many do restore, and say as Zaccheus, "Behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold?" Luke xix. 8.

Nay, let us instance in a duty of lesser self-denial, than this of restitution. If two do but fall out, and one give railing words to the other; or if one slander his neighbour and do him wrong; though it be undoubtedly the will of Christ that he penitently ask him forgiveness that he hath wronged (Luke xvii. 4.), yet proud-hearted, selfish men will refuse it. What! will they stoop to such a fellow, and ask him forgiveness (especially if it be their inferior)? No, they scorn it; never talk to them of it more; they will never do it. And why so? would not God have them do it? Hath not he said, "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted?" Yea, but what tell you them what God saith, and what Scripture saith, as long as self, and flesh, and pride are against it. Judge now by these ten duties that I have named, whether God or self be king with most.

CHAPTER VII.

Men's exceeding Tenderness of self in case of any Suffering.

4. ANOTHER discovering instance of the dominion of self, and the scarcity of self-denial, is,' The exceeding tenderness of ourselves in any case of suffering, and the great matter that we make of it, and our displeasure against all that are the causes of it, be it never so just.' I shall here also give you some more particular instances.

1. When did you ever see an offender (at least very few) that justified the judge, and heartily confesseth that his punishment is due (unless some few at the gallows, when the sight of death takes down their pride)? But at most, every one that suffereth for his fault doth repine at it, and at them that caused it, and think they have wrong, or are hardly dealt with. If all the swearers, cursers, profaners of the Lord's day, drunkards, or ale-sellers that harbour them, or are otherwise guilty, were accused by their neighbours, and punished by the magistrate but according to the law, how maof all these are there that would not be displeased with the

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accusers and with the magistrate, and think himself wronged, and bear them a grudge in his mind that did it? And why so? Is it not just and according to the laws of God and man? Must we make a stir in choosing parliament-men? and must they sit there month after month, and use their utmost skill and diligence to make such laws as are necessary for the common good, and when all is done, must not these laws be executed? Why then it were better spare the parliament-men the labour of sitting about them, and ourselves the trouble of choosing us parliament-men, than do all this for nothing. What! is every ale-seller, or drunkard, or swearer, or profane person, wiser than all the parliament and the prince, or are they all better, and juster, and honester than they? No; but it is self that stands up against all. It is in vain to tell them of kings, or parliaments, or laws, or common good, as long as you go about to cross the flesh, and trouble them in their private interest; set but self against all, and all goes down before it as nothing. There is scarce a thief or a murderer that is hanged, but thinks he hath hard measure, because it is against himself.

2. Nay, it is not only penalties, but words, that men are very sensible of, if they be but against themselves. An angry or disgraceful speech. or any contempt or disrespect, doth seem a great matter against them; and they have aggravations enough to lay upon it. So tender are they of themselves, that you may see how little they deny themselves.

3. Yea, God's own corrections do seem so heavy to them, that they murmur and are impatient under them. A little loss or cross to self doth lie as a mountain on them. Poverty, or sickness, or disgrace, or troubles, do make them complain as if they were almost quite undone and all this shews how little they have learned to deny themselves.

CHAPTER VIII.

The Partiality of Men's Practical Judgment in their own Case.

5. ANOTHER discovering instance of the dominion of self, is, 'The strange partiality of men's practical judgments when the cause is their own, and the equity of their judgments when the case is another man's.'

For particular instances of this, you may take up those that were mentioned before. I will give you but a few.

1. Take but a dull and backward minister (for I know you will expect that I begin next home), and he that is most averse to particular instruction, and discipline, and selfdenying duties, will be content that another man should perform them, and will commend and extol him for a worthy man; except he perceive that another's diligence disgraceth his selfishness and negligence, and then indeed he may possibly repine at it.

2. A man that will not come near us to be instructed or catechized, will yet let his children or servants come. Why what is the matter? Doth he more regard their salvation than his own? or hath he not a soul to save or lose as well as they? and hath he not need of teaching? Yes; but they are not himself: if they learn a catechism, it is no trouble to him if their ignorance be opened, he takes it to be less dishonour to him than if he shew his own. He can yield to their submission without self-denial, but not to his

own.

3. Take a common glutton or drunkard that cannot forbear, but must needs have that which the flesh desires, and they can be content that another man be temperate and sober; and if a neighbour should have the cup before him as they have, or a provocation to their appetite, they could be content that they let it alone; yea, they can tell them that it is the best way, and give them good counsel; and yet when the case is their own, it is otherwise. I have known drunkards that would persuade their children to take heed of it, and swearers that would whip their children for swearing, and persons that would not read or pray, that would be content to have their children do it. And why is all this? Why that which goes by their own throats, must cost them self-denial in the displeasing of their greedy appetites; but that which goes by the throat of another doth cost them nothing: self is not so much against their children's abstinence and reformation as their own.

4. The same magistrate that will not trouble himself and displease his neighbours, by suppressing alehouses and punishing vice, will perhaps be content if it were done by another; so that self might have none of the trouble and ill will.

5. Some men that will not instruct their families, nor pray with them morning and night, will confess it is well done of others that do it. Yea, some that will not be persuaded to a holy, heavenly life, will confess it is the best and wisest course, and approve of it in others, and wish they might but die in such men's case; and yet they will not themselves be brought to practise it. They will commend Peter, and Paul, and the fathers, and the martyrs for a holy life, and as I said, keep holy-days for them, and yet they will not be persuaded to imitate them. And why so? Why it costs them nothing to commend holiness in others; but to practise it themselves, must cost them self-denial.

6. If another man be so ingenuous as to forsake an old self-espoused opinion, which their reputation seems to lie upon, and this upon their arguing, or in conformity to their minds, they will commend his great self-denial and sincerity; but yet they will not do so themselves, where the case is perhaps more clear and necessary.

7. Take a man that is never so worldly and unmerciful, that gives not to the poor any considerable part of his estate, nor doth any thing worth the mentioning for the church, and yet this man will consent that another shall be as bountiful and charitable as he will: when you can hardly screw a groat out of his purse, he will be content if another will give a hundred; and he will commend the liberal, and speak well of them, when he will not imitate them. And why is this? Why it costeth him nothing for another to be liberal, and therefore he can advise it, or consent to it without selfdenial; but self is against it when he should do it himself. 8. Take the most selfish, unsanctified man, that cannot love an enemy, nor forgive a debt or a wrong, and he will yet commend it in another, and advise them to it, and speak well of those that will do so by him. And why is this? Why it costeth him nothing to have another man love an enemy, or forgive a debt or wrong; but he cannot himself do it without self-denial.

9. Those men that love not to be touched themselves by the minister's application, can yet endure well enough that others be dealt as sharply with as may be; and they are glad to hear any sharply reproved whose sins they do dislike. The covetous man loves to hear us reprove the drunkard, and the drunkard is content to have the covetous repre

hended: erroneous professors, dividers and hypocrites do hate the minister that reprehendeth their own sin, and can scarce endure to hear him, but say he is bitter, ora persecutor, or raileth at the godly; (alas, that wickedness should have so impudent a plea!) but they can freely give us leave to deal as plainly as we will with the openly profane: scarce any sect can endure you to speak against their own mistakes; but you may speak as freely against the contrary-minded as you please. How easily can Papists endure one to speak against Protestants; or Anabaptists endure one to speak against infant baptism! And the openly profane can well enough endure to have sects, and schismatics, and heretics reproved: and why is all this, but from the dominion of self, and the scarcity of self-denial in the world? To have another rebuked, toucheth not self, and therefore may be borne.

The poor man loves to hear us preach against the vices of the rich, and to reprehend the luxury of gentlemen, and the cruelty of oppressors: the subject too often loves to hear the ruler's faults laid open: the countryman loves to hear the courtiers', the ministers', but especially the lawyers' faults laid open; here you may speak freely; but self must be let alone, upon pain of their displeasure, and many a reproach.

10. So also in case of personal close reproof; those that cannot endure it themselves, do think it the duty of others to endure it, and expect that others should submit to them; and if any will say, 'Neighbour, I thank you for your plain and friendly dealing, and having so much compassion on my soul, as to help to save me from my sins. I confess I am a vile unworthy sinner; but by the grace of God I will do so no more; or if I be any more overtaken, I pray you tell me of it, and let me not alone in it.' I say, if another should answer them thus, and thank them for their reproof, they would think the better of him, and take it well. But yet they will not do so themselves; for it costeth self nothing to have another submit and humble himself.

11. So those that are most backward to the admonishing of others, lest they lose their love, can like to have a minister or another do it; for that doth not put them to deny themselves.

12. Nay, take a scandalous professor that is drawn to public confession as a bear to the stake, and if it were an