SERM. fluence of bad examples; but there are peculiar CXCI. charms in that which is good and excellent. A per

fect pattern of goodnefs does ftrongly allure and invite to the imitation of it, and a great example of virtue, to a well-difpofed mind is a mighty temptation, and apt to infpirit us with good refolutions, to endeavour after that in ourselves, which we fo much efteem and admire in others. And fuch is the example of our LOR D, perfect as is poffible, and yet obvious to common imitation, and as much fitted for the general direction of mankind, in all forts of virtue and goodness, as any one fingle example can be imagined to be.

The virtues of his life are pure, without any mixture of infirmity and imperfection. He had humility without meanness of fpirit; innocency without weakness; wisdom without cunning; and conftancy and refolution in that which was good, without stiffness of conceit, and peremptorinefs of humour: in a word, his virtues were shining without vanity, heroical without any thing of transport, and very extraordinary without being in the leaft extravagant.

His life was even and of one tenour; quiet, and without noife and tumult, always employed about the fame work, in doing the things which pleafed GOD, and were of greatest benefit and advantage to men. Who would not write after fuch a copy; fo perfect, and yet so familiar, and fit for our imitation who would not be ambitious to live the life which GOD lived, when he was pleased to become man and dwell among us?

We are ambitious to imitate those whom we esteem, and are apt to have their example in great dearness

and

and regard, from whom we have received great SERM, kindness and mighty benefits. This pattern, which CXCI. our religion proposeth to us, is the example of one whom we ought to reverence, and whom we have reafon to love above any person in the world; 'tis the example of our LORD and master, of our fovereign and our SAVIOUR, of the founder of our religion, and of "the author and finisher of our faith;" it is an example that carries authority with it, and commands our imitation. "You call me LORD

"and mafter," fays he himself, recommending to us the example of his own humility, John xiii. 13, 14. "You call me LORD and mafter, and ye fay "well; for fo I am. If I then your LORD and "mafter have washed your feet, ye ought alfo to "wash one another's feet," that is, ftoop to the lowest and meaneft office to serve one another; "for "I have given you an example, that ye should do "as I have done to you."

Yet farther, 'tis the example of our best friend and greatest benefactor, of him who laid down his life for us, and fealed his love to us with his own. blood; and while we were bitter enemies to him, did and fuffered more for us, than any man ever did for his dearest friend. How powerfully must such a pattern recommend goodness, and kindness, and compaffion to us, who have had fo much comfort and advantage from them? had not the Son of GOD commiferated our cafe, and pitied and relieved us in our low and wretched condition, we had been extremely and for ever miferable, beyond all imagination, and past all remedy. All the kindness and compaffion, all the mercy and forgiveness he would have us practise towards one another, he himself first exercised

SERM. exercised upon us; and furely we have a much CXCI. greater obligation upon us to the practice of these virtues, than he had. For he did all this for our fakes; we do it for our own. We have a natural obligation, both in point of duty and interest: his was voluntary, and what he took upon himself, that he might at once be a SAVIOUR and an example to us. He that commands us to do good to others, was our great benefactor; he that requires us to forgive our enemies, shed his own blood for the forgiveness of our fins; while we were enemies to him, laid down. his life for us, making himself the example of that goodness, which he recommends us to fhew to others.

Are any of us reduced to poverty and want? let us think of him, who "being LORD of all, had "not where to lay his head; who being rich, for our "fakes became a beggar, that we through his po"verty might be made rich." Are we perfecuted for righteousness fake, and exercised with fufferings and reproaches? "Let us run with patience the race "which is fet before us, looking unto JESUS, the "author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy "that was fet before him, endured the cross, defpifing the fhame."

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When we are ready to be difcouraged in well-doing, by the oppofition we meet withal from the ingratitude of men, and the malicious interpretation of our good actions, perverting the best things, done with the beft mind and to the beft ends, to fome ill purpose and defign, "confider him who endured "fuch contradiction of finners against himself, left 66 you be weary and faint in your minds."

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Can we be proud; when the Son of GOD "humbled himself and became of no reputation; emptied

"himself" of all his glory, and was contented SERM. "to be despised and rejected of men ?" fhall we be CXCI. covetous, and thirst after the things of this world; when we confider how the Son of GOD defpifed them, and trampled upon them? shall we contemn and despise the poor; nay, can we choose but efteem them for his fake, whom they resemble, and whose low and indigent condition in the world hath made poverty, not only tolerable, but glorious? can we be peevish and froward, and apt to fly out into paffion upon every little occafion; when we confider the meeknefs of the Son of GOD, and with what ferenity and evenness of mind he demeaned himself, under great and continual provocations? fhall we be discontented in any condition; when we confider how contented the SON of GOD was in the meanest and most destitute condition; how he welcomed all events, and was fo perfectly refigned to the will of his heavenly FATHER, that whatsoever pleafed GOD, pleased him? shall we be fo ready to feparate from the communion of the church of GOD, upon pretence of fomething that we think amifs, or lefs pure and perfect; (which will always be in this world) when the Son of GoD lived and died in the communion of a church guilty of great corruptions both in doctrine and practice, fuch as can with no colour be objected to ours?

Shall we refent injuries, flanders and calumnies fo heinously, as to be out of all patience; when we confider with what meeknefs of temper, and how little disturbance of mind the Son of GOD bore all thefe ? how he gave his back to the fmiters, "and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, "and with-held not his face from shame and spitting? how he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, VOL. X.

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and

SERM." and as the sheep before the fhearer is dumb, fo he СХ СІ. "opened not his mouth; being reviled, he reviled

"not again, when he fuffered he threaten'd not; "but committed himself to him that judgeth righ"teoufly?" fuch vile and barbarous ufage the SoN of God met withal; and yet under all this, he "poffefs'd his foul in patience:" and do we expect to be better treated than he was? was goodness itself contented to be traduced, and evil fpoken of, perfect innocence to be flander'd and perfecuted and shall we who are finners, great finners, think our felves worthy to escape these things, and too good to have that done to us, which was done to one infinitely better than we are? it is our LORD's own argument, and there is great weight and reafon in it; if the world hate you, ye know, that it hated me, before it hated you. Remember the word "that I faid unto you, the fervant is not greater than "the LORD. If they have perfecuted me, they "will also perfecute you; it is enough for the dif "ciple, that he be as his mafter, and the fervant as "his LORD if they have called the master of the "house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call "them of the houfhold?"

Can we entertain thoughts of revenge, when we have fuch a pattern of forgiving before us, who poured out his blood for the expiation of the guilt of them that fhed it, and spent his laft breath in fervent and charitable prayers for his betrayers and murderers? "LORD, endow us with the like temper: but do "not try us with the like fufferings?"

Thus by fetting the example of our LORD before us, and keeping this pattern always in our eye, we may continually correct all our own errors and defects,