Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
THis muſt therefore perſwade us to worke our hearts to a full and through denyall of our ſelves,2. Perſwading Self-denyall. to a hearty, free, and effectuall ſubjection of our ſelves to Chriſt; as gGen. 12.Abraham left his kindred, habitation, countrey, and all, and followed the Lord, going whither the Lord commanded him: ſo let us leave all that is moſt neare, and deare, moſt pleaſant and profitable, and follow the Lord Jeſus, doing whatſoever he ſhould enjoyne us: As Moſes left the Court of Pharaoh, hHeb. 11.refuſed to be called the ſonne of Pharaohs daughter, and choſe rather to endure affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon. Thus let us leave the world, refuſe to be called the ſonnes and daughters, friends and favourites of the earth, and of the prophane men thereof; and let us chuſe rather to endure affliction, reproach, diſgrace, and any thing with Chriſt, in the ſervice of Chriſt, in the enjoyment of Chriſt, rather then enjoy all the pleaſures, riches, honours, and comforts of the world without Chriſt: Let us take heed with Paul that we be not brought under the i1 Cor. 6.12.power of any creature, or of any luſt whatſoever: Let us ſee that our denyall be not 1.1 Kinds and qualifications of Self-denyall. 1. Spirituall. a naturall, morall, or ſuperſtitious denyall, as ſome heathen have, and many Papiſts doe, in many things deny themſelves; but let our denyall be a ſpirituall denyall, ariſing from a principle of grace within, inabling us to reigne and rule over our affections, to forſake and renounce the motions of our owne corrupt will and reaſon, putting all in ſubjection under Chriſt, that Chriſt alone may raigne in our ſoules.2. Voluntary. 2. Let not our denyall be a forced and conſtrained denyall; as a Mariner in a ſtorme caſts away his goods, which yet he loves very well; but let it be a voluntary and free denyall, ariſing from the hatred and deteſtation of what doth oppoſe Chriſts kingdome in our ſoules; as Amnon hated Thamar and thruſt her from him; and alſo from unfained love to Chriſt, as the bride in love to the bridegroome, leaves her fathers houſe, to live with and enjoy the bridegroome.3. Vniverſall. 3. Let not our denyall be partiall and halting; as Saul ſlew ſome of the cattell, and ſpared others; but let it be univerſall, he that doth not deny all truly, denyes none; as Joſhuah put downe all the Kings of Canaan, ſo depoſe all, leave nothing in the ſoule to exalt it ſelfe againſt Chriſt, to lift up it ſelfe above Chriſt.4. Continuall. 4. Let not our denyall be temporary and vaniſhing; as a bulruſh that bowes downe the head for a day; as a ſicke man denyes himſelfe many dainties during his ſickneſſe, and no longer; but let it be continuall and conſtant, grow in it; a man once dead lives no more, but daily rots and conſumes away in his grave. Thus the world and ſinne being once denied, once crucified, muſt live no more, but daily decay and dye within us.
And let us not only deny our ſelves,Subjection joined to Self-denyall with the qualifications. 1 Holily. 2. Cordially. but to our ſelf-denyall joyne ſubjection unto Chriſt, proſtrate all under Chriſt; and to him let us ſubject our ſelves holily, with obedience out of a pure heart, being holy in all manner of converſation, as he that hath called us is holy. 2. Cordially, obeying from the heart root the forme of doctrine delivered us, able to ſay with the Pſalmiſt, thy Law O Lord is in my heart, I delight to doe thy will. 3. Fully, 3. Fully.let us not indent with Chriſt as Pharaoh did with Joſeph, reſerving chiefly the Throne unto himſelfe; but let us put all under Chriſt, let Chriſt reigne over all, in our underſtandings as a Prophet enlightening us, in our wils as a King commanding us, in our affections, as a Prieſt mortifying us, in our love, as a husband marrying us, let the whole man be ſubject unto whole Chriſt. And 4. Perpetually, 4. Perpetually.let there be no end of Chriſts kingdome, let his kingdome in our ſoules like the houſe of David in Iſrael grow ſtronger and ſtronger. And the better to induce us thus to deny our ſelves, and to put all under Chriſt. Looke upon,
1. The intereſt which Chriſt hath in a Chriſtian, Inducements to Self-denyall 1. Chriſts intereſt in a Chriſtian.as a workman in his workmanſhip, for we are the workmanſhip of God in Christ created unto good works; as a ranſomer in the redeemed, he hath bought us with a price; as a dweller in his houſe, he dwelleth in our hearts by faith; as a doner in his gift, we are given unto him of God by eternall election, and by effectuall vocation; Chriſts intereſt in us doth challenge full obedience from us, none hath ſuch claime and title to us, none ſhould have ſuch ſervice and ſubjection from us.
2. The relation between us and Christ, 2. Relation to Chriſt.a relation of King and people, husband and wiſe, ſhepheard and flocke, head and members, in all which we may reade, as in lively characters the duty of ſelfe-denyall and obedience.
3. Subjection of all things under Chriſt.3. The ſubjection and putting of all things under Christ: He hath all power both in heaven and earth, he is made the head over all things to the Church, all is Chriſts ſervant: It is a great wrong to the Maſter of the houſe, to draw away the ſervice and obedience of his ſervant from him, to exalt his ſervant above him: The withholding of any thing from the ſervice of Chriſt, the ſetting up of any thing in the roome of Chriſt is a great diſhonour to Chriſt.
4. Abuſe of things not made ſerviceable to Chriſt.4. The abuſe of all things which are here made ſubiect and ſerviceable unto Christ. There is in every thing a power and a diſpoſition to doe ſome ſervice to Chriſt, to worke to the exaltation of Chriſt, they are all made for this end and uſe, they have an energy and inclination hereunto; there is in all the implements of a houſe an artificiall aptitude to doe ſome ſervice to the Maſter of the houſe; there is in all the things of the little houſe of man, and in this great houſe of the world a virtuall aptitude to doe ſome ſervice to Chriſt, the Maſter of this houſe, kRom 11.36.all things (ſaith the Apoſtle) are of him, by creation, through him, by preſervation, and to him, in their ſervice, uſe, and application, and whatſoever man hath which he doth not put under Chriſt, which he doth not uſe as an inſtrument of Chriſts glory, he doth abuſe it, the gold and ſilver, lands and livings, art and learning, friends and acquaintance, underſtanding, will, memory, affections, ſpeech, or whatſoever elſe man hath; he doth abuſe and prophane it, he doth divert and turne it from its true and proper inclination, end, and appointment, when he doth not glorifie Chriſt with it. Know you not (ſaith the Apoſtle) that your bodies are the members of Chriſt, ſhall I then take the members of Chriſt, and make them the members of an harlot, God forbid. Thus know we not that that all the faculties of our ſoules, all the members of our bodies, and all things elſe, are the gifts and creatures of Chriſt, ſhall we then take the gifts and creatures of Chriſt, and uſe them againſt, and not for Chriſt, God forbid.
5. The ſweet and heavenly comforts ariſing to the ſoule, 5. Comforts …ſing from Self-denyall.from a through ſelf-denyall, and full ſubiection unto Chriſt. Hence ariſeth the comfort of liberty and freedome from the ſervitude of the creature, and of every ſinfull luſt, miniſtring matter of greater joy to the ſoule, then Iſrael had, to ſee themſelves freed from Pharaoh, and the burthens of E…ypt. Hence ariſeth the comfort of the evidence of grace, by this man knowes the holy and gracious worke of God: Now he can give thanks to God the Father, for that he hath made him meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light, and hath delivered him from the power of darkneſſe, and tranſlated him into the kingdome of his deare Sonne: Now he can with joy ſay with the Pſalmiſt, come and I will ſhew what the Lord hath done for my ſoule. Hence ariſeth the comfort of alacrity and cheerfulneſſe in the ſervice, now the heart is enlarged, and man can runne the way of Gods commandements, now he commeth forth like the Sun, and rejoyceth like a mighty man to run his race. Hence ſpringeth the joy of love to Chriſt, now the objects of all corrupt and baſe love are removed, and Chriſt is become the ſole object of the ſoules love, and now it delights it ſelfe in Chriſt, as the bride in the bride-groome. Hence commeth the comfort of Chriſts power and preſence, now he is diſcerned reigning in the ſoule as a Prince of peace in his Throne, ſubduing all corrupt and carnall luſts, as Joſhuah ſubdued the Amalekites, driving Satan from the ſoule of man, as the Gibeonites diſcerned Joſhuah driving away the Amoritiſh Princes; now he is diſcerned diſpelling all blindneſſe and errour from the underſtanding, as the Sunne diſpelleth darkneſſe from the eye; now he is diſcerned binding up the broken heart, and healing the wounded conſcience, as the ſicke diſcerneth the Phyſitian healing his diſeaſe; now he is diſcerned pacifying and quieting the troubled and perplexed ſoule, as the Diſciples diſcerned him appeaſing and calming the ſtormy tempeſt; now he is diſcerned powring in the ſpirituall oyle of heavenly conſolation into the ſoule, as the wounded man in the parable diſcerned the Samaritan powring oyle into his wounds; now he is diſcerned feaſting, cheering, and miniſtring the ſence of his love to the heart, as the Spouſe in Solomon diſcerned the bridegroome in the banquetting houſe, ſpreading his love over her as a banner; and this miniſters matter of ſweet and ſingular comfort; and hence ariſeth the comfort of ſweet and gracious communion with God, the Lord dwels with the humble. The more man goes out of himſelfe, the nearer he commeth unto God, the more man is emptied of himſelfe, the more he enjoyes of God. Very ſweet and manifold is the conſolation which the ſoule derives from holy and gracious ſelfe-denyall.
6. Mitigation of diſaſters.6. The mitigation and ſweetning of all diſaſters. Self-denyall in all troubles, tryals, loſſes, and temptations is to the ſoule, like the honey-combe in the belly of the Lyon unto Sampſon; a bleſſed ſweetner of them, affliction is ever ſo much the leſſe burthenſome, by how much the more perfect man is in the worke of ſelf-denyall: He that truly and throughly denyes himſelfe, puts a low price upon all outward abilities, and can take the spoyling of his goods ioyfully; he ſees and feeles the good of afflictions, and can readily receive them, as a wiſe patient a bitter purgation, and quietly beare them, as an Oxe the yoake, that is accuſtomed thereunto; he can ſing with Paul in the priſon; he can walke comfortably in them, as the three children in the fiery furnace; he can rejoyce with ioy glorious and unſpeakable, that he is accounted worthy to ſuffer for the cauſe of Chriſt. The want of ſelf-denyall makes affliction a moſt inſupportable burthen.
7. Contentatiō in all eſtates.7. The Contentation which Self-denyall miniſters with the leaſt earthly portion and poſſeſſion. He that can deny himſelfe, knowes how to want, and how to abound, and to be content in every ſtate; the humble man poſſeſſeth Chriſt, and in poſſeſſing him poſſeſſeth all things; there is more in a holy mans little, then in a carnall mans great abundance. God proportions his thirſt accordingly.