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The greatest in itself, in that he denied himself more, and fuffered more grievous things, than it is poffible for any of us to do: and fuch an example as, in the circumftances of it, is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it; because all his self-denial and fufferings were for our fakes.

2. If we confider that he hath promised all needful fupplies of his grace to enable us to the discharge of this difficult duty of felf-denial and fuffering, and to fupport and comfort us therein.

3. He hath affured us of a glorious reward of all our fufferings and self-denial, beyond the proportion of them, both in the degree and duration of it. I fhall go over these as briefly as I can.

1. If we confider, that he who requires us thus to deny ourselves for him, hath given us the greatest example of felf-denial that ever was. Our Saviour knowing how unwelcome this doctrine of felf-denial and fuffering must needs be to his difciples, and how hardly this precept would go down with them; to fweeten it a little, and take off the harshness of it, and to prepare their minds the better for it, he tells them first of his own sufferings, that by that means he might, in fome measure, reconcile their minds to it, when they faw that he required nothing of them, but what he was ready to undergo himself, and to give them the example of it. And upon this occafion it was, that our Saviour acquaints them with the hard and difficult terms upon which they must be his difciples: y 21. the Evangelist tells us, that Jefus began to fhew unto his difciples, how that he must go unto Jerufalem, and fuffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and feribes, and be killed. Then faid Jefus unto his difciples; that is, immediately upon this difcourse of his own fufferings, as the fittest time for it, he takes the opportunity to tell them plainly of their own fufferings; and that unless they were prepared and refolved to deny themselves fo far, as to fuffer all manner of perfecution, for his fake, and the profeffion of his religion, they could not be his difciples. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me; that is, let him reckon and refolve upon following that example of felf-denial and fuffering in

VOL. IV.

which

which I will go before him. Now, the confideration of this example of felf-denial and suffering which our Saviour hath given us, hath great force in it to reconcile us to this difficult duty, and to fhew the reasonableness of it. I. In that he who requires us thus to deny ourselves, hath himself in his own perfon given us the greatest example of felf-denial that ever was. And,

2. Such an example as, in all the circumftances of it, is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it; because all his felf-denial and fufferings were for our fakes.

ift, He who requires us thus to deny ourselves, hath himself in his own perfon given us the greateft example of self-denial that ever was; in that he denied himself more, and fuffered more grievous things, than any of us can do. He bore the infupportable load of all the fins of mankind, and of the wrath and vengeance due to them. Never was forrow like to his forrow wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce anger. He was defpifed and rejected of men; a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief. His vifage was marred more than any man's, and his form more than the fons of men: i. e. he underwent more affliction, and had more contempt poured upon him, than ever was upon any of the fons of men and yet he endured all this with incredible patience and meeknefs, with the greatest evennefs and conftancy of mind, and with the most perfect fubmiffion and refigna tion of himself to the will of God that can be imagined.

Such an example as this fhould be of great force to animate us with the like courage and refolution in leffer dangers and difficulties. To fee the captain of our falva tion going before us, and leading us on fo bravely, and made perfect by greater fufferings than we can ever be called to, or are any ways able to undergo, is no small argument and encouragement to us, to take up our cross, and follow him. The confideration of the unknown fufferings of the Son of God, so great as we cannot well conceive of them, fhould make all the afflictions and fufferings that can befal us, not only tolerable, but easy to us. Upon this confideration it is, that the Apostle animates Chriftians to patience in their Christian course, notwithstanding all the hardships and sufferings that attended it :

Heb.

Heb. xii. 1. 2. 3. Let us run with patience the race which is fet before us, looking unto Jefus the author and finisher of our faith; who endured the cross, and defpifed the fhame. For confider him, who endured fuch contradiction of finners against himself, left ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

And this example is more powerful for our encouragement, because therein we see the world conquered to our hands, and all the terrors and temptations of it baffled and fubdued, and thereby a cheap and eafy victory over it obtained for us. By this confideration, our Saviour endeavours to infpire his difciples with chearfulness and courage in this great conflict, John xvi. 33. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

2dly, This example of our Saviour is fuch as, in all the circumstances of it, is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it; becaufe all his felf-denial and fufferings were for our fakes, in pity and kindness to us, and wholly for our benefit and advantage. We are apt to have their example in great regard, from whom we have received great kindness and mighty benefits. This pattern of felf-denial and fuffering, which our religion propofeth to us, is the example of one, whom we have reafon to efteem, and love, and imitate, above any perfon in the world. It is the example of our Lord and Master, of our Sovereign and our Saviour, of the founder of our religion, and of the author and finisher of our faith: and furely fuch an example must needs carry authority with it, and command our imitation. It is the example of our best friend and greatest benefactor; of him who laid down his life for us, and fealed his love to us with his dearest blood; and even when we were bitter enemies to him, did and fuffered more for us than any man ever did for his best friend. If we fhould be reduced to poverty and want, let us confider him, who being lord of all, had not where to lay his head; who being rich, for our fakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. If it fhould be our lot to be perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake, and exercifed with fufferings and reproaches, let us look unto Fefus the author and finisher of our faith; who endured the cross and defpifed the fame for our fakes.

In a word, can we be discontented at any condition, or decline it in a good caufe; when we confider how contented the Son of God was, in the meanest and most deftitute, how meek and patient in the most afflicted and fuffering condition; how he welcomed all events, and was fo perfectly refigned to the will of his heavenly Father, that whatever pleased God, pleased him?

And furely in no cafe is example more neceffary than in this, to engage and encourage us in the difcharge of fo difficult a duty, fo contrary to the bent and inclination of flesh and blood. A bare precept of felf-denial, and a peremptory command to facrifice our own wills, our eafe, our pleasure, our reputation, yea and life itfelf, to the glory of God, and the maintenance of his truth, would have founded very harsh and fevere, had not the practice of all this been mollified and sweetened by a pattern of fo much advantage; by one, who in all thefe refpects denied himself much more than it is poffible for us to do; by one who might have infifted upon a greater right, who abafed himfelf, and ftooped from a greater height and dignity; who was not forced into a condition of meannefs and poverty, but chofe it for our fakes; who fubmitted to suffering, though he had never deferved it. Here is an example that hath all the argument, and all the encouragement that can be to the imitation of it.

Such an example is of greater force and authority than any precept or law can be: fo that well might our Lord, thus going before us, command us to follow him, and fay, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his crafs, and follow me. For if he thus denied himself, well may we, who have much lefs to deny, but much more caufe and reafon to do it. He did it voluntarily, and of choice; but it is our duty. He did it for our fakes; we do it for our own. His own goodness moved him to deny himself for us; but gratitude obligeth us to deny ourselves in any thing for him. We did not in the leaft deferve any thing from him; but he hath wholly merited all this, and infinitely more, from So that fuch an example as this is, in all the circumstances of it, cannot but be very powerful and effectual to oblige us to the imitation of it. But the rea

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fonableness of this precept will yet farther appear, confider, in the

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2. Second place, that God hath promised to all fincere Chriftians all needful fupplies of his grace, to enable them to the discharge of this difficult duty of selfdenial, and to fupport and comfort them therein. For the Spirit of Chrift dwells in Chriftians, and the fame glorious power that raised up Jefus from the dead, works mightily in them that believe; Eph. i. 19. 20. That ye may know (faith St. Paul, speaking in general to all Chriftians) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power; which he wrought in Chrift, when he raised him from the dead. Of ourselves we are very weak, and the temptations and terrors of the world very powerful; but there is a principle refiding in every true Chriftian, able to bear us up against the world, and the power of all its temptations. Whatfoever is born of God, (faith St. John), overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome; becaufe greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

And this grace and ftrength was afforded to the first Chriftians in a most extraordinary manner, for their comfort and support under fufferings; fo that they were ftrengthened with all might according to God's glorious power, unto all long-fuffering with joyfulness; as St. Paul prays for the Coloffians, chap. i. 11. And thefe confolations of the Spirit of God, this joy in the Holy Ghost, was not peculiarly appropriated to the first times of Christianity; but is ftill afforded to all fincere Chriftians, in fuch degree as is neceffary and convenient for them. And whenever God exerciseth good men with trials more than human, and fuch fufferings as are beyond the ordinary rate of human ftrength and patience to bear, he hath promised to endue them with more than human courage and refolution. So St. Paul tells the Corinthians, 1 Cor. x. 13. He is faithful, that hath promised, who will not fuffer you to be tempted above what ye are able; but will with the temptation alfo make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. And why fhould we be daunted at any fuffering, if God be pleafed to increase

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