66 pensable one, to put on the Lord Jesus Christ; since He hath condescended to do somewhat the like, as concerning us. Shall not we aspire to imitate His excellent goodness, who condescended for our sake to be "found in fashion " as a man," being mysteriously "clothed upon" with our suffering nature? When he was "born of the Virgin Mary" into the world, then did He so greatly condescend; then did that everlasting Son of the Father, in His own free love and pity, undertake the burden of our manifold infirmities and pains, and bear them about with Him, a number of years, going in and out amongst men. Hence, we are very strongly obliged (unless we would appear shamefully unworthy) to adopt, and constantly exhibit the righteousness and true holiness which belonged to Him. And the more, be cause, in putting us on, the Lord Christ greatly humbled and abased Himself; He exchanged heaven for earth, He forsook the bliss of His Father's bosom to become a man of sorrows, and to taste the bitterness of death; whereas, in putting Him on, consists our highest glory and salvation: His nature (if we will be clothed upon with it) exalts us, just as our nature, which He assumed, brought Him low. Thus we are bound, yea, and even a necessity is laid upon us, by the marvellous condescension of Jesus Christ for our great and endless benefit, to do obediently, as He hath given commandment by his Apostle. Considering this, you should account it a horrible ingratitude to withstand Him. Also, Christians should reckon themselves equally compelled by a consideration of their special circumstances and prospects; "Ye are come," says the Apostle to the Hebrews, "unto the city of the living God, and “to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, "which are written in heaven, and to God, the "Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made 66 perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new "covenant." (Hebrews xii. 22, 23, 24.) May any one so situated-called a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, and consequently a member of such an excellent society-refuse to put on the appointed vestment? Verily not, except he would be cast out with indignation, as a presumptuous, and an unqualified intruder. In order to secure his welcome there, a man must neither be in his old sins, nor, having laid them aside, in a state of nakedness, or unadorned; but he must have on him the proper robe. He must have diligently watched, and prayed, and endeavoured to procure and array himself therein; or he will surely find, at the last, that he hath been admitted to this high and goodly fellowship, only to be proclaimed unworthy of it, and to be driven away" with "everlasting contempt." "There shall in no "wise enter into the Jerusalem which is above, "to dwell there, any thing that defileth, nei"ther whatsoever worketh abomination, or "maketh a lie; but they which are written in "the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation xxi. 27.) And surely, of the many who profess and call themselves Christians, they alone shall be written in that Book, who, "in much patience, "in distresses, in labours, by pureness, by long 66 suffering, by kindness, by love unfeigned, by "the word of truth, and by the armour of " righteousness," (2 Cor. vi. 7.) have followed after, and in some good measure have attained, even to resemble the Lamb. Thus, my brethren, have I endeavoured to explain what you should understand by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ; and how comfortable and indispensable it is, for all who name His name, so to do. It only remains, in a few concluding words, to mention the principal way, or means, by which you may best succeed in the attempt. By no means, then, can one better prepare and enable himself to fulfil the injunction above explained, than by a diligent perusal of the history of Jesus Christ, on the earth. The four opening books of the New Testament, which contain this history, and thence have been entitled, for a distinction, the four Gospels, are probably the plainest, and, to simple-minded persons, the most interesting, of the whole number which are included in Holy Scripture. Search in them, and see, and recollect, how your Lord and Saviour used to bear all things, and to think, and speak, and act, while fulfilling His course; and be instructed to think, and speak, and act likewise, making only the necessary difference, on account of the difference of your several stations. Be frequent both in reading and hearing of Christ, and in seriously pondering the manner of Him, as the most effectual method to acquire His mind. Keep His perfect example ever fresh in your memory, with a view to imitate it on every practicable occasion, and you will find such occasions more in number, than the careless and forgetful can well imagine, and will soon begin to appear indeed new men. St. Paul writes, in another of his Epistles, "We all beholding as "in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed "into the same image from glory to glory as "by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. iii. 18.) Take heed therefore, and yield yourselves to be so desirably changed in heart, and soul, and conduct, from beholding your Redeemer's holy |