A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Conclusion
The Concluſion.
I Have now finiſhed what I had to ſay to you on this great and needful ſubject: And I have ſtayed the longer on it, that I might occaſion your own thoughts to be the longer on it: For it is not a few haſty running thoughts that will make any great impreſſion on the ſoul. And now, Chriſtian friends, whoever you are that hear or read theſe words, I earneſtly intreat you in the name of God that you will ſet your hearts to the deep conſideration of the nature and odiouſneſs of this ſin of ſelfiſhneſs; and of the nature and neceſſity of ſelf-denial. You will never effectually hate and reſiſt the ſin which you think lightly of, and is not in any great diſcredit with you; nor will you fly from it with fear and care and vigilancy, till you apprehend the dangerouſneſs of it. I have not only told you, but proved it to you; that this is one of the moſt odious and dangerous ſins in the world, even the ſum of all iniquity, that containeth a thouſand ſins in the bowels of it: This is it that generateth all other vices, and fills the world with ſwarms of miſchief. It is this ſelfiſhneſs that corrupteth all eſtates, and diſtracteth all Societies, and diſturbeth all affairs. Never look further for the cauſe of our calamities: It is ſelf that cauſeth the miſcarriages and negligence of the Princes, Governours and …istrates of the world, while they look all at their …ntereſt, and little at the things of Jeſus Chriſt, or at leaſt prefer themſelves before him. It is ſelf that cauſeth the diſobedience of ſubjects, while they judge themſelves capable of cenſuring their Rulers for matters that are beyond their reach; and grudge at all neceſſary burdens for the common good, becauſe they are a little pinched by them. It is ſelf that hath kindled the miſerable Wars that are laying waſte ſo many Countrys, and that makes ſuch woful havock in the World. It is ſelf that hath ſo lamentably abuſed Religion, and introduced ſo many fantaſtical ſelf-conceits under the name of high Scholaſtical ſubtilties: and that hath let in ſo many errors in Doctrine and Worſhip, and defiled Gods Ordinances, and corrupted and almoſt extinguiſhed the Diſcipline of Chriſt in the Church. It is ſelf that hath cauſed the Leaders of the Aſſemblies, that ſhould be exemplary in Unity and Holineſs, and Induſtry, to be ſome of them idle and negligent, and ſome of them carnal and vicious, and ſo many of them in diſcord and fierce oppoſition of one another: So that every man that is grown up to a high degree of wiſdom in his own eyes (and ſuch Degrees are ſoon attained) is preſently venting his own conceits, and perhaps publiſhing them to the world, and ſeeking out an Adverſary to ſhew his Manhood upon, and reviling all that are not of his Opinion; as if there were no difficulty in the matter but he is Learned and Wiſe, and they are are all unlearned and ignorant: he is Orthodox, and they are Hereticks, or what his Pride and ſelf-conceitedneſs is pleaſed to call them. It is this ſelfiſhneſs that makes even Godly Miniſters the Dividers of the Church, the reproach of their Holy Calling, the occaſion of the increaſe of triumph of the Adverſaries, and the cauſes of no ſmall part of all our unreformedneſs, diſtractions and calamity; and the refuſers and reſiſters of the Remedies that are tendred for Healing and Reformation. I dare boldly ſay, if this one ſin were but rooted out of the hears of the Miniſters themſelves that are the Preachers of ſelf-denial, it would make ſo ſudden and wonderful a change in the Church, as would be the glory of our Profeſſion, the Joy of the godly, and the admiration of all! O happy and honourable Magiſtrates at Court and Country, if ſelf were but throughly conquered and denyed! O happy and Reverend Miniſtry, the pillars of Religion, the honour of the Church, if it were not for the ſhameful prevalency of ſelf! O happy Churches, happy Cities, Corporations, Societies and Countrys were it not for ſelf! But alas, this is it that ſaddeth our hearts, and makes us look for more and more ſad tidings concerning the affairs of the Church, from all parts of the world; or fruſtrates our hopes, when we look for better. For we know on the one ſide, that without ſelfdenial there will never be true Reformation or Unity; neither ſin nor diviſion will ever be overcome; and on the other ſide we ſee that ſelfiſhneſs is ſo natural and common and obſtinate, that ſo many men as are born into the world, ſo many enemies are there to Holineſs and Peace, till grace … all change them; and that all endeavours, perſwaſions, convictions, do little prevail againſt this deadly rooted ſin: ſo that men will preach againſt it, and yet moſt ſhamefully live in it; and after all rebukes, chaſtiſements and heavy judgements of God, the Church is ſtill bleeding, and Princes, Paſtors and People are ſelf-conceited, ſelfwilled and ſelf-ſeekers ſtill. Alas for the cauſe and Church of Chriſt! Muſt we give it up to the luſts of ſelf? Muſt we ſit down and look on its miſerable torn condition, with lamentation and deſpair? and ſhall we deliver down this deſpair to our Poſterity? Were not our hope only in the Omnipotent God, it muſt be ſo. When we look at men, at Magiſtrates or Miniſters, we ſee no hope: What higher profeſſions can be made by thoſe in ſucceeding Ages, than have now been made? And yet what negligence of Magiſtrates, and what contentiouſneſs of Miniſters, deſtroy all hopes? So that we look at the Reſtauration of the Church, as at the Reſurrection, that muſt be done by Omnipotency: God muſt raiſe up another Generation of more ſelf-denying, prudent, zealous Magiſtrates, and of more ſelf-ſtudying, peaceable, Humble, Zealous, Induſtriſtous Miniſters, before the Healing work be done. The ſelfiſh ſpirit that prevaileth now in the moſt, is neither fit to be the Matter or Inſtrument of the Reformed Peaceable ſtate which we expect. While the enemies are deſtroying us by ſecret fraud and open force, we ſtand at a diſtance and unite not againſt them, yea we are calling each other Heretick and Deceivers, and teaching them how to revile us, and putting ſuch words into their mouth againſt us, as may help our people to deſpiſe us, and reject us, and warrant them from our own mouths or pens to rail at us and forſake us: One part of us being Hereticks or Deceivers by the teſtimony of the other part, and the other part by the teſtimony of too many of them.
Dear Brethren, if ſelfiſhneſs ſhall not now be left, when we are in the ſight of the havock it hath made, and ſtand in the field among thoſe that it hath ſlain, and ſee the Church of God ſo horribly abuſed by it: when then ſhall it be forſaken! I here intreat every man that loveth his preſent or everlaſting Peace, and the Peace of the Church or Commonwealth, that he will reſolve upon a deadly enmity with this ſelfiſhneſs in himſelf and others! And that you will ſuſpect it, and watch againſt it in every work you have to do. Are you upon any imployment ſpiritual or ſecular? Preſently enquire when you ſet upon it, [Is there no ſelf-intereſt and ſelfiſh diſpoſition lurking here? How far is my own worldly, fleſhly ends or proſperity concerned in it?] And if you diſcover that ſelf is any way concerned in it; I beſeech you ſuſpect it, and follow ſelf with an exceeding watchful eye; and when you have done your beſt, it is ten to one but it will over-reach you. O look to it that you be not enſnared before you are aware. Take heed of it, eſpecially you that are great and honourable, and have ſo much ſelf-intereſt to tempt you in the world! How hardly will you eſcape! When all other enemies are conquered, you have yet ſelf the greateſt enemy to overcome. Take heed of it; you that have any riſing thriving project, little know you on what a precipice you ſtand: Take heed of it you that are in deep and pinching wants, leſt ſelf make them ſeem more grievous than they are, and provoke you to venture upon ſin for your relief. Take heed all you that have raging appetites or paſſions, or luſtful inclinations, and remember your enemy is now diſcovered, and you have him to deal with before your face: and therefore ſee that you be reſolute and vigilant. Take heed all you that have Learning, Parts, or fame and honour, or any thing that ſelf hath to glory in and to abuſe, leſt the nobleſt gifts ſhould by this deadly principle be turned into a plague to the Church, and to your ſouls. Suſpect ſelf in the choice of your parties and opinions: Suſpect it in your publick labours; yea and in your private duties, and greateſt diligence in Religious Works; leſt when your eyes are open'd at laſt it ſhould appear, that you preached, or prayed, or profeſſed, or wrote, or lived for ſelf, and not for God. I do but tranſcribe the counſel to you, that God is daily giving in to my own ſoul: & as I feel exceeding great uſe of it to my ſelf, ſo I am ſure there is to others: and wo to me and you if we take it not, and be not found among the ſelf-denying. Doubtleſs God will put you to the tryal, and find you frequent uſe for this grace. Let me take the boldneſs to tell you from my own (though alas too ſmall) experience, that as it is meer ſelfiſhneſs, that is the perplexer and diſquieter of the mind, without which nothing that befalls us could diſcompoſe it, ſo it is God only that quiets it, and gives it reſt: And I bleſs the Lord I can truly ſay, that I have found that content in loving and cloſing with the will of God, and endeavouring to know no intereſt but his, to diſquiet or quiet me, which I never could find in any other way. When God is enough for us, and his will is in our eyes, the will of a Father infinitely good, it may ſatisfie the ſoul in the darkeſt condition; when we underſtand not the particular meaning of his providence, nor what he is doing with us, yet ſtill we may be ſure that he is doing us good: And therefore a child may not only ſubmit to the will of God, becauſe it cannot be reſiſted, as enemies muſt be forced to do; but he may Reſt in that will as the Center of his deſires, and the very felicity and Heaven of his ſoul.
And now Sirs, I muſt let go this ſubject, as to you that have heard it preacht, for we muſt not be always on one thing: but I am exceedingly afraid leſt I have loſt my labour with moſt of you, and shall leave you as ſelfiſh as I found you; becauſe ſad experience tells me, that it is ſo natural and obſtinate an enemy that I have diſcovered, and that you have now to ſet your ſelves againſt. I have done my work; but ſelf hath not done, but is ſtill at work in you. I cannot now go home with every one of you, but ſelf will go home with you. I cannot be at hand with every one of you, when the next temptation comes, but ſelf will be at hand to draw you to entertain it. When you are next tempted to error, to pride, to luſt, to contention with your brethren, by words or real injuries, what will you do then, and how will you ſtand againſt this enemy? If God be not your Intereſt, and the deareſt to your ſouls, and you ſee not with his light, and will not by his Will, and ſelfdenial be not become as it were your nature; you will never ſtand after all this that I have ſaid, but ſelf will be your undoing for ever! If you have not ſomewhat within you, as ſelfiſhneſs is within you, to be always at hand as it is, and ready, and conſtant, and powerful to overcome it, it will be your ruine after all the warnings that have been given you. And this preſerving Principle muſt be the Spirit of God, by cauſing you to Deny your ſelves; Believe in Chriſt, and Love God above all. I ſay again that you may think on it, and live upon it: The ſum of all your Religion or ſaving grace is in theſe three, Faith, Self-denial, and the Love of God. Departing from Carnal-ſelf, Returning home to God by Love, and this by faith in the Redeemer, is the true Chriſtianity, and the Life that leadeth to everlaſting life.
FINIS.