[It is astonishing how irreverently even good persons will sometimes treat those portions of Scripture which militate against their sentiments or practice. The plainest declarations of God are considered as " hard sayings," and are slighted, either as impracticable in themselves, or as inapplicable to their case. But we must be careful to receive every word of God ; and to improve it as " a light to our feet and a lantern to our paths :" for it is only " by taking heed to it" that we can ever effectually " cleanse our wayh."]
3. Let Christ be set before us as our pattern and
example — .
[Wherever we can trace the steps of our blessed Lord, there we are to follow'. There were indeed some things in him which would not become us, because we are not called to the high office which he sustained. But the spirit of his actions should be copied by us, even where the actions them- selves would not be proper for our imitation. We should not attempt to fast forty days and forty nights ; but we should exercise self-denial. Nor should we speak of rulers in re- proachful terms k ; but we should be bold and faithful in the discharge of our duty. In doubtful circumstances it will be profitable to consider what he would have done if he had been precisely in our situation. By thus divesting ourselves of partiality, and proposing to ourselves his perfect pattern, we shall have our judgment assisted, and our conduct rectified.]
4. Let us lean to the side that mortifies, rather than to that which suits, our natural inclination —
[In the present corrupt state of human nature, we shall rarely, if ever, find our natural desires drawing with precision our line of duty. Self has too strong a bias, even where its tendencies most accord with the word of God : nor does it ever fail to operate in some measure. If therefore we lean to that side, we may be hurried, before we are aware, to great extremes, without any prospect of recovery. But if we lean rather to the opposite side, we are in no danger of being trans- ported much too far ; and we have a bias uniformly operating to bring us back to the line of moderation. This rule is founded on the supposition that our natural inclinations may, in some instances, prescribe what is right. But, in cases where the line of duty is at all doubtful, it will invariably be found safer at least, and in all human probability the only right way, to oppose and mortify self.]
5. Let us keep our minds open to conviction —
h Ps. cxix. 9. j 1 Jolmii. 6. 1 Pet. ii. 21.
k Luke xiii. 32. Acts xxiii. 5.