The Preface. In a word , as Love is the fulfilling of the whole Law, as to the pofitive part, fo is felfifhnefs the evilthat Rands in contrariety thereto, even felf-conceitednefs, felf-willednefs felf-love , and felf-feeking and thus far felf-denyal is thefun; ofour obedience as to the terminus a quo : andChrift hashperemptorily determi- ned in his Go , that If any man will come after him , he mull deny himfelf and take uphis Crofs and follow him : and that whofoever will put in a referve, but for the favingofhis Life, fhall lofe it ; and whofoever will lofe his life for his fake (hall find it, Matth. 16.24,25. And that he that doth not follow him, bearing his Crofs , and that forfaketh not all he bath for him , cannot be his Difeiple, Luk, 14.2.7,3 3. According to the nature of theft holy Rules andExamples, is the Natureof the workings of the Spiritof Chrifi upon thefoul He ufually beginneth in fbewing man his fin and mifery , his utter infisfficiency to help himfelf, his alienationfrom God, and enmity to him , his blindnefs and deadnefs , his emptinefs and nothingnefs , ,and then he brings him from himielf to Chrift-, and Jheweih him his fulnefs and fufficiency, and by Chrift he cometh to the Father , and God doth receive hisown again. It is one half of the workof SanEtification, to caft out Selves from our Underltandings, our Wills, our Affections, and our Con verfations ; to fubdue felf-conceitednefs, felf-willednefs, felf- love, and felf-feeking : to mortifie our carnal wifdom, andour Pride, and our concupifcence , and our earthly members : And the other (and chiefeft part) confifteth inletting up God Where Self did rule that his Wifdom may he our Guide ; his Will our Law . his G000dnefs the chiefeft objeCt of our. Love, andhis fervice the work, and butinefs of our lives. The Spirit cloth convince us that we are not our Own, and have no powerat all to difyofe of our felvesor any thingwe have, but underGod, as he commands us : It convinceth us that God is our Owner and abfolute Lord, and that as we are wholly his , fo we muff be Wholly devoted to him , and prefer his intereft before our own, andhave no intereft of our own, 6ist' what is his, as derived from km, and fubfervient to him ; Fear cloth begin this Work of Self-denyal ; but it's Love that' brings us up to [ince- rity_ ( d 3 ) The
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