fed to God. Call to mind fome of the paffages of fcripture referred to in the preceding difcourfe; particularly the following: 1 John ii. 15. "Love not the world, nei"ther the things that are in the world. If any man love "the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

My dear brethren, there are many who would look with contempt or indignation on those who are guilty of particular fcandalous and difgraceful fins, for example, on a profane fwearer, drunkard, or unclean perfon, while yet they themselves are as much wedded to the world, and have as great an inward averfion at the practice of piety, and the power of the fpiritual life, as any of them all. Other fins are but the body or the members: worldlinefs is the foul and fpirit of irreligion. Other fins are but the acts or expreflions, worldlinefs the inward principle that gives them life.

How important a part this is of the Chriftian character, will plainly appear from thefe' two confiderations: I. Worldlinefs may be itfelf the principle which restrains men from many other fins. A defire of reputation, a delight in the efteem of others, is often the cause of outward decency; nay, it is not feldom the cause of apparent zeal and eminent hypocrify. 2. There may be as great a degree of worldlinefs with, as without a profeffion of piety. Men may retain a form of godlinefs chiefly to fet themfelves free from the reproofs of confcience, that their prefent enjoyments may have the higher relifh. Nay, I cannot help obferving, that though covetoufnefs is one of the grofs fins mentioned in fcripture, as entirely fubverfive of religion, there is fcarcely any fin that can be carried to fuch a degree, without cafting off the profeffion of it.— Hence it plainly appears how important a part of the character of a real Chriftian it is to be crucified to the world. Without this the foundeft principles, and the ftricteft profeffion, will avail nothing; for they that are "Christ's, "have crucified the flesh, with its affections and lufts."

2. From what hath been faid you may fee, not only the importance, but the great extent of the duty. The world itself, and all that is therein, in the sense formerly explained, must be crucified. That you may, in fome

meafure, conceive the extent of this, confider the common divifion of worldly enjoyments, viz. riches, honors and pleafures. All thefe, without exception, and all thefe equally, must be denied by the Chriftian. You fhall often fee, that the covetous man will defpife and hate the prodigal, and even exprefs the greatest zeal against riot and extravagance of every kind. The fenfualift, on the other hand, defpifes the mifer, as glued to the world, and a flave to the most fordid of all human paffions. And the ambitious man, eager in the purfuit of honor and dignity, vainly conceives himfelf fuperior to both. But they are all equally oppofite to, and inconfiftent with the fpirit of the gofpel. If your fupreme delight, if your por tion and happiness is here, it is of little confequence whether your hearts are fet upon "the luft of the flesh, the "luft of the eye, or the pride of life." It is with the foul as with the body: there are many different diseases taking place in different parts, and fhewing themfelves by dif ferent symptoms, but which will equally end in death as their effect.

3. You may hence learn the difficulty of the duty; to be crucified to the world, and yet to live in the world; to be crucified to the world, and yet to poffefs the world; to be crucified to the world, and yet to have a great part of our thoughts and love neceffarily employed about the world. The temptation is ever present, and, through the corruption and treachery of our own hearts, fatally strong. Ought we not hence to infer the abfolute neceffity of continual vigilance, and continual prayer? continual vigilance in our duty, and jealous of every temptation that may be in danger of diverting us from it? continual prayer to the Father of lights, in the name of Chrift, for fupernatural ftrength? Every exercised Chriftian knows from experience the danger of the world as an enemy, and how hard it is to keep fuch clear views of the things of eternity, as to be preferved from an undue and finful attachment to the things of time. The world is dangerous even to those who maintain an habitual jealoufy of it, and hold it as an enemy how much more muft it be ruinous and fatal to VOL. I.

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those who love and profecute it as the object of their chief defire.

4. I fhall now conclude, by improving this subject for the purpose of self-examination. And furely no ferious hearer will be backward to bring himself to the trial. My beloved hearers I fpeak to all of every rank, high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, who profefs to bear the name of Chriftians: Are you, or are you not, crucified to the world, and the world to you? All real believers are fo. If you are not, your riches or your poverty, your honor or your fhame, your regular behavior, or even your zeal for public duties, will avail you nothing in the day of Chrift's appearance. I am fenfible, that the decifion of the queftion, Whether you are, or are not, crucified to the world? may often be attended with no little difficulty, I will therefore, as far as I am able, endeavor to affift you in the trial. For which purpose, I beg your attention to the following obfervations:

1. You are crucified to the world, if you do not habitually allow your thoughts to dwell upon it, and your defires to run out after it. The crofs was an abhorred object, which no body could look upon with delight.Worldlinefs is often as much difcovered by our defires after what we have not, as by the use or employment of what we have. There are many whofe great delight feems to arise from the fond expectations they entertain of worldly happinefs to come: nay, there are many who are fo flothful as not to pursue the world, and yet feed themfelves with the very imagination of it. Their thoughts, and even their language, conftantly runs upon idle fancies, and romantic fuppofitions of the happiness they should enjoy, were they in fuch or fuch a ftate. Now, my brethren, he that is crucified to the world will make confcience of restraining thefe irregular defires; and, from a deep conviction of the vanity of the world, will find little pleasure in the contemplation of it.

2. Your being crucified to the world will appear in the moderation of your delight and complacency in what you poffefs of it. You will not, if I may fpeak fo, give yourfelves up to it, but will always qualify the enjoyment of

it by a reflection upon its vanity in itfelf, and its short duration as to any connexion we fhall have with it. We are ready to pity the weakness of children, when we fee them apply themselves with fo much eagerness to trifles, and fo greatly delighted with their amufements and enjoyments. A parent, looking on them when hotly engaged at play, will be at once pleased to see them happy, and at the fame time filled with a tender commiferation of their want of reflection. Something of the fame view one crucified to the world has of all earthly enjoyments. Many a grown perfon will fmile at the play of children, while he himfelf is perhaps as eagerly engaged in the schemes of ambition, in political ftruggles, and contefts for power; which are often as great trifles as the play-things of children, only that they are the play-things of men.

3. You are crucified to the world if you have low hopes and expectations from it. It is hope that ftirs us up chiefly to action in all our pursuits. And fo long as we entertain high thoughts of what the world will afford us in fome after-season, we are not crucified to it. There is a common proverbial faying, " If it were not for hope, the "heart would break :" juft fo, when our hopes from the world are deftroyed, the heart of the old man is broken. We are exceeding ready to think, that were fuch or fuch a difficulty or uneafinefs removed, could we obtain fuch or fuch an advantage in view, we would be happy. But there is always a deception at bottom. We vainly think, that happiness arifes from the creature; but he that is crucified to the world judges, by past experience, that it hath little comfort to give; and therefore he will place but little dependance upon it.

4. He is crucified to the world who hath truly fubdued all invidious difpofitions towards the poffeffion of it. There are many who feem to have little comfort from their own enjoyments; but there is reason to fear, that it arifes not fo much from felf-denial, as from difcontent. The world may be faid to be crucified to them, but they are not crucified to the world. It is by this that worldlinefs expreffes itself chiefly in the lower rank of life. Those who are obliged to live moderately and hardly, from mere penu

ry, often fhew, by their carriage and language, that they have as much fenfuality in their hearts, as those who indulge their irregular defires to the greateft excefs. But he that is crucified to the world, not only fees all its pomp and fplendor in others without repining, but will often beflow a thought of compaffion upon the great, for the enfnaring circunftances in which they are placed with regard to their fouls. And furely they are of all others most to be pitied. May the Lord, in mercy, convince them of their danger; and, in the mean time, preferve his own people from being led aftray by their influence and example.