A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 62
CHAP. LXII. Q. May God be finally Loved as our Felicity and Portion?
Queſt. 12. YOu tell us that we muſt ſeek our ſelves but as Means to God: How then may we make our ſalvation our End; or deſire the fruition of God, when fruition is for our ſelves, of ſomewhat that may make us happy? Doth he not deſire God as a Means for himſelf as the End, that deſireth him as his Portion, Treaſure, Refuge, and Felicity?
Anſw. There are ſuch abundance of abſtruſe Philoſophical Controverſies de anima & fine that ſtand here in the way, that I muſt only decide this briefly and imperfectly for vulgar capacities. Schoolmen and other Philoſophers are not ſo much as agreed what a final Cauſe is. But this much briefly may give ſome degree of ſatisfaction to the Moderate. 1. No fleſhly Profits, Pleaſures, or Honours muſt be made our End. This we are agreed on. 2. The Ultimate End of all the Saints, is an End that is ſutable to the Nature of Love: and that is, perfectly to love God, and Pleaſe him, and ſerve him, and to be perfectly beloved of him, and behold his glory. So that it is not an End of ſelflove, or Love of Concupiſcence, or for our Commodity only; but it is the End of the Love of Friendſhip: Now all Love of friendſhip doth take in both the party Loving, and the party beloved into the End: For the End is a perfect Union of both, according to their capacities. And it being Intentio amantis, the End of Love, both God and our ſelves muſt be comprehended in it, as the parties to be united; and ſo it is both for him, and for our ſelves.
3. But yet though both parties as united be comprized in the End, it is not equally, but with great inequality. For 1. God being Infinite Goodneſs it ſelf, muſt appreciative in eſtimation and affection, be preferred exceedingly before our ſelves; ſo that in deſiring this bleſſed Union, we muſt more deſire it to Pleaſe and Praiſe him, and give him his due, for which he Created, Redeemed, and Glorified us, than to be our ſelves happy in him. 2. And God being not a meer friend, but our Abſolute Lord of Infinite Power and Glory, it muſt be more in our Intention to bring to him eternally, than to receive from him; (though both muſt be comprized:) For Receiving is for our ſelves, further than we intend it for Returns; but Returning is for God; Not to add to his bleſſedneſſ; but to Pleaſe his Will, and give him his own; For he made all things for himſelf. And ſo that in union with him we may give him his own in fulleſt love and Praiſe, and ſervice, and thus pleaſe him, muſt be the higeſt part of our Intention, about our own felicity in enjoying him.
So that you may ſee, that ſelf-denial teacheth no man to ask, [Whether he could be content to be damned for Chriſt?] For this is contrary to our propounded End, in the whole. For a damned man hath no union of Love with God, and giveth him not his own in Love or Praiſes.
Object. What ſay you then by the wiſhes of Moſes and Paul?
Anſw. 1. The ſaying of Moſes is very plain, Exod. 32. 32. He doth not deſire that his ſoul might be made a ranſom for Iſrael, but that if God would not pardon them, but deſtroy them and caſt them off, he would blot out Moſes name from his Book, that is, from among the number of the living; ſo that his ſaying is no other than ſuch as Elias or Jonas was [What good will my life do me, if I live to ſee thy people caſt off, and all thy wonders for them buryed? therefore either let them live in thy ſight or kill me with them] This is the plain meaning of Moſes requeſt.
And for Pauls, the difficulty is ſomewhat greater: 1. Some think that Paul meaneth (Rom. 9. 3.) that he once wiſhed himſelf to be no Chriſtan in the days of his ignorance, and all through his Zeal for the Jewith Nation. But this is improbable. 2. Some think that he meaneth only, I could wiſh to be given up to death for them, as the accurſed under the Law.
3. Some think he meaneth only, I could wiſh my ſelf yet unconverted to Chriſt, ſo they were converted.
4. Some think, the meaning is, [I could wiſh my ſelf caſt out of the Church, and given up to Satan for any bodily ſuffering.]
5. Some ſay it is only to have his ſalvation deferred.
6. And ſome that it is damnation for a time.
But 7. The plain meaning ſeemeth to be this; [ſo great is my Love to my Countrymen the Jews, that if it were offered to my choice whether they or I without them ſhould enjoy Chriſt; I would yield to be caſt out of his ſight for ever, rather than they ſhould] where mark; 1. That it is not a wiſh that it were ſo: for he knew that this was no means to promote their ſalvation: but it's a diſcovery of his affection that would with or chooſe this if it were a means to that End. 2. And it is not the ſin of not Loving Chriſt, that he would chooſe, but only the miſery of being deprived of his bleſſed preſence. 3. And the Reaſons of this his choice are theſe two conjunct; 1. Becauſe the ſouls of ſo many thouſands is in impartial Reaſon more to be valed than the ſoul of one; 2. And principally becauſe by the converſion and ſalvation of a whole Nation God may be more honored and ſerved than by one.
And note farther, 1. That this is not ſet as a mark for every Chriſtian to try the truth of his Love by: 2. But yet no doubt but it is a duty and degree of Grace that every one ſhould aim at. For 1. We ſee among Heathens that nature it ſelf teacheth them that a man ſhould lay down his life for his Country; becauſe a Country is better than a man. And proportionably, Reaſon tells us that the ſalvation of a Country being a greater good than of any one, it ſhould be more preferred: And Self-love goeth againſt plain Reaſon when it contradicteth this. What mans Reaſon doth not tell him that it were better he ſhould die, than the world ſhould be deſtroyed, or the Sun turned into darkneſs; yea or that one Church or Country periſh? And ſo of ſalvation.
2. And it is agreeable to the nature of Love to deſire that moſt that moſt Pleaſeth him whom we Love: and therefore to deſire rather that God may have multitudes than one, and be ſerved and Praiſed by them. So much about the Matter of ſelf-denial.
III. I Have finiſhed the two firſt things which I promiſed you under the uſe of Exhortation, viz. the trial of your ſelf-denial, and the particulars in which it conſiſteth, and muſt be exerciſed; and there I have ſhewed you 1. In what reſpect ſelf muſt be denied, 2. What that ſelfiſhneſs is that muſt be denied, as to the inward Diſpoſition; and 3. What is that objective ſelf-intereſt that muſt be denied, which conſiſteth in ſo many Particulars that I cannot undertake to enumerate all: but I have mentioned twenty Particulars under the general head of Pleaſure, and ten under the general Head of Honour, and have referred you to another Treatiſe for that which conſiſteth in worldly profits. And now I come to the third part of my work, which is to ſhew you a little more fully the Greatneſs of the ſin of ſelfiſhneſs, and give you thence ſuch moving reaſons as may conduce to the cure of it: which are theſe that follow.