We conclude this magnificent treatise on self-denial. In this final section may the Spirit of God lead you to make note of how you can apply these concluding exhortations to deny self. Does the public good promote the glory of God more than the private good? Read and find out. And what does the result of self-denial often look like? What does it look like when a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies? Remember Jesus. If anyone understands self-denial He does. The crowd.
This is a review of Thomas Manton’s work A Treatise Of Self-Denial with comments and study questions along the way. Feel free to study along and answer the questions or ask your own in the comments’ section below to enrich our learning. www.ChapelLibrary.org has this copyright notice. To go to the start of this series click here.
Previously…
II. SELF-DENIAL IN RESPECT TO God
III. SELF-DENIAL IN RESPECT TO OUR NEIGHBOUR
- Love to Our Neighbour Is a Means to Preserve Our Respects to God.
- The Depth of Love to Our Neighbour
And now…
3. Love his neighbour more than himself
In some cases a man is bound to love his neighbour more than himself. In the Law it is, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”; but in the gospel we have a higher pattern: “As I have loved you, so ought you also to love one another” (see Joh 13:34). Now the Lord Jesus has loved us with a high love:
He has laid down His life for us.
And it is no strain to apply this in some cases to love to our neighbours: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1Jo 3:16). He shed His precious blood, which was more valuable than all the world, therefore we should not refuse to give anything, not even life, which is our most precious possession! Life and all must go for our neighbour’s sake.
But you will say, “In what cases?”
[3.1] To save the whole community
First, I am to give my single life, when necessary, to save the whole community and society. It is a constant rule that all private things must give way to public, for God’s glory is more promoted and concerned in a public good than in any private.[1] Therefore a public good is better and more considerable in itself than any particular happiness of our own. In the whole business of self-denial, the great question is, which shall take place, God’s glory or my own profit? Thus Jonah,[2] to save the company, says, “Cast me forth into the sea” (Jon 1:12). When he was discovered and found out by lot, it was, not only an act of patience and submission to the sentence of God, but also an act of charity to save those that sailed with him. Men should be contented to be sacrificed for a real public good…
[3.2] To help another’s spiritual good
We ought to help one another’s spiritual good with the loss of our material things— which are temporary—and to venture person and estate for the propagation of the gospel. We are in some degree to imitate the glorious excess of charity in Paul, who could wish himself to be cursed from Christ for his brethren and kinsmen in the flesh (Rom 9:3); and Moses, who asked God to blot his name out of His book if God would spare His people (Exo 32:32). With our loss we are to promote the spiritual good of others. We have a high instance in our Lord Jesus Christ: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Cor 8:9). When He was rich, rich in the glory of the Godhead, yet He would come in the form of a servant. But, alas, who becomes poor for Christ now? Who is willing to go back any degree of his own pomp and pleasure, that he may advance the public good and promote the glory of Christ? Public spiritual good is far more valuable than any temporal good.
[3.3] To assist another in certain danger
It is a necessary act of our love to God when we expose ourselves to uncertain dangers to assist another in certain danger. If a man were assaulted by thieves and ruffians, to prevent murder I am bound to endanger my own life. If I may possibly contribute help, by the laws of God, I am to help the wronged party though it be to my own hazard. Thus Esther said, “If I perish, I perish,” when she went into the king (Est 4:16). There was a double ground of that resolution; one was, she preferred the public good before her own private life; the other, the cause was not only dangerous but also likely to result in tragedy. Now this case is the more binding, if it be the life of a public person, of a minister or magistrate. A subject is bound to preserve the life of a magistrate more than his own; the hand will put up itself to save the head. So also with ministers, as Romans 16:4, “For my life [they] laid down their own necks.” Paul speaks of Aquila and Priscilla, who exposed themselves to danger of death to save him in some tumult. Therefore he says, “Not only do I give them thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give them thanks!” If it be but the life of a private friend that is in danger, I am bound to expose myself to some hazard for his sake: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Joh 15:13). Christ speaks of it as an act of love. For though my life and his are of a like value, and mine may be more dear to myself than his, yet my duty to him and his life must overrule—especially if the case is dangerous, as to rescue him from an assassin.
C. Application
I shall conclude all with a word of application, which is to condemn two sorts of persons: self-lovers and self-seekers.
1. Warnings to self-lovers
First, the doctrine of self-denial condemns self-lovers. There are several sorts of them.
[1.1] When men seek their own contentment above the public benefit
They care not how it goes with the public, just so their private interest flourishes. The sin is more aggravated if men are neglectful in times of public danger. Among the Romans, men would leave their shops and trade, and venture all for the common good. But when in dangerous cases men are diverted from public service by a zeal to private interest, this is a foolish course—like to those that would look to their own cabins aboard ship, when the vessel itself is in danger. When Israel was under the oppression of Jabin, those who were lacking in public duty were blasted with infamy and shame: Dan and Ashur, that had their country near the sea (Jdg 5:17-18). And at the same time the tribe of Reuben, which lived on the other side of Jordan, stayed at home unworthily, to tend their cattle and flocks; and they were more affected with the bleating of the sheep, than with the groans and complaints of their brethren, under the oppression of Jabin. Those that did not come out for the help of God, they are cursed (Jdg 5:23)…
[1.2] When men mind only their own things
The doctrine of self-denial condemns men who in the course of their lives do mind only their own things, and are wholly taken up in fulfilling their own wills and desires. This is the temper of most men, they are of a narrow private heart and do not seek the welfare of others. It is both against nature and grace.
(1.) Against nature
No man is born for himself. His country has a share in him; his friends, and the persons with whom he lives, also have a share, for by nature man was made to be helpful to others. Man by nature is a sociable creature who is made for commerce.[3] If man could live of himself, he might live to himself. Now human society is built upon communion and commerce. The eye cannot say to the foot, “I have no need of thee” (1 Cor 12:14-27); and we cannot say of the most common person, “We have no need of thee.” It is the wisdom of providence to cast the frame of the world into mountains and valleys, to make some poor and some rich. The poor are as necessary…as are the rich. It is against nature when men wholly live to themselves.
(2.) Against grace
So it is also against grace, which casts us into one mystical body. The Apostle has a notable expression, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Rom 12:5). There is a greater “self” we are to regard, and that is the societies to which we belong; the welfare of this great body we must seek and promote. As in a clock, one wheel moves another; each part gives and receives help one from the other. So should everyone be serviceable, and put his heart, hand, and head to the common good, and be sensible of the common evil. As in the natural body, there is no disaster that happens to any one member but all the rest are affected also. The tongue cries out when we tread upon the toe, “You have hurt me”; or if the foot be pricked with a thorn, the rest of the members will testify their compassion. The tongue complains, the eyes shed tears, the head considers how to remove the thorn, and the hands provide assistance.
[1.3] Three ways to serve one another
There are three ways in which we are especially to serve one another: by prayers, by counsel, and by outward actions of relief.
(1.) By prayers
We are to mind in our prayers the good of one another, and labour for it with God, as we would seek His face for our own souls. This is an act of charity that costs us no money, and using another’s need as an occasion to go to God is both an advantage to us and a benefit to them. David, you know, fasted for his enemies (Psa 35:1-16), and Abraham prayed for Sodom (Gen 18). But, alas, few are nowadays touched with the miseries of others! If we be free from trouble, we care not what others suffer. Now the apostle says, “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Heb 13:3). We who are at liberty must not forget them who are in bonds, but esteem the bonds as our own, until God sets them free. Can you be a member and not be affected? The children of God, when they have been in a flourishing condition themselves, have always laid to heart the miseries of others of God’s children who have been in a suffering condition. Nehemiah was a favourite at court, the king’s cupbearer, yet he was sensible of the affliction of his country (Neh 1). And Daniel was a great prince in Babylon, yet how he pleads with God for Zion (Dan 9). We are to plead their case with God, though we are never so well.
(2.) By counsel
Another way to serve one another is by counsel. You are not to suffer sin upon your brother, no more than upon your own soul, for every man is made his brother’s guardian and keeper. “Exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb 3:13). Take heed lest, not only you yourselves, but any of your body and society, be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin…Therefore, we should be much in spiritual counsel, though we spend ourselves and be spent. This is a great part of self-denial that is required of us. Jesus Christ was weary, yet He speaks with the woman of Samaria about conversion (Joh 4).
(3.) By outward acts of relief
This love is to be manifested by sensible acts of charity and relief. You need to be much in this, for Christ takes notice of it as if it were done to Himself. If Christ lay languishing upon His bed, we all pretend we would go and visit Him. But Christ said, “What you do to the least of these my brethren you do to me” (see Mat 25:40). He tries the young man by the same: “Go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor” (see Mar 10:21). It is the doctrine of self-denial to the young man, as if self-denial and giving to the poor were equivalent terms. I emphasize it to you because men love a cheap religion. They pretend to pray for others, but yet refuse those costly acts of charity; they can give good words and counsel, but will not relieve and clothe. But we cannot satisfy God with mere words, as we cannot pay debts with the noise of money. There must be some real bounty[4] by which you should prove your heart to God. Christ takes notice of this in the Day of Judgment (Mat 25:31-46).
[1.4] When men give only to their own friends
When, in acts of charity to others, men only regard their own relations and friends, this is but a natural love to self, because relations and friends are but self-multiplied. “If you only love them that love you, what reward have you?” (see Mat 5:43-48). Who will give you thanks for the mere motion of nature? But it is according to Christ’s pattern when you can “love your enemies” and love those that wrong you. Christ loved us when we were His enemies and children of wrath. When we had offended God, He loved us and gave His Son to be the propitiation[5] for our sins (1Jo 4:10). Therefore you are not only to love your own relations and allies, but also your enemies, who may qualify as your neighbour (Luke 10:29). It is a high privilege to be a forgiver. Therefore, let us not lose this crown of honour. Let us test who will hold out the longest, they in offending, or we in pardoning.
2. Warnings to self-seekers
The doctrine of self-denial reproves not only self-lovers, but also self-seekers.
[2.1] When men first serve themselves
Self-seekers are they who feather their own nests with public spoils, set a house on fire to cook their eggs, and start schemes to promote themselves. Men had better be careful in such cases…Nehemiah took not the allowance of a governor (Neh 5:14-15). We should not carve out such large portions to ourselves in times of distress and calamity…Therefore, it is the glory of a man in a public place rather to depart from his own rights than to make a merchandise of the times and a prey of his brethren.
[2.2] When men make merchandises of their private courtesies, and aim only at their own praise
When men eye self in all they do, and in all the public good they do have an aim only to advance themselves in the esteem of others, these are self-seekers indeed. The heathen poet could say, “For a man to give something as alms that will not bring a profit in business brings no benefit to him at all.” Still, we must look to the pattern of Jesus Christ: when He loved us, He pleased not himself (Rom 15:3)…
[2.3] When men envy others
These are envious persons who would have a monopoly of gifts to set off themselves, and envy the gifts and graces of others; whereas God would have us rejoice in one another’s grace and labours. What is theirs by labour is ours by love, by virtue of the mystical body. Whatever members do, the glory and good rebounds to all. We, being in the body, should not envy them, as the foot doth not envy the eye because it is seated in a higher place. Envious persons are not members of the body, but leeches that grow monstrous by sucking. They seek to draw all to themselves, therefore they cannot rejoice in the good of others.
Questions & Notes
- Is God’s glory more promoted and concerned in a public good than in any private? ↑
- However, Jonah, as the Scriptures make clear, was the cause of this calamity because of his disobedience. ↑
- commerce – social exchange. ↑
- bounty – gift given; generosity. ↑
- propitiation – sin offering that turns away wrath; appeasement. ↑
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