Chap+ s_'e_a_. s_.__ fL_o_oli_t-=-· n-=g_l'""'=tt~t~o-:'jj:_d_u;-.s-:-. ----;-----;-B::-:o_o-::1'-::I_V_. _4:._0..:...1 done it we had been damned ; and to fave ou;. fouls, he cared not what he did or fuffered. '0 the mercy of Chrill! . 5 . His meeknefs was paffiog great; in all the procefs. of Ius paffion, he /hewed not the leaf! paffion of wrath or anger; he fuffered himfdf gently _and qu1etly to be carried like a n,eep to the Butchery, and M a Lamb before the ]hearer u dmnb, fo. opened he r,ot hi< :rr.omh: a Lamb is a moll: meek and Innocent creature, and therefore ts Chrdlcalled John I, 19, the Lamb of God which taksth away the ftm of ~he wor/d.--And, he WM brought a; a H .. .f~wb to the Jlaughter ; why, a Lamb goes as_qUietly to the ll1ambles, as 1f lt ~ere goa. $l. 7• 111 gto the fold, or to the pafturdield where ItS Dam ft"'derh; and fo went Chnll to hts Crofs. 0 the meeknefs of Chnll! , c. His contempt of rhe world wa; to admiration; he tells them, his Kingdom WM 11•t of this world. When a Crown was offered hitl), ..and forced upon him, he refufed it; John 18. 3~.· bur above all, behold the Bed where the Bridegroom lierh and lleeperh at noon-day; John 6. I>· here's bur an hard flock and na•-row room ; 0 blelfed head of a dear Redeemer! how is it that thou haft not a pillow where to reil: thy felf? He hangs on the Crofs all naked . few Kings do fo : he harh no_Crown for his head, but one of rhorns; he bath JJO de!i'cares , but Gall and Vinegar; he is leaving the world, and he barb no other legacies to give his friends , li>uc fpirirual things ; Peace I leave with you, my peace I give h . 11nto;•ote, not M the worldgiveth, give I unto you. He had fo contemned tl1e world, that Jo n '4· 1 7· he had nor a Legacy in all the world to give: Not M the world givcth, give I unto yau. · 7- His Obedience was conll:ant: He became obedie?ll unto death, even the death of the Phi!. 2 , s. Crofs. - -He Jot(~ht not hu own will, but the will cf him that font him. There was John 5· 3 ol a command that the Father laid on Chrill from all erern1ry : 0 my Son, my only begotten Son, thor• m~<ft go down, and leave Heaven, and empty thy fc!f, and die the death, even the dc,ltb of the Cro(s, andgo and bring 11p the fallen _fons of Ada~ out of Hell. Mankind, like a precious Ring of Glory, fell off the Fmger of Alm1gluy God, and wa~ broken all in pieces; and thereupon was the command of God, that his Son mull ltoep down, though ir pain his back; he mull: lift up again the broken Jewel, he mull: rellorc it, and mend it, and fer it as a Seal on tht heart of God ; all which the lord Jefus did in time ; he was obedient rill death, and obedient to death, even to the death of the Crofs. Son, tl101• mtefldie, faid God; why Father, !will do it, faid Chrifl: and accordingly he freel y made his Soul an Offering for fin. Now in all thefe Graces we mull conform to Chrift. Learn of me, for I ammeek. .tmd Mat. 1 I. , 9 • lowty. - And, walk.. in love M Chrift alfo bath lovrd "' : It is as if Chrill: bad faid, Eph. •· 2. mark the fleps where I have erode, and follow me in.humility, in patience, in love, in mercy, in meekncfs, in contempt of the world, in obedience unto death; in thefe, and the like Graces you mull: conform unto Chrift. .· z. We muft conform ro Chrill in his fufferings, if he call us to them ; tbis was the Apollle:s Prayer, that I mayk._now him, and the power of his refurreElicn, andthe fellow- Pbil; 3· 1.,; fhip of hisjitjferings; it was his defire that be might experimentally know what exceeding joy and comfort it was to fufferfor Chrill, and with Chrifl. 'Concerning this, the other Apoftle fpeaks alfo, Chrift fujfered for m, leaving "'an example that we Jltould 1 Pcr. 2 ; 11 ; follow hu fteps. Bur the Text that feems fo pertinent, and yet fo ditliculr, is that ofPaut, 1now reJOycc in my Jitjferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the ajjli[fions of C 1 Chrifl m my jlejh, far hu bodies fak_t, which is the Ch~rrch: One would wohder how .o • r. >-4• PauUbould fill up that which is behind of the fuffering' of Chrill:; were Chrill's fufferrngsimperfe<'t? and mu[l Paul add to them? no furely? for by om ojferingChriffht~th . ptr{efled for ever them that are fanflijicd. I /hall nor infill on many Commentaries; I Hcb, 10 ' 14l fuppofe th1s IS the genuine fenfe and meaning of the Spirit. Now rejoyce I in my fitffcrmgs for you, whereby I fulfilthem.afureof thofe tribJdationswhich rem•inyettobe <l<tiurtd of ChriJ! •n hu myftic.lbody, IVhi<h !de for the bodies faks, mt to fatujie for it, but to conJ~rm 1t, _or ftrengthen it by my example in the Gofpel of Chrift. The fufferings of Chnft areeaher perfo~al or general; his perfonal fuffering• were rbofe he endured in hts own body: as Med1aror; which once for ever he finifhed: his general fuffering• are tbofe wh1ch he endures in his myftical body, which is, the Church; as he is a Member With the reft; and thefearethe futferingsPatel fpeaks of, and whichPaulfills up. Bm wherein is the conformity betwixt our fufferings and the fufferings of Chrill? I anfwer, I. Neganvely. z. Polirively. - Sf .' ..• ~egatively,
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