1£ooiiing unto ']Jdu.s. Rook IV. 407 hi< fu!ferings, being made conformable umo hi; dr11th. Not conforming my felf, bur being made conformable, by a power out of my felf. But how then is the power of mortificationattnbuted to men?. ~s, Mo;-tijie ye )'ottr I!.!!fjf. \ \ members which arc upon the earth. --And, 7hey wh,ch a;-c Chrift s h.wc cmcified the llol. 3. >· Jlefh. . . .' . Gal. <. ' 4· I anfwer, there is a twofold moruficanon, the one habttual , the other practiCal; the A nfiv. former confifb in a change of the heart, turning the bent and inclination of the heart 1 from all manner of fin; now this is the only and immediate work of the Spirit of Grace, breathing and working where it ~vill; the latter conf.ifts_in the exercife of puttin!l ferth of that inward grace, in ti:e a<.'\mg .of that .rrmc.tple, m refiftm!l temptations, 111 ~UJ:· preffing inordinate Lufts, 111 watclung agamfl: hnf~l and wordmate ads;, now tbts IS the work of a'regenorareperfon, htmfelf co-operatmg With the Spmt of God, as a rational in!lrument witp the principal Agent; and therefore the Apollle joins both -~ogeth~r; Jf ye through the Spirit ~ mortijie the Deeds of the Body, ye fha/1 Rorr.. S. 'l• live. 4 . It is an impelling, or a moving canfc, as all obieds are; for objeds have<tn attractive power. Achanfawthe wedge of Gold, andth~n coveted it: DavidfawBath– jhcba, and then ddired her. As the brazen Serpent dtd heal thofe wh? were bitt~n by the fiery Serpent, tanqttdm ob;e[htm fide;, meerly by bemg looked upon, fo Clmlt cru– cified doth heal fin, beget grace, encourage to futferings by being looked upon witlL the eyes of Faith. Wherefore (eeing we are campajfed ~bout with fo great a cloud of . , IVitnejfes, let 11< lay ttjide every weight, and the fin which doth fo eajily befet m, and let tu l!eb. "· '• 2 '· run with patience the race that u Jet before"'; lookjng J<nto 'lefiu the Amhor and jinifher of "'" Faith. The Apofrle was to encourage the Hebrews to hold on the well-begun prufeffion of Faith in Chrifi; and to that purpofe he fer~ bef?re them two fights to keep them from fainting. r. A cloud of witnejfes, the Satnts tn heaven; on which cloud when he had ftaid their eyes a while, and made them fit for aclearer Obje'd, he fcatters the cloud, and prefents the Sun of Righteaufncfs, Chrift himfelf, and he wills therh d'.~ofj.o, to turn their eyes from it, to him, looking unto [efm, q. d. this fight is enough to makeyouruntherace, and not to faint; why,Jefusisgonebeforeyou, and will you not follo_w him~ 0 loolz, unto [cfm~ and the very fight of him will draw you after him: Clm!l cruCified bath an attracttve power; And 1,, if [ be lifted up, w 1 lt . dr11w all men to me. ·--Thus of the caufes of our conformtty; w~ fee how it is John n. 31.. wrought. · 3. For the !aft ~ety; what are the means of this conformity as on our part? I anfwer. i. Go to the Crofs of Jefus Chri!l. It isnotallonrpurpofes, refolutions, pro– mifes, vows, covenants, endeavors, without this, that will effect our conformity to Chrift in his fufferings and death;- no, no, this conformity is a fruit and effect of the death of Chrifi; and therefore whofoever would have this work wrought in him, let l1im firfi have recourfeto Chrifl's Crofs: 0 go we more immediately rotheCrofs of Jefusz. Look up to him that l1angs upon it, contemjllate the death of Jefus Chrifi, con~ · Iider ferioufly and fadly his bitter, thameful, painl'ul fufferings : Much harh been faid, <>nly here draw it into fome Epitome: As, I. Confider who he was. z. What he fuffered. 3· Why he fuffered. 4· For whom he fuffered. 5. For what end he fuf. f~red. iS,_ With what mind he fl!ffered: Every one of thefe will make fome difcoveries etr.her of Ius Graces, or of his gr3cious actings in our behalf; and who can tell how far thts very Look., may work on us to change us, and transform us into the very image of J efus Chri!l< 3. Let us humbly_ bewail our defect, exorbitancy, irregularity,and inconformity either to the graces,_ fuffenngs, or death of Chri!l. As thus ; La here the profoundhumility, _wonderfulpat~e~~e, fervef t love, abundaut mercy, admir~blc meekne[s, conftant obedience of JefJ~'!Chrts'1 . !-~ bere the tortHres, torments, agonies, etmjiifl~, txtream fltjfering$ of Chrift for the fpmwal, immortd[ "ood of the prcciom fouls of hu redeemed ones: Lo here the death of Clirift, fee how he bowed the head, and gave up the Ghoft! why the(e areche part«ulars to which 1 jhuuld conform: Bm Oh alas! what a wide, vaft, utter ai– .Jfaucc, difproport•on u there vetwixt me and them ? Chrift in hu fiifferings fhined with gram, hugraces appeared in hu fufferings, likE fo many ftars in a bright winter's night j but .how dm• arc the faint weak. Gram in my So11l? Chrijf in his fujferings endured much
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