498 CIiARACTER OF A SOUND, that cross himin his interest or way. He is apt to be too negligent in the work of God, when any self-interest cloth stand against it ; and too much to seek himself, his own esteem, or his own com= modity, when he should devote himself to the good of souls, and give up- himself td the work of God :, though he is not like the hypocrite, that preferreth himself before the will of God and the common good, yet selfishness greatly stoppeth, interrupteth, and hinderet'h"him in God's work; and any great danger, or loss, or shame, or other concernment of his own, doth seem a greater mat- ter to him, and oftener turn him out of the way, than it will with a confirmed Christian. They were pot all hypocrites that .Paul speaketh of in that sad complaint, " For I have no man like-mind- ed, (to Timothy,) who will naturally care for your state ; for all seek their own; not the things which are Jesus.Christ's;" (Phil. ii. 20, 21.) that is, they too much seek their own, and not entirely enough the things that are Christ's ; which Timothy did naturally, as if he had been born to it ; and grace had made the love of Christ, and the souls of men, and_the good of others, as natural to him as the love of himself. Alas ! 'how loudly do their own distempers, andsoul-miscarriages, and thedivisions and calamities ofthe church, proclaim, that the weaker sort of Christians, have yet too much selfishness, and that self -denial is lamentably imperfect in them. 3. But in the seeming Christian, selfishness is still the predomi- nant principle : hè_ loveth God but for himself; and henever had any higher end than self : all his religion, his opinions, his practice, is animated by self-love, and governed by it, even by the love of carnal self. Self-esteem, self-conceitedness, self-lave, self-willed- ness, self -seeking, and self-saving, are the constitution of his heart and life. He will be of that opinion, and way and party in religion, which selfishness directeth him to choose. He will go no further in religion than self-interest and safety will allow him to go. He can change his friend, and turn his love into hatred; and his praises into reproach, whenever self-interest shall require it. He can make himself believe, and labor to make others believe, that the wisest and holiest servants of God are erroneous, humorous hypocrites, and insufferable, if they do but stand cross to his opinions and interest ; for he ÿudgethof them, and loveth or hateth them, princi- pally as they conform to his will and'interest, or as they are against it. As the godly méasure all persons and things by the will and interest of God, so do all .ur_godly men esteem them as they stand in reference to themselves. When their factious interest required it,. the Jews, and especially the Phasisees,'could make themselves and others believe, that the Son of God himself was a breaker of the law,, and an enemy to Caesar, and a blasphemer, and unworthy to live on the earth ; and that Paul was a pestilent fellow, and a
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