Book II. of J t S U S C H R I S T. 115'

lent Averfiorts to, as Cnriftians we contentedly em- brace, and :ue e:t tirely latished with.
When thcrefc e we fee! in our Selves, or obferve in Others, a Zeal fc pawe: fu \, fo noble, as, not only to bear, but even tv iove r^nd leiight: in the Crofs ; When we vanquifli and bring it.jo abfolnte Subjedion thefe Bodies, and ch;ir A^ pet.ces, by a long painful Courfe of rigorous anr* voiantary Severities ; When we induftrioufly avoid Honours and Wealth , bear Injuries and Infamy contentedly • defpife our felves, and even delight to be defpifed by others ,• When we entertain the fharpeft Misfortunes with Conflancy and Temper, and are fo perfedly dead to the World, as no longer fo much as to defire thofe Enjoymxnts and Advantages, which recommend and fweeten Life to Mai kind ; do not fuppofe that thi^ is the Work, or falls within the Compafs of Man : For they who de- pend upon their Natural Powers, or their own m.oft exquifite Philofophy, can never rife fo high, nor thus abftrad their Minds from Matter and Senfe. No Principle, but that of Holy Truft and Faith in God, is capable of fuch Divine Operations. This Strength and Refolution comes from Heaven; -No Force lefs than Almighty can beat down the Flcfh, the World, and the Devil under our Feet ,• None de- Feat and fet us above the Horrors and Affaults of his Malice and Temptations, lefs than His, who van- quifh'd this old Serpent upon the Crofs, and by fo do- ing, fand:ified our Crofs co us too.
Call up then all thy Powers of Reafon and Religion. Remember whom thou haft engaged to follow, and with all the Refolute Fidelity due to thy Vows and Obedience, fet thy fclf manfully to take up his Crofs, who fubmitted to die upon a Crofs for thy Silva^iom Prepare and difpofe thy Henrt, that no Aiiiidionniay over-bear thee by furprize ; bur conli^^ering what in- finite Variety of Troubles hem thee in, and wait ':hee
every
ii6 £)f tint gimitatton Book IL
every-vvhere, let none have the Advantage of finding thee unprovided. Were there a poffibiHty of efcaping, we might then he allowed to contrive Methods of declining our Miferies; but fince they cannot be (hift- ed off, the only Remedy they have left againft themj is Readinefs to fufFer. Confider it is thy Lord's Cup, and that he drUnk the very bictercft Dregs of it ; con* fider it is he who gives it;, and that. he therefore gives it^that thou may'ft be partaker of his SufFerings^ in or- der to be made a more Worthy Partaker of his Glories. Liike xx'il ^^^ ^^^^> ^^ ^^^ ftrengthened in his A-
gontes by an Angel fent from Above ; nor (halt thou want Supports proper for thy Conditi- on. But what thefe are, or in what Meafurcs fit to be imparted, our Lord himfelf knows beft f and to his Wife Difpofil we muft leave it. But all we have to do our felves, is to fecure an Humble and Patient Di- fpofition. And this we fliould find lefs difficulty in^ would we but follow the Pattern our Jefus hath left,of H b xii enduring the Crofsy and dej fifing the ShamCy
for the Glory fet before him. And what can recommend our Suffering, what confirm our Patience I Cor iv niore than to confider, that thefe light Jffli-- clio77Sy -ivhich are but fur a Moment yfljall work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory ? That Glory, in comparifon of which they are not wor- thy fo much as to be named j a Glory fo exceeding, that if all the Tribulations incident to all Mankind were heaped upon one fingle Perfon, yet even fo the Recompence is infinitely above what fuch a Suffering could pretend to deferve ; and Heaven would be cheap and wiiely bought, even at this vafl Expence.
Efteem thy feifthen happy indeed, when thou canft even enjoy thy Sorrows,and find a fenfible Satisfadioa in fufifering for Chrift j for this is in a manner to at- tain Heaven upon Earth : A Happinefs, which no Man can ever arrive at, fo long as Adverfities bring
Pain^