not ferve thy Gods," Dan. iii. 17, 18. He will truft God, either to preferve the comforts which are moft threatened for God's fake, or to preserve his foúl to his heavenly kingdom. A regard to God alone will reach our inward temper in all we do: and that is of principal account with him in reference to every grace and virtue. This principle alone will make us concerned to cultivate purity of heart, as well as of converfation; to fupprefs malice, and hatred, and envy in our breafts, as well as the outward expreffions of them; to guard againft "the thought of foolifhnefs." An eye to God as "the fearcher of hearts," as "defiring truth in the inward parts," will induce a man to look principally to the difpofition of the heart, but a fair outfide will ferve a man, who lives without God in the world. 4. A godly temper is eminently recommended to Chriftians by the example of their Lord and Master. The man Chrift Jefus was the greatest pattern of genuine piety that ever was fhewn to the world. And in this respect, as well as others, "the fame mind fhould be in us, as was in Chrift." The bleffed Jefus ever fhewed through his whole courfe the most deep and fixed fenfe of God upon his mind. It never was true of any in fuch an eminent degree as it was of him, that he was in the fear of the Lord all the day long." All his actions, all his motions, the minutest steps of life, bespoke an eye directed to God. He teftified his love to his Father in the Q most expensive inftances. This was a principle of his obedience unto death, even fuperior to his love to mankind. When he knew the time of his fufferings was just at hand, inftead of endeavouring to evade them, he hastens into the fatal garden, that he might testify his affection to his Father and his interefts. That the world may know (fays he) that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even fo I do; arife, let us go hence,” John xiv. 31. let us quit this place, and go into the garden, where the fcene of my agonies is to begin. His truft in God was very confpicuous through his courfe. This made him unconcerned in all the dangers of his life. When his difciples expoftulated with him about his intention of returning into Judea, because the Jews there had fo lately fought to stone him; Jefus anfwered, John xi. 9, 10. "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he feeth the light of this world: but if a man walketh in the night, he stumbleth." The meaning of which I take to be this: "The "day in the course of nature is a safe time for "bufinefs; a man is in no great danger of fal❝ling, while he has the advantage of day-light: "fo while my appointed day for the exercise "of my miniftry lafts, in the course of provi"dence, I am not afraid of my enemies, how "malicious and watchful foever they may be "against me. While I have work to do, I "am immortal." When his laft fufferings were actually approaching, and he forefaw that that his difciples would all be fcattered from him; yet he fupported himself with the thought of his Father's prefence, John xvi. 32. "Ye fhall be fcattered every one to his own, and fhall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, becaufe the Father is with me." When one of his difciples drew a fword in his defence; after he had expreffed his diflike of that action in his circumstances, he declares his full confidence of his Father's readiness to affift him, if there was occafion, Mat. xxvi. 54. "Thinkeft thou, that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he fhall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" If those words of his upon the cross should appear to intimate fome diftrust, when he cries out, "Why haft thou forfaken me?" it may be obferved, that in the fame breath he claims his intereft in God; beginning his complaint with this, "My God, My God:" and fince he applies himself to God at the time, as to one in whom he had a fure intereft, I queftion whether we are to understand the complaint, as bespeaking his apprehenfion of any real defertion of his Father. He rather feems to complain of the great contempt and reproach caft upon him by his enemies, when they had juft before infulted him, as if he was forfaken of God, because he was not refcued from the crofs, Mat. xxvii. 43. "He trufted in God; let him deliver him, if he will have him." And "the thieves, (it is faid,) caft the fame in his teeth," ver. 44. Now in his cry, which fol 66 lows in ver. 46. My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me ?" his defign feems to be be to exprefs the ftedfaft continuance of his truft in God; and at the fame time to intimate, that he esteemed this one of the bitterest taunts which his enemies had thrown out upon him, that God fhould be thought to have abandoned him; and a very cutting part of his fufferings, that they fhould be made the occafion of fuch a thought. So that this is indeed an illuftrious inftance of his truft in God, when he was moft derided for it. The fame confidence in God he discovered to the laft. When he was near his end, he was confident that he should be that day in paradife ; and not only fo, but also, that the dying thief who was converted to a furprizing faith in him, in his loweft condition, fhould be with him there, Luke xxiii. 43. And with his expiring breath he committed his departing foul to his Father: "Father, into thy hands I commend my fpirit," ver. 46. How ftrongly is truft in God recommended to all his followers, by his fixed exercise of it through life down to death! He was equally a pattern to us in ready obedience to his Father's will. Having undertaken to be his fervant in the work of our redemption, he came into the world to do his will, Heb. x. 7. And when he was actually entered upon it, it was his meat to do the will of him that fent him," John iv. 34. took more pleasure in any action of fervice to. God, than in partaking of the neceflary recruits of nature. The work affigned him was kept perpetually in his eye; and he reckonod a neceffity to lie upon him to perform it, He John John ix. 4. "I muft work the works of him that fent me, while it is day." In the performance of that work, he exactly obferved the inftructions given him, in all he spoke or did whence he could fay, John viii. 28. “I do nothing of myfelf." And chap. xii. 50. "Whatfoever I fpeak, even as the Father faid unto me, fo I fpeak." He did not refuse the most difficult and self-denying fervices, but was "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," Phil. ii. 8. How would our obedience fhine, if it were formed upon this model !. He chearfully fubmitted to divine difpofal in all circumftances of his condition. He had his eye to the providence of God, more than the hand of man, in his sufferings: fo he tells Pilate, John xix. 11. " Thou couldft have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above." to this difpofal of God, he entirely fubmits. "Not as I will, but as thou wilt," Mat. xxvi. 39. "The cup, which my Father hath given me, fhall I not drink it ?" And He God's glory was his conftant end. "fought not his own glory," John viii. 50. but the glory of him that fent him," John vii. 18. and therefore was content to undergo the loweft abafement, to advance the divine honour. Nothing awakened his zeal fo much, as difhonour caft upon God, or that which belonged to him. "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up," John ii. 17. This was fo uniformly his defign, and the fcope of all his 2. life |