[3.] This example showeth what will be the issue and success of a life spent in patience and holiness. Christ, when he had fulfilled all righteousness, and suffered what was necessary for our redemption, went home to God, and entered into that glory he spake of, and was received up into heaven as the reward of his obedience : 1 Peter i. 21, ' God gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God.' That this might be a visible demonstration to the world what shall be the end of a life spent in holiness and obedience.
Use 1. Is information.
First, What little hopes they have to get to heaven who are no way like Christ.
1. So unlike him in holiness. When Christ spent whole nights in prayer, they either pray not at all in secret, or put off God with the glance of a short compliment ; it was as meat and drink to Christ to do his Father's will, and it is their burden ; Christ was humble and meek, they proud and disdainful ; Christ went about doing good, and they go about doing mischief ; Christ was holy and heavenly, they vain and sensual ; darkness is as much like light as they like Christ. In- stead of showing forth the virtues of the Kedeemer, they are of their father the devil, and his lusts will they do, 1 Peter ii. 1, compared with John viii. 4.
2. So unlike him in patience and courage under sufferings. Christ obeyed God at the dearest rates, and they are drawn from their duty by a small interest, a weak temptation, a shameful pleasm-e, a sliglit injury ; the greatest things that can befall us are, in comparison of eternal glory, but a light affliction, which is but for a moment. Our
308 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXXIX.
sufferings cannot be long, for the chains which unite the soul to the body are soon broken.
Secondly, It informeth lis how we should be satisfied in our good estate, or know whether we have the true holiness ; — viz., when we are such in the world as Christ was in the world. Some are satisfied, and content themselves with this, they are not as other men, who are beasts in man's shape: Luke xviii. 11, ' God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this pub- lican.' This is a sorry plea, when we have nothing to bear up our confidence but the badness of others. Others seek for virtue among the heathens, and think their perfection lieth in imitating the pagan gallantry ; but alas ! their virtue was but a shadow ; self-love was the principle, pride the soul, and vain-glory the end thereof ; besides, it was stained with many notorious blemishes. Alexander was valiant, but in his anger often dyed his hands in the blood of his friends ; Pompcy wise, but ambitious ; Cato generous, and stiff' for public liberty, but many times drank somewhat too liberally; Ccesar was merciful, but lascivious. No, it is not these, but the Son of God we must look upon, who hath established the genuine holiness. Others look no higher than the people who are in reputation for goodness among whom they live : but remember, they have their blemishes ; either they sit down with low degrees of holiness, — whereas we are to be ' holy as he is holy,' 1 Peter i. 15, ' pure as Christ is pure,' 1 John iii. 3, — or else are tainted with some of their errors ; for good people have their failings, which are authorised to the professing world by their example ; as sheep go out at the gap where others have gone out before them : 2 Cor. xi. 1, ' Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ.' Alas ! otherwise to follow the best men will mislead us. Others bolster up themselves by the failings of the saints, whose miscarriages are recorded in the word of God. Si David, cur non et ego ? — If David, why not I ? No, Christ must be the copy that must ever be before our eyes ; you must be holy as he is holy, and pure as he is pure.
Use 2. Is exhortation ; to persuade you to look after conformity to the image of his Son. All men would be like God in glory and felicity, but not in righteousness and holiness. Satan's temptation to our first parents was, ' Ye shall be as gods ; ' Gen. iii. 5, not in a blessed conformity, but a cursed self-sufficiency ; but this is no temp- tation we bring to you, but a remedy to recover the loss you incurred by that temptation, and a remedy not invented by ourselves, but decreed by God, and brought about in the most solemn way that can be imagined. The Son of God became one of us that we might be made like him : Phil. ii. 7, ' He was made in the likeness of men ; ' Piom. viii. 3, came ' in the similitude of sinful flesh,' took man's nature and punishment upon him, that he might purchase grace to conform us to that holy life which he carried on in our nature ; this is that we per- suade you unto. Now for directions.