CHAPTER LXXIII – Ten directions to obtain self-denial
willed, and self-lovers, and self-seekers, and know not how to deny yourselves. Must self be so regarded and tenderly used? Take heed, you may have enough of self with everlasting vengeance, if God once give you over to yourselves, and say of you as of them: "But my people would not hearken unto my voice; and Israel would none of me: So I gave them up to their own hearts' lusts, and they walked in their own counsels;" Psal. 81:11, 12. So much for the aggravations.
CHAPTER LXXIII
Ten Directions to get Self-denial IV. I COME now to the last part of my task, which is to tell you what course you should take to procure self-denial. For though it be the gift of God, yet there are certain means appointed us for the attainment of it, and God useth to give it men in the use of his means, and by those means must it be confirmed and continued.
Direct. 1. 'Set faith a work upon the promises of God and upon everlasting life;' for the flesh will not be taken off these lower things, till you have found out better, and such as will be sure to save you harmless. The most covetous man will let go silver, if he might have gold instead of it. Set faith a pleading the case with the flesh; and urge your own hearts with the certainty, the nearness, the glory, the eternity of the kingdom which by self-denial you may attain; and if they will not yield to such a change as this, they are unreasonable, unbelieving hearts.
Direct. 2. 'Never be deluded to forget the vanity, the brevity and, the emptiness and insufficiency of all these earthly things, which self so
adhereth to, as to neglect the promised life of blessedness. Acquaint your own hearts what a nothing it is that they make so much of, and follow so greedily, and hold so fast; shew them in the sanctuary the glass of the word of God, which will tell them what will be the end of all, and where all their worldly prosperity will leave them. Ask your hearts, 'Can I keep these things for ever, or not? If not, is it not better let them go for something, than for nothing? and to part with them as a child, at the command of my heavenly Father, than to part with them as a thief doth with his prize, at the gallows? Is it not better let them go to ease me, and to secure my eternal peace, than let them go to wound me and torment me? And while I keep them, what will they do for me, that I should buy them at so dear a rate? O how dear must
I pay for my ease, and honour, and gluttony, and drunkenness, and sensual delights, if I part not with them when God commandeth!
How cheap is a holy, blessed life, in comparison of this which I must pay so dear for!'
Direct. 3. To promote your self-denial, 'Consider frequently and seriously, who God is, and to what end he made, redeemed, sustaineth, and governeth the world: and then bethink you, whether it be meet that this glorious God should be neglected, and frustrated of the end of all these works!' and whether any thing besides him be fit to be the creature's end. You think it meet that every workman should have the use of his own work. Doth any man make a house for its own sake, or for his use to dwell in? Is it for the thing's sake that any man makes an instrument; or for his service by it? Do you think that God made you for yourselves, and not for himself and service?
Give therefore to God the things that are God's: all souls are his, and therefore all should acknowledge him, and submit to his dispose and pleasure. Shall the pot quarrel with the potter, or claim title to itself,
and say, 'I am mine own?' It is against the clearest reason in the world, that any but the Creator, Redeemer and Preserver of the world should be Lord, and the Governor, and the End of it; and that men should prefer themselves before him.
Direct. 4. 'Moreover, it will further your self-denial to remember what you will get by selfishness.' God will have his ends and honour out of you one way or other, whether you will or no: he will have your goods from you, and your lives from you; and the faster you hold them, the more you will suffer when he wringeth them out of your hands. The most covetous man would part with his money to buy a lordship, if he knew it would else be taken from him. A worldly treasure is obnoxious to rust, and moths, and thieves; and if you exchange it not for the heavenly treasure in time, and remove not your riches to the world that you must for ever live in, what will you do when you must remove yourselves? And all your self-denial is but such an exchange or removal which all should be glad of, that know they must be gone themselves. Nay, more, consider still that selfishness makes you an idol to yourself, and therefore you do but set up yourselves as a mark for the jealous God to shoot at, and every hour you have reason to expect, that the terrible hand of Justice should lay hold upon you, and try you at the bar of that God whose prerogative you did usurp.
Direct. 5. 'And it may much further your self-denial to take a considerate survey of the world, and see but what self-seeking hath already done, and is still doing in it.' What a doleful sight of wickedness, confusion and misery must you see, which way ever you look: and all is most evidently the fruit of selfishness. Methinks it should awaken every sober man against it, that doth but observe
what work it hath made; that seeth families disordered and ruined by it; neighbours set in dissension by it; churches divided by it; religion dishonoured by it; and multitudes of them that seem to be religious, to be so lamentably deceived and enslaved by it. Princes and great men blinded by it; judges and learned men befooled by it; and the nations of the world almost all set together by the ears by it: so that it hath turned the world into the confusion of Babel, that no man can understand a word of the language that tendeth to unity, peace and building up. Princes understand it not: too many preachers understand it not; but the language of scorn, and strife, and dissension they understand: so that the world is cast all into a hurlyburly, and every man's hand is against his brother when he scarce knows why. No church or state can stand without disturbance; no truths without contradiction. Under pretence of coming in to Christ, they are busily uncovering his house, when the door is wide open, and there are more to invite them than to hinder them. Methinks as a man that observeth the carriage of madmen or drunken men, should never have any mind to be mad or drunken; so he that observeth but what self-seeking hath done in the world, should have little mind to be self-conceited, self-willed or self-seeking, but should love and honour self-denial.
Direct. 6. 'If you would promote self-denial, keep with you the continual feeling of your own unworthiness and insufficiency.' No man will trust upon a broken staff if he know it; nor be so foolish as to go about to walk upon the water, which he knows will not bear him. One would think this should be an easy and an effectual remedy. Should it not be easy for such wretched sinners as we, to carry about with us a sense of our unworthiness? For such lepers to carry about us a sense of our uncleanness? Methinks so many and
great diseases should make us feel them. O then consider, as creatures, you are utterly insufficient for yourselves; and as sinners, much more. God never made you to live upon, or to yourselves; or without him, or without the help of others. There are few beasts when they are first brought forth into the world, but are more able to help themselves than man; when he is newly born he can do nothing to help himself. And when he comes to age, he is naturally formed to a sociable life; so that if he should retire from the world, and live only by and of himself, he would soon find what it is to be selfish: much more if he be left to himself by God, or forsake God, and trust to and depend upon himself. But if ever innocent man had been sufficient for himself; yet sinful man can have no pretence to such a privilege, while he beareth about him so many convincing evidences of the contrary every day. Do you not feel sin as a heavy burden pressing you down, and perceive how easily it entangleth and besetteth you? sure you do, if you be not past feeling. And do you not know enough of the nature and desert of sin, to drive you out of yourselves, and bring you to him that calleth the weary and heavy laden to come to him for ease and rest; Matt. 11:28. Do you not feel a continual burden of infirmities? and doth not experience tell you that you are not sufficient to relieve yourselves in any pain or sickness that doth befal you? You cannot support yourselves a moment; you are still in the hands of that invisible God whom you abuse by your self-seeking.
You would drop into hell if he withdrew the hand of his patience and support, as sure as a stone would fall to the earth that were loose in the air! As truly as the earth beareth you, so truly doth he bear the earth and you. It is easier for houses, and towns, and mountains to stand in the air without the earth, than for you, or any thing, to subsist a moment without the Lord. Who keeps your heart and pulse
still beating, and your blood and spirits in continual motion, and warm in your veins? Is it God, or you? Who is it that causeth your lungs to breathe, your stomach to turn your meat to nourishment; and that nourishment into blood, and spirits, and strength? Is it God, or you? Who is it that causeth the sun to rise upon you in the morning to light you to your labours, and to set upon you at night, that the curtains of darkness may be drawn about you, and you may quietly repose yourselves to rest? Who giveth you strength to labour in the day, and refresheth you with sleep at night, and provideth all the creatures for your assistance? Is it you or God? O sirs, methinks such silly worms, that cannot live a minute of themselves, and cannot fetch a breath of themselves, should easily see that they should not live to themselves, but to him from whom and by whom they live.
Direct. 7. 'If you would live in self-denial, be sure that you keep the mastery of your senses:' and do not let them be ungoverned, but shut them up when reason doth require it. It is your appetite and senses that feed this carnal, selfish vice; but reason and faith are both against it. Whenever you consult with sense, you may know what brutish advice you may expect. Ask not therefore what is delightful, nor what is for your carnal ease and peace; but what is necessary to please the Lord, and for your everlasting peace. And if the tempter tell you, 'This is the easier and the broader way;' tell him that it is not the honester nor the safer way: and the question is not, which is the fairest way? but, which is the way to heaven? It is better go the hardest way to glory, than the smoothest to damnation. If you cannot keep under your sensitive appetite, and subdue the eager desires of the flesh, and learn to want, as well as to abound; to be empty, as well as to be full; you will never attain to self-denial.
Direct. 8. 'To promote your self-denial, methinks it should be effectual to understand the great advantage that you have by the communion and society which you enter into when you deny yourselves.' Though a prince or lord would he loath to enter into a college, or monastery, where there is no propriety, and yet withal, no care or want; yet a poor labouring man, or a beggar would be glad of such a life. So you that cannot live of yourselves, methinks should be glad of such a community.
1. Consider that the Lord Jesus is the Head of the society, who hath undertaken to make provision for the whole, and is engaged for their security, and to save them harmless: and all the riches of his grace and love belong to that society, and will be yours; which is more than all that you can part with of your own, yea more than all the treasures of the world. It is therefore the noblest and richest society in the world that you shall live in communion with, if you will deny yourselves.
2. And the saints that are the members of that society are the brethren of Christ and the heirs of heaven. And all these are your brethren; endeared in special love to you, engaged to assist you, by prayers, and counsel, and pains, and purse, and every way that they can; so that well might Christ say that he that forsaketh any thing for him, shall receive even a hundredfold in this life, and in the world to come eternal life. For this one sorry self that you forsake, and its poor accommodations, you have God for your Father, and Christ for your Head, and the Holy Ghost for your Sanctifier and Comforter, and the Scripture for your guide, and saints for your brethren, companions and assistants, engaged to you in truer and dearer love than your unsanctified friends, that cast you off for the sake of
Christ. And had you rather be toiling and caring for yourselves, than let go self, and enter into so blessed a community, where you may cast all your care away upon God, who hath promised to care for you; and may feed yourselves in the daily delightful forethoughts of life eternal?
Direct. 9. 'And methinks it should much promote your self-denial, to study well the self-denying example of Christ, and his eminent servants that have trod in his steps.' Christ had no sinful self to deny, nor any corrupted flesh to mortify or subdue. And yet he had a selfdenial in which we must imitate him; "For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me;" Rom. 15:3. We are told therefore by Christ's example, that it is not only the pleasing of self as corrupted by sin, but also a pleasing of natural self, in things where God may lay a restraint upon it, or put it to the trial, that we must avoid, and in which we must deny ourselves: even as Adam was to have denied his natural appetite before sin had corrupted it; and Christ had an innocent natural will, of which yet he saith, "Not my will, but thine be done." His whole life was a wonderful example of self-denial: he lived in a low estate, and denied himself of the glory and riches of the world, and "became poor, though he were Lord of all, that by his poverty we might be made rich;" 2 Cor. 8:9. He lived under the reproach of sinners; of sinners that he created; of sinners whom he died for. He would wear no crown, but a crown of thorns; he would wear no robes, but the robes of their reproach; he yielded his cheeks to be smitten, and his face to be spit upon by the vilest sinners, whom he could with a word have turned into hell. And at last he gave himself for us on the cross, in suffering a reproachful, cursed death;
Heb. 7:27. Tit. 2:14. Ephes. 5:2. 25. Gal. 1:4. And can you read such
an example of self-denial, given you by the Lord of glory, and not be transformed into the image of it? I think the study of a self-denying
Christ, is one of the most excellent helps to self-denial. Take it from the apostle himself; "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves: look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: wherefore God also hath highly exalted him;" Phil. 2:2–8.
"Look therefore unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds;" Heb. 12:2–4.
Direct. 10. But the greatest help to self-denial, is, 'To retire from the creature unto God, and live in the love of him, and employ the soul continually upon him.' Men will not be frightened from self-love. It must be another more powerful love that must draw them from it: and that can be none but the love of God. When you have soundly discerned a surer friend than self, a wiser, a better, an abler governor and defender, and one that much more deserveth all your love and care; then you will turn away from self, and never till then. See therefore that you espouse no interest but God's; and then you will have nothing to call you from him. Let love so close you with him,
and unite you to him, that you may know no happiness but his love and glory, and see with no other light than his; and know no will but the will of God; nor meddle with any work, which, for matter and end, you cannot call the work of God. Then you have indeed denied yourselves, when you are nothing, have nothing, and do nothing, but as from God, and by him and for him. Own not any self but in and for God, and then you may love and seek it freely; for this is to be called a loving and seeking of God, and not of self. Own not any knowledge, but that which is from the light of God, by his word, works, Spirit and ordinances, and which leadeth you to God in holiness and peace, and guideth you in his service, and then you need not condemn yourselves of self conceitedness, or a selfish understanding. Know not any will in yourselves, but that which is caused by the will of God, and directed by it, and intended to fulfil it; so that you may be able to say of every desire of your soul, I desire this, because that God would have me desire it, and I am resolved to follow his will in the seeking of it, and the end of my desire is, that I may please him, and his will may be done, and then you may say, you have conquered self-will. O see then that you be more with God; and study his mind and will, his excellency, sufficiency, and love, and remember that you are a dependent being, that are nothing but in and by him, and therefore should know no interest but him and his interest, nor possess any thing but for him, nor know any will or way but his will and way, and so let his be yours, and yours be his, by a holy resignation, conformity and subserviency unto his; and this is the true rectitude and holiness of man, this is a finding ourselves by losing ourselves, and the only saving and exalting of ourselves, by denying ourselves.
Nothing but the light of God will master self-conceitedness; and nothing but the love of God will overcome self-love; and nothing but