Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

I TAKE the love of God and Self-denial to be the sum of all saving grace and religion; the first of the positive part, and the second of the oppositive or negative part: and I judge of the measure of my own, and all other men's true piety, by these two. And it is the rarity of these two, which assureth me of the rarity of sincere godliness. O how much selfishness, and how little love of God, are too often found among those contenders for supposed true doctrine, true worship, true discipline, and the true church! Who can say that their zeal for these things doth eat up themselves, their charity, their peaceableness, and their brethren? The same men that will not abate an opinion, a formality, a singularity, for the church's peace and concord, or for the interest of love, and the healing of our wounds, will as hardly abate a jot of their wealth, their worldly honour, their carnal interest, or selfish wills; which shews that their zeal and seeming orthodoxy and wisdom (as in them) is not from above, but from beneath; James iii. 15-17.

O that men knew what heart's-ease Self-denial bringeth, by mortifying all that corrupteth and troubleth the souls of sinners! And if that part of religion which seemeth hardest and harshest, be so sweet, what is our love and delight in God, but the foretaste of heaven itself.

But the soul is seldom fit to relish this doctrine aright, till some special providence or conviction have made all the world notoriously insufficient for our relief. But he that in or after sharp affliction, will still be selfish in a predominant

[ocr errors]

degree, is next to hopeless. I remember, that one accounted of eminent wisdom, a little before he forsook the land of his nativity, made this the first word that ever he spake to me, I thank you especially for your book of Self-denial;' and when we are going out of the world, we shall all be much fitter to relish and understand the doctrine of Selfdenial, than now we are.

But though undeniable reason thus presented, by the grace of God, do much cure some particular souls, yet alas, the world, the most of the church visible, and the land is so far uncured, as that selfishness still triumpheth over our innocency, piety and peace, and seemeth to deride our hopes of remedy. Were profession as rare as true Self-denial, I should be of their mind who reduce the church into a much narrower room than either the Roman, the National, the Presbyterian, or Independent. Alas, how few are those true believers, whose inordinate SELF-LOVE, SELF-CONCEITEDNESS, SELF-WILL, and SELF-SEEKING, are truly conquered by FAITH, and turned into the LOVE of GOD as GOD, and of the PUBLIC GOOD, and of their NEIGHBOUR as themselves; and into a HUMBLED UNDERSTANDING, conscious of its ignorance; and into a HUMBLED SUBMISSIVE WILL, which is more disposed to follow, than to lead; and into a life entirely devoted to God, and to the common good!

But this complaint was made before; but what we most feel, we are most inclined to utter; and to press that on others which we find most necessary to ourselves. And I must say, that of all the books which I have written, I peruse none so often for the use of my own soul, in its daily work, as my "Life of Faith," and this "Of Self-denial," and the last part of the "Saints' Rest."

One little thing I will here tell the reader, that no book of mine (except the two first) had ever the word ' dedicatory' joined to the Epistle by my consent, but I have very often prohibited it in vain; whether by the oblivion or self-conceit of the booksellers or printers, I cannot tell. Not that I condemn the word in others, but that my Epistles were still of so different an importance, as did require a different title.

RICHARD BAXTER.

a The late Lord Chief Justice Oliver St. John.

TO THE HONOURABLE

COLONEL JAMES BERRY,

ONE OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE, &c,

my

[ocr errors]

SIR,

PROVIDENCE having deprived me of the opportunity of nearer converse with you, which heretofore I have enjoyed, yet leaving me the same affections, they work towards you as they can; and have chosen here to speak to you in the hearing of the world, that my words may remain to the ends intended, when a private letter may be burnt or laid aside. Flattery, I am confident, you expect not from me, because you know me, and know me to be your friend. (And yet late monitor hath made many smile, by accusing me, of that fawning crime.) I am told what it is to bless my friend with a loud voice, Prov. xxvii. 14. I have learned myself, that, "open rebuke is better than secret love;" and that, 'faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful;" Prov. xxvii. 5, 6. And therefore I shall do as I would be done by. Faithfulness and usefulness shall be the measure of my message to you; and they have commanded me to set before you this lesson of selfdenial, and earnestly entreat you, that you will faithfully read, and learn, and practise it. Though I judged you have learned it long ago, I think it not needless to mind you of it again; my soul being astonished to see the power of selfishness in the world, even in those that by confessions and prayer, and high professions, have frequently condemned it. Yet this is the radical, mortal sin. Where this lives, all sins virtually live. Say that a man is selfish, and (in that measure) you say all that is naught of him, as to his inclination. That selfishness is the sum of vice, and the capital enemy of God, of commonwealths, of order and government

of all grace and virtue, of every holy ordinance and duty, especially of unity and brotherly love, and of the welfare of our neighbours, and of our own salvation, I have manifested to you in the following discourse. But alas, what need we words to manifest it, when the flames of discord, and long continued divisions among brethren, do manifest it! When hatred, strife, variance, emulation, backbiting, violence, rebellions, bloodshed, resisting and pulling down of governments, have so long lamentably declared it! When such havoc is made by it before our eyes, and the evil spirit goes on and prospereth, and desolation is zealously and studiously carried on, and the voice of peace-makers is despised, or drowned in the confused noise! "Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they have not been afraid to speak evil of dignities;" 2 Pet. ii. 10. To speak evil? Was that the height of presumption and self-willedness then? Alas, how much further hath it proceeded now! Even under the cloak of liberty and religion! How many conquerors that have often triumphed over their enemies, are conquered by themselves, and live in continual captivity under this homebred, most imperious tyrant !

Whence is it but for want of self-denial, that there is such scrambling for rule and greatness, for riches and honours, among all, as if they thought it more desirable to fall from a high place than a low! And at death, to part with riches than with poverty! And at judgment, to have much to answer for, than little! And to go to heaven as a camel through a needle's eye, than by the more plain and easy way! Whence is it but for want of self-denial, that men are so hardly convinced of their sins, be they never so open, and odious, and scandalous, if they be but such as will admit of an excuse before the world? Most sins that are confessed, are such as seem not to be disgraceful, or such whose justification would double the disgrace, or such as are confessed in pride, that the confessor may gain the reputation of humility.

Whence is it but for want of self-denial, that Christian love is grown so cold, while all profess it to be the badge of Christ's disciples? And that so many professors have so little charity for any but those of their own opinions; unless it be a slandering charity, or a persecuting, or murdering charity? That all is commendable, or excusable, that is

« AnteriorContinua »