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gion, advanced in the power of it, can heal and cure these epidemical evils. O if men were once brought under the power of religion indeed, to walk after Chrift in holiness, obedience, meeknefs, and felf-denial; no fuch miferies as these would be heard of among us. Ifa. xi. 8, 9. "The fucking child fhall play upon the hole of "the afp, and a weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice "den; they fhall not hurt nor deftroy in all my holy mountain: "For the earth fhall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the "waters cover the fea."

Inf. 4. Hence it alfo follows, that real Chriftians are the fweeteft companions. It is a comfortable thing to walk with them that walk after the example of Chrift; the holinefs, heavenlinefs, humility, felf-denial, and diligence in obedience, which was in Christ, are, in fome measure, to be found in all fincere Chriftians: They fhew forth the virtues of him that calleth them; the graces of the Spirit do more or lefs fhine forth in them: And O how endearing, fweet, and engaging are these things! Upon this very account the apoftle invited others into the fellowship of the faints. 1 John i. 3. "That ye may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship "is with the Father, and with his Son Christ Jefus." And is it not sweet to have fellowship with them who have fellowship with Chrift? O let all your delights be in the faints, and in the excellent of the earth, who excel in virtue, Pfal. xvi. 3. Yet, mistake not, there is a great deal of difference betwixt one Chriftian and another, and even the beft of Chriftians are fanétified but in part. If there be fomething fweet and engaging, there is alfo fomething bitter and distasteful in the best of men. If there be fomething to draw forth your delight and love, there is alfo fomething to exercife your pity and patience. Yet this is moft certain, that notwithstanding all their infirmities and corruptions, they are the best and fweeteft company this world affords.

Inf. 5. In a word, if no men's claim to Chrift be warranted but theirs that walk as he walked; how vain and groundless then are the hopes and expectations of all unfanctified men, who walk after their own lufts? None are more forward to claim the privileges of religion than those that reject the duties of it; multitudes hope to be faved by Chrift, who yet refuse to be governed by him: But fuch hopes have no fcripture warrant to fupport them; yea, they have many fcripture teftimonies against them. 1 Cor. vi. 9. "Know ye "not that the unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of God? "Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulter"ers, nor effeminate, nor abufers of themfelves with mankind

nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor exes tortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." O how many

thousand vain hopes are laid in the duft, and how
fand fouls are fentenced to hell by this one fcripture!

Second ufe, for exhortation.

many thou

If this be fo, it naturally preffes all the profeffors of Chriftianity to ftrict godlinefs in their converfations, as ever they expect benefit by Chrift. O profeffors, be ye not conformed unto this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds: Set the example of Chrift before you, and labour to tread in his fteps. This is the great business of religion, the main scope of the gofpel. Give me leave, therefore, clofely to prefs it upon your hearts, by the following motives.

Motive 1. Chrift, hath conformed himself to you by his abafing incarnation; how reafonable therefore is it that you conform yourfelves to him in the way of obedience and fanctification? He came

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near to you as it was poffible for him to do, ftrive you therefore to come as near to Chrift as it is poffible for you to do: he hath taken your nature upon him, Heb. ii. 14. yea, and with your na ture he hath taken your weakneffes and infirmities, Rom. viii. 3. and not only your natures and your infirmities, but your condition, alfo, for he came under the law for your fakes, Gal, iv. conformed himself to you, though he was infinitely above you; that 4. He was his abafement: do you conform yourselves to him who are infinitely beneath him; that will be your advancement: his conformity to you emptied him of his glory, your conformity to him will fill you with glory: he conformed himfelf to you, though you had no obligation upon him; will you not conform yourselves to him, who lie under infinite obligations fo to do?

Motive 2. You fhall be conformed to Chrift in glory; how reafonable therefore is it you fhould now conform yourselves to him in holiness? The apoftle faith, 1 John iii. 2. We fhall be like "unto him, for we fhall fee him as he is:" Yea, not only your fouls fhall be like him, but your very bodies, even thofe vile bodies of yours fhall be changed, that they may be fashioned like unto "his glorious body." How forcible a motive is this to bring men. into conformity with Chrift here! efpecially, feeing our conformity to him in holinefs, is the evidence of our conformity to him in glory, Rom. vi. 5. 2 Pet. iii. II. to be with Chrift in glory hercafter, fee that ye walk after Chrift's O profeffors, as ever you look example in bolinefs and obedience here.

Motive 3. The conformity of your lives to Chrift, your pattern, is your highest excellency in this world: The meafure of your grace is to be estimated by this rule. The excellency of every creature rifes higher and higher, according as it approaches ftill nearer and nearer to its original; the more you refemble Chrift in grace, the

more illustrious and refplendent will your converfations be in true fpiritual glory.

Motive 4. So far as you imitate, Chrift in your lives, and no farther, you will be beneficial to the world, in which you live: fo far as God helps you to follow Chrift, you will be helpful to bring others to Chrift, or build them up in Chrift; for all.men are forbidden by the gofpel to follow you one step farther than you fol low Chrift, 1 Cor. xi. I. and when you have finished your courfe in this world, the remembrance of your ways will be no further fweet to others, than they are ways of holiness and obedience to, Chrift, 1 Cor. iv. 17. If you walk according to the course of this world, the world will not be the better for your walking.

Motive 5. To walk as Chrift walked, is a walk only worthy of a Chriftian; this is to "walk, worthy of the Lord," 1 Theff. ii. 12. Col. i. 10. * By worthiness, the apostle doth not mean meritorioufnefs, but comelinefs, or that decorum which befits a Chrif. tian: as, when a man walks fuitably to his place and calling in the world, we fay he acts like himfelf; fo, when you walk after Chrift's pattern, you then act like yourfelves, like men of your character and profeffion: this is confonant to your vocation, Eph.. iv. 1. "I beseech you, that you walk worthy of the vocation where"with you are called." This walking fuits with your obligation, 2 Cor. v. 15. for it is to live unto him who died for us. This walking only, fuits with your defignation, Eph. ii. 10. "For you "are created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath "before ordained we fhould walk in them." In a word, fuch walking as this, and fuch only becomes your expectation, 2 Pet. iii. 14. "Wherefore [beloved] feeing that you look for fuch things, "be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, " and blameless."

Motive 6. How comfortable will the clofe of your life be at death, if you have walked after Chrift's pattern and example in this world! A comfortable death is ordinarily the clofe of a holy life, Pfal. xxxvii. 37. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the up" right; for the end of that man is peace." A loose, careless life puts many terrible ftings into death. As worms in the body are bred of the putrefaction there, fo the worm of confcience is bred of the moral putrefaction or corruption that is in our natures and converfations. O then be prevailed with by all these confiderations to imitate Chrift in the whole courfe and compass of, your converfations.

The word worthiness, as ufed in fcripture, does not always denote an exact proportion of equality between one thing and another, but a certain suitableness and fitnefs which excludes inconfiftency. Davenant on Coloff. p. 25.

Third ufe, for confolation.

Laftly, I would leave a few words of support and comfort to fuch as fincerely ftudy and endeavour, according to the tendency of their new nature to follow Chrift's example, but being weak in grace, and meeting with strong temptations, are frequently carried afide from the holy purposes and defigns of their honeft, wellmeaning hearts, to the great grief and difcouragement of their fouls. They heartily with and aim at holinefs, and fay with David, Pfal. cxix. 5. "O that my ways were directed to keep thy "statutes." They follow after exactness in holinefs as Paul did, Phil. iii. 12. "If by any means they might attain it." But finding how fhort they come in all things of the rule and pattern, they mourn as he did, Rom. vii. 24. "Ō wretched man that I am, who "fhall deliver me from the body of this death?" Well, if this be thy cafe, be not difcouraged, but hearken to a few words of fupport and comfort, with which I fhall close this point.

SUPPORT I.

Such defects in obedience make no flaw in your juftification: for your juftification is not built upon your obedience, but upon Chrift's, Rom. iii. 24. and how incomplete and defective foever you be in yourselves, yet at the fame inftant," you are complete in him

which is the head of all principality and power," Col. ii. 10. Wo to Abraham, Mofes, David, Paul, and the most eminent faints that ever lived, if their juftification and acceptation with God had depended upon the perfection and completeness of their own obedience.

SUPPORT II.

Your deep troubles for the defectiveness of your obedience, do not argue you to be lefs, but more fanctified than thofe who make no fuch complaints; for thefe prove you to be better acquainted with your own hearts than others are; to have a deeper hatred of fin than others have; and to love God with a more fervent love than others do; the most eminent faints have made the bittereft complaints upon this account, Pfal. Ixv. 3. Rom. vii. 23, 24.

SUPPORT III.

The Lord makes excellent ufes even of your infirmities and failings to do you good, and makes them turn to your unexpected advantage: for, by thefe defects he hides pride from your eyes; he beats you off from felf-dependence; he makes you to admire the riches of free grace: he makes you to long more ardently for heaven, and entertain the fweeter thoughts of death: and doth not the Lord then make bleffed fruits to fpring up to you from fuch a bitter root? O the bleffed chymiftry of heaven, to extract fuch ' mercies out of fuch miferies!

SUPPORT IV.

Your bewailed infirmities do not break the bond of the everlafting covenant. The bond of the covenant holds firm, notwithstanding your defects and weakneffes, Jer. xxxii. 40. "Iniquities "prevail against me," faith David, yet in the fame breath he adds, "as for our tranfgreffions thou fhalt purge them away," Pfal. lxv. 3. He is ftill thy God, thy Father for all this.

SUPPORT V.

Though the defects of your obedience are grievous to God, yet your deep forrows for them are well-pleafing in his eyes, Pfal. li. 17. "The facrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a "contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife." Ephraim was never a more pleasant child to his father, than when he bemoaned himself, and smote upon his thigh as thou doft, Jer. xxxi. 20. Your fins grieve him, but your forrows please him.

SUPPORT VI.

Though God have left many defects to humble you, yet he hath given many things to comfort you. This is a comfort that the defire of thy foul is to God, and to the remembrance of his name. This is a comfort, that thy fins are not thy delight as once they were; but thy fhame and forrow. This is a comfort, that thy cafe is not fingular; but, more or lefs, the fame complaints 00 and forrows are found in all gracious, fouls through the world; and to fay all in one word, this is the comfort above all comforts, that the time is at hand, in which all these defects, infirmities, and failings fhall be done away, 1 Cor. xiii. 10. "When that which is "perfect is come, then that which is in part fhall be done " away."

For ever bleed be God for Jefus Chrift.

And thus I have finished the third general use of examination, whereby every man is to try his intereft in Chrift, and difcern whether ever Chrift hath been effectually applied to his foul. That which remains is

An ufe of Lamentation.

Wherein the miferable and moft wretched ftate of all thofe to whom Jefus Chrift is not effectually applied, will be yet more particularly discovered and bewailed.

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