26. How to read the life of Christ in the gospel

How to read the life of Christ in the gospel

(2.) For his own particular, how holy and heavenly was he.† He takes occasion of vines, of stones, of water, of sheep, and all things to be heavenly minded, to raise his soul upon all occasions. And when he rose from the dead, and conversed with his disciples, what was his talk? He discoursed all of matters of the kingdom of heaven. So his whole disposition was heavenly and holy in himself, and patient in wrongs done to him. He did not return injury for injury. You see how meek he was. I give you but a touch of every particular. You may by proportion apply the rest. He was in his own particular holy and heavenly, and full of purity and holiness and heavenliness.

(3.) What was he to his enemies? Did he call for fire from heaven when they wronged him? Was he all on a heat? When his poor disciples, being more flesh than spirit, would have fire from heaven, ’You know not what spirit you are of,’ saith he, Luke 9:55. He shed tears for those that shed his blood, ’Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem,’ &c., Matthew 23:37, that afterward crucified him. And upon the cross you see there to his very enemies, ’Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,’ Luke 23:34. So then if we will be like to Christ, consider how he carried himself to God in devotion and obedience, and how in himself he was full of purity and holiness, unspotted every way; how to his friends, to all that had any goodness in them; and how to his enemies, he prayed for his very enemies.

(4.) And for the devil himself. Deal with him as Christ did, that is, have no terms with him, although he come to us in our nearest friends. He came to Christ in Peter. ’Satan avoid,’ saith he, Matthew 16:23. If the devil come to us in our wives, in our children, in our friends, ’avoid Satan.’ Satan comes to us sometime in our friends, to give corrupt judgment, to maintain self causes, to do this or that that may crack our conscience. Discern the devil in our best friends; for sometime they may be the trunks* of the devil. The devil may convey his spirit through Peter. Let us imitate Christ. Discern between our friends’ love and the subtilty of the devil in them, and be able to give them an avaunt, ’avoid Satan.’ We see Christ when he encountered Satan, he fights not with Satan’s weapons; and when he was to deal with his instruments, but with the word of God. He gives not reproach for reproach, nor sophistry for sophistry; but ’It is written,’ Matthew 4:4, et alibi, shewing that we must encounter Satan with God’s armoury, with weapons out of the book of God. And then when Satan would confess him, and make much of him, ’Oh thou art the Son of God,’ he would have nothing to do with him. So those that are manifestly led with the spirit of Satan, and would press kindness on us, have nothing to do with them so far. As we say of the devil he is not alway a liar, but he alway cozeneth; so take those that are led by the spirit of the devil, that are Jesuited papists, they lie not in all, but there is cozening in all; for all is but snaring kindness and gifts that will hurt more. All offers from Satan, and those that are led with the spirit of Satan, we ought to suspect, as Christ we see when Satan offered him a kindness, he saw he was to be took heed of. Therefore saith he, ’away,’ you and your kindness. So have nothing to do with devilish men. Those are best at ease, and prosper most that have least to do with them; those that see they are alway deceivers though they be not alway liars; those that are nearest hostility prosper best. Thus you see a taste of Christ’s carriage to his friends, to his enemies, to Satan. And for hypocrites he speaks, ’Woe to them,’ Matthew 23:13. He hated them above all the proud Pharisees. I might spend much time in going over particulars in the gospel, to see what expressions there are of Jesus Christ.