inculcating faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ; whose righteousness we ought to put on daily, as that robe wherein alone a sinner can stand in the presence of his God. But, though this is our duty, yet it is not the duty that is here inculcated. The meaning of the Apostle is, that we should put on the graces of the Lord Jesus Christ, so as in all respects to attain his character, and resemble him. His words are of the same import with what he elsewhere says, " Put off the old man with his deeds ; and put on the new
mand."
Put ye on then, beloved,
1. His humility and self-denial —
[In these respects he is particularly proposed as an ex- ample to us : " Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ; who, being in the form of God, and thinking it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of no re- putation, and took upon him the form of a servante." Having assumed our nature, he submitted to all the privations of which our nature is capable ; being more destitute than even the beasts of the field or the fowls of the air, and " not having so much as a place where he might lay his head*"." When the people would have taken him to make him a king, he withdrew himself from them ; and chose rather the office of the meanest servant; condescending even to gird himself with a towel, and to wash his Disciples' feets. And this he did on purpose to shew us, that no office of love, however humiliating or self-denying, should be neglected by ush.
Let us, then, address ourselves to our duty in this respect. Let us abound in every possible exercise of love ; accounting nothing too great either to do or suffer, if by any means we may promote the welfare of man, and the honour of our God ]
2. His meekness and patience —
St. Paul, exhorting the Corinthians to an obediential respect for him, says, " I beseech you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ1'." And St. Peter informs us, that, in all that our blessed Lord endured, "he suffered for us; leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps ; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth ; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not;
<i Col. in. 9, 10. « Phil. ii. 5—8. ' Matt, viii, 20.
? John xiii. 4, 5. h John xiii. 14, 15. ' 2 Cor. x, 1.