September 18

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

LET us remember that we must “bear the image of the heavenly,” as we “have borne the image of the earthly;” that the “same mind” must “be in us that was in him;” that we are Christians no further than we are “joined to the Lord” and “of one Spirit;” for “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” And are we then imitators of the good One?

Are we those who cannot “condescend to men of low estate,” who answer roughly, who despise the poor? Are these imitators of the good One,-of Him who said, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls,”- “of Him who was “in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”?

Are those who are resentful, who, though it be “the glory of a man to pass by a transgression,” cannot forgive a trifling, perhaps an unintentional, offence in a fellow-creature or a fellow-Christian? Are these imitators of the good One, who said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” even while they were murdering him?

Are those who are slothful, who live but to eat, and to drink, and to slumber, and to saunter? Are these imitators of the good One,- of Him who said, “I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh wherein no man can work”?

Are those who are covetous, who join field to field and house to house, who only mind earthly things,-are these imitators of the good One,-of Him who said, “Lay not up for yourself treasures upon earth,” “give alms of such things as ye have,” “and behold, all these things shall be added unto you”?

And are the niggardly, who have this world’s goods, and their brethren have need, and shut up their bowels of compassion against them, are these imitators of the good One,-of Him who, “when he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich,” “who loved us and gave himself for us”?

Are those who are prayerless, imitators of the good One,-of Him who rose up early before it was day and went into a certain place and there prayed,-who “went up into a mountain and continued all night in prayer to God,”-are these imitators of the good One?

Are those who mourn and repine under every trial by which they are exercised? Are these imitators of the good One,-of Him who, “though a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” yet in the midst of the church sang praises unto God, and said, “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”

Oh, happy is he who is able to say, with dear Bunyan’s Pilgrim, “I always loved to hear of my Lord; and whenever I saw the print of his shoe I wished to put my foot there.” Happy they who can sing, with Dr. Watts,-

“Such was thy truth, and such thy zeal.

Such deference to thy Father’s will,

Such love, and meekness so divine,

I would transcribe and make them mine.”