~piritual Per[eflion. , Pot.'· He inllrufts us to do oy h1s Domgs, and to luffer by his fufferings. He f•f!md for us lc~tvtng .m £xampl~, :bat we may follorv?uJitfS· He levels the way, and makes a lil{ca Car~ per, by g~ing bd~re ~s. '~ho{C Duues ~nich are very hadb to fen fib!~ Nature, he ·inllrutts u_s 10, by h•s l reach1ng, and by Ius Paffion. How can we declme them when perform d by lw?.' in whom the. glorious Deiry was perfonally united to the tender Hu. maniry? H1s .Ltfc. was a continual LeEture of Morufication. 'Tis the Obfervarion of theN acural ~tfl:orta~, that tiJr tender Provtdmceof. Nature is admirahle, in preparing Me- ;~~~;; tO:n'~;:' t:Je:t;: 1'if~:r:a~~ft~~'i{ht~~ i:e eT;; to~~~:t1~d:r~~~mCe~; hi~ S~~ dfo~ our Redemption from Eternal Death, and in his Example has fweeten'd thofe Remedies that ~re requiflte for the Cure of our dillemper'd Pallions! the taking up the Crofs, fub. mitung to Poverty and Perfecuuon. are made tolerable, by confidering that in enduring t ~em, we follow our Redeemer. Can any Motiv~ more ingage and incourage our Obedience, than the pcrfwafi.ve Pattern, and commaodmgly Exemplary of our Soveraign and Saviour? Can we be ave rfe from our Duty, when our Lawgiver teaches us Obedjence ~~:;n;~~ by his ow.n praa~re? Ca n any Invitation be mor7 attraaive, than to ~o that for LOve to qui,qu1d d~ruit Jum, which he dtd for Love to us and our Salvation? VVc arc his SubJetls by the dearell: ~~.:.;~~;; ~~t~':~.~~.~~~~rlj';~.~~~f~~~;m":;f,~~c,~~~d~::eJ,b~~r~i:o~~;otl~e;•v~~1e "I..~~ t:~~~el,~~ 'JIIidifm& Rcafon1f weareba puzed, weareobhgedtoobey the Lawof Fatth; toorderourLives E;~;~:·~~~ .pr. ac~ording_ to the DoEl:rineand Example of Chrifi. An un holy ~hriflian, is a Contradi. CtJOil fo d1reCJ: and palpable, that one WOrd de!troys another ; as If One lbould fay, 3 liv. ing Carcafs, or a cold Calenture. We mull adorn the Gofpel of Chrill by the facred fplendor of our A8ions. An innocent Life from grofS notori ous Sins, is a poor Perfe. Cl: ion ; we mull lbew forth the Virtues of him, who hasca!ledru to hi4/(.ingdom and Gtor1 . Men ufualiy obferve what is eminently better, or extreamly worfe, in any kind : The exceilcot Goodnefs of Chrillians recommends the Goodnefs of the Gofpel, and convinces Infidels, that it came from the Fountain of Goodnefs. The Primitive Chrillians endur'd the Fiery T1 )'•I with infuperable Conllancy; and the moll powerful Argumentthat infpi r'd their Courage , defpiflng Life and Death, was, that Chrill was their Leader in thofe terrible Conflicts ; be was their SpeClator, when they encountcr'd fierce Beafis, and fiercer Tyrants, for the defence of his Truth, and Glory of his Name; and while they were fuffering for him, he was preparing Immortal Crowns for them. This St. C)prian, in his Pa}loral Lelterstotbe ~~;i~;~~~e~ni:{;:;t; ;r:~fi[e.m~~~~1 ;orC~i~ft~::!~! ~~~~q~:~~~: ~· The Angels are propounded to us as a Pattern for our Imitation. Our Saviour dir<lls our defl res, that the will of God maJ h dom in Earth, as 't is done in Heaven. The W1U of God is either Decrctive or Precep. ti vc: The Dccretive extends to all Evems ; nothing falls out at Random, nothing by rafi1 Chance and Cafualty, but all things came to pafs according to the Coun[dof his WiU; ~~i~iJ, ~t~;i~lcr/~~~:~~~~~~rrr I::J.;;;~;fo~~e .t;l\~ ?sfi~~~~d~;~~r~;ufor0'~is 0~~ ~ir: formed in conformity to the Obedienceof the Angels. B~t 'tis comprehenflve of ourre· ;~~~·~~~~a:~of~~j,g1i~~~~~ ~~i~d~~~:a~d~~ ~~ ~~e t~;u~!f~:iig~~ ;;~~~,~~~~~~d~e~~~ honour his Sovereignty and Do~inion in ordering all things, as to yield Obedience to his Sovereignty deciar'd in Ius Laws. The Pfalmi ll addreffes himfelf to the Angels, as our Pattern ; Blef~ the Lo~dye hu AnJI~Is that excel inftrmgth, that do kis Comman~ .. wunts, ludrkming tothevorce of hu Word . I he Angels aretheeldellotffpnng of Gods Power, Glorious, Heavenly and Immortal Spmts. The Title of Angels figm~estbm Office· their Nature we do not fully know. We can tell what they are not, not r"lejb nor Blood;' but negatives do not afford Knowledge. 'Tis. not Knowledge to declare what things a1 e not, ~ut what they .are._ Thetr .~xcell~ncy IS d1fcovered m Scnr_ture, mth_at the highell degree of our Perfearon rs exrpefs d by hkenefs to the Angels. 1 he Perfea1on .9f A& 6 . ,, . Beauty in Sttpbm IS fet forth , Thq faw hu Face ., tht Fact of an Angd. Excellent W lf- :~. S.lm. 14 .: 0 . dom in David; !vly Lord the /(mg tsiVife as an Angel of God.. Pcrfe':J" Elcq~e~c~, Tbo _l 1 C,r. 13 ' · (peak rvith the TonJ!.IIes o{Jl1rn and .A'!gels. And the Apo~le, In alfen10g the tnfinltC ~~gmty of the Media:or, proves it by th1s Argum_e~t, th~t he IS above. the Angels ; ~o w~~ch of the Anf!.cls did he ja.,, rhor~ art my Son? rha t IS 10 a h1gh and pecuhar manner: Now Jt they had not been in the highefi order of Creatures, the Argument ~ad ?Ot been con~lufivr~; yet they are infi nite dcfcencs be low God. The_ H~avens are not c!:_tu!J t~ Ju~ fif!.ht,_ tiJC,\tll~J are not pure before him. TJ;e Seraphims vatl their Paces aud thetr l•eet rn Jm glortom prr/(nte, a;~
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