s. To bear Contempt patiently, 2 Cor.

xii. 1o.

II. MOTIVES to be meek and lovely. Cons
Lider,
1.' The Majesty of GOD, 1 Pet. V. 6.
1. The Excellency of Humility.

1. GOD dwells with the Humble, tras
2. Accepts of us for it, Psal. li: 17.
g. It is our Wirdom, Prov. xi. 2.
4. It is the Ornament of the Soul, 1 Peti

lvii. 18.

3. The Promises made to it; as,
1. GOD will respect the humble, Isa. Ixti, 2.

give them Grace, S. Jam. iv. 6.
3.

exalt them, i Pet. V. 6.
give them all good Things, Prova

xxii. 4•

5. There is nothing that we have, that we

can be proud of, but we have cause to be bumble for aú Things.

Ka

S. Matt.

1

S. MATT. xvi. 24.
Then said Jesus unto his Disciples, if

any Man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his Cross
and follow me.

THERE are these three Conditions requir'd

that will be Christ's true and faithful Disciples ; 1, That they be ready to deny themselves.

to take up their Crofs. 3.

and to follow Christ in all Things that He hath prefcrib'd to them by His Example or Commands, or does require of them.

2.

I

1. DOCTRINE.
Every true Disciple of Christ 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 our-
selves' what He denies us; nor allow
ourselves in any known Sin, Psal. xviii.

23. Tho',
1. Never so pleasant.

profitable.
2. To turn from ourselves to GOD, Zach.i.3.

Seipsum fibi homo abneget, & totus mu

tetur. Ambrof. 1. In denying our own Wills, if they in

2,

cline us,

1. Not to do what GOD commands us,

Gal. i. 16. 2. Nor to suffer what He lays upon us;

Luk. xxii. 42. 1 Sam. iii. 18. 2. In denying our Affections, when they are

inconsistent with our Christian Duty;

such as are, 1. Self-Love. We naturally love ourselves,

but should spiritually love GOD, and

that chiefly and above all Things. 2. Foy. We must deny Foy in ourselves, in

Sin, or any other Thing but GOD. 3. Hope. We must not suffer our Hope

. to rest in any but GOD. 4. Desires. Nothing must come in Competi

tion with GOD in our Desires. No Interests or Enjoyments in the World whatsoever, Pfal.Ixxiii

. 25. Phil. iii.8. 1. Not Estate, Prov. iii. 9. 2. Not Credit or Honour, Matt. V. II. 3. Not Relations, Matt. X. 37. 4. Not Liberty: 5. Not Health, 6. Not Life, Luk. xiv. 26.

7. Much less our Lusts 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 fer are there in the World, that follow Christ aright, Luk, xii. 32.

K 3

2. How

2, 3.

2. How hard a thing is it so to do?

3. Wherefore, endeavour to deny yourselves, by considering, ļ. That Christ deny'd Himself for

you,

Pbil.
ii. 6, 7, 8. Hebr. xii.
2. Unless you deny yourselves, Christ will

deny you, Matt. X. 33.
9. It is only by denying yourselves, that

you manifest yourselves to be Christ's

Disciples.
4. Deny yourselves for Christ here, and you

will find yourselves with Christ bere

after. Wherefore, manifest your Self-denial.

!: In Leaving your former Sins, tho never sa delightful, or advantageous to you in the of the World.

2. In Liying above yourselves, not your Eftates, but sins, not your Conditions, but Corru. ptions.

II. DOCTRINE.

Whosoever will be Chriff's Disciple, must take up
His Cross.
1. What are we to understand by Crofs ?
1. Literally, the Cross of Christ, which con-

sisted of an erect piece
into the Ground,
going athwart tor
and another pis
and standing
fix'd in

in the way

Selugu

2. W

1. Inward ; as,
1. Parting with our dearest Corruptions,

S. Matt. xix, 27.
2. Subjection to Christ'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. s. S. 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 Christ. 1. That we suffer in the way of well

doing. 2. That we suffer for our well-doing in that

way, it is not enough that we be doing well when we suffer, but we must therefore suffer because we are doing well, otherwise our Cross is not Christ's Cross, because not put upon our Shoul

ders for His sake, i 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 Alictions,

2 Cor. xi. 33. 2. Positively, To be willing to bear whatsoever is laid upon us for Christ's fake; not to think much to suffer for Him, who thought not much to die for us. An Horfe fuftinet, Jed non suscipit onus. And there

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are