a State that requires Humiliation and Suffering; and they rebel against God, if they do not make their Lives conformable to that Mark of divine Displeasure, which Death fignifies.

THUS as the Mortality of our Condition, is a certain Proof that our Life is in Disorder, and unacceptable to God, fo is it allo a Proof, that we ought to refuse Pleafures and Satisfactions, which are the Pleafures of a State of Disorder, and stay for Joy and Delights till we are removed to fuch a State of Perfection, as God will delight to continue to all Eternity.

THE Apoftle tells us that Flef and Blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, must we not therefore be very unreafonable, if we can caft about for Mirth in fuch a Condition, or give up our felves to the vain Pleasures and Indulgences of a Flesh and Blood, which are too corrupt too unholy to enter into the Kingdom of God?

THIS may fuffice to fhew us the Excellency and Reasonableness of our Saviour's Doctrine.

HE faid unto them all, if any Man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his Crofs daily and follow me.

FOR

FOR whosoever will fave his Life, Shall lofe it, and whosoever will lose his Life for my fake, the fame fall fave it.

HERE is a common Condition propos'd to all that would be Chrift's Difciples, they are called to deny themselves, and take up their Crofs daily. To fhew us that this belongs to all Chriftians, the Apostle faith, He faid unto them all; St. Mark hath it thus, And when he had called the People unto him, with his Difciples alfo, he faid unto them.

THE Church of Rome refuses to give the Cup in the Holy Sacrament to the Laity. We reckon it a very good Argument against that Custom, that our Saviour when he delivered the Cup, faid unto them, Drink ye all of this.

Now if it be an Argument that all Chriftians are to receive the Cup, because in the Inftitution of the Sacrament it is faid, Drink ye all of this, is it not as good an Argument that all Chriftians are here called to deny themselves, and take up their Crofs daily, because it is delivered in the fame Manner, He faid unto them all, and again, When he called the People unto him with his Difciples alfo, he said unto

them?

To

To me this Place feems as general a Call to all Chriftians, as Drink ye all of this, is a general Command to all Chriftians.

LET any one try to evade the Obligation of this Text, and he will find, that he muft ufe fuch Arguments, as will equally ferve to get rid of any other Part of Holy Scripture.

IF this Paffage only called the first Difciples of Chrift to an external State of Sufferings, and Perfecutions from other People, it might with fome Pretence be fuppofed only to relate to People, when they are in fuch a Sate of Perfecution.

BUT as it calls them to deny themselves, to take up their Crofs daily, it is plain, that it calls them to a Suffering and Selfdenial, which they were to inflict upon themfelves.

Now if they are called thus to deny themselves, and fubject themselves to a voluntary Crofs in order to be Chrift's Difciples, it will be hard to fhew, that Self-denials are not as lafting Terms of Christianity, as Baptifm and the Lord'sSupper.

WATER-BAPTISM is Neceffary because our Saviour has Inftituted it, and the Reafon for continuing it, is the fame as for obferving it at first. But ftill, it is but an external Rite, or Sacrament, which in its

Own

own Nature hath nothing relating to Holinefs and Purification of the Soul, but has all its Excellency from the Inftitution of Christ.

THIS cannot be faid of these Sort of Sufferings, for they have an internal and effential Relation to Holiness and Purification in the present State of Man.

I SAY in the prefent State of Man, because though thefe Self-denials or Mortifications, are proper only to Man whilst he is in this State of Corruption, yet they are as true Parts of Holiness, and as effential Virtues, as those which will last for ever.

CHARITY to the Poor is founded in the Neceffities and Infirmities of this Life, yet is it as real a Degree of Holiness, and as much to be performed for its own Sake, as that Charity which will never have an End.

IT is the fame in these Self-denials, they only belong to a State of Sin, but whilft fuch a State continues, they are the indifpenfable Duty of Sinners, and as neceffary and acceptable to God as relieving the Poor.

THIS must be allowed, or we muft deny, that there was any real Attonement for Sin in the Sufferings and Death of Chrift; for if there was any real Attonement in the Sufferings of Chrift, if his Sufferings rendered God propitious and re

conciled

conciled to Sinners, it is undeniable, that all who fuffer with the fame Spirit that Chrift fuffered, must in their Degree recommend themselves to the Favour of God, on the fame Account, and for the fame Reasons that the Sufferings of Chrift procured Peace and Reconciliation.

IF Christ the Lord of all, and Head of the Church, is ftill making Interceffion for us at the Right Hand of God, does not this plainly teach us, that we cannot be accepted by God, unless we live in a State of Supplication and Prayer for our selves?

;

AND if he who had no Sin of his own, was obliged to fuch Sufferings to make himself be heard as an Advocate for Sin furely Sinners themselves cannot prefume to fue for their own Pardon, without putting themselves in the like State of Humiliation and Suffering. For fince the Attonement is made by Sufferings, this as truly recommends Sufferings to Sinners, as if it had been made by Prayer, that would have fhewn the Way of Prayer to have been the Way of finding Pardon.

SELF-DENIAL therefore and Sufferings are Duties effential to the prefent State of Sin, and recommend us to God, as Holiness and Purity recommend us, by their own Nature and intrinfick Fitness, that is,

they