A Treatise of Self-Denial, Chapter 4 · Section 2 · Subsection 2 · Sub-subsection 12
The Twelfth Direction.
12 Study the nothingneſs of all worldly things.
This Direction is as neceſſary as the former; for our Saviour hath ſaid, Whoſoever hee bee of you, that forſaketh not all that hee hath, cannot bee my Diſciple, Luke 14.33. St. James tells us, That the friendſhip of the world is enmity with God, Jam. 4.4. St. John, That if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 Joh. 2.15. hee divides the world, and the things of the world into theſe three, The luſt of the fleſh, The luſt of the eye, And the pride of life, verſ. 16. viz. Pleaſures, Profits, and Honours. Theſe are the three things that worldly men luſt after. This is the worlds Trinity which they worſhip for their god, and in which they place their ſummum bonum, their chief good and happineſs. Till men bee throughly convinced of the nothingneſs of this Idol, till they bee able to ſay of this Idol in particular (as Paul doth of an Idol in general) Wee know that this Idol of the world, is nothing in the world, they will never deny themſelves, nor follow Chriſt fully. And the reaſon is manifeſt, for while a man hath ſuch a conceit of the things of this world (whether pleaſures, profits, or honours) that they are the onelyonly good things, the onelyonly neceſſary things, that hee ſtands in need of, to live a bleſſed and happy life, his affections will bee ſo ſtrongly carried forth after them, if hee have them not, that hee will not bee taken off from an inordinate purſuit after them, and if hee have them, hee will by no means bee perſwaded to relinquiſh them, nor ever leave off giving himſelf carnal contentment in the uſe of them, for any of the great and glorious things offered him in the Goſpel, which hee looks upon as imaginary notions only, having no truth or reality at all in them.
1 Such a man will endeavour moſt after theſe things: Either hee will wholly neglect all Religion, or if hee take up a profeſſion, it is but for this end, that hee may thereby get theſe things.
1 Hee will wholly neglect Religion. See the Parable, Luke 14.18, 19, 20. Joh. 12.42.
2 If hee take up a profeſſion, it is that by this means hee may get theſe things, Act. 8.20, 21. See Joh. 6.26. Rom. 16.18. Philip. 3.18. 2 Tim. 3.2.5. So true is that, Job 8.11.
2 If hee have theſe things, hee will not relinquiſh them, either hee will not part with theſe things at all, or elſe but ſeemingly for a time.
1 Hee will not part with them at all, Luke 18.23. Act. 19.25. Joh. 5.44.
2 If hee part with any of them, it is but for a time, Matth. 13.20, 21, 22. 1 Tim. 5.11.2 Pet. 2.18.
It is neceſſary therefore in order to Self-denial that your affections bee taken off from theſe things, for which end you muſt bee much in the ſtudy of the nothingneſs of them, and that in theſe four particulars.
1 In point of diſcrimination. There is a difference indeed betwixt men and men, but theſe things do neither make it, nor argue it.
1 They do not make a difference. They make a difference indeed before men, Jam. 2.2, 3. yet not before the beſt of men, Pſal. 15.4, 16.3. Howſoever not before God, Rom. 2.11. Luke 16 23.
2 They do not argue it, Eccleſ. 9.1. Many think God loves them, becauſe they have a greater ſhare of theſe things than others have, but theſe things are not Gods Love-tokens, hee gives them in greateſt abundance to his enemies. The Turkiſh Empire is but a cruſt given to dogs. Luth.
2 In point of reparation. Theſe things are ſhort of our loſſes. They can neither recover what wee have loſt, nor recompence it.
1 They cannot recover what wee have loſt. Three things wee have loſt, which theſe things can not regain.
1 The Image of God. Now theſe things contribute nothing to the regaining of it. They do not make us good men, but rather worſe, Ecceleſ. 5.13. Mat. 13.22.
2 The favour of God. Theſe things cannot purchaſe it again. They cannot make ſatisfaction to the juſtice of God, Pſal. 49.7, 8. 1 Pet. 1.18.
3 Communion with God. Theſe things do not fit us for it, Jam. 2.5.
2 They cannot recompence the loſs of any of theſe. Some things there are which when wee have loſt, wee cannot recover again, but yet wee may get other things inſtead of them, that will make amends, but the things of the world will not make amends for the loſs of any of theſe, Mat. 16.26. Can any thing make amends for the loſs of the chief good?
3 In point of ſatisfaction. They can neither ſatisfie our deſires, nor our expectations.
1 They cannot ſatisfie ourmCreſcit amor nummi, quantum ipſa pecunia creſcit. deſires, Eccleſ. 1.8. & 4.8.
2 Not our expectation. See Luke 12.20.
4 In point of ſecurity. They cannot deliver us either from temporal or eternal evils.
1 Not from temporal evils. Not from contempt, Pſal. 107.40. Not fromnNon domus aut fundus, non aeris acervus, &c. ſickneſs, Pſal. 49.9. Not from death, Luke 12.15.
2 Not from eternal, Prov. 11.4. Luke 16.24.
The ſerious conſideration of theſe things would teach us,
1 Not to ſet our affections upon them, Prov. 23.5.
2 Not to labour immoderately after them, Iſa. 55.2.
3 Not to venture upon any ſin for the obtaining of them, Act. 8.20. Heb. 11.25.
4 Not to omit any duty for fear of loſing them, Dan. 6.10.