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

Obj. But Nature is of God: and Nature teacheth us to Love and save our Lives: and is it like that the God of Nature will command and teach us to cast them away, and so contradict his own Law of Nature? Answ. 1. As Nature teacheth you to love your lives, so God doth not forbid you. But 2. Is it Natural to man to be Reasonable, as well as to be sensitive and animate? To have a reasonable soul, as to have a temporal life? 3. And doth not Reason tell us by the light of Nature, that God should be loved better than our Lives? If it did not, yet by the help of supernatural light, even Reason clearly tells us this. And it is no contradiction for God to bid you, [Love your lives, but love him better.] And he that bids you seek the preservation of your lives, doth plainly except, that you resign them to his dispose, and that you seek not to save them from ⟨p. 241⟩him, when he commandeth you to lay them down. So that it is not simply against Nature, to consent to die: but when it is for him that is the Lord and end of life, it is agreeable to Nature; that is, though it be against our natural inclination as we are Animate, and Sensitive; yet is it agreeable to our true nature as reasonable: And therefore lay all together, & it is to be said to be agreeable to Nature simply in such a case; because it is agreeable to the Principal part in nature, which should be predominant; It is agreeable to nature also, that Reason should dispose of the inferior powers of the soul.

Obj. But Nature is of God: and Nature teacheth us to Love and save our Lives: and is it like that the God of Nature will command and teach us to cast them away, and so contradict his own Law of Nature? Answ. 1. As Nature teacheth you to love your lives, so God doth not forbid you. But 2. Is it Natural to man to be Reasonable, as well as to be sensitive and animate? To have a reasonable soul, as to have a temporal life? 3. And doth not Reason tell us by the light of Nature, that God should be loved better than our Lives? If it did not, yet by the help of supernatural light, even Reason clearly tells us this. And it is no contradiction for God to bid you, [Love your lives, but love him better.] And he that bids you seek the preservation of your lives, doth plainly except, that you resign them to his dispose, and that you seek not to save them from ⟨p. 241⟩him, when he commandeth you to lay them down. So that it is not simply against Nature, to consent to die: but when it is for him that is the Lord and end of life, it is agreeable to Nature; that is, though it be against our natural inclination as we are Animate, and Sensitive; yet is it agreeable to our true nature as reasonable: And therefore lay all together, & it is to be said to be agreeable to Nature simply in such a case; because it is agreeable to the Principal part in nature, which should be predominant; It is agreeable to nature also, that Reason should dispose of the inferiour powers of the soul.