most concern for those of whom we have the most knowledge. And hence, in the sacred books, knowing or owning any one signifies, having a regard for him and denying any one, the contrary. Thus wicked persons are said to deny God, while they profess to know him, and our Saviour in return will deny them at the great day, saying, Depart from me, I know you not †. Thus also, in the Old Testament, when the children of Levi had suppressed a rebellion of the people against God and their lawful governors, by falling without distinction upon all whom they found engaged in it, Moses describes the heroic behaviour of that tribe in these terms: who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children; for he observed thy word and kept thy covenant‡. That is, they preferred their duty to Heaven and the public, before the tenderest private regards. Job comes yet nearer to the phrase before us: Though I were perfect, which he had just been disclaiming, yet would I not know my soul§; were I freer from faults than I am, it should not tempt me to self-partiality. But indeed the context may suffice to shew the meaning of the text. Our Saviour had been foretelling his future sufferings. Peter's warm zeal for his Master overpowered his respect, and he began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee. But the holy Jesus immediately rebukes him in return before the disciples; tells him he was, in the tendency, though not the design of his words, a tempter, an adversary to him; and influenced by human weakness, instead of reli+ Matt. vii. 23. xxv. 12. Luke xiii. 25. 27. || Matth. xvi. 21, 22. Tit. i. 16. § Job ix. 21. gious fortitude. Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men *. Then calling the people to him also, but in kindness to the well-meaning Apostle concealing from them the particular occasion, he assures them, with that noble disinterestedness, which he shewed perpetually, that if they would become his disciples indeed, they must deny themselves and follow him disregard as he did and should do, every instinct and aversion, every passion and affection that belong to the human frame t. And harsh as this declaration may seem, he hath used a harsher yet. If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Agreeably to which, St. Paul sets it down at the head of a long catalogue of most dreadful sins, that men shall be lovers of their own selves §. But now it will be thought full time, that a doctrine so alarming should II. Be put under due limitations. For, after all, self-love being a part of that nature, which God hath given us, can we, or ought we to divest ourselves of it? Is there any possibility of happiness without it? Doth not religion apply to it as our main principle of action, recommend its precepts chiefly from their tendency to our good; and even make our own love to ourselves the measure and rule of that, which we ought to have for our neighbour. Why, doubtless these things are true and so evidently true, that we may be sure our blessed Saviour, whose life was in no respect *Matth. xvi. 23. + See Authorities of the Fathers for this interpretation in Suicer. voc. Απαρνεομαι et Αρνησίς. ↑ Luke xiv. 26. § 2 Tim. iii. 2. Matth. xxii. 39. unnecessarily austere, and whose doctrine is every where else so rational and mild, could never intend to require in the text, and the few others that resemble it, either that we should deny and disregard ourselves entirely, which is impracticable; or uselessly, which would be unfit. And therefore, as he could not, without the utmost unreasonableness, be suspected of forbidding a prudent and virtuous selflove, he might safely and advantageously employ the strongest terms in prohibiting a weak and vicious one for in such cases abatements, at least sufficient, hardly ever fail of being made. However, to prevent mistakes and misrepresentations, he hath taught us more particularly, how to interpret all his injunctions of this kind, by interpreting himself the hardest of them, (that of hating every thing which we naturally hold dear) to bear only the comparative sense of loving nothing more than him*, but preferring obedience to the laws of God before any other consideration. For in the strict and literal meaning, his Apostle hath told us, no man ever yet hated his own flesh †. Had he enjoined us a number of difficult observances, of which we saw not the use, we ought certainly to have believed they had one, and obeyed him implicitly. But since, on the contrary, he hath established a spiritual religion, neither imposing unaccountable restraints, nor encumbered with many or troublesome ceremonies; we ought both to receive it with most joyful reverence, and to preserve it in that amiable simplicity, in which he delivered it: not laying on ourselves any burthen, but such as may enable us to bear the better what he hath laid on us; and much less usurping dominion over the practice of others. Extremely ill therefore hath the Church of Rome understood the nature of Christianity, in appointing as proper instances of self-denial, so many frivolous and vexatious austerities of abstinences and penances, that serve to no good purpose; and encouraging multitudes to make vows of living separate from the world in poverty and celibacy, only to spend a tedious life in the meritorious employments of wearing different habits, eating different food, keeping different hours, and observing different rules in common things from the rest of their fellow-creatures and from one another: as if it could be the intention of infinite wisdom and goodness to set men on finding out new ways of being uneasy and absurd. They plead indeed, that such methods habituate them to a spirit of obedience, and a readiness of parting with their own inclinations. But obedience to God cannot be shewn by doing what he never commanded: and blind obedience to mere men he hath cautioned us against, instead of requiring it. We are to deny ourselves and follow Christ: not to deny ourselves and follow guides, equally fallible with ourselves, into whatever extravagancies they direct, that will only produce ignorance and bigotry in one part of the world, and contempt and abhorrence of religion in the other. But these additional duties, which the Church enjoins, they say, conduce to the more easy practice of those which God hath enjoined. Why, some of them, in some cases may : and then they should, with prudence and moderation, be used and recommended. But prescribing by mere human authority, a great number of such things, at all adventures, for almost all alike, or for any during their whole lives, is an evident mark, either of wrong judgment, or bad design. To the inconsiderate indeed they make a specious appearance. But if we reflect, how exorbitant a degree of ill-used power and wealth hath been artfully obtained by requiring them first, and occasionally dispensing with them afterwards; how little good is done by them, that might not as well have been done without them: and how very much evil naturally must, and in fact doth, arise from them; needless difficulties and disquiet to the good, false hopes to sinners of compensating for the wickedness which they continue to indulge, spiritual pride in those who observe them rigidly, and uncharitable censures, nay often persecutions also, of such as do not; we shall be fully convinced, that superadding thus imaginary duties to real ones is far from promoting the true interests of Christian piety. And indeed all hardships under which men put themselves of their own accord, not being enjoined in Scripture, nor evidently needful to preserve them from sin, and to raise their thoughts to a better world, (especially if they tend to promote rigour and sourness rather than mildness and humility) hurt instead of benefiting them, and discredit religion with others: which in itself is a reasonable service*, and directs us not to refuse the good creatures of God, but to receive them with thanksgiving. But some will ask, is not this explaining away to nothing what Christ hath most solemnly commanded as a very important duty? How doth such doctrine leave any room for self-denial? And wherein after all will it consist? I answer, in what human nature usually finds much more reluctance to practise, than any of the severities mentioned yet. For there are none, that wicked men will not gladly undergo, rather than quit their favourite faults. Besides, the strict imposers of unnecessary restraints on their Rom. xii. 1. + Tim. iv. 4. |