A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Reaſons of the Neceſſity of Self-denyal to ſalvation.
III. ANd now you have ſeen the Deſcription of ſelf-denyal, and I hope, if you have ſtudyed it, you know what it is that is required; I ſhall next ſhew you ſome of the Reaſons of its Neceſſity, and prove it to you beyond diſpute that it is no indifferent thing, nor the high attainment of ſome few of the Saints, but a thing that all muſt have that will be ſaved, being of the very eſſence of holineſs it ſelf; ſo that it is as poſſible to live without life; as to be Holy without ſelf-denyal; and as poſſible to be ſaved whether God will or no, as to be ſaved without ſelf-denyal in a predominant degree. And if any of you thing ſtrange that ſalvation ſhould be laid on ſo high a duty, and that no man can be a true Diſciple that denyeth not himſelf, even to the forſaking of his Life, and all, when God requireth it, I ſhall ſhew you that Reaſon that ſhould eaſily ſatisfie you.
Reaſ. 1. Till a man Deny himſelf, he denyeth God, and doth not indeed believe in him, and love him, and take him to be his God. And I hope you will grant that no man can be ſaved that believes not in God, nor Loveth him, nor takes him for his God: He that will deny God and yet think to be ſaved, muſt think to be ſaved in deſpight of God. The firſt Article of our faith, and of our Baptiſmal Chriſtian Covenant, is to Believe in God the Father, and take him for our God, and give up our ſelves to be his people. But this no man can do without ſelf-denyal. For by all that I have ſaid in the deſcription of it, you may ſee that ſelfiſhneſs is moſt contrary to God, and would rob him of all his high Prerogatives, and God ſhould be no God, if the ſelfiſh ſinner had his will: and he doth not heartily conſent that he ſhall be God to him. I have formerly told you, that ſelf is the God of wicked men, or the worlds great Idol: And that the inordinate Love of Pleaſure, Profits and Honour, in Trinity, is all but this ſelf love in Unity; and that in the Malignant Trinity of Gods enemies, the fleſh is the firſt and foundation, the world the ſecond, and the Devil the third: Every man is an Idolater ſo far as he is ſelfiſh. God is not a bare name: He that takes away his Eſſence or Attributes and Prerogatives, and yet thinks he believeth in him, becauſe he leaveth him his name and Titles, doth as bad as they that ſet up an Image, and worſhip that inſtead of God, or that worſhip the Sun or Moon as Gods, becauſe they ſomewhat repreſent his Glory: for ſure a bare Name hath as little ſubſtance as an Image; much leſs can you ſay it hath more than the Sun. Now ſelfiſh ungodly men do all of them rob God, and give his honour and prerogatives to themſelves, and put him off with empty Titles: They call him their God, but will not have him for their End, their Portion and Felicity, nor give him the ſtrongeſt Love of their hearts: They will not take him as their Abſolute Owner; and devote themſelves and all they have to him, and ſtand with a willing mind to his Diſpoſe. They will not take him for their Soveraign, and be Ruled by him, nor deny themſelves for him, nor ſeek his honour and intereſt above their own. They call him their Father, but deny him his honour; and their Maſter, but give him not his fear, Mal. 1. 6. They depend not on his hand, and live not by his Law, and to his Glory; and therefore they do not take him for their God. And can you expect that God ſhould ſave thoſe that deny him and would dethrone him? that is, his very enemies.
Reaſ. 2. Yea more than ſo; God will not ſave thoſe that make themſelves their own Gods, when they have rejected him. But all theſe unſanctified ſelfiſh men, do make themſelves their own Gods: for in all the ten particulars before mentioned, they take to themſelves the Prerogatives of God. 1. They would be their own End and loo… further. 2. They uſe all Creatures but as means to … End; yea God himſelf is eſteemed but for themſelves. 3. They Love their preſent Life and Proſperity better than God. 4. They would be their own, and live as their own, and not as thoſe that are none of their own. 5. They would have the Creatures to be their … them as their Own, and not as God's. …. … …ſt care for themſelves, and ſhift for themſelves …t themſelves wholly upon God. 7. They would diſpoſe of themſelves and their own conditions, and of all things elſe. 8. They would Rule themſelves, and be from under the Laws and Government of God. 9. They would be the Rulers of all others, and have all men do their wills. 10. And they would be honoured and admired by all, and have the praiſe aſcribed to them. And if all this be not to ſet up themſelves as Gods or Idols in the world, I know not what is. Certainly God is ſo far from having a thought of ſaving ſuch vile Idolaters (in this Condition) that they are the principal objects of his high diſpleaſure, and the faireſt Marks for his Juſtice to ſhoot at: and he is engaged to pull them down and tread them into hell: ſhould God ſtand by and ſee a company of rebellious ſinners ſit down in his Throne, or uſurp his Soveraignty and Divine Prerogatives, and let them alone, yea and advance them to his Glory? No, he hath reſolved that he that humbleth himſelf ſhall be exalted, and he that exalted himſelf ſhall be brought low. And what higher ſelf-exaltation can there be, than to make ourſelves as gods to our ſelves? And therefore who ſhould be brought lower than ſuch?
Reaſ. 3. No man can be a Chriſtian that takes not Chriſt for his Lord and Saviour; But no man without this ſelf-denyal can take Chriſt for his Lord and Saviour: and therefore no man without ſelf-denyal can be a Chriſtian, and ſo be ſaved. He that makes himſelf his End, cannot make Chriſt as Chriſt his way: for Chriſt is the way to the Father, and not to Carnalſelf. Nay the buſineſs that Chriſt came upon into the world, was to pull down and ſubdue this ſelf. Moreover whoever taketh Chriſt for his Saviour, muſt know from what it is that he muſt ſave him; and that is principally from ſelf: And no man can take Chriſt for his Saviour that renounceth not ſelf-confidence, and is not willing to be ſaved from the Idolatry of ſelf-exaltation. No man can take Chriſt for his Maſter or Teacher, that comes not into his ſchool as a little child, renouncing the guidance of Carnal-ſelf, and ſenſible of his need of an heavenly Teacher. No man can take Chriſt for his King and Lord, and give up himſelf to him as his own and as his Subject, that hath not learned to deny that ſelf that claims propriety and ſoveraignty in his ſtead. There is no Antichriſt nor falſe Chriſt that ever was in the world, that doth more truly oppoſe Chriſt, and reſiſt him in all the parts of his office, than Carnal ſelf. It is this that will not ſtoop to his Righteouſneſs, or to his Guidance, and to his teaching and holy Government. Self is the falſe Chriſt or Saviour of the world, as well as the falſe God. And therefore there can be no ſalvation, where ſelf is not denyed and taken down.
Reaſ. 4. He that believeth not in the Holy Ghoſt, and taketh him not for his Sanctifier, cannot be a true Chriſtian or be ſaved. But no man without this ſelf-denyal believeth in the Holy Ghoſt, and taketh him for his Sanctifier: And therefore without this Self-denyal no man can be a true Chriſtian or be ſaved.
The very nature of ſanctification conſiſteth in the turning a man from himſelf to God: in deſtroying ſelfiſhneſs, and devoting the ſoul to God by Chriſt. And therefore it is paſt diſpute, that none but the ſelfdenying are ſanctified: and therefore none b… they do truly take the Holy Ghoſt for their Sanctifier, and truly believe in him. So far as men are in Love with the diſeaſe, it is certain they will not uſe the Phyſitian.
Reaſ. 5. No man is a true Chriſtian and in a ſtate of ſalvation, that denyeth, renounceth or rejecteth the word of God. But all men that have not ſelf-denyal (that hear the word of God) do renounce, deny it or reject it: and therefore no man without ſelf-denyal is a true Chriſtian or can be ſaved. In the Scriptures it is that we have eternal life: its they that muſt make us wiſe to ſalvation: the man that will be bleſſed, muſt meditate in them day and night, Pſal. 1. 3. And it is not the hearers but the Doers of them that are bleſſed. But nothing is more clear, than that the voice of Scripture calleth aloud on all men to deny themſelves; and that the ſcope of it is to cry down ſelf, and ſet up God in Jeſus Chriſt. It is the very drift and meaning of it from end to end to take down ſelf, and abaſe men in their own eyes, and bring them home to God from whom they are revolted.
Reaſ. 6. No man can be a Chriſtian or be ſaved without ſaving Grace. But no man without ſelf-denyal hath ſaving Grace. For it is the nature of every Grace to carry man from himſelf to God by Chriſt. It is the work of godly ſorrow to humble proud man, and break the heart of carnal ſelf. It is the work of faith, for a ſelf-denying ſoul to paſs out for hope and life to Chriſt. It is the work of Love to carry us quite above our ſelves to that infinite goodneſs which we love: it is the nature of holy fear to confeſs our guilt and inſufficiency, and to ſuſpect our ſelves, and dread the fruit of our own ways. Confidence doth bottom us upon God, and Hope it ſelf doth imply a Deſpairing in our ſelves. Thankfulneſs doth pay the homage to him that hath ſaved us from our ſelves. And every grace hath ſelf-denyal as half its very life or ſoul. And therefore it is certain that no man hath any more grace than he hath ſelf-denyal.
Reaſ. 7. They that reject the Miniſtry and the fruit of all the Ordinances of God, are not true Chriſtians, nor cannot be ſaved: But ſo do all among us that have not ſelfdenyal. For the uſe of the Miniſtry is to call home ſinners from themſelves to God. The uſe of every Ordinance of God, is to get or keep down carnal ſelf and exalt the Lord. Confeſſion is nothing but ſelf-abaſing: and he muſt confeſs, that will have the faithful and juſt God to forgive him: for he that covereth his ſin ſhall not proſper, 1 John 1. 9. Prov. 28. 13. Prayer is a confeſſion of our own emptineſs, inſufficiency and unworthineſs, and a flying from our ſelves for help unto another. In Baptiſm we come as condemned priſoners for a pardon, as it were with ropes about our necks, and ſtrip our ſelves of the rags of our filthineſs, that by the blood of the lamb we may be waſhed from our blood, and our ſins may be buried as in the depth of the Sea. In the Lords Supper we renew the ſame Covenant, and receive the ſame renewed pardon; and ſtill fly from our ſelves to Chriſt for life; and renounce our carnal ſelves by ſolemn Covenant, as a people coming home to God. So that never was any Ordinance of God, effectual and ſaving on the ſoul of any, further than it brought them to ſelf-denyal, or preſerved, exerciſed or manifeſted it.
Reaſ. 8. He that can do no work ſincerely, nor go one ſtep in the way of life, is no true Chriſtian nor in a ſtate life. But this is the caſe of all that have not ſelf-denyal. For ſelf is their Principle, Rule and End: and he that hath either a falſe Principle, Rule or End, cannot be ſincere in any of the means; much leſs when he is out in all of theſe. A ſelfiſh man is ſeeking himſelf in his very Religion; and is ſerving himſelf when he ſeemeth to be ſerving God. And indeed he doth not any ſervice ſincerely unto God, becauſe he makes not God his End; And therefore cannot be accepted.
Reaſ. 9. No man is a true Chriſtian or can be ſaved, that ſticks in the depth of his natural miſery, in his lapſed ſtate: But ſo do all men that have not ſelf-denyal: for it is ſelf that they are faln to, and muſt be ſaved from.
Reaſ. 10. No man can be a true Chriſtian and be ſaved, that is not a member of the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints. But ſo is none but the ſelf-denying; for every true member of the Church hath a publick ſpirit, preferring the Churches intereſt to his own, and ſuffering with fellow members in their ſuffering, and having a care of one another, 1 Cor. 12. But the ſelf-ſeeking unſanctified perſon is a ſtranger to this diſpoſition.
Reaſ. 11. He that is led by the greateſt enemy of God and his own ſoul, is not a true Chriſtian, nor in a ſtate of life. But ſo is every man that hath not learned to deny himſelf. For ſelf is the greateſt enemy of God and us. Eſcape but your own hands and you are out of danger. All the Devils in Hell cannot deſtroy you, if you would not be your own deſtroyers.
Reaſ. 12. Laſtly, It is a plain contradiction to be ſaved without ſelf-denyal. For as its ſelf that we muſt be ſaved from both as our End and Means and greateſt enemy: ſo to ſtick in ſelf is ſtill to be loſt and miſerable, and therefore not to be ſaved. So that the caſe is as plain as a caſe can be, that no man can be a true Chriſtian or Diſciple of Chriſt without ſelf-denyal; and conſequently none without it can be ſaved. I have been the briefer upon the Arguments, becauſe the matter of ſome of them may come to be fullier opened anon in the Application.