poffeffion of it is the ultimate end at which you afpire, fo that you do not heartily, and with affection, look any further, it is ufurping its Crea tor's throne; and therefore down with the idol, and tread it in the duft.

Is not this the great queftion with regard to us all, Whether the objects of faith, or of sense, things present or things to come, God or the world, has the poffeffion of our hearts? A believer who will thankfully receive and use the bleffings of a prefent world for their proper end, will notwithstanding hold it, and all its poffeffions, in the higheft degree of contempt, when compared with the one thing needful. He will fay, from the bottom of his heart, in the presence of an all-feeing God, Lord, let me never have 'my portion in this world only. The glory of 'a throne, the most inexhaustible mines of gold and filver, without thy favour, I would not only defpife, but abhor.'

Whence arises this difpofition in the believer? From a conviction of the unfatisfying nature of all earthly enjoyments; from an inward perfuafion of this truth, That "the world, in its best "ftate, is altogether vanity;" from a fenfe of the infinite difproportion between the poffeffion of the creature, and the favour of the Creator; but, above all, from a deep and abiding conviction of the precariousness and uncertainty of all earthly things. However undeniable it is, that the fashion of this world paffeth away, few there are who live under the ftrong and lively practical impreffion of it. The deceived hearts

of

How well are

of finners believe the contrary. they defcribed by the Pfalmift, Pfal. xlix. 11. 12. 13. "Their inward thought is, that their "houfes fhall continue for ever, and their dwell66 ing-places to all generations; they call "their lands after their own names. Never"theless, man being in honour, abideth not: he "is like the beafts that perish. This their way is "their folly; yet their pofterity approve of their "fayings !" One would think, nothing more fhould be neceffary to crucify the world, than to reflect upon the many defcriptions given us in the word of God of its uncertain duration : Pfal.

xxxvii. 35. 36. "I have seen the wicked in "great power; and spreading himfelf like a

green bay-tree. Yet he paffed away, and lo, "he was not: yea, I fought him, but he could "not be found." If. xl. 6. "And the voice faid, "Cry. And he said, What fhall I cry? All flesh "is grafs, and all the goodliness thereof is as the "flower of the field." I fhall only add our Lord's defcription of the fudden call of a worldly man to death and judgement: Luke xii. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. “And he spake a parable unto them, "faying, The ground of a certain rich man "brought forth plentifully. And he thought "within himself, faying, What.fhall I do, be"cause I have no room where to beftow my "fruits? And he faid, This will I do: I will "pull down my barns, and build greater; and "there will I beftow all my fruits, and my goods. "And I will fay to my foul, Soul, thou haft

"much

"much goods laid up for many years; take "thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But "God faid unto him, Thou fool, this night thy "foul fhall be required of thee: then whofe "fhall those things be which thou haft provided? "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and "is not rich towards God."

3. The world muft be crucified, as it pretends to be necessary to our felicity. This is chiefly directed against those who love the world to excefs, though at the fame time they at least pretend to love God more. They seem to have chofen God as their fupreme; but it does not appear, that they have chofen him as their fufficient portion. The world still bulks fo much in their eye, that they know no happiness or com-fort of which it makes not a part. They fee, or think they fee, the infufficiency of the world, without the favour of God, as a refuge when the world fails; but they can no more reft fatisfied in God without the world, than in the world without God. I have no doubt, you will be fenfible there are many amongst us in this condition: nay, I am afraid there will be not a few within themselves fecretly juftifying this character and conduct. They will fay, Is it poffible

to deny, that the world is necessary to us while 'we continue here? is it not fo to you as well as to us? and therefore why should it not be regarded in this light?'

To all fuch I anfwer, The world, in a certain proportion, is indeed neceffary to us; but this proportion is not to be afcertained by us.

It

must

must be left to the difpofal of infinite wisdom, without any conditions. When there is a divorce or feparation between the believer and the world, it is entire and complete, without referve or limitation. He gives up all as the object of carnal affection, that he may receive again, for a nobler purpose, that measure which feems ne ceffary to the fanctified will of God. He is just in the fituation of a man who, having contracted obligations which he is unable to discharge, has furrendered his all into the hands of another; and has no further ufe of what was formerly his own, than as much, or as long as the new proprietor fhall think fit. I know no image that more properly represents the condition of the believer; with this difference, that in human affairs the change is usually for the worfe; but in fpiritual things, the renunciation is an infinite advantage, and the feeming lofs an unfpeakable gain.

Think not, my brethren, that this is carrying matters to excefs. It is what our Saviour' expressly requires of all that would embrace his doctrine: Luke ix. 23. "And he said unto them "all, If any man will come after me, let him "deny himfelf, and take up his cross daily, and "follow me." It is indeed one of the hard fayings of the gospel. You have heard it fometimes faid, that every Chriftian must be a martyr in refolution; and doubtlefs the world is not thoroughly crucified, unless our attachment to every worldly enjoyment, without exception, be fo broken, that we are ready to refign it whenever God, in his providence, fhall fee

fit

fit to demand it. We have an excellent leffon to this purpose, in the trial to which our Saviour put the young man in the gospel, with a decent and regular profeffion: Matth. xix. 21. 22. "Jefus faid unto him, If thou wilt be per"fect, go and fell that thou haft, and give it to "the poor, and thou shalt have treafure in "heaven: and come and follow me. But when "the young man heard that saying, he went a"way forrowful; for he had great poffeffions." To crucify the world, then, is to count no worldly enjoyment whatever neceffary, either to our present comfort, or everlasting happiness, but to put an abfolute and unfhaken confidence. in the wisdom and goodness of a reconciled God. This is excellently expreffed by the prophet Habakkuk, ch. iii. 17. 18. " Although the fig-tree "shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the "vines, the labour of the olives fhall fail, and the "fields fhall yield no meat, the flock shall be "cut off from the fold, and there fhall be no "herd in the ftalls: yet I will rejoice in the "Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation."

4. In the last place, The world must be cru. cified, as it is a feparate and independent good, without its due relation to God. God himself alone is independent. All other things stand in an infeparable relation to him, and fhould be ufed in fubferviency to his honour: "For of him, "and through him, and to him, are all things." Every rational creature, who continues in, or returns to his duty, difcerns this relation, and maintains this fubferviency. It was the firft idolatry and facrilege, to break the ties that join

the