Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Want of ſelfdenyall dangerous.COnſider this then, and ſee the dangerous eſtate of men not denying themſelves and their owne ends and thoughts, not ſubjecting themſelves and all that they have to Chriſt and his ſervice; as the Sodomites would not have Lot to be a mGen. 19.9.Judge among them, no more will many men have Chriſt to reigne over them; the ſonnes of Belial n1 Sam. 10.27despiſed Saul, and brought him no preſents. Many like ſonnes of Belial deſpiſe Chriſt in his perſon, they ſee no beauty nor comlineſſe in him, they deſpiſe him in his Gospell, they will not vaile to his Scepter, they deſpiſe him in his Embaſſadors, they deny audience, and reverence to their meſſage, they deſpiſe him in his offices, they doe not heare him as their Prophet, obey him as their King, they doe not beleeve in him as the Prieſt who hath offered himſelfe to God an al-ſufficient ſacrifice for them, they deſpiſe him in his ſPſal 2 2.lawes, they burſt them aſunder, as Sampſon burſt his withs: ſtrange and ſhamefull is the contempt offered by prophane perſons to the Lord Jeſus, and though they profeſſe Chriſt, and pretend Chriſt, & will have Chriſt to be preached and ſpoken of among them; yet as the Philistines though they entertained the Arke, yet they ſet Dagon t1 Sam. 5.4.above, and would not endure the preſence therof when Dagon fell before it: ſo theſe men though they outwardly entertaine Chriſt, and give him ſome place amongſt them, yet they will ſet their Dagon, their luſts, their pride, pleaſures, profits, inventions above Chriſt; and if their Dagon fall, if Chriſt begin to ſhew his power, and worke upon their Dagon, diſcover, reprove, ſhame, and offer to caſt downe their luſts, and will not ſuffer theſe to raigne, they grow very weary of Chriſt, his preſence is uncomfortable: Chriſt preached in his power ever proves a burthen to the ſoule where ſinne is pleaſant and delightfull; he that doth not deny himſelfe, denies Chriſt; he that allowes not Chriſt a full and univerſall dominion, is a great ſtranger to ſelfe-deniall.
Some deny not their owne wiſedome, 4. Sorts non-denyers of themſelves. 1. Self-wiſe.Chriſt reignes not in their underſtanding, they are uIſa. 5.21.wiſe in their owne eyes, they embrace not Chriſts direction, Chriſt is not in ſtead of eyes unto them, as wNum. 10.30.Hobab was to Moſes and Iſrael in their journeyes through the wilderneſſe; they aske not counſell of Chriſt, but walke after their owne counſell, they make not their wiſedome to ſtoop to Chriſts wiſedome, and therefore folly dwels with them, Chriſt is not knowne to them; he of all men ſees leaſt of Chriſt, and continues moſt fooliſh that moſt exalts and magnifies his owne knowledge.
Some deny not their owne wils, 2. Self-willed.they make not Chriſts will the rule of their will, but ſet up their owne wils to be the rule of Chriſts will, and make their owne will the Law by which they walke, as it was foretold of the King of Greece, that he ſhould xDan. 11.3. Pſal. 2, 2.ſtand up and rule with great dominion, and doe according to his will: ſo it is true of theſe men, they ſtand up againſt Chriſt, and they rule and ſway over Chriſts Lawes, Miniſters, Ordinances, and Offices, and doe all things according to their owne will. In the dayes of Micah the Idolater, there was no King in Iſrael, and every man did that which was right in his owne eyes: Thus theſe men are without a ſpirituall King, Chriſt doth not reigne in their ſoules, but they doe what is right in their owne eyes, they are yIſa. 30.9, 10.rebellious people, lying children, children that will not heare the Law of the Lord, which ſay to the Seer ſee not, and to the Prophets, propheſie not unto us right things, speake unto us ſmooth things, propheſie to us deceits. Chriſt hath no kingdome in the ſoule which is ſwayed by vaine deluſion, and carnall counſell.
Some will not deny their owne affections, Self-luſted.they will not put them under, but ſuffer them to Lord it over Chriſt, Chriſt hath not the preheminence in their feare, truſt, love, joy; but as the Lord ſaid to Ely, thou z1 Sam. 2.29.honoureſt thy ſons above me, ſo theſe men honour their affections and luſts above Chriſt. Solomon obſerved in his time aEccl. 7.10.ſervants riding on horſebacke, and Princes walking on foot. EueryEvery man may ſee in theſe times mens naturall luſts and affections which ſhould like ſervants be kept under and ſuppreſſed, humbled, brought low, and made to walke on foot; yet theſe are ſet on horſebacke, exalted, honoured, preferred, and Chriſt the Prince of peace, and all his ordinances, ſtatutes, and teſtimonies, which ſhould reigne and rule like Princes in the ſoule of man, theſe are made like ſervants to travell on foot; theſe are of no eſteeme and price with men; theſe have no rule and ſway in the hearts of men: Herodias hath preheminence in the heart of bMa…. 6. Mat. 8.Herod above the Baptiſt; a Swine is of more eſteeme then▪ Chriſt with the Gaderine. Mans exaltation of his corrupt affections is a foule and ſhamefull abaſement of Chriſt and his ordinances.
4 Worldly minded.Some deny not their worldly profits; Jeſſe ſet David behind the d1 Sam. 16.ewes, many ſet Chriſt behind the oxe and the aſſe; the eLuk. 14 18.farme and the wife, their merchandiſe and worldly trafficke, they prize the world above Chriſt, they love this more then they love Chriſt, the love of the world carries their fEzek. 33.31.heart farre from Chriſt, when their bodies draw neare to Chriſt; the overvaluing of the earth is an undervaluing of Chriſt; when the world is over ſweet and ſavoury to mens palates, their ſoules gAmos 8.5.diſrelliſh Chriſt and his ordinances; whon the earth is pleaſant like a Paradiſe, Chriſt and all the meanes of grace are apprehended as a very wilderneſſe.
5. Voluptuouſly affected, and vainly exalted.Some deny not their owne pleaſures, but value them above Chriſt, as Eſau did a few pottage above his birthright; ſome deny not their pride, but as Abſalom ſought to raigne, though it were to the diſhonour and depoſall of his father David from his throne: ſo they ſeeke to magnifie themſelves, though to the diſhonour of God, and depoſall of Chriſt from his Throne in their hearts; ſome deny not their owne worth and goodneſſe, they are rich and full in their owne opinions, as the man in the Prophet, which dreamed, he had eaten and was full; ſome deny not their owne ſuperſtitions, they receive for doctrines the commandements of men, they will ſee Chriſt in a glaſſe of their owne framing, learne Chriſt in a ſchoole of their owne erecting, and draw the waters of ſalvation out of a ciſterne of their owne digging; doubtleſſe they are a very ſmall number that have learned the leſſon of ſelf-denyall, queſtionleſſe Chriſt hath ſpirituall and heavenly dominion in the ſoules of few men. Very full of baſe reſpects and purpoſes are the hearts of many that profeſſe Ieſus Chriſt: The Prophet ſpeaks of a day, wherein hIſa. 4 1.ſeven women ſhould take hold of one man, ſaying we will eat our owne bread, and weare our owne apparell, onelyonly let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach. There is a day now, wherein ſeven, a very great number, take hold of one man Chriſt, by an outward profeſſion; but they will eat their owne bread, and weare their owne apparell, they will find their owne pleaſures, walke in their owne wayes, keep themſelves apparelled with the old man, they will not deny themſelves, they will not put away their old things, and make all things new, they will only be called by the name of Chriſt to take away their reproach, of being reputed Atheiſts and Infidels among men. Many men that profeſſe themſelves Chriſtians doe ſhamefully deny the Lord Ieſus, and are far from the denyall of themſelves, their owne counſels and affections.