What Selfifimefs andSelf-denyal are ; at the Root. 9 When we eat or drink, we mull never make the pleafing of our Appetite our end, but mull do it to flrengthen, and chear, and fit our felves for the fervice of God ; and therefore we mull firit ask God, and not our Appetite, what, and howmuch we muft -le it and drink : And we muft no further pleafe our Appetite, then the pleating of it Both fit usfor the fervice of God. It is the exprefs Command, i Cora 0.31. whether ye eat or drink, or what everye do, do all to the Glory of God.] You may not wear your Cloaths meerly and ultimately for your bodies , but only . to fit your bodies for Gods fervicc: and s therefore you muft advife with his Word, and with your end, what you fhould put on. You may not provide a houfe to dwell in, nor Friends, nor Riches, nor any thing elle for the pleafingof your flefh, as your ultimate end, but for, the fervice of your Lord. For you muft .put on theLord Aix, Chrif1, andmake noprovifion for thefiefh to fulfill the 14.t thereof, Rom. i 3.14. 6. As man had his Being and well-being from God, fo is it Godonly that can preferve and continue them. Innocent man un- derflood this, and therefore lived in a Dependance upon God; looking to his hand for the fupply of his wants, and calling all his care upon him, and truiting him wholly with himfelf, andall, and not diftratiing his own mind with cares and diftruftful fears, bnt quieted and contented his mind in the Wifdom , Goodnefs , and All-fufficiencyof God. But when man was fallen to himfelf from God,hedefired pre- fently to have his.portion or flock in his own hands , and grew diftruflful of God,and began to look upon himfelfas his own pre- ferwr; (in a great rneafure) and therefore be fell to carking and caring for himfelf, and to fludious contrivances for his own pre- fervation and fupplies. He fearched every Creature for himieff, and laboured to find in it tome good for himfelt, as if the care of himfelf had been wholly divolvecl on himfelf. I have been as much troubled to underfiand that Text in Gin. 3 22. as any one almoft in the Bible, being fotnewhat uufati, tied with force ordi- nary expofitions; and yet it is too hard for me. But this teems to me the moll probable Interpretation that in his elate of inno cency Adamwas as a Child in his Fathers houfe, that was only to fludy to pleafe his Father, and to do the work that he com- mandedhim, but not to takeiany thought or-'-iare for himfelf; for
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