Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

516 Book.IV. ·Looking unto 1e(us. Chaps. Setf,9 Winerflam their King,one winters night going to his ' devotion in . a remote Church, his fervant Podavivm who waited on his M~fier ,and endeavoured to imitate his Mafiers piety, he began to faint through the violence of the fnow, and cold. at !aft the King commanded him, to follow him, and to fet hi; feet in the fame footll:eps which his feet iliould marke, and fet down for him· the fervant did fo, and prefently he fancied, or found a cure ~ 'thus Chrif.l: deales W1th us; it may be we think our way to heaven is troublefomc, ?bfcure, and ful : of objedion; well faith Chrift, but mark§ my footjfeps ; come on, 11nd tre11d where I have flood, and you foal! finde t};e vertue of my example will makf all fmooth, and eajie ; you fhall finde the comforts ofmy company, you foal/ feele the vertu and influence of a perpetual guide. 4· Becau fe Chril.l: in his Word hath commanded us to follow Mmh, 11. ~9· his f.l:eps : !earne of me, for I am meek._and lawly in heart : and ye call rr~o U'viafter, and Lord· andpfay wel!,fur fo I am, if I thenyour Joh. 13· 1;,14, Lord t!nd <Yvl(/.fter ha'?lerrafhedyour feet, 7e alfo oughz to wajh one IJ. anothers feet, . for I havrgiven you an example, thntye fhould do M C 1 % 13 I have dane to you.·- p;:t 0 1 therefore 'bowels of mercies, _kjndneffe, 0 ' 3 · 1 ' • humblencjfe ofmind,m.eekzieffe, long-fuffe,·ing, fir6earing one another, ttndforgi'ving one another, if any man have II quarrel ag'!inft any ; 1 Pet, I. rr 16. even as Chrift forge~ve you,fo alfo doye.--and M he which hath ' called you io holy ,fo be ye holy in all manner of converjation; btetwfe it io written, beye holy ,for I am holy. ---againf.l: this, fome objed, how can we be holy as Chrifl: is hoi'Y ? firft, the thing is impoffiblc; and fecondly, ifwe E:ould, there would he no need of Chrifl:, But I anfwei: to the firf.l:; the thing if rightly underftood, is not impoffiblc; we are commanded to be holy as Chrift is holy, not in refpect ofequality, as if our holine!fc muft be of the fame compaife with the holinelfe ofChrirt; but in refped of quality, our holinelfe mufi l:ie of the fame ftampe, and truth, as the holi. neife of Chrift ; as when the Apof.l:le faith, that we muft bve our Rom, 1 3· 9• neigMoar, M our felfe 1 the meaning is not that out love to our neighbour iliould be Mathemati~,;ally equal to the love ofour . felfe, for the law doth allow ofdegrees in love, according to the degrees of relation in the thing beloved, do go&d unto all men, !peci· llom xz. 9· cia!(J to thrfe of the hou/hold of faith; love co a friend may fafely be greater than love to a l.l:ranger; or love to a wife, or child may fafely be greater than to a friend; yet in all, our love to others,

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