7. There, in Christ crucified, you may behold and see the covenant sealed, and all the promises confirmed, all the promises being yea and amen in Christ.

8. There you may see your reconciliation with God begun, and the day-break of your eternal happiness. "This is ethrnal life to know thee, and him whom thou hast sent."

9. There you may see your right and title unto all your privileges, and the root of all your enjoyments. As the man being shewn a table full of silver, still had his eye under the table to see the root of it; and being led to another table of gold, still he looked under the table to see the root of it. So here, see but Christ crucified, and you see your title to all the ordinances and the root of all your enjoyments.

10. There you may see all your afflictions sanctified, all your curses turned into blessings upon the cross of Christ.

11 There you may see the gates of Paradise opened afresh. "This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," said Christ upon the cross.

12. There you may see the ladder that the angels ascend and descend upon for your ministry, as in the first of John and the last.

13. There you may see your desire upon all your spiritual enemies, law, sin, and Satan. It is not only a promise that you shall have your desire upon your enemies, but you shall see your desire upon your enemies; look upon Christ crucified, and you see your desire upon all these enemies.

14. There you may see the foundation of your union and communion with God the Father.

15. There you may see again, the accomplishment of that great contrivance between God the Father and Christ, in reference to our salvation.

What shall I say, there, in Christ crucified, you may see a full answer to all your wants, to all your fears, to all your doubts. What do you want, but you may see it in Christ crucified? Do you complain of your own unworthiness? Oh, I am a poor unworthy creature; do but look on Christ crucified, you see him suffering without the gates; Why, saith Austin, did he suffer without the gates? not only to fulfil the scripture, " He was numbered among transgressors:" but he suffered without the gates, not in the holy city, because he suffered for the gentiles as well as the Jews;

he suffered for the ungodly, for the unworthy. Now look upon Christ crucified, and there you see him suffering without the gates for the most unworthy.

Or will you instance in your own sin and guilt? why, do but look upon Christ crucified, and you see that sacrifice for sin that the world never saw the like, and that before your sin was committed.

Will you instance in the dominion of sin and your bondage under it? Look but upon Christ crucified and there you see your ransom: "Who himself a ransom for many," in whom we have redemption through his blood.

gave

Will you instance still in your own misery and ruins? Oh, we lie like the ruins of London at this day, in regard of our state by nature: yet do but look upon Christ crucified, and there you shall see the repairer of the breaches, and the restorer of paths to dwell in. Oh, what a blessed thing is it then to have the knowledge of this Christ crucified? Who would not know Christ crucified.

Fourthly, But you will say whether may a man live under the gospel, and not know Christ crucified. We all know Christ crucified we hope, for, is it possible that a man should live under the gospel, and not know Christ crucicified?

Surely it is possible a man may live under the gospel, and not know Christ crucified, as he ought to know; for as in times of the law, some that were in the highest forms did not know God. It is said of the sons of Eli, they were children of Belial, that knew not God, yet priests, men of the highest form, and yet they knew not God. So now in the times of the gospel, men may sit upon the highest form of profession, and yet not know Christ crucified aright as they ought to know. You know how ignorant Nicodemus was, "Art thou a doctor in Israel, and knowest not these things?" How unacquainted was he with Christ crucified? yea, Christ's own disciples before Christ's death, how ignorant were they of a crucified Christ? when he said, " Destroy this temple," in John ii., they understood it not. So that possibly men may live under the gospel, and be in a very high form of profession, and yet not know Christ crucified as they ought to know.

And to clear it to you. If we did know Christ crucified as

we ought to know, why are we not more sensible of our ignorance of Christ crucified. It is both recorded and reported of Bishop Usher, a learned and holy man, that in the midst of all his learning, still he would cry out of his ignorance of Christ. And that we know by experience, grace will make one sensible of the sin that is contrary unto that grace. Faith will make one sensible of one's unbelief, humility will make one sensible of one's pride, sincerity will make one sensible of one's hypocrisy, the knowledge of Christ crucified, will make one sensible of one's ignorance of Christ; yet how many are there that were never sensible of their ignorance of Christ crucified; Why? But because they do not know this crucified Christ, as they ought to know.

If we did indeed know Christ crucified as we ought to know, why are we not more crucified to the world, and the things thereof? Gal. vi. You know what Paul saith," God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the cross of our Saviour Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Did we know Christ crucified as we ought to know, certainly we should be more crucified to the world and the things thereof; but how few even among professors, are crucified to the fashions, ways and manners of the world? And why so? But because few there be that do know Christ crucified in a right manner.

If we did know Christ crucified as we ought to know, then why do we prefer other things before Christ, when they come in competition with Christ? In the general we do choose for Christ, but in time of competition how often do men prefer other things before Christ, and the knowledge of other things before the knowledge of Christ? Truly, saith Paul, "I account all things but loss;" I did account and I do account all things loss and dross and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ; not only loss and dross, but I account them dung, unsavoury. Time was when I gloried in my parts and in my privileges, but now how unsavoury are all these things unto me, in regard of the knowledge of Christ. So Moses chose affliction with the people of God in time of competition. Why? Because he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.

And if we did know Christ crucified as we ought to know,

why do we boggle, startle at, and go back so often from the cross and persecution for the name of Christ, and not rather glory in the excellencies of Christ when they lie under the greatest reproach? The wise men worshipped Christ in a manger. The disciples and children cried Hosannah, to Christ riding upon an ass. Many will honour Christ in a coach, but will not honour Christ upon an ass. Many cry up the kingdom and the government of Christ when he is upon the throne, but not when a crown of thorns is upon his head. Friends, it is one thing to glory in the kingdom and government of Christ when it is under glory, and another thing when it is under reproach. Many there are that glory in the kingdom and government of Christ when it lies under excellency and glory, few that do glory in the government of Christ lying under reproach; and why, but because they do not know this crucified Christ in a right manner.

If we did know Christ crucified as we ought to know, why are we not willing to take and receive all our mercies and blessings in the way that this crucified Christ hath purchased and bought for us? What way is that? Why Christ hath bought them for us in a way of contraries: heaven by the way of hell, mercy by the way of misery; glory and honour by the way of reproach, victory over enemies by being overcome by enemies; Christ overcame the world by being overcome by the world. This is the way that the crucified Christ went; and if in truth we were acquainted with Christ crucified, and did know Christ crucified as we ought to know him, why should we not be contented to take our mercies and blessings in the way that this crucified Christ hath bought them for us? Joy by grief, hope by fear, mercy by misery, and overcoming by being overcome. But oh, how many are there that are unwilling to take these things thus: why? because few there are that do know Christ crucified as they ought to know. But, O friends, shall we live thus long under the gospel, and not know Christ crucified as we ought to know?

But, fifthly, you will say Suppose yet that we do know Christ crucified as we ought to know, what shall we gain or what shall we get thereby? What are the great benefits that we shall obtain or get by knowing Christ crucified in a right manner? Those are many.

Thereby you shall know God, you shall know yourselves, and you shall know men. You shall know God. God is best known in Christ; the sun is not seen but by the light of the sun. Christ (as one speaks) came from heaven with a Bible under his arm, to make known the will of God the Father to the children of men; and, without Christ, there is no knowledge of God the Father; he doth reveal the Father, thereby you know the Father.

And thereby also you know yourselves: for three things are required to the knowledge of ourselves; we must know our sins, our misery thereby, and our inability for to help ourselves. Know but Christ crucified, you know your sins, you know your misery thereby, and you know your inability to help yourselves.

And thereby you shall know men: for the more I know the worth of a man, the more I know him; and the more I know the difference between man and man, the more I know men: know but Christ crucified, and you know the worth of a man; and you never know the worth of a soul, or of a man, but by knowing Christ crucified. Thereby you know, I say, God, and you know yourselves, and you know men.

Thereby you shall have your hearts drawn out and engaged to Jesus Christ: "When I am lifted up, I will draw all men after me." One would think that the scandal of the cross should drive men from Christ, but there is wisdom and power in Christ crucified which draws men unto Christ. Wisdom draws; it drew the queen of Sheba to behold Solomon: a greater than Solomon is here. Love draws; it drew Rebecca unto Isaac. Here is love indeed in Christ crucified. Christ crucified is the most drawing thing in the world; where love and wisdom and power and strength and all meet; thereby, I say, your hearts shall be drawn out and engaged to Jesus Christ.

Thereby also your lusts and temptations shall be fully mortified and subdued. There are three sorts of lusts, "the lusts of the eye, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life," that John speaks of. The devil tempted Adam and Eve by all these, by the lust of the eye they saw the apple that it was fair to look on; by the lust of the flesh that the apple was good to eat; and by the pride of life the devil