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While we are in this world, we may lay our account to meet with afflictions. The danger, or the actual feeling of diftrefs, are incident to human nature. But there is one affliction, the greatest of all others; an affliction we create to ourselves, and which doubles every uneafinefs; I mean, that stubbornnefs of will, that impatience under fuffering, which is the offspring of pride, and the parent of mifery. This is that iron finew, which will not bow to the will of its maker; this is the strong man within us, who will not yield except to the ftronger than he. But, what prefumption is it for creatures to contend with their Creator! "The potfherd may strive "with the potfherds of the earth; but fhall the clay "fay to him that fashioneth it, What makeft thou?" We may indeed exalt ourselves against the Almighty; we may contend, and, from our ignorance of his providence, we may feem to counteract his defigns; but let us remember, that none who exalteth himself against God, fhall profper; and that the end is terrible deftruction from the prefence of the Lord. Let us not, then, foolishly contend with God, or prefume to ftrive with our Maker; but let us humbly fubmit to his Providence, and, under every affliction, confefs that the judgments of the Lord are right.

In this manner, our Saviour himself acted while he was in the world; and we who profefs to be Christians, ought to imitate his example. He trod the rugged path of adverfity with undaunted courage; he walked on in a courfe of fuffering with the most cheerful refignation; and he did fo, that he might go before us in this road of danger, and leave us an example that we might follow his steps.

3. În imitation of Chrift's example, we ought to en tertain a fincere and cordial love to our brethren of mankind. There is no virtue for which our Saviour was more diftinguished; nor indeed is there any in which we ought to resemble him more. His love to the fons

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of men brought him into the world; it was his conftant employment, during his miniftry, to promote their happiness; and nothing gave him fo much pleafure, as to fee them hearkening to his inftructions, and embracing the offers of his mercy. In a word, the gospel-history is a continued account of his amazing grace to mankind; there we fee him defcending from his Father's throne, employing his whole life in acts of kindness and compaflion, and at last dying, amidst agony and pain, for the redemption of the human race.

Now, in this refpect, alfo, he has fet us a noble example; an example, indeed, every way proper in itself to engage our attention, and which is alfo recommended to us by the highest authority. Our Lord himself propofes this pattern of love to our imitation: "A new commandment I give unto you, "that you love one another; as I have loved you, "that you also love one another (a)." And, to dif pofe Christians to acts of compaffion and charity, the apostle puts them in mind of the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who, though he was rich, yet for our fakes became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be made rich. How then can we answer to God, to the world, and our own confciences, if, having fuch an example of love and charity fet before us, and fuch powerful motives to the imitation of it, we refuse to comply with this important duty? We are not indeed permitted to teftify our love to others in the fame wonderful manner that the Son of God did: the nature and importance of his character and fituation made the expreffion of his love different. But furely we ought to refemble him in mercy and compaffion; we ought to entertain the fame cordial love to our brethren, and to exprefs it, by doing them all the kind and charitable offices in our power. Let us, then, copy after the example of our merci

(a) John xiii. 34.

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ful Redeemer; let us be followers of Him who spent his whole life in acts of kindnefs and love; and, laying afide all malice, and guile, and envy, and evilfpeaking, let us love one another with a pure heart fervently.

4. We ought to resemble Jefus Chrift, by being humble and lowly, as he was. There is hardly any one part of his amiable character more frequently mentioned in the facred fcripture than this; nor is there any in which he is more exprefsly propofed to us as an example. He was indeed humility itfelf; humility without the least mixture of pride, and lowlinefs without affectation. This appeared very remarkably through his whole life, and adorned every part of his character. Hence, with great propriety, he recommends his own example, in this refpect, to our imitation: "Take my yoke upon you," fays he, "and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in "heart (b)." And the apoftle inculcates humility' upon us, by the confideration of Chrift's example: "Let this mind be in you," fays he," which was "alfo in Chrift Jefus; who being in the form of "God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God; "but made himself of no reputation, and took upon "him the form of a fervant, and was made in the "likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a "man, he humbled himself, and became obedient "unto death, even the death of the cross (c).”

By fuch expreffions is the imitation of Chrift's humility recommended to us in fcripture: and furely his example in this refpect ought to have the greatest influence on our conduct. He was the eternal Son of God, who poffeffed every divine and human excellence in their highest perfection; and yet, notwithstanding this, he humbled himself, and became of no reputation. And shall we then be arrogant and proud, we who are but his creatures, the work of his hands, guilty

(b) Matth. xi. 29.

(c) Phil. ii. 5, 6, 7, 8.

guilty and polluted finners, and have therefore nothing of which we can reasonably boaft? Can we value ourselves on the poffeffion of wealth and riches, or be puffed up, because the glory of our houfe is increafed, when He, who was the poffeffor of all things, chofe to appear in a low condition, and to live in a ftate of poverty and want? And fhall we, whofe breath is in our noftrils, defpife our brother, and behave with infolence to our fellow-creatures, when the Son of God himself condescended to converfe with the meaneft, and did not difdain the cry of a beggar? The example of our Lord's humili ty ought, doubtlefs, to make us humble; and we may well be ashamed of pride, when we reflect on the condefcenfion of the Son of God. Let us, then, imitate our Redeemer in this moft amiable virtue. Let us put on humility as a beautiful robe; and, when we confider how lowly and condescending Jefus was, let us be vile in our own eyes, and abhor ourfelves in dust and ashes.

5. In imitation of Chrift's example, we ought to be meek and felf-denied under injury and reproach. This was another bright part of our bleffed Saviour's character. Never did any man meet with greater injuries, or fo complicated a scene of insult, to provoke and irritate his fpirit; and yet, under them all, he was mild and gentle. When his enemies treated him in the moft cruel and injurious manner, when they loaded him with calumny and flander, instead of rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, he was ready, on the contrary, to repay their injuries with love. Even his bitterest enemies were partakers of his kindness; he ftill continued to intreat them to accept of life from him, and, with tears of compaffion, bewailed their infidelity. And when, at last, his enemies laid violent hands upon him, and gratified their malice with his blood; when, in the extremity of his fufferings, they reviled him, and insulted

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over his mifery in the most barbarous manner: instead of refenting fo great an injury, or breathing out threatening and revenge, he freely forgave them himfelf, and prayed on the crofs that his Father would forgive them, alfo. Thus meek and patient was the Son of God. He was oppreffed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He was brought as a lamb to the flaughter; and as a fheep before her fhearers is dumb, fo he opened not his mouth.

Here, also, is a noble pattern for our imitation. It was in order to fet us an example, that Jefus fuffered with fo much patience and fubmiffion. It is with this argument the, apoftle Peter exhorted the Christians of his time, "when they did well, and "suffered for it, to take it patiently, knowing that "hereunto they were called; because Christ also hath "fuffered for us, leaving us an example, that we "might follow his fteps; who, when he was revil"ed, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threat"ened not; but committed himself to him that judg"eth righteoufly (a)." Shall we not blufh, when we reflect how far fhort we come of this amiable example, and refolve, if poffible, to resemble him more?

6. In imitation of Chrift's example, we ought to regard this world with a generous contempt, and place our affections on things above. Though Chrift was the brightnefs of his Father's image, yet he took upon himself the form of a fervant; though he knew the full value of earthly enjoyments, yet he defpised them; and though he could easily have commanded the wealth and riches of the world, yet he allowed them to be enjoyed by others. His first appearance was in a mean and low condition. On his nativity, no fervile attendants waited, no fumptuous preparations were made. He was born in a ftable, and laid in a manger. Through the whole of his after life, he discovered the moft fincere contempt for the world and all its enjoyments. He defpifed riches and wealth,

(a) I Pet. ii, 20, 21, 23.

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