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النشر الإلكتروني

An EXHORTATION to

CHRISTIANS, to imitate the Example of our BLESSED LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, as displayed in his Life and Doctrines.

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At an early period he began to preach the great doctrine of repentance, and delivered this admirable sermon on the mount, containing a complete system of practical religion. He afterwards gave proofs of his divine mission, by working divers miracles, and displaying, in many instances, his power and goodness. He then selected his disciples, instructed them in his holy doctrines, vested them with supernatural power, and commissioned them to preach the gospel of his kingdom. This done, he persisted himself in the good work with indefatigable assiduity, recommending unfeigned piety towards God, and universal benevolence to mankind, by his preaching, his parables, and indeed by the whole tenor of his life and actions. Nor was there a virtue which he did not countenance and exemplify; or a vice he did not censure or condemn. In a word, the holy Jesus went about doing good, according to the scriptural phrase; that is, he

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At length, after being betrayed by a faithless disciple, and undergoing the most indign treatment from a clan equally cruel and perverse; he was led to Calvary, the place of execution, there crucified, and having commended his spirit into the hands of his Father, gave up the ghost. sacred body was committed to the tomb; but through a divine power he soon burst the shackles of death, re-appeared to his disciples and others, and having given them the most demonstrative proofs of his identity, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. Luke xxiv. 51.

This summary account of the Life of our

blessed Lord premised, we shall proceed to enforce upon Christians the imitation of his example from the following considerations :

1st. Conformity in his people to the example of himself was his grand design, as well as the absolute will of his Father. The apostle Peter mentions it as one main end of his sufferings, because Christ also suffered for us (says that apostle) leaving us an example that we might follow his steps. Our blessed Saviour is called the way, the truth, and the life; that is, as he redeemed our souls from death by his atoning sacrifice, so he is the truth and guide to our understandings, and the life or grand actuating principle of our wills and affections, leading us into those paths which terminate in endless felicity.

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It is evident, also, from the whole tenor of our blessed Lord's life and doctrines, that though the end of his mission was to deliver mankind from the curse annexed to the violation of the moral law, he by no means meant its abrogation; nay, he positively declares, that he came not to aunul, but to fulfil the law. He punctually adhered, not only to those parts of it which respected the duties owing to God and man, but even to the ritual ceremonies. His obedience was as perfect as his atonement for the delinquency of fallen man, which rendered his merits completely adequate to the demands. of law and justice; so that when he expired upon the cross, it might with the utmost propriety be said, It is finished, meaning the important work of man's redemption. To corroborate this matter, he particularly cautions his followers not to trust to the mere profession of his religion, without practising the duties of it, as appears from his declaration. Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matt. viii. 21.

He further demonstrates the necessity of a conformity to his example, under the idea of regeneration, that is, a change of the heart and conduct from evil to good, in his interview with Nicodemus, a man of great authority with the Jews, declaring to him that except a man be born again (spiritually considered) he cannot see the kingdom of God, John iii. 3. In a word, if we advert convinced, that they have one uniform unto the transactions of his life, we must be deviating tendency to promote holiness, as a necessary evidence of a claim and title to the benefits purchased by his death and sufferings.

It appears from scriptural evidence, that one of the great purposes of God, in the Messiah's taking upon him human nature, or becoming like unto us in every instance, sin excepted, was that we might also, as far as our fallibility will admit, be like his Son; or, in other words, that as he, by taking our nature, was like unto us; so we, by imitating his example, might be like unto him, according to the import of the words of the apostle, Rom. viii. 26. The word incarnate is the great example of all sincere genuine professors of the religion of Christ, and thence arose the precept of the lastmentioned apostle, Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. xiii. 14. The allegory points out the duty, intimating, that as a garment is composed and made of the same fashion with the body, and applied to each part according to its respective proportion, so we should put on Christ, or imitate, as far as possible, his character, conforming to every particular part, in order to demonstrate whose image and superscription we bear, and be acknowledged as sons fre from our resemblance to our great head and representative, who disdained not to call us his brethren.

The apostle John writes to the same purport in his first epistle, second chapter, and sixth verse: He that saith he abideth in him (Christ) ought himself also to walk

even as he walked. Here it is evidently implied, that our actions should be framed according to the copy set us by our great Lord and Master, we should transcribe the original as nearly as possible to the life. Those who contemplate seriously on the affection, fervour, and resignation, which the blessed Jesus evinced in all his devotions, will thereby be taught and excited to holy meditation and religious prayer. The sweetness of his disposition, his charity to his very enemies, his reprehensions of the Scribes and Pharisees, his candid and ingenuous behaviour to all men, inculcate powerfully the virtues of patience, humility, candour, and justice in all our actions.

Upon the whole, the Life of our blessed Lord should not only be the subject of our admiration, but also of our imitation. Then shall we in the truest sense walk as he walked, treading in his steps, looking constantly at our grand pattern, and glorifying him, as he, by his obedience, glorified his Father.

2dly. The greatest blessings, both temporal and spiritual, are annexed to a holy and religious life, which essentially consists in following the example of the blessed Jesus.

In the Old Testament, a long and pros perous life were the promises of the covenant. The hopes of the Israelites were built upon it, and it was the support of all their duty. See Exodus xv. 26, and xxiii. 25, 26. Solomon enjoins holiness and obedience upon the same principle. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones, Prov. iii. 7, 8; and again, verse 16, Length of days is in her right hand, (that is, wisdom,) and in her left hand riches and honour. There are divers other passages to the same purport.

Under the gospel dispensation, the consideration is more particularly enforced. The apostle Paul calls children to observe

the fifth commandment, from the same ar gument which was used in the first promul gation of it, Honour thy Father and Mother (which is the first commandment with promise) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long upon the earth. Ephes. vi. 2, 3. It is to be observed, that though the gospel is built upon better promises than the law, it annexes all the promises of the latter to obedience, according to the apostle's words, 1 Tim. iv. 8. Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

When our blessed Saviour, in his sermon on the mount, particularizes the beatitudes, he cites in one instance a temporal blessing, and that in the very words of the Old Testament. Matt. v. 5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, which expression corresponds with that in Psalm xxxvii. 11. But the meek shall inherit the earth. This he did to shew, that that part of the old covenant, which respects moral duties, and the rewards of obedience to the divine laws, remains firm, and included in the conditions of the gospel.

Further, a religious life, according to the rule and example of Jesus Christ, as propounded in his gospel, is conducive to peace of mind, and an approving conscience, than which no temporal blessings can be more important.

An over anxious care about worldly pursuits, involves the mind in perplexity and confusion. Vice and intemperance, of every kind, bring with them even their own temporal punishments, and expose their votaries to bodily diseases; nor can they be recognized by the abandoned" themselves without a degree of conscious

horror.

On the other hand, according to the wise man's expression, Wisdom's ways are ways' of pleasantness, and all her paths are paths of peace. The mind of that man who follows the example of his blessed Saviour, and

walks even as he walked, is in general calm, composed, and serene. He is not affected, to an inordinate degree by any of the events of this precarious state; he is not elated by prosperity, nor depressed by adversity, because he has a fixed regard to a superintending providence: he knows that the wise disposer of events cannot but do right, and he is firmly persuaded that all things work together for good to those that love God, and keep his commandments. The due discharge of our duty to God, and man must be attended with an approving conscience, which arms the mind against what are called the ills of life, and enables it to sustain their most pointed attacks with Christian fortitude and intrepidity. These are some of the principal temporal blessings that attend holy and religious life, as exemplified in the character of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ..

With respect to spiritual blessings, the most important are derived from a religious life, according to the sacred text, before cited, "Godliness hath the promise of this life, and of that which is to come:" All true Christians are the sons of God, because they are co-heirs with Christ, and partakers of the divine nature. It is observable, that the only solid foundation for a good hope, respecting a future state of bliss, is built upon duty." We know, that we have passed from death unto life, (why ?) because we love the brethren," 1 John iii. 14; implying, that the performance of our duty is an indispensible evidence of our title to the privileges of Christians, since we cannot be Christians without it.

These spiritual blessings are various, and expressed in scripture under various forms, as tasting of the heavenly gift, partaking of the Holy Ghost, tasting of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come." Heb. vi. 4, 5, &c. These are antecedent to the blessings of the glorified state, and designed as preparatory to their reception. It is positively affirmed in scripture, that without holiness no man shall see

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the Lord; therefore that essential requisite, included in the phrases first cited, is given to all those who seek it in sincerity and truth. In a word, the followers of the example of Christ are, and will be, blessed with grace here, and glory hereafter. In these centre all real felicity; man's chief end being to glorify God, and enjoy him for ever.

3dly and lastly. These considerations should induce us all to enquire seriously, whether we find in ourselves a disposition to imitate the example of our great Lord and Master, as displayed in the sacred history of his life, to which we have been lately attending? If it has produced that happy effect, let us press forward towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. As we have borne the image of the earthly, may we also bear the image of the heavenly; for let us remember, that in vain we are called Christians, if we live not according to the example and discipline of Christ, the great author of the institution. The zeal of the primitive Christians, who were first denominated so at Antioch, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, in imitating the example of their great Master, was abundantly evident. Their very enemies were observed frequently to say, "See how those Christians love one another." No hardship, no threatening, not even death itself, could deter them from the prosecution of their duty. They might be said to follow their Master wherever he went, and many of them sealed their profession with their blood.

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We live in happier days. We enjoy the free exercise of religion, and have constantly opportunities of doing and getting good..

The sacred volume is expanded to our view, and the brightest example presented for our imitation, even that of the great and immaculate Redeemer. If we follow it, the reward is sure if we wilfully neglect it, the punishment is certain. Therefore, my beloved brethren, let me, by way of conclusion, seriously exhort you to think on these things.

5 F

REASONS

WHY THE

CHRISTIAN

RELIGION

IS PREFERABLE TO ALL OTHERS.

T is often matter of much surprize to me, I that any reasonable being should reject the Christian System, when fairly and truly proposed to him: a system, which, as a late elegant author expresses it, "gives to virtue its sweetest hopes, to impenitent vice its greatest fears, and to true penitence its best consolations."

If a man be really virtuous and honest, and is desirous to commend himself to the Deity by a rational and serious conduct, it seems impossible to suppose, that he should have any objection to that system, which "gives to virtue its sweetest hopes;" which places the duties of morality upon the firmest and most extensive foundation, and which elevates the soul to the noblest and most consistent ideas of God, and of the services which are acceptable to him.

If, therefore, desirous to obtain the divine attention, a man resolves to alter his life, and to abandon the paths of guilt, what religion should he embrace so soon, so gladly, as that, which "gives to true penitence its best consolations:" nay, which alone can give any solid consolation to penitence, and assure it undoubtedly of the pardon for

which it so anxiously wishes? The vicious man, if he hath any real understanding, can never, with propriety, reject Christianity; since if ever he intends to repent,and no man living, it is to be wished, intends to die impenitent ;-no religion; but the Christian, can afford him a solid, a rational ground of hope.

I observe, farther, that if indeed there be an eternity awaiting us, if the soul of man be immortal, and must, in consequence, partake of the due reward of its deeds-if man be immortal, and that he is, the universal voice of nature declares in every place and in every age-then, let who will be wrong, the Christan must be right; let whatever religion be true, the sincere professor of Christianity cannot fail of his recompence; cannot be unacceptable to the Deity. Cicero's fine argument against Atheism may be applied to Christianity, with double force. "If there should happen," says he to his opponent, "to be no God, I shall certainly be as well off as yourself; annihilation will then be your lot as well as mine. But if the matter shall be found otherwise; if there shall indeed be found a God, when we enter into a future state; how greatly shall I have the advan

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