Direct. 9. And me thinks it should much promote your self-denial, to study well the self-denying example of Christ, and his eminent servants that have trodden in his steps. Christ had no sinful self to deny; nor any corrupted flesh to mortify or subdue. And yet he had a self-denial in which we must imitate him: Rom. 15. 3. [For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.] We are told therefore by Christs example, that it is not only the pleasing of self as corrupted by sin, but also a pleasing of natural self in things where God may lay a restraint on it, or put it to the trial, that we must avoid, and in which we must deny our selves: Even as Adam was to have denied his natural appetite before sin had corrupted it, and Christ had an innocent natural will of which yet he saith, [Not my will, but thine be done.] His whole life was a wonderful example of self-denial: He lived in a low esta•• and denied himself of the Glory and Riches of the world, and became poor, though he were Lord of all, that by his poverty we might be made rich, 2 Cor. 8. 9. He lived under the reproach of sinners; of sinners that he created: of sinners ⟨p. 408⟩whom he dyed for: He would wear no Crown, but a Crown of Thorns: He would wear no Robes but the Robes of their reproach: He yielded his cheeks to be smitten, and his face to be spit upon, by the vilest sinners, whom he could with a word have turned into Hell. And at last he gave himself for us on the Cross in suffering a reproachful cursed death, Heb. 7. 27. Tit. 2. 14. Eph. 5. 2. 2. 25. Gal. 1. 4. And can you read such an example of self-denial, given you by the Lord of glory, and not be transformed into the image of it? I think the study of a self-denying Christ is one of the most excellent helps to self-denial. Take it from the Apostle himself, Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. [Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves: Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God;
Direct. 9. And me thinks it should much promote your self-denial, to study well the self-denying example of Christ, and his eminent servants that have troden in his steps. Christ had no sinful self to deny; nor any corrupted flesh to mortifie or subdue. And yet he had a self-denial in which we must imitate him: Rom. 15. 3. [For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee are faln upon me.] We are told therefóre by Christs example, that it is not only the pleasing of self as corrupted by sin, but also a pleasing of natural self in things where God may lay a restraint on it, or put it to the tryal, that we must avoid, and in which we must deny our selves: Even as Adam was to have denyed his natural appetite before sin had corrupted it, and Christ had an innocent natural will of which yet he saith, [Not my will, but thine be done.] His whole life was a wonderful example of self-denial: He lived in a low esta•• and denyed himself of the Glory and Riches of the world, and became poor, though he were Lord of all, that by his poverty we might be made rich, 2 Cor. 8. 9. He lived under the reproach of sinners; of sinners that he created: of sinners ⟨p. 408⟩whom he dyed for: He would wear no Crown, but a Crown of Thorns: He would wear no Robes but the Robes of their reproach: He yielded his cheeks to be smitten, and his face to be spit upon, by the vilest sinners, whom he could with a word have turned into Hell. And at last he gave himself for us on the Cross in suffering a reproachful cursed death, Heb. 7. 27. Tit. 2. 14. Eph. 5. 2. 2. 25. Gal. 1. 4. And can you read such an example of selfdenial, given you by the Lord of glory, and not be transformed into the image of it? I think the study of a self-denying Christ is one of the most excellent helps to self-denial. Take it from the Apostle himself, Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. [Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves: Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God;
