318 Book IV. JLooktng unto jlefu.s. Chap ).Secr. 3. if there be no likenefs of ail this in my owna:'Hons? The life of Jefus is not defcribed to be like a Picture in a chamber of pleafure, only for beauty.llnd entertainment of the ere, but like the Egyptinn Hieroglyphickf. wbofe very feattlre is a precep, whofe Image"s converfe wHh men by fenfe, and fign1ficat10n of excellent difcourfcs ; to rhis. zCor. 3 . , 8. purpofe, fmh Pnulc we alllruh open facr, brholdm,t; M i!1 aglafs the glory of the Lord, are changed in the fame •mage fromglory toglory: Chnft IS the 1mage of his Iather, and we are the 1mages of Chnll; Chnll!S GodsMafterp1ece, and the moll excdlentdevice and work, and frame of h.eaven that ever was, or ever fl•all!ie; now Chrill being the top– excellency of all, he l5 moll fit to be the pattern of all excei1cncio5 whatfoever; and therefore he l5 the Image, the Idea, the Pattern, the Platform of ail our fanCl ificarion. Come then, 0 my Soul, loolumto {cfm, and look into thy felf; yea, and look and look, ull thou arc more transformed into his likenefs : Is ir fo tlm thou an thanoed in– ro the fame image with Chrifl? look into his difpofirion as it i, fer forth in the G~fpel. io?k into his carriage, look into his converfation at home and abroad; and thenrefle? crm~ on thy ~elf, look there, and tell me, canfl thou find in thy felf a difpolirion futable to Ius d1fpofiuon, acarnage furable to Ius carnage, a converfation furable tO his conver– fation? an rhou every way like him in thy mcafure, in Gofpel.allowancc, in fome fweetrefcmblance,? why then, here's another ground of hope: 0 rejoyce in it, and blefs God for it. 3: If Chrifts life be mine, then lhall I admire, adore, beli•ve, and obey thi• Chrtft. All ~hefc were the ~ffecb of dwfe feveral pa.trages inChrifl's life refpecrively. 1. They admrre at Ius Docrnne and M1racies: For hiS Dochme; all here himwitnefs, ~ukch 4· ». and wondred at thofe graciom words which proceeded out of hu momh: and for his Mira– att · ICJ 1 ' des; they wondred, and they glorified the God, the God of lfrael: yea fometimes their Mark 6 . sr; admiration was fo great, that they were fOre amaz..ed in themfelves beyond mMjirre, and Luke 9 • 43 . wondred.---They were amaz..ed at the mighty power of God, and they wondred every one at ell things which 7ef1U did. 2. And M they admired, fo they adored: therecame a M•tth. S. 1. Leper and worfhippedhim, fayint, if thOI< wi!t thoJt canfl mak£ me clean: and there came Matth. 9· t8. a Ruler and worll1ipped him, faying, my Da~<ghter u e'"" now dead, come !ay thy hand Matth. 1 4· 31· on her, andjbe jhall live ; and they that were;,, the Ship came rmd worjhipped, faying, of a tr,ththou art the Son of God. The very worlhipping of Chrifl confelfeth thus much, that be is tbe Son of God. 3. And as they adored, fo they believed : If thou canft l'btk 9· 2 3•'4 believe (faid Chri 11to the Father of the polfelfed Child) all things tJre pojfible to him that bclieveth; andJ!raightway he crie~olrt,. and f aid with !eers, Lord~ I believe, help thou my Jtnbelief. Ana when many of h1s DtfCiples fell away, then fatd Jefus to the twelve, will ye alfo go away? Peter anfwers for thereft, to1vbom jhallwcgo ?--why l.ord, John6.66.6,? we believe, and are [11re th.u thort art the Chri/f, the Son of the living God: nor only worlhipping of Chrift, bur believing in Chrifl is a right atknowledgmenr that Chrifl is Rom.6., 7. God. 4· And as they believed, fo they obeyed: ye have obeyed from the heart (faid Mat. 4·I9,,o, Paul to the Romans) that form of DoEfrine which IVM delivered to )'Oil; no fooner Peter ,. and Andrew heard the voice of Chrifl, follow me, but they left all andfollowed him: and no fooner [ames and [ohn heard the fame voyce of Chrifl, follow .me, but they left all Matth. 9· 9· , and followed him ; and no fooner M.1tthew, fitting at the receipt of c>tftom, heard that John 8, J!· voice of Chrift, follow me, bur herofe and followed him. Why, thm are ye my Difcptles inde~d (faid ChriC\ to the believing[ews) if ye contin11e i11 my word. Come then, put thy felf, 0 my foul, to the tefr; thou haft feen and heard the wonde~ful palf~ges of Chrifl's Life; the Baptifm of Chrift, the Fa[\ingof Chnfl,. rhe Temptar!ons of Chnft, the Manife!lations of Chrift. the DoCtrine of Chrifl, the M~tacles of Clmfl, the Hoh– nefs of Chrift . and is this ;he iffuc of all ? DoH thou now begin to admire, and adore, and believe a~d to obey this Chrift? is thy heart warmed? thy affections kindled ? Forbs tens ~s thatthe Word of God bath three degrees of operation in the hearts of his chofen, firft it fa/leth to mem ears M the found of many waters, a mighty great, aud con– jitfed Jetmd and which commonly brmgs nmher terror<r nor JOY, b11t yu a wandmng and acknowledg,;,ent of a ftrange force, and more tkan hmn11n~ power,. thu is that cffeawhrch many felt hearing Chrifl, whwthey were aftonijhed at hu Dor:.,.,.me,. M ua_chmgwtth att: M1 r;,; "•'1· thority; what manner. of DoEtnne u thu? never man fpak£ !tk£ thu man. the next e{ Luke 4· l'• feEt u the voice of thunder, which bringeth not only wonder, bttt fear alfo : not only fi.- J h 4 < lcth the ears with {otmd and the heart with af/onijhment, bHt moreover fhakph and tem0 n7 ·• {, ' h r, d .f: h · h'l h m d not onlyra- • ftet the Confcience: the tloirdejfcEt!U t e 1 .un o 1 arpwg, ll' re t e ' or ~ · viflmh with admirari•ff, and ftrik!Jth rhe Confcienrt wirh mro11r, bur alfo /aftly fi!leth ·~ J'· Wlf111
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