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Christ's Cross, is Chrift's way to Chrift's Crown. This is the fubject of the following difcourfe; firft writ during my confinement in the Tower of London, in the year 1668, now reprinted with great enlargements of matter and teftimonies, that thou, Reader, mayest be won to Chrift; and if won already, brought nearer to him. It is a path, God in his everlasting kindness guided my feet into, in the flower of my youth, when about two and twenty years of age: then he took me by the hand, and led me out of the pleafures, vanities, and hopes of the world. I have tafted of Christ's judgments, and of his mercies, and of the world's frowns and reproaches: I rejoice in my experience, and dedicate it to thy fervice in Chrift. It is a debt I have long owed, and has been long expected: I have now paid it, and delivered my foul. To my country, and to the world of chriftians I leave it may God, if he please, make it effectual to them all, and turn their hearts from that envy, hatred and bitterness, they have one against another, about worldly things; (facrificing humanity and charity to ambition and covetousness, for which they fill the earth with trouble and oppreffion) that receiving the fpirit of Christ into their hearts, (the fruits of which are love, peace, joy, temperance and patience, brotherly kindnefs and charity) they may in body, foul and fpirit, make a triple league against the world, the flesh and the devil, the only common enemies of mankind; and having conquered them through a life of felf-denial, by the power of the Crofs of Jefus, they may at laft attain to the eternal rest and kingdom of God.

So defireth, fo prayeth,

friendly Reader,

thy fervent christian friend,

WILLIAM PENN.

of the Lord, I perfuade thee to be ferious, diligent, and fervent about thy falvation! aye, and as one knowing the comfort, peace, joy and pleasure of the ways of righteousness too, I exhort and invite thee, to embrace the reproofs and convictions of Chrift's light and fpirit in thine own conscience, and bear the judgment, who haft wrought the fin. The fire burns but the stubble; the wind blows but the chaff: yield up thy body, foul and spirit, to him that maketh all things new; new heavens and new earth, new love, new joy, new peace, new works, a new life and converfation. Men are grown corrupt and droffy by fin, and they must be faved through fire, which purgeth it away; therefore the word of God is compared to a fire, and the day of falvation to an oven; and Chrift himself to a refiner of gold, and purifier of filver.

Come, Reader, hearken to me a while; I feek thy falvation; that is my plot; thou wilt forgive me. A refiner is come near thee, his grace hath appeared to thee it fhews thee the world's lufts, and teacheth thee to deny them. Receive his leaven, and it will change thee; his medicine, and it will cure thee: he is as infallible as free; without money, and with certainty. A touch of his garment did it of old; it will do it ftill: his virtue is the fame, it cannot be exhausted; for in him the fulnefs dwells: bleffed be God for his fufficiency. He laid help upon him, that he might be mighty to fave all that come to God through him: do thou fo, and he will change thee: aye, thy vile body like unto his glorious body. He is the great philofopher indeed, the wifdom of God, that turns lead into gold, vile things into things precious: for he maketh faints out of finners, and almoft gods of men. What refts to us then, that we must do, to be thus witneffes of his power and love? This is the Crown: but where is the Crofs? Where is the bitter cup and bloody baptifm? Come, Reader, be like him; for this tranfcendent joy, lift up thy head above the world; then thy falvation will draw nigh indeed.

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§. 1. Of the neceffity of the cross of Chrift in general; yet the little regard chriftians have to it. §. 2. The degeneracy of Christendom from purity to luft, and moderation to excefs. §. 3. That worldly lufts and pleasures are become the care and study of chriftians, fo that they have advanced upon the impiety of infidels. §. 4. This defection a fecond part to the Jewish tragedy, and worse than the firft: the fcorn christians have caft on their Saviour. §. 5. Sin is of one nature all the world over; finners are of the fame church, the devil's children: profeffion of religion in wicked men, makes them but the worse. §. 6. A wolf is not a lamb, a finner cannot be (whilft fuch) a faint. §.7. The wicked will perfecute the good; this falfe chriftians have done to the true, for non-compliance with their fuperftitions: the ftrange carnal measures falfe christians have taken of chriftianity; the danger of that felf-feduction. §. 8. The fenfe of that has obliged me to this discourse, for a diffuafive against the world's lufts, and an invitation to take up the daily cross of Chrift, as the way left us by him to bleffednefs. §. 9. Of the self-condemnation of the wicked; that religion and worship are comprised in doing the will of God. The advantage good men have upon bad men in the laft judgment. §. 10. A fupplication for Chriftendom, that she may not be rejected in that great affize of the world. She is exhorted to confider, what relation fhe bears to Chrift; if her Saviour, how faved, and for what: what her experience is of that great work. That Chrift came to fave from fin, and wrath by confequence; not fave men in fin, but from it, and fo the wages of it.

§. I. THOUGH the knowledge and obedience of •TH

the doctrine of the cross of Chrift, be of infinite moment to the fouls of men; for that is the only

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