than these? Whoever is oppressed with the Guilt of his Sins, it is but coming to Christ, that is, as they usually expound it, believing in him, and cafting themselves wholly upon him, and they shall have their Burdens taken off, and be at perfect Eafe and Rest. But what follows? Take, faith our Saviour, my Yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and then ye shall find Reft for your Souls. Here our Saviour shews that he means something more by coming to him: Coming to Christ in his Sense, is to take his Yoke upon ourselves, (and a most easy and comfortable Yoke it is) and to learn of him, to imitate his Example, to frame our Minds, and Spirits, and Tempers to a Conformity with his Mind, and Spirit, and Temper; to be meek and lowly in Heart, as he was; and so in all other Instances. This is that which every one must do, if he means to find Reft for his Soul.

Again, When our Saviour gave that unheard-of Instance of Kindness and Condefcenfion to his Disciples in vouchsafing to wash their Feet, pray mind the Application he makes of it, John 13. 15. I have given you (faith he) an Example, that ye should do to one another as i have done unto you. If I, fays he, your Lord and Master, have wafbed your Feet, then ought ye to wash one another's Feet.

You see by this, that his Example was intended by him to have all the Force and Obligation of a Command; only in this it had the Advantage, that it was more moving and perfuafive.

As for the Apostles, it would be endless to repeat all the Passages wherein they propose our Saviour to us as a Pattern and Example of Living: How they bid us to look up to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith, left at any Time we should be weary and faint in our Minds! How they call upon us to walk in his Steps, to be Followers of him, nay, to be Followers of them, because they were Followers of him! How often do they mention his Patience, his Humility, his Meekness, his boundless Love and Charity, as Arguments and Encouragements to us to proceed in those Virtues? Lastly, they lay fuch Stress upon this Point of Conforming ourselves to the Example of Christ in all Things, that they make the very Notion of Discipleship to him, to consist in it. Whoever (fays St. John, Ep. 1. ch. 2.) faith that he abideth in him, (that is, pretends to be a Disciple of his) ought himself also to walk even as he walketh; without this he cannot be accounted a Disciple of Chrift.

And indeed it musts needs be true in the Reason of the Thing. Which is the 2d Thing I would defire you to confider. For what

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what is it to be any one's Disciple, but to be a Follower of him in the Mystery that he professeth. If a Man sets up for a Master in any Science or speculative Matters, in that Cafe to be a Disciple of his, is to embrace his Notions and Sentiments of the Thing he pretends to teach. If he be a Teacher of fome Art, or Matters of Practice, why then his Disciples are those that conform themselves to his Methods and Ways of Practice in that Art. This is the Notion that all the World has of a Disciple.

If now we would know what it is to be a Disciple of Christ, the Way must be to know what it is that Christ professeth; what Mystery it was that he pretended to teach to the World. If his Business among Mankind was only to teach Men some new Notions they knew not before, then I grant there is no more required to the being his Disciple, than only to believe and understand those Notions he deliver'd: Or if his Business was further, to gather together a Number of Men that should openly profess such a Set of Propositions, and to oblige them thereto, they should all of them, upon the Entrance of that Profefsion, be baptized with Water, as a folemn Ceremony of Initiation into it; then indeed to make one a Disciple of his, it would be fufficient that he was a Profeffor and and a baptized Person, let him live what way he pleased. But now, fince, as all must acknowledge, the chief Skill that our Saviour professed, was that of Living; the main Art and Mystery he pretended to teach, was the Art of ordering our Conversation so, as that we might please God, and be accepted of him; there must go more to the making a Disciple of his, than either Belief, or Profeffion, or Baptifm. A Man, if he will deserve that Name, must live as he lived, must conform himself to his Manners, and Precepts of Living, and Way of Walking, otherwise he doth not follow him in the Art he professeth, and consequently is no more his Disciple than a Man because he wears a Turbant is the Disciple of Mahomet, tho' in all Things else he be a Jew; or than a Man of old was a Stoick, because he, like them, walked in the Portico, tho' in the mean time he held the Principles of Epicurus.

This is so plain a Thing, that tho' we may sometimes, with a great deal of Pains, cheat ourselves, yet it is impossible to impose upon any indifferent Person in the Matter. Let us suppose a Heathen to have read the History of our Saviour, and from hence to be informed what his Pretences and Designs were in the World; what good Precepts he gave for the Conduct of Mens Conversation; what a kind of Life he led;

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led; how innocent, sober, chaste, meekspirited, patient, humble, devout, charitable a Person he was: Will he not from this conclude, that surely all that pretend to be the Disciples of this Jesus, are obliged, not only in Conscience, but in Decency, and for their own Credit, and the Credit of their Master, to live as he lived ; or if they do not, they shew they do not belong to him? Shall any of us be able, with all the Art we have, let us pretend never so much Devotion to our Lord, let us make never so many Reverences at his Name, tho' we extol him to the Skies, tho' we profess we glory in nothing so much as in being his Disciples, tho' we are zealous for his Religion above all Things, nay, tho' we swear we would die for him, if there was occasion; yet, I say, can any of us, with all these Artifices, make the Man believe that we are truly his Disciples, if we lead our Lives in a contrary Way to what he did? May he not truly and juftly reply to us, I hear your Words indeed, you are very civil and complimental to this Person whom you call your Saviour ; but you must pardon me, if I cannot believe you have any real Respect or inward Veneration for him? I cannot think that you either truly believe in him, or expect to be faved by him; for if you did, you could not poffibly live so contrary both to