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ry, often fhew, by their carriage and language, that they have as much fenfuality in their hearts, as those who indulge their irregular defires to the greatest excess. But he that is crucified to the world, not only fees all its pomp and fplendor in others without repining, but will often beflow a thought of compaffion upon the great, for the enfnaring circumstances in which they are placed with regard to their fouls. And furely they are of all others moft to be pitied. May the Lord, in mercy, convince them of their danger; and, in the mean time, preferve his own people from being led aftray by their influence and example.

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GALATIANS vi. 14. laft clause.

By whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world.

NOW proceed to the fecond thing propofed, which was, To fhow the influence of the cross of Chrift in crucifying the world. This, my brethren, deserves your moft ferious attention, as pointing you to the great and vital principle of the Chriftian's fanctification, the true and only fource of fpiritual comfort and peace. The cross of Chrift is always confidered in the apoftolic writings as an object of the highest dignity and merit; and the believer is there taught to speak of it in expreffions of the warmest attachment and regard. Witnefs the words of the text itfelf, in the preceding claufe: "God forbid that I fhould แ glory fave in the crofs of our Lord Jesus Christ." We may perhaps be easily induced, in a time of external quietness and peace to adopt this fentiment as an opinion, or to use it as a form; but happy, and only happy, those in whom it dwells as an ever prefent truth, and operates as a daily governing principle!

Taking the fubject in great latitude, I might obferve, that the cross of Chrift being the price paid for the bleffings of falvation in general, every illuminating discovery in the mind, and every gracious affection in the heart,

which are the work of the divine Spirit, may be justly a fcribed to it. But I propofe, at this time, to confider it fingly as an object of faith, and to fhew how the firm perfuafion and frequent recollection of this great truth tends to crucify the world to us, and us to the world; the rather, that we find elsewhere our victory over the world ascribed to faith, and this faith particularly terminating on the Son of God: 1 John v. 4, 5. "For whatfover is born of God, "overcometh the world: and this is the victory that over"cometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that over"cometh the world, but he that believeth that Jefus is the "Son of God?" For the further illuftration of this fubject, "then, let us obferve,

1. That the crofs of Christ crucifies the world, as it gives us an immediate and ftriking view of the mortality of our nature, as well as the original and general cause of this mortality. The vanity of created things is in nothing more manifeft, than in their precarious nature, particularly our own tendency to the duft, by which all earthly relations shall be speedily and entirely diffolved. In this view, indeed, you may fay, that the death of any other perfon, sickness, and all its attending fymptoms, or a funeral, with its mournful folemnities, tends to crucify the world and most certainly they do. But there is fome. thing ftill more in the crofs of Chrift. There we fee, not only the death of our nature but the death of the Son of God in our room. There we are carried back to a view of the great cause of the universal reign of the king of ter rors, fin. Sin firft brought death into the world; and this made it neceffary that Chrift "fhould tafte of death "for every man," that we might be restored to fpiritual life. Mortality, therefore, is written in the moft legible characters on the crofs of Chrifi. Nay, the curfe of creation itself is written upon the cross of Christ. We cannot look upon it, therefore, in a ferious manner, without being deeply affected with the doom which we ourselves have ftill to undergo: "Duft thou art, and to duft thou fhalt "return." It is impoffible to avoid knowing that we must die; but thofe only difcover the moment of this truth, who fee its procuring caufe. Thofe only have juft and abiding

impreffions of the speedy approach of natural death, who are filled with concern for their own deliverance from the power of the fecond death.

2. The cross of Christ crucifies the world to a believer, as it fhews him how little he deferves at the hand of God. Believers on the cross of Chrift fee him standing in their room, and bearing the wrath of an offended God, which was their due. When this is not only profeffed with the mouth, but received into the heart, it gives a deep conviction of the evil of fin, and lays the finner proftrate in humility and felf-abasement. Muft not this greatly weaken and mortify all worldly affection, which takes its rife from pride and felf-fufficiency? It is, if I may speak fo, a fort of claim and demand upon Providence, as if something were due to us. Worldly perfons, in profperity, not only cleave to the world as their portion, but may be said to affert their title to it as their property. The fame inward difpofition may be discovered by their carriage in the opposite state. When their schemes are broken, and their hopes blafted, by repeated disappointments, or when their poffeffions are taken from them by unexpected ftrokes, they refift and rebel with impatience and indignation, as if fome perfon had done them wrong.

But when men are fenfible that they deferve nothing at the hand of God, this mortifies their earthly defires, and puts their complaints to filence. See how Job expreffes himself after all his calamities, as fenfible that he had loft nothing of his own, chapter i. 21. "Naked came I out of "my mother's womb, and naked fhall I return thither : "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed "be the name of the Lord." Let me fpeak of this, my brethren, as a gracious difpofition, which, alas! is too often but weak, yet furely hath place in the heart of every child of God. Let me fuppofe him convinced, that he is unworthy of the leaft of all God's mercies; will he not keep his poffeffions the more loosely, and will he not quit his hold the more eafily? But where fhall we learn real felf-abasement fo well as from the crofs? where fhall we learn how little we deserve that is good, fo well as in that place which fhews we have indeed deserved every thing

that is evil? where fhall we learn to make moderate demands of created mercies, but where we fee, that not only the creature, but life itfelf, was forfeited by our guilt? Let me fuppofe a condemned criminal carried, with many others, to a fcaffold, there receiving a pardon, and witneffing, in the execution of others, what was the fen. tence of the law upon himself; will he, at this inftant, think you, be impatient or thankful? Will he be jealous of the honor or respect paid to him? will he quarrel about the dignity or convenience of the place affigned to him? No furely. Loft in the confideration of the fate he has efcaped, and the favor he has received, he will pay little regard to matters of fmall comparative importance. Juft fo the Chriftian, placed by faith at the foot of the cross, deeply moved by a difcovery of the wrath of God, which he had deserved to fuffer to eternity, and taking an immediate view of what his Redeemer fuffered to deliver him from it, will be little thoughtful of the world, or any of its enjoyments.

3. The cross of Chrift crucifies the world, by reverfing all worldly maxims, and fhewing of how light eftimation worldly greatnefs is in the fight of God. So long as worldly maxims prevail, and worldly greatnefs is in high esteem, the cross of Chrift is a despised object. But fo foon as this object acquires bulk and value in the believ er's eye, by being taken for what it really is, the world is difgraced in its turn. It pleafed God, in his infinite wif dom, for the falvation of finners, to fend his own Son into the world, in the human nature and as it was in itfelf a deep ftep of humiliation, for the Son of God to be found in fashion as a man; fo, even in this affumed nature, he was attended with every circumftance of meannefs and bafenefs. No retinue of illuftrious minifters to ferve him; no fplendid or elegant apartment to receive him; but born of a mean woman, brought forth in a stable, and laid in a manger. Memorable and inftructive history indeed! which fhall never be forgotten where the gofpel is preached, to the end of time.

Remember, my beloved hearers, though divine fweetnefs and benignity adorned his carriage, though divine

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