Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Ver. 24. If any man will come after me] Not step before me, prescribe to me, as Peter attempted to do, whose fault herein is purposely recorded, that he might not be (as by the Papists, for political respects, he is) overly much magnified, nay, deified, as is above observed, and made collateral, a very copesmate, to Christ himself.
Let him deny himself] Abdicet seipsum (απαρνησασθω), let him abrenounce himself flatly, peremptorily, again and again (as the word importeth), with a stout and stiff denial to so unreasonable a request, as self will be sure to make to a man his whole life throughout. Every one hath many a self within himself to say nay to, though never so dear to him. Levi said unto his father and to his mother, "I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor know his own children, that he might observe God's word, and keep his covenant," Deuteronomy 33:9. This was much; but he that will be Christ's disciple must do more than this, he must deny himself, his own reason, will, affections, appetite, aims, ends, acts, righteousness, &c., he must utterly renounce himself, as much as if he had nothing at all to do with himself. Yea, he must condenm and cast away himself, as God doth those reprobates whom he denieth, disowneth, and disavoweth for ever. Horreo quicquid de meo est ut sim meus, saith Bernard. Ita cave tibi ut caveas teipsum, saith another. So take heed to yourself, that you take heed of yourself. Oh misery! saith a third, we could not suffer a Lord, and yet we sustain to serve our fellow servant, self. a Valentinian the emperor dying, affirmed, that he was proud of one of his victories only, viz., that he had overcome his own flesh, that worst of enemies. Of all slaveries, none so grievous to a good heart as to be a slave to himself. And this yoke of slavery, it is an easy matter to shake off, saith Seneca, but he is foully deceived; for a man will sooner say nay to all the world than to himself. This made Robert Smith the martyr write thus to his wife, "Be always an enemy to the devil and the world, but specially to your own flesh." There are some diseases that will not be cured, till we be let blood ad deliquium animae, for the dropping down of the spirit, till the patient swoon: and such is sin; it is corruptio totius substantiae, the corruption of the whole state; the sinner must be unmade, taken all asunder, ere the new creature can be made up in him; he must be stark dead to sin, ere he can live to righteousness, as St Peter hath it (απογενομενοι), 1 Peter 2:24; and the word he useth there implieth, that the old frame must be utterly dissolved, and the whole man done to death, and offered for a whole burnt offering. Instead of a ram, saith Origen, we must kill our ireful passions; instead of a goat, our unclean affections; instead of flying fowls, our idle thoughts and evil imaginations. Lo, this is that evangelical sacrifice, that rational service so much commended and called for, Romans 12:1; "Do this, and thou shalt live;" leave it undone, and thou art undone for ever. Pray therefore with him, Domine, libera me a malo homine, meipso, Lord, free me from an ill man, myself.
And take up his cross] Where self is renounced, the cross is easily borne. It is self (saith one) makes the cross pinch. Things puffed up with wind break when they come to the fire; so those that are puffed up, and filled with self, will suffer nothing. Privation is one of the principles of natural generation, so is self-denial of holy conversation. Fain would this flesh make strange of that which the Spirit doth embrace (said M. Saunders, martyr, in a letter written to his wife out of the prison). O Lord, bow loth is this loitering sluggard to pass forth in God's path! It fancieth, forsooth, much fear of the fray-bugs and boogey-men, &c. Take up the cross and follow me through thick and thin, through fire and water. Oh, this is a hard saying, saith another martyr. But if there be any way on horse back to heaven, surely this is the way. Only we must take up our cross, be active in it, and not stay till it be laid upon us whether we will or not. And then bear it patiently, not grin under the burden of it, as antic pictures seem to do under the weight of the house side whereunto they are fastened. Drink off God's cup willingly, and at the first (said Mr Bradford), and when it is full; lest peradventure if we linger, we drink at length of the dregs with the wicked, if at the beginning we drink not with his children. We must take up our crosses (saith another), and when God bids us yoke, he is the wisest man that yields his neck most willingly.
And follow me] Without sciscitation; let him go blindfolded whither I lead him, as Abraham did. b Neither may he leap over the hedge of the command, for avoiding the foul way of affliction, Sed eundum quocunque Christus vocarit, etiamsi in ea loca migrandum esset.
" Pigris ubi nulla campis
Arbor aestiva recreatur aura;
Quod latus mundi nebulae, malusque
Iupiter urget. " Horat. i. 22.
God hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son, in sufferings also,Romans 8:29. Crux pendentis, cathedra docentis. Plato was crook-backed, and his scholars counted it an ornament to go crooked like him. Aristotle lisped, and his scholars thought it an honour to lisp. Shall not we hold ourselves honoured that may suffer with Christ, and then be glorified also with him?
a O rem miseram! Dominum ferre non potuimus, conservo servinus
b Semper memento illud Pythagoricum, Επον θεψ. Boetius.