November 17

He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.—1 John 2:6.

ONE great means by which our Redeemer restores us to holiness, is by exhibiting a complete pattern of it in his life upon earth. For the discovery how influential this is upon us, we must consider, that of all the most noble works, the principal cause is an exact pattern in the mind of the agent which he endeavors to imitate; and examples are of the same nature. He that desires to excel in painting or sculpture, must view the most accomplished pieces of these arts. Thus in morality, the consideration of eminent actions performed by others, is of admirable efficacy to raise us to perfection. That examples have a peculiar power above the naked precept, to dispose us to the practice of holiness, appears by considering,

1. That they most clearly express to us the nature of our duties in their subjects and sensible effects. General precepts form abstract ideas of virtue; but in examples, virtues are made visible in all their circumstances.

2. Precepts instruct us what things are our duty, but examples assure us that they are possible. They resemble a clear stream, wherein we may not only discover our spots, but wash them off. When we see men like ourselves, who are united to frail flesh, and in the same condition with us, to command their passions, to overcome the most glorious and glittering temptations, we are encouraged in our spiritual warfare.

3. Examples, by a secret and lively incentive, urge us to imitation. The Romans kept in their houses the pictures of their progenitors, to heighten their spirits, and provoke them to follow the precedents set before them. We are touched in another manner by the visible practice of saints, which reproaches our defects, and obliges us to the same zeal, than by laws, though holy and good. Now the example of Christ is most proper to form us to holiness, it being absolutely perfect, and adapted to our present state.

1. It is absolutely perfect. There is no example of a mere man, that is to be followed without limitation. Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ, saith the great apostle. Nay, if the excellences of all good men were united in one, yet we might not securely follow him in all things: for his remaining defects might be so disguised by the virtues to which they were joined, that we should err in our imitation. But the life of Christ was as the purest gold, without any alloy of baser metal. His conversation was a living law. He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. He united the efficacy of example with the direction of precepts; his actions always answered his words. Christianity, the purest institution in the world, is only a conformity to his pattern. The universal command of the gospel, that comprises all our duties, is, to walk as Christ walked.

2. His example is well adapted to our present state. There must be some proportion between the model, and copy that is to be drawn by it. Now the divine nature is the supreme rule of moral perfections. We are commanded to be holy, as God is holy. But such is the obscurity of our minds, and the weakness of our natures, that the pattern was too high and glorious to be expressed by us. We had not strength to ascend to him, but he had goodness to descend to us: and in this present state to set before us a pattern more fitted to our capacity. Although light is the proper object of sight, yet the radiancy and immense light of the sun in the meridian is invisible to our sight; we more easily discover the reflection of it in some opaque body: so the Divine attributes are sweetened in the Son of God incarnate; and being united with the graces proper for the human nature, are more perceptible to our minds, and more imitable by us. This was one great design of his coming into the world, to set before us in his doing and suffering, not a mere spectacle for our wonder, but a copy to be transcribed in our hearts and lives. He therefore chose such a tenor of life as every one might imitate. His supreme virtue expressed itself in such a temperate course of actions, that as Abimelech said to his followers, Look on me and do likewise; so our true Abimelech, our Father and Sovereign, calls upon us to imitate him. He assumed the human nature, that we might partake of the divine, not only by his merit, but example. Therefore, He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk, even as he walked.

To walk as Christ walked, is to walk humbly before God, obediently to the Divine law, and in love to mankind. These virtues shine most conspicuously in the life of Christ. The life of Christ is a globe of precepts, a model of perfection, set before us for our imitation. Here every virtue is illustrated and commended. Hence to walk as Christ walked, is to be holy in all manner of conversation.

In short, his excellent example not only enlightens our minds to discover our duty, but enables and excites us to perform it. As the eye in beholding visible objects receives their image; so by contemplating the graces that are conspicuous in our Redeemer, we derive a similitude from them. We all, saith the apostle, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, (that is, by viewing in the gospel the life of Christ which was glorious in holiness,) we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord; that is, gradually fashioned in grace according to his likeness.

And what can more powerfully move and persuade us to holiness, than to consider the example that Christ has set before us? For how honorable is it to be like the Son of God? By conformity to Christ we partake of the divine perfections. The King of heaven will acknowledge us for his children, when we bear the resemblance of our elder Brother. Besides the motive of honor, love doth strongly incline us to follow holiness in imitation of our Redeemer. This is one difference between knowledge and love; the understanding draws the object to itself, and transforms it into its own likeness: thus material objects have an immaterial existence in the mind when it contemplates them. But love goes forth to the object loved: the soul is more where it loves than where it lives; that is, there is more of its intellectual presence, its thoughts and desires, and it always affects a resemblance to it. Thus love humbled God, and made him like to us in nature; and love exalts man, by making him like to God in holiness: for it excites us to imitate and express in our actions the virtues of him who hath called us to his kingdom and glory.