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duties of religion, and be forward and active in your endeavours to promote it: For, these things you may do, and yet be careless and indifferent in your heart. We are apt to deceive ourselves in this inftance, and therefore we have great need to be jealous and watchful. The inward temper of the foul is firft to be confidered, and then the expreffions of it in the life and practice. I ask you, then, Are your hearts divided betwixt God and the world? Do you fecretly indulge any finful luft or paffion? Have you no hearty concern for the glory of God, or the falvation of others? And, provided things go well with yourfelves, as to your private worldly concerns, can you live regardlefs whether religion flourish or decay? If this be the cafe with you, whatever zeal you may pretend, it is but vain oftentation; and the Searcher of hearts, the infallible Judge of men, will, in the day of his wrath, pronounce you indifferent, and banish you from his prefence.

"Be

Be perfuaded, therefore, ye who are of this indifferent fpirit with refpect to religion, who care for none of those things, to hearken and comply with our Saviour's advice to the church of Laodicea; "zealous, and repent (a)." Awake, thou that fleepest, arife from the dead, and Chrift will give thee both life and light. Confider how hateful your indifference is to God, and what aggravated mifery and ruin, it will, if perfifted in, bring upon yourselves. Bewail, then, your paft indifference, and miferable trifling in those things which concern your everlasting peace. Be frequent in prayer to God for the quickening and enlivening influences of the divine Spirit; and, in humble dependence on his promifed grace, whatsoever your hand findeth to do for the glory of God, the good of others, and the falvation of your own precious fouls, do it with all your might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither you are hastening.

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(a) Rev. iii. 19.

SERMON XVIII.

THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST, A PERFECT STAND

ARD FOR THE IMITATION OF CHRISTIANS.

I JOHN ii. 6.

He that faith he abideth in Him, ought himself also fe to walk, even as He walked.

WH

HEN we confider that we are exprefsly com

manded, in the gospel, to imitate the example of Chrift; when we furvey the fair and unblemished original itself, and reflect on the peculiar obligations Christians are under to follow it; we may juftly be furprised, that any who pretend to the Christian name, fhould live in the carelefs neglect of this plain and important duty. But, furprifing as it is, we need only look abroad through the world, and obferve the conduct of mankind, to be convinced that, by many who pretend to be his followers, the example of the Son of God, the great Author and Finisher of our faith, is treated with contempt, or regarded with indifference. Of this ftrange inconfiftency between the profeffion and practice of Christians, wife and good men, in all ages, have ever complained. But, on what must the blame be laid? On

the

the example itfelf, or on any inability of men to follow it? It is in vain to diffemble the matter; the whole of the blame is juftly to be charged on our own unbelief, or want of confideration. But, whatever may be the caufe of this, one thing is certain, and can never be fufficiently lamented, that the unfuitable lives of Christians, their impiety and wickednefs, has done more real injury to the caufe of religion, has brought more fcandal and reproach on the Christian character, and been a greater obftacle to the fuccefs of the gofpel, than the daring attacks of its avowed enemies. Certainly, then, it greatly concerns us, as we profefs to be the difciples of Chrift, as we regard his honour, and the credit of his religion in the world, to hearken to this important inftruction in the words of the text; "He that faith “he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."

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These words are introduced here by the apoftle, in profecution of one part of his defign in this epiftle,' which was, to lay down fome plain marks of the fincere and genuine Chriftian. With this view, in the three preceding verses, he infists on the obfervation of Christ's word, or the keeping of his commandments, as one; and then, in the words of the text, he mentions the imitation of his example, as another: "He that faith he abideth in Him, ought himself also "fo to walk, even as He walked." As if he had faid, "Whoever pretends to be a Chriftian, or, as the "apostle Paul expreffes it, nameth the name of "Chrift, is indifpenfibly obliged, in virtue of this "his profeffion, and in evidence of its truth, to order "the whole of his life and converfation, as Chrift "lived and converfed in the world."

In difcourfing on this fubject, we propose, by divine affiftance, Firft, To fhow you in what manner we, who profefs to be Christians, ought to live, in imitation of Chrift's example. Secondly, We fhall en

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deavour

deavour to perfuade you to comply with this important duty, by fome arguments addreffed to your confideration.

I. We propofe, First, To fhow in what manner we, who profefs to be Christians, ought to live, in imitation of Chrift's example.

We might here inquire into the manner of our Saviour's life, confidered as a pattern for our imitation; we might defcribe his amiable temper and difpofition; and difplay to you thofe eminent virtues which were fo confpicuous in his character. But, as this would lead us into too extenfive, though an important field of difcourfe, we fhall confine ourselves to a few of thofe divine and heavenly virtues, which were the leading parts of his character, and which, therefore, we should more seriously endeavour to copy.

1. In imitation of Chrift's example, we ought to be inwardly pious and devout towards God. This was a diftinguishing part of our Saviour's character; his mind was continually fixed upon God, and he maintained a conftant correfpondence with his heavenly Father. Hence, we find him frequently lifting up his foul in pious ejaculations, and always employing himself in fome fpiritual and divine exercise. While others were engaged in the business and amusement of the day, or buried in the filence or ease of the night, he frequently retired from the world to converfe with his God, and fometimes spent whole nights in that delightful employment. The moft exalted piety was exemplified in his life, and the most fervent devotion animated his behaviour; devotion, not breaking out in fudden flashes, like the feed in the parable, which foon sprung up, and foon withered away; but fteady and regular, like that all-perfect Being, the object of it, with whom there is no variablenefs nor fhadow of turning.

Is not this a noble pattern for our imitation? It

is

is true, indeed, we cannot, in this imperfect ftate, attain to that high degree of fervor and purity, which our bleffed Lord poffeffed; for he was God, as well as man; the Holy Spirit was not given him by measure, but he was anointed with that facred unction above his fellows. Hence, he had no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth; his whole life was holy and heavenly, without fpot or blemish. In this ftate of imperfection, therefore, it is altogether impoffible for us to be perfectly conformed to this divine pattern. But, though we cannot equal the Son of God in the measure of our piety, we may resemble him in the kind; though we cannot keep equal pace with him, yet we may follow his fteps. Our love to God may indeed be weak, and, at times, almost a dying flame; but, on the whole, it may be ftill increafing, and, like the morning light, fhining brighter and brighter, till it blaze in everlasting day. Animated, then, by this great example, let us make religion our principal bufinefs; let us not continue estranged from God, the Author of our being, whofe favour is better than life, and at whofe right hand are pleasures for evermore; but let us acquaint ourselves with him, and, by the exercife of faith and love, maintain a conftant correfpondence with him.

2. In imitation of Chrift's example, we ought to be fubmiffive and refigned to the will of God. This was, in a peculiar manner, the character of Jefus Chrift. He was the greateft, and, at the fame time, the most fubmiffive and patient fufferer, that ever fojourned in this valley of tears. In every age, there have been great examples of the fufferings and refignation of good men; but our bleffed Lord has never been equalled, either in the degree of his fuffering,

in the refignation of his fpirit. In the moft diftrefsful circumstances of life, he cheerfully fubmitted to his Father's will; nay, he was obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs. Let us then imitate our Saviour in this moft neceffary virtue.

While

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