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49 - Self-denial - Sermons on Several Occasions · Sacred Texts Archive

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Self denial, and he said to them all, if any man will come
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after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and
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follow me. Look Chapter nine, verse twenty three. It has been frequently
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imagined that the direction here given related chiefly, if not wholly, to the
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apostles, at least to the Christians of the First Aegis, or those in
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a state of persecution. But this is a grievous mistake. For although our
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blessed Lord is here directing his discourse more immediately to his apostles and those other
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disciples who attend him in the days of his flesh, yet in them he
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speaks to us and to all mankind, without any exception or limitation. The
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very reason of the thing puts it beyond dispute that the duty which is here
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enjoined is not peculiarly to them or to the Christians of the early ages.
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It no more regards any particular order of men or particular time, than any
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particular country. No, it is of the most universal nature, respecting all
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times and all persons. Yea, in all things, not meets and drinks
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only, and things pertaining to the senses. The meaning is if any man
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of whatever rank, station circumstances in any nation, in any age of the
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world, will effectually come after me. Let him deny himself in all things,
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Let him take up his cross of whatever kind yea, and that daily,
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and follow me. The denying ourselves and the taking up our cross,
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in the full extent of the expression, is not a thing of small concern.
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It is not expedient only, as are some of the circumstantials of religion.
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But it is absolutely indispensably necessary either to our becoming or continuing his disciples.
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It is absolutely necessary in the very nature of the thing to our coming
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after him and following him. Is so much that as far as we do
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not practice it, we are not his disciples. If we do not continually
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deny ourselves, we do not learn of Him, but of other masters.
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If we do not take up our cross daily, we do not come after
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Him, but after the world, or the Prince of the world, or
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our own fleshly mind. We are not walking in the way of the Cross.
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We are not following him. We are not treading in his steps,
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but going back from, or at least wide of him. It is for
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this reason that so many ministers of Christ, in almost every age and nation,
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particularly since the Reformation of the Church, from the innovations and corruptions gradually
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crept into it, have wrote and spoke so largely on this important duty,
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both in their public discourses and private exhortations. This induced them to disperse abroad
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many tracks upon the subject, and some in our own nation. They knew,
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both from the oracles of God and from the testimony of their own experience,
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how impossible it was to deny our Master unless we will deny ourselves,
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and how vainly we attempt to follow him that was crucified, unless we take
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up our cross daily. But may not this very consideration make it reasonable to
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inquire, if much has been said and wrote on the subject already, what
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need is there to say or write any more? I answer, there are
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no inconsiderable numbers, even of people fearing God, who have not had the
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opportunity either of hearing what has been spoke or reading what has been wrote upon
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it. And perhaps if they had read much of what has been written,
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they would not have been so much profited. Many who have wrote, some
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of them large volumes, do by no means appear to have understood the subject.
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Either they had imperfect views of the very nature of it, and then
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they could never explain it to others, or they were unacquainted with the due
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extent of it, they did not see how exceeding broad this command is,
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or they were not sensible of the absolute, the indispensable necessity of it.
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Others speak of it in so dark, so perplexed, so intricate, so
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mystical a manner, as if they designed rather to conceal it from the vulgar
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than to explain it too common readers. Others speak admirably well, with great
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clearness and strength, on the necessity of self denial. But then they deal
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in generals only, without coming to particular instances, and so are of little
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use to the bulk of mankind, to men of ordinary capacity and education.
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And if some of them do descend to particulars, it is to those particulars
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only which do not affect the generality of men, since they seldom, if
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ever occur in common life, such as the enduring imprisonment or tortures, the
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giving up in a literal sense, their houses or lands, their husbands or
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wives, children, or life itself, to none of which we are called,
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nor are likely to be, unless God should permit times of public persecution
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to return in the meantime. I know of no writer in the English tongue
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who has described the nature of self denial in plain and intelligible terms such as
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lie level with common understandings and applied to those little particulars which daily occur in
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common life. A discourse of this kind is wanted still, and it is
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wanted the more because, in every stage of the spiritual life, although there
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is a variety of particular hindrances of our attaining grace or growing therein, yet
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are all resolvable into these general ones. Either we do not deny ourselves,
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or we do not take up our cross. In order to supply this defect
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in some degree, I shall endeavor to show first what it is for a
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man to deny himself and what to take up his cross, And secondly that
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if a man be not fully Christ's disciple, it is always Owing to the
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want of this, I shall first endeavor to show what it is for a
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man to deny himself and take up his cross daily. This is a point
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which is of all others, most necessary to be considered and thoroughly understood.
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Even on this account that it is of all others, most opposed by numerous
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and powerful enemies. All our nature must certainly rise up against this, even
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in its own defense the world. Consequently, the men who take nature not
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grace for their guide, abhor the very sound of it, and the great
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enemy of our souls, well knowing its importance, cannot but move every stone
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against it. But this is not all. Even those who have in some
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measure shaken off the yoke of the devil, who have experienced, especially of
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late years, a real work of grace in their hearts, yet are no
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friends to this grand doctrine of Christianity, though it is so peculiarly insisted on
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by their master. Some of them are as deeply and totally ignorant concerning it
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as if there was not one word about it in the Bible. Others are
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further off, still having unawares imbibed strong prejudices against it. These they have
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received partly from outside Christians, men of a fairer speech and behavior, who
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want nothing of Godliness but the power, nothing of religion but the spirit,
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and partly from those who did once. If they do not now taste of
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the powers of the world to come, are are there any of these who
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do not both practice self denial themselves and recommend it to others, You are
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little acquainted with mankind. If you doubt of this, There are whole bodies
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of men who only do not declare war against it. To go no further
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than London. Look upon the whole body of predestinarians, who, by the
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free mercy of God have lately been called out of the darkness of nature into
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the light of faith? Are they patterns of self denial? How few of
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them even profess to practice it at all? How few of them recommend it
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themselves or are pleased with them that do. Rather, do they not continually
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represent it in the most odious colors, as if it were seeking salvation by
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works, or seeking to establish our own righteousness? And how readily do Antinomians
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of all kinds, from the smooth Moravian to the boisterous falmouth ranter, join
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the cry with their silly, unmeaning cant of legality and preaching the law.
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Therefore, you are in constant danger of being wheedled, hectored, or ridiculed
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out of this important Gospel doctrine, either by false teachers or false brethren,
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more or less beguiled from the simplicity of the Gospel. If you are not
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deeply grounded therein let fervent prayer. Then go before accompany and follow what you
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are now about to read, that it may be written in your heart by
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the finger of God, so as never to be erased. But what is
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self denial? Wherein are we to deny ourselves? And whence does the necessity
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of this arise? I answer? The will of God is the supreme,
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unalterable rule for every intelligent creature, equally binding every angel in heaven and every
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man upon earth. Nor can it be otherwise. This is the natural,
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necessary result of the religetion between creatures and their creator. But if the will
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of God be our one rule of action in everything great and small, it
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follows by undeniable consequence, that we are not to do our own will in
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anything. Here therefore we see at once the nature with the ground and reason
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of self denial. We see the nature of self denial. It is the
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denying or refusing to follow our own will from a conviction that the will of
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God is the only rule of action to us. And we see the reason
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thereof because we are creatures, because it is He that hath made us,
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and not we ourselves. This reason for self denial must hold even with regard
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to the angels of God in heaven, and with regard to man, innocent
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and holy, as he came out of the hands of his creator. But
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a further reason for it arises from the condition wherein all men are since the
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fall. We are all now shapen in wickedness, and in sin did our
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mother conceive us. Our nature is altogether corrupt in every power and faculty,
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and our will, depraved equally with the rest, is wholly bent to indulge
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all our natural corruption. On the other hand, it is the will of
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God that we resist and counteract that corruption, not at sometimes or in some
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things only, but at all times and in all things. Here therefore is
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a further ground for a constant and universal self denial. To illustrate this a
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little further, the will of God is a path leading straight to God.
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The will of man, which once ran parallel with it, is now another
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path, not only different from it, but in our present state directly contrary
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to it. It leads from God. If therefore we walk, and the
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one we must necessarily quit. The other we cannot walk in both. Indeed,
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a man of faint heart and feeble hands may go in two ways,
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one after the other. But he cannot walk in two ways at the same
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time. He cannot at one and at the same time follow his own will
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and follow the will of God. He must choose the one or the other,
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denying God's will to follow his own, or denying himself to follow the
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will of God. Now, it is undoubtedly pleasing for the time to follow
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our own will by indulging in any instance that offers the corruption of our nature.
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But by following it in anything, we so far strengthen the perverseness of
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our will. And by indulging it, we continually increase the corruption of our
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nature. So by the food which is agreeable to the pellate, we often
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increase a bodily disease. It gratifies the tastes, but it inflames the disorder.
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It brings pleasure, but it also brings death on the whole. Then
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to deny ourselves is to deny our own will where it does not fall in
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with the will of God. And that, however pleasing it may be,
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it is to deny ourselves any pleasure which does not spring from and lead to
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God. That is in effect, to refuse going out of our way,
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though into a pleasant, flowery path, to refuse what we know to be
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deadly poisoned, though agreeable to the taste. And everyone that would follow Christ,
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that would be his real disciple, must not only deny himself but take
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up his cross. Also, a cross is anything contrary to our will,
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anything displeasing to our nature, So that taking up our cross goes a little
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further than denying ourselves. It rises a little higher and is more difficult task
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to flesh and blood, it being more easy to forego pleasure than to endure
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pain. Now, in running the race which is set before us according to
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the will of God, there is often a cross lying in the way.
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That is something which is not only not joyous, but grievous, something which
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is contrary to our will, which is displeasing to our nature. What then
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is to be done? The choice is plain. Either we must take up
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our cross, or we must turn aside from the way of God, from
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the holy commandment delivered to us. If we do not stop altogether, are
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turned back to everlasting perdition. In order to the healing of that corruption,
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that evil disease which every man brings with him into the world. It is
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often needful to pluck out, as it were a right eye to cut off
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a right hand. So painful is either the thing itself which must be done,
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or the only means of doing it. The parting suppose with a foolish
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desire, with an inordinate affection, or a separation from the object of it,
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without which it can never be extinguished. In the former kind, the
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tearing away such a desire or affection, when it is deeply rooted in the
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soul, is often like the piercing of a sword, yea like the dividing
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a center of the soul and spirit. The joints end merrile. The Lord
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then sits upon the soul as a refiner's fire, to burn all the drafts
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thereof. And this is a cross. Indeed, it is essentially painful.
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It must be so in the very nature of the thing. The soul cannot
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be thus torn asunder it cannot pass through the fire without pain. In the
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latter kind, the means to heal a sin sick soul, to cure a
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foolish desire and inordinate affection, are often painful, not in the nature of
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the thing, but from the nature of the disease. So when our Lord
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said to the rich young man, go sell that thou hast and give it
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to the poor as well, knowing this was the only means of healing his
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comesteousness, the very thought of it gave him so much pain that he went
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away sorrowful, choosing rather to part with this hope of heaven than his possessions
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on earth. This was a burden he could not consent to lift across he
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would not take up. And in the one kind or the other, every
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follower of Christ will surely have need to take up his cross daily. The
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taking up differs a little from bearing his cross. We are then properly said
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to bear our cross when we endure what is laid upon us without our choice,
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with meekness and resignation. Whereas we do not properly take up our cross,
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but when we voluntarily suffer what it is in our power to avoid,
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when we willingly embrace the will of God, though contrary to our own,
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when we choose what is painful, because it is the will of our wise
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and gracious creator. And thus it beholdes every disciple of Christ to take up
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as well as to bear his cross. Indeed, In one sense, it
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is not his alone, it is common to him and many others. Seeing
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there is no temptation befalls any man, he may anthropinos. But such as
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is common to men, such as is incident and adapted to their common nature
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and situation in the present world. But in another sense, as it is
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considered with all its circumstances, it is his peculiar to himself. It is
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prepared of God for him. It is given by God to him as a
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token of his love. And if he receives it as such, and after
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using such means to remove the pressure, as Christian wisdom directs, lies as
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clay in the potter's hand. It is disposed and ordered by God for his
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good, both with regard to the quality of it, and in respect to
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its quantity and degree, its duration, and every other circumstance. In all
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this we may easily conceive our blessed Lord to act as the physician of our
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souls, not merely for his own pleasure, but for our profit, that
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we may be partakers of His holiness. If in searching our wounds he puts
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us to pain, it is only in order to heal them he cuts away
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what is putrefied or unsound in order to preserve the sound part. And if
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we freely choose the loss of a limb rather than the whole body should perish,
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how much more should we choose figuratively to cut off a right hand rather
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than the whole soul should be cast into hell? We see plainly, then,
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both the nature and ground of taking up our cross. It does not
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imply the disciplining ourselves, as some speak, the literally tearing our own flesh,
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the where haircloth, or iron girdles, or anything else that would impair
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our bodily health, although we know not what allowance God may make for those
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who act thus through involuntary ignorance. But the embracing the will of God,
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though contrary to our own, the choosing wholesome though bitter medicines, the freely
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accepting temporary pain, of whatever kind and in whatever degree, when it is
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either essentially or accidentally necessary to eternal pleasure. I am secondly to show that
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it is always owing to the want, either of self denial or taking up
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his cross, that any man does not thoroughly follow him is not fully a
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disciple of Christ. It is true this may be partly owing in some cases
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to the want of the means of grace, of hearing the true word of
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God spoken with power of the sacraments, or of Christian fellowship. But these
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is wanting. The great hindrance of our receiving or growing in the grace of
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God is always the want of denying ourselves or taking up our cross. A
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few instances will make this plain. A man hears the word which is able
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to save his soul, he is well pleased with what he hears, acknowledges
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the truth, and is a little affected by it. Yet he remains dead
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in trespasses and sins, senseless and unawakened. Why is this because he will
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not part with his bosom sin, though he now knows it is an abomination
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to the Lord. He came to hear full of lust and unholy desires,
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and he will not part with them. Therefore, no deep impression is made
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upon him. But his foolish heart is still hardened. That is, he
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is still senseless and unawakened, because he will not deny himself. Suppose he
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begins to awake out of sleep and his eyes are a little open, Why
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are they so quickly closed again? Why does he again sink into the sleep
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of death, because he again yields to his bosom sin, he drinks again
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of the pleasing poison. Therefore, it is impossible that any lasting impression should
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be made upon his heart. That is, he relapses into his fatal incessibility,
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because he will not deny himself. But this is not the case withal.
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We have many instances of those who, when once awaken, sleep no
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more. The impressions, once received do not wear away. They are not
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only deep, but lasting. And yet many of these have not found what
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they seek. They mourn and yet are not comforted. Now why is this.
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It is because they do not bring forth fruits meet for repentance, because
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they do not, according to the grace they have received, cease from evil
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and do good. They do not cease from the easily besetting sin, the
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sin of their constitution, of their education, or of their profession, or
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they omit doing the good they may and know they ought to do, because
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of some disagreeable circumstance attending it. That is, they do not attain faith
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because they will not deny themselves or take up their cross. But this man
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did receive the heavenly gift. He did taste of the powers of the world
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to come. He saw the light of the glory of God in the face
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of Jesus Christ. The peace which passeth all understanding did rule his heart and
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mind, and the love of God was shed abroad therein by the holy ghosts
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which was given onto him. Yet he is now weak as another man.
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He again relishes the things of earth, and has more taste for the things
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which are seen than for those which are not seen. The eye of his
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understanding is closed again, so that he cannot see him that is invisible.
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His love is wax cold, and the peace of God no longer rules in
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his heart, and no marvel, For he has again given place to the
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devil and grieve the holy Spirit of God. He has turned again unto folly,
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to some pleasing sin, if not in outward act, yet in heart
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he has given place to pride or anger, or desire, to self will
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or stubbornness. Or he did not stir up the gift of God which was
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in him. He gave way to spiritual sloth, and would not be at
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the pains of praying always and watching thereunto with all perseverance. That is,
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he made shipwreck of the faith for want of self denial and taking up his
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cross daily. But perhaps he has not made shipwreck of the faith. He
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has still a measure of the spirit of adoption, which continues to witness with
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his spirit that he is a child of God. However, he is not
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going on to perfection. He is not as once hungering and thirsting after righteousness,
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panting after the whole image and full enjoyment of God, as the heart
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after the water brook. Rather, he is weary and faint in his mind,
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and as it were, hovering between life and death. And why is
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he thus but because he hath forgotten the Word of God. By works is
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faith made perfect. He does not use all diligence in working the works of
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God. He does not continue instant in prayer, private as well as public,
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in communicating, hearing, meditation, fasting, and religious conference. If
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he does not wholly neglect some of these means, at least he does not
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use them all with his might, or he is not zealous of works of
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charity as well as works of piety. He is not merciful after his power
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with the full ability which God giveth. He does not fervently serve the Lord
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by doing good to men in every kind and in every degree he can to
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their souls as well as their bodies. And why does he not continue in
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prayer? Because in time of dryness it is pain and grief unto him.
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He does not continue in hearing at all opportunities because sleep is sweet, or
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it is cold or dark or rainy. But why does he not continuing works
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of mercy? Because he cannot feed the hungry or clothe the naked unless he
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retrench the expense of his own apparel or use cheaper and less pleasing food.
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Besides which, the visiting the sick or those that are in prison is attended
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with many disagreeable circumstances, And so are most works of spiritual mercy reproof In
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particular, he would reprove his neighbor. But sometimes shame, sometimes fear comes
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between, for he may expose himself not only to ridicule, but to heavier
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inconveniences too. Upon these and the light considerations he omits one or more,
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if not all, works of mercy and piety. Therefore, his faith is
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not made perfect. Neither can he grow in grace, namely because he will
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not deny himself and take up his daily cross. It manifestly follows that it
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is always, owing to the want either of self denial or taking up his
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cross, that a man does not thoroughly follow his Lord, that he is
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not fully a disciple of Christ. It is owing to this that he who
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is dead in sin does not awake though the trumpet be blown, that he
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who begins to awake out of sleep yet has no deep or lasting conviction.
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That he who is deeply and lastingly convinced of sin does not attain remission of
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sins. That some who have received this heavenly gift retain it not but make
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shipwreck of the faith. And that others, if they do not draw back
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to perdition, yet are weary and faint in their mind, and do not
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reach the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
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How easily may we learn hence, that they know neither the scripture nor
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the power of God, who directly or indirectly, in public or in private,
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oppose the doctrine of self denial and death the daily cross. How totally
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ignorant are these men of a hundred particular texts, as well as of the
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general tenor of the whole oracles of God, And how entirely unacquainted. Must
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they be with true, genuine Christian experience of the manner wherein the Holy Spirit
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ever did and does at this day work in the souls of men. They
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may talk, indeed, very loudly and confidently, a natural fruit of ignorance,
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as though they were the only men who understood either the word of God
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or the experience of his children. But their words are in every sense vain
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words. They are weighed in the balance and found wanting. We may learn
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from hints. Secondly, the real cause. Why not only many particular persons,
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but even bodies of men, who were once burning and shining lights,
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have now lost both their light and heat. If they did not hate and
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oppose, they at least lightly esteemed this precious Gospel doctrine. If they did
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not boldly say, abnegatiaem omnim proculchamus into nicioni damus, we trample all self
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denial underfoot, we devote it to destruction. Yet they neither valued it according
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to its high importance, nor took any pains in practicing it. I think
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mystici docent said that great bad man the mystic writers teach self denial. Know
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the inspired writers and God teaches it to every soul who is willing to hear
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his voice. We may learn from hence. Thirdly, that it is not
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enough for a minister of the gospel not to oppose the doctrine of self denial
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to say nothing concerning it. Nay, he cannot satisfy his duty by saying
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a little in favor of it. If he would indeed be pure from the
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blood of all men, he must speak of it frequently and largely. He
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must inculcate the necessity of it in the clearest and strongest manner. He must
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press it with his mind night on all persons, at all times and in
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all places, laying line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept,
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precept upon precept. So shall he have a conscious void of offense.
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So shall he save his own soul and those that hear him. Lastly,
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see that you apply this, every one of you, to your own soul.
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Meditate upon it when you are in the secret, ponder it in your
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heart. Take care not only to understand it thoroughly, but to remember it
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to your lives. End cry on to this wrong for strength, that you
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may no sooner understand than enter upon the practice of it. Delay not the
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time, but practice it immediately from this very hour. Practice it universally on
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every one of the thousand occasions which will occur in all circumstances of life.
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Practice it daily without intermission, from the hour you first set your hand to
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the plow, and enduring their end to the end, till your sphere it
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returns to God. End of section forty nine.