A Treatise of Faith and Repentance, Discourse
A DISCOURSE OF Self-denial: Being an APPENDIX TO THE Treatiſe of FAITH.
OUR firſt Parents fell by Infidelity, and Self-ſeeking; and we riſe by Faith and Self-denial. Self-denial is of the Eſſence of Chriſtianity, it is founded in the Nature of it, and we have no more of one, than we have of the other; it does not abound as the Stoical Philoſophy did, with Improbable Opinions, Contradictions, and Irreconcile-Paradoxes; yet with many things above Reaſon, though with none contrary to it; things harſh and difficult to Fleſh and Blood. And that's the Reaſon Chriſt has ſo many idle Retainers, and ſo few true Servants; ſo many that follow him (as Peter once did) afar Mat. 26. 58.off, and ſo few that keep cloſe to him, that will not (like Politick Souldiers) ſtir an inch upon diſadvantage, nor venture (like wary Merchants) all in one Bottom; nor ſail ſo far into the Sea, (like thoſe that go thither for Pleaſure only) but that they may return when the Storm ariſes: They ſtudy more the Doctrine of Self-preſervation than of Self-denial; how they may keep all from Chriſt, rather than forſake any thing for him; and therefore will not venture their whole ſtock with him, leſt they ſhould (as they think) be undone by him. Many ſuch followed Chriſt for a time, when he was here in the days of his fleſh, thinking it an eaſy, pleaſant, and gainful Life: but when told what they were like to meet with; the good things they muſt forſake, the evil things they muſt endure, and after all follow him; they took their leaves of him, and went no more after him. A bare profeſſion of Chriſt will not entitle us to him; for all that outwardly profeſs him, muſt be Followers of him; nor a bare following of him neither; for, all his Followers muſt be Self-deniers: Luke 9. 23.therefore, to our Profeſſion of Chriſt, we muſt join following of him; and to both, add Self-denial, for it is the inſeparable Property of his Followers to be Self-deniers. This Self-denial, is a conſcionable neglect of our ſelves in all thoſe things that ſtand in oppoſition to our receiving of Chriſt, and glorifying of him; nothing ſtands more in oppoſition to theſe, than our ſinful and righteous Self; and nothing is with more defficulty denied, (it is no eaſy matter to get out of this enchanted Circle) but yet muſt be by all that are Chriſt's Diſciples, one, in reſpect of Affection and Communion; the other, in reſpect of Truſt and Dependance.
1. Sinful Self.
Not that we muſt deſtroy our ſelves, that thereby we may deſtroy our Luſts: this would be to break one Command, that we might keep another; to Sin, that we might not Sin; to commit a greater; to avoid a leſs, and as vain, and fruitleſs as to attempt the expulſion of a ſtronger Poiſon by a weaker.
But that we muſt deny Ungodlineſs Titus 2. 12.and worldly Luſts; ſuppreſs all the inward Motions, and avoid all the outward Occaſions leading to them, diſapprove them in our Judgments, reſiſt them in our Wills, hate them in our Affections, and depart from them in our Lives and Converſations; and this not at ſometimes only, but for ever, and not from ſome Luſts of the Fleſh only, but from all: for, as God hates all, and the Law curſes all, ſo Chriſt gave himſelf for us, to redeem us from all; and Titus 2. 14. Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 6. 6.they that are his, have crucified the Fleſh, with all the Affections and Luſts thereof.
None are juſtified by him, but ſuch Gal. 2. 20.as are thus crucified with him.
2. Righteous Self.
Not that we muſt wholly neglect and omit the Acts of Righteouſneſs: for, this would be the breach of a poſitive Law that commands them, but not put any truſt in them; not that we muſt do them, but when done, diſclaim all confidence in them.
At the beſt, we do but what we ſhould, and therefore deſerve no Reward.
None merit any thing by paying their Luke 17. 7, 8, 9, 10.Debts.
They are imperfect, and as ſuch cannot be meritorious, yea, impure too: Eccleſ. 7. 20. Iſa. 1. 22. 64. 6.for, there is Sin in them, Sin enough to damn us without the allowance granted by God in the Covenant of Grace.
They add nothing to God: for as he is perfect, nothing can be added to him, he is no gainer by them, (he gets nothing, if we go to Heaven; nor loſes any thing, if we go to Hell) nor can they merit any thing from him; they are nothing to him the Rewarder, nor any thing to the Reward given by him; for that is infinite, and full, but theſe defective and finite.
They are Gifts to us, before wrought by us; done, not by our ſtrength, but Phil. 2. 13.by his who worketh in us, both to will and to do, and therefore cannot be meritorious: For,
We give him nothing but what is his 1 Chron. 29. 14own.
It concerns us then, to beware both of Evils Works, and Good Ones.
Of Evil Works, ſo as not to do them; of good Works, ſo as not to truſt in them: both are alike allow'd of by the Devil, viz. the doing of one, and placing confidence in the other; and they that do ſo, are both his Captives; only the one are in liberâ, the other in arctâ cuſtodiâ.
1. We muſt beware of Evil Works, ſo as not to do them: And this,
To ſhew forth our Obedience to God who has called us to Holineſs, to Grace as well as to Glory; and to that, 1 Theſſ. 4. 7. 2 Pet. 1. 3.as the way to it.
To teſtify our Communion with the Spirit and Participation of it; it is a Holy Spirit, viz. eſſentially and efficaciouſly; and all that are partakers of Heb. 6. 4. 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Theſſ. 5. 23.it, are cleanſed from all filthineſs of the Fleſh and Spirit.
To manifeſt our Intereſt in Chriſt, Rom. 8. 1.who came as a Purifier as well as a Redeemer, and a Sanctifier as well as a Saviour, being ſent to bleſs us in turning us from Sin, viz. to bring us out of a ſtate of Sin from under the power of Acts 3. 26.it, out of love with it, and to keep us from the practice of it.
That our Hopes of Salvation may appear to be good and well-grounded; if true, they are purifying.
A Heavenly Expectation, begets a Heavenly 1 John 3. 3.Converſation.
By thus doing,
Our drooping Souls may be reviv'd under the glorious Beams of God's Mercy, our thirſty Souls ſatisfied by taſting theſe pure Streams; and when terrified under the guilty Apprehenſions of Sin, be encouraged to hope in it, God being more willing to grant Pardon upon our Repentance, than we can be to receive it: For,
He not only delights in Mercy, but takes pleaſure in them that hope in it.
2. We muſt beware of good Works, Micah 7. 18. Pſal. 147. 11.ſo as not to truſt in them.
Two Extreams we are apt to run into, viz. either into a neglect of them, or pride in them; but we muſt neither neglect them, nor truſt in them, but do them, and abhor all thoughts of Merit by them.
1. Do them. And this,
In obedience to the Command that enjoins them. We are bid to renounce Evil Works, and to maintain them that are Good, viz. Practically as well as Titus 3. 8.Doctrinally.
As neceſſary Conditions required on our part in order unto Salvation.
Free Grace deſtroys not good Works, but promotes them.
As a teſtimony of our gratitude to John. 8. 36.Chriſt, who has made us free not to Sin, but from it; and from Sin's Service, that we might be the more ready Luke 1. 75.and free to his.
To evidence our Faith to be alive, for it is dead without them.
That is as the Root, and theſe as the fruitful Branches growing on it.
And as our Evidences for Heaven, Via ad Regnum non cauſa regnandi.the Way to the Kingdom, tho not as the cauſe of our reign there.
Chriſt the Prince of Life, being the giver of Eternal Life to none but to whom he is the Author of that which is ſpiritual.
2. Abhor all thoughts of Merit by them.
To neglect them, is Prophaneneſs; to truſt in them, is Folly, and Pride.
Folly:
For in effect we ſay, That if God will have patience, we will pay him all that we owe him; which betrays our Folly, in that we are not able to diſcharge the leaſt Debt, it is Chriſt our Surety that muſt do it for us.
To think we can merit, is to make our ſelves rich who are poor, and have Rev. 3. 17.nothing of our own.
Pride:
In that we totally reject the Prieſtly Office of Chriſt, tho we pretend to take him as our King and Law-giver, and become Saviours to our ſelves; for in effect we ſay, That we do not need him.
We never truſt in him as a Saviour, but with a diſtruſt in our ſelves; nor can we have any benefit by him unleſs we do.
Chriſt is a compleat Saviour, and admits no Partner with him in the Work of Salvation; for it is a Royalty proper to him alone. We make void his Rom. 10. 3, 4. Phil. 3. 9.Righteouſneſs, by eſtabliſhing our own; we muſt therefore renounce ours, and take ſanctuary in his; caſt off the Rags of our Righteouſneſs, that go hardly off, (as the blind Man in the Goſpel Mark 50. 10.did his Garment) and go naked to Chriſt; become nothing in our ſelves, that he may (and without which he will not) be all unto us.
All Sacrifices were ſprinkled with Blood by the Prieſt in Type, and by Chriſt in Subſtance, and what there is of worth or value in all Duties, is from him; we muſt therefore be poor in Spirit in the midſt of them, and humble after them; we muſt not aſcribe any thing to our ſelves. But as Joab gave the honour of the Victory to David, when he fought with his Forces; ſo we muſt ſet the Crown on Chriſt's Head, and give the Glory and Honour of all unto him, by whom they were performed, and through whom accepted.
Joſeph's Brethren carried Spices with them as a preſent to Joſeph, but durſt not appear without Benjamin: nor can we expect the acceptance of our Services without Chriſt: Without them, Gen. 43. 4, 5, 11, 12.we cannot avoid Hell; nor without him, obtain Heaven.
They as Moſes may lead us to a ſight of Canaan; but it is Joſhua, Chriſt alone, that can lead us into it.