[2.] We are said to follow Christ when we imitate his example ; as 1 Cor. xi. 1, ' Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.'
From the words thus explained, three points of doctrine may be gathered —
(1.) In order to eternal life, it is required that a man should not only sell all and give to the poor, but that he should follow Christ, or enter himself as one of his disciples.
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(2.) Whosoever entereth himself as one of his disciples, and gives up his name to Christ, must follow him or imitate his example.
(3.) All those that would follow Christ must prepare their shoulders for the cross.
Doct. 1. In order to eternal life it is required, not only that a man should sell all and give to the poor, but that he should follow Christ, or enter himself as one of his disciples.
Here I shall inquire what it is, -and why it is necessary.
First, What it is to enter ourselves as one of Christ's disciples ? I shall lay no other duty upon you than what you are engaged unto by your baptism ; therefore I shall only explain what your baptism binds you to, which is a bond upon you to enter yourselves as Christ's dis- ciples. It is a renouncing all other lords and masters, a choosing Christ, and believing in him alone for salvation, and a resigning up ourselves to do his will.
1. A renouncing all other lords and masters which are opposite to Christ, viz., the devil, the world, and the flesh. The devil : Col. i. 13, ' Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath trans- lated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.' Before there is any entrance into the kingdom of Christ there is a translating from the power of darkness ; that I take to be the power of the devil. The world : Gal. vi. 14, ' The world is crucified to me, and I unto the world.' Then for the flesh : Eom. viii. 12, ' We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. ' In our natural state we are under the power of all these three, as it is set forth : Eph. ii. 2, 3, 'Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of dis- obedience ; among whom we had all our conversation in time past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind.' There are all the three enemies of our salvation that must be renounced mentioned. There is the custom and corrupt course of the world. Alas ! the generality of the world live a sensual, flesh-pleasing life, that was their rule ; and the prince of the power of the air, that was their guide ; and the flesh, or the bent of corrupt nature, that was their principle. While we are in our corrupt state, the devil hath power to rule us, and the example and common customs of the world doth encourage us, and corrupt nature within doth strongly urge us to sin against God. And therefore, when we do indeed enter ourselves the disciples of Christ, these enemies of his and ours must be re- nounced, that we may have another rule, another lord, and another principle. Another rule, which is the law of God; another Lord, which is Jesus Christ ; another principle, which is the Spirit of Christ dwelling and working in us. There must be first an emptying of heart before it can be filled with grace. There must be a dispossessing of those strong and cursed inmates that have such hand and power over us, that Christ alone may rule and govern us.
2. There must be a believing in Christ, or a resting upon him alone for salvation. When the eunuch ofi'ered himself to be baptized, Philip tells him, ' If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest ; and he answered, and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,' Acts viii. 37. Faith in the Son of God is the great qualification necessary
4S4 SEKMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. VII.
to Christ's disciples, that as they forsake the devil, the poraps and vanities of the world, arnd the inclinations of the flesh, so they may cleave to him alone as Lord and Saviour, to give repentance and re- mission of sins to his people : Acts v. 31, ' Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.'
3. It is required that we resign up ourselves to do his will, and walk according to his directions, if we would he Christ's disciples ; for other- wise we do hut give him an empty title, and we may as much mock him as the Koman soldiers did, that put a robe upon him, and cried, ' Hail, king of the Jews.' When we cry him up as our Lord and Saviour, and do not resign up ourselves to his use and service, we mock him as they did. Take three scriptures to prove this : Luke vi. 46, ' Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say ? ' Cui res nomini suhjecta oiegaiur, is nomine illuditur — Tertullian. It is a mockage to give Christ a title, and deny him the duty which belongs to it. The greatest part of the christian world live in a bare outward profession of Christ's name, without any care and conscience to walk answerably ; they seem to have renounced the devil, the world, and the flesh, but their hearts are in a secret league with them still ; they call Christ Lord and Saviour, but do not rest upon him for salva- tion, nor obey him, therefore this will be of no use to them as to eternal life. So Mat. vii. 21, ' Not every one that saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father that is in heaven.' Though we profess Christianity, and seem to have a great respect to Christ's memory, yet without the practice of faith and obedience, we shall have no benefit by Christ, and shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who, being condemned by the law, fly to Christ by faith, and study to bring forth the fruits of newness of life, shall be saved by him. Again, John viii. 31, ' If 3'e continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.' There are disciples in name, and there are Christ's disciples indeed, such as are so in truth, life, and practice. Whatever privileges men may have by their outward profession and show, yet they have no ground of solid comfort till they persevere to walk according to Christ's direction, and continue in his word. Thus when we renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, and cleave to Christ as prince and saviour, and resign up ourselves to his use, when this is done in reality, then do we enter ourselves indeed to be his disciples. This is im})lied in our baptism, as in the primitive times, when they did uvadefiaTi.^€iv eavrov^ tm Gecp (as Justin Martyr phraseth it), they did solemnly renounce Christ's enemies, and profess to choose him for their Lord and master, and yielded up themselves to be guided by him in his own way to heaven. And the apostle telleth us, 1 Peter iii. 21, ' Baptism saveth us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God ; ' that is, an hearty acceptance of God's offers, and an engagement in his strength to do his commandments.