S. MATT. xvi. 24.

Then Said Jefus unto his Disciples, if any Man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross and follow me.

T

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

1. That they be ready to deny themselves.

2.

3.

to take up their Crefs. 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 ourfelves 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,

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 must deny Joy in ourselves, in Sin, or any other Thing but G OD. 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. lxxiii. 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 Lufts and Corruptions. 2. Why are we to deny ourselves, if we follow Christ?

I. 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 few are there in the World, that follow Christ aright, Lùk, 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 Himself for

ii. 6, 7, 8. Hebr. xii. 2, 3.

2,3.

you, Phil.

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

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

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

after.

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 Cross? 1. Literally, the Cross of Chrift, which confifted of an erect piece of Wood fastn'd into the Ground, with a Tranfverfe going athwart towards the Top of it, and another piece of Wood faftn'd to, and standing out from That which was fix'd in the Ground; i'role of saugio. Juftin.

Ubi requiefcit qui clavis affigitur. Iren. 2. Metaphorically, Afflictions and Troubles, which are either,

1: Igward;

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. ii. 8.

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

1. That we fuffer in the way of welldoing.

2. That we suffer 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 Cross is not Christ'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. Pofitively.

To be willing to bear whatfoever is laid upon us for Chrift'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

are

are five Qualifications required to our right taking up our Crofs, viz. that we take it up, 1. Willingly, S. Matt. vi. 10.

2. Thankfully and with Chearfulness, Act.

V. 41.

3. Charitably, S. Luk. xxiii. 34. Act. vii. 60. 4. Patiently, Job i. 21.

5. Conftantly, S. Luk. ix. 23. Rev. ii. 10.

V. 41.

3. Why muft Chrift's Difciples bear their Crofs?

1. Because Chrift bore it, Phil. iii. 10. Matt.

X. 23, 24, 25. 2. Because the Way wherein we follow Chrift is a cross Way; Crofs to the World; Crofs to Sin; Crofs to our Lufts; and therefore, He that will follow Christ, muft expect Croffes before they come, and take them when they are come, 2 Tim. iii. 12. Pfal. xxxiv. 19.

3. The Cross is Chrift's School, wherein he trains up His Disciples; teaching them to know,

1. God, Job xlii. 5.

2. The World, 1 Cor. vii. 31.

3. Their Sins, Job xxxvi. 8, 9.

4. Themselves, Dan. iv. 30, 34, &c.

5. The Art of applying Promises, Hebr. xiii. 5, 6.

6.

7.

The Duty of Self-Examination, Lam. iii. 39, 40.

of Self-Humiliation, Job xxxvi. 8, 9, 10. and xlii. 5, 6.

8.

9.

IÓ.

of Submitting unto GOD, Rom. V. 3, 4.

of Believing, Pfal. xxvii. 12, 13. of Defpifing the World, Gal. vi. 14. The