CLXXXIX.

And which greatly conduceth to the comfort and SERM. benefit of all societies, both civil and ecclefiaftical, he gave us the example of an obedient and peaceable temper, conforming himself and his actions not only to divine, but humane laws, "giving to Cæfar the "things which are Cæfar's, and to GoD the things "which are GOD's;" infomuch, that when tribute was demanded of him, though he was really free from any fuch obligation, and fo poor, that he was not able to pay it, in which cafe even Cæfar must lose his right; nevertheless, to avoid offence, he fubmitted to it, and chose rather to work a miracle, than to appear refractory and disobedient.

And in religious rites and ceremonies, and the obfervance of days and times, he did not only conform to all divine inftitutions, but to humane appointment and ufage in all things that were of an innocent and indifferent nature; and this without any anxious scrupulosity, and perverse disputing every inch of his liberty; with great peaceableness obferving those religious festivals, which had no other appointment but of the civil authority, and were of mere humane inftitution; and with great prudence steering a middle course between endless fuperftition, and fcru. pulous and petulant faction; giving all chriftians herein a pattern, how to demean themselves in like cafes with great peaceablenefs and obedience, and not to do or avoid the doing of any thing, out of peevishnefs and fingularity of humour, and a fpirit of contradiction, and not to indulge needlefs and endless fcruples, especially on the wrong fide, as it is too vifible many mens fcruples lie almoft wholly about obedience to authority, and compliance with indifferent cuftoms, but very feldom about the danger of difobedience

SER M. bedience and unpeaceableness, and rending in pieces CLXXXIX. the church of CHRIST by needlefs feparations, and endless divifions.

And our LORD did not only give us the example of a peaceable and uniting spirit, but a little before his departure out of the world, he bequeaths it to his difciples, as hi laft legacy. John xiv. 27. "Peace I "leave with you, my peace I give unto you." And to confirm it to them, he makes it his moft earnest and particular prayer to GOD for them, that GoD would preferve this fpirit of peace and unity among christians to the end of the world, foreseeing in his infinite wisdom, what mischiefs and difhonour the contrary temper would bring to his holy religion, John xvii. 20, 21, 22, 23. "Neither pray I for thefe "alone," meaning his difciples, "but for them also "which fhall believe on me through their word," that is, for all chriftians to the end of the world;" "that they all may be one, as thou FATHER "art in me, and I in thee, that they alfo may be "one in us; that the world may believe that thou "haft fent me. And the glory which thou gavest 66 me, I have given them; that they may be one,

even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, "that they may be made perfect in one, and that the "world may know that thou haft fent me." Intimating, that nothing is more apt to bring in quethion the divinity of the chriftian doctrine, than contentions and divifions among chriftians, "that the "world may know that thou haft fent me.' Let us often think of this pattern, and this prayer of our SAVIOUR, and let the confideration of it quell thofe unchriftian heats which are among us, left by our animofities and divifions about leffer things,

which, whatever opinion men may have of them, do No ways touch upon the life and effence of religion, we first dishonour, and finally destroy from among us the best religion in the world. "And GoD ་་ grant that we may all know and do in this our day, the things which belong to our peace, before they be hid from our eyes, for his mercy's fake in "JESUS CHRIST; to whom with the FATHER, "and the HOLY GHOST, be all power and glory "now and ever."

SERMON CXC.

The life of JESUS CHRIST Confidered, as our example.

1 PE T. ii. 21.

-Leaving us an example, that ye fhould follow his fteps.

I

Have confidered our SAVIOUR's example, as SERM. an univerfal pattern, calculated for all perfons, cxc. times and places; and this I illuftrated in these par. ticulars :

1. That it was a pattern to us of the greatest and most fubftantial virtues.

2. Of fuch as are moft rare and unafual.

3. Of fuch as are most useful and beneficial to others: I proceed to the particulars which remain to be spoken to.

4. Our SAVIOUR is likewife a pattern to us of fuch virtues as are moft hard and difficult to be

practifed,

The fe

cond fer

mon on

this text.

SER M. practifed, fuch as are most against the grain of our corrupt nature, and moft contrary to flesh and blood.

CXC.

Every virtue is then hard and difficult, when it either contradicts the strong inclinations of nature, or meets with powerful temptations to the contrary.

The virtues which thwart the inclinations of humane nature, are comprehended under the general name of felf-denial, the denial of ourselves in those things which are commonly dearest to men; fuch are our own life, our pleasure, our ease, our reputation; in all these, our bleffed LORD hath given us the greatest example of felf-denial that ever was; he denied his own life, and gave up himself wholly to the will of GoD, to do and fuffer whatever he thought fit to impose upon him. So he himself tells us, John v. 30. "I feek not mine own will, but "the will of the FATHER which fent me:" and John vi. 30. "I came down from heaven not to do "mine own will, but the will of him that fent me." And when he was in that great agony, upon the apprehenfion of his approaching fufferings, at which nature did start, and when that "bitter cup, that cup of aftonishment," was put into his hand, tho he would have been glad to have declin❜d it, if GoD had thought fit; yet upon the whole matter he fubmitted to it, and renounced his own will, the strongest inclination of nature that could be, in obedience to the will of GoD, Mat. xxvi. 39. "He "fell on his face and prayed, faying, O my FA" THER, if it be poffible, let this cup pafs from "me; neverthelefs not as I will, but as thou wilt:" and ver. 42. "He went away again the fecond time, "and pray'd, faying, O my FATHER, if this cup

"may

CXC.

"may not pass from me, except I drink it, thy SERM. "will be done." Here was a great conflict; nature declined thofe dreadful fufferings, which were coming upon him, and would have fhrunk back: but he confider'd his duty, and made his inclination to yield to it.

And he did not only deny his own will in obedience to the will of God, for which there is fo great and invincible reafon; but he denied it likewife in compliance and condescension to the prejudices, and humours and infirmities of men, for their "edification and good.". So St. Paul tells us, and propounds our LORD herein to us for a pattern. Rom. xv. 2, 3.

He denied himself in the lawful pleasures and fatisfactions, in the ease and accommodations of life, he lived meanly, and fared hardly; he poffefs'd and enjoyed none of the good things of this world, and endured all the evils of it; he defpifed riches, and the pomp and pride of life, and contented himself with a poor and deftitute condition, " having not "where to lay his head," nor wherewithal to fupport nature, and to defray the common tribute, without a miracle And he did not fubmit to this poor and mean condition upon neceffity, for " he "was LORD of all;" he made the world, and it was all his own upon the highest right and title: but he voluntarily embraced it, " being rich, for our "fake he became poor," that he might wean us from the love of these things, and be an effectual example to us of the contempt of worldly wealth and greatness.

And he denied himself likewife in one of the. deareft and tendereft things in the world, to the