in all his Humility, and Self-denial, wrought by the Gofpel. As thus:

He ever cries out, What shall I do to be faved? what shall I do to be faved? And yet he profeffes, That he does not expect to be faved by doing. Here's a Myfterie!

Again, He counts himself leffe than the leaft of all Gods mercies: And yet he thinks God hath done more for him, than if he had given him all the world. Here's a My. fterie!

Again, He prizes every Dutie, and every Gift, and every Grace although it be never fo fmall; prizes it above all the world: And yet he counts al but dung and drofs in regard of Chrift. Here's a Mysterie!

Again, He looks upon himself asthe greateft finner, and thinks of every one better than himself: And yet when he looks upon a Drunkard, or a Sweater, or the like; profeffes that he would not change his condition with him for al the world: He looks upon himself as the greateft finner, and thinks of every one better than himfelt; and yet he faies concerning fuch and fuch, he would not change his condition with them for all the world. What a Mysterie is this ! Again, He mourns under Reproaches, and the Defpifings of men: And yet he triumphs over them, and is above them. Here's a Myferie!

Again, He counts himself nothing, and all that ever he does nothing: And yet he praifes the Lord for every little, and thinks that God hath done more for him, in giving him Chrift,than if he had given him all the world. Here's a Myfterie!

Now, as for the feeming Humility, and Self-denial,that is in Heathen, or Moral, Civil men, there is none of this Myftery: but there is a Spiritual Myftery that runs along in the veins of all this Gofpel-Humilitie, and Self-denial.

But, I fpeak of Self-denial in Spiritual things: and what Moral, Civil man, does deny himself in Spiritual things? I remember one makes mention of a certain godly Dies Luman, fitanus.

L

Quest. 2

Answ.

I.

man, that was forely tempted by Satan, in his time: the man was much in Duty, and Satan comes unto him, and faies, Why doeft thou take thus much pains? thou doeft Fast, and Watch; but, Oman, what is there that thou doeft more than I do? Art thou no Drunkard? or no Adalterer? Saies Satan, I never was Drunk, nor Inever committed Adultery: What? doeft thou Watch? Saies Satan, I never flept. Doeft thou Faft? Saies Satan, I never ate any Meat, or drank any Beer or Wine. What thereford, O man, (faies Satan) doest thou do more than I do? Yes, (faies he) Satan, I will tell thee what I do: I Pray, and I ferve the Lord, and walk Humbly, and Deny my felf. True indeed then (faies Satan) I confefs herein thou doeft go beyond me; for I am Proud, and I have Exalted my felf; and therefore, that thou doest Deny thy felf, and walk humbly with thy God; herein indeed, thou goeft beyond me. And know, a Chriftian does not only go beyond Satan, but he goes beyond Moral, Civil, Legal men : and where ever the Gofpel comes in power, it works this difpofition and frame of heart, there it is wrought indeed.

You will fay, What is there in the Gospel, or the way of the Gospel, which lies in Juftification by faith alone; that can work a mans beart unto this frame, and difpofition?

I hall name Three or Four things of many.

First, The more a man does fee the Glory of God, the more Humble he will be, and deny himself, even in Spiritual things. Ye may reade how it was with Job, in the 9. chapter of Job: ye do not reade in all that book, that Job does any where in one Chapter, fo much deny himfelf, as concerning his own Righteoufnefs (which he flood much upon to his friends) as in this 9th chapter, verfe the 15. Whom (Speaking of God) though I were righteous, yet I would not answer, but I would make fupplication to my Judg. Verfe the 16. If Ibad called, and be bad answered me, yet would I not beleeve that he bad bearkened unto my voice. Then at the 20. verfe. IfI Justifie my felf, mine own mouth full condemn me :

f1fay I am perfect it fball also prove me perverse. Verse the 21. "Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my foul: I would difpife my felf. Then at the 30. verfe. If I wash my self with fnow water, and make my bands never fo clean: yet fhalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own clothes fhall abbor me. But whence did all this Self-Denial in Spiritual things proceed now? If you look into the former part of the chapter, ye fhall fee,that Job had a great profpe&t of the glory of God, I know it is fo of a truth: but bow should man be just with God? verfe the 2. If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him. God is wife in heart, and mighty in ftrength: verfe the 4 Then verfe the 5. Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in bis anger. Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. Which commandeth the Sun, and it arifeth not: and fealeth up the stars. Which alone fpreadesh out the beavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea. Which maketh A&turus, Orion, and Plejades, and the chambers of the South. Which doth great things paft finding out, yes, and wonders without number. And now having this profpect of the Greatness, and Glory of the Lord, be Denies his own Righteoufnefs, Denies himself in Spiritual things. And ye know how it was with the Prophet Ifaiah, in the 9. chapter, and 5. verfe. Then faid I, Wo is me, fer I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dael in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Wo is me, I am undone, a man of unclean lips. But ftay, thou bleffed Prophet, thou art a grear, and haft been a great preacher, a Gofpel Preacher yea, thou art a Propher. Well (faies he)yet, Wo is me, for I am un done, I am a man of unclean lips. Why? what's the matter? (At the latter end of the verle) for mine eyes have feen the King, the Lord of hofts. And if ye look into the former verses of that chapter, ye fhall find, That it was a fight of Chrift in his glory,as will more fully appear, by comparing of that,and in the 4. chapter of the Revelation together at your leifure. But where can a man fee the Glory of God, but in the Gofpel? The Gofpel is called, The Glorious Gofpel there the Glory of

God is to be feen. With open face there, as in a glass, we behold the Glory of the Lord.

Secondly, The more I fee Chrift as an Eminent, Tranf cendent Example of Humility, and Self-Denial; the more I learn to Deny my felf, even in Spiritual things. Now the Gospel holds forth Chrift as the moft Eminient Example of Humility, and Self Denial: fuch an Example as the Sun never faw before, from first to laft. At the ficft; He thought it no robbery (faies the Apoftle) to be equal with God: and yet be bumbled himself, and took upon him the form of a fervant. And at the laft: Saies he unto his father, Yet not my will, but thy will be dane. And if ye look into the 13. chap. ter of John, ye shall find there, that our Lord and Savior Jefus Christ, takes a towel,and water, and fall down at the feet of his Difciples, and washes their feet, verfe the 4. Herifeth from Supper, and laid afide his garments, aud took a towel, and girded himself: and after he had powred water into a bafin, he began to wash his Difciples feet, and to wipe them wib a towel. When the Pharifie faw the woman come unto Cbrift, and wash his feet, and wipe them with the hair of her head; be wondred, and said, Surely, if this had been a Prophet, be would not have fuffered a finxer to come fo neer to him. Did the Pharifee wonder at this condefcention, That Chrift fhould humble himself fo far, as (o fuffer a poor woman to come fo neer him, as to wash his feet with her tears? Oh! what condescention is here! for ever to be wondered at,. That the Lord Chrift himself, should down upon his knees,and wafh the Difciples feet that the great God of heaven and earth, the fecond perfon incarnate, fhould now come, fall down at the feet of finners, (Jude among them too) and wash his Difciples feet; When all power in heaven and earth was in his hands, that with thofe hands he should wash the feet of finners!

But ftay a little, le may be al! power in heaven and earth was not then given in to his hands. Yes, reade for that purpose, the 3. verfe (that goes before this story) Jefus knowing that the Father bad given all things inte bis bands, and

that

that was come from God, and went to God; be rifeth from fup per, and laid afide his garments.

But though all power in Heaven and earth, was given into his hands; it may be he did not know it. Yes, (faies the text) Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things in to bis bands, and ibat he was come from God, and went to God: He rifeth from fupper, and laid afide his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself: After that, be powred water into a afin, and begin to wash the Difciples feet. Oh! what SelfDenial is here! was there ever fuch Self-Denial as here? And this,this does the Gospel hold forth unto ye, and only to be learned in the Gospel.

Thirdly. The more I see my felf a debter unto jefus Chrift, for all my Gifts, and for all my Graces; the more Humble I fhall be, and the more I fhall deny my self in spiritual things. Ye know how it is with a man that ows for his Cloaths: Poffibly, a man may wear brave, and fine Cloaths; but he ows for them at fuch a fhop. While he is abroad, he fwaggers, and is proud of his Cloaths; but when he comes into the fhop where he ows for them, and looks upon the book, and what he hath to pay, he ftrikes fail then, and is more modeft, afhimed, and blushes. The Gospel is the great Shop, from whence we have al our gifts, and al our graces; and when I come into the Gospel, there I fee how infinitly I am a debter to Free grace for a! I have: and though I may be proud in spirit at another time, yet if I come into the Gospel, and fee what an infinite debter to Free grace I am; for all that ever I wear upon the back of my foul; then Ithink; Oh! what caufe have I to be humble! Shall I be proud? fhall not I deny my felfin Spiritu al things? Ifay, this Gospel is the Shop of all our Gifts, and all our Graces.

Fourthly. The faving, juftifying faith, is an Emptying grace; it brings Chrift into the foul: and when Chrift comes into the foul,all other things maftour. As when a King,or Prince comes into a Houfe; the mafter of the house goes out of his own lodging, and all must out, to make

room

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