to be built upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Isid Osir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simpl. in Epictet c. 34. whether there were two first Principles the one of good the other of evil which was the most ancient and universal opinion as Plutarch tells us or whence else those lapses and errours of the humane Soul should proceed whence it was that the brutish part had enslaved the rational and the sensitive appetite broke loose from the governing power They knew not the head of this over-flowing Nile but found themselves involved in the Inundation whilst their understandings reasoned tolerably well of Vertue their inclinations engaged them powerfully in Vice So that either despairing of liberty they tamely yielded to the torrent of inclination and custom or else with great perplexity but little success strove against the mighty stream and in so great a streight as was natural look'd up to God Plutar. de superstit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is the hope of Vertue but not the Patron of Sloth and Cowardize Although they sometimes magnified humane nature yet experience of their own infirmity at other times extorted this confession from them that a divine impulse was necessary to make a Man truly great and good Nunquam vir magnus sine divino afflatu Cicero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag Aur. Carm. and that there is something divine in holy men that informs and guides them Which differs but little from that of St. John 1 Ep. c. 2.20 Ye have an unction from the holy one and know all things But the knowledge of their remedy was not equal to the sense and pressure of their Disease they could cry out with St. Paul Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me but could not answer with him I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the Redeemer of the World who by a divine strength hath relieved the weakness of Man and by the law of the spirit of life Rom. 8.2 made them free from the law of sin and death The Sun of Righteousness just before his rising upon the benighted World had emitted some twilight Rayes into the darkness of it by raising up some eminent Philosophers Preachers of Righteousness to check the superstition and madness of the Priests and to scatter some rayes of knowledge among the people thereby to prepare the way to the Eternal Word who was to bring with him the treasures of divine Knowledge and Wisdom But when this glorious Sun was risen he not only shed a divine light but quickening heat and influence upon the benummed and frozen World. He revived the dead restored the languishing redeem'd the Captive and enabled Slaves to break off their Fetters Joh. 8.36 and those whom the Eternal Truth set at liberty were free indeed He plentifully poured out that Spirit that rested on himself even the Spirit of wisdom and understanding Isa 11.2 of counsel and might of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. By the miraculous effusion of the Holy Ghost he awaken'd the stupid World and called them into his Church an unconquerable never-failing Principle of Eternal Righteousness By the abounding of this grace he hath provided Rom. 5.21 that as sin hath reigned unto death so righteousness may now reign unto Eternal Life The Gospel preached in the demonstration of the Spirit made a speedy and wonderful reformation in the understandings tempers and lives of Men and yielded a most powerful conviction that God was both able and willing to restore his lost Image in them And all the treasures of this divine Spirit are promised to those that humbly ask and are willing to receive them The Conscience therefore awakened by the light of Truth is no longer amazed or distracted but confiding in the divine aids and strengthened with his Heavenly Grace pursues its conflict with the Flesh to a compleat Victory Every good motion is from the same Spirit of Truth and Grace which hath made such admirable Conquests over Ignorance and Lust and he that hath the same Principle in himself can't but have a good hope of the same blessed Fruits The Soul that feels a divine strength cannot but expect from the same Fountain a constant supply and thus united to God in the same design of restoring his Image and animated with the holy Spirit can't fail to master all opposition for greater is he that is in us than he that is in the World. This therefore is the Foundation on which Christs Kingdom of Righteousness and Grace is built viz. Faith establishing the heart by a full and certain perswasion of these Fundamental Points viz. That God is Reconciled and Pardon and gracious acceptance sure to returning Sinners That a future Judgment and Eternal Life and consequently the difference of moral good and evil are indisputably certain and unquestionable realities That there is but one God the Creator of all things and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the only object of worship and Fountain of Blessing whom we must glorify in and worship through as he blesseth us by the Eternal Word and Spirit That the true service of God consists in the imitation of him of which the Life of Jesus is our Pattern that such Holiness is indispensibly necessary certainly practicable and can never fail of the divine acceptance That the corruption of nature and the power of inclination and custom are infallibly conquerable by the grace of God and God most ready to prevent and follow us with his grace and that he will never fail to assist and prosper our endeavours till they are crowned with Everlasting Success This is the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon these fundamentals of religious Belief must the Superstructure of Holiness and Happiness be raised and built Now Christians even of the meanest Capacities believing Jesus to be the Son of God and receiving that account the Evangelists give of him have thereby most evident demonstration lively perswasion and certain knowledge of these fundamental truths such as the most learned Philosophers could not attain unto and the generality of the World were extreamly far from This Foundation being laid sure God having made Faith of these truths to all men in a most easy and certain way and most powerfully and solemnly attested them by the miraculous effusion and demonstration of the Spirit that which remains for restoring Religion and Man for perfecting the Kingdom of Christ is to build upon this holy Faith the true Image of God and Spirit of Holiness to pluck up those prejudices that debauched Mens minds the Sources and Tap-roots of false Religion and to inculcate those truths which contain the true Spirit and Genius of pure and undefil'd Religion With this design the Doctrine and Life of Jesus travail viz. to introduce amongst his Followers that excellency of Spirit that was in himself which is the true Image of God the glory and the perfection of Man. And as this spirit
the glory of the Gentâ—â—… and whom the Seas and Wind and ll things obey'd he having all Power in Heaven and Earth What can we possess of comparable value to all this or what can we contrive or bring to pass comparable to the undertaking of Christ and the great design of his Doctrine and Miracles of his Life and Death But we have much more reason to be humble for whereas the great indowments of Jesus were not blemish'd with any fault of his we have nothing but folly and shame to call our own Repentance is our best Wisdom and that is a conviction of Sin and Folly and yet we are unsteady in our Repentance and frequently depart from our better purposes and have reason to blush and be humbled for so doing Besides it was the Wisdom and Perfection of Jesus that kept him from being cheated or imposing on himself Pride is all errour and delusion but humility is truth 'T was humility that made all his other excellencies illustrious and render'd him at once highly beloved of God and Men. And from his Example we learn that he that humbleth himself shall be exalted for we see Jesus for his humility exalted to the right hand of God and Crown'd with glory and honour Lastly As for particular relative Sect. 6 Virtues Christ indeed did not enter into all Relations but his Example was sufficiently compleat without it He intended us a pattern in special of the most eminent Virtues and most difficult to our frail and corrupt natures of substantial and zealous Piety universal and fervent Charity generous contempt of the World invincible Fortitude and gentle and self-denying Meekness and Humility and he that follows him thus far will need no farther instruction but may easily become his own guide He in whom Christ is thus formed will certainly adorn every relation and excel in it 'T will be natural and easy for him to conceive what the holy and charitable the meek and lowly Jesus would have done in such circumstances if he had entred into them and then he hath his pattern to go and do likewise Nor yet are we without the Example of Jesus for our direction in several instances of this sort His subjection to his Parents is upon record and his tender care of his Mother even in his last extremities making provision for her on the Cross by recommending her to the care of his beloved Disciple Joh. 19.27 His quiet subjection to Governours when unjustly prosecuted by them His pious care for the instruction of his Family and training them up in Religion and Piety But as I said before he that hath received the Spirit of Christ will not fail to express it in every condition and he that acts by the measures of Piety and Charity Purity and Humility shall discharge himself of the duty of every relation and be a true Follower of Jesus in it This therefore may suffice for an extract of the Life of Christ as a perfect unparallel'd pattern of all Holiness Virtue and Goodness that which follows is That we apply the Light of this Illustrious Example for our instruction in the absolute necessity genuine nature due extent and admirable excellency of true Holiness and the Christian Life CHAP. IV. The particular instruction we reap from the Life of Christ THE Life of Jesus consider'd as Sect. 1 our Example doth fully inform and perswade us First Of the absolute necessity of holiness in order to the Vision of God and that the undertaking of Christ for us will no farther avail us than as we are made partakers of his Spirit and do copy out the Excellencies of his Life 'T was a design worthy of the Son of God to plant and restore Holiness in the World by his Doctrine and Example by his Life and Death by all that he said and did to minister instruction and help thereunto and to bind it upon us with such sacred Obligations and fast ties as are not easily to be broken It is true that Holiness in general that Piety Justice Charity Sobriety in particular do attract us with their native Beauty and proper lustre we can't but discern the necessity of these Virtues to the perfection of our nature to the attainment of Peace and Happiness to the good and welfare of Society and to the rendring us capable of injoying God. But because the voice of reason is too faint and low and its representations too languid and feeble to be much regarded in the croud and noise of impetuous Lusts and Passions and authority example and custom false notions and prejudices and levity of mind oppose themselves strongly to the dictates of Conscience and endeavour to hide the shame and abate the folly and absurdity of Vice Behold therefore God hath spoken from Heaven to awaken our drowsy Faculties and sent his Son to shew us the only way thither We may now be infinitely certain that there is no entring into the glory of God by any other path than that which Jesus walk'd in that we can become the Children of his love no other way than by being conformed to the Image of his dear Son that we are not capable in this life of any greater good than to have Christ formed in us for this was God's ultimate design in giving his Son to us that we through him might be made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.3 What a veneration for Religion and love of Holiness should this consideration beget in us that it is the best thing we are capable of the sum of all God's merciful and kind intentions towards us that best of Gifts which the charitable Jesus by his Incarnation Life Death Resurrection Ascension by all that he hath done or shall do for us to the end of time doth aim to bestow upon us to indow us withal What a foolish and wretched judgment do we then make if in opposition to the Wisdom and goodness of God we prefer Lust and Folly and sensual delights What divine Light and Grace do we resist and despise if we still abide in darkness continue in sin And how foolish false and insignificant are all our pretences to be Christians whilst we are led by another spirit than that of Christ and follow any Example sooner than his For this is to reflect upon the Wisdom of God and to despise his Grace to reject his counsel for our Salvation and to judge our selves unworthy of Eternal Life Secondly From the Life of Christ Sect. 2 consider'd as our Copy and pattern we are infallibly informed wherein pure and undefiled Religion doth consist or what are the things undoubtedly pleasing unto God. The Life of Christ was designed to be a perfect and unerring Example such as the World needed but never had before nor should receive again There can therefore be no heights nor degrees of perfect goodness which his Life was a stranger to But from his practice we learn what are the things most agreeable to the mind of God
most powerfully and indispensably to be followers of him in the Excellencies of his Spirit and of his Conversation God gave his Son to be the Light of the World not only by the Introduction of more excellent Rules of Life but also by the lustre of a great Example and his purpose and decree was that we might thereby be conform'd to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 Therefore Jesus hath commanded us to learn of him Matth. 11.29 and he that saith he abideth in him ought himself to walk as he also walked 1 Joh. 2.6 the sum of our Christian Profession and Duty is to put on Christ Rom. 13.14 i. e. to imitate the whole Body of his Sanctity to bear the Image of the Heavenly to resemble our Lord and Master in the Excellencies of his Spirit and in the actions of his holy Life And this was the end not only of his Life but his Death too he suffer'd for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 His Blood was the expiation of our Sin but his Death too was a great Example of Self-denial and Charity of Constancy in the truth of resignation to God of Patience and Meekness and other suffering Graces and the design was to reconcile our wills as well as our Persons to his heavenly Father 'T is of great use to us to have a living Rule an unerring Pattern of the divine and happy Life Such a Perfect Exemplar the World wanted all that had gone before having been blurred and blotted the best of Men were Examples of Vice as well as Virtue and the Precepts of wise Men though short of perfection were held for impracticable because they themselves lived not as they taught the Wisdom of their Discourses serving but to reproach the folly of their actions Nor could Virtue plant and support it self by Philosophy and argumentation whilst Vice had got the reputation of custom and the advantage of mighty Examples God therefore sent his Son from Heaven to redeem men from their vain conversation received by tradition confirmed by the custom of their Fathers not only by laying down Rules and Precepts of a Divine Life and holy Conversation but by setting a perfect amiable and inviting pattern of it Now he that hath vouchsafed us so great a grace hath obliged us to use it and he that gave the Example wills us to follow it Beside since the Life of Christ is but the transcript of his holy Precepts our imitation is obedience and duty and if we neglect to walk as he walked we at once renounce his authority and despise his grace and frustrate the design of his undertaking for us But secondly The obligation of so Sect. 2 great an Example is not greater than the energy and assistance of it So that if we but look unto Jesus and consider his Life it will by a holy influence and efficacy assist to the conducting of ours For besides the general advantage of an Example which is ever more prevalent than Precept that of Jesus hath a singular influence and eminent advantage to recommend and assist Piety and Goodness For First In it the whole circle of our duty is represented as possible and easy and suitable to our Life and State. Jesus so conversed with Men that they after his Example might converse with one another He propounded himself to our imitation as a Man of the same mould with our selves in a Conversation fitted to our circumstances and complying with the weakness and necessities of our state His Life was Natural Easy Innocent Useful well consistent with humane Society and greatly advancing it We can't indeed arrive at his spotless Purity but we may Copy out his Integrity his Constancy his fervent Devotion and industrious Charity he hath shewn us by his Example that his Yoke is easy and his Commandments are not grievous The Life he led approves it self to our Reason and Judgment as fit for us and therefore practicable by us It is not a Life of transports and prodigious Sallies there wants nothing but a reasonable resolution and holy prudence to make us followers of him and he hath promis'd his Spirit to supply that to us and therefore hath in all things chalk'd out a way for us proportion'd to our strength complying with our needs and suitable to our Capacities Secondly In the Life of Jesus we discern the Beauty of Holiness to attract and invite our love and pursuit of it How lovely and with what majestick Beauty did his Innocence and Goodness shine How magnificent and generous did his Charity and his unshaken resolution how amiable decorous and inviting did his whole Conversation appear With what assurance of Mind serenity of affections greatness of Spirit did he discourse and act enjoy and suffer pursue all his designs and bear all that befel him Who can consider his demean in the hardest circumstances even when oppos'd revil'd and persecuted and would not wish to be in his case and do as he did who acquitted himself so well in every point and enjoy'd so much of God in every Lot Instructions may gain the understanding but such an Example possesseth our choice and affections and draws the whole Man to follow willingly in those ways that appear on all sides so beautiful and pleasant Thirdly Every difficulty in our way is easily removed or conquer'd by looking unto Jesus Pride and backwardness to condescend must needs be ashamed and blush and vanish when we consider Jesus the Son of God in the form of a Servant ministring to the needs of all Men and humbling himself to the Death of the Cross Impatience at affronts or injuries will no longer seem reasonable or tolerable than till you look unto the meek and patient Jesus and see him unmoved at the greatest Calumnies and Insolencies praying and dying for the most outragious Enemies We shall cease to complain and repine under our hard fortune when we bethink our selves that we are Sinners and that Jesus who was free from Sin bore with perfect submission those heavy and grievous loads which God laid on him by reason of ours The timorous and bashful the faint-hearted must be confounded or else inspired with vigorous resolution if they but cast their Eye upon Jesus standing before the Chief Priest witnessing a good Confession before Pontius Pilate hazarding his Life frequently in publishing the truth and shedding his Blood willingly for the confirmation of it For in all this we are to consider that it is pride and mistake of our selves that creates the difficulty of doing or suffering the will of God we have reason we think to resent affronts or to deny such condescensions or to complain or to shift for our selves and to be excused from hazardous employment And yet Jesus who was the most perfect and excellent the best of Men and the Son of God served God without reserve resign'd himself to him without conditions
and by his Example hath taught us that in such an intire surrender of our selves to God we can only find our Interest and our Peace For Fourthly From the Life of Jesus we are assured of the wisdom of being holy that when we chose and act as he did we cannot be mistaken He who was the wisdom of the Father could not be deceived nor deceive us the Life that he led must therefore be wisest and fittest most agreeable to the nature of Man and most conducing to his Happiness He perfectly understood the nature of things and the needs of Men the real and appearing worth of all the enjoyments of Life and of what consideration all the afflictions of it are both in themselves and compared with that glory that shall be revealed He could have made the best of a prosperous state yet he neglected the pleasures of Life he chose the Cross and the Afflictions of Righteousness he preferred the pleasures of Innocence and a good Conscience and the enjoyment of God. The reason was because his understanding was exalted above all the deceptions of Sin and Satan he saw through all the false Colours and disguises of the World and the Flesh and knew the real difference of things He knew that Holiness is Truth and Wisdom and Perfection but Sin the Errour Delusion Ignorance and Folly. Fifthly The Example of Jesus is recommended to our imitation from the consideration of his love for he that loved us to the death could have no other design in giving us an Example of Life but to oblige us to pursue our own good and to secure our greatest interests The love of Christ constrains us to confess the goodness of those paths he leads us in let the World say what they will these will have the safest Issue best secure our present and our Eternal Interests If Humility were not better than Pride Charity than Hatred Mercifulness than Revenge if indifferency to the World did not more consult our Peace and Happiness than the grandeur and the affluence of it he that loved us so intirely as to lay down his Life for us would not have led us in such a way and by his authority and love have obliged us to follow him in it Sixthly When we consider that Jesus was both God and Man we must consider the Life he led not only as wisest and best but as God-like and as near to Divinity as was possible So that it is both our Wisdom and our Interest and our highest Dignity the greatest Exaltation and perfection that we are capable of to put on Christ and to walk as he walked We are therein Followers of God we do what he did in our nature or would do if he could enter into the present circumstances of our state We do that which hath a tendency to exalt our Minds into the nearest resemblance approach and union with the Divinity it self Such is the Influence and Energy of the Example of Jesus that while we set it before us as we have an excellent pattern of the most noble and difficult Virtues so it represents the whole Circle of our duty as possible and natural an easy even and steady path and course of action as Amiable and Lovely as reasonable in all its difficulties which Jesus had conquer'd for us as the wisest and best measure of Life which the Wisdom of God and his tender love hath chalked out for us and as the highest dignity and advancement of our nature whereby we become like God resemble as much as may be the Heavenly Pattern and are partakers of the Divine Nature and Life CLOSE NOW the inference from all the Premises is this That we run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus Hebr. 12.2 That we suffer the Divine Light of his Doctrine and Life to shine into our Souls that we be affected with the true Spirit of his Religion and in love with his amiable Conversation That we study the holy Gospels for this end that we may thence receive the Light of Life that being fill'd with admiration and love of the fervent Godliness and insuperable unwearied Charity of Jesus his condescending Humility Peaceableness and Gentleness his unshaken Resolution unvanquish'd Fortitude and Patience and frequently comparing our selves with this admirable Pattern we may blush for our Nonconformity and endeavour to write more exactly after so fair a Copy Let this consideration have a place in all our self-reflections whether we have duly imitated and well represented our dearest Saviour or have not rather cast a scandal and reproach upon him In all our deliberations propound we him for our Example and let us form our designs and prosecute our business as we verily believe he would have done Let us always remember that to be a Christian is to be made like Christ that to know God as he hath declared him and to serve him as he did this is the summ of our profession and substance of our Religion This is the saving knowledge of Christ to have the true Idea of his Spirit and Life continually directing and influencing ours to acquaint our selves with God and with the true measures of Holiness and Righteousness to have our hearts affected with the Beauty and excellency thereof and to study to approve our selves unto God after the Pattern that he sent us from Heaven according to the Instruction and Example of his well-beloved Son. But what cause of reproof of self-judging and humiliation is this to the most that call themselves Christians and yet follow any Example sooner than that of Christ or else make heavy blots and blurs whilst writing after so fair and admirable a Copy What a scandal is it to see how Christians mistake and misrepresent their Master and his holy Religion and what a fatal delusion is it to think to reconcile contradictions that can never consist That he who calls himself a Disciple a Follower of Jesus should industriously conform himself to the guise and custom of this World should be led by the Examples of Impudent Vice afraid to abet forsaken truth and vertue that the Disciples of the Innocent and Spotless Jesus should wallow in carnal delights lead sensual vain and voluptuous Lives that the Friend and those that say they have interest in the Merciful Self-denying and devout Jesus should be heaping up Riches by rapin and oppression or by fraud and unjust gain utter strangers to bounty and works of mercy or else ungodly and profane or trifling cold and formal Devotionists These things can never consist if our tempers and our lives be not the transcript of the Mind and Life of Jesus we may call our selves what we please but Christ will not know us he will call us Children of the Devil if we bear his Image and do his Lusts and Pleasure and our judgment will be more severe for taking upon us the name of Christ to dishonour and profane it If we say that we have fellowship with