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these would be heard of among us. Ifa. xi. 8,
Ifa. xi. 8, 9.

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ing child (hall play upon the hole of the afp, and a weaned "child fhall put his hand on the cockatrice den; they shall not "hurt, nor destroy in all my holy mountain: For the earth fhall ❝be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the "Tea."

Infer. 4. Hence it also follows, that real Chriftians are the fweetest companions. 'Tis a comfortable thing to walk with them that walk after the example of Chrift; the holiness, heavehlinefs, humility, felf-denial, and diligence in obedience, which was in Chrift, is, in fome measure, to be found in all fincere Chriftian's: They fhew forth the virtues of him that calleth them; the graces of the Spirit do more, or lefs, thine forth in them: And O how endearing, fweet, and engaging, are thefe things! Upon this very account the apoftlé invited others into the fellowship of the faints. 1 John i. 3. "That ye may have

fellowthip with us, and truly our fellowship is with the F2**ther, and with his Son Chrift Jefus." And is it not sweet to have fellowship with them, who have fellowship with Chrift? Olet all your delights be in the faints, and in the excellent of the earth, who excel in virtue, Pfal. xvi. 3. yet, miftake not, there is a great deal of difference betwixt one Chriftian, and another, and even the best of Chriftians are fanctified but in part. ff there be fomething fweet, and engaging, there is alfo, fomething bitter, and diftafteful, in the beft of men. If there be fomething to draw forth your delight, and love; there is, alfo, fomething to exercife your pity, and patience. Yet this is most certain, that notwithstanding all their infirmities, and corruptions, they are the best, and sweetest company, this world affords.

Infer. 5. In a word, if no man's claim to Chrift be warranted, but theirs that walk as he walked; how vain, and groundless, then, are the hopes, and expectations of all unfanctified men, who "walk after their own lufts None are more forward to claim the privileges of religion, than those that reject the duties of it; multitudes hope to be faved by Chrift, who yet refufe to be govern ed by him: But fuch hopes have no fcripture warrant to fup. port them; yea, they have no fcripture teftimonies againft them. I Cor. vi. g. "Know ye not that the unrighteous fhall not

inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornik cators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effèminate, nor abu*fers of themfelves with mankind; nor thieves, nor covetous, "nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, fhall inherit the "kingdom of God." how many thoufand vain hopes are laid

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in the duft, and how many thousand fouls are fentenced to hell by this one scripture !

Second ufe, for exhortation.

If this be fo, it naturally preffes all the profeffors of Chriftianity to strict godlinefs in their converfations, as ever they expect benefit by Chrift. O profeffors, be ye not conformed unto this world, but be ye transformed, by the renewing of your minds: Set the example of Chrift before you, and labour to tread in his steps. This is the great bufinefs of religion, the main scope of the gofpel. Give me leave, therefore, closely to prefs it upon your hearts, by the following motives.

Motive 1. Chrift hath conformed himself to you, by his abafing incarnation; how reasonable therefore is it that you conform yourselves to him in the way of obedience and fanctification? He came as near to you, as it was poffible for him to do, strive you therefore to come as near to Christ as it is poffible for you to do: he hath taken your nature upon him, Heb. ii. 14. yea, and with your nature he hath taken your weaknesses and infirmities, Rom. viii. 3. and not only your natures and your infirmities, but your condition alfo, for he came under the law for your fakes, Gal. iv. 4. He conformed himself to you, though he was infinitely above you, that was his abafement; do you conform yourselves to him, who are infinitely beneath him, that will be your advancement: his conformity to you emptied him of his glory, your conformity to him will fill you with glory : he conformed himself to you, though you had no obligation upon him; will you not conform yourselves to him, who lie under infinite obligations fo to do?

Motive 2. You shall be conformed to Chrift in glory; how reasonable therefore is it you should now conform yourselves to him in holiness? The apoftle faith, 1 John iii. 2. "We fhall "be like unto him, for we shall fee him as he is:" Yea, not only your fouls fhall be like him, but your very bodies, even those vile bodies of yours," fhall be changed, that they may be fashi"oned like unto his glorious body." How forcible a motive is this to bring men into conformity with Chrift here! especially, feeing our conformity to him in holiness, is the evidence of our conformity to him in glory, Rom. vi. 5. 2 Pet. iii. 11. O profeffors, as ever you look to be with Chrift in glory hereafter, fee that ye walk after Christ'sexample in holiness and obedience here.

Motive 3. The conformity of your lives to Chrift your pattern, is your highest excellency in this world: The measure VOL. III.

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of your grace is to be estimated by this rule. The excellency of every creature rifes higher and higher, according as it approaches ftill nearer and nearer to its original; the more you resemble Chrift in grace, the more illuftrious and resplendent will your conversations be in true spiritual glory.

Motive 4. So far as you imitate Chrift in your lives, and no farther, you will be beneficial to the world in which you live: fo far as God helps you to follow Chrift, you will be helpful to bring others to Chrift, or build them up in Chrift; for all men are forbidden by the gospel to follow you one step farther than you follow Chrift, 1 Cor. xi. 1. and when you have finished your courfe in this world, the remembrance of your ways will be no further fweet to others, than they are ways of ho linefs and obedience to Chrift, 1 Cor. iv. 17. If you walk according to the courfe of this world, the world will not be the better for your walking.

Motive 5. To walk as Chrift walked, is a walk only worthy of a Chriftian; this is to "walk worthy of the Lord," 1 Theff. ii. 12. Col. i. 10. By worthiness* the apostle doth not mean meritoriousness, but comelinefs, or that decorum which befits a Christian as, when a man walks fuitably to his place and calling in the world, we fay he acts like himfelf; fo, when you walk after Chrift's pattern, you then act like yourselves, like men of your character and profeffion: this is confonant to your vocation, Eph. iv. 1. "I beseech you, that you walk worthy of "the vocation wherewith you are called." This walking fuits with your obligation, 2 Cor. v. 15. for it is to live unto him who died for us. This walking only fuits with your defignation, Eph. ii. 10. "For you are created in Christ Jefus unto "good works, which God hath before ordained we fhould "walk in them." In a word, fuch walking as this, and fuch only becomes your expectation, 2 Pet. iii. 14. "Wherefore "[beloved], feeing that you look for fuch things, be diligent, "that ye may be found of him in peace, without fpot, and "blameless."

Motive 6. How comfortable will the close of your life be at death, if you have walked after Chrift's pattern and example in this world! A comfortable death is ordinarily the clofe of a holy life, Pfal. xxxvii. 37. "Mark the perfect man, and behold

*The word worthinefs, as ufed in fcripture, does not always de note an exact proportion of equality between one thing and another, but a certain fuitablenefs and fitnefs which excludes inconfiftency. Davenant on Coloff. p. 25.

"the upright; for the end of that man is peace." A loose, careless life puts many terrible stings into death. As worms in the body are bred of the putrefaction there, fo the worm of confcience is bred of the moral putrefaction, or corruption that is in our natures and converfations. O then be prevailed with by all these confiderations to imitate Chrift in the whole course, and compafs of your converfations.

Third ufe, for confolation.

Laftly, I would leave a few words of fupport and comfort to fuch as fincerely study and endeavour, according to the tenden cy of their new nature, to follow Chrift's example, but being weak in grace, and meeting with ftrong temptations, are frequently carried afide from the holy purpofes, and defigns of their honest, well-meaning hearts, to the great grief, and dif couragement of their fouls. They heartily wish and aim at holinefs, and fay with David, Pfal. cxix. 5. "O that my ways "were directed to keep thy ftatutes." They follow after exactness in holinefs as Paul did, Phil. iii. 12. If by any means "they might attain it." But finding how short they come, in all things, of the rule and pattern, they mourn as he did, Rom. vii. 24. "O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from "the body of this death?" Well, if this be thy cafe, be not difcouraged, but hearken to a few words of fupport and comfort, with which I fhall close this point.

SUPPORT I.

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Such defects in obedience make no flaw in your juftification: for your juftification is not built upon your obedience, but upon Chrift's, Rom. iii. 24. and how incompleat, and defective foever you be in yourfelves, yet at the fame inftant," you are "compleat in him which is the head of all principality and "power," Col. ii. 10. Wo to Abraham, Mofes, David, Paul, and the most eminent faints that ever lived, if their justification, and acceptation with God, had depended upon the perfection, and compleatness of their own obedince.

SUPPORT. II.

2. Your deep troubles for the defectiveness of your obedience, do not argue you to be lefs, but more fanctified, than thofe who make no fuch complaints; for these prove you to be better acquainted with your own hearts, than others are; to have a deeper hatred of fin than others have; and to love God, with a more fervent love than others do; the most eminent faints have made the bitterest complaints upon this account, Pfal. lxv. 3. Rom. vii. 23, 24.

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SUPPORT III.

3. The Lord makes excellent ufes even of your infirmities and failings to do you good, and makes them turn to your unexpected advantage: for, by thefe defects he hides pride from your eyes; he beats you off from felf-dependence; he makes you to admire the riches of free grace; he makes you to long more ardently for heaven, and entertain the fweeter thoughts of death and doth not the Lord then make blessed fruits to Spring up to you from fuch a bitter root? O the blessed chymistry of heaven, to extract fuch mercies out of fuch miferies! SUPPORT IV.

4. Your bewailed infirmities do not break the bond of the everlasting covenant. The bond of the covenant holds firm, notwithstanding your defects and weakneffes, Jer. xxxii. 40, "Iniquities prevail against me," faith David, yet in the fame breath he adds, "as for our tranfgreffions thou fhalt purge "them away," Pfal, lxv, 3. He is still thy God, thy Father for all this.

SUPPORT V.

5. Though the defects of your obedience are grievous to God, yet your deep forrows for them are well-pleafing in his eyes, Pfal. li. 17. "The facrifices of God are a broken fpirit, a

broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife." Ephraim was never a more pleasant child to his father, than when he moaned himfelf, and fmote upon his thigh as thou doft, Jer, xxxi. 29. Your fins grieve him, but your forrows please him. SUPPORT VI.

6. Though God have left many defects to humble you, yet he hath given many things to comfort you. This is a comfort that the defire of thy foul is to God, and to the remembrance of his name. This is a comfort, that thy fins are not thy delight as once they were; but thy fhame and forrow. This is a com-. fort, that thy cafe is not fingular; but, more or lefs, the fame complaints and forrows are found in all gracious fouls through the world; and, to fay all in one word, this is the comfort above all comforts, that the time is at hand, in which all these defects, infirmities, and failings fhall be done away, I Cor. xiii, "When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part fhall be done away."

10.

For ever bleed be God for Jefus Chrift.

And thus I have finifhed the third general ufe of examination, whereby every man is to try his interest in Chrift, and

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