Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The ſumme of a Chriſtian life: where is handled the denying of our ſelues.
The dueties of the godlie. Rom. 12.11 THe firſt office of the faithfull is to giuegive their bodies a liuely ſacrifice to God, holy and acceptable to him*. Surelie it is a great matter for vsus to be conſecrate to God that we may neither think do anie thing afterwarde, but onelyonly to his glorie. For that which is holie is applyed vntounto profane vſes, not without doing iniurie to him. But and if wee be not our owne but the Lordes, it appeareth both what errour is to be auoyded,The beginning of the denyall of our ſelues. and to what ende all the actions of our life are to be directed, namely that neither our reaſon nor our will beare the chiefe ſway in our counſells. O howe greatlie hath he profited, who being taught that he is not his owne, hath depriued him ſelfe of the rule and gouernment of him ſelfe to geue it to God.
2 The other followeth, that we ſeeke not the things which are our own,What the denyall of our ſelues is. but thoſe which are both agreable to the will of God, and which ſerue to further his glorie. This is that deniall of our ſelues, which Chriſt euen from their firſt beginning of inſtruction doth ſo diligently giuegive his charge to his Diſciples, which ſo ſoone as it hath once taken root in our mind, it leaueth no place either for pride or couetouſneſſe, or other vices which are ingendred of louelove of our ſelues.
3 The ſame Paul elſwhere more plainly though brieflie ſetteth downe all the partes of a well ordered life*.Tit. 1.11. The grace of God which bringeth ſaluation vntounto all men hath appeared, and teacheth vsus, that denying vngodlineſſe, and worldly luſtes, we liue ſoberly, and godlilie, and righteouſlie in this preſent world, wayting for the bleſſed hope & manifeſtation of the glorie of the great God, and of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, who hath geuen him ſelfe for vsus, that he might redeeme vsus from all iniquitie, and purge vsus to be a peculiar people zealous of good workes.
4 In theſe wordes we ſee that the deniall of our ſelues hath reſpect partly vntounto men,The partes of a Chriſtian lyfe and partly (& that chieflie) vntounto God. Towardes men the Scripture commaundeth vsus to performe two thinges, to wit that in honour we preferre them before our ſelues, and that we employ our ſelues wholy and faithfully to procure their profit. Wee can not do theſe vnleſſe our minde be firſt emptied of naturall ſenſe. For (ſuch is the blindneſſe wherewith we run headlong into the louelove of our ſelues) euerie man thinketh with him ſelfe that he hath iuſt cauſe to ſet vp his combe, and to contemne all other men in compariſon of him ſelfe.Self louelove is bread in vsus. Therefore to the end this ſelfe louelove which is bred in vsus may be taken away, firſt let vsus conſider thoſe vices wherwith we abound according to the rule of the Scripture. Secondly let vsus knowe that thoſe giftes whereof we are ſo proud, are not our goods, but the free gifts of God, that we may call all things to humility. Againe we are commaunded to reuerence and honour thoſe giftes which we ſee in our neighbours:A Caution. to winke at their vices: not that we may cheriſh and nouriſh them by flatterie, but that we do not triumph againſt them for becauſe of thoſe vices, whome we ought to louelove.
5 Now what an hard matter is it for a man to ſeeke the profit of his neighbour? Vnleſſe thou depart from conſidering thy ſelfe, and do after a ſort put of thy ſelfe, thou ſhalt not preuaile, becauſe louelove ſeeketh not thoſe things which be her owne*. And it is an hard matter for vsus to depart from our owne right of our owne accord, and to reſigne it to another.
1 Cor. 13.5. LoueLove ſeeketh not her owne 1 Cor. 15.4.6 Furthermore that we be not wearie of well doing, there muſt be another thing added, which Paule putteth downe*, that louelove is patient, and is not prouoked.LoueLove is patient. The Lord commaundeth to do good to all men in generall, a great part wherof are moſt vnworthie, and alſo our enemies. For the image of God is to be conſidered in all men, to which we owe all honour and louelove.The image of God is a great argument of bountifulnes. Gal. 5.10 When mortification taketh place in vsus which doth the dueties of louelove. But in thoſe which are of the houſhold of faith, the ſame is more diligently to be conſidered, inaſmuch as it is renued & repaired by the Spirit of Chriſt.
7 Therefore this mortification ſhall then only take place in vsus, if we fulfill the duties of louelove. And he doth fulfill them not which doth all the dueties of louelove, but which doth them with a ſyncere affection of louelove. He ſhall do it if he put vponupon him that mans perſon whome he ſeeth neede his helpe, and doth in like ſort pitie his eſtate, as if he him ſelfe did feele it: that he may be moued with the feeling of merciemercy and compaſſion, to help him, as if it were his owne caſe. For how great ſoeuer we be, we are detters to our neighbours.
8 That we may the more eaſily accompliſh the ſecond part of the deniall of our ſelues,What part reſpecteth god. which reſpecteth God, it is needfull that in ſeeking the commodities of this life, reſigning both our ſelues and all that we hauehave to be gouerned by the Lords pleaſure, we deliuer vp the affections of our heart to be tamed by him. We deſire riches and all worldly thinges, we flie from pouertie and afflictions: notwithſtanding let vsus not deſire anie other way to proſper, but by the bleſſing of God. Let vsus prayſe the Lorde in proſperitie, euen as well as in aduerſitie.
9 Thereupon it ſhall followe, that wee ſhall neither ſeeke wicked meanes to waxe rich, neither ſhall we waxe hard through immoderate deſire of earthly thinges, neither be diſcouraged if all things fall not out as we would wiſh. So Dauid doeth profeſſe him ſelfe to be like a childe that is weaned, that he may geue him ſelfe to be gouerned by God*.Fruites Pſal. 131.1.
10 Neither ought the godly mindes to hauehave that quietneſſe and tranquillitie conſiſting onelyonly in this point: but it muſt needs be extēded alſo vntounto all caſualties. This is the rule of godlineſſe to beleeue that the hand of God alone is the gouernour and guider of both eſtates,What is the rule of godlineſſe. and that the ſame doeth not runne headlong with raſh and vnaduiſed force, but that it doth according to moſt ordinate iuſtice diſtribute to vsus good things and alſo euill things.