"fail, they may receive you into everlafting ha"bitations." See alfo the account of his procedure at the great day, Matth. xxv. 34.-36. "Then fhall the King say unto them on his right "hand, Come, ye bleffed of my Father, inherit "the kingdom prepared for you from the foun"dation of the world. For I was an hungred, "and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye "gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took "me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was fick, "and ye vifited me: I was in prison, and ye

came unto me."

4. It does not imply that we ought to retire from the employment or bufinefs of the world altogether. Though there is a manifeft danger in being too much involved in business, as well as too much devoted to pleasure; it is an error, on the other hand, to place religion in voluntary poverty, in monkifh aufterity, or uncommanded maceration of the body. This is not doing, but deferting our duty: it is not crucifying the world, but going out of it; it is not overcoming the world, but flying from it.

But let us now confider, directly and pofitively, what is implied in the world's being crucified to us, and we to the world. And that the af ter illuftrations may be at once more intelligible and more convincing, it will not be improper to begin by faying, in general, that we must be crucified to the world in thofe refpects in which man, at his fist apostasy, fell away to the world from God. While man continued in innocence, the world, which in itself is without ftain, was

never put to any but a facred ufe. It was then a theatre of divine glory, as indeed it is fill; but not a scene of human guilt, as it is now. It was intended for a place of trial, however, in which man was left to the freedom of his own will; and therefore it was capable of being ab ufed. Thence came that facrilegious attachment to the world, from which it is fo much our intereft to be effectually delivered. But to explain this matter a little more at large, the world must be crucified to the believer in the following refpects; which, though I confess they all come at last to the fame thing, yet I think it is proper and neceffary to mention diftinctly.

1. As it is the fubject and occafion of, or a temptation to fin. It is very plain, that however faultlefs and excellent the whole works of nature and providence are in themfelves, from the corruption of our nature they become the food of carnal affection, the fuel of concupifcence. The very liberality of Providence, and rich provifion made for the fupply of our wants and the gratification of our appetites, becomes a temp. tation to grofs fenfuality, and criminal indul. gence. This is well defcribed by the apoftle John, 1 Ep.ii. 16. "For all that is in the world, "the luft of the flesh, and the luft of the eyes,

"and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but "is of the world." In this view, we ought to hold it in the utmost abhorrence. But how is this to be done? By feriously confidering the unhappy and powerful influence it hath in foliciting us to evil. Inftead of being taken with its charms,

S 2

charms, we ought to dread their force, we ought to be sensible how unequal we are to the conflict, and how unable, without fuperior ftrength, to keep ourselves from its pollution.

When we see perfons in honour and power, and are tempted to envy their diftinguished rank in life, we ought to confider how naturally exaltation tends to intoxicate the mind, how few are able to bear honour or reputation with humility, and how little reafon we have to con. fide in our own steadiness and refolution. When we fee the fplendor of a rich and affluent state, we ought to confider the ftrong temptation which commonly arifes from riches, to contempt of God, oppreffion of others, fenfuality of temper, and forgetfulness of eternity. Suffer me, on this fubject, to make every man his own re. prover. How few are there in a rich and affluent ftate, whofe conduct in the application of riches you can wholly approve! Are you not conftantly blaming them for covetoufnefs and oppreffion on the one hand, or prodigality on the other? How is it, then, that you entertain no fufpicion that you yourselves would be led aftray by the fame means? Is not this a strange infatuation, and blindness to divine truth, even where every word of the Spirit of God is ratified by daily experience?

When we fee and are tempted to envy the vo taries of pleasure, those who live delicately and fare fumptuously every day, we ought to confider, what a dangerous infnaring thing appetite is, how it fteals upon men infenfibly, and at

laft

last inflaves them abfolutely; how hard it is for the most cautious to fet proper bounds to it,. as well as how dreadful and fatal the exceffive indulgence of it.

To crucify the world, then,,

as a temptation to fin, is not to confider its charms by themselves, but always in connection with their probable effects. This feems to have suggested the wife and well-conceived prayer of the prophet Agur, Prov. xxx. 7, 8. 9. "Two things have I required of thee, deny me them "not before I die. Remove far from me vanity "and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches, "feed me with food convenient for me: left I: "be full, and deny thee, and fay, Who is the "Lord? or left I be poor, and steal, and take the "name of my God in vain.” On the same thing is founded the advice of Solomon, with regard to the fin of fenfuality: Prov. xxiii. 31. "Look

not thou upon the wine when it is red, when "it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth " itself aright."

3

2. The world must be crucified to the believer, as it would be his fupreme felicity and chief good. This is no otherwise to be distinguished from the former confideration, than as the general courfe and ftream of our affections differs. from particular acts of tranfgreffion. It is very neceffary, however, to attend to it; for there are many under the habitual government of a worldly mind, who do not think themfelves, and who perhaps are not justly chargeable with grofs acts of irregularity and excefs. I bleed inwardly to think, how many of the ordinary profeffors S.3.

ofi

of religion are here included. How many are there, who, if confèience would be faithful, muft confefs, that the favour of God, his worship, his fabbaths, his people, are not their fupreme delight! Yet that this is effential to real religion, or rather is the fubftance of all true religion, I think we have repeated affurances in the holy fcriptures. It is plain from the language of the Pfalmift, Pfal. lxxiii. 25. “Whom "have I in heaven but thee? and there is none

upon earth that I defire befides thee." It is plain from the fum of the moral law, Luke x. 27. "Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with "all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with "all thy ftrength, and with all thy mind; and "thy neighbour as thyfelf;" as alfo from that trying paffage, Matth. x. 37. "He that loveth "father or mother more than me, is not wor

thy of me; and he that loveth fon or daughter "more than me, is not worthy of me."

Take heed then, my brethren, to this important truth. If the world would keep its distance, fo to speak, it might be esteemed, and ufed, in its proper place, and to its proper end; but if it will needs pretend to be what it is not, and to promife what it cannot give, we must take it for a deceiver, and hold it in deteftation. Your Maker formed you for his own glory: He muft be the reft and confolation of your fouls, or they never fhall have reft; he must be their happinefs, or they fhall be miferable for ever. But if the world would feem to be your home, if it promifeth you content and fatisfaction, if the

poffeffion