souls. Job xiii. 23., " How many are my iniquities ?" Our sins are as the sands of the sea lor number, as the rocks of the sea for weiglit. Austin cries out, Vce mihifoe- cibuft j)eccatoritm. polliritur templum Domiiii ! My heart, which is (lod's temple, is pollut- ed witli sin. — (2.) If we look jnxta nos, — about us, here is that may humble lis. We may see other Christians out-shining us in gifts and graces, as the sun out-shines the lesser planets Others are laden with fruit, perhaps we have but here and there an o- live-berry growing, to shew that we are of the right kind, Isa. xvii. 6. — (3.) If we look infra nos, — below us, here is that may humble us. We may see the mother earth, out of which we came. The earth is the most ignoble element. Job. xxx. 8., " They were viler than the earth." Thou that dost set up thy scutcheon, and blaze thy coat of arms, behold thy pedigree ; thou art but pulvis animatus, — walking ashes : and wilt thou be proud ? What is Adam ? He is the son of dust. And what is dust ? Tlie son of nothing. — (4.) If we look supra nos, — above us, here is that may humble lis. If we look up to heaven, there we may see God resisting the proud. Superbos se- quitur ultor a tergo Dens. The proud man is the mark which God shoots at, and he never misses the mark. He threw proud Lucifer out of heaven, — he thrust proud Nebuchadnezzar out of his throne, and turn- ed liim to eat grass, Dan. iv. 33., O then be like Christ in humility !
3. Did Christ take our flesh ? was he made like to us ? let us be made like to him in zeal, John ii. 17., " The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up." He was zealous when his Father was dishonoured. In this let us be like Christ, zealous for God's truth and glory, which are the two orient pearls of the crown of heaven. Zeal is as needful for a Christian, as salt for the sa- crifice, or fire on the altar. Zeal without prudence, is rashness ; prudence without zeal, is cowardliness. Without zeal, our duties are not acceptable to God. Zeal is like rosin to the bow-strings, without which the lute makes no music.
4. Be like Christ, in the contempt of the world. When Christ took our flesh, he came not in the pride of flesh, he did not
descend immediately from kings and no- bles, but was of mean parentage. Christ was not ambitious of titles of honour. Christ did as much decline the worldly dignity and greatness as others seek it, Wlien they would have made him a king, he refused it; he chose rather to ride upon the foal of an ass, than to be drawn in a chariot ; and to hang upon a wooden cross, than to wear a golden crown. Christ scorned the pomp and glory of the world : he waved secular affairs, Luke xii. 14., " Who made me a judge ?" His work was not to arbitrate matters of law ; he came not into the world to be a magistrate, but a Redeemer. Christ was like a star in an higher orb, he minded nothing but heaven. Was Christ made like us ? let us be made like him, in heavenliness and contempt of the world. Let us not be ambitious of the honours and preferments of the Avorld ; let us not purchase the world Avith the loss of a good conscience. What wise man would damn himself to grow rich ? or pull down his soul, to build up an estate ? Be like Christ in an holy contempt of the world.
5. Be like Christ in conversation. Was Christ incarnate? was he made like us? let us be made like him in holiness of life. No temptation could fasten upon Christ, John xiv. 30., " The prince of this world Cometh, and hath nothing in me." Temp- tation to Christ was like a spark of fire upon a marble pillar, which glides off. Christ's life, saith Chrysostom, was brigh- ter than the sunbeams. Let us be like him in this, 1 Pet. i. 15., " Be ye holy in all manner of conversation." We are not, saith Austin, to be like Christ in working miracles, but in a holy life. A Christian should be both a loadstone and a diamond, — a loadstone, in drawing others to Christ, — a diamond, casting a sparkling lustre of holiness in his life. O let us be so just in our dealings, so true in our promises, so de- vout in our worship, so unblaineable in our lives, that we may be the walking pictures of Christ ! Thus as Christ was made in our likeness, let us labour to be made in his likeness.
Branch 3. If Jesus Christ was so abas- ed for us, — he took our flesh which was a disparagement to him, — it was mingUiig
CHRIST'S EXALTATION.
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