A Treatise of Self-Denial, Chapter 4 · Section 2 · Subsection 2 · Sub-subsection 11
The Eleventh Direction.
11 Study your own nothingneſs.
It was a Precept much in uſe amongſt the Stoicks, one of thoſe Sects of Philoſophers that ran-countred Paul at Athens, Act. 17.18.lVox merino adſcripta oraculis; & quae a Deo eſt, aut certum non ſine Deo. Lepf. Phyſiolog. Stoicer. l. 111. E coelo deſcendit foreign, Juvenal. foreign, Know thy ſelf; and certainly it is a Precept, that (if rightly underſtood) is of great uſe amongſt Chriſtians, eſpecially in this point of Self-denial. A man will never throughly deny himſelf, till hee throughly know himſelf. As the reaſon why men ſeek God no more, is becauſe they know him ſo little; ſo this is the reaſon why they ſeek themſelves ſo much, becauſe they know themſelves ſo little. Men are apt to think themſelves ſomething, when indeed they are nothing, Gal. 6.3. they forget themſelves to bee but men, they remember not that they are but creatures; and hence it comes to paſs, that they ſet themſelves in the place of God; that they ſet up their own wiſdome againſt Gods wiſdome, their own will againſt Gods will, their own intereſt againſt Gods intereſt, as if they were the onelyonly independent beings, the onelyonly ſelfſufficient beings in the world, as if there were no Lord over them to whom they muſt bee accountable in any of their undertakings. This was the reaſon why Pharaoh refuſed to let the Iſraelites go to ſerve the Lord in the wilderneſs, becauſe hee thought there was no Lord above him, as youread, Exod. 5.2. And Pharaoh ſaid, Who is the Lord, that I ſhould obey his voyce to let I ſrael go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Iſrael go. This was the reaſon of that proud vaunting of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4.30. Is not this great Babylon that I have built, by the might of my power, and for the glory of my Majeſty! It was becauſe hee knew not that the moſt High ruleth in the Kingdome of men, and giveth it to whomſoever hee will, verſ. 25. This was the reaſon why Herod took that blaſphemous acclamation of the people to himſelf, Act. 12.22. This was the reaſon why thoſe lukewarm Laodiceans ſaid, They were rich, and increaſed with goods, and had need of nothing; they knew not that they were wretched and miſerable, and poor, and blinde, and naked, Rev. 3.17.
By all theſe inſtances it is more than evident, that while men continue ignorant of their own nothingneſs, and becauſe of that, do think of themſelves above what is meet, they will never deny themſelves, they will never acknowledge God the Creator as their laſt end, and ſo take him for their chief good, nor God the Mediator as the onelyonly means to the enjoyment of it. Oh therefore if you mean to do any thing in this duty of Self-denial, if you would not content your ſelves only with the notion of this duty, but would willingly bee under the power of it, then begin this day, and continue hence-forward to ſtudy what poor inconſiderable nothings you are. It was Davids queſtion while hee was muſing on this Theam, Lord what is man that thou regardeſt him! or the Son of man that thou thinkeſt on him! Pſal. 144.3, 4. It is quaeſtio diminuens, a diminiſhing queſtion, and the anſwer therefore is, Hee is vanity, verſ. 4. for weakneſs hee is a worm, for ſinfulneſs a beaſt, for ſelfiſhneſs a Devil. Oh it were well if wee could reſolve to ſtudy this queſtion. Wee are apt to ask this queſtion of others in a way of ſcorn and contempt, when wee hear ſuch a one named, wee are ready to ſay, Why what is hee? and when any thing affronts us, What are you? Sure you do not underſtand your ſelf, &c. Oh it were more fit a great deal to retort this queſtion upon our ſelves, and ſay, What am I, and what is my fathers houſe, that I ſhould take upon mee in this manner as I do! This is one of the moſt neceſſary points of Catechiſme, wherein wee ſhould bee inſtructed, this would bee a good help to Self-denial, and indeed there is much of Self-denial in it. Study therefore your own nothingneſs.
1 In point of being, you are nothing. Conſider your ſelves in compariſon of God, and what are you? If the whole world bee but as the drop of a bucket, and the ſmall dust of the ballance (as the Prophet ſpeaks) how inconſiderable a part of that drop, and that duſt are you? If all the Inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing in his ſight, as Nebuchadnezzar ſpeaks, Dan. 4.35. how inconſiderable a part of that nothing are you! Conſider your ſelves abſolutely, and what are you? why once you were nothing, and now you are but one remove from nothing, and you may quickly bee reduced to nothing whenſoever God pleaſeth. Your beings are invironed with non-entity, and border upon it, you do but precariouſly ſubſiſt upon the firſt being, as the ſtreams do upon the fountain, and the beams upon the Sun. If God ſhould withhold his conſerving influence, you would quickly return to your firſt nothing again, and bee as if you had never been, and wherein then are you to bee eſteemed?
2 In point of working, you can do nothing. Without mee (ſaith Chriſt) you can do nothing, Joh. 15.6. As without God wee are nothing, ſo without Chriſt wee can do nothing.
1 Not any thing at all. Acti agim…, that wee move being firſt moved by God, is true as well in Naturals as in Spirituals. In him wee live, move, and have our being, Act. 17.28. Not onelyonly our eſſe, but our operari is dependent upon a cauſe without our ſelves.
2 Not any thing that is good. As there is none that is good of himſelf but God, ſo there is none that doth good of himſelf beſides God. There is none that doth good, no not one, Rom. 3.12. Not that wee are ſufficient of our ſelves to think a good thought (ſaith the Apoſtle) but all our ſufficiency is of God, 1 Cor. 3.5. All our ability (as of our ſelves) is to do evill. They are wiſe to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge, Jer. 4.22.
3 Not any good thing well. As when left to our ſelves wee fail in the matter, ſo likewiſe in the manner. Wee know not what to pray for as wee ought, Rom. 8.36. nor how to pray as wee ought, Jam. 4.3. Yee have not, he cauſe yee ask amiſs.
3 In point of propriety you have nothing.
1 Your beings are not your own. Neither your ſouls, (All ſouls are mine, ſaith God, Ezek. 18.4.) nor your bodies, 1 Cor. 6.19. What? know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt which is in you, he adds, and ye are not your own. (1 You did not make your ſelves, God formed the body out of the duſt of the earth, and breathed in the ſoul.)
2 You did not redeem your ſelves, for you are bought with a price, therefore ſaith hee, Glorifie God in your body and your ſpirit, which are Gods; mark it, Which are Gods, verſ. 20.
2 Your eſtates are not your own. It is certain you brought nothing into the world, and it is as certain you can carry nothing away. Naked came I into the world, and naked muſt I return, ſaith Job. When David had prepared in great abundance for building of the Temple, hee ſaid, Lord of thine own have wee given thee, 1 Chron. 29.14.
4 In point of merit, you deſerve nothing.
1 Not the leaſt temporal mercy. I am not worthy of the leaſt of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast ſhewed unto thy ſervant, ſaith Jacob, Gen. 32.10. hee ſpeaks of temporal mercies. Yee do not deſerve the leaſt crumb of bread; the leaſt drop of water, the worſt rag to cover your nakedneſs.
2 Not the leaſt ſpiritual mercy. Not the leaſt meaſure of grace, not the leaſt meaſure of comfort. It is not meet to caſt the childrens bread unto dogs.
3 Not the leaſt eternal mercy; Not the leaſt degree of glory. The rich man in Hell, could not have one drop of thoſe Rivers of pleaſures, Pſal. 16.11. If wee cannot deſerve that which is temporal, much leſs can wee deſerve that which is ſpiritual, leaſt of all that which is eternal. When wee have done all; though wee could do as much as all the Angels in heaven, yet in the concluſion wee muſt ſay, Wee are unprofitable ſervants, and wee muſt cry Grace, Grace, unto the ſalvation wee are made partakers of.
Theſe four things put together, ſhew abundantly what ſilly ſorry things wee are, and the ſerious conſideration of any one of them would bee enough, much more of all together, to bring down thoſe high and towring imaginations that exalt themſelves againſt God and Jeſus Chriſt, and make you vile and baſe in your own eyes.
This would teach you theſe three things; three ſpecial points of Self-denial.
1 Not to depend upon your ſelves, not to lean to your own wiſdome, not to follow the imaginations and counſel of your own hearts. When a man ſhall think with himſelf in this manner, I am nothing, and I can do nothing; I cannot do any thing of my ſelf, not any thing that is good, not any good thing well, either for body or ſoul, the reſult muſt needs bee this, Why ſhould I then go out in my own ſtrength? Why ſhould I bee ſelf-confident in any thing that I am about to do, as if I could compaſs it by my own ſtrength, or my own policy? There is abundance of Self in this. When men are called forth to act in any private duty or publick ſervice, how apt are they to go out in their own ſtrength, and to act in confidence of their own parts and abilities; As Peter, hee would confeſs Chriſt, and ſtick cloſe to him, come what would of it, whoſoever ſhould forſake him, hee would not flinch. Now to help againſt ſuch thoughts as theſe, what better than to act in the ſight and ſenſe of our own nothingneſs? When wee come to preach, or pray, or diſcourſe, or adminiſter juſtice, or buy or ſell, &c. to think thus, Lord of my ſelf I can do nothing, but mine eyes are wholly upon thee.
2 Not to aſcribe unto your ſelves, this would inable you to ſay, Non nobis Domine, Not unto us, Not unto us, O Lord, but to thy Name bee the praiſe and glory. There is abundance of Self in this, in arrogating and aſcribing all, or part to our ſelves, as if in ſome things we might thank our ſelves, and were not beholding either to God or Chriſt. Wee are very prone if wee have any thing, or if wee have done any thing that is praiſeworthy, to take the glory of it to our ſelves.
1 If wee have any thing that hath an excellency in it, wee are apt to boaſt, as if wee had not received it; which fault the Apoſtle took notice of, and ſharply reprehended amongſt the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 4.7. If wee have a fairer face, a more comely body, a more elegant ſpeech, &c. If wee have a quicker apprehenſion, a more acute judgement, a more faithful memory, &c. we are apt to think, if not to boaſt, as if wee had it from our ſelves, and were not beholding for it to another. Now what an excellent means for the curing of this pride and vainglory is the conſideration of our own nothingneſs! that what wee are, wee are by the grace of God; as the Apoſtle, By the grace of God I am that I am; It is free Grace hath made a difference, where there was none by nature. The neglect of this makes us rob God of abundance of glory.
2 If wee have done any thing that hath an excellency in it, wee are too much taken with it.
1 Wee ſpend time in reflecting upon it in our own thoughts, in admiring our ſelves for it, thinking how bravely wee came off, and how every one admires us, how every one praiſeth us, &c. and ſcarce lift up one thought to God to bleſs him. Thus Nebuchadnezzar reflected upon his building of Babylon; Is not this, ſaith hee, great Babylon that I have built?
2 Wee would fain have others take notice of it, as Hezekiah after his ſickneſs would ſhew his Treaſures. Jehu would have his zeal obſerved, the Phariſees muſt needs blow the Trumpet. Wee have a kinde of longing that others ſhould take notice of that which wee our ſelves do. If we know any thing, it doth us no good, unleſs ſome take notice that wee are ſo knowing. There is an itching deſire in us to have every thing wee do, made publick. Hence are thoſe frequent ſtories of our ſelves, what wee did, and what wee ſaid.
3 If others do commend us, wee are tickled with delight in the hearing ſuch diſcourſes, this is the reaſon of the old Proverb, Obſequium amices, &c. flattery begets friends.
4 Wee are ready to enter into the liſts of contention whenſoever any doth but queſtion our worth in any particular, or deny it. Oh what chafing and fuming is there, what arrogating expreſſions, what diſdainful language, what odious compariſons and reflections!
Now all this would bee helped, could wee walk in the ſight and ſenſe of our own nothingneſs, then wee ſhould bee as Peter, when hee had reſtored the lame man, Act. 2.12.
3 Not to ſeek our ſelves. Paul tells the Philippians that all men ſeek their own things, and not the things of Chriſt, that is, all natural men. Naturally there is ſuch a diſpoſition in us, that wee would ingroſs all to our ſelves, wee would have all the praiſe, all the honour, all the profit and advantage to our ſelves, and wee cannot indure that any one ſhould bee above us, or before us, that any ones intereſt ſhould prevail beſides our own. And what is the reaſon, but that wee have not learnt the leſſon of our own nothingneſs? Were wee once nothing in our own eyes, wee ſhould bee content to bee nothing in the eyes of others: Could wee deſpiſe our ſelves, wee ſhould bee content that others ſhould deſpiſe us. Were wee but once ſenſible of our own unworthineſs, wee ſhould not take it ill that others have ſo much, and wee ſo little, in all eſtates wee ſhould bee content.
See then how uſeful this Direction is in order to the practice of Self-denial; many a one that is convinced of this duty, and hath begun the practice of it, is ready to ſay, I am fully perſwaded that it is my duty to deny my ſelf, and I have made ſome trial of it, but yet I finde nothing in the world more croſs and contrary to fleſh and blood; I finde I cannot do it. Oh! how hard is it to be contented to do good, and not to be ſeen in it! I am neglected and ſleighted, and I cannot bear it; men do not give mee that honour and reſpect that is due, and I cannot bee without it. Oh! for any direction, any help to make this duty eaſie and delightful to mee! Why, this is the Direction that I have now given you, this hath been a tryed Receipt, and never failed of a cure. When once you are throughly ſenſible of your own nothingneſs, it will bee eaſie to deny your ſelves in all theſe particulars. If a great man come to you, one whom you highly eſteem and honour, you can hardly deny him, but if another come that is of no worth, whom you do not value, you can deny him with eaſe, and make nothing of it; ſo it is here, when once you come to ſee your own nothingneſs, &c. And till it bee thus, it will bee very irkſome and tedious, very hard and difficult, if not impoſſible to deny your ſelves in any thing. You will have ſuch reaſonings as theſe, What ſuch an one as I? Shall I bear it, to bee thus croſſed? thus affronted? thus abuſed? Is it fit that I ſhould bee thus dealt with? but on the contrary, when you are nothing in your own eyes, you will ſay as Mephiboſheth in the like caſe, 2 Sam. 19.28, 30. That which will break a proud mans heart, will not breake an humble mans ſleep.