name. Which was a clear instance of their performing the duty here enjoined, both them and us, under the name of " taking up our cross." And I hope there is none of us can take it ill, that Christ hath imposed so severe a duty upon us; for we may assure ourselves he requires no more of us than what himself hath undergone before; so that we can suffer nothing for him but what he hath suffered before for us. Have we grief and trouble in our hearts? So had he, Matt. xxvi. 38. Have we pains and tortures in our bodies? So had he, Matt. xxvii. 29, 30. Are we derided and scoffed at? So was he, Matt. xxvii. 31. Are we arraigned and condemned, yea, do we suffer death itself? It is no more than what our Lord and master hath done before. And let us remember what he told us when he was upon the earth: "The disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord." If we be Christ's disciples, we cannot expect to fare better in the world than Christ himself did, neither indeed can we fare so bad; for it is impossible that we should undergo so much for him as he hath undergone for us, ours being only the sufferings of men, his the sufferings of one who was God as well as man; whereby sufferings in general are sanctified to our human nature, it having already undergone them in the person of the Son of God: so that it can be now no disparagement at all to undergo any trouble, as hatred, reproach, poverty, pain, yea, death itself, or any other calamity whatsoever in this world, seeing the Son of God himself, he that made the world, underwent the same while himself was in it. And therefore we need not think it below us, to stoop down and take up the cross of Christ, as considering that Christ hath borne it before us, hath so blessed and sanctified it unto us, that it is now become an honourable, and advantageous, yea, and a pleasant cross, to them that bear it patiently, thankfully, and constantly, as they ought to do, especially seeing it is such a cross as leads unto a crown: whatsoever we can do or suffer for Christ here, will be fully recompensed with glory hereafter; and therefore, instead of being troubled to take up our cross, we are rather to rejoice that we have any to take up. Thus we see in few words, what it is which our Saviour commands us, when he enjoins us to deny ourselves, and take up our cross; even that we do not gratify ourselves in any thing that is ungrateful unto him, nor grudge to take up any cross, or suffer any trouble we meet with in the world, for his sake, thinking nothing too dear to forsake, nor any thing too heavy to bear for him, who thought not his own life too dear, nor the cross itself too heavy to bear for us. What now remains, but, that knowing our Saviour's pleasure, we should all resolve to do it? There is none of us but hope and desire to be saved by him; but that we can never be, unless we observe what he hath prescribed in order to our salvation : and amongst other things, we see how he hath commanded us to deny ourselves, and to take up our cross. As any of us therefore desire to be Christians indeed, so as to see Christ's face with comfort in another world, let us bethink ourselves seriously what sins we have hitherto indulged ourselves in. I fear there are but few, if any amongst us, but are conscious to themselves, that they have, and do still live, either in the constant neglect of some known duty, or else in the frequent commission of some beloved sin: what that is, I dare not undertake to tell, but leave that to God and to men's own consciences; only I desire them to deal faithfully with their own souls, and not suffer themselves to be fooled into a fond and vain persuasion that they have any interest in Christ, or are truly his disciples, until they deny themselves that sin, whatsoever it is, which they have hitherto indulged themselves in. And let us not think that we shall deny ourselves any real pleasure or profit, by renouncing our sins; for what pleasure can we have in displeasing God; or profit in losing our own souls? No, we shall gratify ourselves, more than we can imagine, by denying ourselves, as much as we are able, whatsoever is offensive or displeasing unto God; for we may be sure, he that came into the world on purpose to save us from evil, commands us nothing but for our own good; neither would he ever have obliged us to deny ourselves, if we could have been saved without it; and as for the cross, that he was so well acquainted with, that he would never have imposed it upon us to take it up, but that it is indispensably necessary for us. And therefore, if we be what we pretend, real and true Christians, let us manifest it to the world, and to our own consciences, by denying ourselves whatsoever Christ hath denied us, and by observing whatsoever he hath commanded us, even to the taking up of any cross that he, for his own sake, shall suffer to be laid upon us; still remembering, that self-denial, though it be unpleasant, is a most necessary duty; and the cross, though it be ever so heavy, is but short, and hath nothing less than a crown annexed unto it, a glorious and eternal crown, which all those shall most certainly obtain, who deny themselves. THOUGHTS UPON STRIVING TO ENTER IN AT THE STRAIT GATE. As certainly as we are here now, it is not long till we shall all be in another world: either in a world of happiness, or else in a world of misery; or, if you will, either in heaven or in hell. For these are the two only places which all mankind, from the beginning of the world to the end of it, must live in for evermore; some in the one, some in the other, according to their carriage and behaviour here; and therefore it is worth the while, to take a view and prospect now and then of both these places, and it will not be amiss if we do it now: for which end, I desire the reader, in his serious and composed thoughts, to attend me first into the celestial mansions, above yonder glorious sun, and the stars themselves, where not only the cherubim and seraphim, angels and archangels, but many also of our brethren, the sons of men, at this very moment are enjoying the presence, and singing forth the praises of the most high God. There are the spirits of just men made perfect, perfect in themselves, and perfect in all their actions, perfectly free from all sin and misery, perfectly free from all true grace and glory, all their faculties being reduced to that most perfect and excellent frame of constitution, that their understandings are continually taken up with the contemplations of the supreme truth, and their wills in the embracement of their chiefest good; so that all the inclinations of their souls, rest in God as in their proper centre, in whom, by consequence, they enjoy as much as they can desire, yea, as much as they can be made capable of desiring: for all those infinite perfections that are concentred in God himself, are now in their possession, to solace and delight themselves in the full and perfect enjoyment of them by which means they are as happy as God himself can make them; insomuch that at this very moment methinks we may all behold them so ravished, so transported with their celestial joys, that it may justly strike us into admiration, how ever creatures which were once sinful, could be made so pure, so perfect, and altogether so happy as they are. And could we but leave our bodies for a while below, and go up to take a turn in the New Jerusalem that is above, we could not but be ravished and transported at the very sight both of the place and inhabitants, every one being far more glorious than the greatest emperors of this world, with nothing less than crowns of glory on their heads, and sceptres of righteousness in their hands; where they think of nothing but the glory of God, discourse of nothing but praising him, do nothing but adore and worship him in a word, whatsoever is agreeable to our natures, whatsoever is desirable to our souls, whatsoever can any way conduce to make men happy, is fully, perfectly, eternally enjoyed, by all |