íncontribíng eau' .5 U.eoemptíon. 343 us to ,bemeekand lowly, to correâour Pride, themoft in- Chap. 18. timateand radicated corruption of Nature.. For as vV`+ thofe Difeafes are moft incurable, which draw nourifh- Mac, II' 9' nient from that food which is taken for the fupport of Life; fo Pride that turns vertuous aEïions which are the matter ofpraife into its nourifhment, is moll diffi- cultly overcome. But theExample of the Son ofGod, in whom there is an union of all Divine and Humane Ferfedions,debafing himfelfto the form of a Servant,ìs fufficient,if duly confidered, to make us walk humbly. z. Obedience is aVertue that becomes an Inferiour either a Servant or Subjeéf, whoare juflly under the po- wer ofothers,&muff be complyingwith their Will : So that 'tis very diftant fromGod,who hath none fuperiour tohim in Dominion or Wifdom,but his Will is theRule ofGoodnefs tohis own and others Aátions. Now the SonofGod becameMan and was univerfally obedient to the Law ofhis Father. Andhis Obedience had all the ingredients that might commend it to our imitation. The value ofObedience arifes upon three accounts : z. TheDignity of the Perfon that obeys : it is more meritorious in an honourable than ina mean Perfon. . From the difficultyof the Command ; itbeing no great VitIory over the appetite in Obedience,ubi diligi- tar good de6etur, where the infhance is agreeable to our affeolions. 3. From the intirenefsof the Willinobeyirg. For to performa commanded Ac`ion againft our confent,is only tobe fubje&.in the meaner part ofMan, the Body, and to refill in the, fuperiour.which is the Mind. Now in all thefe refpeets the Obedience of Chrift was PerfeI. In the Dignity of the Perfon obeying, it exceeded the Obedience of all the Angels, as much asthe Divine Perfon exceeded all created.. The dif- ficultyofthe Command isgreater thaneverwas put up- oa
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