22.

SERM. their former Hopes and Prepoffeffions, to XII. their great Expectations of temporal Greatnefs and Splendor, that St. Peter (who probably was puffed up with that Commendation which his Mafter lately gave him, and, therefore, expected, to be, at least, his Succeffor in his earthly Kingdom, and to tread upon the Necks of the greatest Kings and Princes in the World) presently Matt.xvi. makes Answer, Be it far from thee, Lord, this fhall not be unto thee; whereby he expreffes, not only his full Perfuafion, that this would not be fo, but the greatest Indignation imaginable, at the Thought of it; as that Expreffion (Be it far from thee, Lord) which is an Hebraifm, doth denote; and perfuades his Mafter to withdraw himself from his Sufferings; and to deliver himself, and them, from all their temporal Enemies, whether Jews or Heathens. This shall not be unto thee. As if he had faid, Thefe Sufferings, which thou fpeakest of, are quite contrary to the Defign of the Coming of the Meffiah into the World, who is to deliver the Jews, the peculiar People of God, from all their Enemies and Oppreffors; and therefore, though the Scribes and Pharifees may endeavour to do thefe Things, yet thou wilt certainly deliver thyfelf from them.

At

Matt. xvi,

23.

At which Anfwer our Saviour was foSERM. much displeased, that he gives him a se- XII. vere Check: He turned, and faid unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an Offence unto me, for thou favoureft not the Things that be of God, but thofe that be of Men. And then he proceeds to tell them, that he was not only to fuffer all these Things from the Chief Priefts and Elders, but that a fuffering Condition must be their Lot and Portion, if they would be his Disciples; and then he takes this Occafion to inform them rightly of the Nature of his Kingdom, and what his Followers must expect in this World: And from this Time, as long as he tarried with them, even till the Time of his Afcenfion, he frequently inculcated this Doctrine, that his Kingdom was a fpiritual Kingdom, that his Dominion was chiefly over the most noble Part of Men, their Souls and Confciences, his Dominion over their unruly Lufts and Affections; and that his Disciples and Subjects muft expect, through much Tribulation, to enter into the Kingdom of God. From that Time forth Matt. xvi. Jefus began to fhew unto his Difciples, that 21. the Son of Man muft fuffer many Things, &c. And, as to their own Particulars, in the Words of the Text, he said unto them

all,

SERM. all, If any Man will come after me, let XII. him deny himself, and take up his Cross daily, and follow me.

FOR the better Understanding of these
Words, I fhall explain,

I. WHAT is meant by Denying ourselves.
And,

II. WHAT by Taking up the Cross.

First, WHAT is meant by Denying ourfelves. Now this Phrafe of Denying a Man's felf, is a Metaphor taken from those Servants, who difown that Master to whom they belong, withdraw themfelves from his Service, and declare they will no longer be fubject to his Commands. Thus Peter denied Chrift, which Denial xxvi. 70. may be made by Deeds as well as Words;

Matt.

and therefore the Apoftle fpeaks of some, Tit. i. 16. who profeffed that they knew God, but in their Works denied him, i. e. though they declared their Belief of a fupreme Governor of the World, yet they lived fuch wicked Lives, as if they had no Lord or Master to call them to an Account. And St. Jude tells us of fome ungodly Men, who turned the Grace of our God into Lafciviousness, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift. It was a com

mon

mon Phrase among the Jews, applied to SERM. those who were negligent in their wordly XII. Bufinefs, and carelefs of their own Welfare and Safety; fuch an one they would fay denied himself, or hated his own Soul : And, when our Saviour applied it to his Followers, it is of the fame Import with that Command of bating Father and Luk. xiv. Mother, Wife and Children, Brothers and 26. Sifters, and even our own Lives for Chrift's Sake, i. e. to be willing and ready to part with all those, and every Thing we hold dear, or take any Pleasure in, rather than offend Chrift, by tranfgreffing his Laws.

Secondly, THE Taking up the Cross is a Phrase of the fame Signification, but contains in it fomething more pofitive; for Denying a Man's felf chiefly refpects the Lofs of thofe Things which are pleafing and delightful to us; but Taking up the Cross imports the Bearing the feverest Penalties and Torments, even Martyrdom itfelf, for the Sake of Chrift. For Crucifixion was a Death inflicted by the Perfians and Romans, upon the baseft and moft villanous Malefactors, and, by Confequence was in Ufe amongst the Jews (who lived under the Roman Government): It was a very painful and ignominious Death; and the Custom was,

that,

SERM. that he, who was to undergo it, carried XII. the Crofs he was to fuffer upon, from the City to the Place of Execution. And, from hence, the Phrase of bearing our Crofs is taken. So that these two Phrases of Denying ourselves, and Taking up the Cross, do import thus much: That he, who will be Chrift's Difciple, muft practise as well as profefs his Religion; must be ready to part with all the good Things of this World, when Chrift and the Profeffion of his Religion do require it of him; he must give up himself intirely to be governed by his great Lord and Master, and refign up his Will to his Divine Will, as the abfolute Lord of his Body and Soul, and all that he has; he must be prepared to fuffer Affliction, Perfecution, and the Lofs, even of Life itself, rather than make Shipwreck of a good Confcience, or offend God. This being the plain Senfe and Meaning of the Words, I fhall endeavour to make them more useful to you, by fhewing,

I. How far thefe Duties of Denying ourfelves, and Taking up the Cross, extend, and in what Inftances the Exercise of them doth confift.

II. How