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

4. Moreover, Our own wills are guided by a dark understanding: and therefore ready on every occasion to turn aside. Though the will commandeth, yet the understanding guideth it: And therefore as the dark understanding ⟨p. 115⟩is commonly at a loss, or quite mistaken▪ judging evil to be good, and good to be evil: so the will must be an unhappy governor, that followeth the direction of so ignorant a Counsellor: But if you will deny your Own wills, and be ruled by the Will of God, you need not fear misleading, seeing his wisdom is infallible and infinite. Choose not a blind guide then, when you may have the conduct of wisdom it self; when God is content to be your Governor, prefer not such foolish sinners as your selves before him.

4. Moreover, Our own wills are guided by a dark understanding: and therefore ready on every occasion to turn aside. Though the will commandeth, yet the understanding guideth it: And therefore as the dark understanding ⟨p. 115⟩is commonly at a loss, or quite mistaken▪ judging evil to be good, and good to be evil: so the will must be an unhappy governor, that followeth the direction of so ignorant a Counsellor: But if you will deny your Own wills, and be ruled by the Will of God, you need not fear misleading, seeing his wisdom is infallible and infinite. Chuse not a blind guide then, when you may have the conduct of wisdom it self; when God is content to be your Governor, prefer not such foolish sinners as your selves before him.

5. Moreover, Your self-will hath almost undone you already: It hath been the cause of all your sin and misery: Never any hurt befell you, or any man on Earth, but from self-will. And yet will you follow it still, and take no warning, as if it had not done enough against you? But on the contrary, you were never hurt in all your lives by following the Will of God: unless it be such a hurt as the searching or cleansing of a sore, without which it cannot be healed; or such a hurt as the taking of Physic, without which you can have no cure. Tell me if you can, when ever the Will of God did wrong you? when did you speed the worse for the following of his counsel? Look back upon your lives, and tell me whether all your smart and loss have come from your following Gods Will, or your own; and which you think you have more cause to repent of.