other man's case, he would think it but reasonable and meet, and would persuade him to it. If another had committed the same sin against God as he hath done, or had slandered or wronged him, and would freely without urging, confess in the congregation with tears in his eyes, that he hath sinfully provoked God, and offended the church and wronged his brother, and laid a stumbling-block in the way of the ungodly and the weak, and dishonoured his holy profession, and is never able to make satisfaction for such heinous sins, and is unworthy any more to be a member of the church, and to have any communion with Christ or them; and should earnestly entreat them to pardon him, and pray for him, and retain him in their communion, and entreat God to pardon him; would not the stander-by think this were well done, and a better way to his recovery than to refuse it? And all is, because that self is not touched in another man's case; unless he apprehend it like to become his own; and then he may be against it, and scoff at this as too precise a course.

13. Take also the extortioner, or any man that hath defrauded or injured another, and that will not be persuaded to make restitution of all that he hath got amiss; and let this man hear of the case of Zaccheus, and he will say it was well done: or let another's case be propounded to him, and he can tell them, that, Restitution is the safest way; whatever it cost you, it is fit that every man should have his own.' Self will give him free leave to consent to another man's restitution; but not to his own.

14. Moreover, suppose that persecution were afoot, and a man must either knowingly sin against God, or lose his estate, and part with all that he hath in the world, and burn at a stake for the cause of Christ: the selfish, unsanctified person will not be persuaded that this is his duty, or at least, he will not be persuaded to submit to it; he cannot suffer, nor burn; he will trust God with his soul, rather than men with his body (as such speak that despise God, and reject him, and prefer the world before him, and call this trusting him). But if this were another man's case, they could tell him that it is better displease men than God, and that it is better venture a short life, than an endless life; and that it is little profit to win all the world, and lose his own soul; and that it is the wisest way to make sure work for eternity, and not to venture on endless misery; and they could con

sent that another should rather suffer than sin; why else do they commend the martyrs for it? and what is the reason for this strange partiality? Why, self is the great ruler, and God hath but the name. Self is partial in their own cause, but not in another man's; and therefore they can consent to his suffering without self-denial; and hence comes the difference.

15. Moreover, when offenders murmur at their punishment, ask but the standers-by, and they are of another mind. When the ale-seller thinks he is wronged if he be put down, ask but the poor women whose husbands used to be drunk there, and whose children lack meat, and drink, and clothes, because the alehouse devours that which should buy them, and they will be quite of another judgment, and think you love not God or the country, if you will not suppress them.

16. Also when you hear men extenuating their sin, and excusing it, put but the case as another man's, and let them not understand that it is their own, and you shall hear another judgment. So Nathan came about David, and put but a far lower case as another's about the robbing a poor man of his only sheep, and he could presently say and swear, "As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die, because he had no pity;" and his anger was greatly kindled against the man; 2 Sam. xii, 5, 6. But why was he not as angry with himself for a greater sin? O! self had got the better in that grievous fall, till grace broke his heart by true repentance. So when Judah heard of Thamar's fornication, he commandeth, "Bring her out that she may be burnt;" Gen. xxxviii. 24. But when he understood that it was by himself, the case was altered.

17. Let a man that has been provoked by injuries and ill words, have done or spoken as bad himself against another, and he can make but a small matter of them, or think they should be easily put up or pardoned, when yet the same words spoken against him, do seem intolerable.

18. Let a man speak with others in poverty, sickness or any affliction, and what good counsel can he give him to submit to God, and take all patiently! But let the suffering be his own, and he cannot take the counsel that he gives. 19. Nay more, men are not only partial for themselves, but for any that are near themselves, or that self is related Let another man's son or servant do evil, and you can

to.

be content that he be rebuked or corrected; but if it be a son, or kinsman, or servant of your own, the case is altered 1; it is then a wrong to punish him, because of his relation to you. Let a stranger do amiss, and you can give way to justice; but if the drunkard, or ale-seller, or swearer be your friend, then he must be borne with and forgiven, and the justice must be entreated for him.

Let a scandalous or insufficient minister or schoolmaster be offered to any place, if he be a stranger you can be content that he be rejected; but if he be a kinsman, or child, or friend of yours, what an alteration doth this make in the case! Then he must be borne with and tried, ard you hope he will mend, and his faults are made the least of, and his virtues more than indeed they are.

Nay, any man that doth but love yourselves, and honour you, and think highly of you, shall have a more favourable construction for all his words, and actions, and intentions, than one that you imagine is against you, or hath low thoughts of you, or is against your interest or opinion.

Sirs, I have run into abundance of instances, but not a quarter so many as might be given; and all is to meet with the turnings and windings of this serpent, self; and to let you see (if light itself can make you see, against the blinding power of self) how rare self-denial is in the world, and what a large dominion self obtaineth.

I would here have added some more discoveries, as, 6. From the excessive care, and cost, and labour that almost all the world is at for self; and the little they are at for God, or the good of others. 7. The large proportion that is expended on self, in comparison of God and others. 8. The zeal of men to vindicate self, but the little zeal for God or others. 9. The rigorous laws that are made in the cause of self (thieves and traitors must die), and the remissness of lawgivers in the cause of God; blasphemy, malignity and impiety are not so roughly handled. 10. The firmness of men to carnal self, and their great mutability and unfaithfulness to God. But I had rather omit somewhat than to be too tedious, and therefore I go no further in these discoveries, save only to add a few of those aggravations that shew you the extent of self's dominion, as you have seen the sad discoveries of the reality of it.

CHAPTER IX.

The great Power and Prevalency of Selfishness discovered.

AND that you may see what cause we have for our lamentations, consider the greatness of selfish tyranny in these particulars.

1. Consider what a power it is that self beareth down in the world. The commands of the God of heaven are overcome by it. The promises of eternal life are trod under foot by it. The threatenings of endless torments are nothing to it. It casts by heaven; it ventures upon hell; it tramples upon the precious blood of Christ; it will not hear the voice of wisdom itself; nor the voice of goodness and mercy itself; it refuseth him that speaks from heaven; love itself is not lovely where self is judge; it quencheth all the motions of the Spirit; it despiseth ministers; it turneth mercies into wantonness and sin. Like Sampson it breaks all bonds that are laid on it; and till it be weakened itself, there is no holding, no ruling, no saving the soul that is ruled by it.

2. Consider also the exceeding number of its subjects. Truly if there were no other proof that the sanctified and the saved are very few, this one is so full and sad a proof, that it tempteth me sometimes to think them much fewer than willingly I would do. Alas, how few self-denying persons do you meet with in the world! Yea, in the church! Yea, among the stricter professors! Look over all the world, and see how few you can find at work for any one but for carnal self! If you observe the courts, and see whose work is done most there; and look into the armies of the world, and see who it is that ruleth there; if you look upon the affairs of nations, and the wars of princes, and their confederacies, and see who it is that rules in all, how little will you see (save here and there) but carnal self? It is self that makes the cause and manageth it; it is self that maketh wars and peace. Come down into our courts of justice, and whose voice is loudest at the bar but self's? and who is it commonly else that brings in the verdict? at least, who is it else that made and followeth on the quarrel? How many causes hath self at an assize, for one that God hath! Come lower into the country, and who is it that ploughs

and sows? who is it that keeps house or shop but self? I mean, what else but carnal self is the principle? What else but carnal self is the end? What else but the will of self is the rule? And what else but selfish commodity, or pleasure, or honour are the matter, or some provision that is made for these? and consequently what else but self-respect is the form? For the end informeth the means as means, and therefore all that is done for self, is self-service and selfseeking. In a word, as God is all in all to the sanctified, so self is as all in all to the ungodly. And alas! how great a number are all these!

3. Consider that it is a sin that is nearer us objectively than any other sin; and the nearer the more dangerous. Alas! that a man should turn his own substance into poison, and feed upon it to his own destruction! If you have drunk poison, you may cast it up again, or nature may do much to work it out; but if your own blood, and humours, and spirits be turned into venom, that should nourish and preserve your life, what then shall expel this venom, and deliver you?

4. Moreover it is the most obstinate disease in the world. No duty harder (except the love of God) than selfdenial. O! how many wounds will self carry away and yet keep life, and heal them all! How commonly do we convince some carnal gentlemen that "one thing is needful;" and that it is a better part than earth, and honour, and sensuality that must be chosen, or else they are undone; and the more they have, the more they must forsake, and the more self-denial is required to their salvation; and that all their lands, and wealth, and honours, and all their wit, and parts, and interest must be at the service of their Maker and Redeemer; and that when they have all in the world that they can get, that all must become nothing, and God must become all; their treasure must become the dross and dung, and Christ must become their treasure, or they are lost; I say, how oft do we convince men of all estates of these important, evident truths! And yet this self is still alive, and keeps the garrison of the heart; and all that we can have from most of them, is, as the rich man, Luke xviii. 23, 24., to be very sorrowful that they cannot have heaven at easier rates, and that Christ will not be a servant unto self, or that they cannot have two masters! They go away sorrowful