A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

2. It exhorteth and presseth us to a spiritual Consecration, to give up our selves to Christ. Rom. 12.1. I beseech you, Brethren, by the Mercies of God, that you present your Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable Service. Jesus Christ gave himself as a Sin-offering, and we must give up our selves as a Thank-offering unto God. Now let me tell you, your giving up your selves is a far other manner of giving up, than Christ gave up himself. You never keep your selves so much as when you give up your selves to God: All the receiving is on our part. God would have us give up our Hearts to him; How? that we might be made better. Better be given up to God, than left to our selves. Christ gave up himself to be crucified, but we give up our selves to be glorified. And Jesus Christ gave up himself voluntarily, there was no necessity lay upon him: but woe unto us if we give not up our selves to God, there is a necessity laid upon us; we do but give God his due and his own, but Jesus Christ had power over his Life, to lay it down, and take it up; for he was an absolute Master of his Life: but we are dependant, under an Obligation; therefore our giving is but to make our Relation to God more explicit. And again, Jesus Christ could sanctify himself; he was Priest; Altar and Sacrifice, and brings all out of his own Store; but all we have is from God: it goeth under the name of our Deed; but the Sacrifice, Fire and Altar, all come down from Heaven; yet the Act must be done by us.

2. It exhorteth and presseth us to a spiritual Consecration, to give up our selves to Christ. Rom. 12.1. I beseech you, Brethren, by the Mercies of God, that you present your Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable Service. Jesus Christ gave himself as a Sin-offering, and we must give up our selves as a Thank-offering unto God. Now let me tell you, your giving up your selves is a far other manner of giving up, than Christ gave up himself. You never keep your selves so much as when you give up your selves to God: All the receiving is on our part. God would have us give up our Hearts to him; How? that we might be made better. Better be given up to God, than left to our selves. Christ gave up himself to be crucified, but we give up our selves to be glorified. And Jesus Christ gave up himself voluntarily, there was no necessity lay upon him: but wo unto us if we give not up our selves to God, there is a necessity laid upon us; we do but give God his due and his own, but Jesus Christ had power over his Life, to lay it down, and take it up; for he was an absolute Master of his Life: but we are dependant, under an Obligation; therefore our giving is but to make our Relation to God more explicite. And again, Jesus Christ could sanctify himself; he was Priest; Altar and Sacrifice, and brings all out of his own Store; but all we have is from God: it goeth under the name of our Deed; but the Sacrifice, Fire and Altar, all come down from Heaven; yet the Act must be done by us.