DISC.

As the punishment alluded to was not in VIII. sufe among the Jews, they must have bor

rowed the expreffions from the Romans; unless, as fome learned men think, they had been received before from the Perfians, who, it is faid, were accustomed to fix criminals to fome kind of crofs. Such application of the word is common, I believe, to most of the modern languages of Europe. In our own, we denote all events adverse and unpleafing by the general term of croffes.

Since the time when the Son of God, by fuffering on the cross, for the fins of the world, exalted it to a dignity above the thrones and diadems of princes, on which it was foon portrayed as their greatest ornament and higheft glory, the word became one of mighty import in the Christian fyftem, of which the doctrine, difcipline, and duties, all range under it's banner.

When our Lord pronounced the paffage selected for my text, he, no doubt, intended

to

to fignify by what death he himself fhould DISC. die, and withal to intimate, that, befides the VIH. manifold perfecutions his apoftles were to undergo for his fake, fome of them should even literally be conformed to him in the manner of their leaving the world; which accordingly came to pafs. It feems impoffible to reflect upon this wonderful and characteristic circumftance refpecting the ever bleffed Founder of our religion, as Grotius has well obferved, without fuppofing that Plato must have been under a degree of divine impulfe, when he closed the account of his righteous man who fhould appear, at fome future day, upon the earth, by predicting, that, "after having "fuffered all other ills, he fhould, at length, be fixed to a cross."

To understand the phrafe of taking up and bearing the cross, it must be recollected, upon the infliction of this punishment,

that, upon

the criminal was obliged to take up the cross,

and bear it, on his shoulders, to the place of

execution.

Our

DISC.

VIII.

Our Lord's declaration fhall be confidered, in the following difcourfe, as general, and made to all his difciples. We fhall state the grounds on which the duty is founded; and point out the manner in which it may best be performed.

It may appear difficult, at first fight, to comprehend the goodness of God in afflicting us, or commanding us to afflict ourfelves. Could not he render us holy, without rendering us miferable, by way of preparative? Doubtless he could have done it; and he could have produced all men, as he created the firft man, at their full growth; but his wifdom has feen it fit, that we should pass through the pains and hazards of infancy and youth, in the latter inftance, and, in the former, that through tribulation and affliction we fhould enter into his heavenly kingdom. It is his will; and therefore, though no reasons could be affigned, filence and fubmiffion would beft become us. But there are many.

For

For it is obvious to remark, in the first DISC. place, that Chriftianity did not bring afflic- VIII. tions into the world with it; it found them already there. The world is full of them. The mifery of man is a theme on which philofophers and hiftorians, orators and poets, have expatiated, from age to age; nor is it yet by any means exhausted. The wealthy and the great, the men of business and the men of pleasure, have discovered no method of exemption. In every profeffion, every station, nay, station, nay, in every individual, there is a fomething, which, at times, damps all enjoyments, and embitters the cup of life. Men are difquieted either by the tempers of others, or their own; by their fins, or by their follies; by fickness of body, or forrow of heart. Many, instead of becoming better by their fufferings, are made worfe; they murmur, they rebel, they rage, they defpair; and the torments of time lead on, to thofe of eternity. Such is the state of things in the world. Let us reflect,

Secondly, how it came to be fo, and we fhall

VOL. III.

M

"

DISC. fhall find still less cause of complaint. The VIII. mifery of man proceeded not originally from God; he brought it upon himself. "God formed him upright;" and, while upright, happy; but he fought out "inventions," he followed his own imaginations, and became miferable. What the wife man fays of death, is equally true of affliction; "God made it not, neither

hath he pleasure in the deftruction,” or the suffering, of the living. For he "created all things, that they might have "their being; and the generations of the "world were healthful, and there was no poifon of destruction in them, nor the

66

kingdom of death upon the earth: for

righteousness is immortal-But ungodly "men, with their works and words, called "it to them." You fee how exactly this harmonizes with the doctrine of the Apoftle; "death"-and, in like manner, trouble-" came upon all men, for that all had "finned." Whatever, therefore, our fufferings may be, we fuffer no more than we deferve; we must bow down under the