I

GALATIANS vi. 14. laft clause.

By whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world.

NOW proceed to the fecond thing propofed, which was, To fhow the influence of the crofs of Chrift in crucifying the world. This, my brethren, deserves your moft ferious attention, as pointing you to the great and vital principle of the Chriftian's fanctification, the true and only fource of fpiritual comfort and peace. The cross of Chrift is always confidered in the apoftolic writings as an object of the highest dignity and merit; and the believer is there taught to fpeak of it in expreflions of the warmest attachment and regard. Witnefs the words of the text itfelf, in the preceding claufe: "God forbid that I fhould glory fave in the crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift." We may perhaps be eafily induced, in a time of external quietnefs and peace to adopt this fentiment as an opinion, or to use it as a form; but happy, and only happy, those in whom it dwells as an ever prefent truth, and operates as a daily governing principle!

Taking the fubject in great latitude, I might observe, that the cross of Chrift being the price paid for the blessings of falvation in general, every illuminating difcovery in the mind, and every gracious affection in the heart,

which are the work of the divine Spirit, may be justly afcribed to it. But I propose, at this time, to confider it fingly as an object of faith, and to fhew how the firm perfuafion and frequent recollection of this great truth tends to crucify the world to us, and us to the world; the rather, that we find elsewhere our victory over the world ascribed to faith, and this faith particularly terminating on the Son of God: 1 John v. 4, 5. "For whatsover is born of God, "overcometh the world: and this is the victory that over"cometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that over"cometh the world, but he that believeth that Jefus is the "Son of God?" For the further illuftration of this subject, "then, let us obferve,

1. That the cross of Chrift crucifies the world, as it gives us an immediate and ftriking view of the mortality of our nature, as well as the original and general cause of this mortality. The vanity of created things is in nothing more manifeft, than in their precarious nature, particuJarly our own tendency to the duft, by which all earthly relations fhall be speedily and entirely diffolved. In this view, indeed, you may fay, that the death of any other perfon, ficknefs, and all its attending fymptoms, or a fu neral, with its mournful folemnities, tends to crucify the world and moft certainly they do. But there is some. thing ftill more in the crofs of Chrift. There we see, not only the death of our nature but the death of the Son of God in our room. There we are carried back to a view of the great cause of the universal reign of the king of ter rors, fin. Sin firft brought death into the world; and this made it neceflary that Chrift" fhould tafle of death "for every man," that we might be restored to fpiritual life. Mortality, therefore, is written in the most legible characters on the crofs of Chrifi. Nay, the curfe of creation itself is written upon the cross of Chrift. We cannot look upon it, therefore, in a serious manner, without being deeply affected with the doom which we ourfelves have ftill to undergo: "Duft thou art, and to duft thou fhalt "return." It is impoffible to avoid knowing that we muft die; but thofe only difcover the moment of this truth, who fee its procuring caufe. Thofe only have juft and abiding

impreffions of the speedy approach of natural death, who are filled with concern for their own deliverance from the power of the fecond death.

2. The cross of Chrift crucifies the world to a believer, as it fhews him how little he deferves at the hand of God. Believers on the cross of Chrift fee him ftanding in their room, and bearing the wrath of an offended God, which was their due. When this is not only profeffed with the mouth, but received into the heart, it gives a deep conviction of the evil of fin, and lays the finner proftrate in humility and self-abafement. Muft not this greatly weaken and mortify all worldly affection, which takes its rife from pride and felf-fufficiency? It is, if I may speak fo, a fort of claim and demand upon Providence, as if fomething were due to us. Worldly perfons, in prosperity, not only cleave to the world as their portion, but may be faid to affert their title to it as their property. The fame in. ward difpofition may be difcovered by their carriage in the oppofite state. When their schemes are broken, and their hopes blafted, by repeated difappointments, or when their poffeffions are taken from them by unexpected ftrokes, they refift and rebel with impatience and indignation, as if fome perfon had done them wrong.

But when men are fenfible that they deferve nothing at the hand of God, this mortifies their earthly defires, and puts their complaints to filence. See how Job expreffes himself after all his calamities, as fenfible that he had loft nothing of his own, chapter i. 21. "Naked came I out of "my mother's womb, and naked fhall I return thither: "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed "be the name of the Lord." Let me fpeak of this, my brethren, as a gracious difpofition, which, alas! is too often but weak, yet furely hath place in the heart of every child of God. Let me fuppofe him convinced, that he is unworthy of the leaft of all God's mercies; will he not keep his poffeffions the more loofely, and will he not quit his hold the more eafily? But where fhall we learn real felf-abasement fo well as from the crofs? where fhall we learn how little we deferve that is good, fo well as in that place which fhews we have indeed deserved every thing

that is evil? where fhall we learn to make moderate demands of created mercies, but where we fee, that not only the creature, but life itself, was forfeited by our guilt? Let me fuppofe a condemned criminal carried, with many others, to a fcaffold, there receiving a pardon, and witneffing, in the execution of others, what was the sentence of the law upon himfelf; will he, at this inftant, think you, be impatient be impatient or thankful? Will he be jealous of the honor or refpećt paid to him? will he quarrel about the dignity or convenience of the place affigned to him? No furely. Loft in the confideration of the fate he has efcaped, and the favor he has received, he will pay little regard to matters of fmall comparative importance. Juft fo the Chriftian, placed by faith at the foot of the cross, deeply moved by a difcovery of the wrath of God, which he had deferved to fuffer to eternity, and taking an imme diate view of what his Redeemer fuffered to deliver him from it, will be little thoughtful of the world, or any of its enjoyments.

3. The crofs of Chrift crucifies the world, by reverfing all worldly maxims, and fhewing of how light eftimation worldly greatnefs is in the fight of God. So long as worldly maxims prevail, and worldly greatnefs is in high esteem, the cross of Chrift is a defpifed object. But fo foon as this object acquires bulk and value in the believ er's eye, by being taken for what it really is, the world is difgraced in its turn. It pleafed God, in his infinite wif dom, for the falvation of finners, to fend his own Son into the world, in the human nature and as it was in itfelf a deep ftep of humiliation, for the Son of God to be found in fafhion as a man; fo, even in this affumed nature, he was attended with every circumftance of meannefs and bafenefs. No retinue of illuftrious minifters to ferve him; no fplendid or elegant apartment to receive him; but born of a mean woman, brought forth in a stable, and laid in a manger. Memorable and inftructive hiftory indeed! which fhall never be forgotten where the gospel is preached, to the end of time.

Remember, my beloved hearers, though divine sweetnefs and benignity adorned his carriage, though divine

power and energy attended his miniftrations; yet poverty, flander, and contempt were his continual portion; fo that he could fay, in the language of the prophet, "Reproach hath broken my heart :" and again, "The foxes "have holes, and the birds of the air have nefts; but the "Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Some of the ancients have reprefented the Saviour as of extraordinary beauty of countenance and comelinefs of form, founded perhaps on a literal interpretation of that expreffion in the Pfalmift, Pfalm xlv. 2. "Thou art fairer than "the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips; "therefore God hath bleffed thee forever." Without being pofitive, I fhall only fay, that this does not correfpond much with the other circumftances of his incarnation, And indeed fome have fuppofed directly the contrary, founding their opinion upon the language of the prophet. Ifaiah, chap. lii. 14. "As many were astonished at thee;

(his vifage was fo marred more than any man, and his "form more than the fons of men);" as alfo, chap. liii. 2. "For he fhall grow up before him as a tender plant, and "as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor "comelinefs and when we fhall fee him, there is no "beauty that we fhould defire him." Whatever be in

this, it is beyond all queftion, that the whole course of his life, and particularly the remarkable conclufion of it, was one continued tract of fuffering and mortification.

Does not this, Chriftians, bring a reproach upon worldly greatnefs, and ftain the pride of all human glory? Does it not fhow how little it is esteemed of God, and how little it is an evidence of his acceptance or approbation? What an influence muft this have upon the believer to crucify the world? How muft it endear to him a mean and defpifed, and reconcile him to a fuffering state? With what propriety does the Chriftian, when he is baptized in the name of Chrift, renounce the world, its pomps, and its pleasures? Does not a fingle reflection on the de fpifed ftate of our Redeemer, in the days of his flesh, make you patient under contempt, and extinguish the defire of applaufe? Have you any remaining uneafinefs at feeing others getting before you in the career of ambi VOL. I. 3 H