SERM. World, i. e. on Purpose that he might VI. free us from the enchanting Power of its empty Delights, and vain Allurements? These he taught us, by his Doctrine and by his Practice, by his Life and by his Death, to undervalue; he chose to be without them, and the Perfection of his Vertue confifted in overlooking and defpifing them. We therefore, who profefs to be his Fol lowers, muft certainly degenerate very far from that Profeffion, when we eas gerly purfue, greedily enjoy, and highly admire them.

I Cor. v.

6.

Beloved, this our glorying is not good,

but,

II. It highly becomes us to glory in the Cross of Chrift, as I propofed, in the fecond Place to fhew. For fince by the alone Merits of his Cross we gain all the Advantages of the Chriftian Dispensation, are reconciled to God, and made capable of Heaven and Happiness, we cannot but glory in that

Cross,

Cross, if indeed we value our felves up-SERM. on our being Chriftians.

VI.

The Cross of Chrift is the Do&rine to which all the other Doctrines of the Gospel refer, and from which they derive all the Efficacy and Influence they have, towards purging our Confciences from dead Works; and therefore in that fingle Article they are often all of them fummed up and comprized. We preach Chrift crucified, fays St. Paul; 1 Cor. i. as if that, and that alone were the Sub-23. ject of all he wrote, and all he spoke: And again, I determined to know nothing but Chrift and him crucified, as if that 1 Cor. ii, were the great Point of faving Know-2. ledge, to which those who learn, or who teach the Religion of Chrift, should altogether apply themselves. Can we look upon it, under this View, and refrain from glorying in it? To this Article of our Faith the Enemies of the Gospel have always taken the greatest Exceptions; and in this therefore we ought to triumph moft, as being fecure against their Attacks, and defpifing

SERM. their vain Objections and Reasonings VI. The first Preachers of our Faith muft,

23.

in this Cafe, be our Patterns. They 1 Cor. i. knew that Chrift crucified was to the Jews a Stumbling-Block; but did they therefore diffemble the Scandal of the Cross for that very Reafon? No! they boafted of it, they infifted upon it in all their Applications to the unbelieving Acts x. 39. Jews, recorded in the Acts; particularly St. Peter omits no Occafion of mentioning to them him whom they flew, and hanged on a Tree; as an high Reproach to his Murderers indeed, but none at all to his Disciples and Fol

lowers.

Very fitly therefore has the Church of England appointed that, after we have been received into the Congregation of Chrift's Flock by Baptifm, we should be figned with the Sign of the Cross, in Token (as the fpeaks) that we should not hereafter be ashamed to confefs the Faith of Christ crucified, but should manfully fight under his Banners, against Sin, the World, and the Devil, and continue Christ's faith

ful

ful Soldiers and Servants to our Lives SERM. Ends. A Ceremony, which, whatever VI. Fault may have been found with it, is certainly very antient, very innocent, and very fignificant too; as it fitly admonishes us, throughout the whole Course of our Chriftian Warfare, to look upon the Cross of Christ as the proper Badge of our Profeffion, which we ought not to be ashamed, or afraid to own, whenever he, in whofe Service we are lifted, fhall call upon us to take it up, and follow him. But to proceed, I am to fhew,

III. By what Methods, and in Oppofition to what Enemies of the Cross of Chrift we are obliged to glory in it.

1. Now the first Step requifite towards our complying with this Obligation is, frequently to meditate on the Sufferings and Death of Chrift. We glory in nothing but what we esteem and value; and what we value much, we shall be apt often and attentively to confider. We fhould therefore revolve

often

1 Tim.

iii. 16.

SERM. often in our Thoughts this great MyVI. ftery of Godliness, God manifeft in the Flesh, dying on the Cross, to destroy the Works of the Devil: We fhould turn it on all Sides, and confider it, as the proper Subject of our Awe and Wonder, our Joy and Pleasure, our Gratitude and Love; till we have warmed our Hearts with a lively Sense of the ineftimable Benefits conferred on us by the Means of it. This the oftner we do, the better: But we cannot, without inexcufable Negligence omit doing it, on such a Day as this, fet apart by the Church on Purpose to commemorate the Passion of our Lord. If we fail to employ fome Part of this Day in our Closets, and in devout Meditations on the Crofs of Chrift, we are unworthy of that Redemption he purchased for us. What (faid our Saviour to his fleeping Disciples, when he was Mat. xxvi. entering on his Agony) can you not watch with me one Hour? Can you not shake off your Drowfinefs, and bear me Company in my Sorrows, for a

40.