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Show 'lJ?. J668. 1../"'V""'V .Vo.r. . 1. A DISCOURSE Shewing the Nature and Difc~plint 0 F THE ~olp ((rots of ([b~tll : And that The 'Dmyal of SELF, and Daiiy Bearing of Ci!Rtsr's CRoss, is the alone Way to the Reft ana l(jngdom ofG 0 D. To which are added, The Living and Dying T Es T 1M o N 1 E s of many Perfons of Fame and Lea rning, both of .Annem and .Modern Timer, in Favour of this Taarifo. In T wo P A R T S. By W I L L I A M P E N N, Jun. And Jefus f aiJ umo His Difcipler ; If any Man wiD come a fur me, Itt him deny bimJel[. and raM up his CR oss Daily, and foUow me, Luke ix. 23. I bnve fought a good Fight, I have finijhtd my Cuurfe, I have kept rhe Fairb: HeR_cefo~rh there i.r laid up f or me ll CRowN of Righu oufnefs, &c. 1 Ttm.1v. 7, 8. The P R E F A C E. R EAD ER, T H E f!rettt Bujinrfs of Man'r L ife it, to nnfwer the End f or ubicb he L1ver; and t bflr H, To Glorifie God, and S:J.ve his own Soul ' Tkir it the ~uru of Heaven, mold a1 the Wor!rl. But fo it h, t ha.t M~n fl!indet~ nothmg.lift ,than ~~at he jho11ld mo}! mind; and dej'piferb to "!'JUtre ~nto hu own Brmg, 1/t Ongrnal, Dllt} and brd; chujing rt~tber to de~uatr hu Dayr (the Steps be jhould make to Bleffednefs) to grmijie the J>rrde, Avarice, and Lux11ry_ of bit Henrt ; m if be bad hun Born for bita.{ el/, or rather given bimf elf Eking, and fo not fuhjt{i to the Rcdomng anll ju~IIIW Vot.. 1. Judgnltnt o/ a s ·uP._erior Power. To this wild and lamentable Pnf;~ ba~b Poor .Man bro11gbl himjdf, by his Difobedience to the La";'V of<;Jod in his Hearr, by; doing thar which he knows he lbould not do, and le:lVmg undone wh~r he knOW:) he fhou Ld do. lind as long as this Difeafe contimeetb upon Man, be ~i/J mal<e his God his Enemy, and bimfdf uncapahle of tbe Love and Salvation that Hebatbmimifefled byHif Son~ Jtsus CHRIST, to tbe World~ If, Reader, t hou art [11ch an 011e, my Counftl to thee is, To Retire inttJ Thy Self, an.d t~ a vi~w of th: Condition of thy Soul; for Chrifi: ha.rh given thee L1ght n:utb wbuh to do 11: Search care[t~lly and tbroa.eb!y, thy L1fe is upon it; thy Soul is at St.ake. ' Tis bm once t~ be done; if tho1~ abufefi thj Jdf in it, the L ofs is irreparable; rhe World is nor Price enougb to Ranjam thee: Wilt thtJt~ then [or .fucb a Wor/J, be·llltC thy jelj, over·fiay tbs Time of thy Salvatiorl, and lofe t by Soul? Thou hajl to do ( / grant thee) uirbgreat Patience; but that a(fo tnt~fl have an End: Therefore provoke nor t hat Gol that made thee, to re{'e[/ t hee. Dojl thou know what it i1 ? 'Tis Topher, ' ris Hell, the Ererna Anguifh of the Damned. Oh! Reader, a1 orre knowing tbe Terrors of the Lord, I perf wade thee to be Serio11s, Diligent and Fervent about thy own S.dvarion ! Ay, and as one knowing tbe Comfort,' Frace, Joy 6nd Plea.fqre oJ the Wttys of Righteoufi,if• too, I exhort and invite t hee, to embrace the Reproofs and ConviCtions of Chrift's Light and. Spiri t in thine own Confcience, and- bc11r the Judgment, who hajl wro11gbt the Sin. The Fi re burns but rhe Stubble; the Wind blows but the ChafF: field up thy Body, Soul and Spirit, to Him t bttt maknb a/J Things. Nnv; lVeW Heavens and 7\'ew Eartb, New LO'Ve, l\'ew Joy, 1\'ew Peace, New Works, a New Life and Converfation. Men are grown corrupt and -dro.Dj by Sin, and they mujl be Saved througb Fire, which purgeth it away ; rherejore the Word of G 0 D is co1npar'd t o a Fire, and the Day of SJlvatioQ to an Qven, and CHR I ST Himfeif to a Refiocr of Gold, and a Purifier-of Si lv.cr. Come, Reader, hearken to me a While; I feek tby Salvation; t hat's my Plot ; thou wilr forgive me. .A. Refiner is come near thee, His Groct ha_rb appear'd to tbce: It }heros thee t he World's LHfls, and tea~btth tbee.to Depy tb"em. Receive His Leav{n, and it wiU Change ·rbee: His 11-!edicine, and it tciO Cure thee: He is as infalltble ns Free; without Money, and with Ce~ t ainty. A Touch of his Garment did it of Old ; it wiD do it fiiU: Hi~ Vr'rt :tt is the _fame~ it cannot be exboufled: For in Him the Fulnefs dwell!;: B!efJed be God {or Hit Sufficiency. He laid Help upon Him, that He might be 'Mighry ro Save all that come rc God through Him : Do thou [o, and He mi!J rbange 1hee: Ay, tby Vile &dy, like unto His Glorious Body. He is the Gre,ft Philofopher indeed, the Wifdom of God, tb.1t turns L ead into Golp, Vile Things inio Thingt Precio11s: For be mp):(tb Saints out of Sinners, a11d almo!fGods rof Men. What re}ls to 1h· then, .t.bqt we mufl,do, to he rhrls Wit· nejJi1 of Hit Power and Love? This is the C R 0 W N : Bur where ir the C R 0 S S? Where is tbe Bitter. Cup and Bloddy Baprifm? Com(, Reader, be like Him; for this TranJundenr Joy, lifi up thy HetJd above the World j tbtn thj Salvation miD drtrw nigh indeed. . " l Chtill's CROSS, is Chri lt'o Way to Chtilt's CROWN. Thit it the Subjefl of the following Difcourfe; firfl writ dur~ng my ~.onfinentenr in rbe Tower of Londo.n, in the Ye.1r 1668, now Re-prmted wah great Enlarge .. 1f1ent.r af .Motter aud Teflimonit.r, t hat T hou, Reader, may'fl be.tiJOn to Chriit; and if tvon nlready, brought. ntartr to Him. •Tis a Path, G<Jd in His Ever.!. Ia fling KinJ.nifs .t.uided my Feet into, in the Flower of my To11rb, when dbo>tl Two rmd Twenty Tears of Age: Then He took me by the Han_d, tllld 1e4 m1 ~.r~t of the Pleafures, Vanities, and Hopes of the World. I have tdfled 4 Chn/l.r ]lldt;'lfenu. and of Hi.r Mertit-s, and of tbe World's Frowltr and Reproacb~s ~·: I re;oyce in my Experience, and deJicate it to thy Service in Chti.fi .. 'Tu a De~~ I have long Ow'd~ and 1Mt htetllong expe{/ed : I have ~o~ pa1d It, ~n ~ deli vered ~Y Soul. To my C6Jtntry, and to rbe World ofChrijlumr l_Jcovt: If : !!y Gpd, ij He pleaje, make it ejfeU11al to them aU, and turn tberr Heartr /rom tbar Envy, Jlutred dnd Biuernefs, thq btiVe one ttgain~ ~notl•er, aboNt rt.;orldly t bingr; ( S~tcri}icing Hum11nity and C!hrity to A.mbuton and C.ove .. * N n . tolljnefs, ~73 J668 • ~ ,-......, .• |