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

1. Selfishness is the grand Idolatry of the world, and self the worlds Idol, as I have told you before. It usurpeth the Place of God himself in mens Judgements, wills, affections and endeavours. It was the work of the ten Discoveries in the Beginning of the Book to demonstrate this: and therefore I shall say but little more. But self-denial destroyeth the worlds great Idol, and giveth God his own again. The selfish lean most to their own understandings: but the self-denying trust the Wisdom of God. The selfish are careful principally, for themselves, and their own felicity, even a terrene and carnal kind of felicity: But the self-denying are principally careful how they may Please and Honour God, and promote the welfare of his Church, and in this way attain the spiritual everlasting felicity of the Saints. The selfish must have their own humours pleased, and their own wills accomplished, and their own desires granted: But the self-denying do slay their own carnal wills, desires, and conceits, and lay them dead at the feet of Christ, that his will alone may be exalted. The selfish would have all men love them, admire them, and commend them. But the self-denying would have all men to Love, ⟨p. 354⟩Admire, and Glorify the Lord, above himself and all the world. The selfish can bear with Gods enemies, but not with their Own: and they can suffer men to wrong Cod, and sin against him, more patiently than they can suffer them to wrong themselves. But it is contrary with the self-denying: A wrong to God and his Church seemeth far greater to them than a wrong against themselves. In a word, the selfish intend themselves, and live to themselves, and the self-denying intend God, and live to him, in the course of their lives. And therefore when the selfish are troubled about many things, the self-denying are minding the One thing Necessary: And when the selfish are seeking to know what is good or evil to their flesh; the self-denying are seeking to Please the Lord, and desire to know nothing but him in Christ crucified; and they could part with all the knowledge of the creatures, as useful to themselves, if they could but know more of God in Christ. The selfish would be in his own hands, at his own dispose and government, and the self-denying would be in the hands of God, and at his dispose and Government.

1. SElfishness is the grand Idolatry of the world, and self the worlds Idol, as I have told you before. It usurpeth the Place of God himself in mens Judgements, wills, affections and endeavours. It was the work of the ten Discoveries in the Beginning of the Book to demonstrate this: and therefore I shall say but little more. But self-denial destroyeth the worlds great Idol, and giveth God his own again. The selfish lean most to their own understandings: but the self-denying trust the Wisdom of God. The selfish are careful principally, for themselves, and their own felicity, even a terrene and carnal kind of felicity: But the self-denying are principally careful how they may Please and Honour God, and promote the welfare of his Church, and in this way attain the spiritual everlasting felicity of the Saints. The selfish must have their own humors pleased, and their own wills accomplished, and their own desires granted: But the self-denying do slay their own carnal wills, desires, and conceits, and lay them dead at the feet of Christ, that his will alone may be exalted. The selfish would have all men love them, admire them, and commend them. But the self-denying would have all men to Love,