The crucifying of the world

And as the Cross of Christ is Teaching, so also is it Strengthening. As the touch of his garment stayed the poor woman's issue of blood, so will a touch of the Cross by faith, even dry up the stream of your inordinate affections that have run out after the world so long. When a worldling mourneth over the Dead world as having lost his chiefest friend, the Cross of Christ will cause you to rejoice over it as a conquered enemy, and to insult over the carcass of its vain glory and delights. For its one thing to have an angry God by providence to kill the world to them, and another thing to have a gracious Father by his Spirit to Crucify us to the world, and the world to us, by the changing of our •••imation and affections.

And as the Cross of Christ is Teaching, so also is it Strengthning. As the touch of his garment stayed the poor womans issue of blood, so will a touch of the Cross by faith, even dry up the stream of your inordinate affections that have run out after the world so long. When a worldling mourneth over the Dead world as having lost his chiefest friend, the Cross of Christ will cause you to rejoyce over it as a conquered enemy, and to insult over the carkaise of its vain glory and delights. For its one thing to have an angry God by providence to kill the world to them, and another thing to have a gracious Father by his Spirit to Crucifie us to the world, and the world to us, by the changing of our •••imation and affections.

Set therefore a Crucified Christ continually before the eye of your souls. See what he suffered for your adhering to the creature; and what it cost him to loose you from it, and bring up your souls again to God. Can you still dote upon the world, & entangle your affections in its painted allurements, when you consider that this is the very sin, that killed your Saviour, and which the blood of his heart was shed to cure? Look up to that Cross, and ⟨p. 151⟩see the fruits of worldly love. If you see a man that hath surfeited on unwholesome fruits, lie groaning, and gasping, and trembling in pain, and at last must die for it, you will take heed of such a surfeit your selves. It was we that took a surfeit of the creature, and the Lord that saw there was no other remedy to save our lives, did by a Miracle of mercy and wisdom derive upon himself the pain and trouble, and groaned, and sweat, and bled, and dyed for our Recovery. And will you feed and surfeit again upon the creature?