CHAPTER XXXVII – 20. Natural life to be denied
found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; 1 Pet. 2:20–23.
Upon all these considerations, you may see that in the greatest afflictions or torments of the flesh, we have reason enough for the practice of self-denial: and therefore as Christ used Peter, when he persuaded him to have favoured himself, and to have avoided suffering, when it was necessary for us, bidding him, "Get behind me
Satan, thou art an offence to me, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men;" Matt. 16:23. So do you deal by carnal self, when it would persuade you to favour yourselves, and put by suffering by yielding to sin. Take this self to be but a satan to you, that savoureth not heavenly things but earthly, and command it to be silent, and to get behind you; and do not so much as make your flesh of your counsel, nor hearken to any of its advice, in case of suffering for Christ.
CHAPTER XXXVII
Natural Life to be Denied 20. BUT the greatest point of self-denial is yet behind: nothing is so near to self as life: nothing that nature doth so highly value, and dearly love, and tenderly look to, and unwillingly let go. And yet this also must be denied for Christ. All other parts of selfish interest are as it were summed up and contracted in this; and many a one can yield in other points that, when he comes to this, is utterly stalled, and will go away sorrowful, rather than follow Christ to the death.
Nothing in this world is so dear to natural man as his life; and,
therefore, death is a thing that he knows not how to choose, nor to submit to, if he could avoid it.
In three cases only, I remember that heathens themselves have chosen death. First, in case of some extreme torment or other misery, which they had no other hope to prevent or end. But this was but a choosing a speedier or easier death before a more grievous death, though remote; or before a death that had so great a misery for its forerunner; or at least before such a life as is a continual death. And so the conquered heathens would frequently kill themselves, to prevent a more dishonourable, cruel death, from the hand of the conqueror: and so many a one in incurable misery wisheth rather to die than endure it, partly because that the suffering is so great as to overcome all the comforts of life (for I yield that some degrees of misery with life are more terrible to nature than death); and partly, because that they know they must die at last however. Secondly, in a desire of fame, that they may leave behind them an honourable name when they are dead. But this is not to desire death but life. Fain they would live for ever; and because they know that it cannot be obtained (on earth), they had rather die some honourable death a little sooner, that their names may live when they are dead, than to die ignominiously shortly after. Thirdly: and some have chosen to die for the public good of their country; but as it is very uncertain whether the desire of a living name were not their greater motive, so it was but a choosing a present death for their country, before a later unavoidable death without any such advantage. In all these cases a natural man may venture on death that knows he cannot escape it long, but must shortly die whether he will or no; but if they could avoid it, there are very few would submit to death but believers, and none but in one of these cases:—1. To end
or avoid some extreme, intolerable, incurable misery. 2. To deliver their country or friends. 3. And whether any would do it upon their ungrounded hopes of better things in the life to come, I leave to consideration. But if it be taken for granted that a natural man may love—1, the comforts of life above itself; 2, and the good of his country, or the world; or his children, above his life; 3, or some carnal felicity falsely conceited to be had in another life: yet it is certain; that none but a sanctified believer can love God better than his life, or can prefer those spiritual, heavenly joys, which consist in the holy love and fruition of God, before his life; and therefore he that for these can deny his life, is indeed a Christian, and none but he. Though it be an ungrateful word to the ears of some, I must say it again, and none but he; for this is the very point in which Christ, for instance, doth put our self-denial to the trial, "he that will save his life, shall lose it." Whether you love an immortal, holy life with God, or this earthly, fleshly life better, is the great question on which it will be resolved whether you are Christians or infidels at the heart, and whether you are heirs of heaven or hell. Some love to God may be in the unsanctified, but not a love to him above their lives; and in some cases they may submit to death, but not for the love of God. But both these set together, that is, a submitting to death for the love of God, or a loving of God above this life, is the most infallible proof of your sincerity.
I confess flesh and blood must needs think this is a very hard saying; and though they might consent to acknowledge it a duty, and a reasonable thing to die for Christ and a note of excellency, and a commendable qualification of some few extraordinary saints, yet it goeth very hardly down with them that it should be the lowest measure of saving grace, and that the weakest Christian must have it
that will be saved: for, say they; what can the strongest do more than die for Christ? But to this I answer, 1. There is no room for objections against so plain a word of God. It is the wisdom of God, and not our reason, that disposeth of the crown of life; and therefore it is his wisdom, and not our reason, must determine by what we shall attain it. And if God say plainly, that "if any man come to Christ, and hate not his own life (that is, love it not so much less than Christ, that for his sake he can use it as a hated thing is used), he cannot be his disciple" (Luke 14:26), it is too late for the vote of man, or all the clamour of foolish reason, to recall this resolution. The word of God will stand when they have talked against it never so long: we may destroy ourselves by dashing against it, but we cannot destroy or frustrate it. 2. And whereas men ask, what can the strongest do more than die for Christ? I answer, abundance more: they can die for him with far greater love, and zeal, and readiness, and joy, than the weak can do, and so bring much more honour to him by their death.
Though there be no higher way of outward expressing our love to Christ, than by dying for him; yet the inward work of love may be in very different degrees, in persons that use the same expression of it.
Some may come to the stake with a little love, comparatively, and some with fervent, hot affections: some have much ado to yield to die, and some die so cheerfully, that they rejoice in the opportunity of honouring God, and passing to him. Yea, and in the expressions there is much difference in the manner: some give up themselves with so much readiness, as works more on the standers by, than their mere patience, or the death itself. And some are drawn so hardly to it, as drowneth much of the honour and fruit of their martyrdom. Of this, read Mr. Pink's sermon on Luke 14:26.
Object. 'But nature is of God, and nature teacheth us to love and save our lives: and is it like that the God of nature will command and teach us to cast them away, and so contradict his own law of nature?'
Answ. 1. As nature teacheth you to love your lives, so God doth not forbid you. But, 2. Is it natural to man to be reasonable, as well as to be sensitive and animate? To have a reasonable soul, as to have a temporal life? 3. And doth not reason tell us by the light of nature, that God should be loved better than our lives? If it did not, yet by the help of supernatural light, even reason clearly tells us this; and it is no contradiction for God to tell you, 'love your lives, but love him better.' And he that bids you seek the preservation of your lives, doth plainly except, that you resign them to his dispose, and that you seek not to save them from him when he commandeth you to lay them down. So that it is not simply against nature, to consent to die; but when it is for him that is the Lord and end of life, it is agreeable to nature; that is, though it be against our natural inclination, as we are animate and sensitive, yet it is agreeable to our true nature as reasonable. And therefore lay all together, and it is to be said to be agreeable to nature simply in in such a case, because it is agreeable to the principal part in nature which should be predominant: it is agreeable to nature also, that reason should dispose of the inferior powers of the soul.
Object. 'But when you have said all that you can, as long as you plead against my nature, I cannot consent to what you say; words are but wind. To persuade me to consent to die, is as much as to persuade me not to feel when I am hurt, or to be hungry, thirsty, or sleepy, which are not in my power, because these things are natural.'
Answ. 1. Though hunger and thirst, and other natural and sensitive appetites and passions, be not in your power, yet a consent of the will to deny these is in your power. As natural as it is to hunger and thirst, your superior faculty of reason can prevail with you to suffer hunger and thirst in a siege or sickness, when the suffering of it will save your life. You will be ruled by your physician to forbear not only many a dish, but many a meal which your appetite desireth; and your reason can persuade you to suffer the opening of a vein, and the drawing out of your own blood, yea, or the cutting off a member, when it is to save your life; for all that feeling and self-love is natural to you. And you are not acquainted with the nature of friendship, if you would not suffer much for a friend; nor with humane affections, if you would not suffer much for parents, or children, or your country; so that your will is free though your sense be not free, nor your natural appetite. Though you cannot choose but feel when you are hurt, you might consent to that feeling for a greater good. 2. And according to the tenour of this objection, you may as wisely and honestly plead for most of the wickedness of the world, and say, 'it is natural to me to lust, and therefore I may play the adulterer and fulfil it. It is natural to me to desire meat and drink, and therefore I may eat and drink as long as I desire it. It is natural to me to seek to hurt those that I am angry with, or hate; and therefore I may beat or kill them.' If you must deny the passions and sensitive appetite, and the inferior faculties of nature in one thing, why not in another? These lower powers are made to be ruled by reason, as beasts are made to be ruled by men, and more; and therefore, seeing this argument from nature is but from the brutish part of nature, it is but a brutish argument. And if yet you say, that for all these words, death is so great an enemy to you, that you cannot choose it: I answer, that is