He that denieth his sinful self most, seeketh himself most. 1He that hates himself as corrupted by Adams fall, and seeketh the utter ruin and extirpation of the old Adam within him, this man doth truly love himself. This is divine self-seeking, to kill thy sins, that thy sins may not kill thy soul. As Zipporah by circumcising her child, saved the life of her husband: So the way to save thy soul, is to circumcise and pare off [Greek or Hebrew], all superfluity of haughtiness, James 1. 21. This is the meaning of that which Christ saith, Mat 5. 29, 30. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee, for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee, for it is ⟨p. 10⟩profitable, &c The more thou hatest thy gainful and pleasurable sins, the more thou lovest thy self. As a man in a Dropsy, the more he denieth himself drink the more he seeks himself; because the less he drinketh the more he destroyeth his disease. Even so the more thou deniest thy corrupt self, the more thou seekest thy self, because the more thou deniest thy corrupt self, the more thou destroyest thy spiritual diseases; the more thou ruinatest the Devils faction within thee, & weakenest the opposition of the Flesh against the Spirit. He that loves his sins, hates his own soul, Pro. 8. 36. Gal. 6. 8. he that soweth sin, shall reap hell, he that makes provision for the flesh, provides fuel for bel fire. He that nourisheth the old Adam within him, cherisheth that which tainteth and polluteth all his holy duties, which indisposeth him to all good, and disposeth him to all evil, he cherisheth his Souls greatest enemy, 1 Pet. 2. 11. he delights in that, which was Pauls greatest misery, and which made him cry out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death, Rom. 7. 24. therefore I may truly say, he that is the greatest self-denier, is the greatest self-seeker.
He that denyeth his sinfull selfe most, seeketh himselfe most. 1He that hates himselfe as corrupted by Adams fall, and seeketh the utter ruine and extirpation of the old Adam within him, this man doth truly love himself. This is divine self-seeking, to kill thy sins, that thy sins may not kill thy soule. As Zipporah by circumcising her child, saved the life of her husband: So the way to save thy soule, is to circumcise and pare off 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, all superstuity of haughtinesse, James 1. 21. This is the meaning of that which Christ saith, Mat 5. 29, 30. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee, for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee, for it is ⟨p. 10⟩profitable, &c The more thou hatest thy gainful and pleasurable sins, the more thou lovest thy self. As a man in a Dropsie, the more he denieth himself drink the more he seekes himself; because the lesse he drinketh the more he destroyeth his disease. Even so the more thou deniest thy corrupt self, the more thou seekest thy self, because the more thou deniest thy corrupt self, the more thou destroyest thy spirituall diseases; the more thou ruinatest the Devils faction within thee, & weakenst the opposition of the Flesh against the Spirit. He that loves his sins, hates his own soul, Pro. 8. 36. Gal. 6. 8. he that soweth sin, shall reap hell, he that makes provision for the flesh, provides fuel for bel fire. He that nourisheth the old Adam within him, cherisheth that which tainteth and polluteth all his holy duties, which indisposeth him to all good, and disposeth him to all evill, he cherisheth his Souls greatest enemy, 1 Pet. 2. 11. he delights in that, which was Pauls greatest misery, and which made him cry out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death, Rom. 7. 24. therefore I may truly say, he that is the greatest selfe-denier, is the greatest selfe-seeker.
- 1Prop. 3.
