What SeIfilhnefs and Self-denyal are ; at the Root. then formerly it was; even for.God and not hinatelf. 3. In the (late of Innocency, though man had naturally an averfnefs from death and bodily pains, as being natural evils, and had a &fire of the we:fare even of the flefh it fell ; yet as his body was fubjeft to his foul,and his fenfes to his Reafon,fo his bodily cafe and welfare was to beefleerned and defired and folight,but in a due fnbordination to his fpiritual wellfare, and ' efpecially to his Makers Will. So that though he was to value his Life, yet he was much more to value his everlafting life, and the pleafure and Glory of his Lord. But now when man is fain from God to Ilinsfelf , his Life and earthly felicity is the tweeteft and the dearefl thing to him that is. So that he preferreth it before the Pleating of God and everlafling life : Arid therefore he feeketh it more, and holdeth it faller as long as he can , and parteth with it more'unwilling- ly. As Innocent Nature had an Appetite to the objeasof tenfe but corrupted nature bath an enraged, greedy ,rebellious and inor- dinate appetite to them : fo Innocent nature had a loVe to this natural earthly life and the comforts folk : but corrupted Nature bath fuch an inordinate love to therif., as that all thing cite are made but tubordinate to them ' and (wallowed up in this gulf : even God himfelf is fo far loved as he befriendeth thefe our carnal ends, and furthereth our earthly profperity and life. But when men are brought to Deny themfelves, they are in their [matures reflored to their firfl eiteem of Life and all the profperity and earthly comforts of life. Now they have learn.' ed fo to love them as to love God better and fo to value them as to prefer everlafling life before them ; and fo to hold them and leek their prefervation as to, reign them to the will of God , and to lay them down when we cannot hold them with his Love, and to choofe death in order to life everlafling , be fore that life which would deprive us of it. And this is the prin- cipal initance offelf-denyal which Chrift giveth us here in the. Text,as it is recited is by all the three Evangelifls chat recite thefe words. [ He that faveth his lifefhall foie it &c. Andwhat fball it profit a man to win all the World and lore coal? 3v thefe inflances it appears, that by felf-denyal mean a let- . ting to light by all the world , and by our own lives and, B 3, conftqumly
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