THE GREAT DUTY 0F RESIGNATION. MA TTH. XXVI. 39· dud he IPtnt a little {urther, and fill rm his fau, and prayed, {aying, 0 m1 Fa: tber, if it be pofFble, let this cup pafs from me: Nnertbelefs, not as I will, but as thou wilt. · THE Words arc our Savi.otir's Prayer a.t his private Pailion in the Garden. In Paradife Was the firfl Scene of Man's Sin, and in a Garden the lirfl Scene of Chrif/'s Sorrows. He was how in the near view of his cxtream Suffcrings; rhe fatal Hour approach' cl when he was to d1e with all rhe concurrent Circumfl:anccs of Shame and Cruelty. His Nature was Humane and Holy, and therefore apprehenfive of Mifery and the Wrath of God. In tltis Exigency, He fell on his Face, a Pofrurc of humble Reverence, and with carneftnefs prayed, faying, 0 my Father, an cxpreilion of his fledfafl Trufl in the Love of God : If it be poJ!ihle, not with refpeCl: to his Abfolure Power, for by that he could eafily have preferved him; but with refpect to his Sovereign Pleafure, and Eternal Decree: Let this Cup pa.fs from me ; that implies a compleat Deliverance from the Rage of the Powers of Darknefs, and of the perverted World in Co1~undion with the~. He fuffered innocent Nature ro aCt as Nature, for he ihbmittcd to our Infirmities, ~ut without our ImperfeCtions. Nevertbe!ifs not as I 1vi!!, but as thou wilt : His Petition was qualified with an ACt of Submillion; the defire of his Nature, that recoil' cl from fuch Sufferings, was over-ruled by the refignarion ~~~dG:i:;eRatT;~~rl\~i~, d~t~&'~cfb~nlJs'Ji~~~ ~~~t0;~:~~~~~i1c~:~~1 ~\feJ~r:;~;~~ ~;j~ ferings, the Glory of God, with the Salvation of lofl Mankind. And that jufl: Horror; with the flrong Averfion of his Nature from fuch a terrible Death, renders his Willingnefs more conipicuous and meritorious. As Man, the apprehenfion of it pur him intO an Ago'!)'; but as Mediator, by a firm Refolution and clear Choice he fubmitted to it. Now the Example of our fuffering Saviour, lays an Obliganon on us to tranfcribe ltis Copy; his Tirlcs in Scripture declare both his Eminency and Exemplarinefs. He is out Head, and our Leader, the Captain of our Salvation, whom we are bound to follow in taking up our Crofs : His Sulferings were defigned not only for our Redemption, but for our InfuuCtion and Imitation. What he commands as God, he perform'd as Man, that we might voluntarily yield up our !elves to the Holinefs and Equity of his Law. Thus from the Pattern of our Saviours Deponmenr, the Point of DoCtrine is this : Tbe entire Rejignation of our Wills to the difPojing Will of God, is the indijpenjible Duty of Cbrif/imiS under tiJe jharpefl AJ!ltflions. In the Explication and Proof of this Point, I fi1all I. Confid~r ~vhat is conflll:enr with this Rejignation. II. What IS 1mplied in it. ill. The Reafons to convince us of tltis Duty of re}ig,ning of our [elves, and all our Inrerefl:s to God: And then apply it. Nn 2 I will,
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