168 VOL 1. Peeebeden day,z6 All-Saints The Duty of imitating the Primitive Teachers, and dsy,rónts Patterns of Chriftianity. SERMON XXIII. H E B. Xiii. 7. The latter part of the Verfe. WhofeFaith follow, confidering the end oftheir Converfation. The whole Verfe runs thus, Remember them which have the rule over you, who have fpoken unto you the Word of God ; whofe Faith follow, con/idering the end of their Converfation. THE great Scope and Defrgn of this Epiftle, is to perfwade the 7ews, who were newly converted to Chrianity, to continue ffedfaft in the Profefon. of it, notwithftanding all the Sufferings and Perfecutions it was attended withal ; and to encourage them hereto, among many other Arguments which the Apoftle makes ufe of, he doth feveral times in this Epiftle propound to them the Examples and Patterns of Saints and Holy Men, that were gone before them ; efpecially thofe of their own Nation, who, in their refpeftive Ages, had given remarkable Teftimony of their Faith in God, and con ftant Adherence to the Truth, Chap. 6. r t, 52. And we defre, that every one ofyou do Phew the fame Diligence, to the full Affurance ofHope, unto the end : thatÿe be not flothful ; but Followers ofthem, who through Faith and Patience in- herit the Promifes. And Chap. r r. he gives a Catalogue of the Eminent Heroes and Saints of the Old Teffament, who by Faith bath done fuch Wonders, and given fuch Teftimony of their Patience and Conftancy, in doing and fuffering the Will of God ; from whence he infers, Chap. T2. r. that we ought to take Pattern and Heart from fuch Examples, to perfevere in our Chriftian Courfe ; Wherefore feeing we alfaare compafed about with fo great a Cloud ofMartyrs, orWitneffes, let us lay afide every weight, and the Si á which loth fo eafily befit us, and let us run with Patience the Race that is fet before us; efpecially finte they . had greater Examples than thefe, nearer to them, and more frefh in Memory; the great Example of our Lord, the Founder of our Religion ; and of the firft Teachers of Chriftianity, the Difciples and Apoftles of our Lord and Saviour. The Example ofour Lord hiinfelf, the Captain and Rewarder ofour Faith, Ver. a. of that r ath Chapter ; Looking unto 7efts the Author and Finer of our Faith, who, for the joy that waslet before him, endured the Crofs, defpifing the Shame :, Verfe 3. For confider him who enduredfifth Contradiflion of Sinners . again/l him- felf; leftye be wearied, and faint in your Minds. This, indeed, is the great Pattern of Chriftians, and, in regard of the great Perfeétion of' it, furpaffeth all other Patterns, and Teems to make them ufelefs; as having in it the Perfe&ion of the Divinity, not in its full Brightnefs, (which would be apt to dazzle rather than direÉt us) but allayed and fhadowedwith the Infirmities of Humane Nature; and, for that Reafon, more accommodate and fsmiliar to us than the Divine Per- feaions abftra &edly confidered. But yet becaufe our Bleffèd Saviour was God as well as Man, and, clear of all Stain of Sin, (for though he was clothed with the Infirmities, yet he was free from
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