[2.] In his humility, Christ did not this out of necessity, but choice : Mat. XX. 28, ' The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
490 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. VII.
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' He came not in the pomp and equipage of princes, but in the form of a servant. How fc^hould this check aspiring after and affecting domination, especially in the church. They that love pre-eminence, and would be great and high, seem to affect another Jesus. They that rend and tear all to pieces, either to uphold their greatness or grow greater, have not the same mind that was in Jesus. You should be humble and lowly, and condescending to the meanest offices. It is worth your observation, that in the gospel we are so often told that, after the Lord Jesus had performed some eminent miracle, he withdrew himself, and retired from the multitude, that so he might not be mixed with their praises. Thus when he received that glorious testimony from heaven, declaring him to be the Son of God : Mat. iii. 17, ' And lo a voice from heaven, saying, Tliis is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; ' he retired into the wilderness. So when he had raised his fame by curing diseases, he ascended up into a mountain, or retired into a ship, and leaves the multitude ; and when they would have crowned him king, he refused it : all these were arguments and instances of his humiHty. Hear and wonder at what you read : John. xiii. 3, ' Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God.' A magnificent preface ! Now one would have thought that some rare act of empire, sovereignty, and dominion should have followed. No ; ver. 4, 5, he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash his disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. The disciples did not wash the feet of their Lord, but the Lord washed the disciples' feet ; and what was the meaning of this ? See ver. 15, ' For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.'
[3.] In love to the saints : John xiii. 34, * A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another;' and John xv. 12, 'This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.' Oh ! how express are these injunctions. There is nothing in which Christ was more eminent than in his love ; no rancour of spirit, no boiling up of env}^, but all love. The apostle propounds it to husbands : Eph. ii. 25, ' Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church.' Now how did Christ love his church ? With a great love, so as to die for his church. The love of Christ was sincere, not for by-ends ; he loved saints as saints, because of his interest in them. So should we love those in whom we see most of the image of God. It was not a blaze, but a constant abiding love ; whom he loves he loves unto the end ; so must we love the saints. It is true Jesus loved some above others : ' John was the beloved disciple,' John xxi. 20. There was eKkeKTWv eKXeKrorepot, the flower of the disciples, whom he loved most, but he loved them all. We should love not in word, but in deed and in truth. Oh ! be filled with love to God and love to the saints, who have his image stamped upon them. You that are believers have cause to love one another. Have we not all the same Father ? Are we not children begotten of the same holy seed, the word ? Do we not all suck at the same
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bi-easts of the promises ? Do we not all sit at the same table, at the Lord's supper? Are we not all clothed with the same robe of Christ's righteousness ? and do we not all expect the same glory ?
[4.] In his usefulness and profitableness, and of this the whole gospel is a narrative and history. Therefore when the apostle would sum up the life of Christ, he tells us this, Acts x. 38, ' He went about doing good, giving eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, speech to the dumb, healing every sickness, and every disease among the people,' Mat. ix. 35. Full of compassion to the souls of men, Jesus Christ was nothing else but charity covered over with flesh and blood ; he was always either giving of blessings or forgiving of sins. All his miracles were not actions of pomp, but of relief and succour, unless it were blasting the fig-tree and sending the herd of swine into the sea, and the fig-tree was barren and the swine was of little use in the Jewish countries. All the miracles of Christ were salutary and healing. AVe never read he destroyed one man by his miracles, but saved many: Eph. V. 1, 2, 'Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us.' Oh ! that we could learn this ! None is born for himself, but for the community, and it is better to give than to receive.