Book 11. of J E S U S C H R I S T. Ill

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and his /^ngeh. Ah I how abfurd, how fenfelefs is it, not to harden our felves at prefent, and chearfally embrace a Command^ which, tho* attended with (bme fhort Uneafinefs now, fhould yet be welcome to us, becaufe it will give us Boldnefs in the Great Day of Tryal ; and, by impofing fome fliort and very tolerable Pains, be our Security againft Torments infupportable and eternal ? For when our Lord fhall come to judge the World with terrible Pomp, the Crofs (ball be difplay- ed and lifted high in Heaven : This thing now fo much abhorred, fo full of Shame, (hall then be a Banner of Triumph ,• and they who have fought un- der it here, and followed the Crucified Captain of their Salvation, in a Life of Humility and Sufferings, ihall flock to it as their proper Standard, and enter with their Glorious Leader into his Joy and Kingdom.
Why fhould we then boggle at that Crofs, which leads diredly to a Crown ? Why thus obftrud our Happinefs, by refufing that which heals our Spiritual Infirmities, guards us againft our worft Enemies, fills us with heavenly Comforts, brightens our Virtues, and fupports us with affured Hopes of unconceivable and everlafting Blifs ? Remember thy great Mafter and Example, bearing his Crofs, dying upon his Crofs, that thou hereafter niighteft not difdain to bear it for thine own Advantage, when he for thy fake hath born it before thee. For if 'we dye with him^ ive JhaU alfo li've with him ^ if 'we fuffer with hiWy we Jhall alfo reign with him ; but if we deny him^ L^T' •"*' and are afhamed of his Punifhment, he will Mo denj-^md he^fljamed of usy and fbut US out of his Glory.^
Confider that thy All depends upon Suffering and Dy- ing. This is the Sum of thy Duty, this the Source of thy Happinefs. God hath ordained no other way of bring- 4^ ing us to himfelf, except that one of dying dai- -^
Jj^ and crucifying the Flepo with its Aff'ethons ^^^'^' ^^
and
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IIX
M tfte imitation Bookii.
and Lufis. In this all the Difpenfations of Providence confpire ; For, what courfe foever you take, which way foever you turn, how prudently foever you con- trive, the Crofs is fare to meet you every where. And that which, willingly embraced , would prove your Safety and Virtue, is fure to be your Portion, whether you will or not. Bodily Sicknefs and Pain, DifappoiptmentS' and Loffes in your Fortunes, An- gaifli and Perplexity of Heart, Difcomfort and Defer- tions from God ^ injuries and Provocations from Men, and, which 'is.i^vorfe than all, Difpleafure and Dif- content at your felf ^ One or more of thefe will be perpetually exercifing your Patience ,• and, fo long 25 God fees fit tq:continue you in this State of Mor- tality and Difcipline, 'tis vain to hope you fliall be exempted, from thfcm.
r For God, in His great Wifdom and Goodnefs, ap- points us to Tribulation ; and damps, or withdraws our prefent Comforts, that we may learn to love and value him and Heaven the more, to acknowledge our Dependance upon his Bounty, be made fepfible of our own Impotence, and grow wifer and more hum- ble by Afflidions. By thefe we are taught to under- itand and value the Sufferings of Chrift, of which we (hould have but a very cold and imperfed Idea, did not our own Experience teach us what it is to fuifer. And the greater Conformity to his Image our Tryals work us up to, the clearer and more affeding fenfe we have of his Infinite Condefcention. Avoid the Crofs then we cannot, becaufe we cannot run away from our felves,..nor ceafe to be Men ^ and therefore what we cannot avoid, we muft make it our Endea- vour patiently to endure, and render that which would otherwife be our Torment, an Inftrument of Virtue here, and of Glory hereafter.
' Now this is IHU in our own Power. For They who fuftain their. Crofs, Ihall like wife be fuftainedby