erofs, and follow me, is not worthy of me: He that doth not SERM. carry his cross, and go after me, cannot be my difciple. XXXII. He that doth not willingly take the cross, when it is pre- Luke xiv. fented to him by God's hand; he that doth not content- 27. ix. 23. Greg. Naz. edly bear it, when it is by Providence impofed on him, is Orat. 38. p. nowife worthy of the honour to wait on Chrift; he is not 623. capable to be reckoned among the difciples of our heavenly Master. He is not worthy of Chrift, as not having the courage, the conftancy, the fincerity of a Chriftian; or of one pretending to fuch great benefits, fuch high privileges, fuch excellent rewards, as Chrift our Lord and Saviour doth propofe. He cannot be Chrift's difciple, shewing fuch an incapacity to learn thofe needful leffons of humility and patience, dictated by him; declaring fuch an indifpofition to transcribe thofe copies of fubmiffion to the divine will, felf-denial, and felf-refignation, fo fairly fet him by the inftruction and example of Chrift: for, Chrift, faith St. Peter, fuffered for us, leaving us an oppor example, that we should follow his steps.

ὑπολιμπάν

νων.

13. The willing fufception and the cheerful fuftenance 1 Pet. ii. 21. of the cross, is indeed the exprefs condition, and the peculiar character of our Christianity; in fignification whereof, it hath been from most ancient times a conftant ufage to mark those who enter into it with the figure of it. The cross, as the inftrument by which our peace with God was wrought, as the ftage whereon our Lord did act the last part of his marvellous obedience, confummating our redemption, as the field wherein the Captain of our ò gói falvation did achieve his noble victories, and erect his glo-rea rious trophies over all the enemies thereof, was well af- poft.viii. 12. fumed to be the badge of our profeffion, the enfign of our spiritual warfare, the pledge of our constant adher

ence to our crucified Saviour; in relation to whom our

σαυρό.

chief hope is grounded, our great joy and fole glory doth confift: for, God forbid, faith St. Paul, that I should glory, Gal. vi. 14. fave in the cross of Chrift.

14. Let it be to the Jews a fcandal, (or offenfive to their 1 Cor. i. 23. fancy, prepoffeffed with expectations of a Meffias flourishing in fecular pomp and profperity;) let it be folly to

SERM. the Greeks, (or feem abfurd to men puffed up and corXXXII. rupted in mind with fleshly notions and maxims of worldly

Orig. in

79.

craft, difpofing them to value nothing which is not grateful to prefent fense or fancy,) that God fhould put his own most beloved Son into so very fad and despicable a condition; that salvation from death and misery should be procured by fo miserable a death; that eternal joy, glory, Celf. ii. p. and happiness, fhould iffue from these fountains of forrow and fhame; that a perfon in external femblance devoted to fo opprobrious ufage, fhould be the Lord and Redeemer of mankind, the King and Judge of all the world: let, I fay, this doctrine be scandalous and distasteful to fome persons tainted with prejudice; let it be strange and incredible to others blinded with felf-conceit; let all the inconfiderate, all the proud, all the profane part of mankind openly with their mouth, or closely in heart, flight and reject it: yet to us it muft appear grateful and 1 Tim.i.15. joyous; to us it is sòs Aóyos, a faithful and most credible propofition worthy of all acceptation, that Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave finners, in this way of fuffering for them: to us, who difcern by a clearer light, and are endowed with a purer sense, kindled by the divine Spirit; from whence we may with comfortable fatisfaction of mind apprehend and tafte, that God could not in a higher measure, or fitter manner, illuftrate his glorious attributes of goodness and juftice, his infinite grace and mercy toward his poor creatures, his holy displeasure against wickedness, his impartial severity in punishing iniquity and impiety, or in vindicating his own facred honour and authority, than by thus ordering his only Son, clothed with our nature, to fuffer for us; that also true virtue and goodness could not otherwise be taught, be exemplified, be commended and impreffed with greater advantage.

2 Tim. ii. 11.

Since thereby indeed a charity and humanity fo unparalleled, (far tranfcending theirs who have been celebrated for devoting their lives out of love to their country, or kindness to their friends,) a meeknefs fo incomparable, a refolution fo invineible, a patience fo heroical, were manifefted for the inftruction and direction of men; fince never

were the vices and the vanities of the world (fo prejudicial SERM. to the welfare of mankind) fo remarkably discounte- XXXII. nanced; fince never any fuffering could pretend to fo John ii. 2. worthy and beneficial effects, the expiation of the whole 2 Cor. v. 19. world's fins, and reconciliation of mankind to God, the which no other performance, no other facrifice did ever aim to procure; fince, in fine, no virtue had ever fo glorious rewards, as fovereign dignity to him that exercised it, and eternal happiness to those that imitate it; fince, I fay, there be fuch excellent ufes and fruits of the cross borne by our Saviour; we can have no reason to be offended at it, or afhamed of it; but with all reafon heartily should approve and humbly adore the deep wifdom of God, together with all other his glorious attributes difplayed therein. To whom therefore, as is moft due, let us devoutly render all glory and praise. And,

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in Apoc.i.5,6. his blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Apoc. v. 13. him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON XXXIII.

OF DOING ALL IN THE NAME OF CHRIST,

COLOSS. iii. 17.

And whatfoever ye do in word, or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus,

SERM. WHATSOEVER ye do in word, or deed: A duty we XXXIII. fee the Apostle enjoins us of a large extent, and therefore furely of a great importance; indeed of an univerfal concernment; fuch as muft go along with, muft run through all our words and all our actions. We are therefore much obliged, and much concerned to attend thereto, and to practise it carefully. But firft we must understand what it is; the doing whereof depends upon understanding the fense of that phrafe, (doing in the name of Jefus,) being fomewhat ambiguous, and capable of divers meanings; which both in common ufe and in holy Scripture we find it to bear, different according to the variety of matters or occafions to which it is applied; most of which are comprehended, and, as it were, complicated in that general one, according to which we may be faid to do that in another perfon's name, which we do with any kind of reference or regard to him; fuch as our relations, or our obligations to that perfon do require; and the particular nature of the action doth admit, And according to this acception I conceive it safest and best to interpret Saint Paul's meaning here, fuppofing it to comprehend all the more fpecial and restrained meanings of this phrase, truly applicable to the present matter; of which meanings I fhall endeavour in order to propound the chief; and, together, both to unfold and to inculcate the feveral respective branches of this

duty: yet first of all rejecting one or two, which cannot SERM. well be applied to this purpose.

To do in another's name, doth fometime denote the affuming another's perfon, or pretending to be the fame

XXX!II,

xxvi. 5.

Joh. v. 43.

with him, the very He. So, many fhall come in my name, Matt. xxiv. prophefied our Saviour, faying, I am Chrift: to do thus 5. in Jesus's name, is the part of an Antichrift and an impoftor. That sense therefore hath nothing to do here. Again; to do in another's name, doth often imply doing. alterius loco, or vice; in another's name, or ftead, as a deputy, or substitute; representing the person, or supplying the office of another. So did the Prophets come, and fpeak Jer. vii. 13. in God's name; what they declared, or enjoined, being xiv. 14. therefore said to be declared and enjoined by God him-Jam.v.1 felf: I spake unto you, rifing up early, and Speaking, (viz. Matt. x. 4. by the Prophets, whom he fent, and who are faid to come Ezr. v. 1. and speak in his name.) And thus the Apostles spake in Christ's name: We are ambasadors for Chrift; we pray 2 Cor.v. 20. you in Chrift's ftead, be reconciled. Thus alfo princes govern, and magistrates execute juftice in God's name; Deut. i. 17. whence they are styled gods, as being his lieutenants, adminiftering that judgment which belongs originally and principally to him. Now for this fenfe, neither is it fo proper, or convenient here; it agreeing only to fome particular perfons, and to fome peculiar actions of them; infomuch that others presuming to act, according to that manner or kind, in Jefus's name, shall thereby become ufurpers and deceivers. We (and to us all this precept is directed) fhall heinously transgress our duty, doing any thing thus in his name, without his letters of credence; without being specially called or fent, or being duly by bim authorized thereto,

Thefe and fuch like fenfes the prefent matter doth not well admit: the reft that fuit thereto I fhall with fome distinction in order represent.

Rom. xiii.

4.

Mark ix.

I. To do in another's name fometime doth fignify to do Compare it out of affection or honour to another; for another's fake, because we love or esteem him; v T vóμaτ being equi- Matt. x.41, valent to ἕνεκα τοῦ ὀνόματος, and διὰ τὸ ὄνομα, Thus it is

xxiv. 9. xix. 29.