Power in doing Good. In him we may be hold an admirable Pattern fet before us of the moft confummate Piety towards God, Devotedness to his Glory and Service, and Refignation to his Will in all Things; and of the most extensive Benevolence towards Mankind, and the most earnest Diligence in doing Good to the Bodies and to the Souls of Men; and of an amiable forgiving Difpofition towards them that have injured and offended us. He hath taught us by his own Temper and Prac tice to keep our felves pure from the Pollutions of the Flesh and of the World, and to maintain an heavenly Frame and Temper, without fhunning the Society and Converfation of Men; and to be ready when called to it, to renounce our fleshly Pleasure and Eafe, and our worldly Interefts, for the Honour of God, and the Good of Mankind. He hath exhibited an Example of Dignity without Pride; of the most amiable Humility and Condefcenfion without Bafenefs and Meannefs of Spirit; of a placid Contentment and Acquiefcence in whatever Condition it pleafeth God to appoint us; of the most wonderful Meeknefs and Patience under the greatest Provocations and Sufferings; of a fteady Fortitude and Magnanimity of Soul in the Cause of Truth, Righteousness, and

Virtue;

Virtue; of a noble Uprightness and Candor, and an univerfal Sincerity, free from all Deceit and Guile; and, finally, of a confummate Prudence and Difcretion. And, where all these concur, they will certainly direct to a proper Conduct in every Station and Condition of Life: They will diffuse their Influence through the whole Course, and render it steady and uniform. Thus excellent and univerfally useful is the Example of our Saviour: The more attentively we observe his Character, the more we shall behold of a Divine Beauty and Amiableness in it; and those must be degenerate Souls indeed that are not overcome and drawn by it.

Let us confider, Secondly, how honourable it will be for us to imitate Jefus Chrift and to have the fame Mind in us that was in him. Surely there cannot be a nobler Ambition than to afpire after a Conformity to the Son of God, when appearing and dwelling in human Flesh: This will reflect a Glory upon us, not only in the Sight of all good and wife Men, but of the holy Angels, yea and in the Efteem of God himself, the great Fountain and Judge of Honour. Chrift is the most perfect Image of the invifible God; and, the more nearly we refemble him, the more we fhall grow up into the Divine Likeness, in which the highest

highest Dignity and Excellence of our Na ture doth confift.

Thirdly, as it will be honourable to our felves, fo it will tend to reflect an Honour upon our Chriftian Profeffion, and thereby upon our Lord Jefus Chrift himself, the bleffed Author of it. If those who call themselves his Difciples were careful to walk as he walked, what an advantageous Representation would this make of the Design of his Coming, and of the excellent Nature and Tendency of our holy Religion? How happy would it be for the Church and World, if the principal Contention among profeffed Chriftians was this, Who of us fhall come nearest to the Example of our bleffed Lord! How fhall we most resemble him in our Temper and Conduct? This would tend to allay and compofe our other Differences, and caufe us to caft the Mantle of Love over them. This would be the most effectual Way we could take to honour the Name of Jefus Christ, and to promote the Interests of his Kingdom: As, on the Contrary, nothing can be more prejudicial to both, or have a greater Tendency to expofe Chriftianity to the Reproaches of Infidels, than the bad Lives of many of it's Profeffors, so unfuitable to the Character of the holy Jefus.

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To thefe Confiderations may be added, Fourthly, That our Imitating Chrift's Example will lay a folid Foundation for an inward Peace and Satisfaction of Mind; it will

be a

comfortable Evidence to our own Souls of our Intereft in him and in the glorious Benefits he came to procure: Hereby we shall know that he abideth in us, and we in him. Many Marks have been given for distinguishing a faithful Difciple of Jefus Chrift, and a true Member of his Church, which is his mystical Body; but there is not a better than this, or which may be more certainly depended upon, that he is the best Chriftian, in whom moft of the Temper of the bleffed Jefus appeareth; and who is most like him in Piety, Charity, Purity, Humility, Meekness, Patience, and thofe other Virtues which fo eminently fhone forth in his facred Life and Character here on Earth: Concerning fuch Perfons it may be faid, in the emphatical Language of the Apostle Paul, that it is not fo much they that live, as Chrift that liveth in them.

Finally, It should be confidered, that we have the greatest Encouragements given us to afpire after an Imitation of him. We must not think that, because of the Dignity of his Perfon, we are incapable of imitating his Example: For he appeared VOL. IV.

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in

in a mean and humbled State here on Earth, that he might bring his Example nearer to our View, and within our Reach. He took upon him our Nature, not in Appearance only, but in Reality: Forafmuch as the Children are Partakers of Flesh and Blood, be himself also likewife took. Part of the fame. Heb. ii. 14. And, as he hath taken upon bim our Nature, fo he communicateth to us of his Spirit, for our Affistance and Comfort. The Spirit of Chrift is reprefented as dwelling in all fincere Christians: Ye are not in the Flesh (faith St. Paul) but in the Spirit, if fo be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any Man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his. Rom viii. 9. As it hath pleafed the Father that in him should all Fulnefs dwell, fo of bis Fulnefs his faithful Difciples receive, even Grace for Grace. Col. i. 19. John i. 16. We are, in ourselves, weak infufficient Creatures; but our Lord Jefus Chrift hath, in a great Measure, removed and conquered our Difficulties for us, and is ever ready to affift us, as he feeth we ftand in Need. What he hath done and fuffered was defigned to make the Way more plain and eafy to thofe that follow: He hath vanquished the great Enemies of our Salvation, and, in that he himself fuffered, being tempted, he is able, i, e. he is

well