By the Croft ofChrift. 15I fee the fruits of worldly love. If you fee a man that bath furfeit- ed on unwholfom fruits, lie groaning, and gafping,and trembling in pain, and at Taft muff die for it , you will take heed of filch a furfeit your felves. It was we that took a furfeit of the creature , and the Lord that law there was no otherremedy to Cave our lives , did by a Miracle of mercy and wifdom derive upon him- fell the pain and trouble,and groaned, and fweat, and bled, and dyed for our Recovery. And will you feed and furfeit againup- on the creature ? Look up to that Crofs of Chrift and fee the enmity of the world unto your Head : And will you take it for your friend ? See how it ufed him : and will you expert that it fhould deal contrarily with you ? Did it hanghim upamong Malefatiors and will it fee you on a throne, ordandle you in its lap ? Did it pierce his fide, and-will it heal, your wounds ? Did it reach him Gall and Vinegar, and will it reach you milk and honey ? If it do, yet truft it not : For the milk is but to prepare you for that fleep, inwhich it may defiroy you without refiftance ; for you muff next expec the hammer and the nail, as yael ufed S,fera, 2sdg.4.19,2r There is not fo clear aglafs in all the world, in whichyou may fee the world in its jolt complexion and proportion as the Crofs of Chrift, There you may fee what its worth and how to be efteemed, by the eftimate of one that never was deceived by it but had a perfect knowledge of itsufe andvalue. When you have fo longbeheld that Crofs by faith , as that youcan be con- tented to be hanged between heaven and earth, and become the moft forlorn and defpicable creature in the eyes of men, and to be fiript of all the comforts of life, and life it fell for the fake of Chrift ,_and for the Invifible Kingdom which by his Crofs was purchafed for you ; then are you throughlyCrucified to the world and the world to youby the Croft of Chrift. 1?iref,?.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=