A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 37
CHAP. XXXVII. Natural Life to be denied.
20. BUt the greateſt point of ſelf-denial is yet behind: Nothing is ſo near to Self as Life. Nothing that nature doth ſo highly value, and dearly love, and tenderly look to, and unwillingly let go. And yet this alſo muſt be denied for Chriſt. All other parts of ſelfiſh intereſt are as it were ſummed up and contracted in this. And many a one can yield in other points, that when he comes to this, is utterly ſtalled and will go away ſorrowful, rather than follow Chriſt to the Death. Nothing in this world is ſo dear to natural man as his life. And therefore death is a thing that he knows not how to chooſe, nor to ſubmit to, if he could avoid it.
In three caſes only I remember that Heathens themſelves have choſen death. Firſt in caſe of ſome extream torment or other miſery, which they had no other hope to prevent or end. But this was but a chooſing a ſpeedier or eaſier Death before a more grievous death, though remote; or before a death that had ſo great a miſery for its fore-runner: or at leaſt before ſuch a life as is a continual death. And ſo the conquered Heathens would frequently kill themſelves, to prevent a more diſhonourable cruel death from the hand of the Conqueror; And ſo many a one in uncurable miſery wi…eth rather to die than endure it; partly becauſe that the ſuffering is ſo great as to overcome all the comforts of life. (For I yield that ſome degrees of miſery with life are more terrible to nature than death;) and partly becauſe that they know they muſt die at laſt however. Secondly, in a deſire of fame, that they may leave behind them an honourable name when they are dead. But this is not to deſire death but life. Fain they would live for ever: and becauſe they know that it cannot be obtained (on earth,) they had rather die ſome honourable death a little ſooner, that their names may live, when they are dead, than to die ignominiouſly ſhortly after. Thirdly, And ſome have choſen to die for the publick good of their Country. But as it's very uncertain whether the deſire of a living Name were not their greater motive, ſo it was but a chooſing a preſent death for their Country, before a latter unavoidable death without any ſuch advantage. In all theſe caſes a natural man may venture on death, that knows he cannot ſcape it long, but muſt ſhortly die, whether he will or no. But if they could avoid it, there's very few would ſubmit to death, but believers: and none but in one of theſe caſes. 1. To end or avoid ſome extream intolerable, uncurable miſery. 2. To deliver their Country or friends. 3. And whether any would do it upon their ungrounded hopes of better things in the life to come, I leave to conſideration. But if it be taken for granted that a natural man may love, 1. The comforts of life above it ſelf; 2. And the good of his Country, or the world, or his children above his life; 3. Or ſome carnal felicity falſly conceited to be had in another life; yet it is certain that none but a ſanctified believer can Love God better than his Life, or can prefer thoſe ſpiritual heavenly joys which conſiſt in the holy Love and Fruition of God, before his life: And therefore he that for theſe can deny his Life, is indeed a Chriſtian: and none but be. Though it be an ungrateful word to the ears of ſome, I muſt ſay it again, and none but he. For this is the very point in which Chriſt for inſtance, doth put our ſelf-denial to the trial. He that will ſave his life, ſhall loſe it] Whether you Love an immortal holy life with God, or this earthly fleſhly life better, is the great queſtion on which it will be reſolved whether you are Chriſtians or Infidels at the heart, and whether you are heirs of heaven or hell. Some Love to God may be in the unſanctified; but not a love to him above their lives: and in ſome caſes they may ſubmit to death; but not for the Love of God. But both theſe ſet together, that is, a ſubmitting to Death for the Love of God, or a Loving of God above this life, is the moſt infallible proof of your ſincerity.
I confeſs, fleſh and blood muſt needs think this is a very hard ſaying; and though they might conſent to acknowledge it a Duty, and a Reaſonable thing to die for Chriſt, and a note of excellency, and a commendable qualification of ſome few extrordinary Saints, yet it goeth very hardly down with them, that it ſhould be the loweſt meaſure of ſaving grace, & that the weakeſt Chriſtian muſt have it that will be ſaved; For ſay they, What can the ſtrongeſt do more than die for Chriſt? But to this I anſwer, 1. There is no rom for objections againſt ſo plain a Word of God. It is the wiſdom of God, and not our Reaſon that diſpoſeth of the Crown of life: and therefore it is his Wiſdom and not our Reaſon muſt determine by what we ſhall attain it. And if God ſay plainly, that If any man come to Chriſt, and hate not his own life, (that is, love it not ſo much leſs than Chriſt, that for his ſake he can uſe it as a hated thing is uſed) he cannot be his Diſciple,] Luke 14. 26. it is too late for the vote of man, or all the clamour of fooliſh reaſon to recal this reſolution. The word of God will ſtand, when they have talk'd againſt it never ſo long: we may deſtroy our ſelves by daſhing againſt it, but we cannot deſtroy or fruſtrate it. 2. And whereas men ask, What can the ſtrongeſt do more than die for Chriſt? I anſwer, Abundance more: They can die for him with far greater Love, and Zeal, and Readineſs, and Joy, than the weak can do: and ſo bring much more honour to him by their death. Though there be no higher way of outward expreſſing our Love to Chriſt, than by dying for him; yet the inward work of Love may be in very different degrees in perſons that uſe the ſame expreſſion of it. Some may come to the ſtake with a little Love comparatively, and ſome with fervent hot affections: Some have much ado to yield to die; and ſome die ſo chearfully, that they rejoyce in the opportunity of honouring God, and paſſing to him. Yea and in the Expreſſions there is much difference in the manner: Some give up themſelves with ſo much readineſs as works more on the ſtanders by than their meer patience or the death it ſelf. And ſome are drawn ſo hardly to it, as drowneth much of the honour and fruit of their martyrdom. Of this read Mr. Pinks Serm. on Luke 14. 26.
Obj. But Nature is of God: and Nature teacheth us to Love and ſave our Lives: and is it like that the God of Nature will command and teach us to caſt them away, and ſo contradict his own Law of Nature? Anſw. 1. As Nature teacheth you to love your lives, ſo God doth not forbid you. But 2. Is it Natural to man to be Reaſonable, as well as to be ſenſitive and animate? To have a reaſonable ſoul, as to have a temporal life? 3. And doth not Reaſon tell us by the light of Nature, that God ſhould be loved better than our Lives? If it did not, yet by the help of ſupernatural light, even Reaſon clearly tells us this. And it is no contradiction for God to bid you, [Love your lives, but love him better.] And he that bids you ſeek the preſervation of your lives, doth plainly except, that you reſign them to his diſpoſe, and that you ſeek not to ſave them from him, when he commandeth you to lay them down. So that it is not ſimply againſt Nature, to conſent to die: but when it is for him that is the Lord and end of life, it is agreeable to Nature; that is, though it be againſt our natural inclination as we are Animate, and Senſitive; yet is it agreeable to our true nature as reaſonable: And therefore lay all together, & it is to be ſaid to be agreeable to Nature ſimply in ſuch a caſe; becauſe it is agreeable to the Principal part in nature, which ſhould be predominant; It is agreeable to nature alſo, that Reaſon ſhould diſpoſe of the inferiour powers of the ſoul.
Object. But when you have ſaid all that you can, as long as you plead againſt my nature, I cannot conſent to what you ſay; words are but wind: To perſwade me to conſent to die, is as much as to perſwade me not to feel when I am hurt, or to be hungry or thirſty or ſleepy, which are not in my power, becauſe theſe things are Natural. Anſw. 1. Though hunger and thirſt and other natural and ſenſitive appetites or paſſions, be not in your power, yet a conſent of the will to deny theſe is in your power. As natural as it is to hunger and thirſt, your ſuperiour faculty of Reaſon can prevail with you to ſuffer hunger and thirſt in a Siege or ſickneſs, when the ſuffering of it will ſave your life. You will be ruled by your Phyſician to forbear not only many a diſh but many a meal which your appetite deſireth. And your Reaſon can perſwade you to ſuffer the opening of a vein, and the drawing out of your own blood, yea or the cutting off a member, when it is to ſave your life, for all that feeling and ſelf-love is natural to you. And you are not acquainted with the nature of Friendſhip if you would not ſuffer much for a friend; nor with humane affections if you would not ſuffer much for parents, or children, or your Country; ſo that your will is free, though your ſenſe be not free, nor your natural appetite. Though you cannot chooſe but feel when you are hurt, you might conſent to that feeling for a greater good. 2. And according to the tenour of this Objection, you may as wiſely and honeſtly plead for moſt of the wickedneſs of the world, and ſay It is natural to me to luſt, and therefore I may play the Adulterer and fulfil it: It is natural to me to deſire meat and drink, and therefore I may eat and drink as long as I deſire it. It is natural to me to ſeek to hurt thoſe that I am much angry with, or hate: and therefore I may beat or kill them.] If you muſt deny the Paſſions and ſenſitive appetite, and the inferiour faculties of nature in one thing, why not in another? Theſe lower powers were made to be ruled by reaſon, as beaſts are made to be ruled by men, and more. And therfore ſeeing this Argument from Nature is but from the bruitiſh part of Nature, it is but a brutiſh Argument. And if yet you ſay, that for all theſe words, Death is ſo great an enemy to you, that you cannot chooſe it; I anſwer, that is becauſe your reaſon is not illuminated and elevated by faith, to ſee the Neceſſity of chooſing it; and to ſee thoſe higher and better things, which by this means you may obtain. Had you that heavenly life of faith and love which the ſpirit worketh in the Saints, it would carry you above this preſent life, and take you up with higher matters, and ſhew you that (and ſo ſhew it you) as ſhould procure your own conſent to die.
But becauſe this is the great point that Chriſt doth purpoſely here try our ſelf-denial by, and a point of ſuch great neceſſity to be look'd after, I ſhall ſtay a little longer on it, while I give you firſt ſome Reaſons to move you, and 2. Some Directions to aſſiſt you, to get a ſelf-denying ſubmiſſion to Death when Chriſt requireth it.
The many lamentable defects in grace which the inordinate fear of death doth intimate, I have already opened in the fourth part of the Saints Reſt: and therefore may not now repeat them, but ſhall add ſome few Conſiderations more.