tion may entertain the Reader, and the Painting please the Spectator, and both may be inftructive too; but the naked Eye will take in more at one View, and with more Pleafure and Delight, than any Words or Colours could convey to the Mind; and this without the Labour of learning the Use and Beauty of Words, or the Rules and Excellencies of Art. And fo it is with a good Life: Every Man is convinced and powerfully drawn by it: He fees more Charms in it than he can exprefs; and how contrary foever his own Practice may be; yet he will readily acknowledge that he cannot but fincerely wish in his Heart, that he was that good Man himfelf. And in this Particular, as well as others, the Christian Religion has a great Advantage over other Inftitutions, that the blefsed Author of it was pleafed to live and die among us, and practise those Duties which he requires of us. So that we can take a View of his Religion in his Life, as well as in his Doctrines; and have a most excellent Pattern to copy after, thereby to quicken us in the Discharge of our Duty, and provoke us to live as he lived. The holy Evangelifts have given us the Hiftory of his Life, told with a manly noble Simplicity not to be parallelled, and with a Clearness scarce to be misunderstood. And St. Peter, in the Text, fays of one Part of it what is equally true of all the reft, that one gracious Defign of

it

it was, To leave us an Example, that we should follow his Steps.

The Ufe, to which I intend to apply these Words at present, is to make a few fuch practical Obfervations on the Life of the bleffed Jefus as may be of general Use to us in the Conduct of ours. And fince it is abfolutely neceffary that all Characters, which are defigned for Imitation, fhould not be drawn too high, left they terrify instead of alluring; whilft on the other Hand, it is fo mighty easy to foar beyond the Reach of Man, in Contemplations on the Conduct of the Son of God; I fhall therefore confine my Remarks to his Behaviour as the Son of Man, utterly exclufive of his Divine Character and to fuch Things as are level to all Capacities, adapted to all Seafons, and fuch as may and must be copied after, and transcribed, in a greater or lefs Degree, by all his Disciples. And

I. I obferve of the Life of the bleffed Jefus, that he was always intent on the main Bufinefs he came about. His Father had given him a Work to do, and he never loft Sight of it. This Work was, To do the Will of him that fent him, which we find he ever had in his View.

When he had tarried behind his Parents at Jerufalem, hearing and making Enquiries of the Doctors of the Law, and his Mother reproved

reproved him for that he gave her no Notice of it, and therefore Jofeph and she had fought him forrowing. He replies, Knew you not that I must be about my Father's Bufinefs? This was to be his firft Care at all Times, and on all Occafions; and no Regard to any Perfons or Things was to caufe him to neglect it.

When he came to be baptized of John, and the Baptist refufed him, faying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comeft thou to me? He anfwers, Suffer it to be fo now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all Righteousness. Whatever promoted the Ends of Righteousness and Virtue was a Part of his Work; and neither the Dignity of his own Perfon, nor the Inferiority of him who was to minister to him, could divert him from the Discharge of it.

When his Difciples brought him Meat, after his Difcourfe with the Woman of Samaria, and defired him to eat; he replies, I have Meat to eat which ye know not of: My Meat is to do the Will of him that fent me, and to finish his Work. I do not live by Bread alone. My first Concern is to do my Duty. This was to do Good whenever Opportunity offered, to recover the Loft, and foften the Impenitent; and this he had been mercifully attempting with the poor Woman of Samaria, notwithftanding the Wickedness of her past Life, or

the

the Cenfures he might incur by fuch a Converfation.

When he paffed by a Man that was born blind, and was afked whether it was for his own, or his Parents Sin, that he was fo born; he replies, that the Defign of it was only to give him an Occafion to exert his Power. And from this Occafion he infers the Neceffity of it, I must work the Works of him that fent me, while it is yet Day, the Night cometh wherein no Man can work. No Occafion is to be loft; this Life only is the Time of Trial: And accordingly he heals the Man, and converts him.

And lastly, When he talked of going to Judea, to fee Lazarus, and his Difciples feemed furprized at it, because the Jews had lately fought to ftone him there; His Anfwer was in Effect this, that what was improper at one Seafon might be neceffary in another, and that in general while the Day lafted, he must work without Regard to Fear or Danger. And accordingly he went up to his Friend Lazarus, and raised him from the Dead.

From all which it is evident, that his Thoughts were ever intent on the great Defign of his Coming; that no Regard to Perfons or Things could divert him from it; no Unworthiness in the Object discourage him; no Fear, either of Cenfure or Suffering, terri fy him from pursuing it.

And

And in this every one of his Difciples may follow his Example. Every Man has his Work fet him as well as the bleffed Jefus ; and should, like him, ever have it in his View. Every one's Business in this World is to prepare for a better; to purify his Heart and Mind from Sin and Corruption; and to make a daily Progrefs towards Perfection. This is the Will of him that fent us; and whoever will faithfully discharge it must bear it ever in his Thoughts. He must remember, like his bleffed Mafter, that this is to be his main End in View, at all Times, and on all Occafions: That he is, as far as human Frailty will permit, to be ever upon his Guard against the Attacks of Sin; ever ready and open to embrace all Opportunities of growing in Virtue; and that neither the Frowns nor the Favour of Men, neither the Profits nor the Discouragements of the World, are to divert him from this great Point in view, but he is to keep his Eye fteadily fixed upon it, to the End of Life, Till the Night cometh in which no Man can work.

II. Another Obfervation to be made on the Life of the bleffed Jefus is, that we find him always eafy and fatisfied with the Accommodations he meets with. He receives his Lot with Submiffion and Obedience, is ever pleased and contented with it, and whatever happened was best to him. There appears throughout