Serm. XIII. OfSelf -denial, and Suffering for Chrift's Sake. 99 who being Lord of all, had not where to lay his head; who being rich, for our fakes became poor , that we through his poverty might be made rich. If it fhould be our lot to be perfecuted for righteouliaefs fake, and exercifed with Sufferings and Reproaches ; Let us look unto jefi:s the Author and Finer of our Faith, who endured the Croft and defpifed' the Jhame for our fakes. In a Word, can we be difcontented at any Condition, or decline it in a good Caufe; when we confider how Contented the Son of God was, in the meaneft and moft deftitute ; how Meek and Patient in the most afHided and fuffering Condition ; how he welcomed all Events, and was fo perfectly refigned to the Will of his Heavenly Father, that whatever pleafed God, pleafed him ? And furely in no Cafe is Example more neceffary than in this, to engage and encourage us in the difcharge of fo difficult a Duty, fo contrary to the bent and inclination of Flesh and Blood. A bare Precept of Self-denial, and a peremptory Command to facrifice our own Wills, our Eafe, our Pleafure, our Reputation, yea and Life it felf, to the Glory of God, and the Maintenance of his Truth, would have founded very harsh and fevere, had not the Practice of all this been mollified and fweetned by a Pattern of fo much advantage ; by One who in all thefe refpe&s denied himfelf, much more than it is poffible for us to do ; by One who might have infifted upon a greater Right, who abafed himfelf, and ftooped from a greater Height and Dignity ; who was-not forced into a condition of Mean- nefs and Poverty, but chofe it for our fakes ; whofubmitted to Suffering, tho' he had never deferved it. Here is anExample that hath all the Argument, and all the Encdurágementthat can be, to the imitation ofit. Such an Example is of greater force and Authority than any Precept or Law can be ; So that well might our Lord, thus going before us, commandus to fol- low him, and fay, If any man will come after me, let him deny himfelf, and take up bis Croft and follow me. For if He thus denied himfelf, well may We, who have much lefs to deny, but much more Caufe and Reafon to do it. He did it voluntarily, and of choice ; but it is our Duty.. He did it for our fakes we do it for our own. His own Goodnefs moved him to deny himfelf for us; but gra- titude obligeth us to deny our Gives in any thing for him. We did not in the leaft deferve any thing from him ; but he hath wholly merited all this, and in- finitely more from us. So that fuch an Example as this is, in all the Circum- fiancesof it, cannot but be very powerful and effePual to oblige us to the Imita- tionof it. But the Reafonablenefs of this Precept will yet farther appear if we confider in the Third place, That God hath promifed to all Sincere Christians all needful Sup- plies of his Grace, to enable them to the Difchargeof this difficult Duty of Self- denial, and to fupport and comfort them therein. For the Spirit ofChrift dwells in Chriftians, and the fame Glorious Power that raifed up Jefus from the Dead, works mightily in them that believe; Eph. i, 19. That ye may know (faith St. Paul, fpeaking in general to all Chriftians) what is the exceeding greatnef of his Power to us-ward, who believe, according to the working of hit mighty Power which he wrought in (brill, when he raifed him from the Dead. Of our felves we are very weak, and the Temptations and Terrors of the World very powerful; but there is a Principle reading in every true Chriftian, able to bear us up againff the World, and the power of all its Temptations. Whatfo- ever is. horn ofGod (faith St. fohn) overcometh the World ; and this is the vitiory that overcometh the World, even our Faith. Te are ofGod, little children, and have overcome ; becar f greater is he that is inyou, than he that is in the World. And this Grace and Strength was afforded to the firft Chriftians in a moft Ex- traordinary manner, for their Comfort and Support under Sufferings; So that they were flrengthned with all Might, according to God'; glorious Power, untoall long- fufering with joyfulnefs, as St. Paul prays for the Gololffans, Ch. s. a r. And thefe Co folation;r of the Spirit ofGod, this yoy in the Holy Ghofl, was not pe- culiarly appropriated to the first times of Chriflianity ; but is frill afforded to all fìncere Chriftians, in fuch degree as is necelfary, and convenient for them. And whenever God exercifeth Good Men with tryals more than humane, and fuels 0 2 Sufferings
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