against the most pernicious errours and restoring true Religion as they are contain'd in the Sermons and occasional Discourses of Jesus recorded by the Evangelists and by considering how Jesus inculcated and abetted this holy truth as a pattern to us how we should hold and profess and propugne such his Doctrine Secondly By exhibiting the true spirit and genius of the Christian Life and Practice collected from the Example of Jesus And that first By drawing the great lines of his Life as the admirabâ—â— pattern of ours Secondly By appâ—ying the light of this Example for oâ—r Instruction in the necessity nature extent and excellency of true holiness Thirdly By shewing what obligation and encouragement the Life of Christ contains to render us followers of him concluding with an Exhortation to that purpose THE PATTERN Of Pure and Undefiled RELIGION CHAP. I. Containing the Principles of Christian Doctrine JEsus being a Teacher sent from God Sect. 1 to restore true Religion levell'd his Doctrine principally against those Errours contrary thereunto which yet Mankind was very prone to fall into and inculcated those prime and fundamental truths which make up the genuine Spirit constitute the Essence and are as it were the Informing Soul of true and undefil'd Religion As First Concerning the Nature and Government of God. He that lay in the bosome of the father Joh. 1.18 hath reveal'd him to us Whom Men rather conceived of as a powerful than as a good Being a God of wrath and the object of their dread rather than a God of perfect Wisdom and Goodness the object of their love and holy imitation One whom they might possibly appease by Gifts and atone by servile performances little apprehending in the mean while that He was most easy to reconcile and forward to do them good and sufficiently pleased if they were but willing to be made happy by him This was the degenerate and mis-shapen notion of God that inform'd the Religion of the World and render'd it servile superstitious unsavoury and uncomfortable As for the Jews God was their King and they consider'd him as the Lord of their Hosts dreading his Power and limiting his goodness Whilst they reverenc'd his Sanctuary hallow'd his Sabbaths and paid his tyth and oblations they were safe under his Almighty Protection and to them possibly he might make some allowance and bear with the transgressions of his peculiar people but the Nations of the World they look'd upon as the people of his Wrath and either devoted to destruction or not regarded by him who whatever goodness he had in his nature had appropriated that to the Jews only Jesus therefore who hath shew'd us plainly of the Father inculcates worthy apprehensions of God teaching us to conceive of him as the Father of Mercies as kind to the unthankful and freely good towards all and that Universal Love the most generous and fervent Charity the most tender Bowels of Pity these are his true Image and make us like God the children of our Father which is in Heaven Math. 5.44 He therefore tells the Jews that God loved not them only but the whole World and that to such degree as he sent his only Son into it for the Salvation of all that should become willing to be saved by him Joh. 3.16 That He came to seek and save that which was lost and that Repentance and remission of Sins should be preach'd in his Name to All People without exception Luk. 24.47 that God is gracious and reconcileable in his nature and that there is Joy in Heaven at the conversion of a sinner Luk. 15.7 10. In a word the true notion of God is that he is indeed to be Reverenc'd for his excellent Greatness but that he is especially to be loved for his Goodness as being the excellent pattern of all that is good and original of all perfection whom to know is Life Eternal to be like him is to be as perfect as we are capable and to see God our supream felicity and that Vision is the portion of his Children that strive to imitate the Being they Adore and Love that Copy out his Purity his Righteousness and Mercy they shall be blessed for they shall see God Mat. 5. such are the excellent notions of God which the Doctrine of Christ inspires banishing those narrow and stingy mean and servile conceptions of him that had infected the minds and vitiated the Religion of Jews and Gentiles and which Mankind are exceeding prone to fall into Secondly Jesus in his preaching Sect. 2 did especially inculcate the truth of divine Worship with what things God is pleas'd and what is the Worship and Homage he requires of us dispelling the gross Ignorance and dangerous Errours both of the Jews and Gentiles God he tells them is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth with the Mind and Soul without shadows and ceremonies Joh. 4.23 as he will not be honour'd with Images so he little regardeth any external performances That he values neither place nor time but every where and at all times he will have Men call upon him holding up pure hands with sincere and fervent minds That he preferreth Mercy to Sacrifice and is only glorify'd by our being fruitful in good works Joh. 15.8 that the Gentile Image-worship was abominable and the Jews Ceremonies trifles and the Pharisaick superstition intolerable with God. To turn Religion into noise and shew to place it in Fringes and Phylacteries in distinguishing opinions or unprofitable speculations in regard to Altars and Shrines to difference of meats and days and such like Traditions of Men this was an offence and scandal that moved the Spirit the meek and gentle Jesus and made him reprove sharply and lash severely the abetters of it Math. 23. Especially they having advanced these trifles and superstitions into the place of Justice Mercy and Faith and the greater things of the Law and made void the Commandments of God through their traditions There is nothing our Saviour tells us entring into the Man that can defile him in the estimate of God but the evil things that proceed out of the heart these defile the man Mark 7.18 nor can any thing on the other hand avail him but what proceeds from a mind full of God and is a genuine fruit of the true knowledge of him That true Religion and true Happiness its natural issue consist in and are the results of a due temper of mind the poor in spirit the penitent Mourners the meek Math. 5.3 c. the merciful the pure and peaceable these are the true Worshippers and truly happy Men. That God needeth not our Prayers to inform him of our wants or to move his pity nor are we heard the sooner for our much speaking but that our due apprehensions concerning God and humble confidence in him fervent application of our Soul towards him and a ready obsequiousness to his Will these render us capable of his Blessings and secure them to us
being raised from the deep sleep of sin were turned from darkness to light from the power of Satan unto God. This Light of Life dispersed throughout the Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ 't is the design of this little Tract to collect for instruction in the true Spirit and Genius of Christian Religion For since to be a Christian is to put on Christ i. e. to imitate him by copying out the Excellencies of his Spirit and Holiness of his Life it is necessary we should have the true Idea of his Mind and Spirit and the true Characters of his holy Conversation in intimate knowledge and constant remembrance as well as in highest veneration and love Our profession obliging us to walk as he walked and the efficacy of Example consisting much in being acted before our Eyes it is highly necessary that we look unto Jesus form to our selves such an exact Idea of his Life that seeing him as it were walking before us in every path of Vertue we may follow him more accurately treading in his steps In this consists the true study and use of the holy Gospels not in learning to make or defend Systems and Scheems of Orthodox Opinions but in receiving the light of Life or as the Apostle calls it in 1 Cor. 2.16 the mind of Christ i. e. the imbibing the true sense and tincture of his Heavenly Doctrine and partaking of his Spirit therein lively express'd that beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord we be changed into the same image from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 In order hereunto it must be ever remembred that Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil to rescue Religion from that depravation which was the dishonour of God and reproach of Man and to restore Men at once to Truth and Happiness The Mind therefore and Spirit of his Doctrine will be best conceived as opposite to those pernicious Errours which had depraved Religion debauched the Lives and enslaved the Spirits of Men which had brought them to become Vassals of Satan the Author and Abetter of such false Opinions and wicked Practices Christianity is to be considered as a supplement to natural Religion restoring it from depravation adding a new light authority and sanction to the truths and precepts thereof and by confirming what was doubtful through the ignorance and prejudices of Men clearing what was dark rectifying what was abused or mistaken reducing Men to the true knowledge of God and rendring them true Worshippers of him To this restauration of Religion and of Man it was necessary first to set them upon a firm basis and foundation by enlightning their darkness satisfying their doubts and helping their infirmity and then to prevent their falling again which they are extreamly prone to do into these pernicious conceits by which they had departed from God were captivated unto Satan and enslaved in his Kingdom of darkness In order to the first viz. the fixing Mens Minds upon a solid foundation by satisfying their important Doubts relieving their Ignorance and helping their Infirmity 't was necessary for the Saviour of the World 1. To reconcile God to Man by a propitiatory Sacrifice 2. To demonstrate the Immortality of the Soul the certainty of a future Life and Judgment 3. To reveal the object of Worship 4. To set a perfect Example of Life 5. To succour Men with supernatural Grace a strength Divine First A propitiatory Sacrifice and the most solemn Declaration that could be of God's being reconciled to returning Sinners was necessary to pacify Mens guilty Consciences to satisfy their diffident and doubtful minds to make an end of all that anxious busy and fruitless Religion of Expiations which could neither purge the Conscience nor improve the Man which by becoming the chief subject of religious solicitude jostled true Religion i. e. Wisdom and Goodness out of the World. Natural Religion knows no Sacrifice but Eucharistical 't is a service of Love and Gratitude but guilt is diffident and anxious sin begets dread of God as well as alienation from him and he that knows himself sadly in arrears to the Divine Justice and obnoxious to Almighty Anger must first be satisfied that that Justice and Anger appeas'd and God reconciled before he can be prevail'd with to love and thankfulness and holy imitation that is before he can be made to repent and return unto God. 2 Co. 5.19 Rom. 3.25 1 Jo. 4.10 God therefore was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself setting him forth a propitiation for the sins of it declaring himself reconciled and publishing an Act of Oblivion and Patents of Grace and Pardon ratified and seal'd with the bloud of that most inestimable Sacrifice By the most solemn sacred sensible and affectionate pledges of his love he hath assured us that he wills not the death of Sinners but his will is their return and happiness that he will communicate himself to his Creatures according to their capacity and that Repentance is a sure Capacity for his greatest Blessings but impenitence the only accursed thing that separates from God and that because it renders uncapable of those blessed streams which are ever flowing from the inexhaustable Fountain of Divine Goodness And as by the bloud of Jesus he hath pacified the Conscience of Sinners so by the revelation of his divine Mercy and Goodness by the Promise of the holy Spirit and of Eternal Life he hath revived their desponding Hearts he hath begotten them again to a lively hope that they may be filled with joy and peace in believing 1 Pet. 1.3 Rom. 15.13 and abound with hope through the power of the Holy Ghost that they may return with humble Confidence and chearful readiness to him who waits for that happy opportunity to shew them mercy and being reconciled to God by Faith and Repentance may be inseparably united unto him in love and hope and the participation of his holy Spirit Secondly To the Restauration of true Religion 't was fundamentally necessary to banish all doubtfulness about the immortality of the Soul and to render the future Life and Judgment indisputably certain Men lost with their Innocence their hope in God and the sense of those immortal Capacities the divine goodness had bestowed upon them They corrupted also that Tradition which should have supported their hope and forgot both what their Reason and their Fathers had told them from God concerning his design to make them Eternally happy And the Arguments of Philosophy were too fine and artificial to encounter the prejudices of Lust and jealousies of guilt and to perswade minds that knew very little of God or of themselves that rather dreaded the presence than desired the enjoyment of the Divinity and whose secular Religion taught them to look for no other rewards than the averting a misfortune or a plague or the procuring the comforts and emoluments of this Life Vt averteretur imminens ira vel
for spiritual ends and purposes for the help of Faith Devotion and Resolution and the more effectual uniting the heart unto God in fervent love in thankful and dutiful affection Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost for he that in these things serveth Christ is accepted of God and approved of men But he that has a mighty opinion of bodily labour that values a Ceremony before a Vertue his opinion about a Rite before Charity or Peace that acts his fancy more than his understanding is more nice and curious about the bodily than the spiritual part of worship such an one is departed from the genuine spirit of Christianity entred in at the gate of Superstition in danger of all the extravagance and dotage thereof and thereby of Apostatizing into the Kingdom of darkness Thirdly 2 Tim. 1.7 A dark and servile dread of God is the temper and spirit of false Religion but the Spirit of Christianity is light and love and a sound mind When Men become alienated from God by wicked works and serve him chiefly with their vain imaginations then they lose the true and amiable notion of him they consider him only as terrible and dreadful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarc de superst who is the supream good and only happiness of his creatures They conceive of him altogether as arbitrary power who is Eternal mind and wisdom and the glory and perfection of whose nature it is that as he can do whatever he will so he can will nothing but what is wise and good The Dreams of such dark and timorous minds are very frightful wild and extravagant they worship the Idol of their own brains express their own ill nature and disturbed imaginations in that worship which should be a confession of the excellency and perfection of the Deity Hence Men came to place Religion in solemn darkness in cloud and mystery venerable because hidden or unintelligible Rites obscure Oracles sacred Paradoxes and Arks and Clefts full of divine and wonderful secrets of which the Priest and the Devil taking advantage made themselves absolute Masters of the belief and reverence of the people and by these of their Estates and Fortunes But this is the Message which we have heard of Christ 1 Joh. 1.5 that God is light and in him is no darkness at all That the Principles of his Service are Knowledge and Love and he regards not the Religion of those that worship they know not what nor why That we direct our Service and Obedience by what we clearly know of him and that the more we know the better we shall please him who will not be served with a blind submission nor with unintelligible mysteries but with our best understanding not with a servile Flattery and Court-like Address by many Intercessors with a ritual niceness or a pompous Pageantry or any such devices of ignorant and superstitious Minds but with purity of Heart and Life with a spirit of Love and of a sound Mind not with Terrour and Melancholy but with Hope and Alliance not with scruple and perplexity but generous Resolution not as an Arbitrary Tyrant but as a wise and loving Father Fourthly The Devil is the God of this World and the Spirit of errour is an earthly and secular one but the Kingdom of Christ is Heavenly and such is the spirit and genius of his Religion The love of the World and an inordinate estimate of the goods thereof was ever a mighty source of Superstition and Pillar of Satan's Empire With such Worldly-minded Men Interest is always more ponderous than Truth and that Religion best that most effectually provides for their temporal concerns To such secular Spirits 't was a very agreeable conceit to imagine that every business of theirs was under the especial care of some Patron Deity whose Rites if they carefully performed their affairs should succeed according to their wish The multitude of such Tutelar Gods for Cities Families and particular affairs the superstitious regard to Oracles and Prodigies the observation of times and all the Arts of divination and augury which made up the Pagan Superstition plainly shew the spirit of its Votaries viz. that their hopes and fortunes were Embarqued in this World and that they regarded the good and evil thereof as the sole reward of their labour or punishment of their negligence in Religion This principle the Idolatrous Jews plainly avowed to the Prophets Head when he expostulated with them concerning their sorsaking of God Jer. 44.17 that they would burn Incense to and serve the Queen of Heaven as their Fathers had done to good purpose for then they had plenty and saw no evil whereas since they had left off their service all things had gone to ruin Nor was this a vulgar conceit but the best defence the greatest Men among the Pagans could make for the worship of those many Lords Caecilius in Minut. Felic Orig. c. Cels l. 8. Jul. Ep. 51. that by their singular care the good things of life are distributed to men so Caecilius Celsus and the Emperour Julian defend the Cause of Daemon-worship It is also a mighty temptation unto Men to imagine that God must needs love such Riches Magnificence and Glory in his Service as they find themselves to be extreamly delighted withal that the long flourishing of a Religion is a demonstration of the truth of it and the misfortune and calamity of Men an argument against their way of serving God. Thus they are apt to conclude who mind Earthly things and over-rate the concerns of this Life and judge every petit affair thereof worthy of a divine decision But Christianity teacheth us to consider our selves as Strangers and Pilgrims here whose estate and interest doth not lye in sublunary things but in spiritual Promises and Immortal Hopes We are Citizens of Heaven and only travelling through this World thither Upon this our Heavenly Relation and Interest only we may value our selves and ought to love our Religion because it secures these to us and designs the improvement of our Spirits for the eternal Vision and Enjoyment of God. We are instructed therefore to have our affections very moderate and cool towards Earthly things but warm and tender towards Heavenly Objects This is the finishing Lesson and most excellent effect of the Christian Religion which is a Heavenly Philosophy and to make it truckle to the affairs of this Life or turn it into Maxims of secular Policy is the greatest abuse and subversion thereof Lastly The spirit and genius of false Religion is selfish narrow and stingy but that of Christianity Charitable and generous and large as the Kingdom and goodness of God. Superstition converts Religion into a private Commerce imagining God to gain by the service done him and expecting the return of that service only in personal and private Blessings And no wonder if they who conceive God to seek himself
When our hearts are full of the sense of his power and goodness and our Prayers oblige us to honour him in our Lives when we forgive others as heartily as we desire God to forgive us and pray to our Father in secret with a full trust to be heard and approved by him then we worship him aright and shall be the better for such our serving God though he that is infinitely perfect needs not our Service nor can be profited by us Matth. 6. Jesus instructs us therefore to make our Prayers short and grave fervent and apt to excite Devotion after the Pattern he taught his Disciples Mat. 6.9 And that we pray continually and importunately for those things the desire whereof doth greatly exalt and improve our Spirits Luk. 11.1 13. thus did this great Instructer call Men back to the true worship of God admonishing that they no longer should trust in Sacrifices and oblations in pompous Rites and ceremonious Addresses or any thing of that nature but worship God in Spirit and Truth and be followers of him as dear Children and then they might rely upon it that their Heavenly Father both knows their needs and will most readily succour them in all their distress and bestow upon them all his goods Thirdly Another main Principle Sect. 3 of true Religion taught by the holy Jesus concerns the true motive reason and end of our duty and obedience in which Mankind had grosly misconceiv'd and mistaken and such mistake is most fatal and pernicious to Religion and to that satisfaction and happiness that should be attain'd by it The Pagans ploy'd their Altars and practised their Religion to avert a Pestilence or Famine to obtain the Commodities of Life The Jews would not serve God for nought but were encouraged to expect affluence and prosperity as the reward of their Obedience The wicked Pharisees had prevaricated to the utmost and presumed they might satisfy for Injustice and Oppression by a strict observation of the Ceremonies of the Law and Traditions of the Elders The people generally expected from Christ secular Immunities and Priviledges they followed him for the Loaves Their Fathers they tell him did eat Manna were wonderfully fed and protected in the Wilderness and planted at length in a land flowing with Milk and Honey but what sign shewest thou Joh. 6.30 31. Upon which and all apt occasions Jesus instructs them in the true reasons motives and ends of obedience to God telling them that to make Religion a Cloak to secular designs is to prostitute and profane it and to procure to themselves an inevitable and great damnation Matth. 23.14 That they should not seek any longer the meat which perisheth but that which endureth to eternal Life Joh. 6.27 That his Kingdom was not of this World nor did he promise his Followers extraordinary immunities in it but rather it would frequently so happen that they should be hated reviled and persecuted for their adherence to him There is indeed a true and great felicity the natural result and inseparable consequent of the righteousness taught by Christ but then poverty of Spirit and contempt of the world are parts of that Righteousness and Ingredients of that Blessedness and being revil'd disgraced afflicted and persecuted Math. 5. Mark 7.34 are well enough consistent with it Blessed are they that suffer for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven and their reward shall be great in Heaven That his Disciples must take up the Cross and no Man can be his Disciple that is not resolved to part with all for his sake Luk. 14.33 and the hundred fold restitution that he promiseth is such as consists with persecution Mar. 10.30 That therefore his Disciples ought not to have the interests of this World in mighty Reckoning nor value themselves upon any thing besides their interest in the future and better Life Nay even those miraculous gifts they were endowed withal far exceeding all the gifts of Nature or of Fortune yet were not a sufficient foundation for any great complacency or rejoycing in themselves Luke 10.20 Rejoice not in this that the spirits are subject to you but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven His Promise to his Followers is that he will Raise them up at the last day that where he is they shall be also that they shall have a beatifical Vision of God in Life Everlasting that in the mean while they shall bâ— the Children of God and have the lively hope of his Favour the Conscience of their own Integrity the feeling of a happy temper and excellent state of mind and the consolations of the Holy Spirit for their support and encouragement Upon these motives and from the principles of equity and ingenuity love and gratitude to God and a desire of being like him and of attaining that perfection they are capable of he wills them to practise all Righteousness he recommends their duty to them And this is it which constitutes the Spirit and Soul of Christian Righteousness and gives the true stamp and complexion to all our Obedience viz. that it being founded in a right knowledge of God cherished by a holy Acquaintance with him expressed in those things that are Worthy of him making a due difference between the greater and lesser matters of the law be acted from love and gratitude from a conviction of the excellency of Holiness and with delight in it from the hope and desire of Eternal Life and a full perswasion of the necessity of holiness to perfect our nature and make us capable of seeing God and meet to enjoy him This is the Truth as Jesus taught it which he that heartily imbibes and suitably expresseth in his Life he is a Christian a Disciple indeed and shall receive the end of his Faith the Salvation of his Soul. Lastly The Doctrine of Jesus hath Sect. 4 also given Light to the Measure of Righteousness and extent of our duty with respect to some allowances made to the Jews or such things as God winked at in former times of Ignorance For we are assured by him that unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees we shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of God Math. 5.20 That not only murther and maiming but hatred and revenge yea causeless and immoderate anger will certainly expose us to the judgment of God. That ineffectual Lust makes us guilty before him as well as actual Adultery That the occasions of evil must be avoided and the first motions of Lust repelled or we perish by our indulgence fondness and softness as well as by accomplish'd wickedness That although God tolerated the hard-hearted Jews and winked at the ignorant Gentiles in the matter of Polygamy and Divorce yet from the beginning it was not so nor should be for the future among the Disciples of Jesus That trivial and common swearing makes guilty as well as Perjury but such truth and faithfulness ought to be amongst Christians
and silenced his Adversaries by questioning with them how Christ could be both the son and the Lord of David v. 45. So he silenced the Sadducees in their own way for if they from the relation between the Woman and her seven Husbands argued against a future state much more reasonable was it to prove a future state from the Relation that God owned between himself and good men even after their death viz. that he is the God of Abraham c. for that relation is real and effectual and therefore requires the existence of the Subjects that they live to God in a capacity of his love and favour For he is not the God of the dead but of the living Mat. 22.31 c. 'T were endless to observe all the instances of that wisdom and prudence wherewith Jesus refuted errours and vindicated truth not shewing himself afraid of his Adversaries and yet prudently avoiding them After which Example he hath willed us to be wise as Serpents though innocent as Doves Not to be ashamed of him and his words in an evil and adulterous generation and yet not to cast Pearl before Swine nor holy things to Dogs nor imprudently to provoke the untreatable and unreasonable Fourthly The Holy Jesus in all his Sect. 4 Discourse shewed such zeal and fervour as manifested that he was in great earnest and executing a trust that he had received of God. In him was fulfill'd that prophetical passage the zeal of thine house hath even eaten me up Joh. 2.17 he used diligence in teaching and sharpness in reproof when the case required it Ye Hypocrites Ye generation of Vipers How can ye escape the damnation of Hell So he rebukes the self-conceited wicked Pharisees Matth. 23.33 Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence to me for thou savourest not the things that be of God was the earnest reproof he gave to Peter who opposed his own fancies and prejudices to the wisdom and truth of God Matth. 16.23 He loved to do the work of God and refus'd not to travail for the Conversion of a poor Woman and she a Samaritan neglecting his meat at a time when he was both hungry and weary for this was his meat to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work Joh. 4.34 Sect. 5 Yet in the last place This his zeal was tempered with a mighty pity and compassion to the infirmities needs and prejudices of men He was tender of their Souls and pitiful to their Weaknesses His Bowels were moved in him and he had compassion on the multitude when he saw that they were scattered abroad as Sheep having no Shepherd and fainted for lack of instruction Mat. 9.36 He did bear with the weakness and prejudices of his Disciples though he was grieved for and complain'd of the dullness of their understanding and hardness of their heart He repeated his Instructions expounded his Parables heard and Answered their Questions and endured their Infirmities He wept over the infidelity and obstinacy of the Jews with passionate wishes that they would have known the things of their peace in the day of their Visitation He foretold their destruction with sadness and all the expressions of pity and compassion From all which we learn not only to receive the Christian Doctrine with forwardness and readiness of Mind as that wherein the glory of God and the interests of our Souls are nearly concern'd but also to profess it steadily as those that are fully perswaded both of the truth and the high importance of it being very zealous and in earnest in teaching and defending it using all wisdom and prudence to gain or silence the Enemies thereof to defeat their designs and avoid their snares fearless of whatever may betide us in the regular and necessary confession of the truth and with meekness tenderness and long-suffering endeavouring to conquer the contrary errours and prejudices of Men. This is the instruction we reap from the preaching of Jesus we are thence admirably inlightened in the true Principles of pure and undefiled Religion and instructed how we ought to hold profess inculcate and defend them CHAP. III. The Life of Christ consider'd as our Pattern and Example THE Son of God came into the World to restore Religion and plant Holiness in it not only by the instruction of his Doctrine but by the lustre of a great Example He hath not only guided us with his Mouth but led us also by the hand as we must abide in his words so we must tread in his steps Therefore he dwelt among us that he might give the World what it never had before a perfect and unerring Example of Life and therefore his Life is upon record by the care of the Holy Ghost that we might have the instruction and the incouragement of it and be obliged and perswaded to make it the pattern of ours In order to which we shall first make an extract out of the holy Evangelists of the Life of Jesus as an admirable pattern of all Vertue and then consider the instruction and the obligation of it Sect. 1 In the Life of Christ we have a perfect and unerring Example of Vertue without any allay or mixture so fitted to all conditions of Men that in every case they may draw instruction and encouragement from thence More particularly First Christ hath left us in his Life an Example of Piety of a conversation led much with God testifying a right knowledge an affectionate sense a superlative love of God by all proper expressions and genuine fruits thereof His Life was visibly devoted to the service of God his fixed resolution and his profess'd business was to do his will. I came into the World saith the holy Jesus not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me Joh. 5.30 Most ready he was to fulfil all Righteousness and execute every command of his Heavenly Father Matth. 3.15 this he accounted fit and becoming 't was more necessary in his esteem and pleasant in his sense of it than his necessary food Joh. 4.32 34. I have meat to eat that ye know not of for my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Nor did his resolution flag when tryed to the utmost for he refused not to drink the Cup which his Father gave him Matth. 26.39 he prays that God's will may be done with full consent and without any reluctance of his own and he bowed his head upon the Cross in humble submission to the Execution of the Divine Will. He left us an Example too of constant and fervent devotion testified by a reverence for and adherence to the holy Scriptures that contain'd the mind of God by a diligent frequenting the publick Assemblies for the worship of God both in the Temple and the Synagogues by having recourse to God upon every fit occasion and praising him and giving him thanks in all things by extraordinary Prayers and Fasting and
watching thereunto upon extraordinary occasions by a religious care of his Family or constant attendants praying with them and instructing them and all this practised in the most intense degree and reverent manner He spake with all manner of regard and deference to Moses and the Prophets Search the Scriptures for in them ye have eternal life Joh. 5.39 and think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets for whosoever shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach men so shall be call'd least i. e. shall have no part in the Kingdom of God Matth. 5. he constantly worship'd in the Synagogues on Sabbath days Luk. 4.16 and was daily that is frequently in the Temple Mark 14.49 and a religious observer of the Passover and other Festivals Joh. 10.22 he discoursed much of God gave him thanks at his Meals retired frequently for private Prayer and Heavenly Solitude he taught his Disciples to pray and he prayed with them the Garden in which he was apprehended was a sort of Family-Chappel or Oratory whither Jesus was wont to resort with his Disciples for the Exercise of their Family-Devotion Joh. 18.1 2. In the Life of Jesus we have a pattern of zeal for God and his Glory tender and earnest and constant though pure from affectation and from bitterness not transporting him beyond just and peaceable and charitable bounds Careful he was that God might have the glory of all that he said and did Joh. 14.13 he never shewed himself so concern'd as when the honour of God was at stake nor angry but when that was violated This made him who was meekness it self so sharply reprove those Monsters of Men the Scribes and Pharisees who made bold to serve themselves of God and made void his Commands by their Traditions Matth. 23. therefore he seems transported at the prophanation of the Temple the House of Prayer being turned into a Den of Thieves Luke 19.46 Joh. 2.15 he rejected the Devils proffer of the Kingdoms of the World the price of Idolatry with holy indignation Get the behind me Satan Matth. 4.10 and he rejects Peter as if he had been another Devil when he opposed the will and the glory of God Matth. 16.23 Get thee behind me Satan for thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of Men. So fervent and zealous was the piety of Jesus it was unaffected yet great and constantly professed not boasted but unshaken that was not imprudently importune and troublesome to others but steady and even and absolutely conquering all opposition it met withal To love God with all the heart and Soul and strength includes somewhat more than a right knowledge or honourable opinions of him it implies fervour and delight and constant resolution Religious and holy Men must put on a presence and greatness of Mind and not be afraid or ashamed to appear what they are such as love God and desire and seek and delight in him above all things Thus Jesus teacheth us by his Example in which also we see a Life of Godliness and Devotion not led in a Cloyster but which is more perfect in the World in a busy station where Godliness and Charity went hand in hand and took their turns and he that was so zealous for God was also useful and profitable to Men. For secondly In the Life of Christ Sect. 2 we have an unparallel'd pattern of the greatest good will and noblest Charity towards men evidenced in his whole Conversation conspicuous in all his Discourses the Life and Soul of every thing he did For his Life was a constant Scene of Charity and his Death the consummation of it for he laid down his Life for the behalf and in the stead of Men to procure them the greatest good they are capable of reconciliation to God and Eternal Life To collect therefore the instances of his Charity would be to recount all his Miracles which St. John saith the World could scarce contain the voluminous account of 't would be to recite the story of his whole Life which was one intire demonstration of good will a most useful and benign conversation But to hint some particulars He exemplified his Charity by a free and obliging Conversation accessible and affable to all sorts of men complyant with their Customs and easy in his demean toward them so far as might consist with Innocence and Prudence For this frankness of his Conversation he underwent the reproach of a Wine-bibber and a friend of sinners Matth. 11.19 And the supercilious Pharisees were offended at this that he accepted the Persons and the Invitations and made himself a Guest to Publicans and Sinners Matth. 9.10 If he were a Prophet say they he would have known who touched him for she is a Sinner But our Saviour answered them that the Physician is proper Company for the sick that he conversed with all sorts of men because he sought the good of all for he came to seek and to save and to call to repentance Matth. 9.12 13. Nor indeed is it the property of Charity to be shy and estranged morose and rigid but to be complaisant and accessible and to please all Men in all things that are innocent and inoffensive A good Man can't indeed chose his intimate Friends among the dissolute and profane rout for what agreement hath Light with Darkness but he is affable and courteous to all and separates not himself from their Conversation unless in great Charity by order of Church-Censure for the bringing a Sinner by shame to Repentance and Amendment Again Jesus full of good will and Charity studied quietness and to preserve peace and order amongst Men. He espoused no Party nor provoked any by busy pragmaticalness he would not be a judge or divider Luke 12.14 Tender of giving offence he was gentle and mild in his reproofs where the case would admit of it Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Matth. 14.14 He both taught and practised Obedience and subjection to Government that Piety should not be a pretence to the discharge of Loyalty but that Caesar have his rights as well as God Mat. 22.21 He paid the tribute of the Sanctuary at the expence of a Miracle rather than he would give offence notwithstanding he might have held himself excused in strict right from that payment Matth. 17.27 He rebuked Peter when he drew the Sword against the Officers of the High Priest though it was to defend his innocent Master and denounced upon that occasion destruction to all that shall usurp the Sword without legal Commission They that so take the Sword shall perish by it Matth. 26.52 Thus he taught us by Example as well as Precept to follow Peace to study the quiet and welfare of Societies to do what in us lies to render Government easy and prosperous as a noble instance of Charity and good will to Mankind Farther Jesus exemplified his Charity
the glory of the Gentâ—â—… and whom the Seas and Wind and ll things obey'd he having all Power in Heaven and Earth What can we possess of comparable value to all this or what can we contrive or bring to pass comparable to the undertaking of Christ and the great design of his Doctrine and Miracles of his Life and Death But we have much more reason to be humble for whereas the great indowments of Jesus were not blemish'd with any fault of his we have nothing but folly and shame to call our own Repentance is our best Wisdom and that is a conviction of Sin and Folly and yet we are unsteady in our Repentance and frequently depart from our better purposes and have reason to blush and be humbled for so doing Besides it was the Wisdom and Perfection of Jesus that kept him from being cheated or imposing on himself Pride is all errour and delusion but humility is truth 'T was humility that made all his other excellencies illustrious and render'd him at once highly beloved of God and Men. And from his Example we learn that he that humbleth himself shall be exalted for we see Jesus for his humility exalted to the right hand of God and Crown'd with glory and honour Lastly As for particular relative Sect. 6 Virtues Christ indeed did not enter into all Relations but his Example was sufficiently compleat without it He intended us a pattern in special of the most eminent Virtues and most difficult to our frail and corrupt natures of substantial and zealous Piety universal and fervent Charity generous contempt of the World invincible Fortitude and gentle and self-denying Meekness and Humility and he that follows him thus far will need no farther instruction but may easily become his own guide He in whom Christ is thus formed will certainly adorn every relation and excel in it 'T will be natural and easy for him to conceive what the holy and charitable the meek and lowly Jesus would have done in such circumstances if he had entred into them and then he hath his pattern to go and do likewise Nor yet are we without the Example of Jesus for our direction in several instances of this sort His subjection to his Parents is upon record and his tender care of his Mother even in his last extremities making provision for her on the Cross by recommending her to the care of his beloved Disciple Joh. 19.27 His quiet subjection to Governours when unjustly prosecuted by them His pious care for the instruction of his Family and training them up in Religion and Piety But as I said before he that hath received the Spirit of Christ will not fail to express it in every condition and he that acts by the measures of Piety and Charity Purity and Humility shall discharge himself of the duty of every relation and be a true Follower of Jesus in it This therefore may suffice for an extract of the Life of Christ as a perfect unparallel'd pattern of all Holiness Virtue and Goodness that which follows is That we apply the Light of this Illustrious Example for our instruction in the absolute necessity genuine nature due extent and admirable excellency of true Holiness and the Christian Life CHAP. IV. The particular instruction we reap from the Life of Christ THE Life of Jesus consider'd as Sect. 1 our Example doth fully inform and perswade us First Of the absolute necessity of holiness in order to the Vision of God and that the undertaking of Christ for us will no farther avail us than as we are made partakers of his Spirit and do copy out the Excellencies of his Life 'T was a design worthy of the Son of God to plant and restore Holiness in the World by his Doctrine and Example by his Life and Death by all that he said and did to minister instruction and help thereunto and to bind it upon us with such sacred Obligations and fast ties as are not easily to be broken It is true that Holiness in general that Piety Justice Charity Sobriety in particular do attract us with their native Beauty and proper lustre we can't but discern the necessity of these Virtues to the perfection of our nature to the attainment of Peace and Happiness to the good and welfare of Society and to the rendring us capable of injoying God. But because the voice of reason is too faint and low and its representations too languid and feeble to be much regarded in the croud and noise of impetuous Lusts and Passions and authority example and custom false notions and prejudices and levity of mind oppose themselves strongly to the dictates of Conscience and endeavour to hide the shame and abate the folly and absurdity of Vice Behold therefore God hath spoken from Heaven to awaken our drowsy Faculties and sent his Son to shew us the only way thither We may now be infinitely certain that there is no entring into the glory of God by any other path than that which Jesus walk'd in that we can become the Children of his love no other way than by being conformed to the Image of his dear Son that we are not capable in this life of any greater good than to have Christ formed in us for this was God's ultimate design in giving his Son to us that we through him might be made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.3 What a veneration for Religion and love of Holiness should this consideration beget in us that it is the best thing we are capable of the sum of all God's merciful and kind intentions towards us that best of Gifts which the charitable Jesus by his Incarnation Life Death Resurrection Ascension by all that he hath done or shall do for us to the end of time doth aim to bestow upon us to indow us withal What a foolish and wretched judgment do we then make if in opposition to the Wisdom and goodness of God we prefer Lust and Folly and sensual delights What divine Light and Grace do we resist and despise if we still abide in darkness continue in sin And how foolish false and insignificant are all our pretences to be Christians whilst we are led by another spirit than that of Christ and follow any Example sooner than his For this is to reflect upon the Wisdom of God and to despise his Grace to reject his counsel for our Salvation and to judge our selves unworthy of Eternal Life Secondly From the Life of Christ Sect. 2 consider'd as our Copy and pattern we are infallibly informed wherein pure and undefiled Religion doth consist or what are the things undoubtedly pleasing unto God. The Life of Christ was designed to be a perfect and unerring Example such as the World needed but never had before nor should receive again There can therefore be no heights nor degrees of perfect goodness which his Life was a stranger to But from his practice we learn what are the things most agreeable to the mind of God
and by his Example hath taught us that in such an intire surrender of our selves to God we can only find our Interest and our Peace For Fourthly From the Life of Jesus we are assured of the wisdom of being holy that when we chose and act as he did we cannot be mistaken He who was the wisdom of the Father could not be deceived nor deceive us the Life that he led must therefore be wisest and fittest most agreeable to the nature of Man and most conducing to his Happiness He perfectly understood the nature of things and the needs of Men the real and appearing worth of all the enjoyments of Life and of what consideration all the afflictions of it are both in themselves and compared with that glory that shall be revealed He could have made the best of a prosperous state yet he neglected the pleasures of Life he chose the Cross and the Afflictions of Righteousness he preferred the pleasures of Innocence and a good Conscience and the enjoyment of God. The reason was because his understanding was exalted above all the deceptions of Sin and Satan he saw through all the false Colours and disguises of the World and the Flesh and knew the real difference of things He knew that Holiness is Truth and Wisdom and Perfection but Sin the Errour Delusion Ignorance and Folly. Fifthly The Example of Jesus is recommended to our imitation from the consideration of his love for he that loved us to the death could have no other design in giving us an Example of Life but to oblige us to pursue our own good and to secure our greatest interests The love of Christ constrains us to confess the goodness of those paths he leads us in let the World say what they will these will have the safest Issue best secure our present and our Eternal Interests If Humility were not better than Pride Charity than Hatred Mercifulness than Revenge if indifferency to the World did not more consult our Peace and Happiness than the grandeur and the affluence of it he that loved us so intirely as to lay down his Life for us would not have led us in such a way and by his authority and love have obliged us to follow him in it Sixthly When we consider that Jesus was both God and Man we must consider the Life he led not only as wisest and best but as God-like and as near to Divinity as was possible So that it is both our Wisdom and our Interest and our highest Dignity the greatest Exaltation and perfection that we are capable of to put on Christ and to walk as he walked We are therein Followers of God we do what he did in our nature or would do if he could enter into the present circumstances of our state We do that which hath a tendency to exalt our Minds into the nearest resemblance approach and union with the Divinity it self Such is the Influence and Energy of the Example of Jesus that while we set it before us as we have an excellent pattern of the most noble and difficult Virtues so it represents the whole Circle of our duty as possible and natural an easy even and steady path and course of action as Amiable and Lovely as reasonable in all its difficulties which Jesus had conquer'd for us as the wisest and best measure of Life which the Wisdom of God and his tender love hath chalked out for us and as the highest dignity and advancement of our nature whereby we become like God resemble as much as may be the Heavenly Pattern and are partakers of the Divine Nature and Life CLOSE NOW the inference from all the Premises is this That we run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus Hebr. 12.2 That we suffer the Divine Light of his Doctrine and Life to shine into our Souls that we be affected with the true Spirit of his Religion and in love with his amiable Conversation That we study the holy Gospels for this end that we may thence receive the Light of Life that being fill'd with admiration and love of the fervent Godliness and insuperable unwearied Charity of Jesus his condescending Humility Peaceableness and Gentleness his unshaken Resolution unvanquish'd Fortitude and Patience and frequently comparing our selves with this admirable Pattern we may blush for our Nonconformity and endeavour to write more exactly after so fair a Copy Let this consideration have a place in all our self-reflections whether we have duly imitated and well represented our dearest Saviour or have not rather cast a scandal and reproach upon him In all our deliberations propound we him for our Example and let us form our designs and prosecute our business as we verily believe he would have done Let us always remember that to be a Christian is to be made like Christ that to know God as he hath declared him and to serve him as he did this is the summ of our profession and substance of our Religion This is the saving knowledge of Christ to have the true Idea of his Spirit and Life continually directing and influencing ours to acquaint our selves with God and with the true measures of Holiness and Righteousness to have our hearts affected with the Beauty and excellency thereof and to study to approve our selves unto God after the Pattern that he sent us from Heaven according to the Instruction and Example of his well-beloved Son. But what cause of reproof of self-judging and humiliation is this to the most that call themselves Christians and yet follow any Example sooner than that of Christ or else make heavy blots and blurs whilst writing after so fair and admirable a Copy What a scandal is it to see how Christians mistake and misrepresent their Master and his holy Religion and what a fatal delusion is it to think to reconcile contradictions that can never consist That he who calls himself a Disciple a Follower of Jesus should industriously conform himself to the guise and custom of this World should be led by the Examples of Impudent Vice afraid to abet forsaken truth and vertue that the Disciples of the Innocent and Spotless Jesus should wallow in carnal delights lead sensual vain and voluptuous Lives that the Friend and those that say they have interest in the Merciful Self-denying and devout Jesus should be heaping up Riches by rapin and oppression or by fraud and unjust gain utter strangers to bounty and works of mercy or else ungodly and profane or trifling cold and formal Devotionists These things can never consist if our tempers and our lives be not the transcript of the Mind and Life of Jesus we may call our selves what we please but Christ will not know us he will call us Children of the Devil if we bear his Image and do his Lusts and Pleasure and our judgment will be more severe for taking upon us the name of Christ to dishonour and profane it If we say that we have fellowship with