any body elfe does fo in reality. I will therefore endeavor to fhew you, 1. What is not implied in crucifying the world; 2. Wherein it immediately and properly confifts. On the first of thefe, I beg your attention to the following particulars.

1. The world's being crucified to us, does not imply that there is any evil in the natural world, confidered in itfelf, and as the work of God. The whole frame of nature, as it was produced and is preferved by God, and the whole courfe of Providence, as conducted by him, are perfectly faultlefs. We may even fay more, the creation carries on it fuch an image of its Maker, as the materials are able to bear. In this view, it is our duty to look upon the world with reverence, and adore the glory of God in all its parts, from the highest to the loweft. The evil arifes wholly from ourselves, and our difpofition to fin.. When we fay a corrupt enticing deceitful world, it is but another way of fpeaking for the corruption of the human heart.

2. It does not imply that we should undervalue or be infenfible of prefent mercies. Every gift of God is good, if it be received with thankfulnefs, and ufed with fobriety. The more the world is crucified as it ought to be, the more we will difcern the goodness of God, even in common mercies. It is matter of daily experience, and well worthy of obfervation, that thofe who idolize the world most, as an object of finful defire, do ufually defpife the world moft, as the fubject or ground of thankfulness to God. A voluptuous, ambitious, or envious perfon, who pursues the world with eagernefs, and never thinks he has enough, is commonly discontented and unthankful. His eyes are fo wiftfully fixed on what he wants, that he neither remembers nor values what he already has. On the contrary, the felf-denied and mortified Chriftian, though defpifing the world as an object of purfuit, is yet deeply fenfible of the kindness of Providence, in his daily prefervation, or liberal provifion. A mind formed upon the principles of the gofpel, may look down with contempt upon the luftre of a throne, and yet know the value, and feel a fenfe of gratitude in the poffeffion of a crumb.

3. It doth not imply that the world is ufelefs to a believer, even with regard to his fpiritual benefit. It is not only certain that he may have, but that he will have, the fanctified improvement of every state: Rom. viii. 28. "And we know that all things work together for good, "to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." The fame mercies which make a wicked man infolent, make a good man thankful. They also extend his power of doing good to others. You may fee, by our Saviour's advice, how the world may be profitably employed: Luke xvi. 9. "And I fay unto you, "Make to yourfelves friends of the mammon of unrigh "teoufnefs; that when ye fail, they may receive you in"to everlasting habitations." See alfo the account of his procedure at the great day, Matth. xxv. 34-36. "Then

fhall the King fay unto them on his right hand, Come, 66 ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared "for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirfty, and ye "gave me drink: I was a ftranger, and ye took me in: "naked, and ye clothed me: I was fick, and ye visited "me: I was in prifon, and ye came unto me."

4. It does not imply that we ought to retire from the employment or bufinefs of the world altogether. Though there is a manifeft danger in being too much involved in business, as well as too much devoted to pleasure; it is an error, on the other hand, to place religion in voluntary poverty, in monkish aufterity, or uncommanded maceration of the body. This is not doing, but deferting our duty: it is not crucifying the world, but going out of it; it is not overcoming the world, but flying from it.

But let us now confider, directly and pofitively, what is implied in the world's being crucified to us, and we to the world. And that the after illuftrations may be at once more intelligible and more convincing, it will not be inproper to begin by saying, in general, that we must be crucified to the world in thofe refpects in which man, at his first apostasy, fell away to the world from God. While man continued in innocence, the world, which in itself is without ftain, was never put to any but a facred ufe.

It was then a theatre of divine glory, as indeed it is ftill; but not a scene of human guilt, as it is now. It was intended for a place of trial, however, in which man was left to the freedom of his own will; and therefore it was capable of being abufed. Thence came that facrilegious attachment to the world, from which it is fo much our intereft to be effectually delivered. But to explain this matter a little more at large, the world muft be crucified to the believer in the following refpects; which, though I confefs they all come at laft to the fame thing, yet I think it is proper and neceffary to mention diftinctly.

1. As it is the subject and occasion of, or a temptation to sin. It is very plain, that however faultlefs and excellent the whole works of nature and providence are in themfelves, from the corruption of our nature they become the food of carnal affection, the fuel of concupifcence. The very liberality of Providence, and rich provifion made for the fupply of our wants and the gratification of our appetites, becomes a temptation to grofs fenfuality, and criminal indulgence. This is well defcribed by the apostle John, 1 Ep. ii. 16, “For all that is in the world, "the luft of the flesh, and the luft of the eyes, and the "pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." In this view, we ought to hold it in the utmost abhorrence. But how is this to be done? By ferioufly confidering the unhappy and powerful influence it hath in foliciting us to evil. Inftead of being taken with its charms, we ought to dread their force, we ought to be fenfible how unequal we are to the conflict, and how unable, without fuperior ftrength, to keep ourselves from its pollution.

When we fee perfons in honor and power, and are tempted to envy their diftinguifhed rank in life, we ought to consider how naturally exaltation tends to intoxicate the mind, how few are able to bear honor or reputation with humility, and how little reafon we have to confide in our own steadiness and refolution. When we fee the fplendor of a rich and affluent ftate, we ought to confider the strong temptation which commonly arifes from riches, to contempt of God, oppreffion of others, fenfuality of temper, and forgetfulness of eternity. Suffer me, on this fubject,

to make every man his own reprover. How few are there in a rich and affluent ftate, whofe conduct in the application of riches you can wholly approve! Are you not conftantly blaming them for covetoufnefs and oppreffion on the one hand, or prodigality on the other? How is it, then, that you entertain no fufpicion that you yourselves would be led aftray by the fame means? Is not this a ftrange infatuation, and blindness to divine truth, even where every word of the Spirit of God is ratified by daily experience?

When we fee and are tempted to envy the votaries of pleasure, those who live delicately and fare fumptuously every day, we ought to confider what a dangerous enfnaring thing appetite is, how it fteals upon men infenfibly, and at last enflaves them abfolutely; how hard it is for the most cautious to fet proper bounds to it, as well as how dreadful and fatal the exceffive indulgence of it. To crucify the world then, as a temptation to fin, is not to confider its charms by themselves, but always in connexion with their probable effects. This feems to have fuggefted the wife and well-conceived prayer of the prophet Agur, Prov. xxx. 7, 8, 9. "Two things have I required of thee, "deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me "vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches, "feed me with food convenient for me left I be full, and deny thee, and fay, Who is the Lord? or left I be poor, “and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." On the fame thing is founded the advice of Solomon, with regard to the fin of fenfuality: Prov. xxiii. 31. "Look "not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth "his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright."

2. The world muft be crucified to the believer, as it would be his supreme felicity and chief good. This is no otherwise to be diftinguished from the former confideration, than as the general courfe and ftream of our affections dif fers from particular acts of tranfgreffion. It is very neceffary, however, to attend to it; for there are many under the habitual government of a worldly mind, who do not think themfelves, and who perhaps are chargeable with grofs acts of irregularity an 3 F

VOL. I.

bleed inwardly to think, how many of the ordinary profeffors of religion are here included. How many are there, who, if confcience would be faithful, muft confefs, that the favor of God, his worship, his fabbaths, his people, are not their fupreme delight! Yet that this is effential to real religion, or rather is the fubftance of all true religion, I think we have repeated affurances in the holy fcriptures. It is plain from the language of the Pfalmist, Pfal. Ixxiii. 25. "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none

upon earth that I defire befides thee." It is plain from the fum of the moral law, Luke x. 27. "Thou shalt love "the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy "foul, and with all thy ftrength, and with all thy mind; "and thy neighbor as thy felf;" as alfo from that trying paffage, Matth. x. 37. "He that loveth father or mother "more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth "fon or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.”

Take heed then, my brethren, to this important truth. If the world would keep its diftance, fo to speak, it might be esteemed, and ufed, in its proper place, and to its proper end; but if it will needs pretend to be what it is not, and to promise what it cannot give, we must take it for a deceiver, and hold it in deteftation. Your Maker formed you for his own glory: He muft be the reft and confolation of your fouls, or they never fhall have reft; he must be their happinefs, or they fhall be miferable for ever. But if the world would feem to be your home, if it promiseth you content and fatisfaction, if the poffeffion of it is the ultimate end at which you aspire, fo that you do not heartily, and with affection, look any further, it is ufurping its Creator's throne; and therefore down with the idol, and tread it in the duft.

Is not this the great queftion with regard to us all, Whether the objects of faith, or of fenfe, things present or things to come, God or the world, has the poffeffion of our hearts? A believer who will thankfully receive and use the bleffings of a prefent world for their proper end, will notwithstanding hold it, and all its poffeffions, in the higheft degree of contempt, when compared with the one thing needful. He will fay, from the bottom of his heart, in the