for our Conformity; and this Mind fhould be in us which was alfo in Christ Jefus. Whofoever therefore will come to him and be his Disciple, muft deny himself. Again, fecondly, Ano. ther reafon obliging to do fo is, becaufe fuch a practice tends very much to God's Honour, and the advancement of Religion. Herein, faith our Saviour, is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, fo shall ye be my Difciples, Joh. 15. 8. Intimating that God's Honour and the intereft of Religion, were promotted by their Obedience. Now the more Difficulty and Reluctancy a Man meets withal in the discharge of his Duty, the more oppofite he finds it to his natural Inclination, his carnal Ease, or his fecular Profit, he does by a refolute Performance of it, give the greater demonftration and teftimony of his Love to God, and his Zeal for Religion; for there are feveral acts of Vertue and Goodness, that fome will do out of a natural kind of a Propenfity, or a Generofity of Temper, or a collateral refpect to Intereft, or a defire of Reputation, and thefe are very commendable and fair Actions, but

yet

yet after all, have not that purity and perfection in them, that other like Actions have, that are performed with greater Struglings and Conflicts, and are more againft a Man's Nature or worldly Intereft. It is obfervable of fome ancient Systems of moral Philofophy, that they contain many good Rules and Precepts of Life, which, if duly practifed, would have gone a great way towards theOrder and good government of the World; but, then, alafs! thofe paffive Vertues that they boasted so much of in Speculation and Difcourfe, were feldom exercised by thofe eloquent Moralifts, and when they were, there was ge nerally a mixture of Pride and Vanity to be difcerned in their Deportment; What fine Harangues do we meet with in the Writings of the Stoicks of Fortitude and Patience, and yet many times when Croffes and Difappointments happen'd, they had not Courage and good Temper enough to bear them; but either laid violent Hands upon themfelves, or elfe got others to rid them of their Troubles, fhewing by a strange kind of Selfdenial, or rather Obftinacy, that it

was

was easier much for them to dye, than to live and struggle with their Misfortunes; but he that was the best Teacher, and came from God, among his excellent Precepts gives us to underftand, that we muft take up our Crofs and not lay it down, fubmit to divine Providence in the disposal of Events, even the most fad and uncomfortable, when his Glory and the fecurity of our Duty requires us.

The greatest Sufferers for Chriftianity, were the greatest Promoters of it, and the Blood of the Martyrs, produced a plentiful Crop in the Field of the Church; thus it is evident how great Reason there is fometimes for the exercise of these paffive Virtues, without which the Gospel had not flourished, and been, as it was, fo fuccefsful in the World. The A poftle obferves, that one confiderable reason why many of the Heathens, among whom he went to propagate the Gospel, did not embrace and receive it, was because he delivered it not in that pompuous dress of Eloquence, that they fo much admir'd: The Greeks, fays he, feek after Wif dom; the Doctrine therefore of St.

Pau

Paal being plain and unaffected, not at all abftrufe and myfterious like their vain Philofophy, was Foolishness to them; and therefore he tells the Corinthians, That not many wife men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble mère called, that is converted, 1 Ep. 1. 16. and how could it be otherwife, when they wanted that Humility and Modefty, which was neceffary towards their Conviction; they were extremely conceited of themselves, stood much upon their Philofophy and Learning, and thought it would be a Difhonour to be drawn off by fuch plain Inftructions, as the Apoftles delivered. And indeed, the want of this Chriftian Virtue of Selfdenial and Humility, is one great caufe of the Ignorance and Infidelity, that now abounds in the World: Men grow fond of their own Judgments, and are ready to disbelieve almoft any thing that they cannot compre.. hend, and afhamed to fubmit their Understandings to others, and unwilling to be contradicted in a be loved Opinion; from whence it comes to pafs, that Religion is often defpis'd,' and God himself dilhonour'd, and Ε them

themselves fatally deceiv'd; fo that what the Apostle elsewhere observes of fuch fort of Men, may not unfitly be applied, to many Sceptical Difputants and unreasonable Men in our Age, believing themfelves to be wife, they become fools.

Again, thirdly, another Reason obliging us to this Duty of Self-denial is, The great Expediency of it

to

our Welfare and Happiness.

There is no doubt I think to be made, That the exercise of Self-denial, is of great Ufe and Benefit to a Man, even in this Life: The restraint and moderation of his Appetite and Affections, conduce to his Satisfaction and Felicity in any Condition; Anger and Fury and Revenge give difturbance to himself, and expofe him to the mifcheivous Effects of that turbu lent Paffion; whereas Meekness and Moderation make all things eafie and fedate about him. Abftinence and Sobriety are the Inftruments of Health, and the natural Prefervatives from many violent Diftempers, and ferve to maintain the vigour of the Mind, and the clearness of a Man's Thoughts: whereas Luxury and Intemperance