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to his Spirit in this Life, and make it our great Endeavour to be what he was, when he was here. Let it therefore here be obfervd, that the Nature of our Religion teaches us this Duty in a more convincing Manner, than any particular Precepts concerning it. For the most ordinary Understanding must feel the Force and Reafonableness of this Argument. You are born to depart out of this World, to ascend to that State of Blifs, to live in fuch Enjoyment of God to all Eternity, as our Bleffed Saviour now enjoys, you are therefore to live in the Spirit and Temper that he liv'd, and make your felves firft like him here, that you may be like him hereafter. So that we need not look for particular Texts of Scripture, which command us to imitate the Life of Chrift, because we are taught this Duty by a Stronger and more convincing Authority; because as the End and Design of our Religion, is to make us one with Chrift hereafter, Partakers of the fame State of Life, fo it plainly calls us to be one with him here, and to be Partakers of that fame Spirit and Temper in which he liv'd on Earth. When it is faid that we are to imitate the Life of Christ, it is not meant that we are called to the fame manner of Life, or the fame fort of Actions, for this cannot be, but it is certain that we

are

are called to the fame Spirit and Temper, which was the Spirit and Temper of our Bleffed Saviour's Life and Actions. We are to be like him in Heart and Mind, to act by the fame Rule, to look towards the fame End, and to govern our Lives by the fame Spirit. This is an Imitation of Jesus Christ, which is as neceffary to Salvation, as it is neceffary to believe in his Name. This is the fole End of all the Counfels, Commands and Doctrines of Chrift, to make us like himself, to fill us with his Spirit and Temper, and make us live according to the Rule and Manner of his Life. As no Doctrines are true, but fuch as are according to the Doctrines of Chrift, fo it is equally certain, that no Life is regular or christian, but fuch as is according to the Pattern and Example of the Life of Chrift. For he liv'd as infallibly as he taught, and it is as irregular, to vary from his Example, as it is falfe, to diffent from his Doctrines. To live as he liv'd, is as certainly the one fole Way of living as we ought, as to believe as he taught, is the one fole Way of believing as we ought. I am, faith the Bleffed Jefus, The Way, the Truth, and the Life, no Man cometh unto the Father but by me. Chriftians often hear thefe Words, and perhaps think that they have enough fulfill'd them by believing in Jefus Chrift. But

they

they should confider, that when Jefus Chrift faith he is the Way, his meaning is, that his way of Life is to be the way, in which all Christians are to live, and that it is by living after the manner of his Life, that any Man cometh unto the Father. So that the Doctrine of this Paffage is this, that however we may call our felves Christians, or Difciples of Chrift, yet we cannot come unto God the Father, but by entering into that way of Life, which was the way of our Saviour's Life. And we must remember, that there is no other way befides this, nothing can poffibly bring us to God, but that way of Life, which first makes us one with Chrift, and teacheth us to walk as he walked. For we may as well expect to go to a Heaven where Chrift is not, as to go to that where he is, without the Spirit and Temper which carry'd him thither. If Chriftians would but fuffer themfelves to reflect upon this Duty, their own Minds would foon convince them of the Reasonableness and Neceffity of it. For who can find the leaft Shadow of a Reason, why he fhould not imitate the Life of Chrift, or why Christians fhould think of any other Rule of Life? It would be as easy to fhew that Chrift acted amifs, as that we need not act after his Example. And to think that these are Degrees of Holiness,

which tho' very good in themselves, are yet not neceffary for us to afpire after, is the fame Abfurdity as to think, that it was not neceffary for our Saviour to have been fo, perfect himself as he was. For, give but the Reason why fuch Degrees of Holiness and Purity became our Saviour, and you will give as good a Reafon for us to afpire after them. For as the Bleffed Jefus took not on him the Nature of Angels, but the Nature of Man, as he was in all Points made like unto us, Sin only excepted, fo we are fure, that there was no Spirit or Temper that was Excellent in him, that recommended him to God, but would be alfo Excellent in us, and recommend us to God, if we could arrive at it.

Is it should be faid, that Jefus was the Saviour of the World, that he was born to redeem Mankind, was the Son of God, and therefore in a Condition fo different from ours, that his Life can be no Rule of our Life. To this it may be answer'd, That thefe Differences don't make the Life of Christ to be less the Rule and Model of all Christians. For, as I observ'd before, it is the Spirit and Temper of Chrift, that all Chriftians are to initate, and not his particular Actions, they are to do their proper Work in that Spirit and Temper, in which Chrift did the Work on which he was fent. Hh

So

So that altho' Chriftians are not Redeemers of the World as he was, tho' they have not his extraordinary Powers, nor that great Work to finish which he had, yet they have their Work to do in the manner that he did his; they have their Part to act, which tho' it be a different Part, must not be perform'd with a different Spirit, but with fuch Obedience to God, fuch Regard to his Glory, for fuch Ends of Salvation, for fuch Good of others, and with all fuch Holy Difpofitions, as our Bleffed Saviour manifefted in every Part of his Life. A Servant of the lowest Order is in a very different State from his Mafter, yet we may very juftly exhort fuch a one, to follow the Example of a pious and charitable Mafter, not because he can perform the fame Inftances of Piety and Charity, but because he may fhew the fame Spirit of Piety and Charity in the Actions, which are proper to his State. This may thew us, that the different State of our Lord and Mafter leaves him ftill the exac Rule and Pattern of his lowest Servants, who tho' they cannot come up to the Greatnefs of his Actions, may yet act according to that Spirit from whence they proceeded; and then are they true Followers of Christ, when they are following his Spirit and Temper, acting according to his Ends and Defigns, and doing that in their feveral States, which Chrift did in his.

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