SERMON IV.

GAL. 11. 20.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live.

HE that was once tossed in the confluence of two seas, was once no less straitened in his resolutions betwixt life and death.2 Neither doth my text argue him in any other case here: as there he knew not whether he should choose, so here he knew not whether he had. 'I am crucified,' there he is dead; yet I live,' there he is alive again : 'yet not I,' there he lives not; but Christ in me, there he more than lives. This holy correction makes my text full of wonders, full of sacred riddles. 1. The living God is dead upon the cross, 'Christ crucified.' 2. St. Paul who died by the sword, dies on the cross. 3. St. Paul who was not Paul till after Christ's death, is yet crucified with Christ. 4. St. Paul thus crucified yet lives. 5. St. Paul lives not himself, whilst he lives. 6. Christ who is crucified, lives in Paul, who was crucified with him.

See then here, both a Lent and an Easter; a Lent of mortification-'I am crucified with Christ;' an Easter of resurrection and life-'I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.' The Lent of my text will be sufficient (as proper) for this season; wherein my speech shall pass through three stages of discourse: Christ crucified, St. Paul crucified, St. Paul crucified with Christ. In all which, your Christian patience shall as much shorten my way, as my care shall shorten the way to your patience.

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Christ's cross is the first lesson of our infancy, worthy to be our last, and all. The great doctor of the Gentiles affected not to fly any higher pitch. Grande crucis sacramentum, as Ambrose writes: this is the greatest wonder that ever earth or heaven yielded. God incarnate, was μéya μvsýрiov, 'a great mystery;' but God suffering and dying was so much more, as death is more penal than birth. The Godhead of man, and the blood of God, are two such miracles, as the angels of heaven can never enough look into, never admire enough.

Ruffinus tells us, that amongst the sacred characters of the Egyptians, the cross was anciently one, which was said to signify eternal life; hence, their learneder sort were converted to, and confirmed in the faith. Surely, we know, that in God's hieroglyphics, eternal life is both represented and exhibited to us by the cross. That the cross of Christ was made of the tree of life; a slip whereof the angels gave to Adam's son, out of Paradise, is but a Jewish legend; Galatine may believe it, not we.

11 Tim. iii. 16.

we are sure.

But, that it is made the tree of life to all believers, This is the only instrument to scale heaven; never man ascended thither, but by it. By this, Christ himself climbed up to his own glory. Father, glorify thy name;' that is, saith he, 'Lift me up to the tree, not of my shame, but of my triumph.' 'Behold, we preach Christ crucified,' (saith St. Paul,) to the Jews a stumbling-block, to the Greeks foolishness; but to them which are called, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."1 Foolish men, that stumble at power, and deride wisdom! Upbraid us now, ye fond Jews and pagans, with a crucified Saviour; it is our glory, it is our happiness, which ye make our reproach. Had not our Saviour died, he could have been no Saviour for us; had not our Saviour died, we could not have lived. See now the flag of our dear Redeemer, this cross, shining eminently in our foreheads; and if we had any place more high, more conspicuous, more honourable, there we would advance it. O blessed Jesu, when thou art thus lifted up on thy cross, thou drawest all hearts unto thee: there thou leadest captivity captive, and givest gifts unto men.' Ye are deceived, O ye blind Jews and paynims, ye are deceived. It is not a gibbet, it is a throne of honour, to which our Saviour is raised; a throne of such honour as to which heaven and earth and hell, do and must bow. The sun hides his awful head, the earth trembles, the rocks rend, the graves open, and all the frame of nature doth homage to their Lord in

1 Cor. i. 23.

this secret, but divine pomp of his crucifixion. And while ye think his feet and hands despicably fixed, behold, he is powerfully trampling upon hell and death, and setting up trophies of his most glorious victory, and scattering everlasting crowns and sceptres unto all believers. O Saviour! I do more adore thee, on the calvary of thy passion, than on the Tabor of thy transfiguration, or the Olivet of thine ascension; and cannot so feelingly bless thee for Father, glorify me,' as for- My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me: since it is no news for God to be great and glorious; but, for the eternal and ever-living God to be abased; to be abased unto death, to the death of the cross, is that which could not but amaze the angels, and confound devils; and so much more magnifies. thine infinite mercy, by how much an infinite person would become more ignominious. All hosannahs of men, all allelujahs of saints and angels, come short of this majestic humiliation. Blessing, honour, glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever." And ye, beloved, as ever ye hope to make music in heaven, learn to tune your harps to the note and ditty of these heavenly elders. Rejoice in this, and rejoice in nothing but this cross; not in transitory honours, titles, treasures, which will at the last leave you inconsolately sorrowful, but in this cross of Christ; whereby the world is crucified to you, and you to the world. Oh! embrace this precious cross; and say with that blessed martyr, 'My love is crucified.'' Those that have searched

1 Rev. v. 13.

Amor meus crucifixus est.

into the monuments of Jerusalem, write that our Saviour was crucified with his face to the west; which, howsoever spitefully meant of the Jews, (as not allowing him worthy to look on the holy city and temple,) yet, was not without a mystery: 'His eyes looked to the Gentiles,' &c. saith the Psalmist. As Christ, therefore, on his cross, looked towards us sinners of the Gentiles, so let us look up to him. Let our eyes be lift up to this brazen serpent, for the cure of the deadly stings of that old serpent. See him, O all ye beholders! see him hanging upon the tree of shame, of curse, to rescue you from curse and confusion, and to feoff you in everlasting blessedness. See him stretching out his arms to receive and embrace you; hanging down his head to take view of your misery; opening his precious side to receive you into his bosom; opening his very heart to take you in thither; pouring out thence water to wash you, and blood to redeem you. O, all ye Nazarites that pass by, out of this dead lion seek and find the true honey of unspeakable and endless comfort! And ye, great masters of Israel, whose lips profess to preserve knowledge, leave all curious and needless disquisitions, and with that divine and extatical doctor of the Gentiles, care only to know-to preach-- Christ and him crucified.'

By this, though the sum of the gospel, is not the main drift of my text. I may not dwell in it, though I am loath to part with so sweet a meditation. From Christ crucified turn your eyes to Paul crucified; you have read of him dying by the sword; hear him speak of dying by the cross, and see his moral, spiritual, living crucifixion.

Our apostle is two men, Saul and Paul-the

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