A86527:58
Heautonaparnumenos
Heautonaparnumenos: or A treatise of self-denial. Intended for the pulpit; but now committed to the press for the public benefit.Heautonaparnumenos: or A treatise of self-denyall. Intended for the pulpit; but now committed to the presse for the publike benefit.
London: printed by W. Wilson for Richard Royston, 1646
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Lastly, it is to forsake and come eat of our selves, that is, to become contrite, humble, and obedient, like little children, to be of Saul's mind, when he cried, Lord! what wilt Thou I shall do? and His Will to do, and none but His, what e'er it cost us. And, because these Outward things sometimes follow us, even when we, seek not but, forsake them, yet to behave our selves, as if we had them not, or they were none of ours, that is, to behave our selves as Stewards, not as Owners of them. This if we shall do; If we shall, not acknowledge only but, love our own Abjection, Contempt, and Nothing; If we shall no longer live, but Christ live in us; If we shall make it our Meat and Drink to do the Will of God our Father; If we shall be to God as the Clay to the Potter, as a Hand to him whose hand it is; then we may not doubt but we are good Followers of Christ, that we are come to apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Him, to a perfect Denial of our Selves, a full Union with God.
Lastly, it is to forsake and come eat of our selves, that is, to become contrite, humble, and obedient, like little children, to be of Saul's minde, when he cry'd, Lord! what wilt Thou I shall doe? and His Will to doe, and none but His, what e're it cost us. And, because these Outward things sometimes follow us, even when we, seek not but, forsake them, yet to behave our selves, as if we had them not, or they were none of ours, that is, to behave our selves as Stewards, not as Owners of them. This if we shall doe; If we shall, not acknowledge onely but, love our owne Abjection, Contempt, and Nothing; If we shall no longer live, but Chrish live in us; If we shall make it our Meat and Drinke to doe the Will of God our Father; If we shall be to God as the Clay to the Potter, as a Hand to him whose hand it is; then we may not doubt but we are good Followers of Christ, that we are comne to apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Him, to a perfect Denyall of our Selves, a full Ʋnion with God.
But must we then indeed Deny our selves? must we become, not only Vile but, Nothing in our own eyes? then I doubt not but it will be said of most of us, as once it was by the Disciples;