A treatise of self-denial. By Richard Baxter, pastor of the church at Kederminster

CHAP. XIII. 1. Selfish Dispositions must be denyed, and 1. Self∣love.

HAving seen in what respects and upon what ac∣counts it is that self must be denyed; I am next to tell you the particulars of that selfish interest that must be denyed, and the parts that are contained in this need∣ful work.

And here you must remember what saving faith is, that seeing how self opposeth it, you may know wherein it must be denyed.

Saving faith is such a Belief in Christ for Reconcilia∣tion with God, and the everlasting fruition of him in Glory, as makes us for sake all the things of this world, and give up our selves to the conduct of the word and spirit, for the obtaining of it.

When a man can strip himself of all the pleasures and profits, and honours of this world, first in his estima∣tion, and love, and resolution, and then in the actual forsaking of them at the Call of God, because of the firm belief and hope that he hath of the fruition of God in Glory, as purchased and promised by Jesus Christ; this is a Christian, a Disciple of Christ, a true believer; and none but this. And (as I have told you) as God in Unity, and Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in Trinity, is the Object of our saving faith; so Carnal Self in unity, and Pleasure, Profits, and Honours in trinity must be renounced and denied by all true Christians; as being that which we turn from, when we turn to God. So that in brief to deny your selves, doth generally consist in denying all your own Dispositions and Interests whatsoever as they are against God the Father, Son, or Spirit, or stand not in a due sub∣serviency to him: And this Interest which you must deny, consisteth in your Pleasures, Profits, and Honour: Of these therefore I shall speak distinctly, though but briefly.

I. You must begin at the denial and mortification of your Corrupt and selfish Disposition, or else you can ne∣ver well deny your selfish interest. It is not enough to keep under this selfishness by denying it somewhat that it would have: but the selfish Inclination or Nature it self must be so far mortified and destroyed, that it shall not reign as formerly it did. For this which we call sel∣fishness is not your very Persons, nor any spiritual or right natural desire of your owngood: But it is the inordi∣nate

adhering of the soul to your selves, by departing from God to whom you should adhere: and so a car∣rying over Gods interest and honour to your selves. Holiness is an Inclination and Dedication to God: by which two we are said to be separated to him. And wickedness is an Inclination, and Addictedness, or De∣votedness to our selves above God, or as separated from God: And this Inclination, Disposition, or Sepa∣ration of man to Himself instead of God, is it that I call self or selfishness; and this self must it self be first destroyed, as to the predominant degree.

And therefore let us First observe wherein this selfish Disposition doth consist, which must be destroyed; and then Secondly, wherein the selfish Interest doth consist that must be denied.

And first the selfish Disposition consisteth in these seve∣ral parts that follow.

1. The principal part of it consisteth in an inordinate Self-love: This is a corruption so deep in the heart of man, that it may be called his very Natural Inclination, which therefore lieth at the bottom, below all his Actual sins whatsoever; and must be changed into a New Nature which principally consists in the Love of God. This is Original sin it self, even in the heart of it. This speaks what man by Nature is: even an inordinate self-lover; And as he is, so he will act. In this all o∣ther vice in the world is virtually contained: even as all grace is in the Love of God: which made the School∣men say, that Love is the Form of all Grace: not as they are this or that Grace in particular; not of Faith as Faith, nor of Hope as Hope; but of Faith, Hope, &c. as vital or gracious acts: because the respect to the End is essential to the means as a means: and therefore the re∣spect to God as the End, is Essential to Faith, Hope, &c. as a means to him: and therefore that Grace (of Love)

which is terminated on the End, must have an essential participation, concurrence, or influence on those that are directly terminated on the Way or Means; and must convey somewhat of its very essence to them; and so far as they partake of that essence of Love, so far are they indeed those special Graces which carry the soul to God its End: And in this sence we may allow the distinction between Fides, Spes, &c. formata charitate (which is true Christian Faith and Hope,) and Fides, Spes &c. informis, which is but an opinion and dream. And so it is in the body of sin: When self-love doth reign, it is the Heart of wickedness: And though every sin hath its own specifick nature; yet all are virtually in self-love, and are so far mortal, or prove men grace∣less, as they are informed by the essential Communi∣cation of self-love: For self being the End, informeth all the means as they respect it. I say the more to you of this, because indeed it is a weighty truth, for the right un∣derstanding of the true nature of Grace and sin; and I doubt many are in the dark for want of understanding & considering it. A man that feareth and Loveth God, and an unsanctified man may be both overtaken with the same sin; perhaps a gross one, as Noahs, and Davids, and Peters was: and yet this may be a mortal sin in the un∣godly; I mean such as proves him in a state of death, and yet not so in the gracious person. The wicked will deride this in their ignorance, as if we made God partial; but it's no such matter: The Papists cannot endure it, but suppose Peter, David, and Noah, were quite without the Love of God, and so were again un∣sanctified men: but this is their error. It was not from the Power of reigning self-love, and the Habitual ab∣sence of the Love of God, that these men (or any Saints) did sin: but from a particular act of mortified self-love by a surprize upon the neglect of the actual exercise of

the Love of God. But all the sins of unsanctified men, or at least their common sins, are from the Habitual reign of self-love, and the Habitual absence of the Love of God: And therefore the sins of the Saints are, as the Schoolmen speak of the graces of the ungodly, un∣formed: they be not Mortal sins in the sense aforesaid, because they be not naturalized, informed, animated, by the malignity and venom of the Mortal End and Prin∣ciple, which is Habitual reigning self-love: But those of the wicked are sins informed by this inordinate self∣love as an habitual reigning sin; and therefore being animated by its malignity are mortal: Yet say not that this makes God partial, and not to hate the same sin in one as he doth in another. For two things must be ta∣ken in: 1. Where the heart is sanctified, such sins are strangers: perhaps one Godly man of ten or twenty may be guilty of one of them, as Noah was of drunken∣ness once in all his life (since his conversion:) For it will not stand with grace to live in them. For such as a mans Love, and Inclination, and nature is, such will be the drift of his Life. And would not you have God make a difference between those that sin once, and those that live in it? 2. Besides, will not any honest man make a great difference of the same acts according as they come from different hearts? you will not take a passionate word from a Father, Husband, or Wife, so ill as the same word from a malicious enemy. If an unthrifty Son should spend you twenty shillings wast∣fully, you will not prosecute him as you would do a thief or an enemy that takes it from you violently. Wilful murder and casual man-slaughter, have not the same punishment by the Law of the Land. If you will make such a difference your selves, of the same words or deeds as they come from different meanings and af∣fections, quarrel not with God for doing that

which you confess is just and necessary to be done.

1. The Faculty where this Disposition is principal∣ly seated, is the Will: which in man is the Heart of Morality, whether Good or Evil. And the Principal Act is, an Inordinate Adhesion of man to himself, and Complacency in himself: And this is the inordinate self-love that must be first mortified.

2. The next faculty that self hath corrupted, is the Understanding; and here we first meet with the sin of self-esteem, which is the second part of selfishness to be mortified. It is not more natural for man to be sinful, vile, and miserable, than to think himself vertuous, wor∣thy and honourable. All men naturally over-value themselves, and would have all others also over-value them. This is the sin of Pride. But of this I must speak by it self.