Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

T

GALATIANS vi. 14. laft claufe.

By whom the world is crucified to me, and I unt

the world.

HE character of a fervant of God is fometimes de

fcribed in fcripture by particular difpofitions or instances of obedience, and fometimes by a general view of the spirit that runs through the whole of his temper and carriage. Each of these ways has its own advantage and ufe. Each of them is to be found in its proper order in the holy fcriptures, and ftands there as a proof of their fulness and perfection. The whole of this paffage, but particularly the last clause, upon which I am now to infist, is of the general kind, and, in the apoftle's own example, gives us a very comprehenfive view of what ought to be the temper and difpofition of every real Christian: " By "whom," that is, by Christ crucified, or, "by which," that is to fay, by the crofs of Chrift, "the world is cruci, "fied unto me, and I unto the world."

This description will serve, if carefully attended to, aš a trial and touchftone of fincerity; and, in particular, will serve to distinguish real religion from fome of its most deceitful and plaufible counterfeits. At the fame time, it will furnifh the fincere Chriftian with very important di VOL. I. 3 Z

[ocr errors]

rections for his prefervation and improvement, by point. ing out the moft fatal and dangerous rocks of temptation, which it is his intereft to avoid. Having explained the words in my difcourfe upon the former part of the verse, I now only obferve, that the propofition contained in them is, "That the world is crucified to the believer, and he to "the world, by the crofs of Chrift." This naturally refolves itself into two parts, which I propofe to confider diftinctly, viz.

1. What is the import of a believer's being crucified to the world, and the world to him.

2. What influence the crofs of Chrift hath in producing this effect. Having done this, I will,

3. Make a practical improvement of the fubject.

I. FIRST, then, we are to confider the import of a believer's being crucified to the world, and the world to him. This feems to deferve the greater attention, that through the whole New Testament, there is a direct oppofition stated between the world and the difciples of Chrift; an oppofition of character, an oppofition of intereft, and a continual conflict in confequence of both; John xv. 18. 19. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me "before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world "would love his own; but because ye are not of the "world, but I have chofen you out of the world, therefore "the world hateth you." In this paffage the world feems to *be taken chiefly for the men of the world, or its inhabitants. It is, however, taken in a more extensive fenfe in the two following: 1 John ii. 15. "Love not the world, "neither the things that are in the world. If any man "love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." "I John v. 4. For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory that over"cometh the world, even our faith." Here, no doubt, it fignifies not only men, and our hopes or fears from them, but every thing in the present life that may be the object of carnal affection, of finful or undutiful attachment.

The expreffion in the text, "The world is crucified to “me” is figurative; but abundantly plain, and exceeding

H

ly ftrong. It might be confidered very extenfively, and feveral things upon it may probably afterwards occur. Let it fuffice at prefent to make two obfervations. I. This intimates the fincerity and heartinefs of the believ er's oppofition to the world. It must be remembered, that crucifixion was a death the most painful and difgraceful that could poffibly be inflicted. When this image therefore, is borrowed, and applied to the believer's separation from the world, it implies not only an indifference to it, but the moft fovereign contempt of it, from the deepest and ftrongest conviction of its abfolute vanity. Nay, as no perfons were crucified, but who were hated as well as defpifed by their judges, to be crucified to the world, implies an unfeigned abhorrence of its pollution, and a dread of being enflaved by it.

2. The fame thing intimates the perpetuity and fixednefs of the Chriftian's oppofition to the world. Those who were crucified were devoted to deftruction, when they were nailed to the tree; they were not only tormented for a season, but fixed there till death concluded the scene so I apprehend the apoftle intended to fignify, by this expreffion, his final feparation from the world, without the leaft hope or defire of ever returning to it.

:

After taking this fhort and general view of the import of the expreffion, it will be neceffary more diftinctly and fully to confider what is implied in being crucified to the world. This ought to be done with the greater care, that it is at once an important and difficult duty. To be truly crucified to the world, I am afraid is exceeding rare; and even those who are fo in fincerity, upon the whole, are far from being fo in the degree that they ought to be. The punishment of crucifixion is a strong image, in one particular, of the believer's character. Though it was certain death, it was flow and lingering; fo worldliness, in many perfons, continues long vigorous, and dies very flowly.

There is another reason for treating this fubject with care, that men are very apt to confider fuch expreffions as extravagant, and carrying matters an unreasonable length, Miftaking the nature of the duty, they are neither con

cerned themselves to practise it, nor will they allow that any body elfe does fo in reality. I will therefore endeavor to fhew you, 1. What is not implied in crucifying the world; 2. Wherein it immediately and properly confifts. On the first of thefe, I beg your attention to the following particulars.

1. The world's being crucified to us, does not imply that there is any evil in the natural world, confidered in itself, and as the work of God. The whole frame of nature, as it was produced and is preferved by God, and the whole courfe of Providence, as conducted by him, are perfectly faultlefs. We may even fay more, the creation carries on it fuch an image of its Maker, as the materials are able to hear. In this view, it is our duty to look upon the world with reverence, and adore the glory of God in all its parts, from the highest to the loweft. The evil arifes wholly from ourselves, and our difpofition to fin. When we fay a corrupt enticing deceitful world, it is but another way of speaking for the corruption of the human heart.

2. It does not imply that we fhould undervalue. or be infenfible of present mercies. Every gift of God is good, if it be received with thankfulness, and ufed with fobriety. The more the world is crucified as it ought to be, the more we will difcern the goodness of God, even in common mercies. It is matter of daily experience, and well worthy of obfervation, that thofe who idolize the world. moft, as an object of finful defire, do ufually defpife the world moft, as the fubject or ground of thankfulness to God. A voluptuous, ambitious, or envious perfon, who purfues the world with eagerness, and never thinks he has enough, is commonly difcontented and unthankful. His eyes are so wififully fixed on what he wants, that he neither remembers nor. values what he already has. On the contrary, the felf-denied and mortified Chriftian,though defpifing the world as an object of purfuit, is yet deeply fenfible of the kindness of Providence, in his daily prefervation, or liberal provifion. A mind formed upon the principles of the gofpel, may look down with contempt upon the luftre of a throne, and yet know the value, and feel a sense of gratitude in the poffeffion of a crumb.

3. It doth not imply that the world is ufelefs to a believer, even with regard to his spiritual benefit. It is not only certain that he may have, but that he will have, the fanctified improvement of every ftate: Rom. viii. 28. " And we know that all things work together for good, "to them that love God, to them who are the called ac"cording to his purpofe." The fame mercies which make a wicked man infolent, make a good man thankful. They alfo extend his power of doing good to others. You may fee, by our Saviour's advice, how the world may be profitably employed: Luke xvi. 9. " And I fay unto you, "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrigh"teousness; that when ye fail, they may receive you in"to everlasting habitations." See alfo the account of his procedure at the great day, Matth. xxv. 34-36. Then "fhall the King fay unto them on his right hand, Come,

ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared "for you from the foundation of the world. For I was "an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirfly, and

66

ye gave me drink: I was a ftranger, and ye took me "in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was fick, and ye vi"fited me: I was in prifon, and ye came unto me."

4. It does not imply that we ought to retire from the employment or bufinefs of the world altogether. Though there is a manifeft danger in being too much involved in business, as well as too much devoted to pleasure; it is an error, on the other hand, to place religion in voluntary poverty, in monkish aufterity, or uncommanded maceration of the body. This is not doing, but deferting our duty it is not crucifying the world, but going out of it; it is not overcoming the world, but flying from it.

But let us now confider, directly and pofitively, what is implied in the world's being crucified to us, and we to the world. And that the after illuftrations may be at orce more intelligible and more convincing, it will not be improper to begin by faying, in general, that we must be crucified to the world in thofe refpects in which man, at his first apoftafy, fell away to the world from God. While man continued in innocence, the world, which in itself

« PreviousContinue »