lives, applying the general rules of Scripture to our several estates. And thus according to the command of Christ, "He that can receive this saying, let him."

CHAPTER LIII.

Or in Solitude and renouncing secular Affairs?

Quest. 3. WHETHER self-denial consist in solitude, and avoiding secular affairs, as trades, merchandise, labour, &c.?" Answ. 1. It is the standing rule of the apostle, of all that are able, “"That if any man will not work, neither should he eat;" 2 Thess. iii. 10.: and he calls those "disorderly walkers, that work not at all;" 2 Thess. iii. 11. and requireth us to have "no company with such," commanding men, with "quietness to work, and eat their own bread;" verse 12. 14. But yet there are several sorts of labour: some labour with the body, which is usually more private, as to the extent (if not to the intent). of the benefit; and some labour with the mind, which is usually more for public good; as princes, judges, magistrates of all sorts, lawyers, physicians, ministers, &c. Now men are to consider whether by the labour of the mind or of the body they are like to be more serviceable to God, and which they are fittest for, and called to; and that they ought to set themselves to, and that in true self-denial, and for God. To be idle, is so far from being a part of self-denial, that it is a sinful part of fleshpleasing. And so is it to choose any calling or employment principally for fleshly ease or accommodation. The apostles were some fishermen, and some of other callings, and none of them renounced worldly labour, or affairs, save only so far as they hindered them from the work of God, to which they (and all ministers) were wholly to addict themselves, as appears, 1 Tim. iv. 15. 2 Tim. ii. 4. To do therefore as many monks do, to be employed in no calling for the public good, under pretence of being religious to themselves, is to be burdens to the earth, and gross violators of the laws of God.

CHAPTER LIV.

Or in renouncing Public Offices and Honours?

Quest. 4. WHETHER self-denial require men to renounce all public offices, and honours, and not to be magistrates, ministers, or the like?'

Answ. It requireth us not to have such carnal thoughts of these offices, as to look on them only as places of honour, and power, and ease; nor yet to desire them for such carnal ends; nor yet to thrust ourselves upon them without a call, as being the judges of our own sufficiency. But selfdenial is so far from forbidding the offices and employments themselves, as that it is a great point of self-denial for a man that understandeth them well, to undertake them, if he mean to manage them sincerely and faithfully. For were it not that the sweetness of God's interest and his acceptance, and the benefits of the church, our brethren and our souls, did ingratiate these offices and employments to an honest mind, they would be so very burdensome, that flesh and blood would either make them carnal by abuse, or never endure them. And therefore hath God given them an addition of honour to encourage them, and to put an honour on their work, for the furthering of its success. Experience certifieth me that the work of the ministry is far more troublesome to the flesh, than the bodily labour of a poor artificer or ploughman is; so that without great selfdenial no man will be a minister, that doth not carnally mistake the function for another thing than indeed it is. And I think I may say the like in its degree, by the magistracy; especially by them in highest power, who have the greatest work. Certain I am, if they faithfully do their duties, they will find more burden to the flesh and mind, than poor men that have only a family to provide for. Though many ignorant, ungodly poor people, that sit at home in peace, and little know the care, and grief, and trouble of their rulers, do wickedly murmur at their very calling, as if they had nothing but honour, and idleness, and excess; yet if they had tried and tasted their care and trouble a few months, they would think a private life the

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easier, and confess that there is need of much self-denial for a man to accept of magistracy or ministry, that understandeth them, and resolveth to use them accordingly.

Moreover, these offices are of necessity to the common good, and established to that end by God himself. And the fifth commandment requires us to pay our superiors their honour and obedience. And therefore to imagine that it is any part of self-denial to refuse the office of magistracy or ministry, is to make it self-denial to destroy the church and commonwealth, and be a cruel enemy to mankind, and to our country, and to rebel against the powers that are ordained of God, and thereby to receive damnation to ourselves; Rom. xiii. 1-3. Heb. xiii. 17.

But yet this I must say, that if a worthy person stand in competition with us, self-denial requireth us to prefer them before ourselves, and to refuse honours and dignities, when the good of the public doth not call us to deny ourselves more in the accepting them.

CHAPTER LV.

Whether it be a denying our Relations?

Quest. 5. WHETHER self-denial consist in denying of natural or contracted relations, as of father and mother to sons and daughters, of brothers and sisters, husband and wife, master and servant, prince and people, pastor and

flock?'

Answ. You might as wisely imagine that self-denial lieth in hating or denying any of God's works, even the frame of nature; or in denying food and raiment to our bodies, or in denying our own lives, so as to cut our throats. For the same law of nature that made me a man, and requireth me to preserve my life, did make me a son, and require me to love and honour my parents: And it is in the decalogue, the "first commandment with promise," as the apostle calleth it, Ephes. vi. 2. It is frequently and expressly commanded in Scripture, that children love, honour, obey their parents; and terrible curses are pronounced on the breakers of these commands; Eph. vi. 1.4.

v. 22. 25.

Colos. iii. 20-22. iv. 1. Exod. xxi. 17. Levit. xx. 9. Deut. xxi. 18, 19. xxvii. 16. Prov. xxx. 17. Matt. xv. 4. xix. 19. And if children were not bound to parents, then parents should not be bound to educate children, and then they would be exposed to misery and perish. One would think that there should never such a sect have risen up, that should be worse than the very brutes, who by the instinct of nature love their young ones, and their dams. But the Spirit foretold us, that which is come to pass, that in the last and perilous times, there should be men that are "disobedient to parents, without natural affection;" 2 Tim. iii. 3.

And for contracted relations, they are the express institution of God, so frequently owned by him in Scripture, and the duties of them so frequently commanded, that I will not trouble you with the recital of the passages. And as for the adversaries' objections, they are frivolous. The meaning of the apostle's words, "that we know no man after the flesh," I have told you before. The words of Christ to his mother, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" (John ii. 4.) which they allege, are nothing for their wicked cause; they being no more but Christ's due reprehension of his mother's mistake, who would prescribe him the time and manner of doing miracles, and have him do them in a way of ostentation; which things did not belong to her, but to the Spirit of God, and the Lord himself. And whereas they allege that text, "that father, mother, brother, sisters, &c. are to be hated for Christ;" Luke xiv. 26. I answer, even as our own lives are to be hated, which are also numbered with them; that is, they must be all forsaken, rather than Christ should be forsaken; and therefore loved less than he, and but for his sake. If therefore this text require you not at all to cut your own throats, or some way kill yourselves, then it doth not require you to withdraw your due affections from natural or contracted relations. I must crave the reader's pardon that I trouble him with confuting such unnatural opinions, and desire him to believe that it is not before I am urged to it by the arguments of some deluded souls that are not unlikely to do hurt by them with some.

CHAPTER LVI.

Or Relieving Strangers before Kindred?

Quest. 6. WHETHER self-denial require that we should relieve godly strangers, before our natural kindred, especi ally that are ungodly? Or that we love them better?"

Answ. 1. Where our natural kindred are as holy and needy as others, there is a double obligation on us, both natural and spiritual, to love and relieve them. 2. Where they are as holy as others, but less needy, there may lie a double obligation on us, to love them, and yet not to give to them. 3. If they be more needy, or as needy as others, though withal they be ungodly, we are not thereby excused from natural affections or charitable relief. 4. We must distinguish between children, or such kindred as nature casteth upon our care for provision, and such kindred as are by nature cast upon others. If parents were not obliged to relieve and provide for their own children, they would be exposed to misery, and man should be more unnatural than brutes. So that even when by ungodliness, they are less amiable than others, yet God hath bound men to provide for them more. 5. Natural love and spiritual are much different; you may have a stronger natural love to an ungodly child, than to a godly stranger, but you must have a spiritual love to that godly stranger, more than to your child; and that spiritual love must be (at least as to the rational and estimative part) much greater than the other natural love and yet you may be bound to give more, where you are not bound to love more. For it is not love only that is the cause of giving; but we are God's stewards, and must dispose of what we have as he prescribeth us: and his standing law of nature for the preservation of mankind, is, that parents take care of their children, as such.

6. The will and service of God, being it that should dispose of all that we have, we must in all such doubts look to these two things for our direction: First, to the particular precepts of the word; and there we find the foresaid duty of parents expressed, and withal the duty of relieving all that are needy, to our power: Secondly, to the general