IV. Think, and speak, and do what you are persuaded Christ himself would do in your case, were he upon the earth. The heathen they proposed unto themselves the best examples theyl had, and therefore let us follow the best ofm ours There are many rare examples inn Scripture; but we may say of them, as 'tis said of most of Davids Worthies, whose highest commendation was with this diminutiono, they attained not unto the first three. I propose therefore neither great nor small, but the King of Saintsp: it becomes a Christian rather to be an Exampleq, then to follow one: But by imitating of Christ, you will come as near as 'tis possible to the first three, for your fellowship shall be with the Father, & with his Son Jesus Christ rthrough the spirit of holiness, who alone can teach you what it is to abide ins Christ, who was, and is, and ever will be our absolute copyt O Christians! how did Christ pray, & redeem time for prayeru? How did Christ preach, out of whose mouth proceeded no other but gracious wordsw, that his enemies could not but admire himx? at what rate did Christ value the world, who did & taught to renounce ity? what time did Christ spend in impertinent discourse, who made their hearts burn within them, whom he occasionally fell in company withz? How did Christ go up and down doing agood to man, and always those things that were pleasing tob God? Beloved, I commend to you these four memorials, to be as so many scarlet cthreads upon every finger of the right hand one; that you may never put forth your hand to action, but these memorials may be in your eye. 1. Mindd duty. 2. What's another's duty in your case, ise yours. 3. What you can't say, the Blessing of the Lord be upon it, do not meddlef with it. But above all, as soon forget your Christian name (the name of a Christian) as forget to eye Christg, and what ever entertainment you meet with from the profane worldh, remember your Exemplari, and follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who wh•n he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
IV. Think, and speak, and do what you are perswaded Christ himselfe would do in your case, were he upon the earth. The heathen they proposed unto themselves the best examples theyl had, and therefore let us follow the best ofm ours There are many rare examples inn Scripture; but we may say of them, as 'tis said of most of Davids Worthies, whose highest commendation was with this diminutiono, they attained not unto the first three. I propose therefore neither great nor small, but the King of Saintsp: it becomes a Christian rather to be an Exampleq, then to follow one: But by imitating of Christ, you will come as near as 'tis possible to the first three, for your fellowship shall be with the Father, & with his Son Jesus Christ rthrough the spirit of holiness, who alone can teach you what it is to abide ins Christ, who was, and is, and ever will be our absolute copyt O Christians! how did Christ pray, & redeem time for prayeru? How did Christ preach, out of whose mouth proceeded no other but gracious wordsw, that his enemies could not but admire himx? at what rate did Christ value the world, who did & taught to renounce ity? what time did Christ spēd in impertinent discourse, who made their hearts burn within them, whom he occasionally fell in company withz? How did Christ go up and down doing
- l[Greek or Hebrew] Epictet. c. 51. Simpl. p. 282.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Epictet. c. 51. Simpl. p. 282.
- mMica 4.5.
- nHeb. 13 7.
- o2 Sam. 23 19, 23.
- pRev. 15 3.
- q1 Pet. 2 12.15. 1 Thes. 1.7.
- r1 John 1.3.
- s1 John 2.27.
- tHeb. 13.8.
- uMar. 1.35. & 6.16 Lu. 6.12. John 11.42.
- wLuke 4.22.
- xJohn 7.46.
- yMar. 10.21-27.
