1. That we have greater reafon to guard againft fins of excess and intemperance than of abftinence. The first are unspeakably more common and prevalent than the other they always have been fo, and are always likely to be fo. If fome few have gone into fuperftition, by extraordinary mortification, thoufands have been betrayed into fin, and at laft brought to perdition, by the charms of a fenfual life.

2. If any are in danger of erring on the oppofite fide, the way to discover when we are going wrong, is to confider, whether the mortification renders us more spiritual, and more active, or, by excefs of fcrupulofity, we are confuming our time, and neglecting our duty. The deceits of Satan are very fubtle he fills fome perfons with fo many doubts upon every particular, that they are like one who makes little progrefs in his journey, from continual uncertainty, and frequent flopping to enquire the way. It is certainly far better to carry on the general ends of God's glory, and point to this as our ultimate purpose, than every now and then to entangle and embarrass ourfelves with queftions of little moment.

Before proceeding to the fecond general head, I fhall finish this difcourfe by a few obfervations for the improvement of what hath been already said. And,

1. From what hath been faid upon this fubject, you may learn the great importance of the duty; that it is the diftinguishing character of a real Chriftian, to be crucified to the world, and the world to him. Alas! how many deceive themselves in this particular! How many fatisfy themselves with a name to live, when they are dead; with a form of godlinefs, while they deny the power thereof! How many, with a decent and regular outward profeffion, are yet wholly devoted to the world! Their meditation dwells upon it; their affections centre in it; their care is bestowed upon it; and their delights entirely flow from it. Let it be confidered, that there is nothing more contrary to true religion. The world, or created good, is the great competitor with God for the heart. All the honor and esteem that is given to it is taken from God. All the fervice and obedience that is bestowed upon it is refu

fed to God. Call to mind fome of the paffages of fcripture referred to in the preceding difcourfe; particularly the following: 1 John ii. 15. "Love not the world, nei"ther the things that are in the world. If any man love "the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

My dear brethren, there are many who would look with contempt or indignation on those who are guilty of particular fcandalous and difgraceful fins, for example, on a profane fwearer, drunkard, or unclean perfon, while yet they themselves are as much wedded to the world, and have as great an inward averfion at the practice of piety, and the power of the fpiritual life, as any of them all. Other fins are but the body or the members: worldlinefs is the foul and fpirit of irreligion. Other fins are but the acts or expreffions, worldlinefs the inward principle that gives them life.

How important a part this is of the Chriftian character, will plainly appear from thefe two confiderations: I. Worldlinefs may be itself the principle which restrains men from many other fins. A defire of reputation, a delight in the esteem of others, is often the cause of outward decency; nay, it is not feldom the cause of apparent zeal and eminent hypocrify. 2. There may be as great a degree of worldlinefs with, as without a profeffion of piety. Men may retain a form of godlinefs chiefly to fet themfelves free from the reproofs of confcience, that their prefent enjoyments may have the higher relifh. Nay, I cannot help observing, that though covetoufnefs is one of the grofs fins mentioned in fcripture, as entirely fubverfive of religion, there is fcarcely any fin that can be carried to fuch a degree, without cafting off the profeffion of it.Hence it plainly appears how important a part of the cha racter of a real Chriftian it is to be crucified to the world. Without this the foundest principles, and the ftricteft profeffion, will avail nothing; for they that are "Chrifl's, "have crucified the flesh, with its affections and lufts."

2. From what hath been faid you may fee, not only the importance, but the great extent of the duty. The world itself, and all that is therein, in the fenfe formerly explained, muft be crucified. That you may, in fome

measure, conceive the extent of this, confider the common divifion of worldly enjoyments, viz. riches, honors and pleasures. All thefe, without exception, and all thefe equally, must be denied by the Chriftian. You fhall often fee, that the covetous man will defpife and hate the prodigal, and even exprefs the greatest zeal against riot and extravagance of every kind. The fenfualift, on

the other hand, defpifes the mifer, as glued to the world, and a flave to the most fordid of all human paffions, And the ambitious man, eager in the pursuit of honor and dignity, vainly conceives himself fuperior to both. But they are all equally oppofite to, and inconfiftent with the fpirit of the gospel. If your fupreme delight, if your portion and happiness is here, it is of little confequence whether your hearts are fet upon "the luft of the flesh, the "luft of the eye, or the pride of life." It is with the foul as with the body: there are many different diseases taking place in different parts, and fhewing themselves by dif ferent fymptoms, but which will equally end in death as their effect.

3. You may hence learn the difficulty of the duty; to be crucified to the world, and yet to live in the world; to be crucified to the world, and yet to poffefs the world; to be crucified to the world, and yet to have a great part of our thoughts and love neceffarily employed about the world. The temptation is ever prefent, and, through the corruption and treachery of our own hearts, fatally strong. Ought we not hence to infer the abfolute neceffity of continual vigilance, and continual prayer? continual vigilance in our duty, and jealous of every temptation that may be in danger of diverting us from it? continual prayer to the Father of lights, in the name of Chrift, for fupernatural strength? Every exercised Christian knows from experience the danger of the world as an enemy, and how' hard it is to keep fuch clear views of the things of eternity, as to be preserved from an undue and finful attachment to the things of time. The world is dangerous even to those who maintain an habitual jealoufy of it, and hold it as an enemy: how much more muft it be ruinous and fatal to VOL. I. 3. G

those who love and profecute it as the object of their chief defire.

4. I shall now conclude, by improving this fubject for the purpose of self-examination. And furely no serious hearer will be backward to bring himself to the trial. My beloved hearers I speak to all of every rank, high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, who profess to bear the name of Christians: Are you, or are you not, crucified to the world, and the world to you? All real believers are fo. If you are not, your riches or your poverty, your honor or your shame, your regular behavior, or even your zeal for public duties, will avail you nothing in the day of Christ's appearance. I am fenfible, that the decifion of the question, Whether you are, or are not, crucified to the world? may often be attended with no little difficulty. I will therefore, as far as I am able, endeavor to affist you in the trial. For which purpose, I beg your attention to the following observations:

1. You are crucified to the world, if you do not habitually allow your thoughts to dwell upon it, and your defires to run out after it. The cross was an abhorred object, which no body could look upon with delight.Worldliness is often as much difcovered by our defires after what we have not, as by the use or employment of what we have. There are many whofe great delight seems to arise from the fond expectations they entertain of worldly happiness to come: nay, there are many who are fo flothful as not to pursue the world, and yet feed themfelves with the very imagination of it. Their thoughts, and even their language, conftantly runs upon idle fancies, and romantic fuppofitions of the happinefs they should enjoy, were they in fuch or fuch a ftate. Now, my bre thren, he that is crucified to the world will make confcience of restraining thefe irregular defires; and, from a deep conviction of the vanity of the world, will find little pleasure in the contemplation of it.

2. Your being crucified to the world will appear in the moderation of your delight and complacency in what you poffefs of it. You will not, if I may fpeak fo, give yourfelves up to it, but will always qualify the enjoyment of

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it by a reflection upon its vanity in itfelf, and its fhort duration as to any connexion we fhall have with it. We are ready to pity the weakness of children, when we fee them apply themselves with fo much eagerness to trifles, and fo greatly delighted with their amusements and enjoyments. A parent, looking on them when hotly engaged at play, will be at once pleased to see them happy, and at the fame time filled with a tender commiferation of their want of reflection. Something of the fame view one crucified to the world has of all earthly enjoyments. Many a grown perfon will fimile at the play of children, while he himself is perhaps as eagerly engaged in the fchemes of ambition, in political ftruggles, and contefts for power; which are often as great trifles as the play-things of children, only that they are the play-things of men.

3. You are crucified to the world if you have low hopes and expectations from it. It is hope that ftirs us up chiefly to action in all our pursuits. And fo long as we entertain high thoughts of what the world will afford us in fome after-season, we are not crucified to it. There is a

common proverbial faying, "If it were not for hope, the "heart would break :" juft fo, when our hopes from the world are destroyed, the heart of the old man is broken. We are exceeding ready to think, that were such or such a difficulty or uneafinefs removed, could we obtain fuch or fuch an advantage in view, we would be happy. But there is always a deception at bottom. We vainly think, that happiness arifes from the creature; but he that is crucified to the world judges, by past experience, that it hath little comfort to give; and therefore he will place but little dependance upon it.

4. He is crucified to the world who hath truly fubdued all invidious dispositions towards the poffeffion of it. There are many who seem to have little comfort from their own enjoyments; but there is reafon to fear, that it arifes not fo much from felf-denial, as from difcontent. The world may be faid to be crucified to them, but they are not crucified to the world. It is by this that worldlinefs expreffes itself chiefly in the lower rank of life. Those who are obliged to live moderately and hardly, from mere penu