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him, what a small Portion of Happiness are fuch Men like to have in the other World? nay rather, what Uneasiness and Torment shall they not have, if they be put into that State? Can it be any Pleasure to them, to be continually in the Company of one whom they cannot heartily love, and whose Nature and Temper is as contrary to theirs, as Fire is to Water? Are they like to have any Enjoyment of fuch a Person, nay, will it not rather be unsupportable to them to be near him? Can Baseness, and Luft, and Sottishness, and Villany, and Filthiness, receive any Delight or Gratification from the Society and Communication of perfect Purity, and Holiness, and Charity?

Ay; but it may be faid, that at the Moment of their Deaths, Christ may, in Kindness to them, quite change their Nature, and make them like unto himself, and then all is well.

I answer, if it be fo, yet still what I afsert is true, namely, That every one must be, sooner or later, conformed to the Life of Christ; must be possessed of his Nature and Temper, before he is capable of the Happiness that he hath purchased for us.

But then, since the effecting so sudden, so miraculous a Change in us as is here pretended, is by no Means to be expected, since Christ has made no Promises, given

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no Encouragement to hope, that any that live unlike him, shall, dying, be made like him. It will infinitely concern us all, while we are alive and in Health, to conform our selves to the Example of our blessed Lord, and to possess ourselves of that Spirit, and those Qualities, that he was so remarkable for in the World: Which is all that I meant to press upon you; And God Almighty grant we may all do so, &c.

VOL. V.

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SERMON II.

A Cafuiftical Discourse.

I PET. ii. 21.

Leaving us an Example, that ye should follow his Steps.

M

Y Argument here is the Imitation of Christ, or the following Chrift's Example. And in treating of it, I proposed to do these Three Things.

First of all in general, To shew the great Obligation that lies upon all Christians to follow Christ's Example.

Secondly, To explain the Extent of this Obligation; How far, and in what Instances Instances Christ's Life is an Example to us, and doth oblige us to Imitation.

Thirdly, To propose some of those Virtues that our Saviour was most eminent for, and which are of the greatest Ufe in human Life, and serioufly to recommend them to your Imitation.

The First of these Points I have already dispatched, and shall not now trouble you with a Repetition of any thing about it.

I proceed therefore to the Second, which is to give an Account how far, and in what Instances Chrift's Life is an Example to us, and doth oblige us to Imitation.

And here the Cafe that comes to be difcussed, is this. Are we Chriftians, so to propose the Life of Chrift as the Pattern and Model of ours, as to take ourselves to be obliged to do every Thing that our Saviour did, and in the same Manner that he did it? or, if we be not bound precisely to do this, What Rules and Measures are we to take in this Matter ?

It is a very weighty Case, and deferves to be very carefully confidered, because indeed, upon the well adjusting of it does depend the Resolution of a great many particular Cafes of Confcience, which daily happen

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happen in human Life, and which, if Men have not right Notions of this general Point, do frequently bring both Inconveniencies upon themselves, and Harm to the Publick.

Now what I have to offer for the Refolution of this Case, I shall, for my more distinct Proceeding, comprize in fix Particulars. And the First of them is this:

I. Our Saviour cannot be supposed to have given us an Example in all the Pafsages of his Life, because in some of them it is not possible for us to imitate him. Several of our Saviour's Actions were wholly extraordinary, and the immediate Effects of a supernatural divine Power. Such were all the Miracles and wonderful Works he wrought for the Confirmation of his Doctrine, and giving Testimony to the World that he was a Prophet sent from God; as his curing all Diseases, cafting out Devils, opening the Eyes of the Blind, making the Lame to walk, and the Dumb to speak, feeding many Thousands with a very small Quantity of Meat, raising the Dead to Life, fafting forty Days and forty Nights, with many more Instances of the like Nature. Now in these Things, I say, we cannot pretend that Jesus Christ was an Example to us, because they are above the Powers of human Nature to perform.

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