The duty of self-denial briefly opened and urged. By Thomas Watson, minister of the…

1. Humility. A proud Man admires himself, therefore cannot deny himself. An humble Man lays his mouth in the dust, he hath lower thoughts of ⟨p. 58⟩himself than others can have of him, he goes out of himself, he renounceth himself, he opens to God, as the Flower to the Sun. He will do what God will have him do, he will be what God will have him be, he is like melting Wax, God may set what stamp and impression he will upon him. The humble Man is the self-denier.

2. Love. Who will not deny himself for a Friend whom he loves? He will part with any thing he hath, he will gratify him he loves, though it be to his own loss. He whose heart is fired with love to Christ, will stick at nothing for his sake. Gregory Nazianzen said of his Athenian Learning, he was glad he had any thing of worth, to esteem as nothing for Christ. Love to God would devour self-love.

2. Love. Who will not deny himself for a Friend whom he loves? He will part with any thing he hath, he will gratifie him he loves, though it be to his own loss. He whose heart is fired with love to Christ, will stick at nothing for his sake. Gregory Nazianzen said of his Athenian Learning, he was glad he had any thing of worth, to esteem as nothing for Christ. Love to God would devour self-love.

3. Faith. Abraham was a great Self-denier, he left his Kindred, and Country, and would travel into any place where God would have him. Whence was this? It was from his ⟨p. 59⟩Faith.