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another world; and the worft of men were not without fome fears of the judgment and vengeance of another world; but men had difputed themselves into great doubts and uncertainties about these things; and as men that are in doubt, are almoft indifferent which way they go; fo the uncertain apprehenfions which men had of a future ftate, and of the rewards and punishments of another world, had but a very faint influence upon the minds of men, and wanted that preffing and determining force to virtue and a good life, which a firm belief and clear conviction of these things, would have infused into them.

But now the light of the glorious gospel of Chri hath fcattered all thefe clouds, and chafed away that grofs darkness which hid the other world from our fight, and hath removed all doubts concerning the immortality of mens fouls, and their future ftate; and now the kingdom of heaven, with all its treasures of life, and happiness, and glory, lies open to our view, and hell is alfo naked before us, and destruction hath. no covering. So that the hopes and fears of men are now perfectly awakened, and all forts of confiderations that may ferve to quicken and encourage our obedience, and to deter and affrighten men from a wicked life, are expofed to the view of all men, and do ftare every man's confcience in the face. And this is that which renders the gofpel fo admirable and powerful an inftrument for the reforming of mankind, and, as the Apoftle calls it, the mighty power of God unto falvation; because therein life and immortality are fet before us, as the certain and glorious reward of our obedience; and therein alfo the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodli-· nefs and unrighteoufnefs of men. So that confidering the perfection of our rule, and the powerful enforcements of it upon the confciences of men, by the clear: difcovery and firm affurance of the eternal recompence of another world; nothing can be imagined better: fuited to its end, than the doctrine of the gospel is to make men wife, and holy, and good unto falvation both by inftructing them perfectly in their duty, and urging them powerfully to the practice of it.

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2dly, The example of our Saviour's life is likewife another excellent means to this end. The law lays an obligation upon us; but a pattern gives life and encouragement, and renders our duty more eafy, and practicable, and familiar to us; for here we fee obedience to the divine law practifed in our own nature, and performed by a man like ourselves, in all things like unto us, fin only excepted. It is true inded, this exception makes a great difference, and feems to takeoff very much from the encouraging force and virtue of this example. No wonder if he that was without fin, and was God as well as man, performed alli righteoufnefs; and therefore where is the encouragement of this example? That our nature, pure and uncorrupted, fupported and affifted by the Divinity, to which it was united, fhould be perfectly conformed to the law of God, as it is no ftrange thing, fo neither doth it feem to have that force and encourage ment in it, which an example more fuited to our weakness might have had. But then this cannot be denied, that it hath the advantage of perfection, which a pattern ought to have, and to which, though we can never attain, yet we may always be afpiring towards it; and certainly we cannot better learn, how God would have men to live, than by feeing how God himself lived, when he was pleafed to affume Qur nature, and to become man.

And then, we are to confider that the Son of God: did not affume our nature in its higheft glory and perfection, but compaffed with infirmities, and liable. in all points to be tempted like as we are but ftill it was without fin; and therefore God doth not exact from us perfect obedience, and that we fhould fulfil all righteousness, as he did; he makes allowance for the corruption of our nature, and is pleased to accept of our fincere, though very imperfect obedience. But after all this, his human nature was united to his Di vinity, and he had the Spirit without measure; and this would indeed make a wide difference between us and our pattern, as to the purpofe of holinefs and obedience, if we were deftitute of that affiftance which is neceffary to enable us to the difcharge of our duty;

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but this God offers, and is ready to afford to us, for he hath promised to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him and the Spirit of him that raifed up Chrift Jefus from the dead dwells in all good men, who fincerely defire to do the will of God: in the working out our falvation, God worketh in us both to will and to do.

So that as to that obedience which the gospel requires of us, if we be not wanting to ourselves, if we do not receive the grace of God in vain, and quench and refift his bleffed Spirit, we may be as really affifted as the Son of God himself was; for, in this refpect, all true and fincere Chriftians are the fons of God; fo that St. Paul tells us, Rom. viii. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the fons of God.

So that if all things be duly confidered, the life of our bleffed Saviour, as it is the most perfect, fo in the main, it is a very proper pattern for our imitati on, and could not have come nearer to us, without wanting that perfection which is neceffary to a com pleat and abfolute pattern. The Son of God conde fcended to every thing that might render him the moft familiar and equal example to us, excepting that, which as it was impoffible, fo it had been infinitely difho❤ nourable to him, and would have fpoiled the perfection of his example; he came as near to us as was fit or poffible, being in all things like unto us, fin only excepted; that is, abating that one thing which he came to deftroy and abolish, and which would have deftroyed the very end of his coming; for if he had not been without fin, he could neither have made an expiation for fin, nor have been a perfect pattern of holinefs and obedience.

And as the life of our bleffed Saviour had all the perfection that is requifite to an abfolute pattern, (fo that by confidering his temper and fpirit, and the ations of his life, we may reform all the vicious in clinations of our minds, and the exorbitancies of our paffions, and the errors and irregularities of our lives) fo it is a very powerful example, and of great force to oblige and provoke us to the imitation of it;

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it is the example of one whom we ought to reverence, and have reafon to love, above any perfon' in the world: The example of our Prince and fovereign Lord, of our best friend and greatest benefactor, of the High-prieft of our profeffion, and the Captain of our falvation, of the author and finisher of our faith, of one who came down from heaven for our fakes, and was contented to affume our nature together with the infirmities of it, and to live in a low and mean condition,for no other reafon but that he might have the opportunity to instruct and lead mankind in the way to life, to deliver us from fin and wrath, and to bring us to God and happiness. It was the example of one who laid down his life for us, and fealed his love to us in his blood, and whilft we were enemies, did and fuffered more for us, than ever any man did for his friend.

And furely thefe confiderations cannot but migh tily recommend and endear to us this example of our Lord and Saviour. We are ambitious to imitate thofe whom we highly esteem and reverence, and are apt to have their examples in great veneration, from whom we have received great kindneffes and benefits, and are always endeavouring to be like those whom we love, and are apt to conform ourselves to the will and pleasure of thofe from whom we have received great favours, and who are continually heaping great obligations upon us..

So that whether we confider the excellency of our pattern, or the mighty endearments of it to us, by, that infinite love and kindness which he hath expreffed towards us, we have all the temptation, and all the provocation in the world, to endeavour to be like him; for who would not gladly tread in the steps of the Son of God, and of the best friend that the fons of men ever had? Who will not follow that ex ample to which we ftand indebted for the greatest bleffings and benefits that ever were procured for mankind? Thus you fee of what force and advantage the example of our blessed Saviour is toward the recove ry and. falvation of mankind..

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3dly, He is the author of eternal falvation, as he hath purchased it for us, by the merit of his obedience and fufferings, by which he hath obtained eternal re-demption for us; not only deliverance from the wrath to come, but eternal life and happiness. When by our fins we had justly incurred the wrath and difpleasure of Almighty God, and were liable to eternal death and mifery, he was contented to be fubftituted a facrifice for us, to bear our fins in his own body on the tree, and to expiate the guilt of all our offences by his own fufferings. He died for us, that is, not only for our benefit and advantage, but in our place and ftead: So that if he had not died, we had eternally perished; and becaufe he died, we are faved from that eternal ruin and punishment, which was due to us for our fins.

And this, though it be no where in fcripture called by the name or term of fatisfaction, yet, which is the fame thing in effect, it is called the price of our redemption; for as we are finners, we are liable and indebted to the juftice of God, and our bleffed Saviour, by his death and fufferings hath difcharged this obligation; which difcharge, fince it was obtained for us by the shedding of his precious blood, without which, the fcripture exprefly fays, there had been na remiffion of fin, why it may not properly enough be called payment and fatisfaction, I confefs I cannot understand. Not that God was angry with his Son, for he was always well pleafed with him; or that our Saviour fuffered the very fame which the finner fhould have done in his own perfon, the proper pains and torments of the damned; but that his perfect obedience and grievous fufferings, undergone for our fakes, and upon our account, were of that value and efteem with God, and his voluntary facrifice of himfelf in our ftead, fo highly acceptable and well plea. fing to him, that he thereupon was pleafed to enter into a covenant of grace and mercy with mankind; wherein he hath promifed and engaged him felf to forgive the fins of all thofe who fincerely repent and believe, and to make them partakers of eternal life. And hence it is, that the blood of Chrift,

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