Heautonaparnumenos

In a word, we can yield God no true Obedience, do Him no sincere Christian service, without this act of Self-denial. Suppose a Self-willed lover of himself practise some Virtues, they are such as Naturally he is not averse from, and so costing him but little or nothing, they are the less valued by God; yea, perhaps they are such, as whereby he hopes to make amends for his darling beloved sins. But for one to stab and mortify his peculiar bosom sins and to practise their opposite Virtues, to sacrifice his Isaac, to pull out his Right eye, cut off his Right hand; hîc specimen specitur, hîc certamen cernitur; this, this is the Trial of the Saints; by this at length God experimentally knows that we fear Him; ¹this act of ours therefore He swears that in Blessing He will Bless, that is, will Bless with the Blessing of Blessings, even no other but that of Eternal Blessedness.

In a word, we can yield God no true Obedience, doe Him no sincere Christian service, without this act of Self-denyall. Suppose a Self-wil'd lover of himselfe practise some Vertues, they are such as Naturally he is not averse from, and so costing him but little or nothing, they are the lesse valued by God; yea, perhaps they are such, as whereby he hopes to make amends for his darling beloved sins. But for one to stabbe and mortifie his peculiar bosome sinnes and to practise their opposite Vertues, to sacrifice his Isaac, to pull out his Right eye, cut off his Right hand; hîc specimen specitur, hîc certamen cernitur; this, this is the Tryall of the Saints; by this at length God experimentally knowes that we feare Him; ¹this act of ours therefore He sweares that in Blessing He will Blesse, that is, will Blesse with the Blessing of Blessings, even no other but that of Eternall Blessednesse.

1. 1Gen. 22.12 16, 17.