[5.] In his piety towards God. If you consider the history of Christ, you will find him much in acts of devotion ; he was frequent, and fer- vent, and reverent in prayer. Frequent: Mark i. 35, 'And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed ; ' and Luke vi. 12, ' He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.' Alas ! we are weary in our ordinary stinted offices of the day. How soon do we grow weary of calling upon God ! but Christ spends whole nights in prayer. He was fervent : Luke xxii. 44, ' And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly.' And he was reverent ; when he was in the garden, ' he kneeled down and prayed,' Luke xxii. 41 ; ' And he fell on his face, and prayed,' Mat. xxvi. 39. He was a most dili- gent observer of the sabbath : Luke iv. 16, 'As his custom was, he went into the synogogue on the Sabbath-day ; ' he was diligent in frequenting the public assemblies. Oh ! how doth this confute those that, out of height of spirit and a proud conceit of themselves, are above ordinances, and say they were appointed only for christians of the lower form. He praised God for mean and coarse fare, when he had but five barley loaves and two fishes : ' He took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples,' John vi. 11. Alas ! when our tables are full furnished we have scarce any serious thoughts of God, that giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
[6.] In his spirituality and heavenly-mindedness. Christ came from heaven, and he lived in heaven all the while he was upon the earth. When he was at the well of Samaria, conferring with the woman there, he discourseth of the well that springs up to everlasting life : John iv. 14, ' Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.' He drew her from a discourse of ordinary water to a discourse of the water of life. When he was at supper at the pharisee's house, he discourseth of eating bread in God's
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kingdom : Lnke xiv. 15, ' Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.' When he had wrought the miracle of the loaves, he discom-seth of the bread of life and the manna that came down from heaven : John vi. 27, ' Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you.' When he was at the feast of tabernacles, where they were wont to pour out water, and so to make a pool near the tem- ple, he discourseth of rivers of water and of the fiowings of the Spirit: John vii. 38, 39, ' He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.' A rare pattern for us to follow. We should labour as to see all things in God, so to see God in all things, and to be heavenly-minded in all our enjoyments.
[7.] In his obedience to his mean earthly parents. Do you think this is a slight matter ? Christ was God blessed for evermore, yet he submitted to his poor parents. It is said, Luke ii. 51, 'He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them.' Though his parents were mean and despicable, yet he was subject to them, and (as it is most probable) he wrought in their mean trade ; for the Jews said, Mark vi. 3, ' Is not this the carpenter ? ' Not only the carpenter's son, but the carpenter; and Justin Martyr says, he was employed in making of yokes and ploughs. The great God becoming man, was subject to his parents. What a lesson hath Christ set to children ! Whatever you be, you can be no greater than Christ, and your parents can hardly be meaner than Joseph, and will you be stubborn and dis- obedient, and rather govern than be subject.
[8.] In the sweetness and beauty of his conversation, and yet in a strict and winning way. Many men's troubles come from themselves ; they are rough and sour, and do not walk amiably. There is a great deal of wisdom required of christians, that they should walk so strictl}^, and yet so pleasingly, that they may both represent and endear their religion to others. As it is said of Athanasius, that he was magnes et adcanas; he was a loadstone to draw the hearts of the people, and an adamant in the resistance of sin. But what do I speak of Athanasius, when a greater than Athanasius is here ? Jesus Christ did so sweetly dispose himself in all kind of conversation, that he grew up into favour both with God and man : Luke ii. 52, ' And Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour with God and man.' The meaning of which is this, the Lord Jesus was always perfect, and full of holiness, and not capable to receive more than he had ; but he growing from a child to a man, he grew more in wisdom and favour with God and man. As for example, suppose the sun in the firmament were a vegetative and growing creature, it would be full of light the first moment of its creation, yet growing bigger, its light would increase, though it were always full ; so Christ was always full of know- ledge and full of grace, yet according to his receptivity and capacity, so was grace conveyed to him. How many are there that decline, and pass from zeal to lukewarmness, from exactness in the ways of God to liberty and licentiousness ! This is to be a falling star, and to imitate the apostate angels, who fell from the state of purity and blessedness in which they were to a state of sin and misery. But Christ increased