X

Christ, by his acceptance of Zaccheus's restitu tion, teaches us, that we must restore what has been unjustly gotten. The reason is evident; be-: cause so long as, for want of restitution, we keep.. what is of right another man's, we still continue unjust; and so, by not forsaking the sin, we cannot be true penitents, and consequently have no title to forgiveness.

#

y Our Lord maketh it a peculiar character of his religion, that we love one another, as he hath loved us; which he calls a new commandment. Not but that the loving one another is a branch of the law of nature, arising from our inclination to society; in which there can be neither advantage nor pleasure, without mutual affection. Again, the loving one another was a precept of Moses, and, that as one's own self. But then the Jews limited this to their own people; and had no regard to others, who were not Jews, or proselytes: which occasioned the lawyer's question, Who is my neighbour? Whereas Christ extends the command to all persons one may be concerned with, (bidding us to do as the Samaritan, a stranger, did to the man that fell among thieves,) nay, even unto enemies, and also, proposes the measure and degree of love, in a higher manner than the Jews thought of; as I have loved you. Lastly, Christ might call this mutual love a new commandment, as having made it the proper badge or mark of the Christian religion; thereby distinguishing his followers from others; By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

f We must pray in the name of Jesus Christ, so our prayers shall be heard.

* Luke xix. 8, 9.

y John xiii. 34, 35. z Levit. xix. 18.

a Grot. in Matt. v. 43. Lightf. Hor. in Luke x. 29.

x. 29.

35.

Luke x. 29, &c.

d Matt. v. 44,

f.John xiv. 13,

b Luke

e Matt. xiii.

These, and other discourses of our Lord, we should often seriously read; being well assured, that as holy baptism has made us the members of Christ, that is, subjects of his kingdom; so unless we behave ourselves as such, in avoiding what is forbidden, and doing what he commands, we shall lose all the benefits of it.

CHAP. VI.

Christ's own example.

III. FURTHERMORE, as the holy Gospel gives us the account of what our Lord Jesus Christ hath done and suffered, and of what he hath required of us to observe and do; so also it acquaints us with our Lord's own example and pattern, which he hath given us, in the time of his public manifestation of himself: not indeed, where his acts were demonstrations of his divinity and Messiahship; as in his fasting forty days and forty nights, &c. but according to his ordinary conversation; as in the following in

stances:

1st, By a due retirement from the world sometimes, in order to our conversing with God, by divine meditations and devotion: but not by that sort of solitude, so much magnified in the Church of Rome, or an entire renouncing all manner of conversation with the world; but by a mixture of religious retirement, and the necessary, lawful employments of this life for such was the pattern our Lord set us. Sometimes we read of him, as resorting to places of the greatest concourse; the market-place, and synagogues, and feasts: and sometimes he retired into a wilderness, or garden, for religious and heavenly

John v. 1, &c. Matt. iv. 23. John ii. 1, &c.

exercises, and particularly for prayer and devotion in private; When he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray. And it came to pass as he was alone praying. And when the day was taken up in teaching and healing diseases, &c. rather than time should be wanting for his wonted devotion; in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed'.

2dly, As for public devotion, his custom was to repair to the synagogues, where the public worship was wont to be performed", and to go to Jerusalem to the celebration of the great feasts".

3dly, Submission to the will of his heavenly Father, and patience under all crosses and pains, and all manner of sufferings. O O my Father, if this cup (of affliction) may not pass away from me except I drink it, thy will be done.

4thly, Peaceable subjection to the government where he lived; insomuch that Pilate having strictly examined him as to that point, (as it much concerned him to do, considering the jealousy and severity of his master the emperor Tiberius,) and heard all the malicious accusations of his enemies, while they accused him of perverting the nation, stirring up the people, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar ; he was forced to declare, that he found no fault in him, touching those things whereof they accused himp.

5thly, Justice in rendering to all their dues; so, rather than the accustomed tax should not be paid, and offence given in that respect, having no money, he wrought a miracle to procure it out of the fish's mouth".

k Luke

h Matt. iv. 1, &c. John xviii. 1, 2. iMatt. xiv. 23. ix. 18. 1 Mark i. 35. m Luke iv. 16. n John v. 1. vii. Matt. xxvi. 39, 42. P Luke xxiii. 14, 22.

10. and x. 22. 0

1 Matt. xvii. 24, 27.

i

6thly, Love and charity to all persons, in every place where he came; going about, and doing all good offices for them, and refusing to none at any time, what might tend to their well being; but doing good both to men's souls, in furthering their spiritual and eternal happiness, and to their bodies, in relieving all that needed him; teaching us thereby that heavenly art of promoting the welfare of each other'. A compassionate affection, and tenderheartedness towards all in their afflictions, and `a readiness to bring them ease, is particularly exemplified to us in our Lord's behaviours. When he came nigh to the city Nain, there was a dead man' carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, (two moving circumstances ;) when' our Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not; and having raised the young man to life, he delivered him to his mother. Much such another example we have in Christ, of a goodnatured, kind, and compassionate inclination, and a real assisting the distressed. But above all, his love and charity was especially shewn in coming into the world, taking our nature, and dying for us. This example of his, himself urgeth us to follow, though not by any miraculous operations, or in so high a degree; yet to love and do good to each other, after such a manner as he hath loved us".

7thly, Humility or lowly-mindedness; he being content to come into the world in a poor state, and as meanly to live in it; being laid in a manger when first born, and esteemed afterwards no better than the son of a poor carpenter. This humble and lowly disposition is at all turns recommended to us, as a truly Christian one, by the apostles, teaching us

Matt. ix. 35. Acts x. 38. s Luke vii. 11, &c. t Mark viii. 1-10. "John xili. 34, 35. * Mark vi. 3. and Luke

to be clothed with humility, and in lowliness of mind, each esteeming others better than ourselves; and that upon this principle, of letting this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, yet made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servants.

8thly, Meekness: in the midst of all the slights, revilings, and slanders of the Pharisees and others, though he could easily have revenged all their affronts, and have commanded fire from heaven, as: Elias did, and as his disciples would have had him do; yet he still behaved himself gently and mildly, checking his disciples for their haste and passion, telling them, Ye know not what spirit ye are of; and declaring, that he was come to save, and not to destroy. This heavenly temper he also especially recommends to our learning of him, who was, in all his behaviour, so meek, and lowly, and gentle himselfa.

9thly, Obedience to parents: before he manifested himself to be the Son of God, he was subject to his supposed father Joseph, and Mary his mother after the flesh".

10thly, Contempt of this world, its vain profits. and pleasures, in comparison with the next. This temper in Christ was a great stumbling-block or offence to the Jews, who expected the Messiah to appear with all the pomp and power of a great prince, and to procure for them, together with himself, the enjoyment of all temporal satisfactions and prosperity; whereas he accepted indeed the assistance of those who ministered unto him the necessaries of life where he abode; and that was all the share he had of this world for himself and his disciples; calling upon us, in like manner, to come after him, and deny ourselves".

1 Pet. v. 5. Phil. ii. 3, 5, 6, 7. a Matt. xi. 29. b Luke ii. 51.

Luke ix. 54, 55, 56.

c. Matt. xvi. 24.