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

and that all endeavours, persuasions, convictions, do little prevail against this deadly rooted sin: so that men will preach against it, and yet most shamefully live in it; and after all rebukes, chastisements and heavy judgements of God, the Church is still bleeding, and Princes, Pastors and People are self-conceited, selfwilled and self-seekers still. Alas for the cause and ⟨p. 414⟩Church of Christ! Must we give it up to the lusts of self? Must we sit down and look on its miserable torn condition, with lamentation and despair? and shall we deliver down this despair to our Posterity? Were not our hope only in the Omnipotent God, it must be so. When we look at men, at Magistrates or Ministers, we see no hope: What higher professions can be made by those in succeeding Ages, than have now been made? And yet what negligence of Magistrates, and what contentiousness of Ministers, destroy all hopes? So that we look at the Restoration of the Church, as at the Resurrection, that must be done by Omnipotency: God must raise up another Generation of more self-denying, prudent, zealous Magistrates, and of more self-studying, peaceable, Humble, Zealous, Industrious Ministers, before the Healing work be done. The selfish spirit that prevaileth now in the most, is neither fit to be the Matter or Instrument of the Reformed Peaceable state which we expect. While the enemies are destroying us by secret fraud and open force, we stand at a distance and unite not against them, yea we are calling each other Heretic and Deceivers, and teaching them how to revile us, and putting such words into their mouth against us, as may help our people to despise us, and reject us, and warrant them from our own mouths or pens to rail at us and forsake us: One part of us being Heretics or Deceivers by the testimony of the other part, and the other part by the testimony of too many of them.

and that all endeavours, perswasions, convictions, do little prevail against this deadly rooted sin: so that men will preach against it, and yet most shamefully live in it; and after all rebukes, chastisements and heavy judgements of God, the Church is still bleeding, and Princes, Pastors and People are self-conceited, selfwilled and self-seekers still. Alas for the cause and ⟨p. 414⟩Church of Christ! Must we give it up to the lusts of self? Must we sit down and look on its miserable torn condition, with lamentation and despair? and shall we deliver down this despair to our Posterity? Were not our hope only in the Omnipotent God, it must be so. When we look at men, at Magistrates or Ministers, we see no hope: What higher professions can be made by those in succeeding Ages, than have now been made? And yet what negligence of Magistrates, and what contentiousness of Ministers, destroy all hopes? So that we look at the Restauration of the Church, as at the Resurrection, that must be done by Omnipotency: God must raise up another Generation of more self-denying, prudent, zealous Magistrates, and of more self-studying, peaceable, Humble, Zealous, Industristous Ministers, before the Healing work be done. The selfish spirit that prevaileth now in the most, is neither fit to be the Matter or Instrument of the Reformed Peaceable state which we expect. While the enemies are destroying us by secret fraud and open force, we stand at a distance and unite not against them, yea we are calling each other Heretick and Deceivers, and teaching them how to revile us, and putting such words into their mouth against us, as may help our people to despise us, and reject us, and warrant them from our own mouths or pens to rail at us and forsake us: One part of us being Hereticks or Deceivers by the testimony of the other part, and the other part by the testimony of too many of them.