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

2. Self must be denied as it is but conceived as separated from God; and would be an End in a divided sense from God. For our selves and all things else are created contingent, dependent beings, and must not be once thought of as if we were either our own beginning, or end, or in any capacity, but subservient unto God. Self becomes a Satan, when it would cast off its due subordination to God, and would be any other than the workmanship of God, depending on him, and ruled by him, and living to him, loving him, desiring him, and seeking after him, and either mourning when we miss him, or rejoicing when we find Communion with him.

2. Self must be denyed as it is but conceived as separated from God; and would be an End in a divided sense from God. For our selves and all things else are created contingent, dependent beings, and must not be once thought of as if we were either our own beginning, or end, or in any capacity, but subservient unto God. Self becomes a Satan, when it would cast off its due subordination to God, and would be any other than the workmanship of God, depending on him, and ruled by him, and living to him, loving him, desiring him, and seeking after him, and either mourning when we miss him, or rejoycing when we find Communion with him.

3. Self must be denied as it stands up against the Truth of the Gospel, and blindly and proudly quarrelleth with that word which faith relieth upon for Justification and salvation. Carnal self is both the most incompetent Judge of the word of God, and of spiritual affairs, and also the most forward, and arrogant, and audacious, for all it is so incompetent. And this is the damnable fountain of unbelief. That self is an incompetent Judge of the word and ways of God, is ⟨p. 84⟩evident: for 1. It is a natural enemy to them, and an enemy is no competent Judge, Rom. 8. 7. [Because the Carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.] Deny therefore this enemy the power of judging the word of God. Ill-will never saith well. Enmity is credulous of all evil, and overlooks the good, and is accompanied with false surmises, and wresteth every word, and suspecteth or maketh an evil sense where there was none: there is not a worse expositor in the world. And therefore no wonder if such a nature of enmity can find matter of quarrel with the very Scripture it self, and with an holy life, yea with God himself; for it is him especially that the enmity is against.