Moses his self-denial delivered in a treatise upon Hebrews 11, the 24. verseMoses his self-denyall delivered in a treatise upon Hebrewes 11, the 24. verse

It may be God gives abundance of these things to try you, to see what is in your heart: as Solomon says of praise, it is as the sinning pot to the silver; so it may be said of all outward prosperity, that it is as the fining pot to the silver, to discover what dross there is in it: now upon trial shall it be found that these things have more of thy heart, then God himself? if you had a heart to deny your self in these things now, while you may enjoy them at the height, though it may seem that much comfort and sweetness is lost, that might be had, yet in truth there is nothing lost, no not for the present; for in the very exercise of self-denial in them, you will find more sweetness then ever was, or can be felt in the enjoyment of them.

It may be God gives abundance of these things to try you, to see what is in your heart: as Salomon sayes of praise, it is as the sining pot to the silver; so it may be said of all outward prosperity, that it is as the fining pot to the silver, to discover what drosse there is in it: now upon tryall shall it bee found that these things have more of thy heart, then God himselfe? if you had a heart to deny your selfe in these things now, while you may injoy them at the height, though it may seeme that much comfort and sweetnesse is lost, that might be had, yet in truth there is nothing lost, no not for the present; for in the very exercise of selfe-denyall in them, you will finde more sweetnesse then ever was, or can be felt in the enjoyment of them.

There is nothing more pleasant to man then to get victory; to get victory in sports, to get victory over the creature, is full of delight; to get victory over our enemies, hath more delight ⟨p. 141⟩in it; but to get victory over our selves, to be able to overcome our selves, hath the greatest delight of all in it, especially when it is for God; no such sweetness as this is to the spirit of a man. Those do not enjoy most comfort of their lives, who are mad upon their own wills and desires, and cannot endure to have their minds crossed in any thing; but those have the greatest comfort, who are able to deny themselves most, and it may be you may enjoy all the outward comforts you have, nevertheless; the more willing you are to deny your selves in them, the longer you may enjoy them: to have a heart willing to part with them, may be the only way to keep them; and to be sure while you have them, you shall enjoy them in a better manner, with more comfort then any other enjoy that that they have, whilst your heart in the midst of them, is more upon God then upon them; they that will lose their lives, and so their estates, their honours and delights, shall save them; oh how sweet are all outward