Heautonaparnumenos: or, A Treatise of Self-Denyall

p. 3A Treatise of Self-Denyall.

If any one will come after me, let him deny himselfe.

(BUt in the first place, let us with all thankfulnesse adore the Divine Bounty for this inestimable Jewell of His most Holy VVord, revealed to us; and with all humility implore the light and aid of his most Blessed Spirit, that we, who can doe nothing without Him, may with Him be able to see His Truth, and seeing it, sell all we are worth to purchase it: To this alone Glory, in our Eternal Good, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.)

p. 3THE Occasion of these words will be the best key to our Discourse: And that was this. Our Saviour now drawing fast upon the Catastrophe of His Life, and being in the last Act thereof, to expresse the Perfection of Self-denyall, that the suddennesse of the Tragedy might not drive his Disciples into an unwonted extasie, [Verse 21.] acquaints them often with it before-hand, well knowing, that the blow foreseene in time, when it came, would make the lesse impression. Yet Peter, it seemes, [Verse 22.] somewhat mov'd above the rest, whether by the instinct of flesh and bloud, or the suggestion of the Devill, or both, which is most likely, taking him aside, began to rebuke Him, saying; Sir! favour your selfe, this barme shall not befall you. Most strange audaciousnesse in a Disciple to his Master, p. 4whether we looke at his words, or his behaviour! No such thing shall befall you; and yet but just then, He had flatly affirmed the contrary? What else was this, but, with the Devill in Paradise, to oppose his owne infallibility to his Masters, [Gen. 3.4. Jer. 5.12.] that is (in plaine English) to give Him the Lye? An intolerable presumption. And yet, thereupon to inferre, He ought to favour, that is, make much of, or seek Himselfe; this was no other, but a downe-right Devillish Temptation: A true, but slyer, Copy of that Originall one of the Serpent, who tempted our first Parents, by self-love, to affect a Deity. But lastly, the better to perswade this, [Gen 3.5.] to take Him aside, to put Him beside His course, and there earnestly to advise Him; this was just like the Devils tolling Adam from his Worke, to the fatall Tree of Perdition. All which seriously considered, we cannot but (though with no small admiration) aknowledge Peter but even now made a Claviger of the Heavenly Kingdome, [Verse 19.] was herein the Devills Spokes-man. Such was the daring boldnesse, that by long practise he was growne to: No lesse Instrument could serve him to frustrate the Second Covenant, then the Senior Disciple of our Saviour's, who us'd but a despicable Serpent to doe as much to the First. All that can bee said in Peters behalfe is, he meant no harme to our Saviour in those words; but good rather: the reason, as I suppose, why he made so bold with Him, as he did. But this, though the common pretence of blinde zeale, is not enough to excuse it; the Devil, to be sure, meant harm enough, who in those words of his had no lesse matter in designe, then the irrecoverable Destruction of all Man-kinde: the reason, as it may seem, why our Saviour check'd not him, [Verse 23] but Satan speaking in him. The best of it was this: Our Saviour, the Second Adam, being the Lord Himself from Heaven, [1 Cor. 15.17.] did not, like that First Adam, form'd out of the earth, give way to this temptation, no not for a moment; but forthwith repelled it; bid Satan, be gone. And whereas Peter endeavoured, in a sort, to divert Him, He converted Himselfe into His course againe, bids Peter not stand like Satan, thus before Him, to oppose Him; but, get him behinde Him rather, and become His follower in this, though never so hard, enterprise of Self-denyall. Which that Peter might resent more kindly, and not conceive himselfe hardly dealt with, as if evill had been return'd him for his good, our Saviour to undeceive him, vouchsafes a Reason of his Reproofe: Because he savourd not the things of God, meaning this great matter of Self-denyall; but onely the things of men, to wit, that traiterous sin of Self-love. And not content p. 5with this, that He might the better set Satan packing, [Verse 24] and yet keep Peter by Him; by way of Antithesis, He layes here the Foundation of what Peter went about to destroy, such a Schools or Sect of men, as should savour the things of God, and not the things of men: that is, a Sect of Christians, or self-denyers.

p. 5That this was the sole Designe of these words we are now upon, will evidently appeare from the formost of them, If any one will come after Me, rightly understood; for they being a Si quis of Invitation of any man to this Schoole, import no more but this; If any one will become my Disciple, or a Christian. 'Tis true, the Name of Christian was not then taken up; but here was the Foundation layd thereof. For as the Pythagoreans were so called from the first Author of their Sect, Pythagoras; and the Epicureans, from the first Author of theirs, Epicurus; so were the Disciples, from their first Author, Christ, [Acts 11.26.] at length in Antioch first called Christians. Disciples then and Followers, in this sense, becomming termes Synonymous, this comming after must not be so literally understood, as if the Disciple were continually to tread in his Masters steps; but that, if he did jurare in verba, that is, take upon him to defend his Masters singular Dogmata, or Opinions, though he seldome or never bare him company, 'twas sufficient. Thus a Metempsychosis, or Transanimation, being the singular Dogma of Pythagoras, it became the Characteristick of the Pythagoreans; who, in pursuance of it, abstain'd the eating Flesh. Thus an Acatalepsia, or Incomprebensibility of all things, being the singular Dogma of Arcesilaus, it became the Characteristicke of the Academicks, who, in pursuance of it, call'd all Sciences in question. Thus, the maintaining Pleasure to bee our Summum Bonum being the singular Dogma of Epicurus, it became the Characteristick of the Epicureans, who, in pursuance of it, deny'd Gods Providence in sublunary matters. And thus, this Doctrine of Self-denyall being the singular Dogma of Christ, above all others, He would have it here become the Characteristick of all Christians, who, in pursuance of it, should become Crucigeri, or Cruciani, as anciently they were called, that is, Crosse-bearers, yea takers of it up.