A treatise of self-denial. By Richard Baxter, pastor of the church at KidderminsterA treatise of self-denial. By Richard Baxter, pastor of the church at Kederminster

Nay this is not all, but the selfish person would be the disposer of all the world within his reach, as well as of himself. He would have Kingdoms at his dispose, and all things carried according to his Will: He would have all his neighbours have a dependence upon him; Very bountiful he would be, if he were the Lord of all: For he would be the great Benefactor of the world, and have all men beholden to him, and depend upon him. If he see things that little concern him, he hath a will of his own that would fain have the Disposal of them. If he hear of the affairs of other Nations, some will he hath of his own which he would have fulfilled in them, at least so far as any of his own interest may be involved in the business.

Nay this is not all, but the selfish person would be the disposer of all the world within his reach, as well as of himself. He would have Kingdoms at his dispose, and all things carried according to his Will: He would have all his neighbours have a dependance upon him; Very bountiful he would be, if he were the Lord of all: For he would be the great Benefactor of the world, and have all men beholden to him, and depend upon him. If he see things that little concern him, he hath a will of his own that would fain have the Disposal of them. If he hear of the affairs of other Nations, some will he hath of his own which he would have fulfilled in them, at least so far as any of his own interest may be involved in the business.

But when Sanctification hath brought men to self-denial, then they discern and lament this folly: They see what silly giddy worms they are to be Disposers of themselves, or of the world: They see that they have neither wisdom, nor goodness, nor power sufficient for so great a work. They then perceive that it were better make an Idiot the Pilot of a Ship, or an Infant to be their Physician when they are sick, or the Disposer of their estates, than to commit themselves and the world to their dispose. They see how foolishly they have endeavoured or desired to rob God of his prerogative: And therefore they return from themselves to him, and give up all by free consent to his sole Disposal, that so he may do with his own as he list. He finds that he hath work enough to do of his own, and is become too unfit for that: and therefore he dare no more undertake the work of God, for which he is infinitely unfit. He finds that the more he hath his own will, the worse it goes with him: and therefore he will give up himself to God and stand to his will: If he feels that Providence doth cross his flesh, and that he hath Poverty when the flesh would have riches, and