promote that great End, and no ways hinder it. But if we fo place our Affections, and bestow our Time upon them, that one would think we make Them our great Defign, and not the other; then we cannot be innocent, but are horribly unjuft both to God, and our own Souls. These are the general Rules by which we ought to steer ourselves in the Practice of the Apoftle's Precept of not conforming to the World. The farther applying them to Particulars, is left to every one, as he finds himself concerned. Mat. 6.33. The Sum of all is, We should firft feek the Kingdom of God, and the Righteousness thereof, and feriously endeavour in all our Conversation to recommend ourselves to our Lord and Master, by a diligent Obfervance of all his Commands, and abstaining from all the Pollutions of the Flesh and the World. And as for thofe Gratifications and Liberties that our Religion allows us, we fhould, as to them, ufe the World, as tho' we ufed it not; taking them only by way of Convenience and Accommodation for our more eafy Paffage thro' this World into the other. 277 DISCOURSE IX. * Our Obligations to live as Chrift lived. [Delivered in Four Sermons.] 1 PET. ii. 21. (Latter Part of the Verfe.) Leaving us an Example, that ye fhould follow his Steps. HE whole Verse runs thus: For St. Peter here is exhorting Servants to be fubject to their Masters, and with Patience and Submiffion to bear whatever hard Ufage they might meet with from them. And the Argument wherewith he enforceth this Exhortation is the Example of Chrift. He patiently for our Sakes underwent a great Load of Sufferings, and therefore U 3 therefore highly reasonable it is that we should not repine at any hard Measures we meet with in the World. The Force and Strength of this Argument lies in that which St. Peter addeth in the laft Part of this Verfe, namely, that Chrift's Life was framed for our Example; that it was defign'd o be a Pattern for Chriftians to walk by, and that we are all of us bound to follow his Steps, He left us an Example, &c. This Point of the Example of Chrift is that I have now defign'd to treat of; and in fpeaking to it I fhall not restrain it to one Inftance, that of his Sufferings; (nor indeed do St. Peter's Words so restrain it, tho' it must be granted he brings it in upon that Occafion) but I fhall confider it in its full Latitude with refpect to his whole Life and Converfation in the World. I. And in treating of this Argument I fhall endeavour thefe three Things. First of all in general, To fhew the great Obligation that lies upon all Chriftians to follow Chrift's Example. II. Secondly, To explain the Extent of this Obligation; How far, and in what Inftances Chrift's Life is an Example to us, and doth oblige us to Imitation. JII. Thirdly, III. Thirdly, To propofe fome of those Virtues that our Saviour was moft eminent for, and which are of the greatest Use in human Life, and ferioufly to recommend them to your Imitation. I begin with the firft Thing, The Obligation that lies upon Chriftians to follow Chrift's Example. And this fhall be my Argument at this Time. And I think it the more needful to be infifted on in regard of a Notion that fome People are too forward to entertain, which afferts, that the Life of Chrift was not defign'd for an Example to us, but for a Means to procure God's Acceptance of us. They explain their Mind thus: No Man can be accepted by God, and entitled to his Favour, unless he be perfectly righteous in the Eye of God. Now to make a Man so, he muft either have a perfect inherent Righteousness of his own, or the perfect Righteoufness of another must be imputed to him, as to all Intents and Purposes to be made his own, and to be look'd upon as fuch, The former fort of Righteoufness no Man can pretend to; nor is he obliged to have it under the fecond Covenant. The latter fort of Righteousness therefore is that we muft rely upon, and by which we are to expect to be juftified. Now this is no U 4 other other than the Righteousness of Jefus Chrift, who only was perfectly righteous: This Righteoufnefs of his being made ours, being imputed to us, is that that must make us perfectly righteous in the Sight of God. As therefore the End of Chrift's Death was to fatisfy for the Breach of God's Laws in our ftead, we having all finned, and fo deferved God's Wrath; fo the End of his Life was actually to fulfil the Law in our ftead, that we might be accounted righteous before God, as if we had fulfilled it our felves. As his paffive Obedience, his Death and Sufferings, were defigned for this End to be imputed to all Believers, for the excufing them from the Punishment due to their Sins; fo his active Obedience, the Righteousness of his Life, was defigned for this End to be imputed to all Believers to make them appear righteous before God, tho' they were not righteous in their own Perfons. Now the Inftrument, fay they, whereby this Righteoufnefs, this Obedience of Christ, both Active and Paffive, is made ours; the Hand that conveys it to us, is no other than a lively Faith; that is in their Senfe, a Believing in Jefus Chrift, a difclaiming all our own Righteoufnefs, and confidently applying his Righteoufnefs to ourselves. And whoever doth this, is, in God's Account, a righteous Man without more ado, having all Chrift's Righteoufnefs fo imputed to him as to be made his own. |