A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 73
CHAP. LXXIII. Ten Directions to get ſelf-denial.
IV. I Come now to the laſt part of my task, which is to tell you, what courſe you ſhould take to procure ſelf-denial. For though it be the gift of God, yet there are certain means appointed us for the attainment of it, and God uſeth to give it men in the uſe of his means, and by thoſe means muſt it be confirmed and continued.
Direction 1. Set faith a work upon the promiſes of God and upon everlaſting life: For the Fleſh will not be taken off theſe lower things till you have found out better, and ſuch as will be ſure to ſave you harmleſs. The moſt covetous man would let go ſilver if he may have gold inſtead of it Set faith a pleading the caſe with the fleſh: and urge your own hearts with the Certainty, the Nearneſs, the Glory, the Eternity of the Kingdom which by ſelf-denial you may attain; and if they will not yield to ſuch a change as this, they are unreaſonable unbelieving hearts.
Direct. 2. Never be deluded to forget the vanity, the brevity, and the emptineſs and inſufficiency, of all theſe earthly things, which ſelf ſo adhereth to as to neglect the promiſed life of bleſſedneſs. Acquaint your own hearts what a nothing it is that they make ſo much of, and follow ſo greedily and hold ſo faſt: ſhew them in the Sanctuary the glaſs of the word of God, which will tell them what will be the end of all, and where all their worldly proſperity will leave them? Ask your hearts, [Can I keep theſe things for ever; or not? If not? Is it not better let them go for ſomething, than for nothing; and to part with them as a child at the command of my heavenly father, than to part with them as a thief doth with his prize, at the Gallows? Is it not better let them go to eaſe me▪ and to ſecure my eternal peace, than let them go to wound me and torment me! And while I keep them, what will they do for me, that I ſhould buy them at ſo dear a rate! O how dear muſt I pay for my eaſe, and honour and gluttony and drunkenneſs and ſenſual delights, if I part not with them when God commandeth? How cheap is a holy bleſſed life in compariſon of this which I muſt pay ſo dear for!]
Direct. 3. To promote your ſelf-denial, Conſider freque…tly and ſeriouſly, who God is, and to what end he made, redeemed, ſuſtaineth, and governeth the world: And then bethink you, whether it be meet that this glorious God ſhould be neglected, and fruſtrated of the end of all theſe works! and whether any thing beſides him be fit to be the creatures end. You think it meet that every workman ſhould have the uſe of his own work. Doth any man make a Houſe for its own ſake, or for his uſe to dwell in? Is it for the things ſake that any man makes an Inſtrument, or for his ſervice by it? Do you think that God made you for your ſelves: and not for himſelf and ſervice? give therefore to God the things that are Gods: All ſouls are his, and therefore all ſhould acknowledge him, and ſubmit to his diſpoſe and pleaſure. Shall the pot quarrel with the Potter, or claim title to it ſelf and ſay, I am mine own? It is againſt the cleareſt reaſon in the world, that any but the Creator, Redeemer and Perſerver of the world ſhould be Lord, and the Governour and the end of it▪ and that men ſhould prefer themſelves before him.
Direct. 4. Moreover it will further your ſelf-denial to remember what you will get by ſelfiſhneſs: God will have his Ends and Honour out of you one way or other, whether you will or no; He will have your goods from you, and your lives from you; and the faſter you hold them, the more you will ſuffer when he wringeth them out of your hands. The moſt covetous man would part with his money to buy a Lordſhip, if he knew it would elſe be taken from him: A worldly treaſure is obnoxious to ruſt, and mothes, and Thieves: and if you exchange it not for the heavenly treaſure in time, and remove not your riches to the world that you muſt for ever live in, what will you do when you muſt remove your ſelves? And all your ſelf-denial is but ſuch an exchange or removal which all ſhould be glad of that know they muſt be gone themſelves; Nay more, conſider ſtill that ſelfiſhneſs makes you an Idol to your ſelf, and therefore you do but ſet up your ſ…lves as a Mark for the jealous God to ſhoot at, and every hour you have reaſon to expect, that the terrible hand of Juſtice …ould lay hold upon you, and tr… you at the bar of that God whoſe Prerogative you did Uſurp.
Direct. 5. And it may much further your ſelfdenial to take a conſiderate ſurvey of all the world, and ſee but what ſelf-ſeeking hath already done, and is ſtill doing in it. What a doleful ſight of wickedneſs, confuſion and miſery muſt you ſee, which way ever you look: and all is moſt evidently the fruit of ſelfiſhneſs. Me thinks it …ould awaken every ſober man againſt it, that doth but obſerve what work it hath made; that ſeeth. Families diſordered and ruined by it; Neighbours ſet in diſſention by it; Churches divided by it; Religion diſhonoured by it; and multitudes of them that ſeem to be religious, to be ſo lamentably deceived and enſlaved by it: Princes and great men blinded by it; Judges and Learned men befooled by it; and the Nations of the world almoſt all ſet together by the ears by it: So that it hath turned the world into the Confuſion of Babel, that no man can underſtand a word of the Language that tendeth to Unity, Peace and building up: Princes underſtand it not: too many Preachers underſtand it not; but the Language of ſcorn and ſtrife and diſſention they underſtand: ſo that the world is caſt all into a hurly burly, and every mans hand is againſt his Brother when he ſcarce knows why. No Church or State can ſtand without diſturbance: No truths without contradiction: Under pretence of coming in to Chriſt, they are buſily uncovering his Houſe, when the door is wide open, and there are more to invite them than to hinder them. Me thinks as a man that obſerveth the carriage of mad men or drunken men, ſhould never have any mind to be mad or drunken; ſo he that obſerveth but what ſelf-ſeeking hath done in the world, ſhould have little mind to be ſelf-conceited, ſelfwilled, or ſelf-ſeeking, but ſhould love and honour ſelfdenial.
Direct. 6. If you would promote ſelf-denial, keep with you the continual feeling of your own unworthineſs and inſufficiency: No man will truſt upon a broken ſtaff if he know it; nor be ſo fooliſh as to go about to walk upon the water, which he knows will not bear him. One would think this ſhould be an eaſie and an effectual remedy. Should it not be eaſie for ſuch wretched ſinners as we to carry about with us a ſenſe of our unworthineſs? For ſuch Lepers to carry about us a ſenſe of our uncleanneſs? Me thinks ſo many and great Diſeaſes ſhould make us feel them. O then conſider, as creatures you are utterly inſufficient for your ſelves; and as ſinners much more. God never made you to live upon or to your ſelves; or without him, or without the help of others. There are few beaſts when they are firſt brought forth into the world, but are more able to help themſelves than man; When he is newly born, he can do nothing to help himſelf. And when he comes to Age he is naturally formed to a ſociable life; ſo that if he ſhould retire from the world, and live onelyonly by and of himſelf, he would ſoon find what it is to be ſelfiſh: Much more if he be left to himſelf by God, or forſake God, and truſt to and depend upon himſelf. But if ever innocent man had been ſufficient for himſelf: yet ſinful man can have no pretence to ſuch a priviledge, while he beareth about him ſo many convincing evidences of the contrary, every day. Do you not feel ſin as a heavy burden preſſing you down, and perceive how eaſily it entangleth and beſetteth you? ſure you do, if you be not paſt feelin And do you not know enough of the nature and deſert of ſin, to drive you out of your ſelves, and bring you to him that calleth the weary and heavy laden to come to him for eaſe and reſt, Mat. 11. 28. Do you not feel a continual burden of infirmities? and doth not experience tell you that you are not ſufficient to relieve your ſelves in any pain or ſickneſs that doth befal you? you cannot ſupport your ſelves a moment: you are ſtill in the hands of that inviſible God whom you abuſe by your ſelf-ſeeking. You would drop into Hell if he withdrew the hand of his patience and ſupport, as ſure as a ſtone would fall to the earth that were looſe in the Air! As truly as the earth beareth you ſo truly doth he bear the earth and you. It is eaſier for Houſes and Towns and Mountains to ſtand in the Air without the Earth; than for you or any thing to ſubſiſt a moment without the Lord. Who keeps your heart and pulſe ſtill beating, and your blood and ſpirits in continual motion, and warm in your veins? Is it God or you? Who is it that cauſeth your lungs to breathe, your ſtomach to turn your meat to nouriſhment; and that nouriſhment into blood and ſpirits and ſtrength? Is it God or you? Who is it that cauſeth the Sun to riſe upon you in the morning to light you to your labours, and to ſet upon you at night, that the Curtains of darkneſs may be drawn about you, and you may quietly repoſe your ſelves to reſt? Who giveth you ſtrength to labour in the day, and refe…eth you with ſleep at night, and provideth all the creatures for your aſſiſtance? Is it you or God? O Sirs, me thinks ſuch ſilly worms, that cannot live a minute of themſelves, and cannot fetch a breath of themſelves, ſhould eaſily ſee that they ſhould not live to themſelves, but to him from whom and by whom they live.
Direct. 7. If you would live in ſelf-denial, be ſure that you keep the maſtery of your ſenſes: and do not let them be ungoverned, but ſhut them up when reaſon doth require it. It is your Appetite and ſenſes that feed this carnal ſelfiſh vice: but reaſon and faith are both againſt it. Whenever you conſult with ſenſe, you may know what brutiſh advice you may expect. Ask not therefore what is delightful, nor what is for your carnal eaſe and peace; but what is neceſſary to pleaſe the Lord, and for your everlaſting peace. And if the tempter tell you, [This is the eaſier and the broader way] tell him that it is not the honeſter nor the ſafer way: And the queſtion is not which is the faireſt way? but, which is the way to Heaven? It's better go the hardeſt way to glory, than the ſmootheſt to damnation. If you cannot keep under your ſenſitive appetite, and ſubdue the eager deſires of the fleſh, and learn to want as well as to abound, to be empty as well as to be full, you will never attain to ſelf-denial.
Direct. 8. To promote your ſelf-denial, me thinks it ſhould be effectual to underſtand the great advantage that you have by the Communion and Society which you enter into when you deny your ſelves. Though a Prince or Lord would be loth to enter into a Colledge, or Monaſtery where there's no Propriety, and yet withal, no care or want; yet a poor labouring man or a beggar would be glad of ſuch a life. So you that cannot live of your ſelves, me thinks ſhould be glad of ſuch a Community.
1. Conſider that the Lord Jeſus is the Head of the Society, who hath undertaken to make proviſion for the whole, and is engaged for their ſecurity, and to ſave them harmleſs: and all the Riches of his grace and love belong to that Society, and will be yours; which is more than all that you can part with of your own, yea more than all the treaſures of the world. It is therefore the nobleſt and richeſt Society in the world that you ſhall live in communion with, if you will deny your ſelves.
2. And the Saints that are the Members of that Society are the Brethren of Chriſt and the Heirs of Heaven. And all theſe are your Brethren; endeared in ſpecial love to you, engaged to aſſiſt you, by prayers, and counſel, and pains and purſe, and every way that you can: ſo that well might Chriſt ſay that he that forſaketh any thing for him, ſhall receive even an hundred fold in this life, and in the world to come eternal life. For this one ſorry ſelf that you forſake, and it's poor accommodations, you have God for your Father, and Chriſt for your Head, and the Holy Ghoſt for your Sanctifier and Comforter, and the Sripture for your guide, and Saints for your Brethren, Companions and Aſſiſtants, engaged to you in truer and dearer love than your unſanctified friends that caſt you off for the ſake of Chriſt. And had you rather be toiling and caring for your ſelves, than let go ſelf and enter into ſo bleſſed a Community, where you may caſt all your care away upon God, who hath promiſed to care for you; and may feed your ſelves in the daily delightful fore-thoughts of life eternal?
Direct. 9. And me thinks it ſhould much promote your ſelf-denial, to ſtudy well the ſelf-denying example of Christ, and his eminent ſervants that have troden in his ſteps. Chriſt had no ſinful ſelf to deny; nor any corrupted fleſh to mortifie or ſubdue. And yet he had a ſelf-denial in which we muſt imitate him: Rom. 15. 3. [For even Chriſt pleaſed not himſelf, but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee are faln upon me.] We are told therefóre by Chriſts example, that it is not only the pleaſing of ſelf as corrupted by ſin, but alſo a pleaſing of natural ſelf in things where God may lay a reſtraint on it, or put it to the tryal, that we muſt avoid, and in which we muſt deny our ſelves: Even as Adam was to have denyed his natural appetite before ſin had corrupted it, and Chriſt had an innocent natural will of which yet he ſaith, [Not my will, but thine be done.] His whole life was a wonderful example of ſelf-denial: He lived in a low eſta… and denyed himſelf of the Glory and Riches of the world, and became poor, though he were Lord of all, that by his poverty we might be made rich, 2 Cor. 8. 9. He lived under the reproach of ſinners; of ſinners that he created: of ſinners whom he dyed for: He would wear no Crown, but a Crown of Thorns: He would wear no Robes but the Robes of their reproach: He yielded his cheeks to be ſmitten, and his face to be ſpit upon, by the vileſt ſinners, whom he could with a word have turned into Hell. And at laſt he gave himſelf for us on the Croſs in ſuffering a reproachful curſed death, Heb. 7. 27. Tit. 2. 14. Eph. 5. 2. 2. 25. Gal. 1. 4. And can you read ſuch an example of ſelfdenial, given you by the Lord of glory, and not be transformed into the image of it? I think the ſtudy of a ſelf-denying Chriſt is one of the moſt excellent helps to ſelf-denial. Take it from the Apoſtle himſelf, Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. [Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the ſame love, being of one accord, of one mind; let nothing be done through ſtrife or vain-glory, but in lowlineſs of mind let each eſteem other better than themſelves: Look not every man on his own things, but every man alſo on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was alſo in Chriſt Jeſus; who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God; but made himſelf of no reputation and took upon him the form of a ſervant, and was made in the likeneſs of men, and being found in faſhion as a man, he humbled himſelf and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Croſs: Wherefore God alſo hath highly exalted him] [Look therefore unto Jeſus the Author and Finiſher of our faith, who for the joy that was ſet before him endured the Croſs, deſpiſing the ſhame, and is ſet down at the right hand of the Throne of God: Conſider him that endured ſuch contradictions of ſinners againſt himſelf, leſt ye be wearied and faint in your minds,] Heb. 12. 2, 3, 4.
Direct. 10. But the greateſt help to ſelf-denial is, To retire from the Creature into God, and live in the love of him, and employ the ſoul continually upon him. Men will not be frightned from ſelf love. It muſt be another more powerful Love that muſt draw them from it. And that can be none but the Love of God. When you have ſoundly diſcerned a ſurer friend than ſelf, a wiſer, a better, an abler Governour and Defender, and one that much more deſerveth all your Love and Care; then you will turn away from ſelf, and never till then. See therefore that you eſpouſe no Intereſt but God's; and then you wil have nothing to call you from him: Let love ſo cloſe you with him and unite you to him, that you may know no Happineſs but his Love and Glory, and ſee with no other Light than his: and know no will but the will of God; nor meddle with any work which for matter and end you cannot call the work of God. Then you have indeed denyed your ſelves, when you are nothing, have nothing, and do nothing, but as from God, and by him and for him: Own not any ſelf but in and for God, and then you may love and ſeek it freely; or this is to be called a loving and ſeeking of God and not of ſelf. Own not any Knowledge, but that which is from the Light of God, by his word, works, Spirit and Ordinances, and which leadeth you to God in Holineſs and Peace, and guideth you in his ſervice, and then you need not condemn your ſelves of ſelf-conceitedneſs, or a ſelfiſh underſtanding. Know not any will in your ſelves, but that which is cauſed by the will of God, and directed by it, and intended to ſulfil it; So that you maybe able to ſay of every deſire of your ſoul, I deſi…e this becauſe that God would have me deſire it, and I am reſolved to follow his will in the ſeeking of it, and the end of my deſire is that I may pleaſe him, and his will may be done,] and then you may ſay, you have conquered ſelf-will. O ſee then that you be more with God: and ſtudy his Mind and Will, his Excellency, Sufficiency and Love, and remember that you are a dependent being, that are nothing but in and by him, and therefore ſhould know no intereſt but him and his intereſt, nor poſſeſs any thing but for him, nor know any will or way but his will and way, and ſo let his be yours, and yours be his, by a holy reſignation, conformity, and ſubſerviency unto his; and this is the true rectitude and holineſs of man, this is a finding our ſelves by loſing our ſelves, and the only ſaving and exalting of our ſelves by denying our ſelves. Nothing but the Light of God will maſter ſelf-conceitedneſs: and nothing but the love of God will overcome ſelf-love: and nothing but an union and cloſure with the will of God will overcome ſelf-will: and nothing but an eſpouſing and intending God and his intereſt will cauſe a true denial of carnal ſelf-intereſt: and nothing but a ſeeking of God, converſing as with him, and living to him, will cure the ſoul of ſelf-ſeeking and an ungodly and unprofitable living to our ſelves.
One other Direction I ſhould add, which is to be always jealous and ſuſpicious of ſelf; but this will fall in the Concluſion.