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

Were it not for this one prevailing enemy, what work would the Gospel make in the world! O with what confidence should we come into the Pulpit, and speak the word of God to our hearers, had we any to deal with but this Carnal self! God can overcome it by his victorious grace; but it's so blind, so wilful, so near men, and so constant with them, that it will overcome us, and all that we can say or do, till God set in. When I come to convince a sinner of his guilt, and show him the heinous nature of his sin, because it is his Own, he will be convinced of it: when I tell them of their misery, they will not be convinced of it, because it is their own. Were I to speak all this to another, and tell another of his sin and misery, I might have these mens consent, so it reflected not upon themselves. Were I to wring the unlawful gains out of the hands of another, I might have their consent: or were I to persuade another from his Pride, or lust, or passion, they would give me free leave, because it is not self that is concerned in it, nor self-denial that is necessary to it in them. But when we come to themselves, there is no dealing with them, till God by Grace or Judgement deal with them. They cannot endure to know the worst by themselves: much less to come out of it. If we tell them of their sin and danger, they say, we ⟨p. 374⟩speak against them! And therefore they say, It is out of malice, or humour, or pride. And as well might all diseased persons say so of their Physicians, that when they tell them of their disease and danger, they speak against them, and speak out of malice or ill will. It is natural for men to think well of all that they love, and of all that they do: and whom do they love better than themselves? Pride will not let men think so meanly and hardly of themselves as the Scripture speaks of them, and Ministers must plainly tell them. The Prophet wept that foresaw the cruelty of Hazael; but he had so good a conceit of himself that he would not believe he should be so cruel, 2 Kings 8. 13. Is thy servant a dog that he should do this?] The false Prophet Zedekiah could not forbear, but struck Micaiah, when he made it known that he was a lying Prophet, 1 Kings 22. 24. And Ahab hated him, because he prophesied not good of him but evil. It was all the Proud men that rose up against Jeremiah, and contradicted his prophecy, and rejected his word,