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

You must pray daily for the forgiveness of your sins, as people that are grieved for them, and weary of them, and hate them, and are sensible of the want and worth of pardon, and of the abundant Grace of Christ that purchased it, and the preciousness of the Gospel-promises that convey it, and of your own Unworthiness by reason of this sin. But self is not easily so far abased as to be heavy-laden, and sick of sin; nor is it easily drawn to value Grace, or feel how much you are unworthy of it, or need it; nor easily driven to renounce all sufficiency and conceits of a Righteousness of your own, and wholly to go out of your selves to Christ for life: Self cannot spare sin: for it is its darling and play-fellow, its food, its recreation and its life.

You must pray daily for the forgiveness of your sins, as people that are grieved for them, and weary of them, and hate them, and are sensible of the want and worth of pardon, and of the abundant Grace of Christ that purchased it, and the preciousness of the Gospel-promises that conveigh it, and of your own Unworthiness by reason of this sin. But self is not easily so far abased as to be heavy-laden, and sick of sin; nor is it easily drawn to value Grace, or feel how much you are unworthy of it, or need it; nor easily driven to renounce all sufficiency and conceits of a Righteousness of your own, and wholly to go out of your selves to Christ for life: Self cannot spare sin: for it is its darling and play-fellow, its food, its recreation and its life.

You must daily pray to be saved from temptation, and delivered from Evil; even the Evil of sin, as well as of punishment. But self doth Love the sin, and therefore cannot long to be delivered from it, and therefore Loveth the temptation that leadeth to it, & indeed is a continual tempter to it self. Would the Covetous worldling be delivered from his worldliness? Would the Ambitious ⟨p. 359⟩Proud person be delivered from his Pride or Honours? or the sensual person from his sensual delights? No, they do not Love the Preacher or people that are against them in these ways: nor the holy self-denial that is contrary to them; nor the Scripture that condemneth them; nor indeed the Lord himself that forbids them, and is the author of all these Laws and holy ways which they abhor. So that you see how self is an enemy to every Petition in the Lords Prayer.