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it magnifies the divine mercy, fo it magnifies the finner. Is it any lefs to our honor than to his fhame? We can never appear fo valuable as when our falvation is purchafed by our Saviour's dying groans.

3. In the last place, The real Chriftian has reason to glory in the crofs, for its efficacy as a principle of fanctification. This is plainly implied in the claufe immediately following the text: for " by it the world is crucified "unto me, and I unto the world." The apoftle certainly has this alfo in view, when he celebrates the doctrine of the cross as the wifdom and the power of God unto falvation. And indeed to every believer the crofs, confidered only as the truth, and as operating by faith on the understanding and heart, is fuch an argument to duty, as there is not another in the whole compass of human knowledge that may once be compared to it. Does any thing fet in fo ftrong a light the obligation of God's most holy law? Does any thing fet in fo ftrong a light the infinite evil of fin? the infinite holinefs of God? the infinite danger of fin? Muft not the reflection of every believer be, "Who can stand before this Holy Lord God? If fuch things be done in the green tree, what fhall be done in "the dry?"

But what is the great fource, evidence, fum, and perfection of fanctification? Is it not the love of God? And how fhall this be produced? how fhall it be preferved and improved, in fo effectual a manner, as by believing views of the crofs of Chrift, the moft tender and coftly expreffion of his love to us? 1 John iv. 19. "We love him; be"cause he first loved us." How does this fill the Chriftian with indignation against fin, which he must confider as "crucifying him to himself afrefh!" &c. How does it endear to him his Saviour's commands! how does it inspire him with zeal in doing his will, and fortitude in fuffering for his caufe! Will any thing fo effectually deter mine us to love our fellow-creatures, as his command and example? Will any thing fo effectually perfuade us to dif charge the most important duties to others, I mean, feeking their eternal welfare, as the value of a precious foul eftimated by the crofs? Will any thing fo effectually dif

pose us to the most difficult duties to others, I mean meeknefs, patience and forgivenefs, as the great debt cancelled to us by his fufferings on the crofs? Is it poffible that his own words, in that awful feafon, can ever be forgotten, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do?" I cannot at prefent enlarge further on thefe views; but well might the apostle, and well may every Christian, glory in his Mafter's crofs, for the unspeakable benefit he receives from it: For, 1 Cor. i. 30, "Of him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanctification, and redemption."

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I proceed now to make fome practical application of what hath been faid.

And,

1. From what hath been faid, you may learn what is the great and leading doctrine of the gospel, the fum and fubftance of the truth as it is in Jefus, viz. the doctrine of the cross, or Chrift fuffering the wrath of God, to redeem us from hell. This was the great defign formed in the councils of peace, early intimated in the firft promife, gradually unfolded in after ages, and completely manifested in the fulness of time. The Saviour was the fubject of the ancient promises, the hope of the ancient patriarchs, the fubftance of the New-Teftament difpenfation, and the burden of the everlasting gofpel. He faith of himself, Rev. i. 8, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and "the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and which was, " and which is to come, the Almighty." On his glorious character, and precious blood, the infpired apoftles delighted to dwell. Did they then miftake their meffage? did they mislead their hearers? No; it was, and it fhall ever remain an unchangeable truth, what the apoftle declares, I Cor. iii. II. "For other foundation can no man lay, "than that is laid, which is Jefus Chrift."

On this foundation, every thing that is agreeable to the will of God, in doctrine or practice, must be built. Every other part of the word of God derives light and beauty from the cross; every other part of the word of God derives force and meaning from the crofs; every other part of the word of God derives life and efficacy from the crofs.

Let us therefore remember its influence and value, and never lose view of it. Let us defpife the ignorant reproaches of those who flander it as unfavorable to moral virtue. I dare not fay indeed, that it is very favorable to an oftentatious parade of human merit; but I am fure it is the only way of producing felf-denied obedience to the will of God.

2.

2. From what hath been faid, you may fee the guilt and danger of the enemies of the crofs, and at the fame time may learn who they are who deferve this character. They may be divided into two diftinct claffes: 1. Those who are enemies in principle to the cross, who have no fenfe of their own unworthinefs, of the evil of fin, or the neceffity of an atonement. Such may fometimes retain the name of Chriftians, and contend that they ought to retain it, while they oppofe, with the utmost virulence and malice, its most important and fundamental truth. I cannot think, without horror, on the guilt and ingratitude of all fuch perfons, and the fearful punishment which they fhall meet with at laft, when this despised Saviour " fhall "come in the clouds, and every eye fhall fee him." They are alfo enemies to this truth who are governed in temper and practice by a spirit directly oppofite to that of the crofs. The fhame and reproach which the cross implied are not fufficiently attended to, nor the humility and felf-denial neceffary to all thofe who would be the followers of a crucified mafter. Are there not many who will have no religion but what will be pliable, and accommo. date itfelf to the maxims of the world? Loaded with prudence, they are unwilling to break measures, either with the good or the bad. Dazzled with human pomp, they defpife every thing in religion, but what, either in fubftance or circumftances, is grateful to human pride. Fafhionable practices, however dangerous or vicious, they have not courage to oppofe. It were well, if they would confider the ancient form of confeffion at baptifm. Do you renounce the devil, and all his works? I do. Do you renounce the world, its pomps, its pleasures, and its vanities? I do. And this was not merely Heathenifh

ry, and ceremonies of falfe worship, but that indul

gence of vanity, and that gratification of appetite, in which worldly men, in every age, place their fupreme delight.

3. What hath been faid may ferve for the fupport and confolation of real believers, under the trials to which they are exposed in the prefent flate. It is melancholy to think, how frequently, and how eafily, we are unhinged by diftrefs; what difcontent and impatience we are apt to discover under fuffering. Alas! my brethren, are you not afhamed of impatience, when you confider the unparalleled fufferings of your Redeemer in your room? A believing view of the Saviour's crofs, one would think, might ftop every mouth, and compofe every murmuring thought. Has he fuffered fo much for us? and fhall we refuse to fuffer from him, and for him? His fufferings fhould make us patient, as they fhew us the evil of fin, and what we have deferved. Did we really deferve aveng. ing wrath and fhall we dare to complain of fatherly correction? Did he fuffer with patience who did no fin? and shall we complain who are punished lefs than our ini. quities deferve? His fufferings fhould teach us patience, because they take away the bitterness and malignity of our fufferings, and turn them from a poifon to a medicine: he hath exhausted, if I may speak fo, the whole wrath of God, and left nothing for us but what is highly falutary. And as he hath changed the nature of all the fufferings of life, he hath taken away the fting of death, which is the end of all our fuffering. That blood which fpeaks peace to the wounded fpirit, fhould be a healing balm to the wounded body.

But of all the different kinds of fuffering, if we pretend to glory in the crofs, we ought to be leaft afraid of the reproach thrown upon us for adherence to our duty. To glory in the cross, is indeed to glory in fhame. The form of expreffion ufed with regard to Peter and John, Acts v. 41, is very remarkable. They departed from the prefence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to fuffer fhame for his name. It would greatly tend to fortify us against this trial, if we would lay up in our hearts what hath been faid on the doctrine of the crofs. If it is impoffible to avoid it, we muft needs fit down com

pofedly under it. And if our attachment to our great mafter is what it ought to be, we will chearfully follow him even without the camp, bearing his reproach.

4. In the last place, By what hath been faid, you may try your title to fit down at the Lord's table, and learn your employment there. This ordinance is a fenfible memorial of our Redeemer's cross and paffion. It was on the cross that his body was broken, and his blood fhed, for you. Are you then to commemorate it? You cannot do fo, either in an acceptable or profitable manner, unless you can join the apoftle in glorying in it. Have you seen any thing of the excellence and amiableness of this defpifed object? Nothing fo taftelefs and infipid to the proud and self-righteous; nothing fo delightful and refreshing to the broken in heart. Have you feen any thing of the glory of the true God, in the fufferings of Chrift? and can you fay with the apoftle Paul, Heb. ii. 10. "It became "him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all "things, in bringing many fons unto glory, to make the

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Captain of their falvation perfect through fufferings." Do you fee the glory of infinite mercy in the crofs? and are your hearts drawn with the cords of love to him who "loved you, and gave himself for you?" Have you experienced the fanctifying influence of the crofs? are your corruptions weakened and mortified by looking upon it? Is it your unfeigned defire, that they may be finally deftroyed by it?

To draw to a conclufion of the subject: I cannot point out your duty to you in a manner more fuited to this day's employment, or more proper for your after fecurity and comfort, than to turn the three reasons for glorying in the crofs into the form of exhortations.I befeech you, my beloved hearers, contemplate the glory of God in the cros of Chrift. See him, infinite in power, infinite in wisdom, infinite in holinefs. You may fee a faint emblem of his glory in the book of nature; but you can only fee his tranfcendent majefty in the book of God. And may "he "who at firft commanded the light to fhine out of dark"nefs, fhine in your hearts, to give you the light of the "knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus

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