are five Qualifications required to our right taking up our Cross, viz. that we take it up,

1. Willingly, S. Matt. vi. 10.
2. Thankfully and with Chearfulness, At.

V. 41.
3. Charitably, S. Luk. xxiii. 34. Act. vii. 60.
4. Paciently, Job i. 21.
5. Constantly, S. Luk. ix. 23. Rev. ii. io.

V. 41. 3. Why must Christ's Disciples bear their Cross? 1. Because Christ bore it, Phil. iii. 10. Matt.

X. 23, 24, 25. 2. Because the Way wherein we follow Christ

is a cross Way; Cross to the World; Cross to Sin; Cross to our Lufts; and therefore, He that will follow Christ, mast expect Crosses before they come, and take them when they are come,

2 Tim. iii. 12. Psal. xxxiv. 19. 3. The Cross is Christ's School, wherein he

trains up His Disciples, teaching them

to know,
1. God, fob xlii. s.
2. The World, i Cor. vii. 31.

.
3. Their Sins, Fob xxxvi. 8, 9.
4. Themselves, Dan. iv. 30, 34, 6C.
5. The Art of applying Promises, Hebr.

5 6. The Duty of Self-Examination, Lam.

xiii. 5, 5.

iii. 39, 40.

7

8.

of Self-Humiliation, Job xxxvi. 8, 9, 10. and xlii. 5,6.

of Submitting unto GOD, Rom. V. 3, 4

of Believing, Psal. xxvii. 12, 13. of Despilling the World, Gal.

The

vi. 14

11. The Duty of Praying, Hof. v. 15.

of heavenly Meditation, Phil.

iii. 20.

U SE S.

1. Wonder not at the Affidions of the Righteous; for if Men be Righteous, they must look for such Afflictions, which are to be expected by Christ's Disciples in this World, Hebr. xii. 6. AEE. xiv. 22.

2. For Christ did not die to save us from temporal Troubles.

3. And they are no Discredit, At. v. 41.

MOTIVES and ARGUMENTS to bear the Cross. All

ye that go after Christ, take up your Cross; endeavour to bear

patiently, chearfully, óc. whatsoever is laid upon you for Christ's sake. Con. sidering,

1. It is GOD that lays it upon you, Amos iii. 6.

2. It is less than you have deserv'd, Ezra ix. 13.

3 It is Christ's Cross, and we cannot suffer so much for Christ, as He suffer'd for us.

Do we suffer in Soul ? so did He, S. Matt. xxvi. 38. Do we suffer in Body? so did He, S. Matta xxvi. 67. Do we suffer in Name? so did He,

? S. Matt. X. 25. and xxvii. 63. Do we suffer Death? so did He, S. Matt. xxvii. 5o. and all our Sufferings are but the Sufferings of Men, whereas His were the Súfferings of One who was GOD as well as Man.

4. It is a blessed Cross, I S. Pet. jji. 14. The Curse is taken out by the Death of Christ. We, by our Sins, turn our Mercies into M series ; but Christ, by His Sufferings, hath turns our Miseries into Mercies ; for now Chrik's Cross is,

1

5. An honour able Cross, A&t. V. 41. Phil. i. 29. Πρότεegν Σ' 8 ο ταυρος όνομα καταδίκης ήν, νυνι και are yuce truñs résovev, Chrysoft.

6. A profitable Cross, Hebr. xii. 10. Psal. cxix.
71. it being good,
1. To wean our Hearts more from the

World.
2. To keep us closer to God, Pfal.cxix.67.
3. To exercise our Graces, Hebr. xii. 10.

1. Patience, Rom. V. 3, 4.
2. Faith.
3. Heavenly-mindednefs, Phil. iii. 20.

4 Love to Christ,
4. To make us more sensible of Sin, Job

Xxxvi. 8, 9, 10.
5. To make Sin more loathsome to us, and

so it is the fiery Furnace but to purge

away our Dross, Ifa. xxvii. 9.
6. To make us long more after Heaven.
7. To manifest us to be Christ's Disciples,

and GOD's Children, Hebr. xii. 6,7,8.
8. To discover God's Fatherly Care over

us, in comforting and supporting us un-
der, and delivering as out of them, Ifa.
xli. 10, 13, 14. i S. Pet. iv. 19. Exod.

iii. 8. 2 Tim. iv. 16,17,18. Psal. xxiii. 4. 7. It is a Cross that leads to a Crown.

Bear the Cross on Earth, and wear the Crops in Heaven, At. xiv. 22. 2 Tim. ji.'12. 2 Cor. iv. 17.

III. .DOCTRINE.
It is a Christian's Duty to follore Christ.
1. What is it to follow Christ?

To imitate Him, so as,
1. To think as He thought.
2. To be as He was.
3. To do as He did.

4. To square our Lives by His, and to make

His Conversation the Rule of ours in

all Things. 2. Wherein must we follow Christ? 1. Negatively. 1. Not in what He did as GOD; for so,

1. He knew Thoughts, S. Matt. xii. 25:
2. Judgʻd Others, S. Matt. xxiii. 27.
3. Wrought Miracles, S. Joh. ix. 6.
4. Foretold Events, S. Luk. xxi. 6.
s. Sent for the Colt of another Person,

S. Luk. xix. 30, 33.
2. Nor what He did as God-Man; for

He is, 1. Qur King, to prescribe us Laws,judge

us according to them and preserve

us from our spiritual Enemies. 2. A Prophet to teach us; not only our

Heads, but our Hearts. 3. A Priest to satisfy for our sin,

and to intercede for our Souls, both which He doth as God-Man, and therefore in neither of them

is imitable by us. 2. Positively. But we must follow Him in those Thing

which He did as purely Man; as, !, In our Understandings, growing in Wif

dom as in Stature, S. Luk. ii. 52. 2. In our Wills, 1. By a perfect Resignation of them

unto GOD, S. Luk. xxii. 42. 2. By Relifting the Devil's Tempta.

tions, s. Matr. iv. 1, 2. 3. In our Affe&tions ; as, ३ !: Love, S. Joh. xiii. 1. and xv. 13. S. Joh. ii. 16.

2. Joy, Psal. xl. 6,7. Hebr. x. 5, 6.

5

. 3. Meekness and being lowly, S. Matt.

xi. 29.

4. Sorrow, S. Mar. iii. 5.
5. Compassion and pitying those that

are in Distress, S. Matt. xv. 32. in
Danger temporal, S. Luk. xix. 41,

42. or spiritual, S. Matt. ix. 36. 4. In our Words, Isa. liii. 9. 1 S. Pet. ii. 22.

S. Luk. iv. 22. 5. In our Behaviour to Men, 1. To all in general, by doing them as

much Good as we can, At. X. 38. 2. In particular, 1. By being subject to Parents, S. Luk.

obedient to Magistrates, S. Matt. xvii. 27. S. Joh. viii. 46. 3. By loving our Enemies, and pray

ing for them that curse us, S. Luk.

ji. 51.

2.

xxiii. 34•

6. In our Duties to GOD, 1. By being constant and fervent in

Prayer, S. Luk. vi. 12. S. Matt. xiv.

23. 2. By frequenting the Ordinances, S. Luk.

iv. 16. 3. By finishing the Work He sent as into

the World to do, S. Joh. xvii. 4. 4. By making it our Meat to do our Hea

venly Father's Will, S. Job. iv. 34. 7. In our Death; Dying as He did,

1. In Charity, S. Luk. xxiii. 34.
2. Patiently, Isa. liii. 7.
3. Trusting in GOD, S. Matt. xxvii. 46.
4. Committing our Souls to Him, S. Luk.
xxiii. 45.