A Treatise of Self-Denial, To the reader 2 – Table of contents
To not only the Chriſtian Reader, but to any Reader that hath a mind, or if not, that hee may have a mind to be a Chriſtian, and that not only in ſhew but in truth, not only in word but in deed.
SElf-denial! bleſs us, what a ſtrange hard word, what a prodigious and monſtrous thing is this? ſaith poor ſelfiſh man; Self-denial forſooth, what! am not I my ſelf? Doe not I my ſelf live, and live for my ſelf? How can I bee a man, and put off the man? How can I be my ſelf, and deny my ſelf? Is it not to be beſide my ſelf (and that's to be mad) to be without my ſelf? Thus (alas!) doth poor man play the foole in wit, he rageth and is confident; as if there were ſuch good reaſon for, and ſuch good ſenſe in ſelf-ſeeking, as that the Doctrine of Self-denial were but a Paradox, yea an abſurdity, a contradiction, and very non-ſenſe. He highly applaudes even to admiration, that (by him miſtaken and miſ-interpreted) ſaying of Solomon, Prov. 9.12. if thou bee wiſe thou ſhalt be wiſe for thy ſelf; and for his part, he will praiſe none but them that doe well unto themſelves, Pſal. 49.18. he will admit none to the name of wiſe and worthy perſons, but diſmiſs them for a company of un-intelligent, in-ſignificant and poore ſpirited Sneakes, yea for dull Sots, witleſs Dolts, and God Almighties Fools, that preferre not themſelves before every thing elſe.
Man indeed is ſo dear to himſelf, that Self-intereſt ſeemes to be his all in all; the firſt mover, the circumference and center of all he doth; the principle from, the rule by, the end for which he acts any good, or forbears to act any evil, and this is natural to him; but though Nature be maſter of this Art, and can teach man to ſeek his owne good, yet Nature is not ſuch a Doctor in Divinity, nor hath attained to ſuch a degree of learning and wiſedome, as to teach man wherein his true good and intereſt lies; ſo that it is no wonder that poore man is filled with indignation at ſuch a word, much more at ſuch a thing as Self-denial is. Alas! in what a ſad, uneaſie, and reſtleſs condition muſt poor man be that hath a nature ſo freely inclined, and ſtrongly addicted to his owne intereſt, and yet is not owner of a judgement and diſcretion able and acute enough to tell him what it is, and how it may be attained; ſo that did not God, who is a God of grace and mercy, take pitty on poore man (for ſo I muſt alwayes call him) he would doe nothing but undoe himſelf, and that by ſeeking himſelf.
But God (God bleſſed, and to bee bleſſed for evermore) who is a Lover of Soules, and the preſerver of men, who would not that they ſhould periſh, but that all men ſhould come to the knowledge of the truth and bee ſaved, God I ſay, hath ſhewn (in and by his Word) what is mans good, and wherein his true intereſt and happineſs doth conſiſt, how hee may love, ſeek, and ſave himſelf, which is ſo dear unto him; beſide (ex abundanti, which is a wonder) God invites, and (if I may ſo ſpeak) courts man hereunto; not that hee needs man, for he is God happy for evermore, whether man be ſaved or damned, but by the moſt obligeing, and moſt indearing way in the World, that man himſelf may be the gainer, and injoy himſelf in the injoyment of a good infinitely better than himſelf, even God himſelf. When God exhorts and perſwades man to obedience, why is it? but oh that hee would heare and keep my Commandements always for his good; when God dehorts and diſſwades from ſin, why is it? but that man might not wrong and injure himſelf; God hath ſo twiſted his own glory & our good together, that he expects no ſervice from us, which ſhall not be more a ſervice to our ſelves: God hath ſo graciouſly ordered the matter, that the very meanes of our happineſs is a part of it, our duty a priviledge, and our work wages; ſo that wee cannot doe our ſelves a greater courteſie, than in doing God the beſt ſervice, our greateſt intereſt lies in ſurrendring our ſelves wholly unto God, to feare God, and keep his Commandements is the whole (as duty, ſo happineſs) of man, for all the reſt (that is under the Sun) is but impertinent and unprofitable, yea (to call it by its owne name) very vanity, and vexation of ſpirit.
We doe but miſcall and flatter the World, yea abuſe our ſelves alſo, when we attribute to it, and adorn it with the fine words, and ſpecious titles of Grandeure, and Gallantry, beauty and bravery, delight and delicacy, pleaſure and prettineſs, honour and happineſs; alas, theſe are but pompous ſhewes, glittering and gaudy nothings: the roſineſs of the moſt glaring and charming beauty, the whiſtling of the moſt ſilken bravery, the chinking of bewitching white and yellow duſt which we call gold and ſilver, the ſparkling Crownes which doe tempt and captivate: the amorous, the genteel, otherwiſe proud, the covetous, and the ambitious Sons of men, will one day appeare to be but a cheat of Fancy, and that ſuch as have been enamoured of them have but deceived, and jugled themſelves out of true happineſs for a falſe one, and eſpouſed themſelves to a meer paultry vanity, which if it be any thing, is a ſomething worſe than nothing.
Welcome my wealth, this loſs hath gain'd me more;
Riches adiew:
When I again grow greedy to be poor,Herb. Imit.
Ile wiſh for you.
Welcome my credit, this diſgrace is glory;
Honours adiew:
When for renown and fame I ſhall be ſorry,
Ile wiſh for you.
Welcome content, this ſorrow is my joy,
Pleaſures adiew:
When I deſire ſuch griefs as may annoy,
Ile wiſh for you.
And as for ſin, it is ſo ugly a thing, ſo vile and abominable, that the worſt of words are not bad enough to call it by; its owne name is the very worſt, ſinful ſin, Rom. 7.13. yet as if that were not ſignificant enough, the Apoſtle could not but adde an exceeding to it, to denote how hyperbolically vile a thing it is; it is good for nothing but to be hated, and to have ſtones of ſcorne, contempt, and indignation thrown at it: ſuch a deformed Hagge is not fit for the embraces of men, no nor of Devils; it is not only the cauſe, but the hell of hell, and if there were no other hell, it were yet damnation enough to be a ſinner: for as ſuch the poore wretch is in a ſtate of ſeparation from God, whom to injoy is eternal life and Heaven, and therefore it can be no leſs than Death and Hell to be without him; and thus the Scripture concludes no leſs peremptorily than truly and juſtly, that men in their ſins are condemned already, and muſt be ſo for ever without the interpoſition of repentance, and faith before they dye.
Sin.
Oh that I could a ſin once ſee!Herb.
We paint the Devil foul, yet he
Hath ſome good in him, all agree.
Sin is flat oppoſite to th' Almighty, ſeeing
It wants the good of vertue, and of being.
Sin.
Sin,Herb. Imit. I would faine define thee, but thou art
An uncouth thing,
All that I bring
To ſhew thee fully, ſhews thee but in part.
I ſay, thou art the ſting of Death; 'tis true,
And yet I find
Death comes behind:
The work is done, before the pay be due.
I ſay, thou art the Devils work, yet hee
Should much rather
Call thee father,
For he had been no Devil, but for thee.
What ſhall I call thee then? if Death and Devil,
Right underſtood,
Be names too good,
I'le ſay thou art the quinteſſence of evil.
By all this it moſt clearly appears that Grace is mans glory, that the ſervice of God is mans freedome, that Self-denial is mans advantage. Oh Divine thing, Grace! how would the Sons of men make Court to thee, did they but ſee what a beautifying, what an innobling, and to ſpeake as truly as highly in Scripture ſenſe, what a deifying thing thou art.
Surely as Reaſon is mans advance above bruits, grace is mans advance above men, other men and himſelf, for it makes a man more a man, and more than a man; and though man was Created little lower than the Angells, yet as a new Creature, hee ſhall not onelyonly bee like and equal to the Angells, but (it ſeems) is already above them, they being his ſervitours, and ſpirits ſent forth to Miniſter to him, and for his good. Yea further, it makes man like God himſelf, for what is godlineſſe? but God-likeneſs; that, whereby wee are as ſo many living Images, and lively pictures of the Divine nature.
How highly concerning is it then to put off our ſelf that wee may be our own, Not to bee in our ſelves, that in God (as naturally, ſo ſpiritually) wee may live, move, and have our beings: for clearly, man is never truely his own nor himſelf, but when hee is Gods; Dead and loſt is his Motto, all the while he is a ſtranger to the life of God, Luke 15.32. Man is not himſelf when hee goes from God, that is, when hee ſins and ſeeks himſelf, and man then comes to himſelf as tis ſaid of the Prodigal, when hee comes to God; ſo that if man will but do himſelf the right to bee wiſe for, and good to himſelf, it muſt be by this Chriſtian Art and knack of Self-Denial; not making his own underſtanding his guide, Prov. 3.5, 6, 7. For he that will bee wiſe muſt become a fool, not making his own will his rule, nor fleſh-pleaſing, or which is all one ſelf-pleaſing his end; but reſigning himſelf to the conduct of God, conſidering what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, devoting himſelf to do all hee doth to the glory of God, hee may finde himſelf in not ſeeking himſelf, and live altogether to himſelf, in not living at all to himſelf.
But dear Reader, This Treatiſe, which I commend to thy peruſal and practice, will further, and more fully acquaint thee with this thing; the nature and excellency of it, as to which, and the Author my friend, I think it improper, becauſe needleſs, to ſay any thing. I ſhall therefore adde but a little more, and commend this, the book, and thee to the bleſſing of God.
Go Self-Denial, go and proſper; I am ſure, thou wert once (and didſt then make a glorious triumphant ſhew) in the world, when Chriſt, our dear and bleſſed Saviour, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt was here; and though thou have been a ſtranger for a long time, not only in this our Iſrael, but in moſt parts of the World, yet me thinkes thou ſhouldſt bee welcome for his ſake; it ſeems to mee to bee highly and hugely obligeing, that if Chriſt denyed himſelf (his glory) for us, wee ſhould deny our ſelfes (our ſinnes) for him, yea, I may ſay for our ſelves; ſurely they will do but little for Chriſt, that will not for his ſake bee content to bee happy. Moreover, Oh thou moſt rare Self-Denial! this addes to thy beauty and takingneſs, and ſhould indear thee to all the profeſſing world, that thou commeſt forth in ſeaſon, for when ſhould Self-Denial bee Preacht and Preſt, but when men that ſay they are Chriſtians, ſavour the things that are of men, and not the things that are of God; then twas Matth. 16. that Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples, if any will come after mee, let him deny himſelf. Shall I adde, that ſome graces and duties are to bee acted but now and then, but this alwaies, a Chriſtian ſhould bee often in Self-Tryall, &c. but alwaies in Self-Denial; for when other duties are but as Letters, this muſt bee as the vowel to give it a ſound, and make it a word, there cannot bee a Monoſyllable ſpelt in Religion, without this vowel of Self-Denial.
In a word, to diſabuſe the miſtaken World, which look upon this as a puſillanimous and diſpiriting Doctrine, a puleing quality fitted onelyonly to little ſoules; If God and Reaſon may be heard to ſpeak, there is nothing more becomming brave Spirits than Self-Denial; it argues the greatneſſe of their courage, that they are Perſons of high and noble Soules, who can give the Denial to that which hath been born and bred with them, and is therefore ſo near and dear to them, rather than adventure to break the Command of their Lord and Soveraign; Tis effeminate and worſe, it hath nothing of maſculine and manly in it, to indulge and gratify ſelfiſh inclinations, and fleſhly appetites, hath not God ſaid it? hee that ruleth his ſpirit, that ſubdues and denies himſelf, is better, a perſon of more honour, and of higher command, than hee that takes and rules a City; and he that dares not undertake ſuch an Heroick Conqueſt, is not worthy the name of a ſtout and gallant man. How many valiant Sword-men of the World, have ſhewn themſelves meer cowards, who have come Conquerors out of the field, and then lived, and (it may bee) dyed baſe ſlaves to a luſt at home; As one ſaid of a great Romane Captain (who as hee rode in his triumphant Chariot through Rome, had his eyes fixed on a Courtizan that walkt the ſtreets) Behold, how this goodly Captain that hath Conquered ſuch Potent Armies, is himſelf conquered by one ſilly woman; hee might have better ſaid, by his own luſt.
Well then, if thou wilt ſave thy ſelf generouſly, away with thy ſelfe; for hee that will looſe himſelfe ſhall ſave himſelfe, but hee that will ſave himſelf ſhall looſe himſelf, and then, what wilt thou do? but pule and ſneak, complain and lament, with ſuch a ſad out-cry as this,
Ah! my too much of mee, mee much annoy'd
And my ſelf-plenty, my poor ſelf deſtroyed.
To conclude all, let mee beſeech thee for Chriſts ſake, and thine own ſouls ſake, to learn not onelyonly the name and notion, but the thing; and not to pleaſe thy ſelf with the word, without the ſpirit, power and practice of Self-Denial. Now that the Author, thy and my ſelf, and all the world may put Self-Denial in practice, and ſo as to abound and perſevere therein to the end, is the hearty Prayer of the Authors, thine and every mans Friend and Servant in Chriſt Jeſus,
RALPH VENNING.
A Table of the ſeveral Chapters and Sections in the following Treatiſe.
Chap. 1 The Text.
Sect. 1THe Introduction to the Text. P. 1
Sect. 2The Occaſion of it. Page 4.
Sect. 3The Diviſion. Page 6
Sect. 4.The Explication. Page 7
Chap. 2 The Doctrine. Page 18
Sect. 1Shewing what is meant by ſelf. Page 18
Sect. 2Shewing what it is to deny ſelf, more generally. Page 21
Sect. 3Shewing what it is to deny ſelf more particularly. Page 42
Subſect. 1.Of denying ſelf in reſpect of inherent grace. Page 43
Subſect. 2.Of denying ſelf in reſpect of Common gifts. Page 75
Subſect. 3.Of denying ſelf in good works. Page 129
Subſect. 4.Of denying ſelf in reſpect of worldly enjoyments. Page 167
Subſect. 5Of denying ſelf in reſpect of worldly ſufferings. Page 191
Subſect. 6Of denying ſelf in reſpect of our Relations. Page 220
Chap. 3 The Demonſtration. Page 231
Chap. 4 The Application. Page 242
Sect. 1Of Information. Page 242
Sect. 2Of Exhortation. Page 259
Subſect. 1Motives to ſelf-denial from the Excellency of it. Page 265
Subſect. 2Directions for the practice of ſelf-deniall. Page 308