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CHAP. VI.

Christianity calleth all Men to a State of Self-denial and Mortification.

HRISTIANITY is a Doctrine of the Cross, that teaches the Restoration of Mankind to the Favour of God, by the Death and Sacrifice of Jefus Chrift.

THIS being the Foundation of the Christian Religion, it fhews us, that all Perfons who will act conformably to the Nature and Reason of Chriftianity, must make themselves Sufferers for Sin.

FOR if there is a Reafonableness between Sin and Suffering, every Christian acts against the Reason of Things, that does not endeavour to pay fome part of that Debt which is due to Sin.

INDEED it would be ftrange to fuppose, that Mankind were redeemed by the Sufferings of their Saviour, to live in Eafe M 3

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and Softnefs themfelves; that Suffering fhould be the neceffary Attonement for Sin, and yet that Sinners fhould be excufed from Sufferings.

SUCH an High Prieft became us, fays the Apoftle, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, feparate from Sinners.

Now if the Holiness of Chrift rendered his Sacrifice acceptable to God, does not this teach us that we muft labour to be holy in order to be accepted of God?

BUT is there not the fame Reafon, and the fame Example in the Sufferings of Chrift, if they made God more propitious to Sin, muft we not as well take this Way of Suffering, to make our felves fitter Objects of Divine Pardon?

THERE is therefore the fame Reason in the Nature of the Thing, for us Sinners to endeavour to conform our felves to the Sufferings, as to labour after the Holiness of Chrift; fince they both jointly confpired to recommend the great Attonement for Sin, and must jointly confpire to render us proper Objects of the Benefits of it.

NOR is the finless State of Christ a better Reafon for us to avoid and flee from Sin, than his fuffering State is a Reason for our renouncing all Softness and Indulgence in Pleasures.

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HAD Chrift wanted either Holiness or Sufferings, his Sacrifice had been wanting in an effential Part. If therefore we think to be accepted of God by Holinefs, without Suffering, we feem to contradict the Nature of our Religion as much, as if we thought to be accepted through Sufferings without Holiness.

IT may perhaps be faid, in the Words of our Liturgy, That Chrift having by his one Oblation of himself once offered, made a full, perfect, and fufficient Sacrifice, Oblation, and Satisfaction, for the Sins of the whole World, that Chriftians have no Occafion to make any Suffering for Sin.

To this it may be answer'd,

THAT the Sacrifice of Chrift is full and fufficient, firft, as it takes away the Neceffity of all the legal Sacrifices: Secondly, as it has no Need to be repeated again: And thirdly, as it fully reconciles God to accept of us upon the Terms of the New Covenant.

Now there is no Occafion to fuffer for Sin, in order to make the Sacrifice of Christ more compleat, or to add a farther Value to the Attonement for Sin; but then it is to be confidered, that if Self-fuffering for Sin be a good and reafonable Duty in it felf, and proper for a Sinner, that the Fulness of Chrift's Sacrifice has no more taken

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taken away the Neceffity of it, than it has taken away the Neceffity of Humility, or other Virtue.

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CHRIST is as well faid to be our Sanctification, our Holiness and Righteousness, as our Attonement for Sin, yet we fhould much mistake the Scripture, if we fhould think, that because he is our Holiness, therefore we need not endeavour to be Holy our felves.

YFT this is as good a Conclufion, as to imagine, that we need not fuffer for our Sins our felves, because Chrift's Sufferings are a full Attonement for Sin.

FOR they are no otherwise a sufficient Attonement for Sin, than as Chrift is our fuffi cient Holiness, fo that we may as well truft to his Holiness, without labouring to be Holy ourselves, as truft to his Sufferings, without making our felves alfo Sufferers for Sin.

Let it now therefore be observed, that were there no particular Precepts or Doctrines, that exprefly called us to a State of Self-denial, and Self-fuffering, the very Nature of Religion, is an undeniable Argument, that the Way of Suffering, is the right and certain Way for Sinners to find God more Propitious to their Sin.

HE that can doubt of this, muft fuppofe, that God required a Way of At

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tonement in Jefus Chrift, that had nothing of Attonement in it; for if it had, it must be undeniable, that all, who, as far as their Natures will allow, conform themselves to the Similitude of Chrift's Sacrifice, must make themselves more acceptable to God.

THAT Chrift's Sufferings have not made all other Sufferings for Sin needlefs, is plain from hence, that all Chriftians are still left fubject to Death. For furely it may with Truth be affirmed, that Death is a Suffering for Sin.

Now fince all Chriftians are to offer up their Bodies at Death, as a Sacrifice or Suffering for Sin, this plainly teaches us that a State of Self-denial and Suffering is the proper State of this Life. For furely it must be proper to make every Part of our Life fuitable to fuch an End.

DOES God unmake us, and dafh our very Form into pieces? and can we think that a Life of Pleasure and Self-indulgence, can become us under fuch a Sentence?

WHAT plainer Proof can we have, that we are devoted Sufferers for Sin, than that we are devoted to Death? for Death hath no place in a State of allowed Pleafure and Enjoyment. When the Suffering for Sin is over, there will be no more Death; but fo long as Death lafts, fo long are all Beings that are fubject to Death, in a State

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