Book IV. W in any kind,;, tbentleand mea{zmof allthe .reft. Why fuch isChrill:, Orhen !ethim be the guide of our life, and of our manners. . 3 . Becaufe Chrill: doth npt only gwe us an example, but he doth chenrh, fuccour, and affill: us by irs eafinefs, complacenqr, and proporrton to us. Some fweerly obferve, that Chrift' 1 piety ( wlmh we mull: ImHate) wa; evw, conftant, unblame.ble,. comply– ing with civil foci"y , without any affnghtment of precedent, or wtthollf any prodtgtor., m– ftancCJ of a[iiom, greattr than the tmttatzorr of men. We are. not commanded to rmltate a life, whofe [\ory te\ls usof extafres rn prayer, of abft:a<'hons of fenfes, of extraor– dinary faftingsto the weakning of our fprrrrs, and difabling of all annual operauons i no, no; but a life of juftice , and temperance, and cba!liry, and prety, and chanty, and devotion· fuch a lrfe as withOut whiCh humane foCiety cannot be conferved; - – And it is very remHkable,that befides theedirefs of this imitation, there isavenue ~n~ efficacy inrbc life of Chrrft; a mem,. and rmpetrauon rnthe feveral ~affages of ChnO: s life to work out our rmHarton of brm. In the Bohomdn lull:ory " rs reported that wi~cejlam their King, one winters n.ight going to his devotion in a remote Church , his fervam Podavivtlt , who warted on lm Ma!ler, and endeavoured to rmuate Ius Maflers piety he be a an w fai nt through the violence of the fnow, and cold; at !all: the King com~anded him, to fo llow him, and ro fer his fort inthe f~me footlieps which his feet Jl10uld mark, and fer down for him; the fervam did fo, and prefenrly hefancied, or found a cure ; rhus Chrifl dealswith us; it may be we think our way to Heaven is rrou– blefome, obfcure, and full of objection; well faith ChriO:, B11t mark._ my footf/ept; came on, and tread where I have flood, and you jhirll find the vertue of my esamplnvillr11ak$ all fmooth, and eajie; you jha/1 find the comforts of my company, Y•" j/Mil feel th~ vertu< and influence of a perpetual guide. ' 4· Becaufe Cbrill in hi; Word bath commanded us to follow his fteps: L earn of me, Marth., 1 , 9 , for I am mee/z. and lowly in heart; and yeca/1 me Mafter, and Lord, and ye fay wetr, for John 13. 13, fo I am, if I then y011r Lord and Majler h~vnvajhed yo~<r fm, ye,.L(o ought to wajh one 1 4> 1 5· a/lothers feet, for I have given yolt an cxamplt, that ye jiJoJtiddo ,., I hAve done to )'Oit. --.-Put on therefore bowelJ of mercies, lzindnefJ, hwmblenefs of mind, muk!'efs, long- Col. J·ll·l3· Jiiffenng , forbeanng one another, and forg__wmg one another, if any .man have a quarrel agaiitjfany; even M Chrift forgave you, Joalfodo ye. - Anda;he wi>ichhathca/!ed yolt 1 Pet. t.r$, i& holy, fa be ye holy in all manner of converfatio!l; becatsfe it i< written, be ye holy, for [ 1 6. ""'holy. ---Againfi this fome object how can we be holy as ChriO: is holy? firO:, the thing is impoillble; and fecondly '· if we could, there wculd be no need of Chrift. But I anfwer ro the fir{~; the thing if rightly underO:ood , is not impoffible ; we are comr'nanded to be holy as Chri lt is holy, not in rcfpect of equality , as if our holinefs mull: be of the fame cornpafs with the holinefs of Chrif't; bur in refpeCl: of quality, our holinefs muO: be of the fame ftamp, and truth,as the holinefsof Cbrift ; as when the Apo- !lle faith, That we mufllove ot<r neighbo•· M 01tr frl(; the meaning is not that our love 1\.om 9. to our neighbor lhould beMathematically equal to the love of our felf, for the Law doth · · ~· ' allow of degrees in love, according to the degrees of relation in the thing beloved, Do 1\.om. "· 9~ good unto all men, fpecially to thofe of the hvujl!hold of faith; love toa friend may fafely be greater than l~ve to a {\~anger ; or love, to a wrfe, or chrld, may fafely be greater than to a frrend; yet mall our love tO others, it muO: be of the felf fame nature, astrue, as real, as cordial, as fincere, as folid as that to ourfelves; We m~tft love •ur nt~ghbsr "' 011r felv<J ( i. ) unfaignedly , ancl without diffimulation.- Again, I anEver, to the fecond, Chrill: is needful notwithO:anding our ut moll: holinefs in two refpeC\~. 1. Becaufe we cannot come to full and perfect holinefs, and fo his grace is requrfite topardonandcoverourfailings. 2. Becaufe that which wedoattain unto, it IS!lOt of. or from our felves, and fo hisfpirit is requifite to ll:rengthen us unto his fervrce.. We muO: be holy as ChriO: is holy, yet ftill we mull: look at the holinefsof Chnfl, as rhe fun. and root, and fountain. and that our holinefs isbut as a beam of that [un:but as abranch of that root, but as a rlreamof that fountain. 1or the tlurd, how we muO: conform to this life ' I anfwer · I . Let us frame to our felves fomeIdea of Chri~ let usfe; before us the life of ChriO: in the whole, ~nd all the parts of it, as we find it r;curded in God's Book.' It would be a large prC\ure.tf I 0Jould draw it to the full, but for a tall: I 0Jall give it in few lines. Now then femng afide the confideration of Chrill: as God, or as Mediator, or as Head of Ius Church. · l · 1
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