SERM." world, I ever talight in the fynagogue, and in the CLXXXIX. « temple, whither the Jews always refort, and in fe

"cret have I faid nothing." And this is no common virtue, and therefore our SAVIOUR gave it as a fingular commendation to Nathanael, John i. 47. "Behold an Ifraelite indeed, in whom there is no "guile." Perfect fincerity is a great foundation of goodness; it is foundness at the heart, and, like perfect health, feldom to be feen; there is hardly any 'thing wherein men, otherwife good and virtuous, do oftner trip and falter.

Another virtue, which is not very ufual, was eminent in our SAVIOUR, I mean true humility, without affectation and fecret pride lurking under it. This appeared very remarkable, and very natural in his whole life, which was all of it the greateft inftance of humility that ever was, and therefore with great affurance he propounds himself to our imitation in this, Matth. xi. 29. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn "of me: for I am meek and lowly in fpirit." And St. Paul fets this virtue before us, as being the conftant temper of our LORD, and visible in his whole undertaking, and in every part of it from firft to laft, from his coming into the world to his going out of it, Phil. ii. 5, 6, 7, 8. "Let this mind be in you which was alfo in CHRIST JESUS, who being in the form of GoD, thought it no robbery to be "equal with GOD, but made himself of no reputa"tion (he emptied himself of all his majesty and

glory) and took upon him the form of a fervant, "and was made in the likeness of men; and being "found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, "and became obedient unto death, even the death "of the crofs." Here was humility indeed, from fo

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great a height to stoop fo low, from the top of glory SERM. and majesty, to the lowest pitch of meannefs and mifery. Here's a patter for us; and how fhould it shame and confound the pride of the fons of men, to fee the Son of GOD fo humble? There is no virtue I am fure which we have fo much reason, and yet none which we have fo little inclination, to imitate. "Pride "was not made for men," fays the fon of Syrach; it does not become us, and yet it is the fashion; we know that we have no caufe to be proud, and yet we know not how to be humble. Let the example of our LORD's humility bring down the haughtiness of men, and when we confider how he abafed himself, let us "be vile in our own eyes, and abhor ourselves "in duft and ashes."

And then his contempt of the world, and the enjoyments and pleasures of it to that degree, that he would have no part and share in the poffeffions of it, not fo much as one of the firft and almoft lowest conveniencies of life, a fettled abode and habitation; fo that, as he himfelf tells us, he was in a more destitute condition than the brute creatures. "The foxes have "holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the "Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Not that he defigned to oblige us to a strict imitation of him in this particular; for he might, and we may lawfully poffefs and enjoy these things: but to teach us not to over-prize them, not to seek them too earnestly, nor love them inordinately. That he despised them, fhould keep us from admiring them, and doting upon them; that he would not have them in his poffeffion, fhould keep them out of our hearts, and make us very loofe and indifferent in our affections to them; that he valued doing good above all the enjoyments

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SERM. joyments of this world, fhould make us value them CLXXXIX. only in order to that end.

And then his exceffive kindness and benignity to us, such as men very rarely fhew to their best friends, and the best men; but fuch as no man ever fhewed to his enemies: peradventure for a good man one "would even dare to die," fays St. Paul, Rom. v. 7. "but herein GoD commended his love to us, in that "whilst we were finners, CHRIST died for us." And this pattern of love our SAVIOUR propounds to our imitation, John xv. 12, 13. "This is my

commandment, that ye love one another, as I have "loved you. Greater love than this hath no man,

that a man lay down his life for his friend." The highest pitch of humane friendship that ever was, was "to die for a friend:" but our LORD died not for his friends, but for his enemies, that he might make them his friends, by gaining them to the obedience of his laws" ye are my friends, if you do whatfo"ever I command you." The fame pattern the apoftles of our LORD propound to us, Eph. v. 2. "Walk in love, as CHRIST alfo hath loved us, " and given himself for us." 1 John iii. 16. "Here

by perceive we the love of God, because he laid "down his life for us; and we alfo ought to lay "down our lives for the brethren." Here is a pattern of the highest and most unusual kind of love propofed to our imitation; not that every man, by virtue of this example, is to lay down his life for another, because that is not practicable; for then by the fame reason that I am obliged to lay down my life for another, he would be as much obliged to lay down his life for me; and fo by my dying for him, I fhould hinder him of doing a duty to which he was equally obliged,

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obliged, and take it out of his hands: but the mean- SERM. ing of this precept is, that as CHRIST died for a common good, fo we ought to bear that common affection to mankind, and especially to our brethren, who are endeared to us by a nearer relation, as in imitation of the exam ple he hath given us, to be ready by our fingle life, if there be occafion, to redeem the lives of many of our brethren, and to expofe ourselves to fave them. This I conceive is all that can reasonably be collected from our obligation to imitate our LORD's example.

3. The life of our bleffed SAVIOUR is likewife a pattern of fuch virtues, as are most useful and beneficial to others.

In his readiness to do good to all perfons in all kinds; by instructing their ignorance, and fupplying their wants, fpiritual and temporal; by refolving their doubts, and comforting them in their forrows; by healing their diseases and infirmities, which he indeed did in extraordinary and miraculous ways, because he was deftitute of ordinary means; and we are to do it by ordinary means, and fuch as are in our power, which when they are, there is no need of miracles. And then in his feeking occafions and opportunities for it, not content with those that offer'd themselves, but enquiring after them; and in his unwearied diligence in this work; for he went about doing "good," fpent whole days from morning to night, for the service and benefit of others; neglected himfelf, and the ordinary refreshments of nature, out of his great zeal "to work the work of him that fent "him," to bring glory to GoD, and good to men, And in the delight he took in this employment, it was "his meat and drink" to be doing of it; he esteemed

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SERM. efteemed it his happiness, yea, a greater felicity to conCLXXXIX. fer benefits upon others, than any man finds in re

ceiving the greatest benefit from others: for that it feems was a noted faying of his, a kind of motto with him, as St. Paul teftifies, Acts xx. 35. "It is "more bleffed to give than to receive." And in all this, he perfifted in despite of the greatest discouragements from the ingratitude and malice of men, who maligned him for his kindness, and put an ill conftruction upon his most charitable actions, and were ready" to stone him for his good works :" but this did not difcourage him, and take him off; fo he might do good, he was contented to hear and fuffer ill.

And then in his condefcenfion to others, and confideration of their weakness, and complying with them in lawful and indifferent things, for their edification, and to gain them in greater matters; this St. Paul tells us, was our LORD's temper, and he urgeth chriftians with the example of it, Rom. xv. 1, 2, 3. "We then that are ftrong, ought to bear "the infirmities of the weak, and not to please our "felves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification: for even CHRIST

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pleafed not himself." Where we have liberty and can yield, we ought to abate of our own humour, for the good and edification of others; and not peevithly and ftifly to infist upon leffer things, to the hindrance of a greater good; "for even CHRIST

pleafed not himfelf." He who had all authority to command, and right to be obeyed, and who could not err in any thing; yet he condefcended to the weakness and infirmities of others, and in all indifferent things did not confult his own inclination, but their intereft and edification.

And