Book IT. of J E s u s C H R I ST. 107

which is a Mark of his Fiavour, who is the Xupr'eme Lord of all : Even Stripes arid Punifhments from h^s Hands fiiould be not only ftibfnitted to with Patience, but received with humble Thanks ; finee- his Rod is intended for our Good^ and no Difpenfation of his Providence is without its profitable and xvife Dellgn. If then thou value the Grace of God, and deilre to keep it, be thankful when he gives j be refigned and patient when he takes avvay • pray fervently and fre- quently for the Returnsof his Favour, and let not thy own Pride or Carelefnefs provoke him to with-
C H A V^'t$^. .WL./: Of Loving Chrift in Affli^ion,
MAny we find poflefs'd with ftrong Defires of Chrift sHeavenlyKingdom^and eager of reign- ing with him there; but few^who are in love with his Crofs, and content to fuffer with him upon Earth. The Graces and fweetConfolations of his Spirit charm and draw us, but Affli When he invites Men to fit down at his Table, the Guefts come crowding in apace, but if he call us after him into the Wildernefs, to Faft and Pray v/ith him, he calls in vain, and goes alone. The Breaking of Bread is what all of us like, but the Drinking of his Bitter Cup we are fhamefully averfe to. We read the Hiftory of his Life, and perufe his Miracles wkh Re- verence and Delight, for thefewere full of Mercy and Relief to wretched Men ; but when he comes to the Tragical Circumftances of his dolorous Pallion, and bitter Death,w€ either (hut our Books, or read the me- lancholy Story with Coldnefs and Indifference: Very
H 4 hardly
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hardly perfwading our felves, that in this t et. 11. 21. ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ i^j-^ ^ ^^ Ex am fie y that we
JhouU follow his Steps. Such W3S the Behaviour, not of the Multitudes only,> but his own Difciples too heretofore, who throng d in to his Hofanna's, and his Preaching ; but when he was apprehended, and treat- ed as a Malefa
johnxvVd ^"^. ^""^^ ^^ ^^^ Behaviour of all thofe Y^' Chriftians ftill, vvho ferve him Cheerful- ly, while Things go well with them, and magnifie his Mercy fo long as they tafte his Goodnefs • but draw back, when AifliAions approach, and, if he hid^ the Brightnefs of his Face, fall into wretched Dejedions and~Defpondency of Mind, and are provoked- to im- patience and Murmuring, and fad Complaints.
Methinks we might find Charms and Engagements many and powerful, which fhould unite our Souls and Affedions to the Blefled Jefus,.ho\r\ what he is in Himfelf, from what he is to Us ; without any refped of our own Private Intereft, and the prefent Advantages we receive from him. This would con- firm and root us fail in Love, and Praife, and Grati- tude j beyond the Power of outward Calamities, or inward Anxieties of Mind, to fhake and divert us. Then fliould we with thofe Holy Men even think it gQod, 'dnd thank God, that we haveL been iO Trouble, and though he ^ouUfiay usy yet fliould we ftiil delight and trufi jn-him. . , ,
O I Could we once but get above this Mercenary Difpofition of propofmg Intereft and Gain in all we do> and iOveour Blefled Lord for his own fake, how noble would' be the Fruits of fo generous a Principle.'' And indeed, how. can we pretend to love iim,- when ws only lovd-our felves; and pay Obedience to his Com- mands, not, out of regard to /j/j Authority ^ndourO- ibligations,.noi: from a Defire to ple,afe him, but purely to promote our own Advantage .? Fpr whexe, among , ' . . the
BQOk II. of J E S U S C H R I S T. 109
the many MilUons who profefs to be Zealous Chrilli- ans,Where is the Man, that would be content to ferve Cod, as his Maker and rightful Lord, bad he no Ex- pedation of Reward from him? Nay,Who almoft is fo fpiritual, fo refined, as that Poverty of Spirit, recbm- inended and Bleffed by our Saviour, requires we fliould be, that is, Refi^n'd as to all Temporal Enjoy- ments, and well Satisfied to perfevere in our Duty, and not to think our Mafter hard, though he (hould even ftrip us bare of all thofe Comforts, which are ufually the Encouragements of Piety and Virtue ? This is a Temper rarely to be met with^ fuch a Generofity and Greatnefs of Spirit, as Crowns and Kingdoms, nay, the whole Eailern VVorld were wifely given in Ex- change for. For this is the peifedion of Love ; a Virtue fo exalted, that no other Part of Religion is to be named with ic. A Mao may bellow ail his Wealth upon the Poor, and be never the better. He maychaftife and mortifte his Flefh and fenfual Appe- tite, with all the Severities of the moft exemplary Pe- hitence, and yet this is but a low and little Excel- lence in comparifon. He may attain to the higheft and cleared j^nowledge in the Myileries of Religion, but ftill he is infinitely fhort. His Virtues may be bright and exemplary, his Devotion fervent and conftanr, his Meditations ravifiiing and divine: All thefe are valu- ble Gifts, but there is Hill one Excellence behind, more valuable, more heceffary than all the reft,* and thatis. Being able^. after having renounced ail the World be- fides, to renounce himlelf for the fake of his Lord; to devote all he is or can do, fo entirely to his Service, as to.b^,_content with every thing ^ to iludy his Will, his Pieafure, his Glory in all things^and toconfult his own in nothing: And, when he hath faithfully and diligent- ly perform'd a*l which he knew it became and was ex- peded from him to do, to efteem all this of no Confi- deration, and account that he hath done nothing.-
. " Others
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Others no doubt will have quite different Notions of him. They will fee and admire^, publifh and extol his Virtues, but ftill their Commendati<>ns, tho' never fo profufe, never fo juft, will not have any Influence up- on his Judgment ; nor tempt him to fwerve one whit from that Opinion, vi^hich Truth it felf hath direded us to in this Cafe, ff'hen je hauedone all thai
^ ^^^^' is commanded juUy fajy We are unfrofitahle Servants, He will not think that Complaint of the Prophet beneath him^ I am poor anddefolate; Pfalmxxv. when yet in truth among Mortal Men none is more wealthy, none more happy, none great- er and more powerful than he, who in a true Chri- ftian Humility thinks himfelf moll helplefs, moft in- firm, moft mifernble. In a word, none more Honou- rable in God's Eyes, than he who is vileft and moft defpicable in his own.
C H A p. XII.
The Reafonahlenefs of taking up our Crofs.
WHen Jefus thus defcribes the Condition of our being owned for his, If any Man iviU be my Difcipley let him deny himfelf, and take ttj) his Matth. xvi. Q^.^j^^^ ^^^ j-^n^^ ^g . ji^^ Generality of
Men are apt to cry out with thofe in the Gofpel upon another Occafion, This is a hard Saying, and joh-a VI. ^j^^ ^^^ hear it ? But oh ! that fuch would
ferioufly confider, how infinitely more terrible and confounding that Sentence will be, which their angry Judge fhall pronounce inThunder atthe laft Day ^ And how thofe Ears, which are too foft and tender to bear This, will then be able to endure, zGoye cur- Matth, XXV. y^^ ^j^^Q ever lading Fire, prepared for the Devil
and