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dom and Goodness towards Mankind: But this will be of small Avail to us, if we do not make it our constant Care and Endeavour to imitate it in our own Temper and Practice. Our Saviour, in the Words which I have chosen for the Subject of this Difcourse, expreffly declareth to his Disciples, I have given you an Example, that ye should do as I have done unto you. And, though this (as was before observed) hath a special Reference to a particular Instance, yet it equally holds with Regard to the Whole of his facred Life and Practice here on Earth. Hence we find him elsewhere faying to his Disciples, Take my Yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in Heart ; and ye shall find Reft unto your Souls. Matt. xi. 29. This Learning of him certainly includes not only our attending to his Instructions, but our imitating his Example: And this also may be justly regarded as one Thing comprehended in that Following of Christ which he himself insisteth upon as an essential Condition of our Discipleship: If any Mian will come after me, i. e. will approve himself my fincere Disciple, and have an Interest in my Benefits; let him deny himself and take up his Cross, and follow me. Mark viii. 34. We are told, that whom God did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image

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Image of his Son; which includes their being conformed to him in Grace and Holiness here, as well as in his Glory hereafter. Rom. viii. 29. Nothing can be more plain and express to shew the Obligations we are under to imitate Chrift's Example, than those remarkable Words of the Apostle John, 1 John ii. 6. He that faith be abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. To profess to abide in Christ, to be united to him by Faith and Love, and to have an Interest in his Benefits, and yet take no Care to imitate the excellent Pattern he hath set before us, is a manifest Contradiction and Inconsistency. St. Peter observes, that Chrift bath fuffered for us, leaving us an Example, that we Should follow his Steps, I Pet. ii. 21, intimating that this was one great Thing he had in View in the Sufferings he endured for our Sakes, that he might leave an Example for us to imitate. Let this Mind be in you (faith the Apostle Paul) which was a'so in Chrift Jesus. Phil. ii. 5. And he elsewhere expresseth himself thus, Be ye Followers, (or, as the Word might literally be rendered, be ye Imitators) of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Cor. xi. 1. proposeth himself as an Example for their Imitation, but not absolutely, but inasmuch as he was a Follower of Chrift: Where it

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is plainly supposed that we are all under indispensable Obligations to follow or imitate Jesus Christ. And indeed the Expreffions that so frequently occur in the New Testament, whereby all fincere Chriftians are represented as being in Chrift, abiding in him, having Christ formed in them, putting on the Lord Jesus Chrift, having him to live and dwell in them, purifying themselves as he is pure; these several Ways of Expreffion, with others to the fame Purpose, are plainly designed to shew, how nearly it concerneth us, and how much it is expected from us, to do all we can that we may be formed to a Christ-like Frame and Temper, and to imitate him in his holy and excellent Conduct.

And now our Way is prepared by these general Observations for entering upon a more particular and distinct Confideration of our Saviour's Character and Example; which is what I propose to do in some following Discourses.

On the Example of Christ.

DISCOURSE XVI.

JOHN viii. 29.

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The Father hath not left me alone; for I always do those Things that please him. Compared with JOHN xvii. 4. glorified thee on Earth; I have finisked. the Work which thou hast given me to do.

N my last Discourse some general Confiderations were offered concerning the • Excellency and Usefulness of Christ's Example: Let us now proceed to take a more distinct View of it.

The noblest Part of our Duty, and that which lieth at the Foundation of all the

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reft,

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