DIRECTIONS AGAINST SELFISHNESS AS IT IS CONTRARY TO THE LOVE OF OUR
NEIGHBOUR.
The two tables of the law are summed up by our Saviour in two
comprehensive precepts: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and soul, and might:" and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself." In the decalogue the first of these is the true meaning of
the first commandment, put first because it is the principle of all
obedience: and the second is the true meaning of the tenth
commandment, which is therefore put last, because it is the
comprehensive sum of other duties to our neighbour or injuries against
him, which any other particular instances may contain; and also the
principle of the duty to, or sin against, our neighbour. The meaning
of the tenth commandment is variously conjectured at by expositors:
some say that it speaketh against inward concupiscence and the sinful
thoughts of the heart; but so do all the rest, in the true meaning of
them, and must not be supposed to forbid the outward action only, nor
to be any way defective: some say that it forbiddeth coveting and
commandeth contentment with our state; so doth the eighth commandment;
yet there is some part of the truth in both these. And the plain truth
is, (as far as I can understand it,) that the sin forbidden is
selfishness as opposite to the love of others, and the duty commanded
is to love our neighbours; and that it is as is said, the sum of the
second table, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself:" as the
captain leadeth the van, and the lieutenant bringeth up the rear; so,
"Thou shalt love God above all," is the first commandment, and "Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," is the last, for the aforesaid
reason. I shall therefore in these following directions speak to the
two parts of the tenth commandment.
_Direct._ I. The first help against selfishness is to understand
well the nature and malignity of the sin. For want of this it commonly
prevaileth, with little suspicion, lamentation, and opposition. Let me
briefly therefore anatomize it.
1. It is the radical, positive sin of the soul, comprehending
seminally or causally all the rest. The corruption of man's nature, or
his radical sin, hath two parts, the positive part, and the privative
part: the positive part is selfishness, or the inordinate love of
carnal self; the privative part is ungodliness or want of the love of
God. Man's fall was his turning from God to himself; and his
regeneration consisteth in the turning of him from himself to God; or
the generating of the love of God (as comprehending faith and
obedience) and the mortifying of self-love. Selfishness therefore is
all positive sin in one, as want of the love of God is all privative
sin in one. And self-denial and the love of God are all duties
virtually; for the true love of man is comprehended in the love of
God. Understand this, and you will understand what original and actual
sin is, and what grace and duty are.
2. Therefore selfishness is the cause of all sin in the world, both
positive and privative, and is virtually the breach of every one of
God's commandments. For even the want of the love of God is caused by
the inordinate love of self; as the consuming of other parts is caused
by the dropsy, which tumefieth the belly. It is only selfishness which
breaketh the fifth commandment, by causing rulers to oppress and
persecute their subjects, and causeth subjects to be seditious and
rebellious; and causeth all the bitterness, and quarrellings, and
uncomfortableness, which ariseth among all relations. It is only
selfishness which causeth the cursed wars of the earth, and desolation
of countries, by plundering and burning; the murders which cry for
revenge to heaven (whether civil, military, or religious): which
causeth all the railings, fightings, envyings, malice; the schisms,
and proud overvaluings of men's own understandings and opinions; and
the contending of pastors, who shall be the greatest, and who shall
have his will in proud usurpations and tyrannical impositions and
domination: it is selfishness which hath set up and maintaineth the
papacy, and causeth all the divisions between the western and the
eastern churches; and all the cruelties, lies, and treachery exercised
upon that account. It is selfishness which troubleth families and
corporations, churches and kingdoms; which violateth vows, and bonds
of friendship, and causeth all the tumults, and strifes, and troubles
in the world. It is selfishness which causeth all covetousness, all
pride and ambition, all luxury and voluptuousness, all surfeiting and
drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, time-wasting and heart-corrupting
sports, and all the riots and revelling of the sensual; all the
contending for honours and preferments, and all the deceit in buying
and selling, the stealing and robbing, the bribery and simony, the
law-suits which are unjust, the perjuries, false witnessing,
unrighteous judging, the oppressions, the revenge, and in one word,
all the uncharitable and unjust actions in the world. This is the true
nature of carnal selfishness, and it is no better.
3. Selfishness is the corruption of all the faculties of the soul. It
is the sin of the mind, by self-conceitedness and pride; it is the sin
of the will and affections, by self-love, and all the selfish passions
which attend it; selfish desires, angers, sorrows, discontents,
jealousies, fears, audacities, &c. It is the corruption of all the
inferior faculties, and the whole conversation by self-seeking, and
all the forementioned evils.
4. Selfishness is the commonest sin in the world. Every man is now
born with it, and hath it more or less; and therefore every man should
fear it.
5. Selfishness is the hardest sin in the world to overcome. In all the
unregenerate it is predominant; for nothing but the sanctifying Spirit
of God can overcome it. And in many thousands that seem very zealous
in religion, and very mortified in all other respects, yet in some way
or other selfishness doth so lamentably appear, yea, and is so strong
in many that are sincere, that it is the greatest dishonour to the
church of Christ, and hath tempted many to infidelity, or to doubt
whether there be any such thing as true sanctification in the world.
The persons that seemed the most mortified saints, if you do but
cross them in their self-interest, or opinion, or will, or seem to
slight them, or have a low esteem of them, what swellings, what
heart-burnings, what bitter censurings, what proud impatience, if not
schisms and separations, will it cause? God hath better servants; but
too many which seem to themselves and others to be the best, are no
better. How then should every christian abhor and watch against this
universal evil!
_Direct._ II. Consider oft how amiable a creature man would be,
and what a blessed condition the world and all societies would be in,
if selfishness were but overcome. There would then be no pride, no
covetousness, no sensuality, no tyranny or oppressing of the poor, no
malice, cruelty, or persecution; no church divisions, no scandals,
nothing to dishonour religion, or to hinder the saving progress of the
gospel; no fraud or treacheries, no over-reaching or abusing others;
no lying nor deceit, no neglect of our duty to others; in a word, no
injustice or uncharitableness in the world.
_Direct._ III. Judge of good and evil by sober reason, and not by
brutish sense. And then oft consider, whether really there be not a
more excellent end than your selfish interest? even the public good of
many, and the pleasing and glorifying of God. And whether all mediate
good or evil should not be judged of principally by those highest
ends? Sense leadeth men to selfishness or privateness of design; but
true reason leadeth men to prefer the public, or any thing that is
better than our self-interest.
_Direct._ IV. Nothing but returning by converting grace to the
true love of God, and of man for his sake, will conquer selfishness.
Make out therefore by earnest prayer for the Spirit of sanctification;
and be sure that you have a true apprehension of the state of grace;
that is, that it is indeed the love of God and man. Love is the
fulfilling of the law; therefore love is the holiness of the soul: set
your whole study upon the exercise and increase of love, and
selfishness will die as love reviveth.
_Direct._ V. Study much the self-denying example and precepts of
your Saviour. His life and doctrine are the liveliest representation
of self-denial that ever was given to the world. Learn Christ, and you
will learn self-denial. He had not sinful selfishness to mortify, yet
natural self was so wonderfully denied by him, for his Father's will
and our salvation, that no other book or teacher in the world will
teach us this lesson so perfectly as he. Follow him from the manger,
or rather from the womb, to the cross and grave; behold him in his
poverty and contempt; enduring the contradiction and ingratitude of
sinners, and making himself of no reputation; behold him apprehended,
accused, condemned, crowned with thorns, clothed in purple, with a
reed in his hand, scourged, and led away to execution, bearing his
cross, and hanged up among thieves; forsaken by his own disciples, and
all the world, and in part by him who is more than all the world; and
consider why all this was done; for whom he did it, and what lesson he
purposed hereby to teach us. Consider why be made it one half the
condition of our salvation, and so great a part of the christian
religion, to deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow him; and
will have no other to be his disciples, Luke xiv. 26, 31, 33. Were a
crucified Christ more of our daily study, and did we make it our
religion to learn and follow his holy example, self-denial would be
better known and practised, and christianity would appear as it is,
and not as it is misunderstood, adulterated and abused in the world.
But because I have long ago written a "Treatise of Self-denial," I
shall add no more.