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God, and of yourselves, gives rife and being to this fin: They that know God will be humble, Ifa. vi. 5. And they that know themselves cannot be proud, Rom. vii.

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Secondly, Confider the mifchievous effects it produces : it eltrangeth the foul from God, Pfal. cxxxviii. 6. It provokes God to lay you low, Job xl. 11, 12. It goes before deftruction, and a dreadful fall, Prov. x. 18.

Thirdly, As it is a great fin, fo it is a bad sign, Hab. ii. 4. "Behold his heart which is lifted up, is not upright in him.'

Fourthly, How unfuitable it is to the fenfe you have, and the complaints you make of your own corruptions, and fpiritual wants; and, above all, how contrary it is to your pattern and example: Did Christ speak, act, or think as you do? O learn humility from Jefus Chrift; it will make you precious in the eyes of God, Ifa. Ivii. 15.

Pattern 8. The contentation of Chrift, in a low and mean condition in the world, is an excellent pattern for his people's imitation. His lot, in this world, fell upon a condition of deepest poverty, and contempt: Yet how well was he fatisfied, and contented with it! hear him expreffing himself about it, Pfal. xvi. 6." The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; હું yea, I have a goodly heritage." The contentation of his heart with a fuffering condition, evidenced itfelf in his filence, under the greatest sufferings, Ifa. liii. 7. "He was oppreffed, and he "was afflicted: yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought "as a lamb to the flaughter, and as a sheep before the shearers "is dumb, fo he opened not his mouth." O that in this alfo the poorest Christians would imitate their Saviour, and learn to manage an afflicted condition with a contented fpirit: Let there be no murmurs, complaints, or foolish charges of God heard from you, whatever ftraits, or troubles he brings you into: For,

Firf, The meaneft, and most afflicted Chriftian is owner of many rich, invaluable mercies, Eph. i. 3. 1 Cor. iii. 33. Is fin pardoned, and God reconciled? then never open your mouths any more, Ezek. xvi. 63.

Secondly, You have many precious promises, that God will not forfake you in your ftraits, Heb. xiii. 5. Ifa. xli. 17. And your whole life hath been a life of experiences of the faithfulness of God in his promifes. Which of you cannot fay with the church, Lam. iii. 23. "His mercies are new every morning, and "great is his faithfulness."

Thirdly, How useful and beneficial are all your afflictions to

you! They purge your fins, prevent your temptations, wean you from the world, and turn to your falvation: and how unreasonable then must your discontentednefs at them be?

Fourthly, The time of your relief and full deliverance from all your troubles is at hand; the time is but fhort that you shall have any concernment about these things, 1 Cor. vii. 29. If the candle of your earthly comfort be blown out, yet remember it is but a little while to the break of day, and then there will be no need of candles. Befides,

Fifthly, Your lot falls by divino direction, upon you, and as bad as it is, it is much easier and sweeter than the condition of Chrift in this world was: Yet he was contented, and why not you? O that we could learn contentment from Chrift in every condition. And thus I have laid before you fome excellent pat terns in the life of Chrift, for your imitation.

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JOHN xi. 6. He that faith he abideth in him, ought himself alfo fo to walk, even as he walked.

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HESE words having been refolved into their parts, and their fenfe opened in the former fermon: The obfervavation was this:

That every man is bound to the imitation of Chrift, under penalty of forfeiting his claim to Chrift.

In profecution of this point, we have already fhewn what the imitation of Chrift imports, and what the imitable excellencies in the life of Chrift are: It now remains that I fhew you, in the next place, why all that profefs Chrift, are bound, to imitate his example, and then apply the whole. Now the peceffity of this imitation of Chrift, will convincingly, appear divers ways.

First, From the established order of Salvation, which is fixed and unalterable: God that hath appointed the end, hath alfo eftablished the means and order by which men fhall attain the ultimate end. Now conformity to Chrift is the established method in which God will bring fouls to glory, Rom. viii. 29. "For whom he did foreknow, he alfo did predeftinate, to be con"formed to the image of his Son; that he might be the first-born among many brethren." The fame God who hath predeftinated men to falvation, hath, in order thereunto, predeftinated them

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unto conformity to Christ, and this order of heaven is never to be reverfed; we may as well hope to be faved without Chrift, as to be faved without conformity to Christ.

Secondly, The nature of Chrift-myftical requires this confor mity, and renders it indifpenfably neceffary. Otherwife, the body of Chrift must be heterogeneous; of a nature different from the head; and how monftrous, and uncomely, would this be? This would reprefent Chrift to the world in an image, or idea, much like that, Dan. ii, 32, 33. The head of fine gold, the "breait and arms of filver, the thighs of brafs, the legs of iron, "the feet part of iron, and part of clay." Chrift, the bead, is pure and holy, and therefore very unfuitable to fenfual, and earthly members. And therefore the apostle, in his defcription, of Chrift-myftical, defcribes the members of Chrift (as they ought to be) of the fame nature, and quality with the head, 2 Cor. xv. 48, 49. "As is the heavenly, fuch are they alfo that are hea "venly; and as we have born the image of the earthy, fo we hall allo bear the image of the heavenly." That image, or refemblance of Chrift, which fhall be complete, and perfect, after the refurrection, must be begun in its firft draught here, by the work of regeneration.

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Thirdly, This refemblance, and conformity to Chrift, appears neceffary from the communion, which all believers have with Chrift, in the fame fpirit of grace, and holiness. Believers are Called Chrift's fellows, or copartners, Pfal. xlv. 7. from their participation with bim of the fame fpirit; as it is 1 Thef. iv. &. God giveth the fame fpirit unto us, which he more plentifully poured out upon Chrift. Now where the fame fpirit, and principle is, there the fame fruits, and operations must be produced, according to the proportions, and measures of the fpirit of grace communicated; and this reafon is farther enforced, by the very defign, and end of God, in the infufion of the Spirit of grace: For it is plain, from Ezek. xxxvi. 27. that practical holiness, and obedience, is the fcope, and defign, of that infufion of the Spirit. The very innate property of the Spirit of God, in men, is to elevate their minds, and fet their affections upon heavenly things, to purge their hearts from earthly drofs, and fit them for a life of holiness, and obedience: Its nature, alfo, is affimilating, and changeth them, in whom it is, into the fame image with Jefus Chrift, their heavenly head, 2 Cor. iii. 18.

Fourthly, The peceffity of this imitation of Chrift may be argued, from the defign, and end of Chrift's exhibition to the world, in a body of fieth. For though we deteft that doctrine of the Socinians, which makes the exemplary life of Chrift to

SERM. XXX. be the whole end of his incarnation; yet we must not run fo far from an error, as to lofe a precious truth. We fay, the fa tisfaction of his blood was a main, and principal end of his incarnation, according to Mat. xx. 28. We affirm, also, that it was a great defign, and end of the incarnation of Chrift, to fet before us a pattern of holiness, for our imitation: For fo speaks the apostle, 1 Pet. ii. 21. " He hath left us an example, "that we should follow his steps." And this example of Chrift greatly obliges believers to his imitation. Phil. ii. 5. "Let this "mind be in you, which alfo was in Chrift Jefus."

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Fifthly, Our imitation of Chrift, is one of thofe great articles which every man is to fubfcribe, whom Chrift will admit into the number of his difciples. Luke xiv. 27. "Whosoever doth not come after me, cannot be my difciple." And again, John xii. 26." If any man ferve me, let him follow me." To this condition we have fubmitted, if we be fincere believers; and therefore are strictly bound to the imitation of Chrift, not only by God's command, but by their own confent. But if we profefs interest in Chrift, when our hearts never confented to follow, and imitate his example; then are we felf-deceiving hypocrites, wholly difagreeing from the fcripture character of believers, Rom. viii. 1. They that are Chrift's, being there defcribed to be fuch as walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And Gal. v. 25. "If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit.

Sixthly, The honour of Christ neceffitates the conformity of Christians to his example, elfe what way is there left to ftop detracting mouths, and vindicate the name of Chrift from the reproaches of the world? How can wisdom be juftified of her children, except it be this way? By what means fhall we cut off occafion from fuch as defire occafion, but by regulating our lives by Christ's example? The world hath eyes to fee what we practife; as well as ears to hear what we profess: Therefore either fhew the confiftency betwixt your profeffion, and prac tice, or you can never hope to vindicate the name, and honour of the Lord Jefus. The ufes follow; for,

1. Information. 2. Exhortation.

3. Confolation.

Firft ufe, for information.

Infer. 1. If all that profefs intereft in Chrift, be frictly bound to imitate his holy example; then it follows, that religion is very unjustly charged, by the world, with the fcandals, and evils of them that profefs it. Nothing can be more unjust and irrati onal, if we confider,

First, That the Christian religion feverely cenfures loose, and fcandalous actions, in all profeffors, and therefore is not to be cenfured for them. 'Tis abfurd to condemn religion, for what itself condemns: loofenefs no way flows from the principles of Christianity, but is moft oppofite, and contrary to it. Tit. ii. 11, 12." For the grace of God that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent world."

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Secondly, It is an argument of the excellency of Christian religion, that even wicked men, themfelves, covet the name, and profeffion of it, though they only cloak, and cover their evils under it. I confefs it is a great abuse of fuch an excellent thing as religion is; but yet, if it had not an awful reverence paid it, by the confciences of all men, it would never be abused to this purpose, by hypocrites, as it is.,

Thirdly, According to this reafoning, there can be no religion in the world; for name me that religion which is not scandalized by the practices of fome that profefs it. So that this practice hath a natural tendency to Atheism, and is, no doubt, encou raged by the devil, for that end.

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Infer. 2. If all men forfeit their claim to Chrift, who endeavour not to imitate him in the holiness of his life, then how small a number of real Chriftians are there in the world? Indeed, if liberal talking, without accurate walking; if common profession, without holy practices, were enough to conflitute a Chriftian; then this quarter of the world would abound with Chriftians: But if Chrift owns none for fuch, but thofe that tread in the fteps of his example; then the number of real Chriftians is very fmall. The generality of men that live under the Christian name, are fuch as walk after the flesh, Rom. viii. 2. according to the course of this world, they yield their members as inftruments of unrighteousness unto fin, Rom. vi. 13. Strict godlinefs is a mere bondage to them; narrow is the way, and few there be that walk therein.

Infer. 3. What blessed times fhould we all fee, if true religion did once generally obtain, and prevail in the world! How would it humble the proud, meeken the paffionate, and fpiritualize thofe that are carnal! The perverfe world charges religion with all the tumults, and disturbances that are in it; when as nothing in the world, but religion, advanced in the power of it, can heal, and cure thefe epidemical evils. O if men were once brought under the power of religion, indeed, to walk after Christ in holinefs, obedience, meeknefs, and felf-denial; no fuch miferies as

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