The crucifying of the world

And as these forementioned Passions in the Concupiscible, so also their contraries in the Irascible, must be Crucified. E. G. 1. A man that is Dead to the world, will not Hate or be much Displeased with those that hinder him from the Riches, or Honours, or Pleasures of the world. He makes no great matter of it, and taketh it for no great hurt or loss. And therefore rather then study revenge, he can patiently bear it: when they have taken away his coat, if they take away his cloak also. He doth not swell with malice against them that stand in the way of his ⟨p. 44⟩advancement, or hinder his rising or riches in the world. He will not envy the precedency of others: nor seek the disgrace or ruin of them that keep him low: No more then a wise man will hate or seek to be revenged of him that would hinder him from climbing up to the top of a steeple, or that will take a stone or • bush of thorns out of his way.

And as these forementioned Passions in the Concupiscible, so also their contraries in the Irascible, must be Crucified. E. G. 1. A man that is Dead to the world, will not Hate or be much Displeased with those that hinder him from the Riches, or Honours, or Pleasures of the world. He makes no great matter of it, and taketh it for no great hurt or loss. And therefore rather then study revenge, he can patiently bear it: when they have taken away his coat, if they take away his cloak also. He doth not swell with malice against them that stand in the way of his ⟨p. 44⟩advancement, or hinder his rising or riches in the world. He will not envy the precedency of others: nor seek the disgrace or ruine of them that keep him low: No more then a wise man will hate or seek to be revenged of him that would hinder him from climbing up to the top of a steeple, or that will take a stone or • bush of thorns out of his way.

2. A man that is Crucified to the world, will not avoid or fly from any Duty, though the performance of it cross his worldly commodity, or hazard all his worldly interest. He seeth not reason enough in worldly losses, to draw him to the committing of sin to avoid them. An unmortified man will be swayed by his worldly Interest. That must be no Duty to him, which casteth him upon sufferings: and that is no Good to him which would deprive him of his sensual Good: And that shall be no sin to him, which seems to be a matter of Necessity, for the securing of his hopes and happiness in the world. Whatever is a mans end, he puts a Must upon the obtaining it, and upon all the Means without which it will not be attained. I Must have God and Glory, saith the Believer, whatever I want: and therefore I Must have Christ, I Must have faith, and love, and obedience, whatever I do. And so saith the sensualist, my life, and credit, and safety in the world Must be secured, whatever I miss of: and therefore I Must avoid all that would hazard or lose them, and I Must do that which will preserve them, whatever I do. The worldling thinketh there is a Necessity of his being sensually happy: or at least, of preserving his life and hopes on earth. But the mortified Christian seeth no Necessity of Living, much less of any of the sensual provisions, which to others seem such considerable things. And hence it is that the same Argument from Necessity, draweth one man to sin, and keepeth another most effectually from sin. He that hath carnal Ends, doth plead a Necessity of the sinful means, by which he may attain them. And he that hath the Ends of a true Believer, doth plead a Necessity of avoiding the same sins, which the other thought he must needs commit. For Heavenly Ends are as much crossed by them, as earthly Ends are promoted by them. We find a rich man in