Page:Saint's duty in evil times (3).pdf/7

 to teach you his will; he muſt be your ſchool maſter: As prieſt, thro' whoſe ſacrifice only the Father muſt accept you, and who continually makes interceſſion at his right hand for you: And as king, to ſway a ſcepter in your ſouls, to rule you according to his own law, and to caſt down, and to caſt out every thing exalting itſelf againſt his kingdom within you. O take heed to this, ye who regard not his will, ye who give him not a throne in your hearts; without this, ye cannot enter into theſe chambers; and aſſure yourſelves, if he were reigning in you, ye would care more, and contend more for his kingdom without you, and in the world. Take heed to this, ye who care not tho' a tyrant poſſeſs his throne, and as it were, ſpoil him of his princely robes. Take heed to this, ye who ſtand not to hold down his kingdom, by upholding of his enemies. Thirdly, Ye muſt (if ye would enter into theſe chambers) cloſe with all the in conveniences that follow him, his croſs muſt be taken up, Luke 9. 23, 24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himſelf, and take up his croſs daily, and follow me. For whoſoever will ſave his life, ſhall loſe it : But whoſoever ſhall loſe his life for my ſake, the ſame ſhall ſave it. Whatever he calls you unto muſt be embraced; your heart muſt ſubſcrive to the reaſonableneſs and deſirableneſs of every one of theſe inconveniences, but let us change their names, and call them conveniences and chriſtian, advantages, and ſo we may; for they are of ſpecial good uſe to chriſtians; they are a part of the diſcipline of Chriſt's ſchool, and ſome ſay this is David's meaning, Pſal. 116, 13. where he ſays, I will take the cup of ſalvation. That is, as they ſay, the cup of affliction, as that whereby the Lord works the ſavation of his peo-ple; and ſo indeed the cup of affliction may be called the cup of ſalvation. Now that is the way ye muſt enter. Uſe. O come away, let us hear what ye ſay to it. Are ye willing to enter this way? Think upon it. This is the way ye muſt enter; and in our telling of it, we may tremble to think upon this generation, who will not cloſe with theſe (ſo called) inconveniences, we have no ſkill of peoples cloſing with Chriſt, who will not cloſe with theſe. But oh, what ſay ye unto us? What is your reply? Is it not this, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, ſhall be able to ſeparate us from the love of God, which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord? Is this your ſaying? Then come away, take him, take on his yoke; for his yoke is eaſy, and his burden light.