will also be the fureft means to fit and prepare you for fuch graces, as you pray for. LASTLY, This particularity in our prayers, is the greatest trial of the truth of our hearts. A MAN perhaps thinks he prays for humility, becaufe he has the word, humility, in his prayers. But if he was to branch out humility into all its particular parts, he would perhaps find himself not difpofed to pray for them. If he was to represent to himself the feveral particulars, which make a man poor in fpirit, he would find his heart not defirous of them. So that the only way to know the truth of our hearts, and whether we really pray for any virtue, is to have all its parts in our prayers, and make our petitions ask for it in all its inftances. If the proud man was to pray daily, and frequently for humility in all its kinds, and to beg of God to remove him from all occafions of fuch pride, as is common to his particular state, and to disappoint him in all his attempts, that were contrary to humility, he would find, that fuch prayers would either conquer his pridė, or his pride, would put an end to his prayers. For it would be impoffible to live long in any instances of pride, if his daily and frequent prayers were petitions againft thofe particular inftances. Now every one may make his private devotions thus useful to him, if he has but piety enough to intend it. For every one may know his own ftate if he will we indeed, commonly fay, that people are blind to themselves, and know the leaft of their true state. We país this judgment upon people, becaufe we see them pretending to fo many virtues, which do not belong to them, and declaiming against vices, to which they are the molt fubject. Therefore we fay, that men don't know themselves; but this is falfe reafoning. WE fee people often pretending to be rich; now this is not, because they don't know their ftate, but because they would not have you to know it, and they prefume it poffible to impofe upon you. Now the cafe case is just the same in all other pretences. The fal e, the proud, the worldly man that pretends to fidelity, humility, and heavenly affection, knows that he is neither faithful, nor humble, nor heavenly-minded; he no more thinks he has thefe virtues, than a man thinks he has a great eftate, when he endeavours to be thought rich; he knows that he only affects the reputation of thefe virtues, and is only blind in this, that he imagines he impofes upon you, and paffes for the man he is not. EVERY man therefore has knowledge enough of himself, to know how to make his prayers particularly fitted to the corruption and diforders of his heart, and when he is fo defrous of falvation, as to enter into fuch a method of prayer, he will find, that he has taken the best means, to make his prayers effectual remedies against all his fins. Let me now only add this one word more, that he who has learned to pray, has learned the greatest fecret of a holy and happy life. Which way foever elfe we let loofe our hearts, they will return unto us again empty and weary. Time will convince the vainest and blindeft minds, that happiness is no more to be found in the things of this world, than it is to be dug out of the earth, But when the motions of our hearts, are motions of piety, tending to God in conftant acts of devotions love, and defire, then have we found reft unto our fouls; then is it, that we have conquered the mifery of our nature, and neither love nor defire in vain; then is it, that we have found out a good fuited to our natures, that is equal to all our wants, that is a conftant fource of comfort and refreshment, that will fill us with peace and joyful expectations here, and eternal happiness hereafter. For he that lives in the fpirit and temper of devotion, whofe heart is always full of God, lives at the top of human happiness, and is the fartheft removed from all the vanities and vexations, which disturb and weary the minds of men, that are devoted to the world. CHAP. CHAP. XIII. All Chriftians are required to imitate the life and example of Jefus Chrift. UR religion teaches us, that as we have borne the image of the earthly, fo we shall bear the image of the heavenly, that after our death we fhall rife to a ftate of life and happiness, like to that life and happinefs, which our bleffed Saviour enjoys at the right hand of God. Since therefore it is the great end of our religion to make us fellow-heirs with Chrift, and partakers of the fame happiness, it is not to be wondered at, that our religion fhould require us to be like Chrift in this life, to imitate his example, that we may enter into that state of happiness, which he enjoys in the kingdom of heaven. FOR how can we think that we are going to the bleffed Jefus, that we are to be hereafter as he is, unlefs we conform to his fpirit in this life, and make it our great endeavour to be what he was when he was here. Let it therefore here be observed, that the nature of our religion teaches us this duty in a more convincing manner, than any particular precepts concerning it. For the moft ordinary understanding must feel the force and reasonableness of this argument. You are born to depart out of this world, to afcend to that state of blifs, to live in fuch enjoyment of God to all eternity, as our bleffed Saviour now enjoys; you are therefore to live in the fpirit and temper that he lived, and make yourselves first like him here, that you may be like him hereafter. So that we need not look for particular texts of fcripture, which command us to imitate the life of Chrift, because we are taught this duty by a stronger and more convincing authority; because, as the end and defign of our religion, is to make make us one with Chrift hereafter, partakers of the fame ftate of life, fo it plainly calls us to be one with him here, and to be partakers of the fame spirit and temper in which he lived on earth. When it is faid, that we are to imitate the life of Chrift, it is not meant, that we are called to the fame manner of life, or the fame fort of actions, for this cannot be; but it is certain, that we are called to the fame fpirit and temper, which was the fpirit and temper of our bleffed Saviour's life and actions. We are to be like him in heart and mind, to act by the fame rule, to look towards the fame end, and to govern our lives by the fame fpirit. This is an imitation of Jefus Christ, which is as neceffary to falvation, as it is neceffary to believe in his name. This is the fole end of all the counfels, commands and doctrines of Chrift, to make us like himself, to fill us with his spirit and temper, and make us live according to the rule and manner of his life. As no doctrines are true, but fuch as are according to the doctrines of Chrift, fo it is equally certain, that no life is regular or chriftian, but fuch as is according to the pattern and example of the life of Chrift. For he lived as infallibly as he taught; and it is as irregular to vary from his example, as it is falfe to diffent from his doctrines. To live as he lived, is as certainly the one fole way of living as we ought, as to believe as he taught, is the one fole way of believing as we ought. I am, faith the bleffed Jefus, The way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. Christians often hear thefe words, and perhaps think that they have enough fulfill'd them by believing in Jefus Chrift. But they fhould confider, that when Jefus Chrift faith he is the way, his meaning is, that his way of life is to be the way in which ali Chriftians are to live, and that it is by living after the manner of his life that any man cometh unto the Father. So that the doctrine of this paffage is this, that however we may call ourselves Chriftians, or difciples of Chrift, yet we cannot come unto unto God the Father, but by entering into that way of life, which was the way of our Saviour's life. And we must remember, that there is no other way befides this; nothing can poffibly bring us to God, but that way of life, which firft makes us one with Chrift, and teacheth us to walk as he walked. For we may as well expect to go to a heaven where Chrift is not, as to go to that where he is, without the fpirit and temper which carried him thither. If Chriftians would but fuffer themselves to reflect upon this duty, their own minds would foon convince them of the reafonableness and neceffity of it. For who can find the leaft fhadow of a reafon, why he should not imitate the life of Chrift, or why Chriftians fhould think of any other rule of life? It would be as eafy to fhew that Christ acted amifs, as that we need not act after his example. And to think that these are degrees of holinefs, which, tho' very good in themselves, are yet not neceffary for us to afpire after, is the fame abfurdity as to think, that it was not neceffary for our Saviour to have been fo perfect himself as he was. For, give but the reason why fuch degrees of holiness and purity became our Saviour, and you will give as good a reafon for us to afpire after them. For as the bleffed Jefus took not on him the nature of angels, but the nature of man, as he was in all points made like unto us, fin only excepted; fo we are fure, that there was no spirit or temper that was excellent in him, that recommended him to God, but would be also excellent in us, and recommend us to God, if we could arrive at it. If it should be faid, that Jefus was the Saviour of the world, that he was born to redeem mankind, was the Son of God, and therefore in a condition fo different from ours, that his life can be no rule of our life. To this it may be answered, that thefe differences don't make the life of Chrift to be lefs the rule and model of all Chriftians. For, as I obferved before, it is the Spirit and temper of Chrift, that all Chriftians are |