192 Natural Life to be denied, taken for granted,that a natural man may love 1. The comforts of life above life it felf.z. And the goodofhis Countrey,or the world, or his children above his life. 3 Or fome carnal felici- ty falfly conceited tobe had in another life ; yet it is certain that none but a fanciified believer can Love God better then kis Life, oc can preferr thofe Ipititual heavenly joyes which conflit in the holy Love andFruition ofGod, before his life : And therefore he chatfor thefe can deny hie Life, is indeed aChriflian : and none but he. Though it be anungrateful wordto the ears, of fome, I must fay it again, and none but he. For this is the very point inwhich Chrift for instance, doth put our felf-de- nial to the trial. He that will favehis life, (hall lofe it] Whe- ther youLove an immortal holy life with God, or this earthly flefhly life better, is the great queftion on which it will be re- folved whether you are Chriflians or Infidels at the heart, and whether you are the heirs ofheaven or hell. SomeLove to God maybe in the unfanftified ; but not a love tohim above their lives : and in fome cafes theymay fubmit to death ;Ibut not for the Love of God. But both thofe fet together, that is, a fubmitting to Death for the Love of God , or a Loving of Goal above this life, is the moll infallible,proof ofyour fincerity I confefs,flefh and blood mutt needs think this a very hard faying ; and though they might confent to acknowledge it a Duty, and a Reafonable thing to die for Chrift, and a note of excellency, and a commendable qualificationoffome few ex- traordinary Saints, -yet it goeth very hardly down with them, that it should be the loweft meafure of faving grace, and that theweakeft Chriftian mull have it that will be favecf; For fay they, What can the ftrongeft do more then die for Chrift ? But to this I anfwer, i. There is no room for objections againft fo plaina WordofGod. It is thewifdom of God, and not out Reafon that difpofeth of the Crown of life : and therefore it is his Wifdom and not our Reafonmust determine bywhat we shall attain it. Andif God fay plainly , that If any man come to Chrifi, and bate not kit own life, (that is, love it not fo much lefs then Chrift, that for his fake he can ufe it as a hated thing is ufed) he cannot be his Difciple] Luke 14. 26. it is too late for the vote diem; or all the clamf000rig
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