'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'—Hosea 4:6
Q. Is not God's deferring a sign of his anger?—A. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it is not.
Q. When is there no sign of his anger?—A. When we have not wickedly departed from him by our sins (Luke 18:7).
Q. When is it a sign of his anger?—A. When we have backslidden, when we have not repented of some former miscarriages (Hosea 5:14,15).
Q. Why doth God defer to hear their prayers that hath not wickedly departed from him?—A. He loves to hear their voice, to try their faith, to see their importunity, and to observe how they can wrestle with him for a blessing (Cant 2:14; Matt 15:22-28; Luke 11:5-8; Gen 32:25-28).
Q. But is not deferring to answer prayer a great discouragement to praying?—A. Though it is, because of our unbelief, yet it ought not, because God is faithful. Therefore, men ought always to pray, and not to faint' (Luke 18:1-8).
Of Self-Denial.
Q. I am glad you have thus far granted my request, but you told me that there was another part of God's worship; pray repeat that again?—A. It is self-denial.
Q. Now I remember it well; pray, how do you prove that self-denial is called a part of God's worship?—A. It is said of Abraham that when he went to offer up his son Isaac upon the altar for a burnt-offering, which was to him a very great part of self-denial, he counted that act of his worshipping God.
Q. Will you be pleased to read the text?—A. Yes, 'And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and the lad and I will go yonder and worship,' &c. This was when he was about to slay Isaac (Gen 22:5).
Q. What is self-denial?—A. It is for a man to forsake his ALL, for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Q. Will you prove this by a scripture or two?—A. Yes, 'Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple' (Luke 14:33).
Q. Indeed, this is a full place. Can you give me one more?—A. Yes, 'What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,' &c. (Phil 3:7,8).
Q. These two are indeed a sufficient answer to my question; but pray, will you now give me some particular instances of the self-denial of them that have heretofore been the followers of Christ?—A. Yes, Abel denied himself to the loss of his blood (Gen 4:8). Abraham denied himself to the loss of his country and his father's house (Gen 12:1-4). Moses denied himself a crown and a kingdom, and ease and tranquility (Heb 11:24-27). Joseph denied himself of fleshly lusts (Gen 39:7-9).
Q. But these men, each of them, denied themselves but of some things, did they?—A. You see, Abel lost all, his blood and all; Abraham lost his country to the hazard of his life (Gen 12:13). So did Moses in leaving the crown and kingdom (Heb 11:27). And Joseph in denying his mistress (Gen 39:10-15).
Q. Will you discourse a little particularly on self-denial?—A.
With all my heart.
Q. First then, pray in what spirit must this self-denial be performed?—A. It must be done in the spirit of faith, of love, and of a sound mind. Otherwise, if a man should sell all that he hath and give to the poor, and his body to be burnt besides, it would profit him nothing (1 Cor 13:1-3).
Q. Who are like to miscarry here?—A. They whose ends in self-denial are not according to the proposals of the gospel.
Q. Who are they?—A. They that suffer through strife and vain-glory; or thus, they who seek in their sufferings the praise of men more than the glory of Christ, and the profit of their neighbour.
Q. Who else are like to miscarry here?—A. They that have designs like Ziba to ingratiate themselves by their pretended self-denial into the affections of the godly, and to enrich themselves by this means (2 Sam 16:1-4).
Q. Are there any others likely to miscarry here?—A. Yes. They do so by denying themselves, thinking like the Pharisee, to make themselves stand more righteous in God's eyes than others (Luke 18:11,12).
Q. Who else is in danger of miscarrying here?—A. They who have fainted in their works, they whose self-denial hath at last been overcome by self-love (Gal 3:4, 6:9).
Q. Shall I propound a few more questions?—A. If you please.
Q. What then if a man promiseth to deny himself hereafter and not now, is not this one step to this kind of worship?—A. No, by no means; for the reason why this man refuseth to deny himself now, is because his heart at present sticks closer to his lusts and the world, than to God and Christ.
Q. Can you give me a Scripture instance to make this out?—A. Yes; Esau never intended for ever to part with the blessing, he intended to have it hereafter; but God counted his not choosing of it at present, a despising of it, and a preferring of his lusts before it: and therefore when he would, God would not, but reject both him and his tears (Gen 25:30-34; Heb 12:14-16).
Q. How and if a man shall say thus, I am willing to deny myself in many things, though he cannot deny himself in all, is not this one step in this part of this worship of God?—A. No, in no wise; for this man doth, just like Saul, he will slay a part, and will keep a part alive; the kingdom must be taken from him also (1 Sam 15).
Q. How if a man is willing to lose all but his life?—A. He that 'will save his life shall lose it,' but he that 'will lose his life for my sake,' saith Christ, 'shall keep it unto life eternal' (Matt 16:25; John 12:25).
Q. How if a man has been willing to lose all that he hath, but is not now, will not God accept of his willingness in time past, though he be otherwise now?—A. No, for the true disciple must deny himself daily, take up his cross daily, and go after Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23).
Q. But how if a man carrieth it well outwardly, so that he doth not dishonour the gospel before men, may not this be counted self-denial?—A. No, if he be not right at heart; for though man looketh on the outward appearance, God looketh at the heart (1 Sam 16:7).
Q. But if I be afraid my heart may deceive me in this great work, if hard things come upon me hereafter, is there no way to find out whether it will deceive me then or no?—A. I will give you a few answers to this question, and will shew you first whose heart is like to deceive him in this work.
Q. Will you befriend me so much?—A. Yes. 1. He that makes not daily conscience of self-denial, is very unlikely to abide a disciple for times to come, if difficult. Judas did not deny himself daily, and therefore fell when the temptation came (John 12:6).
Q. Will you give me another sign?—A. Yes. He that indulgeth any one secret lust under a profession, is not like to deny himself in all things for Christ.
Q. Who are they that indulge their lusts?—A. They that make provision for them, either in apparel, or diet, or otherwise (Rom 13:12-14; Isa 3:6-24; Amos 6:3-6).
Q. Who else does so?—A. They that excuse their sins, and keep them disguised that they may not be reprehended, as Saul did, &c (1 Sam 15:18-22).
Q. Who else are they that indulge their lusts?—A. They that heap up to themselves such teachers as favour their lusts (2 Tim 4:3,4; Isa 30:10).
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