By the Croft of Chrifi. i 49 Direll. a. Bferve and Pra`tife the Direction intimated i in the Text. It is the Croft of Chrift that muff Crucifie the world topa. Its thither therefore that you muff re- pair for help. An Infidel may fetch fuch weapons fronireafon and experience as (ball wound the world, and diminifh his efteem of it, and make it lefs delightful to him : But it is only the Crofs of Chrift that can furnifh us with thofe weapons that muff pierce it to the very heart. Or if the Unbeliever we,re deprived of all earthly delight, and brought intodefpair of ever receiving more comfort from the world (as it is with mane of them in force ex- tremity, and withall at death) yet he himfelf is not Crucified to theworld : Though his delight in it be gone, yet his love to it is not gone : Though he be out of Hope of ever having content in it,-ye.-lis defires after it are the fame If he call it v nity and vexation, as-the Believer Both, it is becaufe it denyeth hire his delires : Not becaufe betakes it heartily for anEnemy, but for an unkind Lover, that deakèth hardly withhim that bath given it his heart. If he look upon it as Dead, and unable to help him , yet Both he behold it as the darkaife of a friend, with grief and lamentation. It is his great/eft trouble that the world cannot give him that which he woul have': And therefore he is trying what it will do for him a's long as he bath any hope : As the poor Infants in Ireland lad fucking at the breaftsof the corpfe of their mothers, when the IrifhPapifts had flain them : fo will thefe poor worldlings Rill hang upon the world , even when they find that it cannot help them ; and when it will fcarce afford them a miferable life ; but with much labour and fuffering they hardly get a little food and cloathing. So that their affeâtions are fall alive to the world, even when to.their forrow they look on-the world as dead, or almoft dead to them. But the Crofs,of Chrift will teach you to Crucifie the world in another mander. As Chrift did volunta > contemn it, and firevit' that he let fo Lute by it, that he could be content tobe the mnft. defpicable Object upon earth in the eyes of men; fo will he teach you allo voluntarily to contemn it ; and fetup your (elves as the Butt, which all the arrows of malice and defpíght fhall be (lunar. So that though you have naturally a defire of the pre- U 3 fervation
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