SERM. All that now remains, is to draw fome useful inLXVII. ferences from what hath been difcourfed, concern

ing this great and difficult duty of felf-denial for the fake of CHRIST and his religion; and they fhall be thefe following.

I. To acknowledge the great goodness of GOD to us, that all these laws and commands, even the hardest and severest of them, are so reasonable.

GOD, as he is our maker, and gave us our beings, hath an entire and fovereign right over us, and by virtue of that right, might have impofed very hard things upon us, and this without the giving account to us of any of his matters, and without propounding any reward to us, fo vaftly difproportionable to our obedience to him. But in giving laws to us, he hath not made ufe of this right. The moft fevere and rigorous commands of the gospel are fuch, that we fhall be infinitely gainers by our obedience to them. If we deny our felves any thing in this world for CHRIST and his religion, we fhall in the next, be confidered for it to the utmoft, not only far beyond what it can deserve, but beyond what we can conceive or imagine; for this perifhing life, and the tranfitory trifles and enjoyments of it, we fhall receive a kingdom which cannot be fhaken, an in"corruptible crown which fadeth not away, eternal "in the heavens." For thefe are faithful fayings, and we fhall infallibly find them true, "if that we "fuffer with CHRIST, we fhall also reign with him;

if we be perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake, great "fhall be our reward in heaven;" if we part with our temporal life, we fhall be made partakers of eternal life. He that is firmly perfuaded of the happinefs of the next world, and believes "the glory which fhall then be revealed," hath no reafon to be fo

much

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much offended at the fufferings of this prefent time, SER M. fo long as he knows and believes, that "these light, "afflictions, which are but for a moment, will work "for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight "of glory."

II. Seeing this is required of every Christian, to be always in a preparation and difpofition of mind to deny ourselves, and to take up our crofs; if we do in good earneft refolve to be Chriftians, we ought to fit down and confider well with ourselves, what our religion will coft us, and whether we be content to come up to the price of it. If we value any thing in this world above CHRIST and his truth, "we are "not worthy of him." If it come to this, that we muft either renounce him and his religion, or quit our temporal interefts; if we be not ready to forego these, nay, and to part even with life itself, rather than to forfake him and his truth; "we are not

worthy of him." Thefe are the terms of our christianity, and therefore we are required in baptism folemnly to renounce the world: and our SAVIOUR, from this very confideration, infers, that all who take upon them the profeffion of his religion, should confider seriously beforehand, and count the cost of it, Luke xiv. 28. "Which of you (fays he) intending to build a tower, fitteth not down firft, and "counteth the coft, whether he have fufficient to "finish it? Or what king going to war with another

king, doth not fit down and confult, whether with "ten thoufand he be able to meet him that cometh "against him with twenty thousand? So likewife, "whofoever he be that forfaketh not all he hath, cannot be my difciple." You fee the terms upon which we are Chriftians; we must always be prepared in the refolution of our minds to deny ourVOL. V. felves,

L

SERM. felves, and take up our cross, though we are not LXVII. actually put upon this trial.

III. What hath been faid is matter of great comfort and encouragement to all those who deny themfelves, and fuffer upon fo good an account: of whom, God knows, there are too great a number at this day, in feveral parts of the world; fome under actual fufferings, fuch as cannot but move compaffion and horror in all that hear of them; others who are fled hither, and into other countries, for refuge and shelter from one of the sharpest perfecutions that perhaps ever was, if all the circumstances of it be duly confidered. But not to enlarge upon fo unpleasant a theme, they who fuffer for the truth and righteoufnefs fake, have all the comfort and encouragement, that the best example, and the greatest and most glorious promifes of GoD can give. They have the best example in their view, "JESUS, the "author and finisher of their faith, who endured "the crofs, and defpifed the fhame." So that how great and terrible foever their fufferings be, they do but tread in the steps of the Son of GOD, and of the best and holiest man that ever was; and he, who is their great example in fuffering, will likewife be their fupport, and "their exceeding great reward."

So that though fuffering for CHRIST be accounted great felf-denial, and he is graciously pleafed fo to accept it, becaufe in denying things prefent- and fenfible, for things future and invifible, we do not only declare our affection to him, but our great faith and confidence in him, by fhewing that we rely upon his word, and venture all upon the fecurity which he offers us in another world; yet according to a right eftimate of things, and to thofe who walk by faith and not by fight," this which

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we call felf-denial, is, in truth and reality, but a SERM. more commendable fort of felf-love, because we do, herein most effectually confult, and fecure, and advance our own happiness.

IV. And lastly, fince God hath been pleafed for fo long a time to excufe us from this hardest part of felf-denial, let us not grudge to deny ourselves in leffer matters, for the fake of his truth and religion; to mifs a good place, or to quit it upon that account; much lefs let us think much to renounce our vices, and to thwart our evil inclinations for his fake. As Naaman's fervant faid to him, concerning the means prescribed by the prophet for his cure, "if he had bid thee do fome great thing, wouldeft "thou not have done it? How much more, when "he hath only faid, wafh and be clean?" So fince GOD impofeth no harder terms upon us, than repentance and reformation of our lives, we fhould readily and thankfully fubmit to them.

.

This, I know, is difficult to fome, to "mortify "their earthly members," to "crucify the flesh, "with the affections and lufts of it;" 'tis like cutting off a right hand, and plucking out a right

eye." Some are so strongly addicted to their lufts and vices, that they could with more ease despise life in many cases, than thus deny themselves. But in truth, there is no more of felf-denial in it, than a man denies himfelf when he is mortally fick and wounded, in being content to be cured, and willing to be well. This is not at all to our temporal prejudice and inconvenience, and it directly conduceth to our eternal happinefs; for there is no man that lives a holy and virtuous life, and in obedience to the laws of GOD, that can lightly receive any prejudice by it in this world. Since GoD doth not call

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SERM. us to fuffer, we should do fo much the more for him. Since he doth not put us to testify our love to him, by laying down our lives for him, we should fhew it by a greater care to keep his commandments

1

God was pleafed to exercise the firft Chriftians with great fufferings, and to try their love and conftancy to him and his truth, in a very extraordinary manner, by feverity and contempt, by "the spoiling "of their goods," and "the lofs of all things; by "bonds and imprisonments; by cruel mockings and "fcourgings;" by the extremity of torments, and by "refifting even unto blood; by being killed for "his fake all the day long, and appointed as fheep "for the flaughter." GOD was pleased to make their way to heaven very fharp and painful, and to hedge it in," as it were, "with thorns on every "fide," fo that they could not, but "through .. many tribulations, enter into the kingdom of

"heaven."

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Thus we ought all to be in readiness and refolution to submit to this duty, if GOD fhould think fit at any time of our lives to call us to it. But if he be pleafed to excufe us from it, and " to let this cup pass from us," (which may lawfully be our earnest prayer to GOD, fince we have fo good a pattern for it) there will be another duty incumbent upon us, which will take up the whole man, and the whole time of our life, and that is " to ferve "him without fear, in holiness and righteousness "before him all the days of our lives."

SER