54 The crucifyingof the world, flounced byus and contemned. There !hall a vertue flow from the Crofsof Chrift,that (hall give ftrength to all his chofen ones, togo on and conquer,and tread the world andall its glory under theirfeet, and by the leaves of this Tree, which feemeth dead to a carnal eye the Nations fhall be healed. And thus by it the world is Crucified. 5. Laftly, by the Crofs of Chrifi, a Pattern is given us for our Imitation ; by which we may learnhow to contemn and fo Cru- cifie the world , [ If tt'hen ye do Well andpilfer for it ye take it patient!y, this u acccepsable with God. For even hereunto wereye called: becaufe Chrifi alto[offeredfor tu, leaving tee an example, that ye !hauled follow his ffept who did nofin, neither Wsguile fornd in hie mouth who when he Was reviled , reviled not again when befafferedhe threatnednot, but committed himfclfto hint that judgetb righteou/ly, r Pet.2.2o,21,22,23. [Let :hie mind be inyou that was in Chriff 7efus that made himfelf ofno reputation, andtook upon him the formof afervant and humbled him- felf,and became obedient to death, even the deathof the Croft, ] Phil. 2. 5, 6, 7. [ Let to therefore lay a/deevery weight and the fin that doth focapbelt us, and let ter runwith patience the race that itfit before eU ; looking to'efue, the authorand fniftier of our faith, whofor the joy that was/a beforehim, enduredthe Croft, de- fpifrng thefbame,and iefet doWn at theright handof God,Heb. 12.2. This leads us to the next. z. HAving (hewed youhow the Croft ,atfa$eredby Chrift, doth crucifie the world, we are next to thew you,how that fame Crofs as Believed inand canfidereddoth Crucifie it to us. They that look only to the Merit of the Crofs, and over-look the Obje&ive tareof it to the foul, do deceive themfelves, and de- prive themfelves of the full efficacyof it ; and deal like a foolifh patient, that chinketb to becured by commending the Medicine, or by believing thatit bath verre to cure bis difeafe ; when in the mean time he lets it lie by him in the box, and never taketh ir,or applyeth itto himfelf. The Believing Meditation ofthe Crofs of Chrift, loth give the world thefe deadly wounds. i. It
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