more accomodated for imitation than any | tion and hearty desire (though not endued others have been; that the perfect copy with high fancy, or stirring passion) of his most holy life seems more easy might readily imitate. His zeal was not to be transcribed, than the ruder draughts violent or impetuous, except upon very of other holy men: for though it were great reason, and extraordinary occasion, written with an incomparable fairness, when the honour of God, or good of men, delicacy and evenness; not slurred with was much concerned. He was not rigany foul blot, not anywhere declining orous in the observance of traditional from exact straightness; yet were the rites and customs (such as were needlineaments thereof exceedingly plain and lessly burdensome, or which contained simple; not by any gaudy flourishes, or in them more of formal show than of impertinent intrigues, rendered difficult real fruit), yet behaved himself orderly to studious imitation; so that even women and peaceably, giving due respect to the and children, the weakest and meanest least institution of God, and complying sort of people, as well as the most wise with the innocent customs of men; thereand ingenious, might easily perceive its by pointing out unto us the middle way design, and with good success write after between peevish superstition and boisterit. His was a gentle and steady light, ous faction; which, as always the most bright indeed, but not dazzling the eye; honest, so commonly is the most safe and warm, but not scorching the face of the pleasant way to walk in. He delighted most intent beholder; no affected singu- not to discourse of sublime mysteries larities, no supercilious morosities, no (although his deep wisdom comprehendfrivolous ostentations of seemingly high, ed all), nor of subtile speculations and but really fruitless performances; noth- intricate questions, such as might amuse ing that might deter a timorous, discour- and perplex, rather than instruct and age a weak, or offend a scrupulous disci- profit his auditors; but usually did feed ple, is observable in his practice: but, on his auditors with the most common and the contrary, his conversation was full of useful truths, and that in the most famillowliness and condescension, of meek- iar and intelligible language; not disness and sweetness, of openness and daining the use of vulgar sayings and candid simplicity; apt to invite and allure trivial proverbs, when they best served all men to approach toward it, and with to insinuate his wholesome meaning into satisfaction to enjoy it. He did not se- their minds. His whole life was spent clude himself into the constant retire- in exercise of the most easy and pleasments of a cloister, nor into the further ant, yet most necessary and substantial, recesses of a wilderness (as some others duties; obedience to God, charity, meekhave done), but conversed freely and in-ness, humility, patience, and the like; differently with all sorts of men, even the which, that he might practice with the most contemptible and odious sort of men, publicans and sinners; like the sun, with an impartial bounty liberally imparting his pleasant light and comfortable warmth to all. He used no uncouth austerities in habit or diet; but complied, in his garb, with ordinary usage, and sustained his life with such food as casual opportunity did offer; so that his indifferency in that kind yielded matter of obloquy against him from the fond admirers of a humorous preciseness. His devotions (though exceedingly sprightful and fervent) were not usually extended to a tedious and exhausting durance, nor strained into ecstatical transports, charming the natural senses, and overpowering the reason; but calm, steady, and regular, such as persons of honest inten the greatest latitude, and with most advantage for general imitation, he did not addict himself to any particular way of life, but disentangled himself from all worldly care and business; choosing to appear in the most free, though very mean condition; that he might indifferently instruct, by his example, persons of all callings, degrees, and capacities; especially the most, that is, the poor; and might have opportunity, in the face of the world, to practice the most difficult of necessary duties; lowliness, contentedness, abstinence from pleasure, contempt of the world, sufferance of injuries and reproaches. Thus suited and tempered by divine wisdom was the life of our blessed Saviour, that all sorts of men might be in an equal capacity to follow not only their good or their indifferent fashions and manners, but even their most palpable deformities and vices; insomuch, that a whole family, a city, a nation, may be debauched from its sobriety, or reformed from its dissoluteness, even instantly, by the example of one person, who, by his place, power, and authority, challengeth extraordinary reverence from him, that none might be offended, af- | subjects of their princes and governors, frighted, or discouraged; but that all with a studious earnestness composing might be pleased, delighted, enamoured, themselves to express in their carriage, with the homely majesty and plain beauty thereof. And in effect so it happened, that ordinary people (the weakest, but sincerest and unprejudiced sort of men) were greatly taken with, most admired and applauded his deportment; many of them readily embracing his doctrine, and devoting themselves to his discipline; while only the proud, envious, covetous, and ambitious scribes and lawyers reject-men: and much greater influence hath ed his excellent doctrine, scorned the heavenly simplicity and holy integrity of his life. hearty love to transform our manners into an agreement with the manners of him we love: What a man loves, that he Fourthly, The transcendent excellency imitateth so much as lies in his power, of our Lord's example appeareth, in that saith Hierocles truly. For love being it is attended with the greatest obliga- founded on a good esteem, and a benevotions (of gratitude and ingenuity, of jus- lent inclination thence resulting, engag tice, of interest, of duty), mightily en-eth the affectionate person to admire the gaging us to follow it. For it is not the qualities of him he affecteth, to observe example of an ordinary or inconsiderable his deportments, to make the most adperson, of a stranger, of one indifferent vantageous construction of what he door unrelated to us; but of a glorious eth; to fancy he doeth all things with prince, of heavenly extraction (the first- best reason and discretion; to deem, born Son of the Almighty God, sole heir therefore, that all his actions deserve and of eternal Majesty ;) of our Lord and require imitation: hence doth love either Master, to whom we are for ever bound find, or soon produce, a competent siby indispensable bands of duty and obe- militude in the parties, (a similitude dience; of our great Captain, who hath of mind, of will, of inclination, and undertaken to subdue our enemies, and affection, an eadem velle et nolle :) it hath obliged us to follow his conduct, in doth forcibly attract, as to a vicinity of a holy warfare against them, by most place and converse, so to an agreement solemn sacraments and vows; of our of affections and actions; it uniteth the best Friend, from whom we have receiv- most distant, it reconcileth the most oped the greatest favours and benefits im- posite, it turneth the most discordant naaginable; of our most gracious Saviour, tures into a sweet consent and harmony who, for our sake, hath voluntarily sus- of disposition and demeanour. tained most bitter pains and shameful then, having the greatest reason both to contumelies; having sacrificed his dear-honour and love our Saviour, surely his est heart-blood to redeem us from intole-example being duly studied and considerrable slaveries, and from extremities of ed by us, must needs obtain a superlative horrible misery; of him, to whom, in all influence upon our practice, and be very 'respects, we do owe the highest respect, powerful to conform and assimilate it to his. love, and observance, that can be. Now These considerations may suffice to it is the nature and property both of res-show the peculiar excellency of our Savpect and love (such as upon so many grounds we owe to him) to beget, in the person respecting and loving, and endeavour, answerable to the degrees of those dispositions, or conforming to, and resembling, the qualities and manners of the person respected or beloved. We see how readily children do comply with the customs of their parents and tutors; servants of their masters and patrons; Hier. We, iour's example in virtue, and efficacy upon our practice; the same more abundantly might be deduced from a survey of the most considerable particulars, in which we may and ought to imitate him. But the time will not suffer us to launch forth into so vast a sea of discourse. I Ο γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ τις καὶ μιμεῖται ὅσον οἷόν τε. SERMON XXXVI. OF SUBMISSION TO THE DIVINE WILL. will, but thine be done." shall only, therefore, from the premises | lency of thy person; draw us by the unexhort, that if any earnest desire of hap-spotted purity and beauty of thy exampiness, any high esteem of virtue, any ple; draw us by the merit of thy pretrue affection to genuine sanctity, do lodge cious death, and by the power of thy holy in our breasts, we should apply this most Spirit; Draw us, good Lord, and we excellent means of attaining them; the shall run after thee. Amen. study and endeavour of imitating the life Almighty God, who hast given thine of our Lord. If we have in us any truth only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice and sincerity, and do not vainly prevari- for sin, and also an ensample of godly cate in our profession of being Christ's life; give us grace, that we may always disciples, and votaries of that most holy most thankfully receive that his inestiinstitution, let us manifest it by a real mable benefit; and also daily endeavour conformity to the practice of him who is ourselves to follow the blessed steps of our Master, and Author of our faith. If his most holy life, through the same Jesus we have in us any wisdom, or sober con- Christ our Lord. Amen. sideration of things, let us employ it in following the steps of that infallible Guide, designed by Heaven to lead us in the straight, even, and pleasant ways of righteousness, unto the possession of everlasting bliss. If we do verily like and approve the practice of Christ, and are LUKE Xxii. 42.-Nevertheless, let not my affected with the innocent, sweet, and lovely comeliness thereof, let us declare such our mind by a sedulous care to resemble it. If we bear any honour and reverence, any love and affection to Christ; if we are at all sensible of our relations, our manifold obligations, our duties to our great Lord, our best Friend, our most gracious Redeemer; let us testify it by a zealous care to become like to him: let a lively image of his most righteous and innocent, most holy and pious, most pure and spotless life, be ever present to our fancies; so as to inform our judgments, to excite our affections, to quicken our endeavours, to regulate our purposes, to correct our mistakes, to direct, amend, and sanctify our whole lives. Let us, with incessant diligence of study, meditate upon the best of histories, wherein the tenor of his divine practice is represented to us; re-rection on us, working in us and upon us volving frequently in our thoughts all the most considerable passages thereof, entertaining them with devout passions, impressing them in our memories, and striving to express them in our conversations: let us endeavour continually to walk in the steps of our Lord, and to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth; which that we may be able to do, do thou, O blessed Redeemer, draw us; draw us by the cords of thy love; draw us by the sense of thy goodness; draw us by the incomparable worth and excel THE great controversy, managed with such earnestness and obstinacy between God and man, is this, whose will shall take place, his or ours. Almighty God, by whose constant protection and great mercy we subsist, doth claim to himself the authority of regulating our practice. and disposing our fortunes: but we affect to be our own masters and carvers; not willingly admitting any law, not patiently brooking any condition, which doth not sort with our fancy and pleasure. To make good his right, God bendeth all his forces, and applieth all proper means both of sweetness and severity (persuading us by arguments, soliciting us by entreaties, alluring us by fair promises, scaring us by fierce menaces, indulging ample benefits to us, inflicting sore cor by secret influences of grace, by visible dispensations of providence ;) yet so it is, that commonly nothing doth avail, our will opposing itself with invincible resolution and stiffness. Here indeed the buisness pincheth; herein as the chief worth, so the main difficulty of religious practice consisteth, in bending that iron sinew; in bringing our proud hearts to stoop, and our sturdy humours to buckle, so as to surrender Coll. after Easter, 2. Matt. xxvi. 39. and resign our wills to the just, the wise, the gracious will of our God, prescribing our duty, and assigning our lot unto us. We may accuse our nature, but it is our pleasure; we may pretend weakness, but it is wilfulness, which is the guilty cause of our misdemeanours; for by God's help (which doth always prevent our needs, and is never wanting to those who seriously desire it) we may be as good as we please, if we can please to be good; there is nothing within us that can resist, if our wills do yield themselves up to duty to conquer our reason is not hard; for what reason of man can withstand the infinite cogency of those motives which induce to obedience? What can be more easy, than by a thousand arguments, clear as day, to convince any man, that to cross God's will is the greatest absurdity in the world, and that there is no madness comparable thereto? Nor is it difficult, if we resolve upon it, to govern any other part or power of our nature; for what cannot we do, if we are willing? What inclination cannot we check, what appetite cannot we restrain, what passion cannot we quell or moderate? What faculty of our soul, or member of our body, is not obsequious to our will? Even half the resolution, with which we pursue vanity and sin, would serve to engage us in the ways of wisdom and virtue. piness at so low a rate, as to obtrude it on us. His victory indeed were no true victory over us, if he should gain it by main force, or without the concurrence of our will; our works not being our works, if they do not issue from our will; and our will, not being our will, if it be not free: to compel it, were to destroy it, together with all the worth of our virtue and obedience: wherefore the Almighty doth suffer himself to be withstood, and beareth repulses from us; nor commonly doth he master our will otherwise than by its own spontaneous conversion and submission to him:* if ever we be conquered, as we shall share in the benefit, and wear a crown; so we must join in the combat, and partake of the victory, by subduing ourselves: we must take the yoke upon us; for God is only served by volunteers; he summoneth us by his word, he attracteth us by his grace, but we must freely come unto him. Our will, indeed, of all things, is most our own; the only gift, the most proper sacrifice, we have to offer; which therefore God doth chiefly desire, doth most highly prize, doth most kindly accept from us. Seeing, then, our duty chiefly moveth on this hinge, the free submission and resignation of our will to the will of God; it is this practice which our Lord (who came to guide us in the way to happiness, not only as a teacher by his word and excellent doctrine, but as a leader, by his actions and perfect example) did especially set before us, as in the constant tenor of his life, so particularly in that great exigency which occasioned these words, wherein, renounc ing and deprecating his own will, he did express an entire submission to God's will, a hearty complacence therein, and a serious desire that it might take place. Wherefore, in overcoming our will the stress lieth; this is that impregnable fortress, which everlastingly doth hold out against all the batteries of reason and of grace; which no force of persuasion, no allurement of favour, no discouragement of terror, can reduce: this puny, this impotent thing it is, which grappleth with Omnipotency, and often in a manner baffleth it and no wonder, for that God doth not intend to overpower our will, or to make any violent impression on it, but only to draw it (as it is in the prophet) with the cords of a man, or by rational inducements to win its consent and compliance: our service is not so considerable to him, that he should extort it from us; nor doth he value our hap-cident to receive congruous impressions * Quodcunque sibi imperavit animus obtinuit. Sen. de Ira, ii. 12. Chrys. tom. vi. Or. 12, in 1 Cor. Or. 17, tom. v. O. 28, 43. c Hos. xi. 4. For the fuller understanding of which case, we may consider that our Lord, as partaker of our nature, and in all things (bating sin) like unto us, had a natural human will, attended with senses, appetites, and affections, apt from objects in of pleasure and pain; so that whatever is innocently grateful and pleasant to us, * Ἐπεὶ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὰ διαβάλλει τὰ ἀγαθὰ εἰ μὴ τοιαὕτη αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ φύσις, ὡς καὶ ἑκόντας προσδραμεῖν, Kai Xápiv EXEIV moddhv.-Chrys. in 1 Cor. Orat. 2. that he relished with delight, and thence did incline to embrace; whatever is distasteful and afflictive to us, that he resented with grief, and thence was moved to eschew to this probably he was liable in a degree beyond our ordinary rate; for that in him nature was most perfect, his complexion very delicate, his temper exquisitely sound and fine; for so we find, that by how much any man's constitution is more sound, by so much he hath a smarter gust of what is agreeable or offensive to nature: if perhaps sometimes infirmity of body, or distemper of soul (a savage ferity, a stupid dulness, a fondness of conceit, or stiffness of humour, supported by wild opinions or vain hopes), may keep men from being thus affected by sensible objects; yet in him pure nature did work vigorously, with a clear apprehension and lively sense, according to the design of our Maker, when into our constitution he did implant those passive faculties, disposing objects to affect them so and so, for our need and advantage; if this be deemed weakness, it is a weakness connected with our nature, which he therewith did take, and with which, as the apostle saith, he was encompassed. Such a will our Lord had, and it was requisite that he should have it, that he thence might be qualified to discharge the principal instances of obedience, for procuring God's favour to us, and for setting an exact pattern before us; for God imposing on him duties to perform, and dispensing accidents to endure, very cross to that natural will, in his compliance and acquiescence thereto, his obedience was thoroughly tried; his virtue did shine most brightly; therefore as the apostle saith, he was in all points tempted; thence, as to meritorious capacity and exemplary influence, he was perfected through suffering. Hence was the whole course of his life and conversation among men so designed, so modelled, as to be one continual exercise of thwarting that human will, and closing with the divine pleasure it was predicted of him, Lo, İ come to do thy will, O God; and of himself he affirmed, I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of 4 Ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς περίκειται ἀσθένειαν.—Heb. v. 2. • Heb. iv. 15; ii. 10, 18. him that sent me; whereas therefore such a practice is little seen in achieving easy matters, or in admitting pleasant occurrences; it was ordered for him, that he should encounter the roughest difficulties, and be engaged in circumstances most harsh to natural apprehension and appetite; so that if we trace the footsteps of his life, from the sordid manger to the bloody cross, we can hardly mark any thing to have befallen him apt to satisfy the will of nature. Nature liketh respect, and loatheth contempt; therefore was he born of mean parentage, and in a most homely condition; therefore did he live in no garb, did assume no office, did exercise no power, did meddle in no affairs, which procure to men consideration and regard; therefore an impostor, a blasphemer, a sorcerer, a loose companion, a seditious incendiary, were the titles of honour and the elogies of praise conferred on him; therefore was he exposed to the lash of every slanderous, every scurrilous, every petulant and ungoverned tongue. Nature doth affect the good opinion and good-will of men, especially when due in grateful return for great courtesy and beneficence; nor doth any thing more grate thereon, than abuse of kindness: therefore could he (the world's great Friend and Benefactor) say, the world hateth me; therefore were those, whom he with so much charity and bounty had instructed, had fed, had cured of diseases (both corporal and spiritual), so ready to clamour, and commit outrage upon him; therefore could he thus expostulate, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? Therefore did his kindred slight him, therefore did his disciples abandon him, therefore did the grand traitor issue from his own bosom ; therefore did that whole nation which he chiefly sought and laboured to save, conspire to persecute him with most rancorous spite and cruel misusage. Nature loveth plentiful accommodations, and abhorreth to be pinched with any want therefore was extreme penury appointed to him; he had no revenue, no f Heb. x. 7; Psal. xl. 7; John vi. 38; v. 30; iv. 34. h John x. 32. John vii. 7. |