solve our silver cords, and never the nearer. Nor need we to conform to Christ in some other particulars, in his voluntary poverty," he became poor for our sakes," 2 Cor. 8:9. In his ceremonial performances, as going up to Jerusalem at the feasts; in his perpetual grave deportment: we never read that Jesus laughed, and but once or twice he rejoiced in spirit. Alas! the declensions of our natures cannot come up to this pattern, nor do I look at these passages as any acts of moral obedience at all.

2. Affirmatively or positively, we must conform to Christ's life.

1. In respect of his judgment, will, affections, compassions. Look we at his Spirit, observe what mind was in Jesus Christ, and therein do we endeavor to conform, Phil. 2:5. "Let the same mind be in you (saith the apostle) which was in Christ; and "we have the mind of Christ," (saith the apostle.) 1 Cor. 2:16.

2. In respect of his virtues, graces, habitual holiness, Matth. 11:29. "Learn of me (saith Christ) for I am meek and lowly in heart," Christ was of a meek and gentle spirit, "I beseech you by the meekness and gentle. ness of Christ," saith Paul, 2 Cor. 10:2. And Christ was of an humble and lowly spirit, Phil. 2:6,7. "Being in the form of God, he thought it no robbery to be equal with God: yet ye made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant." I might instance in all other graces, for he had them all in fulness, "And of his fulness have we all received, grace for grace," John 1:16.

3. In respect of his words, talk, spiritual and heavenly language. The very officers of the priests could say of Christ, "Never man spake like this man," John 7:46. And sometimes they "all wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth," Luke 4:22. He never sinned in word, "neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was re viled, reviled not again," 1 Pet. 2:22,23. The apostle, speaking thus of Christ, he tells us, "That herein Christ left us an example, that we should follow his steps," verse 21.

4. In respect of his carriage, conversation, close walking with God. The apostle sets forth Christ as an high priest, who "was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners,' "Heb. 7:26. And in like manner, saith Peter, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye would show forth the virtues of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light," 1 Pet. 2:9. that ye should show forth the virtue, (i. e.) That in your lives and conversations, you should express those graces and virtues which were so em. inent and exemplary in Jesus Christ: that you should not only have them, but that you should hold them forth; (euangelein,) the word signifies properly to preach, so clearly should we express the virtues of Christ, as if our lives were so many sermons of the life of Christ.

5. In respect of all his acts, practices, duties of moral obedience: we' find in the life of Christ many particular carriages, and acts of obedience to his heavenly Father, whereof some were moral, and some ceremonial. Now, all these are not for our imitation, but only such moral acts, as concerning which we have both his pattern and precept: come let us mark this one rule, and we need no more, whatsoever he commanded, and whatsoever he did, of precise morality, we are therein bound to follow his steps. I join together his commands and deeds, because in those things which he did, but commands not, we need not to conform; but in those things which he both did, and commanded, we are bound to follow him. In such a case, his laws, and practice differ, but as a nap and guide, à law. a judge, a rule and precedent.

In respect of all these particulars, and especially in respect of Christ's moral obedience, the whole life of Christ was a discipline, a living, shining and exemplary precept unto men: and hence it is that we find such names given to him in scripture, as signify not only pre-eminence, but exemplariness; thus he was called "A prince, Dan. 9:25. A leader, Isa. 55:4. A governor, Matth. 2:6. A captain, 2:10. A chief shepherd, 1 Pet. 5:4. A forerunner or conductor into glory, Heb. 6:20. A light to the Jews, Exod. 13:21. A light to the Gentiles, Luke 2:3. A light to every man that entereth into the world." John 1:9. All which titles, as they declared his dignity, so his exemplariness, that he was the author and pattern of holiness to his people. And as for all other saints, though they are imitable, yet with limitation unto him, only so far as they express his life in their conversation, 1 Cor. 11:1. "Be ye followers of me, even as I am of Christ."

For the second, Why we must conform? Upon what motives? I answer, 1. Because Christ hath done and suffered very much to that end and purpose. Sometimes I have wondered why Christ would do so much, and suffer so much, as the evangelists, in their histories, relate. This I believe, that Jesus was perfect God, and perfect man; and that every action of his life, and but one hour of his passion and death, might have been satisfactory, and enough for the expiation and reconcilement of ten thousand worlds. But now I am answered, that all those instances of holiness, and all those kinds of virtues, and all those degrees of his passion, and all that effusion of his blood, was partly on this account, that he might become an example to us, that he might shine to all the ages and genera tions of the world, and so be a guiding star, and a pillar of fire to them in their journey towards heaven. O my soul! how doth this call on thee to conform to Christ? What? that a smaller expense should be enough to thy justification: and yet that the whole magazine should not procure thy sanctification? That, at a lesser sum of obedience, God might have pardoned thy sin; and yet, at a greater sum, thou wilt not so much as imitate his holiness? In a dark night, if an ignis fatuus go before thee, thou art so amused with that little flame, that thou art apt to follow it, and lose thyself; and wilt thou not follow the glories of the Sun of righteousness, who by so many instances calls upon thee, and who will guide thee into safety, and secure thee against all imaginable dangers? God forbid! If it had not been for thy imitation, I cannot think that Christ should have lived on earth so many years to have done so many gracious meritorious works. Oh think of this!

2. Because Christ is the best and the highest exemplar of holiness that ever the world had; hence we must needs conform to Christ, (as the apostle argues) because "he is the first born among many brethren," Rom. 8:29. The first in every kind is propounded as a pattern of the rest; now Christ is the first born, Christ is the head of all the predestinate, as the first born was wont to be the head in all families. The old saying is, Regis ad exemplar, &c. A very deformity was sometimes counted an honor, if it were an imitation of the prince: It is storied of Nero, that having a wry neck, there was such an ambition in men to follow the court, that it became the fashion and gallantry of those times, to hold their necks awry; and shall not Christ the king of saints be much more imitated by the saints? Christ is "the head of the body, the beginning, the first born from the dead, in all things he hath the pre-eminence," Col. 1:18. And the rule is general, that, "That which is first, and best

in any kind, is the rule and measure of all the rest." Why, such is Christ, O then let him be the guide of our life, and of our manners.

3. Because Christ doth not only give us an example, but he doth cherish, succor, and assist us by its easiness, complacency, and proportion to us. Some sweetly observe, that "Christ's piety (which we must imitate) was even, constant, unblameable, complying with civil society, without any a frightment of precedent, or without any prodigious instances of actions, greater than the imitation of men." We are not commanded to imitate a life, whose story tells us of ecstasies in prayer, of abstractions of senses, of extraordinary fastings to the weakening of our spirits, and disabling of all animal operations; no, no; but a life of justice, and temperance, and chastity, and piety, and charity, and devotion; such a life ast without which human society cannot be conserved:-And it is very remarkable, that besides the easiness of this imitation, there is a virtue in the life of Christ; a merit and impetration in the several passages of Christ's life, to work out our imitation of him. In the Bohemian history, it is re ported, that Winceslaus their king, one winter's night going to his de votion in a remote church, his servant Pedavivus, who waited on his master, and endeavored to imitate his master's piety, he began to faint through the violence of the snow, and cold; at last the king commanded him to follow him, and to set his feet on the same footsteps which his feet should mark, and set down for him; the servant did so, and presently he fancied, or found a cure. Thus Christ deals with us; it may be we think our way to heaven is troublesome, obscure, and full of objection; well, saith Christ, "But mark my footsteps; come on and tread where I have stood, and you shall find the virtue of my example will make all smooth and easy; you shall find the comforts of my company, you shall feel the virtue and influence of a perpetual guide.

4. Because Christ in his word hath commanded us to follow his steps, Matth. 11:29. "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." John 13:13,14,15. “And ye call me Master, and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am: If I then your Lord and master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you," Col. 3:12,13. "Put on therefore bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrel against you, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye," 1 Pet. 1:15,16. "And as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy."-Against this some object, How can we be holy as Christ is holy? first, the thing is impossible; and, secondly, if we could, there would be no need of Christ. But I answer to the first; the thing if rightly understood, is not impossible: we are commanded to be holy as Christ is holy, not in respect of equality, as if our holiness must be of the same compass with the holiness of Christ; but in respect of quality, our holiness must be of the same stamp, and truth, as the holiness of Christ; as when the apostle saith, Rom. 13:9. "That we must love our neighbor as ourselves:" the meaning is not, that our love to our neighbor should be mathematically equal to the love of ourselves, for the law doth allow of degrees in love, according to the degrees of relation in the thing beloved, Rom. 12:9. "Do good unto all men, especially to those of the household of faith." Love to a friend may safely be greater than love to a stranger; or love to a wife, or child, may safely be greater than love to a friend; yet in all our love to others, it must be of the self same nature, as trus, as real, as cordial, as sincere, as

solid as that to ourselves; "We must love our neighbor as ourselves," (i. e.) unfeignedly and without dissimulation.-Again, I answer, to the second, Christ is needful, notwithstanding our utmost holiness, in two respects: 1. Because we cannot come to full and perfect holiness, and so his grace is requisite to pardon and cover our failings. 2. Because that which we do attain unto, it is not of, or from ourselves, and so his Spirit is requisite, to strengthen us unto his service. We must be holy as Christ is holy, yet still we must look at the holiness of Christ, as the sun, and root, and fountain; and that our holiness is but as a beam of that sun, but as a branch of that root, but as a stream of that fountain.

For the third, How must we conform to his life? I answer;

1. Let us frame to ourselves some idea of Christ, let us set before us the life of Christ in the whole, and all the parts of it, as we find it recorded in God's book. It would be a large picture if I should draw it to the full, but for a taste, I shall give it in few lines. Now then, setting aside the consideration of Christ as God, or as Mediator, or as the head of his church,

1. I look at the mind of Christ, at his judgment, will, affections; such as love, joy, delight, and the rest; and especially at the compassions of Jesus Christ. O the dear affections and compassions which Christ had towards the sons of men! this was his errand from heaven, and while he was upon the earth he was ever acting it, I mean his pitifulness, I mean his affections, and compassion "in healing broken hearts," Luke 4:18. So the Psalmist, Psal. 147:3. "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." It is spoken after the manner of a chirurgeon: he had a tender heart towards all broken hearts: he endeavors to put all broken bones into their native place again: nor speak I thus only of him in respect of his office; but as he was man, he had in him such a mind, that he could not but compassionate all in misery: O what bowels, what stirrings and boilings, and wrestlings of a pained heart, touched with sorrow, was ever, upon occasion, in Jesus Christ! peruse these texts, Matth. 14: 14. "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and he was moved with compassion towards them, and he healed their sick." Mark 6:34. "And Jesus when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd." Mark 1:40,41. "And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying to him, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean: and Jesus moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean." Matth. 15:32. "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude." And for the two blind men that cried out, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David;" it is said, that "Jesus stood still, and he had compassion on them, and touched their eyes," Matth. 20:34. And the poor prodigal returning, Luke 15:20. "When he was yet a great way off, his Father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." How sweet is this last instance! that our sense of sinful weakness should be sorrow and pain to the bowels and heart of Jesus Christ? You that are parents of young children, let me put the case, If some of you standing in the relation of a father, should see his child sweat and wrestle under an over-load, till his back were almost broken, and that you should hear him cry, "Oh I am gone, I faint, I sink, I die: would not your bowels be moved to pity: and would not your hands be stretched out to help? Or, if some of you standing in the relation of a mother, should ee your sucking child fallen into a pit, and wrestling with the water, and

crying for help, would you not stir, nor be moved in heart, nor run to deliver the child from being drowned? Surely you would, and yet all this pity and compassion of yours is but as a shadow of the compassions and dear affections that were and are in the heart of Jesus Christ: O he had a mind devoid of sin, and therefore it could not but be full of pity, mercy, and tender bowels of compassion.

2. I look at the grace in Christ; O he was full of grace, yea, full of all the graces of the Spirit, Sol. Songs 1:13,14. "A bundle of myrrh is my well beloved to me;-My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi." A bundle of myrrh and a cluster of camphire denote all the graces of the Spirit: as many flowers are bound together in a nosegay, so the variety of the graces of the Spirit concentered in the heart of Jesus Christ, Ex. gr.

1. In him was meekness, Matth. 21:5. "He cometh unto thee meek:" he had a sweet command and moderation of his anger; he was meek as Moses; nay, though Moses was very meek, "and very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth," Numb. 12:3. yet Christ's meekness exceeded Moses', as the body doth exceed the shadow. 2. In him was humility: he saved not the world by his power but by his humility: in his incarnation Christ would be humble; and therefore he was born of a poor virgin, in a common inn: in his life, his way on earth was a continual lecture of humility: a little before his death, he gave such an example of humility as never was the like, John 13:5. "He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet." O ye apostles, why tremble ye not at the wonderful sight of this so great humility? Peter, what doest thou? Wilt thou ever yield, that this Lord of majesty should wash thy feet? Methinks I hear Peter saying, “What, Lord, wilt thou wash my feet? Art not thou the Son of the living God, the Creator of the world, the beauty of the heavens, the paradise of angels, the Redeemer of men, the brightness of the Father's glory? And I, what am I, but a worm, a clod of earth, a miserable sinner? and wilt thou, notwithstanding all this, wash thy feet? Leave, Lord, O leave this base office for thy ser vants; lay down thy towel and put on thy apparel again; beware that the heavens, or the angels of heaven be not ashamed of it, when they shall see that by this ceremony thou settest them beneath the earth; take heed least the daughter of king Saul despise thee not, when she shall see thee girded about with this towel after the manner of a servant, and shall say, That she will not take thee for her beloved, and much less for her God, whom she seeth to attend upon so base an office." Thus may I imagine Peter to bespeak his master, but he little knew what glory lay hid in this humility of Christ; it was for us, and our example: an humble Christ to make humble Christians.

3. In him was patience; O when I think of Christ's labors in preaching, weariness in travelling, watchfulness in praying, tears in compassionating; and when I add to all these his submission of Spirit, notwithstanding all the affronts, injuries, and exprobations of men: How should I cry out, "O the patience of Christ!" The apostle tells us, 1 Pet. 2:23. that "when he was reviled, he reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."—I have already given you a touch of the graces of Christ, which now I may set before me. In him was wisdom, and knowledge, and justice, and mercy, and temperance and fortitude, and every virtue, or every grace that possibly I can think of; "A bundle of myrrh is my well beloved unto me, as a cluster of camphire in the garden of Engedi."