Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
SEeing this ſelf-denyall is a worke ſo neceſſary, ſo excellent, of ſuch great profit, ſo rare, and few partakers of it, it may be demanded how a man may diſcerne it, and aſſuredly know himſelfe to have attained to it? Whereunto I anſwer, that Chriſtian, gracious, and true ſelfe-denyall may bee diſcerned by theſe enſuing market or characters:Characters of Self-denyall 1. Captivation of Self-reaſon.
1. Captivation of a mans owne reaſon, wiſedome, and will: Self-denyall emptieth man of ſelf-wiſedome and ſelf-wil: He that denyes himſelf is not wiſe in his owne eyes, l1 Rom. 12.16.or wiſe in himſelfe, but all his wiſedome is in Chriſt, he hath a very low opinion of his owne underſtanding, he reputes his owne wiſedome to be folly, his owne knowledge to be ignorance, his owne reaſon to be blind and carnall; he complaines, abaſeth, and ſhames himſelfe before the Lord for his ignorance; he confeſſeth and ſaith with Agur, ſurely mProv. 30.2, 3.I am more brutiſh then any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man. I neither learned wiſedome, nor have the knowledge of the holy. He that abounds moſt in ſaving knowledge, is moſt ſenſible of his ignorance, and hath the loweſt opinion of his owne wiſedome: The more a man is taught of God, the more he ſees his ignorance of God; he that hath high thoughts of his owne underſtanding is far from the leaſt and weakeſt beginnings of Chriſtian learning; he never truly learned Chriſt in the Goſpell that hath not denyed his owne humane reaſon. When the Sun appeareth and ſends his light into the houſe, the light of the candle which lightened the houſe before the dawning of the day goeth out and appeares as no light; when Chriſt the Sunne of Righteouſneſſe ſhineth into the heart, then mans humane reaſon, and the wiſedome of the fleſh (the only light of the ſoule before the dawning and appearance of Chriſt theſe) goeth out, and is lookt upon as darkneſſe it ſelfe; and Chriſt is made the only guide and counſellor of the ſoule; the eye thereof receiveth all its light from Chriſt ſhining in the Goſpell. Carnall wiſedome n1 Cor 8.1, 2.puſſeth up, ſaving knowledge humbleth: In much oEccl. 1.18.wiſedome (ſaith Solomon) is much griefe, and he that increaſeth knowledge increaſeth ſorrow; becauſe the more man knows, the more he ſees amiſſe: Thus the more a man increaſeth in the knowledge of Chriſt, the more he ſees amiſſe in himſelfe, the more he is grieved for his owne ignorance and corruption; true wiſedome is ever accompanied with godly ſorrow, and ſelf-denyall; and ſelf-denyall p2 Cor. 10 5.caſteth downe imaginations or carnall reaſonings, and every high thing that exalteth it ſelfe againſt the knowledge of God, and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriſt. Self-denyall makes him that formerly ſeemed to be q1 Cor. 3.18.wiſe in this world, according to the opinion of the world, dreaming of a ſufficiency of wiſedome in himſelfe to guide himſelfe, making himſelfe his owne counſellor and inſtructer: Self-denyall maketh ſuch a one to become a foole, by reputing his owne wiſedome, ignorance, his owne knowledge fooliſhneſſe, by rejecting his owne underſtanding, as an empty lamp wherein is no light, by diſtruſting his owne reaſon, as a blind guide, by reſigning himſelfe wholly unto Chriſt, as a ſcholler to the teacher, to be taught by him; by depending ſolely upon Chriſt, as a traveller upon the guide, to be directed by Chriſt, by placing all his wiſedome, in being teachable and obedient to Chriſts doctrine: Man muſt be emptied of his owne reaſon, that will be filled with Chriſts wiſedome; he muſt renounce his owne will that will have the will of God to rule over him; he that denies himſelfe makes Chriſts wiſedome, his wiſedome to guide him, and Chriſts will the rule of his owne will, to ſway and command him.
2. Ceſſation from mansſelf.2. Ceſſation from mans owne ſelfe. He that denyes himſelfe ceaſeth from himſelfe; he ceaſeth from his owne rProv. 23.4.wiſedome, from his opinion of it, from his ſubjection under it, from his being guided by it; he ceaſeth from his owne will, from the ſinfull bent and inclination of it, from the carnall objects which it chuſeth, and from the corrupt dictates which it preſcribeth; he deſires not the doing of his owne but of Gods will, as a ſervant ceaſeth from his owne, and doth his Maſters will; he is borne of God, and the motion and inclination of his will is towards God, as the motion of the rivers is towards the Sea, the Law of God is in his heart, by knowledge and underſtanding, by meditation and affection, by inſcription and dominion, and he delights to doe the will of the Lord; he ceaſeth from his owne ſIſa. 58.13.imaginations, his thoughts are not high thoughts, carnall thoughts, worldly thoughts, vaine thoughts; but his thoughts are holy thoughts of God, low thoughts of himſelfe, hatefull thoughts of ſinne, joyfull thoughts of Chriſt, and ſweet and pleaſant thoughts of the word of God, ſleight and weake thoughts of the world. The meditation of the Lord is ſweet unto him, and the Law of the Lord is his meditation all the day long; he ceaſeth from his owne affections, he hath crucified the fleſh with the tGal. 5.24.affections thereof; he doth not truſt in himſelfe, but in the Lord, he is no ſelf-lover, but an unfained lover of the Lord Jeſus, he doth not rejoyce in himſelfe, but in Chriſt; he ceaſeth from his owne pleaſure, he doth not uIam 5.5.live in pleaſures, making proviſion for the fleſh to fulfill the luſts thereof; he is no lover, no follower of corrupt and carnall pleaſures; he chuſeth rather to endure affliction with the people of God, then to enioy the wHeb. 11.25.pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon, ſinfull pleaſures are more bitter and diſtaſtefull then any affliction to the ſoule which hath attained Chriſtian ſelf-denyall; he ceaſeth from his owne applauſe among men, he is xGal. 5.36.not deſirous of vaine glory, he is not affected and tickled with the ſounding of the trumpet of mens praiſes, he ſeeketh not the praiſe which comes from men, but that which comes from God: The more perfection man attaines in this gracious worke of ſelfe-denyall, the leſſe he regards mans commendation: He that denyes himſelfe reputes the teſtimony and approbation of God to be honour enough; he ceaſeth from his owne profit, he ſeeks not his owne things, but the things which are Chriſts: He that denyes himſelfe, reputes it his choiſeſt riches to glorifie Chriſt by his ſervice; he eſteemes theſe labours of his moſt profitable which prove moſt advantagious and beneficiall to Gods Church and children, not ſeeking y1 Cor. 10.33.his owne profit, but the Prophet of many, that they may be ſaved: He that denyes himſelfe is well pleaſed to be temporally poore, that he may thereby make others ſpiritually rich. A humble and gracious man reputes it a greater gaine to gaine a ſoule to God, then to gaine the fulneſſe of the world to himſelfe. Laſtly, he ceaſeth from his zHeb. 4.10.owne works, from his owne carnall and ſinfull works, from his owne proud and ambitious works, from his owne greedy and covetous works; he ceaſeth from theſe, as a traveller from a falſe path, as Iſrael ceaſed from Pharaohs worke, ſo doth he from the works of ſinne, Satan, and the world, he is no longer their ſervant; he that denyes himſelfe, ſerves not himſelfe but the Lord; Chriſt is his high and great Maſter; him he ſerves, and to his honour he referres all his ſervice: The glorifying of the Lord Jeſus is the ſupreame end of a good mans undertakings, and the crowne of a true Chriſtians labours.
3. Application of mans ſelfe to Chriſt.3, Full, free, and ready application of mans ſelfe to Chriſt. He that denyes himſelfe, reſigneth himſelfe wholly into the hands of Chriſt, as a ſcholler to the teacher to learne of Chriſt, as a traveller to the guide, to be directed by Chriſt, as a ſervant to the Maſter, to worke and ſerve for Chriſt, as a ſouldier to the Generall, to fight for Chriſt, as a ſubiect to the King, to receive Chriſts lawes, and ſeeke Chriſts honour, as a bride to the bridegroome, to dwell with Chriſt, to love and delight himſelfe in Chriſt: a1 Pet 4.1, …He that hath ſuffered in the fleſh (ſaith Saint Peter) by mortification of his luſts, by abnegation and denyall of himſelfe, he hath ceaſed from ſinne; from the life and power of ſinne, from the love and pleaſure of ſinne, and from the trade and practiſe of ſinne, as a man that hath ſuffered death in the fleſh, ceaſeth from his former life, love, pleaſure, and worke; and he thus ceaſeth from ſinne, that he may no longer live the reſt of his time in the fleſh to the luſts of men, but to the will of God; he is no longer conformable to the ſinfull example of men, a follower of the luſts of men, a ſervant of corruption; but being crucified to theſe, he lives to the will of God, receiving all direction from it, every way obſequious to it, wholly applying himſelfe to this one thing, even to pleaſe God: Self-denyall takes a man off from himſelfe and the world, and puts him wholly under God, and ſets him fully and effectually upon the worke of God: This is ſometimes termed a bRom. 12.1.yeelding up of our ſelves to God, as a ſacrifice to be wholly ſpent in the Lords ſervice; ſometimes c2 Cor. 8.3.giving of our ſelves to the Lord, as a wife gives her ſelfe to the husband; and ſometimes a d2 Cor. 5.15.living unto Chriſt, and a eRom. 7.4.bringing forth of fruit unto the Lord; and all this is to expreſſe their full application of themſelves unto Chriſt, who truly deny themſelves; and this is that which Chriſt cals a fMat. 16.24.following of him, and makes it a concomitant of ſelf-denyall, to follow him in his doctrine as a Diſciiple, in his precepts as a ſervant, in his promiſes as a beleever, in his ſufferings as an imitator: Self-denyall makes a man embrace Chriſt, as the Pilate to guide him, as the King to command him, as the rocke to ſuſtaine him, and only fountaine to miniſter all fulneſſe to him; and cauſes a man alſo to apply himſelfe againe wholly to Chriſt, to the wiſedome of Chriſt to be guided by it, to the authority of Chriſt to obey him, to the truth of Chriſt to beleeve in him, to the al-ſufficiency of Chriſt to be filled with all ſpirituall and heavenly fulneſſe. He applyes himſelfe to Chriſt in his understanding, to know Chriſt, in his will to chuſe and embrace Chriſt, in his thoughts to meditate upon Chriſt, in his feare to ſerve and honour Chriſt, in his faith to truſt and depend upon Chriſt, in his love to affect Chriſt, in his ioy to delight in Chriſt, in his deſires to long after Chriſt, in his endeavours to exalt Chriſt, in all his poſſeſſions, abilities, and endowments to make them ſerviceable unto Chriſt; he applyes himſelfe to the ordinances of Chriſt, as to a light guiding, food feeding, and phyſicke healing his ſoule; to the precepts of Chriſt as to the rule directing him, and to the promiſes of Chriſt as to the ſtaffe ſuſtaining him. Mans full application of himſelfe to Chriſt, doth miniſter cleare and comfortable evidence of mans denyall of himſelfe for Chriſt.
4. Aſcribing of all to the grace of God.4. The humble and hearty aſcribing of all the good which is in man, or done by man unto the grace of God. He that denyes himſelfe tranſlates the doing of all that good which he doth from himſelfe unto God, as the proper Authour thereof; he puts all from himſelfe, as being nothing in himſelfe, and aſcribes all to God as to the fountaine whence all grace flowes, as to the almighty hand by which all good is accompliſhed: He acknowledgeth his owne g2 Cor. 3.5.inſufficiency without God, as the ciſterne is inſufficient to miniſter water without the fountaine, and the branch to beare any fruit without the root, or the toole to worke without the hand: Self-denyall abaſeth man and the abilities of man, and exalteth God and his grace. A humble man will not endure the glory of any thing to be aſcribed to himſelfe, but referres all to God and Chriſt, and ſtrives to raiſe the eyes and hearts of men to God and his grace. Paul and Barnabas perceiving the men of Lyſtra had too high thoughts of them, reputing them as Gods when they were but the Lords inſtruments, they hAct. 14.14, 15.rent their cloathes, and ran in among the people, crying out, and ſaying, why doe ye theſe things, we alſo are men of like paſſions with you, and preach that ye ſhould turne from theſe vanities to the living God. The immoderate honouring of men is a great diſhonouring of God; a humble and gracious man is not ſo much diſpleaſed to heare himſelfe unjuſtly traduced, as to ſee himſelfe inordinately magnified; he that doth deny himſelfe that he may exalt God, cannot but much grieve to ſee himſelfe by the applauſe of vaine men ſet in the roome of God, and made a diſhonourer of God: It is queſtionleſſe the ſtudy of him who ſees his owne vileneſſe, emptineſſe, and unworthineſſe, to make the name of God glorious; he is very willing and ready to be abaſed, that God may be the more glorified. When God hath made him the inſtrument of any excellent worke, he is jealous of being deified and idolized; and therefore ſaith with Peter, why iAct 3.12, 13, 16.marvell ye at this, or why looke ye ſo earneſtly on us, as though by our owne power or holineſſe we had done this: The God of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, hath glorified his ſonne Jeſus, and his name through faith in his name hath done this thing: Be he never ſo well qualified and fitted for the worke of the Lord, yet as the Lord ſaid of Iſrael, ſo he conceives of himſelf, that without the Lord his kIſa. 31.7.ſtrength is to ſit ſtill. He that is moſt fully furniſhed with ſpirituall abilities, is moſt ſenſible of his owne emptineſſe, moſt free and ready in the magnifying of God, and his grace. Who more eminent then Paul for his gracious and miniſteriall endowments? yet who more effectuall in ſelf-denyall, and in the exaltation of the grace of God? l1 Cor. 3.3, 4, 5Are ye not carnall (ſaith he) and walke as men; for while one ſaith I am Paul, and another I am of Apollo, are ye not carnall, who then is Paul, and who is Apollo, but Miniſters, ſervants and not Lords, inſtruments and not ſupreame agents, by whom ye beleeved as God gave to every man. I have planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increaſe: ſo then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, not any thing, of no ability, of no efficacy of themſelves, but God that giveth the increaſe: The choiſeſt inſtruments prove unprofitable without the hand of God aſſiſting: The ſoule which knowes and feeles its dependancy upon God, cannot but referre the fruit and worth of all its labours to the grace of God. There was not a greater borne of woman then the Baptiſt, he farre ſurpaſſed all the Prophets, yet how low doth he abaſe himſelfe, to exalt Chriſt, how freely doth he referre the whole efficacy of his miniſtery to the grace of Chriſt. I indeed (ſaith he) baptize with water unto repentance, but there is one that commeth after me is mightier then I, whoſe ſhooes I am not worthy to beare, he ſhall baptize you with the Holy-Ghoſt, and with fire. He that hath low thoughts of the grace of God, and high thoughts of his owne abilities, is far from the ſelf-denyall which is proper to Gods children.
5. A low prizing and Chriſtian undervaluing of mans ſelfe, and all things elſe in compariſon of Chriſt. He that denyes himſelfe, looks upon himſelfe as a mGal 6.14.crucified man: In a crucified man there is no beauty, no dignity, no excellency to be ſeene, no pleaſure to be taken: He that denyes himſelfe ſees no beauty, no worth, no excellency in himſelfe, he taketh no pleaſure, no delight in himſelfe; he looks on his owne fleſh as on an empty nRom. 7 18.houſe, wherein dwelleth no good thing, he is oRom. 6.8.dead with Chriſt, for the mortification of his fleſh, for his low opinion and denyall of himſelfe; he is pGal. 6.14.crucified to the world, willingly contented for Chriſts ſake to have no honour, no favour, no eſteeme among the men of the world; as a crucified man hath no place, no authority, no eſteeme in the world; he is willing to be traduced, reproached, and rejected of the world, for the love he hath to Chriſt, as a crucified man is deſpiſed and accounted odious in the world: David being vile in the eyes of Michal for dauncing before the Arke, ſaid, I will yet be q2 Sam. 6.22.more vile then thus, and will be baſe in mine owne ſight▪ He that denyes himſelfe, being vile in the eyes of men, for his profeſſion of Chriſt, for his ſubjection and obedience to Chriſt, for his zeale and earneſtneſſe for Chriſt, is willing and ready to be more vile, to be more reproached, more traduced, more deſpiſed; and will be baſe in his owne ſight, neglect himſelfe, abaſe himſelfe, and make himſelfe as nothing, that he may exalt and honour Chriſt. True ſelf-denyall makes a man neglect and abaſe himſelfe below the very duſt, for the exaltation of Chriſt; to have his rLuk. 6.22.name caſt out as abominable among men, and to be accounted as the ſ2 Co…. 4.13.filth and obſcuring of all things: He that hath the higheſt eſteeme of Chriſt, hath the leaſt and loweſt eſteeme of himſelfe: Self-denyall makes a man not only to undervalue himſelfe, but all other things in compariſon of Chriſt, to eſteeme all the glory of the earth as dung and droſſe in compariſon of Chriſt, to repute all learning but ignorance in compariſon of the knowledge of Chriſt, all honour but ignominy in compariſon of the crowne which Chriſt gives, all riches but poverty in compariſon of that treaſure which is in Chriſt, all joyes but ſorrowes in compariſon of the joy which commeth from Chriſt, all friends and friendſhip but dumbe idols in compariſon of Chriſts love, and all worldly fulneſſe but empty veſſels in compariſon of the al-ſufficiency of Chriſt. tGal. 6.14.The world is crucified to him that is crucified with Chriſt, and hath denyed himſelfe, as men have no commerce with, put no price upon, have no love unto, no pleaſure in a crucified man: ſo he that denyes himſelfe hath no intimate and entire communion with the world any more then the living with the dead, is free from the creature, from the power and command of the creature, as a woman is free from her dead husband; his thoughts and joy are not taken up with the creature, no more then Abrahams thoughts and delights were taken up with dead Sarah, whom he deſired to be removed out of his ſight; he puts no price upon the creature in compariſon of Chriſt; he prizeth all as ſtraw and ſtubble in compariſon of Chriſt the true treaſure; he eſteemeth all things in reſpect of Chriſt but as a bramble in reſpect of the vine, as uIudg 9 9.Jotham to another purpoſe ſpeaks in his parable. He that over values either himſelfe, or any thing elſe of the world, is far from holy ſelf-denyall.