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Take up the Cross.

This is designed, as a peculiar favor to Christians, as indeed are all Christ's commands. Miseries are the unavoidable portion of fallen mar. All the difference is, Christians suffer in obedience to the will of God, which makes them easy; unbelievers suffer the same things, but with an uneasy mind.

To follow our own will, passions, and senses, makes us miserable. For this reason, and that we may have a remedy for all our evils, Jesus Christ obliges us to submit our will, our passions, &c. to God.

A good Christian is not one, who has no inclination to sin, (for we have all the seed of sin in us) but one, who, being sensible of such inclinations, denies them continually, and suffers them not to grow into evil actions.

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Every day deny yourself some satisfaction your eyes, objects of mere curiosity; your tongue, every thing, that may feed vanity, or vent enmity; the palate, dainties; the ears, flattery, and whatever corrupts the heart; the body, ease and luxury; bearing all the inconveniences of life, cold, hunger, restless nights, ill health, unwelcome news, faults of servants, contempt, ingratitude of friends, malice of enemies, calumnies, our own failings, lowness of spirits, the struggle in overcoming our corruptions; bearing all these with patience and resignation to the will of God. Do all this, as unto God, with the greatest privacy.

All ways are indifferent to one, who has Heav en in his eye, as a traveller does not choose the pleasantest, but the shortest, and safest way to his journey's end; and this is the way of the cross, which Jesus Christ chose and sanctified to all his followers.

. Matth. viii. 20.

where to lay his head.

The Son of man has not

This should fill us with confusion, whenever we are overmuch concerned for the conveniences of life. Our affections being very strongly inclined to sensible good, for the sake of which we are often tempted to evil, and fall into great disorders, we should resolve to sacrifice our will to reason, and reason to the word of God.

God does not require it of us, that we feel not any uneasiness under the cross, but that we strive to overcome it by his grace.

Virtues of a holy life.

Fervency in devotion, frequency in prayer, aspiring after the love of God continually, striving to get above the world and the body, love of silence andsolitude as far, as one's condition will permit, humility and affability toward all, patience under affronts and contradictions, delight in occasions of doing good, even to enemies, doing the will of God, and promoting his honor to the utmost of one's power, resolving never to offend him willingly for any temporal pleasure, profit, or loss; these are virtues highly pleasing to God.

Self denial does not consist in fasting and oth

er mortifications only, but in indiference to the world, its profits, pleasures, honors, and its other idols.

It is necessary, that we deny ourselves in little things, when conscience, which is the voice of God, suggests it to us, as we hope ever to get the rule of our own will. Say not, it is a trifle, and not fit to be sacrificed to God. He, who will not sacrifice a little affection, will hardly offer a greater. It is not the thing, but the reason and manner of doing it, namely, for God's sake, and that I may accustom myself to obey his voice, that God regards, and rewards with greater degrees of grace."

The greater your self denial, the firmer your faith, and more acceptable to God. The sincere devotion of the rich, the alms of the poor, the humility of the great, the faith of those, whose condition is desperate, contemning the world, when one can command it at pleasure, continuing instant in prayer, even when we want the consolation, we expected; these, and like instances of self denial, God will greatly reward.

They, who imagine that self denial intrenches upon our liberty, do not know that it is this only, that can make us free indeed, giving us the victory over ourselves, setting us free from the bondage of our corruption, enabling us to bear afflictions, (which will come one time or other) to foresee them without amazement enlightening the mind, sanctifying the will, and

making us slight those baubles, for which others so eagerly contend.

Mortification consists in so sparing a use of the creatures, as may deaden our love for them, and make us more indifferent in the enjoyment of them. This lessens the power of concupiscence, which carries us to evil, and so makes the grace of God more effectual to turn the balance of the will.

Carnal man cannot comprehend that God loves those, whom he permits to suffer; but faith teaches us that the cross is the gift of his love and the mark of his children. But, unless God sanctify it by his Spirit, it becomes an insupportable burden, a subject of murmuring, and an occasion of sin.

He, who loveth life, (that is, is fond of it) for the sake of the pleasures and advantages, it affords, will soon lose the love of heavenly things; the love of God, of his soul, and of the duty, he owes to them. He hates life, who does not value it in comparison with eternal life. A Christian gives proof of this by mor tifying himself. Those, whom God loves, he weans from the pleasure of this present life, to prepare them for a happy eternity.

Temperance consists in a sober use of earthly, visible things, and in confining ourselves within the compass of what is necessary.

With God all things are possible.

The Almighty God enable me to conquer the temptatioes of riches, and to rise above the allurements of this present life!

Christian self denial is to resist and crucify in ourselves the spirit ahd inclinations of Adam; of the flesh, its affections and lusts; and to die to our passions, in order to follow the motions of the Spirit.

Fasting is necessary to bring our hearts to a penitent, holy, and devout temper; and to perform the vows, that are upon us.

By fasting, by alms, and by prayers, we dedicate our bodies, goods, and souls to God, in a particular manners aid

THURSDAY MEDITATIONS.

Ephes. iv. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth; but that, which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Ephes. v. 4.

convenient.

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Foolish talking and jesting are not

RESERVE me, O God, from vain conversation Give me grace never to be ashamed or afraid to speak of Thee and of thy law.

Give me a lively sense of the value of reli gion, and make it the delight of my heart; that I may speak of it with judgment, serious. ness, and affection, and at all seasonable times. May that good Spirit, which appeared in the

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