SELF-DENTAL and bear whatsoever a ba of an earthen or wooden vere, troubles that befall. Wege be defaced, it doth greatly afte own eves, the more unmoved we ach is made upon us. Was God, or cavil at the ways of glad when we are weak, and you are strong." calamities of clapped? did seize the timb zi did? stone ever m myself wise enough to the will of, my master? x too delicate to bear Ao the work, which Tefore him? Did ever lay on sphere, ted a kind of ut things will move ove upward, to preserve a rupture. And he hath plantal in very heathen men, whereby safety and interest above themselves. .ed the man who would have dissuaded gupon a public but dangerous expedition, st ut eam, non ut vivam." But we are never ut of ourselves, till Christ hath taken the spoils of did . divided all that is in us, unto himself and his church; b enabled us, when Satan calls upon wit to be wanton or currilous,―upon reason, to be proud and heretical,—upon will, to be stubborn and froward,-upon passion, to be disorderly and violent,-upon power, to be insolent and injurious, -upon wisdom, to be cunning and crooked,-upon learning, to be flatulent and airy,-upon wealth, to be luxurious,upon greatness of mind, to be ambitious, or the like;-to answer, “I am neither yours, nor mine own; I am bought with a price; and his I am, who so dearly bought me. He denied himself to purchase me: I will deny myself to serve him. I will not be so unwise as to lose my soul, by being unthankful for the saving of it; or to forfeit Christ, by serving his enemy, and so ruin myself." I have done with the ་་ ich respects us as the people of Christ; and, place, to the other, which concerns us as SELF-DENIAL. isters ranches: 1. That we should pray actise, this excellent duty. For t and bear whatsoever affliction God shall lay ess we value ourselves, the better able shall y troubles he defaced, it doth greatly affect us. wn eyes, the more unmoved we ch is made upon us. an earthen or wooden vessel: but d, or cavil at the ways of es that befall us. We are no Who yself wise enough to ill of, my master? delicate to bear work, which im? Did same on 's seriously consider, is more dangerous to the than private self-seekel will spoil the moin a lute, which unharmonious et ne self-seek, and a Babyloef upon the whole ever obstruct public undred talents?" will be a ssary resolution. It was prioppress Israel, that they might potent a people. (Exod. i. 10) It 4 nade Jeroboam set up the calves at Dan unity of worship should reduce the ten Mouse of David again. (1 Kings xii. 26, 27, 28) vate interest made the Jews crucify the Lord of C "If we let this man alone, the Romans will come and roy our place and nation;" (John xi. 48) for indeed, here was a public fame and expectation of a great Prince to arise out of Judea, who was to rule over all the world; which the Romans blindly believe was made good, when Vespasian, who had been the præfectus of that province, came to the empire. It was private interest made Demetrius and the craftsmen cry up Diana, and cry down the gospel. (Acts xix. 24, 27) As little ditches, joined to the sides of a great river, will draw it away from its own channel; or as a wen, or some other unnatural excrescence, will suck away unto itself nourishment from the whole body. 2. On the other hand, that self-denial is an admirable preparation unto great services: the more low and useless we are in our own eyes, the fitter we are to be employed by God, e Percrebuerat Oriente toto vetus et constans opinio, esse in fatis, ut, co tempore, Judeâ profecti rerum potirentur: Suet. in Vespasiano, cap. 4. us, and, in no service of his, to confer with flesh or blood. This is the highest and noblest disposition of a child of God, and that wherein he most resembleth Christ, to exclude and prescind all self-respects in every thing, wherein his master is to be served and glorified. Self-seeking ever proceeds from lowness of mind. The more truly and spiritually noble any man is, the more public-spirited for God's honour, and the good of church and state. Look among the creatures, and you will ever find, that those who live only to and for themselves, are either base or wild, mean, or tyrannical. Worms, caterpillars, weasels, mice, rats, live and eat only for themselves; this is their baseness. Lions, wolves, leopards, tigers, prey and raven only for themselves; they plough not your land, carry not your burdens, submit not to your commands; this is their wildness. But the noblest creatures, as sun, moon, stars, have spheres of activity, wherein they work for the public good; and the more large their sphere, the more noble their nature. God hath planted a kind of natural self-denial in all creatures. Light things will move downward, and heavy things will move upward, to preserve thecompages' of nature from a rupture. And he hath planted a kind of moral self-denial in very heathen men, whereby they prefer the public safety and interest above themselves. As Pompey answered the man who would have dissuaded him from going upon a public but dangerous expedition, "Necesse est ut eam, non ut vivam." But we are never enough out of ourselves, till Christ hath taken the spoils of us, and divided all that is in us, unto himself and his church; and enabled us, when Satan calls upon wit to be wanton or scurrilous, upon reason, to be proud and heretical,-upon will, to be stubborn and froward,-upon passion, to be disorderly and violent,-upon power, to be insolent and injurious, -upon wisdom, to be cunning and crooked,-upon learning, to be flatulent and airy,-upon wealth, to be luxurious,upon greatness of mind, to be ambitious, or the like;-to answer, “I am neither yours, nor mine own; I am bought with a price; and his I am, who so dearly bought me. He denied himself to purchase me: I will deny myself to serve him. I will not be so unwise as to lose my soul, by being unthankful for the saving of it; or to forfeit Christ, by serving his enemy, and so ruin myself." I have done with the exhortation, which respects us as the people of Christ; and, come, in the last place, to the other, which concerns us as his disciples and ministers. It consisteth of two branches: 1. That we should pray for, 2. That we would practise, this excellent duty. For motives unto both which, let us seriously consider, 1. That nothing of the world, is more dangerous to the public welfare of states or churches, than private self-seeking. One false tooth or notch in a wheel will spoil the motion of an exquisite instrument. One string in a lute, which hath a private tune of its own, dissonant and unharmonious to all the rest, will corrupt the whole music. One self-seeker, who would be baited with a wedge of gold, and a Babylonish garment, had almost brought mischief upon the whole camp of Israel. Private interest will ever obstruct public duties; 'What shall I do for the hundred talents? will be a strong objection against a necessary resolution. It was private interest made Pharaoh oppress Israel, that they might not grow too strong and potent a people. (Exod. i. 10) It was private interest made Jeroboam set up the calves at Dan and Bethel, lest unity of worship should reduce the ten tribes to the house of David again. (1 Kings xii. 26, 27, 28) It was private interest made the Jews crucify the Lord of glory; "If we let this man alone, the Romans will come and destroy our place and nation;" (John xi. 48) for indeed, there was a public fame and expectation of a great Prince to arise out of Judea, who was to rule over all the world; which the Romans blindly believe was made good, when Vespasian, who had been the præfectus of that province, came to the empire. It was private interest made Demetrius and the craftsmen cry up Diana, and cry down the gospel. (Acts xix. 24, 27) As little ditches, joined to the sides of a great river, will draw it away from its own channel; or as a wen, or some other unnatural excrescence, will suck away unto itself nourishment from the whole body. с 2. On the other hand, that self-denial is an admirable preparation unto great services: the more low and useless we are in our own eyes, the fitter we are to be employed by God, e Percrebuerat Oriente toto vetus et constans opinio, esse in fatis, ut, co tempore, Judeâ profecti rerum potirentur: Suet. in Vespasiano, cap. 4. who poureth the oil of his grace, in vasa contrita,' into broken vessels. When God offered Moses to destroy Israel, and make of him a great nation, he hath no heart to such a preferment; his magistrate affection to the people of God swallowed up his family affections, and all regard to all domestical interests. (Exod. xxxii. 10, 11) So Joshua his successor divided the land of Canaan amongst the tribes, and had no portion allotted for himself till the public was served, and that by the care of the people. (Josh. xix. 48) When the people of God were afflicted in Nehemiah's time, he was so far from adding thereunto by any act of oppression or violence, that he remitted much of his own right, "and refused to eat the bread of the governor." (Neh. v. 14) Solomon prays not for riches, revenge, or any matter of private advantage; but for a public grace, the spirit of wisdom for government. (1 Kings iii. 9) He had the heart of a governor before; and that taught him to pray for the head of a governor too. How low was David in his own eyes, when God took him to feed his people! "Who am I? what is my father's house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ?" (2 Sam. vii. 28) How doth Moses, even to a sinful modesty, under-rate himself, when he is to be employed in a great service! “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh? I am not eloquent; I am of a slow speech, and a slow tongue." (Exod. iii. 11, and iv. 10) It is true, there was, in this declining of his, something of self hid in his heart, to wit, the fear of enemies; which God took notice of, when he tells him, “The men are dead, which sought thy life;" (Chron. iv. 19) yet I doubt not but Moses did truly conceive of his unfitness for that service, as he spake. So Isaiah, a great prophet; "Woe is me, I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips." (Isai. vi. 5) So Paul, "I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, injurious; and yet I obtained mercy," the mercy of pardon, the mercy of employment; mercy to be a saint, mercy to be an apostle. "Greatest of sinners, less than the least of saints;"-and yet that apostle "laboured more abundantly than all the rest." (1 Cor. xv. 10) Before we use great timber in buildings, we lay it out in the wind and sun, to draw out all its own natural moistness. Before we use brick, we fetch out the softness of the clay, which it hath of itself, and harden it in a furnace, that it may be fit for ser 66 |