150 T12ecrucifying of the world, fervation of your lives, and from that may fay, [ Father, if it be thy Wili,let thu copal, from rye ; ] Yet fhall you have a far great- er delire of Plealing,Enjoying, and Glorifying God, which fhall caufe you-froin a comparative Judgement to fay, [ Yet not as I Will; but as than wilt.] Much more (hall you be enabled to de- fpife the unneceffary matters of the world , and to mortifie your inordinate and diftempered affeelions. The Crofs of Chrift will Phew you Reafon ( though fach as theworldly wife call fool - ifhneis) even fuch Reafon as none but a Teacher come from God could have revealed, for the leading up your affeeticns from the world ; and it will point you to the higher things that do deferve them. This Crofs is the truefi Ladder , by which you may attend fromearth to heaven t When in this wildernefs, and as without the gate, you are liftedup with Chrift on the Crofs of worldly defertion and reproach, you are then in thehigheft road to Glo- ry , and if you faint not , thall be lifted up withhim into the throne. For if yam pilfer withhim , ye (ball alfa reign With him , Rom. 8. 17. dnd to him that overcometh he willgrant tofit with him inbis throne, even as heall; overcame, and isfat down with his Father in his throne, Rev. 5. zr. And as the Crofs of Chrift is Teaching, fo alto is it Strength- ning. As the touch of his garment flayed the poor womans iffue of blood, fo will a touch of -Ole Crofs by faith , even dry up the ftream of your inordinate affecctions that have run out after the world fo long. When a worldling mourneth over the Dead world as having loft his chiefeft friend, the- Crofs of Chrift will caufe youto rejoyce over it as a conquered enemy, and to infult over the carkaife of its vain glory and delights. For its one thing to have an angry God by providence to kill the worid.to them , and another thing to-havea gracious Father by his Spirit to Cru- cifie us to the world, and the world to us, by the changing of our eltimation and affections. Set therefore a Crucified Chrift continually before the eye of your fouls. See what he fuffered for your adhering to the crea- ture ; and what it colt him to loofe you from it, and bring up your fouls again to God.Can you (till dote upon the world,& in- tangle your affec`kions in its painted allurements, when you confi- derthat this is the very fin,that killed your Saviour,and which the blood of his heart was £bed to cure ? Look up to that Crofs, and fee
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