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5. To bear Contempt patiently, 2 Cor.

xii. 10.

II. MOTIVES to be meek and lowly. Con&der,

1. The Majefty of GOD, 1 Pet. v. 6.

1. The Excellency of Humility.

1. GOD dwells with the Humble, t Ivii. IS.

2.

Accepts of us for it, Pfal. li. 17. 3. It is our Wisdom, Prov. xi. 2.

4. It is the Ornament of the Soul, 1 Pet

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iii. 4.

V. S.

the Mother of all Virtues, 1 Pet.

3. The Promises made to it; as,

1. GOD will refpect the humble, så. lxti, 2; give them Grace, S. Jam. iv. 6. exalt them, I Pèt. v. 6.

2.

3.

4.

give them all good Things, Prov.

xxii. 4.

5. There is nothing that we have, that we can be proud of, but we have cause to be humble for all Things.

* 2 S. MATT

S. MATT. xvi. 24.

Then faid Jefus unto his Difciples, if any Man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Crofs and follow me.

T quir'd

HERE are these three Conditions requir'd of those that will be Chrift's true and faithful Difciples;

1. That they be ready to deny themselves.

2.

3.

to take up their Cross. and to follow Chrift in

all Things that He hath prefcrib'd to them by His Example or Commands, or does require of

them.

I. DOCTRINE.

Every true Difciple of Chrift must deny himself. 1. What is it to deny ourselves?

1. Not to indulge ourselves in any thing that stands in Competition with our Duty to GOD; nor to grant ourfelves what He denies us; nor allow ourselves in any known Sin, Pfal. xviii. 23. Tho',

1. Never fo pleasant.

2.

profitable.

2. To turn from ourselves to GOD, Zach. i. 3. Seipfum fibi homo abneget, & totus mutetur. Ambrof.

1. In denying our own Wills, if they in

cline us,

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1. Not to do what GOD commands us,
Gal. i. 16.

2. Nor to fuffer what He lays upon us,
Luk. xxii. 42. 1 Sam. iii. 18.

2. In denying our Affections, when they are
inconfiftent with our Christian Duty;
fuch as are,

1. Self-Love. We naturally love ourselves,
but fhould fpiritually love GOD, and
that chiefly and above all Things.
2. Joy. We muft deny Joy in ourselves, in
Sin, or any other Thing but GOD.
3. Hope. We must not fuffer our Hope
to reft in any but GOD.

4.

Defires. Nothing must come in Competition with GOD in our Defires. No Interefts or Enjoyments in the World whatfoever, Pfal. Ixxiii. 25. Phil. iii.8. 1. Not Estate, Prov. iii. 9.

2. Not Credit or Honour, Matt. v. 11.
3. Not Relations, Matt. x. 37.

4. Not Liberty.

5. Not Health.

6. Not Life, Luk. xiv. 26.

7. Much less our Lufts and Corruptions. 2. Why are we to deny ourselves, if we follow Christ?

1. God hath commanded us.

2. Unless we deny ourselves, we shall deny GOD, Matt. vi. 24.

3. We are not our own, therefore we are not to act according to our own Wills and Humours, 1 Cor. vi, 20.

INFERENCES.

1. How fem are there in the World, that follow Christ aright, Luk, xii. 32.

K 3

2. How

2. How hard a thing is it so to do? 3. Wherefore, endeavour to deny yourselves, by confidering,

1. That Chrift deny'd Himfelf for you, Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8. Hebr. xii. 2, 3.

2. Unless you deny yourselves, Chrift will deny you, Matt. x. 33.

9. It is only by denying yourselves, that you manifeft yourselves to be Chrift's Difciples.

4. Deny yourselves for Chrift here, and you will find yourselves with Chrift hereafter.

Wherefore, manifeft your Self-denial.

1. In Leaving your former Sins, tho' never fo delightful, or advantageous to you in the way of the World.

2. In Living above yourselves, not your Eftates, but Sins, not your Conditions, but Corruptions.

II. DOCTRINE.

Whofoever will be Chrift's Difciple, must take up His Crofs.

1. What are we to understand by Crofs?
1. Literally, the Cross of Chrift, which con-
fifted of an erect piece of Wood faftn'd
into the Ground, with a Tranfverfe
going athwart towards the Top of it,
and another piece of Wood faftn'd to,
and ftanding out from That which was
fix'd in the Ground; i'an of
ἐποχῶνται
saugio. Justin.
Ubi requiefcit qui clavis affigitur. Iren.
2. Metaphorically, Afflictions and Troubles,
which are either,

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1. Inward; as,

1. Parting with our dearest Corruptions, S. Matt. xix. 27.

2. Subjection to Chrift's Commands, S. Matt. xi. 29, 30.

3. Temptations from the Devil, 1 S. Pet. v. 8.

2. Or outward; as,

1. Hatred, S. Matt. x. 22..

2. Reproach, 1 Tim. iv. 10. Ifa. liii. 3, 4 3. Deprivation of temporal Comforts, 2 Cor. vi. 4. and xi. 24, 25, 26, 27. and xii. 10.

4.

Imprisonment, 2 Cor. vi. 5.

5. Scourges, Wracks, Tortures, Hebr. xi.37: 6. Death, Luk. xiv. 26. Phil. ij. 8.

Now there are two Things that make our Croffes to be the Cross of Chrift.

1. That we suffer in the way of well-
doing.
2. That we fuffer for our well-doing in that
way, it is not enough that we be do-
ing well when we fuffer, but we must
therefore fuffer because we are doing
well, otherwise our Crofs is not Chrift's
Crofs, because not put upon our Shoul-
ders for His fake, 1 Pet. ii. 20.

2. What is it to take up our Cross?
1. Negatively.

1. Not to run ourselves into Sufferings. 2. Nor the meer bearing of Afflictions, 2 Cor. xi. 33.

2. Positively.

To be willing to bear whatfoever is laid upon us for Christ's fake; not to think much to fuffer for Him, who thought not much to die for us. An Horfe fuftinet, fed non fufcipit onus. And there K 4

are

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