed their Hearts but sleightly they do not keep them above all keepings Page 146 Use 2. This is a Doctrine of wonderful consolation though it carry just rebuke with it to al whose Consciences witness that their greatest care is to purge and keep their Hearts Page 147 Use 3. To exhort all men for the time to come to make this their study to keep their Hearts Before this can be done I. The Lord must break the Heart to pieces and new mold it And then you must 1. Keep it pure from Sin 2. Keep it fit for Duty The Life of Christ or the great Mystery of Spiritual Life SERMON I. THe Text Opened Page 1 2 3 Doctrine 1. Every Soul that hath Interest in Christ while he is in this world it is in Christ that lives in him Doctrine 2. The manner of their living this Life in this world it is by Faith For Explication consider that There is a twofold life 1. A Natural life which we have from Adam 2. A Spiritual Life which flows from the second Adam Quest. What is this spiritual life Answ. It is a Participation of Christs Righteousness upon the Souls union with him Use 1. Shews how necessary it is that we should all try and examin our Souls whether we are partakers of this Life or No. Page 20 Considerations to stir up to this examination 1. That in Truth this alone is
would do and there he sets down all the infirmities that Sheep are subject to I seek them that are lost some of them wander I seek them that are lost others of them are driven away by a violent temptation I wil fetch back that which is driven away saith the Lord then others of the Lords Sheep are wounded I will heal that that is wounded wounded in their Consciences with guilt the Lord wil heal them others of them their very Limbs are broken I wil bind up that that is broken and compare that with another place where some of them are unable to stir I wil lay them upon mine own Shoulders and bring them home Mark If they wander be driven away wounded broken lamed and spoiled he hath a heart sutably compassionate to them all that is One Jesus Christ compassionates us under our sinful infirmities as we Parents do our Children under their bodily infirmities we are far from loving them the less for them But if any one by the way should ask If he do so Why doth he not heal them Stay but while I come to the last Conclusion and that wil satisfie you that is the first Secondly 2. Jesus Christ at his Fathers right hand prevails that the sinful infirmities of his People make no breach in the league of love that is betwixt God and them mark what I say his Intercession prevails for them he bearing their names and pleading their cause prevails that there is no breach made in Gods good will towards them But even as it is with us that have a poor Child that goes about to do our work and oftentimes spoils it when he would fain do it and somtimes forgets to do it when yet he had a mind to do it we knowing the frame of the Child we kiss it notwithstanding So God is such a gracious Father through Jesus Christ to his people that notwithstanding al our infirmities the Lord never breaks his league of love but we may go to him and pray to him and call him Father leave our supplications with him and make that use of him as the Covenant of Grace holds him out to all his people as freely in the midst of all our infirmities as if we were quite delivered from them Now this the Scripture is wonderful plain in I could turn you to a great many That Speech of Micah is admirable Who hath such a God as we have Why what is our God He passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his Inheritance he never looks after them or if any one shew him them he casts them behind his back drowns them in the depth of the Sea never laies them to the charge of them that fear him Thou art a dead hearted Creature and canst not pray without wandring and do nothing as becomes thee but thy own flesh rangles with it that al is an abhomination in thy own eyes that thou doest thou hast a friend in Heaven that presents all to God as if there were no blemish in them Thou art all fair my Dove there is no spot in thee Is not this good news to all those that endeavor to walk with Christ in sincerity The first is He pities them under them The second is He prevails that there is no breach made betwixt God and the Soul because of them Thirdly Another which is a very great one and that is 3. Jesus Christ gives his Spirit unto his People to relieve their infirmities The Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities you have that expression in Rom. 8. That the Lord Christ our Mediator doth give his holy Spirit to help us against our infirmities What is that I humbly conceive that Christ helping his Saints against their infirmities signifies these three things possibly it may signifie more but these three me thinks are very cleer The one is 1. The Lords Spirit helps the Lords People so about their infirmities that they shal not be quite overrun with them I he doth as he said to the Sea the proud waves of it when they come roaring hitherto you shal go there you shal stop So the Spirit of God keeps our corruptions in bounds otherwise he whose corruption is gotten loose and taints his understanding with a speculation that would carry him on to action and so to an habitualness No saith the spirit of God here I wil stop you you shal go no further that is one It is through the help of Gods Spirit only that the strength of every corruption that assaults us makes us not act it to the very height of it As when I walk with a man that hath overthrown me then I am in his power he may cut my Throat if I had not some friends to succor me Gods Spirit succors us that Satan and our corruptions should not totally subdue us Secondly 2. He raiseth us up again when corruption hath brought us down for you must know Brethren and that you wil easily understand that the nature of sin is such that when a man is committing it that he would rol down to the bottom of the Hil and when he is there the waight would lie upon him that he should never rise again Now the Spirit of God doth like the friend of a Wrastler by him when he hath thrown a man down he plucks him up again and sets him upon his feet again So when any thing hath overpoured the Soul it would never rise again were it not for the Spirit of Christ but Christs Spirit that is sent to relieve us sets us again upon our feet Yea Thirdly which is more 3. The Spirit of Christ so assisteth all his people that notwithstanding their corruptions be too strong for them they shal again oppose it yea and by degrees get strength against it Crucifie it and Mortifie it all As the Apostle expresseth it in Rom. 8. that when our corruptions are most potent by the help of the Spirit you shal mortifie and crucifie the deeds of the Body thus doth Christ for all his people he doth not only compassionate and keeps peace with God for them but keeps their corruptions in some bounds that they do not quite over run them or when they have prevailed in part sets them up again yea and gives them strength to get up again And then Fourthly and Lastly and then I draw to a Conclusion which is the Mystery of all the rest and that is this 4. The Lord Jesus appearing in Heaven for his People doth not only thus succor them but like a Heavenly Physitian maketh Treacle of these Bites he doth his Children Good by their Corruptions and helps them more on in their way to Heaven even by the opposition of their corrupt natures This I acknowledg to flesh and blood is a mystery not to be opened but you will see it cleerly to be so only understand me thus When I say the Lord wil do his people good by their sinful infirmities I mean not that there is any thing in
of Application is come the making himself over to them in the consideration or notion of an elder Brother and so they really by their conjunction with him partake of it There is the second work 3. There is the work of the Holy Ghost and til that likewise be past over the Soul never is any man made the Son of God The Holy Ghost and his work is so eminent and apparent that he is called the Spirit of Adoption that when the Lord gives his Spirit unto his Children he cals it by the Spirit of Adoption because it is the great Office of the Spirit to make that great work of Adoption Quest. Now what is the Holy Spirit 's work about it Answ. I Answer It stands in three things and you wil see them all cleer in Scripture and I hope I shal have some time for the Application for I go it over as fast as I can the Holy Ghosts work in making us the Sons of God stands in three things as it is cleer in the Scripture The one is 1. When the acceptable time is come that the Lord means to make a Soul that is by nature a Child of wrath to become the Child of God He sends the Spirit of Jesus Christ into that Soul to be a band of union betwixt Christ and that soul that whereas Christ is to be applied to them as a Brother and they to be mystically united unto him the holy Spirit takes this Office upon himself to come and dwel in the heart as a band of union betwixt Christ and them that Christ and they should never more be separated and this work of the pouring out of the Spirit into the Soul to take possession of him for Christ and to give the possession of Christ unto him the Spirit being the band of it this is the first work of the Spirit as he is the Spirit of Adoption There is one The second work of the Spirit is this 2. That when the holy Spirit comes to make Christ and us one he as the elder Brother and we as his Brethren inseparably united to him whereas he findeth us enemies hateful hating that would rather be united to Harlots to the Creature to any thing the Spirit of God works a Child-like heart in them framing and molding their Spirits that for the time to come they calling God Father as they have warrant to do they likewise shall be made Sons even in the frame and bent of their spirits which is very excellently expressed in the very next words to my Text wherein it is said He gave them this Prerogative that they should become the Sons of God which were born saith he mark not of Blood nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Now no longer shal flesh and blood sway them but being born of God the Spirit of God gives a new birth and a new life now they come to have the hearts of Children that as nature hath planted in the heart of a Child toward the Parent Honor and Love and Reverence and Obedience where sin hath not utterly perverted it this is the natural genius of a Child to his Father So the Spirit of God molds and frames the Soul and this the Scripture signifies when it saith Because you are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts whereby now we can cry Abba Father now the hearts of them shal stand to God and be carried to him in Faith and Prayer as the hearts of Children are naturally carried to their Parents That is the second thing And then the third and last work of the Spirit and so you have all this indeed as plain before you as I can set it out briefly the Third Work is this 3. This Holy Spirit even as it is the Spirit of Adoption doth not only unite them to Christ and frame a sutable disposition in them towards God and Christ But it abides in them upon all need to witness to their Spirits that this is their condition to give not only the Seal of it by changing their hearts but by giving them the comfort of it as they need it in their necessities which the Apostle expresseth in those words it is in Rom. 8. And the same Spirit witnesseth to our spirits that we are Gods Children it carries our hearts to God and testifies to the Soul that God is their Father There is the second Now I have been larger in that because in truth the world doth not ponder these things nay few of Gods own Children do ever consider what a strange work it is that none but the blessed Trinity can undertake and each of them have their distant work in it of bringing a poor Child of Wrath to become the Child of God That is the second You hear now what Adoption is and how it is wrought Now the third thing in the Doctrinal part and then I hasten to the Application is Wel What are the benefits of it Now what are the benefits of our Adoption That when the Lord hath took this strange course and brought about this strange work Wherein doth the worth of this Priviledg stand I answer You wil receive a great deal of light of it at least it wil help you to remember it and understand it the better if I do illustrate it by the practice that was amongst the Romans So their Adoption and the Roman Adoption had three things in it it carried three things as all learned men that have read their Stories and Laws do know The first is 1. When a man was Adopted into a Family the Family of a Caesar or the great men by his Adoption he was cut off from the Family from which he sprung by his natural birth cut off from it not simply but from whatsoever was base or unworthy in that Family that if his Father were a Slave and himself by his birth a Slave it was hereditary to him or if any blot or infamy stuck upon his family whatsoever it was the Adopting of this Person into another Family wholly cut him off from al the base ignominious slavish bondage and dangers which belonged to the Family from which he sprung by his natural birth That was the first The second was 2. That by his Adoption he was taken as belonging to the Family into which he was Adopted as much as if he had been begotten by him he was to have by the Laws of the Empire the same respect from his adopted Father the same provision the same protection the same immunities whatsoever that his own begotten Son might claim by nature from the Roman Laws the adopted Child was instituted in them all And Thirdly 3 By his Adoption he had the same right to the inheritance that the begotten Child had if there were no other begotten Children the whol Inheritance sel to the Adopted Child if there were another begotten Child though beloved the Adopted shared with him in it Look how
himself there he reckons up Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Lands and all that he hath This is a third Branch of Self Fourthly 4. There is another that is as much Self as any of these and that is that that we cal religious Self and by that you are to understand our performance of holy Duties our Vertues our Righteousness any thing that seems to be spiritual and good and moral in us this you shal find a notable passage about in Phillip 3. where the Apostle there saith of true Beleevers saith he We are the Circumcision that do worship God in the spirit but we put no confidence in the flesh we regard nothing of the flesh and saith he if there be any man that might have any confidence in the flesh I as much as any mark his words I much more than any What flesh doth he mean mark what follows I was an Hebrew of the Hebrews of the Tribe of Benjamin by my Religion a Pharisee touching the righteousness of the Law I was altogether unblameable here was his self Now this was his flesh so that the Religion the Honesty the Conversation agreeable to the Law that Paul makes a part of himself and cals it his flesh Now concerning these four for yet I have not done explaining this first part what I mean by Self concerning all these four both our Lusts and our natural endowments and our worldly interest and our Religion you must take these three corrollaries to understand them all three things that I would add The first is 1. That al these are but one and the same self pray mark me all these are but one self only As the Sea which is but one yet it is called the Brittish Sea as it toucheth upon England or Scotland It is called the German Sea as it washeth the German shoar and a great way off it is called the Ethiopique Sea as it washeth there but all is but one Sea so all is but one wretched self though we call it a sinful self as self applies it self to Lusts cal it worldly self as self applies it self to wealth or riches or honor and cal it religious self as self applies it self to the Law of God or to God in any such like but all is but one self all is but one and the same man in all these And Secondly Another thing that I would have you know about them all four is this 2. That though all these are in every natural man yet commonly there is but one of them that is predominant and all the other are subordinate unto it As for example Some men make their Lusts their known Lusts their predominant self and unto that Reason and Wil and Father and Mother and Children and Law and Duties and all shal be subordinate because this is the Lord paramount In some others it may be the world is the paramount Oh! and then unto that all their other Lusts and all their Religion likewise shal be subordinate It may be in another his Religion is the predominant his Honesty his righteousness his holy performances that is his great predominant and then unto that all the other shal be subordinate Commonly there is but some one of them that carries the Chair that sits upon the Throne and al the rest are underlings to that Thirdly and that which I most of all would have you mark and weigh concerning them all is this and I beseech you weigh my words 3. That in all these the heart is equally wicked in every one of them the heart is as bad and as far from God in the one as it is in the other I mean plainly thus That man that sets up his Lusts suppose his Whore suppose his Pride suppose any known wickedness sets up that to be the great good that pleaseth him that man is no more wicked his heart is no more wicked in that than another man that maketh Mammon his God the gathering of wealth or the maintaining of his honor and neither of these are more wicked than he that maketh his righteousness his own religious performances his God because for though these may seem strange yet if you wil wait you will find it to be good Divinity though in all these self is the end and all these are used but as means in the one of them I make use of the Devil to serve my self in another I make use of the world to serve my self in another I make use of God to serve my Self but whosoever I make use of it is my self that I set in the Throne my own Ease my own Wil my own Good my own Happiness Now then here is the result whatsoever a poor lost sinner doth make his portion before he come to be reconciled to God in Christ whatsoever it is that he maketh his portion or placeth his happiness in that our Lord means by self and there you have the first thing explained that I intended to handle What is meant by our Self that must be denied all that we make our portion be it our Lusts be they our natural abilities be they our worldly interests be they our religious Vertues Duties Righteousnesses they are all alike when the heart sodders with them or rests in them all these make up that self that must be denied That is the first Secondly The second thing that is to be explained is 2. What it is to deny a mans self he that will follow Christ must deny himself What is that I answer First 1. In general as I hinted before it must be a total denyal it is such a denial of a mans self as must be a total abrenunciation it must not be to put off the skin the Serpents skin and leave the Body or to cut off a Joynt and leave the Trunk but the whole man all the comprehension of this must be abhominated and renounced by that self-denial that the Lord here means But what is it you wil say Wherein stands it That I shal labor to cleer to you as wel as I can 1. Negatively I wil shew what it is not And then 2. Positively I wil shew you what it is 1. What it is not First 1. By denying a mans self the Lord means not that we should counterfeit our selves to be other than we are as Jeroboam's Wife denied her self to be Jeroboam's Wife by faining her self to be another Woman than she was The Lord means not that he that is a proud man should say I am not a proud man or he that is a rich man should say I am not a rich man or he that is a proper man should say I am not a proper man or he whose name is John or Thomas should say I am not that man that is not the meaning that he should counterfeit or feign himself to be another than he is Nor Secondly which it may be you think most probable by denying a mans self is this meant 2. That a man must wholly be