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

One was the remembrance of that sin against God and his Servant Uriah, which he knew God was now chastising him for: And therefore being under the rod of the Lord, he durst not think of revenge upon the instrument; and being sensible that he had brought all this upon himself, he durst not let fly too much at others. The other was that God had raised up (by permissive providence) the Son of his bowels against him: and therefore he thought it an unseemly thing to be much offended with a stranger for less. And such Reasons as these have we also to persuade us to Patience and Self-denial in the like Case. The Lord Jesus himself who had no sin at all, escaped not these censures of malicious men. He was esteemed a friend or Companion of Publicans and Sinners, yea a gluttonous person, and a wine bibber; yea a deceiver; yea a conjurer that did his works by the help of the Devil, Mat. 11. 19. Luk 7. 34. Mat. 27. 63. Job. 7. 12. Mat. 12. 27. What usage the holy Apostles themselves had, and how they behaved themselves under all, you may ⟨p. 311⟩conjecture by that one passage, (to mention no more) 1 Cor. 4. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. [For I think God hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were men appointed to death: For we are made a spectacle to the world, and to Angels, and to men: we are fools for Christs sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised; Even to this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; and labour working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted we suffer it: being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things to this day] The like usage had the Christians after the Apostles days. They were slandered by the Pagans as if they sacrificed, and eat their own children, and putting out the lights had commonly been unclean together after their holy exercises: And when they cast them to the Lions to be devoured, and many ways tormented them, it was as ungodly men, for preaching against the Heathen Gods, and refusing to offer sacrifice to them. And therefore the rabble was wont thus to cry for Judgement against them, [Tollite impios] [Tollite impios] Away with the ungodly Christians!