truly thefe are hard Sayings, very impracticable Doctrine, and fo they leave him. One Man profeffeth that he will follow Chrift, but he defires firft to go and bury his Father; another is willing to become his Difciple, but he would firft bid them farewel that are at home at his House; and a third seems so very fond of Christ, and of his own good Qualifications, his Juftice and Charity, that he is perfwaded nothing can be wanting to make him a thorough-pac'd Difciple; but when our bleffed Lord comes to bid him furrender his Poffeffions, to tell him that they must be relinquifh'd and forfaken, prefently the Scene alters, and he becomes very forrowful, goes away and lets fall his Pretenfions. 'Tis our Happiness indeed, that we can be followers of Chrift without quitting our Poffeffions, that we can keep our Religion and our Property too; in this the Cafe of the planters of the Gofpel is vastly different from ours; there was an urgent Reafon for them, at that juncture, to leave all their worldly Business and Incumbrances; which Reafon, and Neceffity, now

ceaferh

ceaseth under the long and large eftablishment of the Chriftian Religion; and yet I make no doubt at all, but there are many fuch good Christians in the World, as would, were they put to that extreme Choice, of parting with their Religion or Eftates, be very ready to forfake thefe to preferve and retain That. Of this we have had, not long fince, many Inftances from a neighbouring Kingdom, where fome have been forc'd to leave their Poffeffions and Friends, and others have endured the bigeft Torments and Death, rather than they would comply with a fuperftitious and idolatrous Worship, against the dictates of their Confciences; and therefore I cannot but make this Obfervation by the way, That altho' thefe fort of Sufferings and Croffes, do not ufually befal modern Chriftians, as they did the primitive, yet whenfoever Almighty God's Providence fhall permit them to happen, for the tryal of Men's Faith, or fome other wife Purpose, it will become thofe that are fincere Worfhipers of him, to bear that Crofs which their Predeceffors did, and if need be, to

quit their Poffeffions, Friends, and even Life it felf, if they will anf wer that Character, and do honour to their Religion.

Whofoever then profeffeth himself a Chriftian, muft exercife this Duty of Self-denial, when occafion requires him, and bear his Crofs too if it ly in the way of his Duty, and fubmit to all the Difpenfations of divine Providence, and fhew the World, that he is a true follower and difciple of our Lord.

And thus I have confidered whom the obligation of this Duty reacheth, or who are concerned in it; I fhall therefore proceed, thirdly, to fhew the Reasons that engage to the practice of it: Let him deny himself.

and very good reason is there surely for a Chriftian to do fo, as will appear from the following Confidera

tions.

First, because we have our bleffed Lord himself for an Example; and certainly, there never was fuch a compleat inftance of Self-denial in the World as himself; for though he was Lord of the whole Earth, and could have commanded what

ever

ever he pleased, and actually did perform by his divine Power whatever he would; yet fo great was his Poverty, that he declared, The Foxes had Holes, and the Birds of the Air had Nefts, whilst he himself had not where to lay his Head. Tho' he retain'd a good Affection always for his Parents and Friends, yet when he is about the business of Heaven, Who are his Mother and Brethren and Sifters? intimating to us, that when thefe become Impediments to him in his divine Imployment, he will quit them, that he may not omit the great Work that he came about, the eternal Happiness of Mankind: Again, though he was in the form of God, (because he really was God) yet fo great was his Humility, that he made himself of no Reputation, fuffer'd himself to be made fo, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likenefs of Men; Phil. 2. 6,7,8. Though he could have avoided Sufferings, and commanded more than twelve Legions of Angels to his rescue, when he was villainouf ly attack'd by a Band of Soldiers, yet he quietly fuffered them to apprehend

him, and denied himself the full execution of that divine Power, whofe leaft part ftruck them to the Ground. Laftly, and to fum up all, though he could have come down from the Crofs and defeated the Malice of his Enemies, and triumphed over Death not by fuffering, but even by escaping it; and tho' he prayed that the Cup might pafs from him, to fhew the Averfion of humane Nature to Sufferings, yet did he voluntarily submit himfelf, with this admirable. Refignation, Not my will but thine be done. Here was, indeed, Self-denial to the height! Are we then Difciples of Chrift, who was content to empty himself, and become a Pattern of Humility and Self-denial, Mortification and Sufferings, and can we refuse to follow his Steps? Can the Disciples think to be above their Mafter, or the Servants above their Lord, in their exemption from fuch Tryals as he underwent? 'Tis poffible, indeed, they may fometimes prove fo; but none can deferve to be fo exempted, and none but he could juftly have been fo. His example therefore, no lefs than his Doctrine, is a prevalent reason

for