202 Book IVt JLooittng unto jjefus. SECT. IV. Of the H•linef of Chrijt's Life. 1\.••m. $. '9·. 2. FOr the hohnefs of Chrill:s ltfe, th:' Apofrle tells us, that by the obedunce of one • ma•'Y Jha/1 be. mader~ghteom; heres the obed1ence of Chrift, and its inHuence on f'.1atth. ). 17. John 2. :z.9• 11ch 3· '4 l'h:l. •. 8 us. 1. The obed1ence of Chn!l: 1s that whereby he .continued in all thtngs wntten tn the book of the Law todv tl,em : Obferve, Chnjrs life wa. a vijible commmtary on Gods Law, For proof, Thmk._ not that I am come to deftroy the Law, or the Prophets (faith ChriCr ) bm to fuljil them. And, the Father bath notleft me alone (faith Chri(\) for I do alway" thofo things that pleafe him. Hence Chri(l in Scriptare is called holy and juft, and the hoiyonr, ACls 2. 27. the moft holy, Dan. 9· 24. by hisaClual holinefs Chrift · fulfilled maCl every branch of the Law of God; he walked in all the Commandments of God; he performed perfeClly both in thought, word, and deed whatfoever the Law of the Lord required.---! do not, ~annot limit this obedience of Chrift to thislaft year of his miniftry, for his whole life was a perpetual courfe of obedience, he was obedient unto death, faith the Apo!l:le f'OX,It ""'"''T" even until hi& death; and yet becaufe we read· moll: of his holy- actings this year, and that this was the year wherein both his active and pa!live obedience did moll: eminently lhine, and·break forth; the year wherein he drew up all the difperfions of btsprecepts, and call: them into actions, as into> fums total, therefore now I handle it, and I lhall make it out by the palfages following, only in this oneyear. As I. Now he difcovered his charity in feeding the hungry, as at once five thoufand men J h 6 with five loaves and two fiflies, {ohn6. 9, 10, II. and at another time four thoufandmen .~. n ' 9'.~ 0' withfevenloaves, and a few fmallfifl1es, Matth, rs . 32· Mmh.H. p. 2. Now he difcovered his felf-denial, and contempt of the world, in flying the of– fers of a Kingdom; whe11 the people were convinc d that he was the Meffiah from that miracle of feeding five thoufand men with five loaves, prefemly they would needs make him a King; but he thatleft his Fathers Kingdom for us, he fled from the offers of a Jo'm 6 • 15 , Crown and King 'om from them, as from an enemy; Wlfen {efvo& perceived that they would come and tak! him by force, to mak! hima King, he departed again into ~mount~i" hiwfe/f alone. , 3. Now he difcovered his mercy, in healing 'the womans daughter that had an unclean M· 6 fpirit; the womanwasaGreek, a Syrophenician by nation; and in rhatrefpeC!: Chriil: ••·7· ' ' 27 ' called her a dog, and yet Chri!l: gave her the defire of her foul: 0 the rich mercy of Chrifi, that he would admit a dog to his Kingdom l 0 grace! 0 mercy! that Chrift Qwuld black his fair hands iti wall1ing foul and defiled dogs ! what amotion of free mer– cy was this, that Chrift D10uld lay his fair, fpotlefs, and chaft love, upon the black, de– filed,and whorialfouls? 0 what a favour, that Chri!l: maketh the Leop•rd and Ethiopian white for Heaven ? Matth. , 6 ., 9 • 4· Now hedifcovered his bounty, in giving the k!p of the Kingdom of H~aven. to his Apo(l]es, and to their Succelfors; this was a power which he had never commumca– ted before; it was a gift greater than the great Charter of Nature, and the Dona.tive of the whole Creation. Indeed at firft God gave unto man a dominion •ver the fijh of the Jea, and over the fowl of the •ir: ~tnd over the cattel: and over the.'H'th; b~et till now Gen.'· ' 6 ' heaven it Jeif was never fubordtnate to humane mtmftratton; heretn was the aCltng of Chrills bounty, he give.s unto his Mini!l:ers the keys of Heaven, that Whatfocver rhey jha!l bind on earth, jha/1 be bound in heaven, and wharfoever they jballloofo 011 earth, {IMil be loafed in heaven. . . . . . . · 5. Now hedifcovered his panencun fuffwngalltn)urtes; from hence forwaJ;d to the de arh of Jefus, we muft reckon his dayes like the Vigils, ?r Eves of his Paffion; for now he began, and often did ingeminate thofe fad predtctwn< of the ufage he lhould Mltth., 6 ..,, lhortly find, that he Jhould be reje[ied of the Elders, and ch.ef Pnefts, and Smbes~ And r~ffer many things at {crufa/em, dnd be kjJled, And be raifed up the third day, and tn the mean timehe fuffers borh inword and deed; they call htm aglutton, a drunkard, ade– ceiver a !inner ~mad-man a Samaritao, and one polfelfed with adevil; fometimes they ;ake up llo~es to ftone [;im, and fometimes they .lead him to an hill, thi~king w throw him down h""dlong, and all this he (uf!ereth wtth pauence; yea wtth much part– ence he polfelfeth his foul, 6. Now
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