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in hell, or if they be not, must needs abhor such doings. And thus every proud and selfish man would be a false historian and cheater of the world.

10. Yea, which is yet the worst of all, they would continue sacrilegiously to rob the Lord of his honour, even when they are dead. It is an undue honour, which is stolen from God, which they so much seek for (for were it but such as is a useful means to his honour, he would not be offended with them). And when the saints say, "Not unto us, Lord, but unto thy name give the glory," these sinners are not content to rob God of his honour as long as they live, but they would do it even after death. If we had not certainly known the truth of it, we should have thought it an incredible thing that ever any man should come to that impiety, pride, and madness, as to desire to be worshipped as a God when he was dead. Much more, that the most of the world should be so far distracted as to do it and yet so it hath been, and so it is in too great a measure. And truly the wicked or proud disposition that is predominant in the hearts of all the unsanctified, doth take up no shorter where it hath but hopes of success to actuate it. Not a man of them but would be honoured as Gods when they are dead; though I know those of them that feel not this much in themselves, will hardly believe it. Consider what an heinous injury this is to God, and to the souls of men, that you should leave your names as idols to the world, to entice so many thousand men to sin, and to be a standing enemy to the honour of God, by encroaching on his right, and turning the eye of men's observation and admiration from him to you.

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11. Consider also, how that by these desires of earthly honour to yourselves, and making this the end of your endeavours, you corrupt abundance of excellent works, (materially considered,) and turn them into mortal sins. If princes rule and fight for themselves, I have told you already what they do; but if this were done for God, it would have another form, and another reward, as it had another end. What a doleful case is it that such excellent works, as almsdeeds, and acts of bounty to church, or poor, or commonwealth, in buildings, lands, or any the like works, should all be turned into sin and death, by such a selfish vainglorious intent! And that their souls should

be suffering for those works that others receive much good by! What a sad case is it, that historians, lawyers, physicians, philosophers, linguists, and the professors of all the sciences, should undo themselves for ever by those excellent works that edify the world! Nay, what can be more lamentable to think of, than that able and learned divines themselves should lose their own souls in the studying, and preaching those precious truths, that are saving unto others; and that such excellent writings as remain a standing blessing to the church, should be the authors of mortal sin! And yet so it is, if the renown and immortality of a name on earth be the end that all this work is done for.

12. Lastly, Consider that if honour be good for you, it is better attained by minding your duty for the honour of God, and denying your own honour, than by seeking it; for honour is the shadow that will follow you if you fly from it, and fly from you if you follow it. What Christ here saith of life, is true of honour: he that seeketh and saveth it shall lose it, and he that loseth it for Christ shall find it. The greatest honour is to deny ourselves, and our own honour, and to do most for the honour of God; and to be contented to be nothing, that God may be all. For you have his promise, that them that honour him he will honour, but they that dispise him shall be lightly esteemed.

Though I have endeavoured by a right limitation and exposition of the foregoing parts of self-denial, to prevent mistakes, and give you those grounds by which objections may be answered, yet the stir that is made in the world about this point, by Papists and many other mistaking sects, doth persuade me to give a more distinct resolution of some of the principal doubts that are before us, and therein to shew you that self-denial consisteth not in all things that by some are pretended to be parts of it; but that there is a great deal of sin that goes under the name of self-denial among many of these sorts of mistaken persons.

CHAPTER LI.

Whether Self-denial lie in renouncing Propriety?

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Quest. 1. WHETHER doth self-denial require us to renounce propriety, and to know nothing as our own' as the monks among the Papists swear to do, as part of their state of perfection; and a book called, "The Way to the Sabbath of Rest," doth teach us?

Answ. 1. That there shall be no propriety in goods, or estate among men, is contrary to the will of God, who hath made men his stewards, and trusted several persons with several talents, and forbidden stealing, and commanded men to labour that they may have to give to him that needeth ; and he that hath this world's goods and seeth his brother have need, must not shut up the bowels of his compassion. It is a standing duty to give to the poor; and we shall therefore have the poor always with us for this exercise of our charity. And he that hath nothing, can give nothing, nor use it for God. Why did Paul require them to give to the distressed saints, and maintain the ministry, and gather for such uses every first day of the week, if he would have men have nothing to give? This therefore is a conceit which needs nothing but reason, and the reading and belief of Scripture to confute it.

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2. But as no man is a proprietary, or hath any thing of his own, in the strict and absolute sense, because all is God's, and we are but stewards; so no man may retain his human analogical propriety, when God calleth him to give No man may retain any thing from God's use and service which he hath a propriety in. We have so much propriety as that no man must rob us; and so much as our works of charity are rewardable, though it be but giving a cup of cold water, which could not be without propriety; for who will reward him that gives that which is none of his own? yea, it is made the matter of the last judgment; "I was hungry, and ye fed me; I was naked, and ye clothed me," &c. Which they could not have done if they had not had food and clothing to bestow. So that the denial of propriety would destroy all exercise of charity in such

kinds, and destroy all societies and orderly converse and industry in the world.

But yet when God calls for any thing from us, we must presently obey, and quit all title to it, and resign it freely and gladly to his will.

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And 3. There must be so much vigour of charity, and sense of our neighbour's wants, as that no man must shut up the bowels of compassion; but as we must love our neighbours as ourselves, so must we relieve them as a second self; yea, and before ourselves, if God's service or honour should require it. If we must lay down our lives for the brethren, much more our estates. So that 'levelling community' is abominable; but charitable community' is a Christian duty, and the great character of sincere love to Christ in his members. And therefore in the primitive church there was no forbidding of propriety; but there was, 1. A resignation of all to God, to signify that they were contented to forsake all for him, and did prefer Christ and the kingdom of God before all. And 2. There was so great vigour of true charity, as that all men voluntarily supplied the wants of the church and poor, and voluntarily made all things as common, that is, common by voluntary communication for use, though not common in primary title; and so no man took any thing as his own, when God, and his churches, and his brethren's wants did call for it. O that we had more of that Christian love that should cause a charitable community,' which is the true mean between the 'monkish community,' and the selfish tenacious propriety! Levelling hath not destroyed one soul for ten thousand that an inordinate love of propriety hath destroyed.

CHAPTER LII.

Whether it lie in renouncing Marriage?

Quest. 2. WHETHER self-denial consist in the forswearing or renouncing of marriage, or the natural use of it by those that are married?"

Answ. To forbid marriage simply, is called by the Holy Ghost "a doctrine of devils;" 1 Tim. iv. 1. 3.: and was one

of the heresies that the apostles were called out to encounBut yet a married state doth ordimen off from that free attendance

ter in their own days. narily (not always) call on the service of God without distraction which is very desirable; and therefore those that are capable of doing God any notable service, which marriage is like to hinder them from, should avoid it, if they can, without a greater evil. And therefore the church did think it for many ages, so fit for ministers to be single, that they might have the less of worldly affairs and cares to call them off from the work of God, and their carnal relations might not hinder them from more public duties or charitable works. The Papists, therefore, mistakingly take the vow of chastity to be an entering into a state of perfection, and sinfully condemn the marriage of priests; when the apostle expressly saith, "A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife having his children in subjection;" 1 Tim. iii. 24. And so of deacons, verse 12. And others run into the other extreme. But the true meaning is this: 1. Ordinarily marriage is more distracting and hindering to us in the service of God, than a single life; especially to ministers, and such as should wholly addict themselves to the public service of the church. 2. But yet all men are not alike obliged to it or from it. Some may be necessitated to it by the temper of their bodies to avoid a greater evil, even sin itself; and some may have no such necessity. Some may have their worldly estate and affairs in such a plight, that they can far better manage them with freedom for God's service in a married than a single state; but with others it is not so; and especially with very few ministers. So that a single or married life is in itself indifferent; but as a means to God's service, that is a duty to one that is a sin to another; but because that a single life is more commonly free and fittest for this great end, therefore the apostle preferreth it as better, because more suitable to the state of the most (at least in those times), though to some, marriage may be a duty. So that every one should impartially inquire, in which state they may do God the greatest service, and that they should choose, not on popish ground, as if it were commended to that particular person to whom it is not commanded, and were an evangelical counsel of perfection, and to be vowed; but in a prudent ordering of our

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