A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. In what reſpect ſelf muſt be denyed.
II. AND here I beſeech you take heed of Self in all theſe following reſpects. 1. You muſt Deny Self as it is Oppoſite to God, and a Competitor with him, and the Idol of the ſoul and of the world; and this is in all the ten reſpects which I mentioned in the beginning, and therefore ſhall not now rehearſe. And this is the principal part of ſelf-denial.
2. Self muſt be denyed as it is but conceived as ſeparated from God; and would be an End in a divided ſenſe from God. For our ſelves and all things elſe are created contingent, dependent beings, and muſt not be once thought of as if we were either our own beginning, or end, or in any capacity, but ſubſervient unto God. Self becomes a Satan, when it would caſt off its due ſubordination to God, and would be any other than the workmanſhip of God, depending on him, and ruled by him, and living to him, loving him, deſiring him, and ſeeking after him, and either mourning when we miſs him, or rejoycing when we find Communion with him.
3. Self muſt be denyed as it ſtands up againſt the Truth of the Goſpel, and blindly and proudly quarrelleth with that word which faith relyeth upon for Juſtification and ſalvation. Carnal ſelf is both the moſt incompetent Judge of the word of God, and of ſpiritual affairs, and alſo the moſt forward, and arrogant, and audacious, for all it is ſo incompetent. And this is the damnable fountain of unbelief. That ſelf is an incompetent Judge of the word and waies of God, is evident: for 1. It is a natural enemy to them, and an enemy is no competent Judge, Rom. 8. 7. [Becauſe the Carnal mind is enmity againſt God: for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.] Deny therefore this enemy the power of judging the word of God. Ill-will never ſaith well. Enmity is credulous of all evil, and overlooks the good, and is accompanyed with falſe ſurmiſes, and wreſteth every word, and ſuſpecteth or maketh an evil ſence where there was none: there is not a worſe expoſitor in the world. And therefore no wonder if ſuch a nature of enmity can find matter of quarrel with the very Scripture it ſelf, and with an holy life, yea with God himſelf; for it is him eſpecially that the enmity is againſt.
2. Moreover ſelf is a party, and therefore an incompetent judge. It is ſelf that the Scripture principally ſpeaks againſt: All over the Goſpel there are the words of diſgrace, and the arrows of death directed againſt the very heart of Carnal ſelf. God there proclaimeth and manageth an open war againſt it. And ſhall a party be the judge? ſhall the traiterous delinquent be the judge? A child will hardly ſpeak well of the rod, whatever he do by the Corrector: but it's not to be expected that a thief ſhould love the halter or the gallows. Gods word is the weapon that ſelf muſt be ſlain by; and therefore ſelf is an incompetent judge of it.
3. Moreover ſelf is quite blind in the matters of God: the natural man diſcerneth them not, nor can do, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned, 1 Cor. 2. 14. And the ignorant and blind are incompetent judges.
4. And the ſelfiſh man is no good ſtudent in the Laws of God; even when he readeth the letter, he doth not mind or ſavour the ſpirit of them. Rom. 8. 5. [For they that are after the fleſh, do mind the things of the fleſh: but they that are after the ſpirit, the things of the ſpirit.] A fair world it would be, if every Colliar ſhould judge the Privy Council and the Judges of the Land! or if every thief ſhould ſit upon his accuſer and his Judge, and every traitor ſhould judge the Prince. And a thouſand-fold more inſufficient is ſelf to judge the Word of God.
And yet as inſufficient as it is, it is exceeding arrogant, and ſteps up into the judgment-ſeat, at every Chapter that is read or heard: and if this blind and malicious Judge be unſatisfied, forſooth the Scripture muſt be dark or contradictory, or what he pleaſes. This horrible preſumptuous arrogancy of ſelf is it that hath opened ſo many mouths againſt the bleſſed Doctrine of Salvation, and made ſo many wretched Apoſtates in the world, and caſt ſo many others into doubtings of that word by which at laſt they muſt be judged, and which ſhould have been the ground of their faith and hope.
4. Moreover, ſelf muſt be denyed as it ſtands up againſt the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. When Chriſt is preſented in his wonderful Condeſcenſion, in his Incarnation, and mean deſpiſed life, and in his ignominious death, Proud ſelf is offended at ſo low a Saviour, and diſdaineth that Humiliation which his own neceſſities did require, and deſpiſeth Chriſt becauſe he became deſpiſed and a man of ſorrows in our ſtead. When he is propounded as the remedy of a miſerable ſoul, and as our only Life, and Righteouſneſs, and Hope, Self doth ſeduce the ſoul to undervalue him: It will not eaſily be convinc'd of ſo much miſery as to need ſuch a remedy: it is too well to value ſuch a Phyſician: it is too righteous to value the righteouſneſs of a Mediator. It hath too much Life and Hope at home, in its own ſuppoſed innocency or ſufficiency, to ſet much by the Hopes that Chriſt hath purchaſed, and to Live in him.
O down with ſelf that Chriſt may be Chriſt to you. How ſhall he come in, while Self is the Porter that keeps the door? How ſhall he pardon you, when Self will not ſuffer you to feel the want and worth of pardon? How ſhall he bind up your hearts, when Self will not ſuffer them to be broken? How ſhall he cloath you with his righteouſneſs, while ſelf keeps on your own defiled rotten rags? Down therefore with ſelf, that Chriſt may be exalted. Away with your own conceited righteouſneſs, that he may be your righteouſneſs; down with your Selfiſh fooliſh wiſdom, that the ſuppoſed fooliſhneſs of God may be your wiſdom. Level this mountain, which Satan hath built up in enmity againſt the holy mountain of the Lord.
5. Moreover, Self muſt be denyed as it is the great reſiſter of the Holy Ghoſt. The ſanctifying ſpirit hath no greater enemy, at leaſt, except the Devil himſelf. One half of the work of ſanctification, is to deſtroy this Carnal ſelf. And therefore no wonder if hence it find the chief reſiſtance. Not an holy motion can be made to the ſoul but ſelf is againſt it. No work hath the ſpirit to do upon us, but ſelf is ready to gainſay it, and contradict it, and work againſt it: when ever therefore this mortal Principle is contending againſt the ſpirit of God, diſhonouring holineſs, diſſwading you from duty, perſwading you to ſin, down with it and deny it, as you would be true to the ſpirit and your ſelves.
6. Moreover, ſelf muſt be denyed as it traiterouſly complyeth with the enemies of Chriſt and your own ſalvation: when it takes part with Satan, and pleads for ſin, and ſaith as wicked men ſay, and entreth a conſpiracy with all that would undo you, and all this under pretence of your own good. When ever it ſpeaks for ſin, you may be ſure it ſpeaks againſt God and you, and therefore it's reaſon you ſhould deny it. Self alſo muſt be denied when it riſeth up againſt the ſuppoſed tediouſneſs or difficulty of duty: when it grudgeth at an holy life, & ſaith, [What a ſtir is here? what a weary life is this? what do I get by ſerving God?] Now ſelf is playing the traitor againſt God and you; and therefore deny it.
7. Moreover, when ſelf doth riſe up againſt ſufferings, and make you believe that they are intolerable; and that it is unreaſonable for a man to forſake all that he hath for fear of a ſinful word or deed, when we ſin every day, when we have done our beſt; it's time now to ſtop the mouth of ſelf; for it plays the Devils game againſt God and you, and would perſwade you to prefer a ſhort, uncertain, miſerable life, before eternal life, and to give up your ſelf to wilful ſin, becauſe God beareth with the ſins of mens infirmity. It's reaſon that you ſhould deny ſo unreaſonable an enemy to God & you.
8. Moreover, ſelf muſt be denyed when it ſtands up againſt the Ordinances of God. When it pleadeth againſt the arguments of the word, and findeth fault with the Law that it ſhould obey, and quarrelleth with prayer and all holy duties, and would make all inſtituted means uneffectual for your ſaving good; it's time now that you deny it.
9. When ſelf doth riſe up againſt the Officers of Chriſt, and would make you believe your teachers fools, and you are wiſe; that they are beſide the truth, and you are in the right; or that they ſpeak againſt you out of malice or ſingularity, or ſome ſuch diſtemper, and ſo would deprive you of the ſaving benefit of their Doctrine and Office, it's time now to deny ſelf, if you know but what belongeth to your peace. And though I grant that you muſt not follow a Teacher into a certain ſin and error; yet when it is not God but ſelf that riſeth up againſt your Teachers, and poſſeſſeth you with a ſpirit of bitterneſs, diſobedience, contradiction and malignity, this ſelf muſt be denyed.
10. Laſtly, as ſelf is againſt the good of our neighbour or humane Societies, it muſt be denyed. For we muſt love our Neighbour as our ſelves: that is, both ſelf and neighbour muſt be loved in a due ſubordination to God, as means to his Glory, and in this notion of a means, the Love ſhould be equal; though there is alſo a Natural Love in order to ſelf-preſervation put into us by the Creator, which our Love to every Neighbour is not to equal in degree; yet our love to Societies ſhould exceed it; and our Love to a Neighbour ſhould come ſo near it, that we ſhould diligere proximum proxima delictione, love him as a ſecond ſelf, and ſo ſtudy his welfare, as to promote it to our power, and not to covet or draw from him for our ſelves, nor do him any wrong. This is the ſenſe of the tenth Commandement, and ſum of the ſecond Table.