4. I look at the conversation of Christ in word and in deed; for his words they were gracious. Not an idle word ever came out of the lips of Christ; himself tells us, that "of every idle word we must give an account," Matth. 12:36. O then how free was Christ of every idle word? He knew the times and seasons when to speak, and when to be silent; he weighed every word with every circumstance, time, and place, and manner and matter, Eccles: 3:7. "There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak," said Solomon, when he returned again to his wisdom; and hence we read, that sometimes Jesus being accused, he held his peace, and when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing, Matth. 26:63. and 27:12. But at other times he pours out whole cateracts of holy in structions: he takes occasion of vines, of stones, of waters, and sheep, to speak a word in season; he is still discoursing of the matters, of the kingdoin of heaven, and he speaks such words as gives grace unto all the hearers round about him; so for his deeds and actions they were full of grace and goodness. The apostle Peter gives him this character, (which I look upon as a little description of Christ's life)" who went about doing good,” Acts 10:38. It was his meat and drink to do all the good he could: it was as natural to him to do good, as it is for a fountain to stream out; he was holy and heavenly, unspotted every way; O the sweet conversation of Christ! How humbly carries he it among men? How benignly towards his disciples? How pitiful was he towards the poor? To whom, (as we read) he made himself most like, 2 Cor. 8:9. "He became poor, that we might be made rich," he despised or abhorred none, no not the very lepers that were eschewed of all; he flattered not the rich and honorable, he was most free from the cares of the world, his prescriptions were, "Care not for the things of the morrow;" and in himself he was never anxious of bodily needs, above all, he was most solicitous of saving souls. Much more I might add, if I should go over the particulars in the gospel; but by these few expressions of Jesus Christ, we may conceive of all the rest.

2. Let us be humbled for our great inconformity to this copy: what an excellent pattern is here before us? And how far, how infinitely do we come short of this blessed pattern? O alas! if Christ will not own me, unless he sees his image written upon me, what will become of my poor Boul! Why, Christ was meek, and humble, and lowly in spirit; Christ was holy and heavenly, Christ ever went about doing good: and now when I come to examine my own heart according to this original, I find naturally a mere antipathy, a contrariety, I am as opposite to Christ as hell and heaven; 1. For my thoughts; within I am full of pride and malice; I am full of the spirit of the world; what is there in my heart but a world of passions, rebellions, darkness and deadness of spirit to good? And, 2. If the fountain be so muddy, can I expect clear streams? What words are these that come many a time from me? Christ would not speak an idle word, but how many idle, evil, sinful words come daily flowing from my lips? "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." And if I may guess at my heart by my words, where was my heart this Sabbath, and the other Sabbath, when my discourse was all on my calling, or on the world, or, it may be, on my lusts, or on my Delilahs, on my right hand sins, or on my right eye sins? And, 3. What actions are these so frequently performed by me? If I must read my state by my conversation, "whose image and superscription is this?" The last oath I sware, the last blas. phemy I belched out, the last act of drunkenness, idolatry, adultery I com. mitted: (or if these sins are not fit to be named) the last piece of wrong I did my neighbor, the last prank of pride I played on the stage of the

world, the last expense of time when I did no good in the world, neither to myself nor others, the last omission of good as well as commission of evil: O my soul, whose image is this? Is it the image of Christ or of Satan? If the worst scholar in the school should write thus untowardly after his copy, would he not be ashamed? If in my heart and life I observe so many blots and stains, so great dissimilitude to the life of Christ, how should I but lie in the dust? O wo is me! what a vast disproportion is betwixt Christ's life and mine? Why thus, O my soul shouldst thou humble thyself; each morning, each prayer, each meditation, each self-examination, shouldst thou fetch new, fresh, clear, particular causes, occasions, matters of humiliation: as thus, Lo, there the evenness, gravity, graciousness, uniformity, holiness, spiritualities, divineness, heavenliness of Jesus Christ: lo, there the fragrant zeal, dear love, tender pity, constant industry, unwearied pains, patience, admirable self-denial, contempt of the world in Jesus Christ; lo, there those many, yea, continual devout, divine breathings of soul after God, his Father's glory, after the spiritual and immortal good of the precious souls of his redeemed ones: Oh! all the admirable meekness, mercifulness, clemency, charity, with all other excellent temperature, rare composure, wonderful order of his blessed soul! O the sweet expressions, gracious conversation! O the glorious shine, blessed lustre of his divine soul! Oh the sweet countenance, sacred discourse, ravishing demeanor, winning deportment of Jesus Christ! and now I reflect upon myself, Oh, alas, Oh the total, wide, vast, utter difference, distance, disproportion of mine therefrom! I should punctually answer, perfectly resemble, accurately imitate, exactly conform to this life of Christ, but ah my unevenness, lightness, vanity! Ah my rudeness, grossness, deformity, odiousness, slightness, contemptibleness, execrableness! Ab my sensuality, brutishness, devilishness! how clearly are these, and all other my enormities discovered, discerned, made evident and plain, by the holy life of Jesus? So true is that rule, Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt.

3. Let us quicken, provoke, and incense our sluggish drowsy souls to conform to Christ. If we will but strictly observe our hearts, we shall find them very backward to this duty, and therefore let us call upon our souls as David did, Psal. 103:1. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me bless his holy name:" let us work upon our souls by reasoning with our own hearts, as if we discoursed with them thus, "Ŏ my heart," or, "O my soul," if in the deep councils of eternity this was God's great design to make his Son like thee, that thou also mightest be like his Son, how then shouldst thou but endeavor to conform? And what says the apostle? Rom. 8:29. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of his Son:" this was one of his great purposes from eternity; this law God set down before he made the world, that I should conform to his Son; and what, O my soul, wouldst thou break the eternal bands of predestination? O, God forbid! Again, if this was one of the ends of Christ's coming to destroy the works of the devil, to deface all Satan's works, especially his work in me, his image in me, and to set his own stamp on my soul; how then should I but endeavor to conform? I read but of two ends of Christ's coming into the world in relation to us, whereof the first was to redeem his people, and the other to purify his people; Titus 2:14. "He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." The one is the work of his merit, which goeth upward, to the satisfaction of his Father: the other is the work of his Spirit and grace, which goeth downwards to the sanctification of his

church; in the one he bestoweth his righteousness on us by imputation, on the other he fashioneth his image in us by renovation: and what, O my soul, wouldst thou destroy the end of Christ's coming in the flesh? Or wouldst thou miss of that end for which Christ came in relation to thy good? O, God forbid! again, consider the example of the saints before thee; if this was their holy ambition to be like their Jesus, emulate them in this; for this is a blessed emulation. It is observable how the heathens themselves had learned a rule very near to this; "Seneca advised, that every man should propound to himself the example of some wise and virtuous personage, as Cato, or Socrates, or the like." (Senec. ep. 11.) And really to take his life as the direction of all their actions; but is not the life of Jesus far more precious, and infinitely more worthy of imitation We read in history of one Cecilia, a virgin, who accustomed herself to the beholding of Christ for imitation, and to that purpose she ever carried in her breast some pieces of the gospel which she had gathered out of all the evangelists, and thereon night and day she was either reading or meditating; this work she carried on in such a circulation, that at last she grew perfect in it, and so enjoyed Christ and the gospel, not only in her breast, but also in the secrets of her heart: as appeared by her love of Christ, and confidence in Christ, and familiarity with Christ; as also by her contempt of the world, and all its glory, for Christ's sake; there is some resemblance of this in the spouse, when she resolved of Christ, Sol. Song 1:13. “He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts," q. d. He shall be as near me as near may be; my meditation (and by consequence my imitation) of him shall be constant and continual; not only in the day, but he "shall lie all night betwixt my breasts." What, O my soul, was this the practice of the saints? and wilt thou not be of that communion? O, God forbid! thus let us quicken and provoke our souls to this conformity; let us excite, rouse, incense, awake, and sharpen our wretched, sluggish, drowsy, lazy souls; our faint, feeble, flagging, faultering, drooping, languishing affections, desires, endeavors! let us with enlarged industry, engage and encourage our backward and remiss spirits to fall upon this duty of conformity, again and again; let us come up higher towards it, or, if possible, we may, completely to it, that the same mind, and mouth, and life, may be in us that was in Jesus Christ, that we may be found to walk after Christ, that we may tread in the very prints of the feet of Christ, that we may climb up after him into the same heavenly kingdom, that we may aspire continually towards him, and grow up to him, even "to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

4. Let us regulate ourselves by the life of Christ: whatsoever action we go about, let us do it by this rule, what, would Christ have done this, or at least, would Christ have allowed this? It is true, some things are expedient and lawful with us, which were not suitable to the person of Christ. "Marriage is honorable with all men, and the bed undefiled:" but it did not befit his person, who came into the world only to spiritual purposes, to beget sons and daughters. Writing of books is commendable with men, because like Abel, being dead, they may still speak, and teach these who never saw them, but it would have been derogatory to the person and office of Christ, for it is his prerogative to be in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, to be present to all his members, to teach by power, and not by ministry, to write his law in the hearts of his people, and to make them his epistle. Contrition, compunction, mortification, repentance for sin, are acts and duties necessary to our state and condition; for we are sinners, and sinners of the Gentiles, "To whom God also hath

granted repentance unto life," Acts 11:18. But these were in no sort agreeable to Christ; for he was without sin, and needed not repentance, nor to any part of it. The several states of men, as of governors, kings, judges, lawyers, merchants, &c. are convenient for us, otherwise what a tax and confusion would there be in the world? And yet Jesus never put himself into any of these states, John 18:36. "My kingdom (says he) is not of this world." Now, as in these things we must only respect the allowance of Christ, so in other things we must reflect upon the example of Christ; as, 1. In sinful acts eschewed by Christ. 2. In moral duties that were done by Christ.

1. In sinful acts eschewed by Christ, as when I am tempted to sin, then am I to reason thus with myself; would my blessed Saviour if he were upon earth, do thus and thus; When I am tempted to looseness and immo. derate living, then am I to ask conscience such a question as this, would Christ have done thus; Would he have spent such a life upon earth as I do? When I am moved by my own corruption, or by Satan, to drunken. ness, gluttony, sinful and desperate society, to swearing, cursing, revenge, or the like; then am I to ask, Is this the life that Christ led? Or, if he were to live again, would he live after this manner? When I fall into passion, peevishness, rash words, or if it be but idle words, then am I to consider, O but would Christ speak thus? Would this be his language? Would such a rotten or unprofitable speech as this drop from his honey lips?

2. In case of moral obedience, concerning which we have both his pattern and precept, I look upon Christ as my rule, and I question thus, Did Christ frequently pray both with his disciples, and alone by himself? And shall I never in my family, or in my closet think upon God? Did Christ open his wounds for me, and shall I not open my mouth to him? Did Christ serve God without all self ends, merely in obedience and to glorify him? And shall I make God's worship subordinate to my aims and turns? Did Christ show mercy to his very enemies? and shall I be cruel to Christ's very members? O my soul, look on all thy sins, and in all thy duties to thy original; and measure them by the holiness of Christ. Whether in avoiding sin, or in doing duty; think, What would my blessed Saviour do in this case; Or, what did he do in the like case when he was upon earth? If we had these thoughts every day, if Christ were continually before our eyes, if in all we do or speak, we should still muse on this, What would Jesus Christ say if he were here? I believe it would be a blessed means of living in comfort and spiritual conformity to the commands of God, yea, of acting Christ's life (as it were) to the life.

5. Let us look fixedly on Jesus Christ, let us keep our spiritual eyes still on the pattern, until we feel ourselves conforming to it: it is a true saying "That objects and moving reasons kept much upon the mind, by serious thoughts, are the great engine, both appointed by nature and grace to turn about the soul of man." If I may deliver it in fewer terms, "Objects considered much, or frequently, do turn the soul into their own na ture." Such as the things we are most thinking of and considering of; such will be ourselves: or if we be not so, it is not through any imperfection in the object, (especially in such an object as Jesus Chri: tis,) but because it is not well applied, and by consideration held upon the heart till it may work there, indeed the manner of this working may be secret and insensible, yet if we follow on we shall feel it in the issue. The behold ing of Christ is a powerful beholding: there is a changing, transforming virtue goes out of Christ, by looking on Christ: can we think of his humility and not be humble? Can we think of his meekness and gentleness

of spirit, and yet we continue in our fierceness, roughness, frowardness of spirit? Can a proud fierce heart apprehend a meek, and sweet, and lowly Jesus! No, no, the heart must be suitable to the thing apprehended; it is impossible otherwise, certainly if the look be right, there must be a suita bleness betwixt the heart and Christ. Sight works upon the imagination in brute creatures; as Laban's sheep, when they saw the party-colored rods, they had lambs suitable: now, will sight work upon imagination, and imagination work a real change in nature; and is not the eye of the mind, (especially the eye of faith) more strong and powerful? If I but write af. ter a copy, I shall in a while learn to write like it: if I seriously meditate on any excellent subject, it will leave a print behind it on my spirit: if I read but the life and death of some eminently gracious and holy man, it moulds, and fashions, and transforms, and conforms my mind to his similitude; even so, and much more is it in this case, since the eye of faith works in the matter, which in itself is operative and effectual, and there. fore it cannot but work more than where there is only simple imitation, or naked meditation. O then let us set the copy of Christ's life (as before described) in our view, and let us look upon it with both eyes, with the eye of reason, and with the eye of faith.

But how should we keep the eye of our faith on this blessed object, until we feel conformity in us? I answer:

1. Let us set apart sometimes on purpose to act our faith in this respect, Eccl. 3:1. "There is a time for all things under the sun," saith Solomon. It may be sometimes we are in our civil employments, but then is not the time; yet when they are done, and the day begins to close, if together with our closet prayer we would fall on this duty of looking unto Jesus by lively faith; how blessed a season might this be? I know not but that some Christians may do it occasionally, but for any that sets some time apart for it every day, and that in conscience, as we do for prayer, where is he to be found?

2. Let us remove hinderances; Satan labors to hinder the soul from be. holding Christ with the dust of the world, "The god of this world blinds the eyes of men." O take heed of fixing our eyes on this world's vanity! our own corruptions are also great hinderances to this view of Christ; away, away with all carnal passions, base humors, sinful desires; unless the soul be spiritual, it can never behold spiritual things.

3. Let us fix our eyes only on this blessed object: a moving, rolling eye sees nothing clearly, 1 Pet. 1:13. "When the angels are said to look into these things," the word signifies, that they look into them narrowly, as they who bowing or stooping down, do look into a thing; so should we look narrowly into the life of Christ; our eye of faith should be set upon it in a steady manner, as if all the world could not move us, as if we forgot all the things behind, and had no other business in the world but this.

4. Let us look wishingly and cravingly; there is affection as well as vis. ion in the eyes; as the lame man that lay in Solomon's Porch looked wishfully on Peter and John, "Expecting to receive something of them," Acts 3:5. So let us look on Christ with a craving eye, with an humble expectation to receive supply of grace from Christ, "Why, Lord, thou art not only anointed with the oil of gladness above thy fellows, but for thy fel lows; I am earthly-minded, but thou art heavenly; I am full of lusts, but the image of God is perfect in thee: thou art the fountain of all grace, an head of influence, as well of eminence: thou art not only above me, but thou hast all grace for me; and therefore, O give me some portion of thy