9 Of Self-denial, and Sufferingfor Chrif 's Sake. VoL I. But tho' the Ground of this Miftake may be innocent, yet the Confequences ofit are molt abfurd and dangerous. For if we are to renounce our Reafon in matters of Faith, then are we bound to believe without Reafon, which no Man can do ; or if he could, then Faith would be unreafonable, and Infidelity rea- fonable. So that this Inftance likewife of Self denial, to renounce and deny our own Reafon, as it is no where expreft, fo it cannot reafonably be thought to be intended by our Saviour in this Precept. 3. Nor doth this Precept of Self denial require Men to be content to renounce their own Eternal Happinefs, and to be willing to be damned for the Glory of God, and the good of their Brethren. If this were the meaning of this Pre- cept, we might juftly fay, as the Difciples did to our Saviour, in another Cafe, This is a hard faying, andwho can hear it ? The very Thought of this is enough to make Humane Nature to tremble at its very foundation. For the deepeft Principle that God hath planted in our Nature is the dtyre of our own Pre- fervation andHappinefs, and into this the Force of all Laws, and the Reafon of all our Duty is at lait refolved. From whence it plainly follows, that it can be no Man's Duty in any Cafe to renounce his own Happinefs, and to be content to be for ever Miferable; becaufe if once this be made a Duty,' there will be no Argument left, to per- fwade any Man to it. For the molt powerful Arguments, that God ever ufed, to perfwade Men to any thing, are the Promife of Eternal Happinefs, and the Terror of Everlafting Torments : But if this were a Man's Duty, to be content to be Miferable for Ever, neither of thefe Arguments would bo of force fufficient to perfwade a Man to it. The firft of thefe, namely the Promife of Eternal Happinefs, could fignifie no- thing to him that is to b'eEternallyMiferable ; becaufe if he be to he fo, it is impof- fble that he fhould ever have the benefit of that Promife ; And the threatning of Eternal Mifery, could be no Argument in this Cafe ; becaufe the Duty is jufh as difficult, as the Argument is powerful, and no Man can be moved to fubmit to any thing that is grievous and terrible, but by foniething that is more terrible; for if it be not, it is the fame thing, whether he fubmit to it, or not ; and then no Man can be content, to be Eternally Miferable, only for the fear of being fo ; for this would be for a Man to run himfelf upon that very inconvenience which he is fo much afraid of; and 'tis madnefs for a Man to die for fear of Death. Quis novas hic furor ell, ne nmriare, mori ? By this it plainly appears,.. how unreafonable it is to imagin, that by this Precept of Self dental, our Saviour fhould require Men to renounce Everlafting Happinefs, and to be content to be Miferable for. Ever, upon any account what- foever ; becaufe this were to fuppofe, that God bath nnpofed that upon us as a Duty, to oblige us whereto there can be no Argument offer'd, that can be powerful enough. As for the Glory of God, which is pretended to be the Reafon, it is an im- poffible Suppofition ; becaufe it cannot be for the Glory of God, to make a Creature for ever Miferable, that fhall not by his Wilful Obftinacy and Impe- nitence deferve to be fo. But this is only caft in to add weight. The other Reafon of the Good and Salvation of our Brethren, is the only Confderation for which there is any manner of colour from Scripture ; and two Inftances are alledged to this purpofe, oftwo very Excellent Perlons, that feem to have defired this, and to have fubmitted to it ; and therefore it is not fo unrea- fonable as we would make it, that our Saviour Ihould enjoyn it as a Duty. The Inftances alledged are thefe. Mofes defired of God that he might be blotted out of the Book of Life, rather than the People of Ifrael, whom he had Con- ducted and Governed fo long, fhould be deftroyed : And in the New Teftament St. Paul tells us, That he could wifb, that himfelf were accurfed from Chriß, for his Brethren ; fo earneft a delire had he of their Salvation. But neither of thefe Inftances are of force fufficient to overthrow the Reafons of may former Difcourfe ; for the delire of Mofes amounts only to a fubmiflìon to. a Temporal Death, that his Nation might be faved from a Temporal ruiru For
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