SERMON XXIX. Of the Imitation of CHRIST in holinefs of Life, and the neceffity of it in Believers. 1 JOHN ii. 6. He that faith he abideth in him, ought himself alfo fo to walk, even as TH he walked. THE exprefs and principle design of the apoftle in this chapter, is to propound marks and figns, both negative and pofitive, for the trial and examination of men's claims to Chrift; amongst which (not to spend time about the coherence) my text is a principle one; a trial of men's interest in Chrift, by their imitation of Chrift. It is fuppofed by fome expofitors, that the apostle, in laying down this mark, had a special design to overthrow the wicked doctrine of the Carpocratians, who taught (as Epiphanius relates it) that men might have as much communion with God in fin as in duty. In full oppofition to which the apostle lays down this propofition, wherein he afferts the neceffity of a Chriftlike converfation in all that claim union with him, or interest in him. The words refolve themselves into two parts, viz. r. A claim to Chrift fuppofed. 2. The only way to have our claim warranted. First, We have here a claim to Chrift fuppofed; if any man "fay he abideth in him." Abiding in Chrift is an expreffion denoting proper and real intereft in Chrift, and communion with him; for it is put in oppofition to thofe temporary, light, and tranfient effects of the gofpel, which are called a morning dew, or an early cloud; fuch a receiving of Chrift as that, Mat. xiii. 21. j which is but a present flash, fudden and vanishing; abiding in Christ notes a folid, durable, and effectual work of the Spirit, thoroughly and everlastingly joining the foul to Chrift. Now, if any man, whofoever he be (for this indefinite is equivalent to an univerfal term) let him never think his claim to be good and valid, except he take this courfe to adjust it. (2.) Secondly, The only way to have this claim warranted, and that must be by fo walking even as he walked; which words carry in them the neceffity of our imitation of Chrift. But it is not to be understood indefinitely and univerfally of all the works or actions of Chrift, fome of which were extraordinary and miraculous; fome purely mediatory, and not imitable by us: In these paths no Chriftian can follow Chrift; nor may fo much as attempt to walk as he walked. But the words point at the ordinary and imitable ways and works of Chrift; therein it must be the care of all to follow him, that profefs and claim interest in him; they muft fo walk as he walked, this [fo] is a very bearing word in this place; the emphafis of the text feems to lie in it; however, certain it is that this fo walking, doth not imply an equality with Chrift in holinefs and obedience; for as he was filled with the Spirit without measure, and anointed with that oil of gladnefs above his fellows; fo the purity, holiness, and obedience of his life are never to be matched, or equalized by any of the faints. But this fo walking, only notes a fincere intention, defign, and endeavour to imitate and follow him in all the paths of holiness and obedience, according to the different meafures of grace received, The life of Chrift is the believer's copy, and though the believer cannot draw one line or letter exact as his copy is, yet his eye is ftill upon it, he is looking unto Jefus, Heb. xii. 2. and labouring to draw all the lines of his life, as agreeably as he is able, unto Chrift his pat tern. Hence the obfervation is, Doct. That every man is bound to the imitation of Chrift, under penalty of forfeiting his claim to Chrift. The faints imitation of Chrift is folemnly enjoined by many great and exprefs commands of the gofpel; fo you find it, 1 Pet. i. 15. "But as he that hath called you is holy, fo be ye holy in all man"ner of converfation: So Eph. v. 1, 2. «Be ye therefore follow❝ers of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath "loved us." "Christians (faith *Bernard) receive this name from "Chrift; and it is very meet that as they inherit his name, so they "fhould alfo imitate his holinefs." Now to ftate the method of this difcourfe, it will be needful to difcufs and open three things in the doctrinal part. 1. What the faints imitation of Chrift fuppofes and comprizes. 2. In what particulars they are especially bound to imitate Chrift. 3. Why no claim to Chrift is valid without this imitation of him.45 And then apply the whole in divers ufes. (1.) First, What the faints imitation of Chrift fuppofeth and comprifeth. Now there are divers great and weighty truths fuppofed and implied in this imitation of Chrift, or walking as he walked, viz. Chrifliani a Chrifto nomen acceperunt, et operæ pretium eft, ut ficut funt bæredes nominis, ita fint imitatores fanclitatis. Bern. fent, lib. p. 436. Firft. It fuppofes, that no Chriftian is, or may pretend to be a rule to himself, to act according to the dictates of his own will and pleafure; for as no man hath wisdom enough to direct and govern himself, fo if his own will were made the rule of his own actions, it would be the highest invasion of the divine prerogative that could be imagined: "I know, O Lord, (faith Jeremiah) that the "6 way of man is not in himself, it is not in him that walketh to "direct his own steps," Jer. x. 23. We may as well pretend to be our own makers as our own guides. It is a pretty obfervation of Aquinas, that if the workman's hand were the rule of his work, it were impoffible he should ever err in working: And if the will of man were the only law and guide of his way, we might then fay no man would fin in his walking. The apoftle, indeed, faith of the Heathens, Rom. ii. 14. "That they are a law to themselves;" but it is not his meaning, that their will is their law, but the law of God engraven upon their hearts; the light and dictates of their own confciences did oblige and bind them as a law. Secondly, This imitation of Chrift implies, that as no man is, or may pretend to be his own guide, fo no mere man, how wife or holy foever he be, may pretend to be a rule to other men; but Christ is the rule of every man's way and walking. It is true, indeed, the apoftle faith, "We should be followers of them, who " through faith and patience, inherit the promises," Heb. vi. 12. And again, James v. 1o. "Take, my brethren, the prophets, "who have fpoken. in the name of the Lord, for an example of "fuffering affliction, and of patience." But you must always remember, that there is a two-fold rule; 1. Regula regulans, the rule ruling. 2. Regula regulata, the rule ruled. The wifeft and holiest among men, may pretend no higher than a ruled rule. The great apoftle, though filled with as great a measure of the Spirit of wisdom and holiness, as ever was poffeffed by any mere man, yet goes no higher than this, 1 Cor. xi. 1. "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Chrift." The best of men are but men at best; they have their errors and defects, which they freely acknowledge; and where they differ from Chrift, it is our duty to differ from them. We may not pin our faith to any man's fleeve, for we know not where he will carry it. It was the commendation which Paul gave of the Theffalonians, 1 Thef. i. 6. "And you became followers of us and of the Lord." The noble Bereans were alfo commended for fearching the fcriptures, and examining the apostles' doctrine by it; and it was a good reply of the father to a clamorous difputant, crying, Hear me, hear me; «*I VOL. II. No. 16. 3 E Nec ego te, nec tu me, fed ambo audiamus Chriflum. Aug. * er will neither hear thee, nor do thou hear me; but let us both « hear Chrift.” Thirdly, The imitation of Chrift implies the neceffity of fanctification in all his followers; forafmuch as it is impoffible there thould be a practical conformity in point of obedience, where there is not a conformity in fpirit and in principle; all external conformity to Chrift's practice, depends upon an internal conformity to Chrift in the principle and Spirit of holiness. It is very plain, from Ezek. xi. 19, 20. that a new heart must be given us, and a new fpirit put into us, before we can walk in God's ftatutes; we must first live in the Spirit, before we can walk in the Spirit, Gal. v. 25. Fourthly, The imitation of Chrift plainly holds forth this, that the Chriftian religion is a very precife and strict religion; no way countenancing licentioufnefs, or indulging men in their lufts; it allows no man to walk loofely and inordinately, but rejects every man's claim to Chrift, who ftudies and labours not to tread exactly in the footsteps of his holy and heavenly example. Profaneness and licentioufnefs, therefore, can find no fhelter or protection under the wing of the gofpel; this is the univerfal rule laid upon all the profeffors of the Chriftian religion, "Let every one that "nameth the name of Chrift, depart from iniquity," 2 Tim. ii. 19. i.e. let him either put on the life of Chrift, or put off the name of Chrift; let him fhew the hand of a Chriftian, in works of holinefs and obedience, or elfe the tongue and language of a Christian muft gain no belief or credit. Fifthly, The imitation of Chrift neceffarily implies the defectivenefs and imperfection of the best of men in this life; for if the life of Christ be our pattern, the best and holiest of men must confefs they come fhort in every thing of the rule of their duty. Our pattern is ftill above us, the best of men are afhamed when they compare their lives with the life of Chrift: It is true, a vain heart aay well with pride, when a man compares himself with other inen; thus meafuring ourfelves by ourselves, and comparing ourfelves among ourselves, we fhew our folly and nourish our pride; but if any man will compare his own life with Christ's, he will find abundant caufe at every time and in every thing to be humbled. Paul was a great proficient in holiness and obedience, he had been long ftriving to come up to the top of holiness, yet when he looks up and fees the life of Chrift, and rule of duty, fo far above him, he reckons himself still but at the foot of the hill. Phil. iii. 12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already per"fect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which "alfo I am apprehended of Chrift Jefus." q. d. Alas! I am not come up to my duty, I am a great way behind; but I am following after, if at laft I may attain it: Perfection is in my expectation and hope, at laft, not in my attainment here. Sixthly, The imitation of Chrift, as our general rule or pattern, neceffarily implies the tranfcending holiness of the Lord Jefus ; his holiness is greater than the holinefs of all creatures, "For only "that which is first and best in every kind, is the rule and mea"fure of all the reft*." It is the height of faints' ambition to be made conformable to Chrift, Phil. iii. 1o. Christ hath a double perfection, a perfection of being, and a perfection of tworking. His life was a perfect rule, no blot or error could be found therein; for he was "holy, harmlefs, undefiled, feparate from finners:" And fuch an high-priest becomes us, as the apoftle fpeaks, Heb. vii. 26. The conformity of profeffors to Chrift's example, is the teft and measure of all their graces; the nearer any man comes to this pattern, the nearer he approaches towards perfection. Seventhly, The Chriftian's imitation of Chrift, under penalty of lofing his claim to Chrift, neceffarily implies fanétification and obedience to be the evidences of our juftification and interest in Chrift: Affurance is unattainable without obedience; we can never be com-. fortable Christians except we be strict and regular Christians. Gal. vi. 16. " As many as walk according to this rule, peace be un"to them, and mercy; and upon the Ifrael of God." A loofe and careless converfation can never be productive of true peace and confolation, 2 Cor. i. 12. "This is our rejoicing, the teftimony "of our confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not "with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our "conversation in the world." Let men talk what they will of the immediate fealings and comforts of the Spirit, without any regard to holiness, or refpect to obedience; fure I am, whatever delufion) they meet with in that way, true peace, and confolation is only to be expected and found here: "The fruit of righteoufnefs fhall ❝ be peace, and the effect of righteoufnefs quietnefs, and affurance "For ever." We have it not for our holinefs, but we always have it in the way of holiness. And fo much of the first particular, namely, what the imitation of Chrift implies and comprizes in it. Secondly, In the next place we are to enquire, in what things all who profefs Christ are obliged to the imitation of him; or what thofe excellent graces in the life of Chrift were, which are propounded as patterns to the faints. The life of Chrift was a living law; all the graces and virtues of the Spirit were reprefented in their glory, and brightest luftre in his converfation upon eartht: Never man fpake as he fpake; ne * Primum et optimum in unoquoque genere eft regula et menfura cæterorum. What have you to do with virtues, who are ignorant of Chrift's virtue? |