SERM. proceedings; they might sometimes fail in the subXXXV. stance, oftener in the degree, in the manner, in the circumstances of action; we find them often complaining of their proneness to do amiss, bemoaning the wretched frailty of their state; yea, often repenting and bitterly mourning for their actual transgressions: there hardly is any saint, recorded in scripture, without some blemish in his actions; which shews our weakness, and engageth us to be wary. They were, indeed, endowed with sufficient competences of divine light, and graces suitable to their private needs, or to the public exigences of their times, places, occasions, and affairs; but not with the perfection and extreme degrees thereof, requisite to preserve them from all miscarriage; so that we are not always, or in all cases, to conform our actions to their examples: we must not learn to equivocate of Abraham; nor to circumvent of Jacob; nor to be choleric of Moses, (so as in our excess of passion to break the tables of the divine law ;) nor of Eli to be fondly affectionate or indulgent to our relations; nor of David to utter uncharitable imprecations; nor to dissemble of St. Peter; nor of St. Paul to revile magistrates. The use we are to make of many practices of most eminently pious men, is not to be misguided by them into wrong paths; not by them to authorize or excuse our presumptuous misdeeds; but to make us to admire and to rely upon the divine mercy, which so graciously did overlook and pardon their offences; to provoke us to an imitation of their repentance; to render us watchful in shunning those rocks, upon which persons so skilful in the conduct of their lives have dashed; to engage us to humility, by considering so manifest arguments

of our frailty, and our being obnoxious to greater SER M. and more frequent miscarriages.

XXXV.

But as to our Saviour's example, the case is quite different; for though he did miracles as God, he commanded as Christ; he did many heroical things in discharge of his office, &c. in which things we cannot, or may not, imitate him yet, whatever in his life was, in its own nature, imitable by us, which did not exceed our natural powers, nor disagree with our condition and quality: whatever he as man, in a private capacity, as subject to the divine law, with regard thereto, performed, we may, with all freedom, confidence, and security, imitate. Nor can so doing incur any danger of error or guilt; for we cannot, without great folly and impiety, suspect any fault or imperfection in his most pure, righteous, and innocent life: he was holy, harmless, undefiled, Heb.vii. 26. and separated from sinners; he was a lamb with- 1 Pet. i. 19. out blemish and without spot; he was in all points Heb. iv. 15. tempted as we are, yet without sin. He did no 1 Pet. ii. 22. sin, nor was any guile found in his mouth. God John iii. 34. gave him of his Spirit not by measure. the voices and elogies of the sacred oracles concerning him. The heavenly extraction even of his humanity derived no original contagion from our polluted stock, and rendered him free from the common incentives of evil concupiscence. The inseparable presence of the Divinity with him, (for God was Acts x. 38. with him, as St. Peter expressed it,) and the unrestrained effusion of the Holy Spirit upon him, did preserve him from all defilements of infectious conversation in this world; a clear evidence of divine light always shining in his soul directed him infallibly in the paths of truth and righteousness: no

These are

SERM. tempest of cross accidents without, nor any estuaXXXV. tions of internal passion, could discompose the steady calm and serenity of his mind; no allurement of worldly pleasure, nor temptation of profit, could pervert his practice, or seduce his heart; being inflamed with most intense love of God, and entire charity to men: so that his example must needs be a perfect rule and sure direction to us. Which consideration cannot but yield great encouragement and comfort in following him; freeing us from all anxious doubt and suspicion of mistake in our spiritual progress ; like the presence of a sure guide to the bewildered traveller; like the appearance of a star to the weather-beaten mariner; like that miraculous pillar of fire, which safely conducted the wandering Israelites through the unknown and unfrequented passages of a wild desert. But further,

Secondly, The peculiar excellency of our Lord's example appears, in that he was, by the divine Providence, to this very purpose designed, and sent into the world, as well by his practice as by his doctrine, to be the guide and master of holy life and obedience to all men; and did accordingly propound to himself this end of his actions, that he might be imitated by his disciples. So he declareth himself as to some considerable passages of his life; and thence, by reasonable inference, we may suppose the same of the rest, so far as they might be conducible to the same end; especially, since of some performances no other, or no so probable, account can be given, as that they were done for exemplarity for why should he fast, who had no sins to be repented of, no rebellious flesh to be tamed, no intemperate desires to be mortified, no coldness of devotion to be

enlivened therebya? And why did he offer himself SER M. to be baptized, who had no original stain to be XXXV. cleansed of, no fault to be forgiven, no want of special grace to be conferred? Why, but, by his exemplary fulfilling all righteousness, to teach us ready obedience to all divine institutions, and peaceable compliance with all laudable customs? So an ancient writer wisely descanteth upon those practices of our Saviour: He was, saith that writer, baptized, and fasted, not because he had need of any cleansing or fasting, who in nature was pure and holy; but that he might attest to the truth of St. John, and might exhibit a pattern to usb. What induced him to condescend to such a misbeseeming employment to appearance, as the washing of his disciples' feet, he doth himself tell us: If I then, saith he, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you. This was his professed scope and drift, in that admirable deportment of his, to teach us humility, charity, and condescension toward the meanest of our brethren. What did those exuberant instances of charity, practised by him, import? This especially, that we should imitate them: hither he drives them; This, saith he, is my commandment, that ye love John xv.12. one another, as I have loved you. Why was he in his disposition so meek and gentle, in his conversation so humble and lowly? To this purpose, that we

4 Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνήστευσεν, οὐκ αὐτὸς ταύτης δεόμενος, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς Taidely. Chrys. tom. ii. p. 81.

b Εβαπτίσθη καὶ ἐνήστευσεν οὐκ αὐτὸς ἀπορυπώσεως, ἢ νηστείας χρείαν ἔχων, ἢ καθάρσεως, ὁ τῇ φύσει καθαρὸς καὶ ἅγιος, ἀλλ ̓ ἵνα Ἰωάννῃ ἀλή θειαν προσμαρτυρήσῃ, καὶ ἡμῖν ὑπογραμμὸν παράσχηται.

SERM. might of him learn those excellent qualities: Learn XXXV. of me, saith he, for I am meek and lowly in heart. Mat. xi. 29. And St. Peter saith, That Christ suffered for us, I Pet. ii. 21. leaving us an example, that we should follow his

steps; signifying that he designed his patience to be exemplary to us. If then our Saviour, in his humility, his charity, his meekness, his patience, intended his life to be exemplary, and expressly propounded it as such; then certainly, in his devotion, his self-denial, his justice, in all other virtues, he had the same intention; and what he intended, God designed to be; and what God designed to be, was doubtless eminently conducible to the end designed; and therefore our Saviour's life was most exemplary. Other saints indeed were of very exemplary conversation; but either proved to be so, according to ordinary course of Providence, without any peculiar designation thereto, (their free choice conspiring with God's grace in producing good works shining before men,) or at most by a restrained determination to some particular time, place, or people; as Moses was Acts vii.35. chosen and appointed to conduct the Israelites; DaPsal.cvi.23. Ps. lxxviii. vid was taken from the sheepfold, and following the ewes great with young, to feed Jacob God's people, Jer. i. 5. and Israel his inheritance; Jeremy was sanctified from his birth, and ordained to be a prophet of the nations in his times; and St. Paul was separated from the womb to be a preacher of the Christian faith; these, and such like eminent persons, Almighty God, in his goodness, was pleased to raise up, to be, in their generations, as it were, partial and temporary saviours, as by declaring his will, and revealing his truth to men, so by guiding them with a remarkable John v. 35. example: these burning and shining lamps (as St.

70, 71.