§. 23. An earnest Supplication and Exhortation to all, to attend upon thefe Things.

BUT

UT fourthly, What is the great Work and Bufinefs of the Crofs, refpecting Man?

Anfw. §. I. This indeed is of that mighty Moment to be truly, plainly, and thoroughly answered, that all that went before, seems only to serve for Preface to it; and mifcarrying in it, to be no less than a Mifguidance of the Soul about its Way to Bleffedness. I fhall therefore pursue the Question, with God's Help, and the beft Knowledge he hath given me, in the Experience of feveral Years Difcipleship.

§. II. The great Work and Business of the Crofs of Chrift, in Man, is Self-denial; a Word, as of much Depth in itself, so of sore Contradiction to the World: Little understood, but lefs embrac'd by it; yet it must be borne for all that. The Son of God is. gone before us, and by the bitter Cup he drank, and Baptifm he suffered, has left us an Example, that we should follow his Steps. Which made him put that hard Question to the Wife of Zebedee, and her two Sons, upon her foliciting that one might fit at his right, and the other at his left Hand, in his Kingdom; Are ye Mat, 20. able to drink of the Cup that I fhal drink of, 21,22,23. and to be baptized with the Baptifm I am baptize with? It feems their Faith was ftrong; they anfwered, We are able. Upon which he re

D. 3

plied

plied, Ye shall drink indeed of my Cup, and be baptized with the Baptifm I am baptized with; but their Reward he left to his Father.

§. III. What was his Cup he drank, and Baptifm he suffered? I anfwer, They were the Denial and Offering up of himself by the eternal Spirit to the Will of God, undergoing the Tribulations of his Life, and Agonies of his Death, upon the Crofs, for Man's Salvation.

§. IV. What is our Cup and Cross that we hould drink and fuffer? They are the Denial and Offering up of ourselves, by the fame Spirit, to do or fuffer the Will of God for his Service and Glory: Which is the true Life and Obedience of the Crofs of fefus: Narrow ftill, but before an unbeaten Way. For when there was none to help, not one to open the Seals, to give Knowledge, to direct the Course of poor Man's Recovery, he came in the Greatness of his Love and Strength; and though clothed with the Infirmities of a mortal Man, being within fortified by the Almightiness of an immortal God, he travelled thro' all the Straits and Difficulties of Humanity; and first, of all others, trod the untrodden Path to Bleffednels.

§. V. O come, let us follow him, the most unwearied, the most victorious Captain of our Salvation: To whom all the great Alexanders and mighty Cæfars of the World, are less than the pooreft Soldier of their Camps could be to them. True, they were all great Princes of their Kind, and Conquerors too, but on very

differing

differing Principles. For Chrift made himself of no Reputation to fave Mankind; but thefe plentifully ruin'd People, to augment theirs. They vanquish'd others, not themselves; Chrift conquer'd Self, that ever vanquish'd them: Of Merit therefore the most excellent Prince and Conqueror. Befides, they advanc'd their Empire by Rapine and Blood; but he by Suffering and Perfwafion: He never by Compulfion; they always by Force prevail'd. Mifery and Slavery followed all their Victories; his brought greater Freedom and Felicity to thofe he overcame. In all they did, they fought to please themselves; in all he did, he aimed to please his Father, who is God of Gods, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

'Tis this most perfect Pattern of Self-denial we must follow, if ever we will come to Glory: To do which, let us confider Self-denial in its true Diftinction and Extent.

§. VI. There is a lawful and unlawful Self, and both must be denied for the Sake of him, that in Submiffion to the Will of God counted nothing dear, that he might fave us. And though the World be fcarcely in any Part of it at that pafs, as yet to need that Lesson of the Denial of lawful Self, that every Day moft greedily facrifices to the Pleafure of unlawful Self: Yet to take the whole Thing before me, and for that it may poffibly meet with fome that are fo far advanced in this fpiritual Warfare, as to receive fome Service from it, I fhall at leaft touch upon it.

D 4

§. VII.

§. VII. The Lawful Self, which we are to deny, is that Conveniency, Eafe, Enjoyment, and Plenty, which in themfelves are fo far from being evil, that they are the Bounty and Bleffings of God to us: As Hufband, Wife, Child, Houfe, Land, Reputation, Liberty, and Life itfelf: Thefe are God's Favours, which we may enjoy with lawful Pleasure, and justly improve as our honeft Intereft. But when God requires them, at what Time foever the Lender calls for them, or is pleased to try our Affections by our parting with them: I fay, when they are brought in Competition with him, they must not be preferr'd, they must be deny'd. Chrift himself defcended from the Glory of his Father, and willingly made himself of no Reputation among Men, that he might make us of fome with God; and from the Quality of thinking it no Robbery to be equal with God, he humbled himself to the poor Form of a Servant; yea, the ignoPhil. 2. 5,minious Death of the Crofs that he might de6,7,8. liver us an Example of pure Humility, and entire Subiniffion to the Will of our heavenly Father.

37.

VIII. It is the Doctrine he teaches us in Mat. 10. thefe Words: He that loveth Father or Mother, Son or Daughter, more than me, is not worthy Luke 14. of me. Again, Whosoever he be of you, that forfaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my Dif ciple. And he plainly told the young rich. Man, That if he would have eternal Life, he 21, 22. fhould fell all, and follow him: A Doctrine fad

33.

Mark 10.

to

to him, as 'tis to thofe, that like him, for all their high Pretences to Religion, in Truth love their Poffeffions more than Chrift. This Doctrine of Self-denial is the Condition to eternal Happiness: He that will come after me, let him Mat. 16. deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow24. me. Let him do as I do: As if he had faid, He must do as I do, or he cannot be as I am, the Son of God,

§. IX. This made thofe honeft Fishermen quit their lawful Trades, and follow him, when he called them to it; and others that waited for the Confolation of Ifrael, to offer up their Eftates, Reputations, Liberties, and allo Lives, to the Displeasure and Fury of their Kindred, and the Government they liv'd under, for the fpiritual Advantage that accrued to them, by their faithful Adherence to his holy Doctrine. True, many would have excus'd their following of him in the Parable of the Feaft: Some had bought Land, fome had married Luke 14. Wives, and others had bought Yokes of Oxen, 18, 19, 20. and could not come; that is, an immoderate Love of the World hindered them: Their lawful Enjoyments, from Servants became their Idols; they worshipped them more than God, and would not quit them to come to God. But this is recorded to their Reproach: And we may herein fee the Power of Self upon the worldly Man, and the Danger that comes to him by the Abufe of lawful Things. What, thy Wife dearer to thee than thy Saviour! And thy Land and Oxen preferred before thy Soul's

Salvation!