4.

xvi. 4.

This was the End of your Creation, Prov.

5. If you honour GOD, He will honour you, 1 Sam. ii. 30.

1. In your Titles, Rev. i. 6. 1 S. Pet. ii. 9.
2. In your Relations, Ifa. liv. 5. S. Luk.
xii. 32. Hof. ii. 16, 19. S. Joh. xx. 17.
3. Free Admiffion, Hebr. iv. 16.

4. Affistance and Retinue, Hebr. i. 14, 20.
2 King. vi. 16.

5. With His Residence, S. Joh. xv. 4. and
xvii. 23.
6. With Supplies.

7. With the Entail of Promifes.

6. This is the Employment of Heaven, Rev. iv. 10, 11.

7. And the Way to it.

II. DIRECTIONS.

1. Whatsoever ye do, let it be according to GOD's Word, Ifa. viii. 20.

2. Do it in Obedience to His Word, 1 Sam.

XV. 22.

3. Do it as in His Sight, Pfal. cxxxix. 5, 5, 7. 4. Do it with all your Might, Ecclef. ix. 10. 5. Do it with Faith, Rom. xiv. 23. Hebr. xi. 6. 6. Do it with Meeknefs and Humility, S. Fam. i. 20.

7. Do it with Chearfulness and Alacrity, Rom. xii. 8.

I COR. xi. I.

Be ye Followers of Me, even as I also am of Chrift.

I. DOCTRINE.

WBSaints, fo far as they walk in the Laws of

E ought to follow the Examples of former

GOD.

1. Though by Nature all be Sinners, yet by Grace many in all Ages have been Saints.

2. The Lives of many Saints are recorded for our Imitation, S. Jam. V. 10, 11, 17. Phil. iv. 9. and iii. 17.

3. But every thing that is recorded of them, is not to be followed by us.

1. Not fuch Actions of theirs, as are con

demned.

2. Not all fuch, which are not condemned, Gen. xix. 8. xlii. 15, 16. and xxvii. 25,

26, 27.

3. Nor all fuch, as are approved.

For,

1. Some things are only as in part approved, S. Luk. xvi. 8. Exod. i. 19,

20.

2. Some things were done by the extraordinary Call and Inftinct of GOD, Num. xv. 7, 8. 2 K.ng. i. 10. S Luk. ix. 54, 55. So Abraham offering to facrifice his Son. Unde conftat, quòd non omnia que à fanctis & juftis viris legimus facta, transferre debemus ad S. Aug.

n.ores.

4. In our Imitation of the Saints, we must
obferve,

1. Whether what they do be according to
the Law of GOD.

2. The Circumstances of their Actions,
Amos vi. 5.

USES.

1. Read the Lives of former Saints. Longum eft iter per præcepta, breve & efficax per exempla,

Seneca. I Cor. X. 11.

2. Follow their Examples.

Especially,

1. The whole Courfe of their Life.

2. The particular Graces wherein they are
recorded as Eminent, Num. xii. 3.
1 Sam. iii. 18. Fob i. 21. Alt. v. 41.

II. DOCTRINE.

Chrift is the grand Example of a Christian; which we ought to imitate.

1. What is it to imitate Christ?

It implies,

1. That we do what He did, S. Joh. xiii..
15, 16.

2. In Imitation of Him.

3. As He did it.

1. Understandingly, S. Joh. iv. 22.

2. Obedientially, S. Luk. ii. 49. 1 Sam.

XV. 22.

3. Sincerely, S. Joh. iv. 24. 2 Cor. i.

12.

4. Wholly, S. Matth. iii. 15. S. Joh.
xvii. 4.

5. Believingly, S. Joh. xi. 41, 42.

4, Chearfully, Ifa. liii. 7. Hebr. x. 34. Rom.

xii. 8.

7. Humbly, S. Matth. xi. 29.
8. To the Glory of GOD.
Because,

1. GOD doth all Things for His own
Glory, Prov. xvi. 4.

2. He is the ultimate End of all Things. 3. Whatsoever is not done to the Glory of GOD, is a Sin, 1 Cor. x. 31. 2. What are thofe Works, which we are to imitate Chrift in?

1. Chrift was truly GOD from Eternity, S. Joh. viii. 58. πρὶν ̓Αβραὰμ γένεθς, ἐγὼ euì, S. Joh. i. 1.

2.

Became truly Man, in Time, S. Joh. i. 14.
I Tim. ii. 5.

3. He was and is truly both GOD and Man
in one Perfon, AƐt. xx. 28.

4.

Whatsoever Chrift did in the Flesh, He did under one of these three Notions. 5. We are not to follow Chrift, in what He did as GOD; fuch are His Acts,

1. Of Omnipotence.

1. Healing the Sick, S. Matth. ix. 20,. 21. S. Matth. viii. 13.

2. Cafting out Devils, S. Matth. viii. 16. and xiv. 17, 21.

3. Feeding thoufands with five Loaves, S. Matth. XV. 34, 38.

4. Raifing the Dead, S. Mar. vi. 41. S. Job. xi. 43.

2. Of Omniscience, S. Luk. xi. 17. and xiii. 32.

3. Of Sovereignty, S. Matth. xxi. 2, 7. 6. Nor in what He did as GOD-Man, in

the Acts,

1. Of His Prophetical-Office, Deut. xviii. 15. S. Joh. xv. 15. A. iii. 22.

2. His Prieftly-Office.

1. Satisfying for our Sins, 1 S. Joh. ii. 5.

2. Interceding for our Souls, Hebr. vii. 25.

3. His Kingly-Office, Ifa. ix. 7.

7. But we are to follow Him in what He did as meer Man.

1. He was fubject to His Parents, S. Luk. ii. 57.

This Subjection confifteth,

1. In reverencing them, Lev. xix. 3.
2. In obeying them.

1. Hearkening to their Inftructions,
Prov. xiii. 1. and xxiii. 22.

2. Performing their lawful Commands, Col. iii. 20. Eph. vi. 1.

3. Submitting to their Corrections, Prov. xxix. 17.

3. In Thankfulness.

1. Acknowledging their Care.

2. In providing for their Neceflities, I Tim. v. 4. Gen. xlvii. 12. S. Job. xix. 26, 27.

Confider,

1. This is pleafing to GOD, Eph.

vi. 1.

2. It hath a promifed Bleffing,
Eph. vi. 2, 3. Exod. xx. 12.

He committed no Sin, 1 S. Pet. ii. 22.
Ifa. li. 9. 1 S. Job. iii. 5.

1. How are we not to fin?

1. Not with Love to it, Pfal. cxix.

104, 113.

2. Nor with Delight in it, Prov. ii.

14.