A Treatise of Self-Denial, Chapter 4 · Section 2 · Subsection 2 · Sub-subsection 9 – Sub-subsection 10
The Ninth Direction.
9 Take heed of being under the power of any thing. This was Pauls reſolution, All things are lawful for mee, but I will not be brought under the power of any thing, 1 Cor. 6.12.
Two ſorts there bee that are under the power of things indifferent.
1 Such as think they may not be without them, but are bound in conſcience alwaies to make uſe of them, ſuppoſing that otherwiſe they ſhould not ſtand faſt in their Chriſtian liberty, and therefore will make uſe of them at all times, and in all places, and companies, without any regard to the conſciences of their weak brethren, who are thereby offended.
2 Such as think they cannot bee without them, but muſt needs have them, or elſe they can take no comfort or contentment in their lives. There is a great deal of difference betwixt theſe two, the former ſort think they may not, and ſo put a pretence of duty upon the uſe of them, theſe think they cannot, and ſo make it a matter of neceſſity. It is a flattering kinde of tyranny that under pretence of neceſſity ſeizeth on ſuch men. It is true wee are made under the power of ſome things, Lege naturae, by the Law of nature, but there are other things that wee are under, Lege peccati & mortis, onelyonly by the Law of ſin and death. To eat, and drink, and cloath our ſelves, and now and then to recreate our ſelves, &c. Theſe are things the Law of nature bindes us to, but that wee muſt have meat and drink of ſuch ſeveral ſorts, and cloathing of ſuch faſhions, or elſe wee cannot enjoy our ſelves, this is not from the Law of nature, but ſin; It is onelyonly from our own luſts that wee are under the power of theſe things. And while wee cannot deny our ſelves in theſe trifles, how do wee think wee ſhall ever bee able to deny our ſelves in things of greater concernment? Self-denial muſt bee univerſal, which cannot bee, ſo long as wee are under the power of any thing indifferent. Wee may uſe them, but firſt wee muſt endeavour to bring them under our power. Wee are never fit to uſe any thing that wee are ſlaves to. Wee ſay of fire, That it is a good ſervant, but a bad Maſter; ſo wee may truly ſay of theſe things, they are good while they bee our ſervants, but bad when they become our Maſters. This was one of the vanities that Solomon obſerved, Eccleſ. 10.7. That ſervants did ride upon horſes, and Princes walke as ſervants upon the earth. To ſee beggarly rudiments, beggarly elements of meats and drinks, &c. (as the Apoſtle calls them) be-jading Princelyſouls, this is not onelyonly vanity, but vexation of ſpirit to behold. Theſe things were made to bee our ſervants, and wee to bee the ſervants of God onelyonly; but man having revolted from his Creator, is become a ſubject, nay a ſlave to the creatures. It was the curſe upon Canaan, Gen. 9.25. A ſervant of ſervants ſhall hee bee, and this curſe they lye under that are ſervants to the creatures. This is the vileſt ſervitude that is, a man may bee in other ſervice, and yet Chriſts free-man, but ſo hee cannot bee in this; No man can ſerve two Maſters, as Chriſt himſelf hath told us, Matth. 6.24. Wee cannot ſerve God and Mammon. The Church in the Revelation, is deſcribed to bee cloathed with the Sun, and having the Moon under her feet, Rev. 12.1. The Moon is the emblem of all things here below, and wee ſhould labour to bee above them, above them in our love and deſire, our delight, and our converſation; this is to overcome the world, yea to reign over it. Let us labour to bee at an indifferency for the having, or wanting of theſe things which periſh with the uſing. I have learned in all eſtates to bee content (ſaith Paul) I know how to bee abaſed, and how to abound, how to bee full, and to bee hungry, both to abound, and to ſuffer need. Till wee learn this, wee ſhall never bee able to deny our ſelves.
The Tenth Direction.
10 Keep under your bodies.
This was Pauls practice, 1 Cor. 9.27. So fight I, not as one that beateth the ayre, but I keep under my body, and bring it into ſubjection. Herein conſiſts a principal part of Self-denial. The Grace of the Goſpel teacheth us to deny all ungodlineſs, and to live ſoberly, Tit. 2.11. that is, to moderate our appetite after meats and drinks. The body muſt have its due, ſo much as will make it ſerviceable to the ſoul, but not too much, for then it will not bee in ſubjection to the ſoul, but uſurp an uncontroulable power over it. There is a mutual ſympathy betwixt the ſoul and the body, and the ſoul too often ſympathizeth with the body, and follows the temper of it, eſpecially when it is pampered, when it is ſtuffed with thoſe things that provoke and ſtir up luſt. A man that is cholerick is diſpoſed to paſſion, another that is ſanguine to wantonneſs, another that is melancholick to diſcontent, &c. Every man if he know himſelf will finde, that in reſpect of the temper and conſtitution of his body, hee is more or leſs inclined to ſome peculiar kinde of ſin, or other. Now in this caſe the way to deny ones ſelf, is not onelyonly to work by ſpiritual arguments upon the minde, but to endeavour to alter the temper of the body, by with-holding as much as may bee whatſoever may feed that humour that is predominant in it to the prejudice of the minde. Here then that advice of the Apoſtle is good, Not to make proviſion for the fleſh to fulfil the luſts thereof, Rom. 13. ult. The body is the ſouls inſtrument, if it have according to its luſts, it will bee altogether unſerviceable, and then though the ſoul have never ſo much skill, it will accompliſh nothing worthy of Self. If the organ bee out of tune, the Muſitian can make no melody. There is a proportionable allowance of meats and exerciſe for the body, which (if it have) render it more able to attend the ſoul, and ſerve it in its nobleſt operations, but when this proportion is exceeded, it hath the quite contrary effect. Beware therefore of too much indulgence to the fleſh, you will never bee able to deny the luſts of the minde, while you cannot deny the luſts of the fleſh, and its juſt with God that our ſouls ſhould be in ſubjection to our bodies, when wee endeavour not to keep our bodies in ſubjection to our ſouls.