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Show r668. ~ C"hop.XVI. t.uke 61 22. john 1~. 10. lA'at. to. 37, .~. Luke 12. 32, n,J·MSr36• No c R, 0 s s, Nu C R 0 W N. Divine Re,lltion of Dear Brerbtuz, and Co-{leirs U:-if~ Him of all f.;:pkflid! Httfpinrf3, and a Glr;ribus Immortaltty: Wherefo~e tf Jt be record~, 17Jat rbojt wbo beard not Mofes were to Die, much more they wbo ref~tfe to btar and obey t1Jt 11wcrrs of tbis Great and Eternal Rewarder of a/J tbat Difi. .. gently (cck and fallow liim. • • . , § II. And therefc.re it was that He was ple:~fed to g1ve us, tn Hts own Ex~ ample a Talle of what His Difciples mull expeU co drink deeply of, namelY, 17Je Cup of St!.fDt,lial, C.ruel TIJd'fl and mo[l Bi11cr .JJ.Dhfliom: l-Ie c:~me not to Confecfate a \Vay to the EU'Ilnal R.ell:, through Go/J and Silva, Ribbons, Lacei, Ppi.tJ/11 l'erfJJm~s, Cojlly C!oatbs, Curiom Tri1111, c~dl Drc.lfcs Rich Jerxc!r, P/c,iftmr l~ecreauonr; P,1p, TreaJs, Bt~lh,' A1ajqutr, Revds 'Ro,dncer, Luu(-Song.r, and the like Paltimes of the World: No, no, Alas! 'Bur by forjt~l:ing all fuch Kind of EntenJinments, yea, and fome-times more Lawlul 'Enjoyments too; and chtartully undergoing the Lofs of Jill on the one }\and, and the Reproach, Ignominy, and the moft Cruel Peri(cntion from ungodly Men on the other. He needed .n.evcr to have wanted fuch Variety of Worldly P!c.ifurcr, had they been 1uHable tb the Nature of his Kingdom : For he w:J.s tempted, as are his Followers, with no leiS Bait than Jill tlJe G!oriu of rbe World: But he rh:u commanded to lllat. t6. r9, fuk anotlJtr Cotmtry, ttnd to lay Jtf Treafurer itt the Hcavnu tbttt fade not ~P·32•H· mvay, and therefore charg'd them, never to be much inquifitive about wbat :o)'m. 6• 6• tbry jhould Ear, Drink, or put on, becaufe (faich he) .After tbefc Thing: )tatt.- 31·• the Gentiles, that !mow not God, do fcck; (and Cbrijlians that pretend to tO 19· know Hi1R too) but btruing Food and k.ttim(nt therewith be' trmunt: He, I fay, that enjoyned this DoCtrine, and led that Holy and Heavenly Exam· pie, even the Lord JESUS CHR !ST, bad chem, <hac would be hi; Dif· ciples, .Take up the jlmJC Crifs, add follow Him. §. l\1. 0 who will follow him! Who will be Tcue Chrillians? We mull H'eb. 2. a·o. not think to Steer another Courfe, nor to drink of another Cup than hath. the Captain of our Salv:nion done before us: No, for 'tis the very Q\lefiion he aJked ]a1nes ar.d Jobn, the Sons of Zehcdcc of Old, when they defired to Mat.- 20.' u, fit at His Right and Left Hand in His Kingdom, Are ye able to drink vf tbt 2 3• Otp tbar lpJtl!J drink of, nnd robe B,tptized whh the &tpri[m that 1 am B.~p- V!>j.t. . tized witbal? Orherwife no Difciples, no Chriflilns, lVhoever they are, that would come to Chrift, and be Right Chriftians, muft readily abandon every Delight that would fl:ealaway the AfreE\:ions of the Mind, and oxe~ cife lt from the Divine Principle of Life, am! freely write a Bill of Divorce for every beloved Vanity; and All, under the Sun of Righteoufnefs, is fo, compared with Him. • §. IV. Buc fome arc ready co object, (who will not feem co want ScriP" ture for cheir Luj/1, alchough ic be evidencly mifapplied) The Kingdom af God jlands not in Meats, or in Drinks, or in Apprtrel, &:c. Jinfw. Right; therefore it is that we fi:and out of them. Hut furely, you have the leaR: . Realbn of any to obieE\: this to us, who make thofe Things fo necefi3ry to Converfation, as our not Conforming to them, renders us _obnoxious to your Reproach ; which how Chrifiian, or refembling it is of the Righteou~ ners, P.eace and Joy in wh.ich the Heav~nly Kingdom fiand~, let the Jujl Pnnaple tn your own GJ11jctcnces JerermiR(. Our Converfauon fbnds m Temperance, and that fiands in Rigbtcoufnr(.r, by which we ha\'e obtained tl\at Kingdom, your Latitude and Exce(s have no Share or Imcrefi in. lf Rom.-6'. ;,4', rtbnc therefore can he True Difciples, but they that come tc; bear the D4ily_ i1'h~·,. w. Crofs, and that none bear the ('rors, but thote who Follow the Example of • Pet. 4, 11• t.he Lord Jefus Chrift, through lfis Baptijm, and JJ.ffiiflions and TempltltiTit. 2.' 11. ans; and rb::tt no:1e are fo Baptiz"d wich him, but thofe whofe Minds arc j~?.n\3:9• Retired from the Vanities in which the Generality of the \.Vorld Live, and Rom.6, 6. become Obedient to the Holy Light and Divine Gu1te, with which they have Gal. 2. w. heen Enlightened from on High, and thereby are daily excrcifed to the Cru· ~ 61· 1.1. cify.ing· of every contrary Affc:E\io~ and bringing of Immortality to Ligbt : 2- Ti~.~·llil. If none arc True Difciplcs ,hut tuch, (as moft undoubtedly they are not) •' chen lee c~e People of chefe l'lays a linle foberly refie£1 upon chemfel~~J VoL. I. N• CROSS, No C R 0 wir_ 3611 and tb~y Wi:J CO~cfu~c, That non~ VJho Jiw ant/ de fight in tbefe VaiR Cttjl01111, 1668. A!fd tbu ,Un-Cbrifl-LIRe Converjt~uon, C61f b~ Tru~ Cbrijlit~tu, or Difciples cf ~ the CrM<ifod JESUS: For ocher wife, How would 11 be a Crofs? Or che Cha .XVt Cbntban L1fe Maner of J?tffi~ulty and Re~roach ? No, the Offence of rbe Gal. f. 11• • CrD,{SfJJ()JI/d foon u~ife, wbJCb H the Pomtr of God to rbem that &litve; tb11t t Cor. t. •7~ evtr_y ~ullanJ V:t~mty m•ybe fu_bdNtd,. and tbt Cretltllrt bro11gbt into an Holy 18• SNb]tfil~lf of Mmd to the ~fe.avenly W1!J of it's Creator. For therefore has it beenfa~d,_ Thac Je[t" CbnU was. and is manifelled, chac by His Holy, Self. deny1pg !.ale and Dotlrane, he ruaghc puc a Baflle upon the proud Minds of M.en, an~ by the lmmortal~ty H~ brought, and Dlily brings to Light, He · JTll_ght flam the Glory of therr fadmg Refis and Pleafures; that having their ~~· 27' :,a, Mmd~ weaned from them, a_nd being Crucified thereunto, they might fetk ~nottler Country, 3nd obtatn an Everlafting Inheritance: For the Thin;_s H b thqt IT( fetll tlrt Tem,porai (and. th?fe they were, 3nd all True Chrifii .. t:J~ • 4• ';to ~ns a1e t.O be, redeem d from reihng tn) hut the Thiwgs that are nor ften ore Eu~nal; t~ofe tbey were, and all are to be, brought to, and have rhei~ Af .. 2 Cor. 4• r.; feEhons ch:eHy 6xed upon. •7, 8. . §. V. V. hetefore a True Difciple of jhe Lord Je./tH Cbr,a, is co have hlj Mand fo converfanc ~bouc Heavenly Things, Thac the Thin~• of rhiS ~ orld may be ufed, as 1f they were not: That ha vlng fuch Thmgs as 3re 1\/ceffa.ry and Convement, be be tbertoiuh Conunt. without the S,Jperflulty T" ~ fl ?J the World, whereby the Pleafnre, that in Ttmes of Ignorance was taken 1 Jm. • lD th~ Cuftoms and Faih.ions of the World, may more abund3ntly be fup· phed an <he Hadden and Heavenly L1fe of Je.ftH: For tmle~ there be anabidtng m Chrift, It Will be impo~ble to bring forth that much Fruit which he reoquaes a! .rhe Hands of hts Follo~e~, and wherein His Father is glorified. But as ~t s clear, that fuch. as live 10 the Vanities, Pleafures, Recreations ~nd Lu,~s of the World, a~1tl~ nat.m.Hmt, 11erther know lfmt, (for they that know Htm, depart from Imqutty) folS their abiding and delighting in thofe Rom. S• 6, 7,8. john •1· s, b~wuchtng Follies, th~ very Re.tfon why they are {0 ignorant and infenfible 9f H1m • li1m who conrmuo_Uy jlmuis Anockmt, at JlJ( Door of rberr Henrt1 Rev 3 20.r :m whom they ought t~ ab1de, and whofe Divine Power tl\ey fhould kno~ ' • " to be <he Cro.f, on whach every l>eloved Lull and alluring Vanicy fhould be ~ban and Crucafied 1 chac fo <hey might feel rhe Heavenly Life to fpring up 111 then Hearts, and themfelves ro he quickened to reek the Thmgs that are above; tbat whu1 Chrifl jhaU appear, rhty mtght appear f»Jtb Him in Glory CoL 3· 1, "l~ ubohoveriJ.!J, God 8/effedforever. Amen. 'i:ot... 9.~. CHAP. XVII. |