Scripture have been, in any notable manner, honoured by God, he hath been pleased so to order it, that some intercurrent providence or other should fall out to humble them, lest they should be too highly exalted in their own thoughts. It was so with David. After his kingdom settled, and great victories over enemies obtained, he steps into a great sin, which humbled and afflicted him all his life after. So with Hezekiah, after he had been raised up by a great deliverance from a potent enemy, and a sentence of death, he falls into a sin of pride and vain glory: upon which the Lord revealed unto him his purpose of leading his people and children into captivity, and giving up his treasures into the hands of the king of Babylon; which caused him to humble himself for the pride of his heart. So with Paul;' he was caught up to the third heaven, and heard unspeakable words, and saw visions of the Lord; but withal, there was given him "a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him; lest he should be exalted, above measure, through the abundance of revelations." And so it was with Peter here in this chapter; he made a glorious confession of Christ the Messiah, "Thou art Christ the son of the living God:"m and Christ highly honoured him for it; "and I also say unto thee," saith Christ, "thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church:"" which though we are to understand principally of the rock which he had confessed, as the learned expound it; yet there is something of special honour therein bestowed upon Peter. P We read in Scripture of a two-fold foundation of the church; a personal foundation, which is but one; "for other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus." (1 Cor. iii. 11) And a doctrinal foundation; for the church is said to be "built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles ;" (Ephes. ii. 20) and so we read of twelve foundations in the new Jerusalem, Revel. xxi. 14. Now amongst these, as Peter had the precedence in faith, to make the first confession of Christ to be the Messiah; so he had the honour to be the

Η Οἷαν οἱ τοῖς θριαμβεύουσιν ἐφεστῶτες ὄπισθεν, καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκοντες ὅτι ἄνε Sgwnol ela. Arrian. Epist. lib. 3. cap. 24. i 2 Sam. xi. k 2 Kings m Matth. xvi. 16.

xx.

12 Cor. xii. 7.

n Matth. xvi. 18.

• Aug. Chrysost. Hilarius. Vid. Dr. Reynolds' Conference with Hart. cap. 2. P Camer. tom. 2. p. 50, 60. in quarto.

Divis. 1.

first of those twelve foundations, who should first of all plant the gospel, and gather a church unto Christ after his resurrection, as we find he did, Acts ii. In which respect haply it is, that the gospel of the circumcision is said to have been 'committed unto Peter;' (Gal. ii. 7, 8) because the gospel was, by Christ's appointment, to be first of all preached to the Jews, who were God's first-born. (Acts iii. 26, and xiii. 46. Exod. iv. 22)

Now from this time of Peter's confession, Christ (to take off all mistakes touching his kingdom) began to acquaint his disciples with his sufferings: whereat Peter is presently of fended, and taketh upon him to advise his master, and rebuke him," Be it far from thee; this shall not be unto thee." Hereupon Christ sharply reprehends him: "It is not now, thou art Peter; but thou art Satan, a tempter, an adversary to the works of Christ's mediation:" (for so much the word elsewhere implies; Numb. xxii. 22. 2 Sam. xix. 22) "not now a stone for building, but a stone of offence; 'thou savourest not the things of God, but the things which are of men:"" that is, "Thou hast a carnal and corrupt judgement of me, and of my kingdom; conceiving of it according to the common apprehensions and expectations of men, and not according to the counsel and will of God."

In this reprehension there is, 1. A personal corruption, verse 22. 2. Doctrinal instruction; teaching his disciples and the people, that all they who would (as Peter had done) own him for the Messiah and King of the Church, must not promise themselves great things under him in the world, but must resolve to walk in the steps which he would tread out before them, viz. " to deny themselves" as he did; (Matth. xxvi. 42) and to bear across,' as he also did; (John xix. 17) and so to follow him.' And to take off all prejudice and scandal, he assures them, that whatever their fears and suspicions might be of so hard a service, yet thus to deny themselves was the only way to save themselves, verse 25, 26; and thus to bear a cross the only way to a crown and glorious reward: verse 27 which, lest it should seem an empty promise without evidence and assurance, he undertakes to confirm shortly after by an ocular and sensible demonstration, verse 28; which we may understand either of his glorious transfiguration the week after; (Matth. xxvii. 1, 2) or of his glorious ascension

in their sight; (Acts i. 9) or of his pouring forth the Holy spirit upon them in fiery tongues; (Acts ii. 2, 3) or of his more full manifestation of his kingdom and glory unto his servant John by the ministry of the angels, in his glorious revelation. (Apoc. i. 1) Unto all which (though the context seem to relate principally unto the first) may that promise of our Saviour be understood to refer.

The words then are a character of a disciple of Christ; he is one who must deny himself, and that not in some more easy matters; but thoroughly, and in all things, so far as suffering, and suffering to the uttermost, pain, death, shame, for those three things are contained in the Cross; and all this, first, willingly; he must take up his cross, it must be an act of election, not of compulsion. Secondly, obediently: to do it with this resolution, of following Christ; both his command and example; as a Lord, because he requires it; as a leader, because he goes before us in it.

I have singled out the argument of self-denial, to speak of, in this reverend and grave audience, as being very suitable to the state, not only of Christians always, but more particularly of these present times wherein we live, and of those special businesses wherewith we are intrusted; wherein, having in two or three words considered what is meant by denying, and what by a man's self, I shall briefly despatch the doctrinal part according to those premises.

For the first, theo riginal word anagyoάow is emphatical, as Chrysostom notes, and signifieth not simply negare," but 'pernegare,' or 'prorsus negare,' totally, utterly to deny, not at all to spare or regard : τελείαν ἄρνησιν σημαίνει, οι καθόλου, as Theophylact and Suidas: it importeth a perfect or universal denial. It is rendered by Beza, Abdicet seipsum,' which is as much as to reject and cast off, as a man doth a graceless son, whom he will not own any more for his: which is the same thing in a family with that, which the law calls Ignominiosa missio,' in an army.

For the second, man is taken most ordinarily three ways in Scripture, either in respect to his creation, or to his traduction, or to his renovation; the natural man, the old man,

a Vide Suid, in voce, dτокngulos.

infamia.

Leg. 2. D. de iis qui notantur

VOL. IV.

Y

and the new man.

Earthly Adam;' (1

And so consequently by a man's self,'

I understand, First, A man's sinful self (to put that branch in the first place for our method of proceeding) which the apostle calls the Old Man;' (Ephes. iv. 22) the Cor. xv. 47, 48) the body of death;' (Rom. vii. 24) the carnal mind,' (Rom. vii. 8) our earthly members.' (Col. iii. 5) In which sense to 'deny a man's self,' is, in the apostle's phrase, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts.' (Tit. ii. 12)

Secondly, A man's natural self: and that First, in regard of being and substance; and so it imports our life, which is the continuance and preservation of being: and the faculties and powers of nature, our understanding, will, appetites, senses, fleshly members. 2dly, in regard of well-being, or the outward ornaments and comforts of life, which may all be reduced unto three heads:-1. External relations, as between husband and wife, parent and child, brother and brother, friend and friend, &c. 2. Special gifts, and endowments as learning, wisdom, power, or any other abilities of mind or body. 3. Common ends, which naturally men pursue and seek after, and are all by the Apostle comprised under three heads-of profit, pleasure, and honour; lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life ;” (1 John ii. 16) houses, lands, lordships, great possessions; fleshly, worldly, natural, unnatural, artificial delights; liberty, praise, favour, applause, preferment; any thing from which a man doth draw any kind of content or satisfaction in order to himself.

Thirdly, A man's moral, virtuous, renewed self: for as lusts are the members of the old man, so graces are the members of the new man; and as the first Adam begets us after his image, (Gen. v. 3) so the second Adam regenerates us after his image: (Col. iii. 10. 1 Cor. xv. 49. Rom. viii. 29) from the one, we receive lust for lust; and from the other, grace for grace.

Now these things being thus premised, according to this three-fold self, there are three branches of this duty of selfdenial for some things are to be denied simply and absolutely; some things, conditionally and upon supposition; and some things, comparatively and in certain respects.

1. Absolutely and simply; so a man is to deny his sinful self, and that two ways: First, Generally, as it importeth the

whole body of corruption and concupiscence, which we are to mortify and subdue, to crucify and revenge the blood of Christ against it. (Colos. iii. 5. Rom. viii. 13) Whereunto is required a formal and perpetual endeavour by actual exercise of grace; because things natural (as lust is) though they be never so much altered and abated for the time, will yet'ex se,' return and reduce themselves to their original state and strength again, if they be not still kept under: as a stone will fall down to its natural place by its own inclination, as soon as the impressed force which carried it upward is worn out; and water will reduce itself unto its natural coldness, if fire be not constantly kept under it. Neither may we expect, that because grace belongs unto our renewed nature, therefore it should, with the same natural facility, suppress lust, as lust, without the workings of grace, would return to its natural vigour and force again: for there is this remarkable difference between lust and grace, that the workings of lust are totally ab intus,' as to the root of them, and require not any foreign force or activity to concur with them, or to set them on motion; and therefore though weakened, they are still offering to return to their strength again. But the workings of grace, though partly ab intus,' when vital principles and spiritual habits are infused, do yet require an actual concurrence, co-operation, and assistance of the spirit of Christ immediately as from him; for it is "he who worketh in us for to will and to do:" as there is an aptness in a weapon to cut, in a wheel to move; yet that cutteth not, this moveth not, without a further vital faculty applying it to these uses. And therefore, though there be no need of labour for lust to recover strength, (because it is naturally apt to return thereunto of itself) yet there is need of much diligence, and earnest waiting upon Christ by faith and prayer, for the continued supplies of his spirit; whereby the graces which are in us, may be kept on work in the constant mortifying and subduing of our lusts; because the habits of grace infused do not work alone of themselves without such

Illo operante cooperamur: Aug. de nat. et grat. c. 31. Non tantum ut arbor sit bona, sed ut faciat fructus bonos, eâdem gratiâ necessarium est ut adjuvetur : de Grat. Christi lib. 1. cap. 19. Velle et currere meum est; sed ipsum meum sine Dei semper auxilio non erit meum: Hieron. tom. 2. epist. 197.