t you may make every power of your soul
subservient to the glory of God.

Your affectionate Brother.

LETTER VII.

_Self-Denial._

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross daily, and follow me."--LUKE 9:23.

MY DEAR SISTER,

The duty of self-denial arises from the unnatural relation which sin has
created between us and God. The first act of disobedience committed by
man was a setting up of himself in opposition to God. It was a
declaration that he would regard his own will in preference to the will
of his Creator. _Self_ became the supreme or chief object of his
affections. And this is the case with all unregenerate persons. Their
own happiness is the object of their highest wishes. They pursue their
own selfish interests with their whole hearts. When anything occurs, the
first question which arises in their minds is, "How will this affect
_me_?" It is true, they may often exercise a kind of generosity towards
others. But, if their motives were scanned, it would appear that
self-gratification is at the bottom of it. The correctness of these
assertions, no one will doubt, who is acquainted with his own heart. All
unconverted persons live for themselves. They see no higher object of
action than the promotion of their own individual interests. The duty in
question consists in the denial of this disposition. And a moment's
attention will show that nothing can be more reasonable. No individual
has a right to attach to himself any more importance than properly
belongs to the station he occupies in the grand scale of being, of
which God is the centre. It is by this station that his value is known.
If he thinks himself of more consequence than the place he occupies will
give him, it leads him to seek a higher station. This is pride. It is
setting up the wisdom of the creature in opposition to that of the
Creator. This was probably the origin of the first act of disobedience.
Satan thought himself entitled to a higher station in the scale of being
than God gave him; therefore, he rebelled against the government of the
Most High This act of rebellion was nothing more than setting up his own
selfish interests against the interests of the universe. And what would
be the consequence, if this selfish principle were carried out in the
material universe? Take, for example, our own planetary system. If every
planet should set up an interest separ