-- Grand Direct. VII. To learn of Christ as our Teacher. How? The Imitation of Christ
scruples, as shall make holy obedience seem to you an impossible or a tiresome thing.'—When you are asleep in carelessness, he, can use you as he list: and if obedience be made grievous and ungrateful to you, your heart will go against it, and you will go but like a tired horse, no longer than you feel the spur: you are half conquered already, because you have lost the love and pleasure of obedience; and you are still in danger lest difficulties should quite tire you, and weariness make you yield at last. The means by which the tempter effecteth this must afterward be spoken of, and therefore I shall omit it here.
By the faithful practice of these Directions, obedience may become, as it were, your nature; a familiar, easy, and delightful thing: and may be like a cheerful servant or child, that waiteth for your commands, and is glad to be employed by you. Your full subjection of your wills to God will be as the health, the ease, and quietness of your wills: you will feel that it is never well or easy with you, but when you are obedient and pleasing to your Creator's will. Your "delight will be in the law of the Lord," It will be sweeter than honey to you, and better than thousands of gold and silver: and this not for any by respect, but as it is the "law of God;" a "light unto your feet," and an infallible guide in all your duty. You will say with David, "I will delight myself in thy statutes; I will not forget thy word. Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments, for therein do I delightl." And, "I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." And,
"Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; that delighteth greatly in his commandmentsn."
Grand Direct. VII.
'Continue as the covenanted scholars of Christ, the Prophet and Teacher of his church, to learn of him, by his Spirit, word, and ministers, the farther knowledge of God, and the things that tend to your salvation; and this with an honest, willing mind; in faith, humility, and diligence; in obedience, patience, and peace.'
Though I spake before, of our coming to God by Jesus Christ, as he is the way to the Father; it is meet that we distinctly speak of our relation and duty to him, as he is our teacher, our captain, and our master; as well as of our improving him, as Mediator immediately unto God. The necessity of believers, and the office and work of Christ himself, doth tell us, how much of our religion doth consist in learning of him, as his disciples. "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, him shall you hear."
This was the voice that came out of the cloud in the holy mount, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye himp."
Therefore is the title of disciples commonly given to believers. And there is a twofold teaching, which Christ hath sent his ministers to perform; both mentioned in their commission, Matt. 28:19, 20. The one is, to "teach the nations;" so as to make disciples of them, by persuading them into the school of Christ, which containeth the teaching of faith and repentance, and whatever is necessary to their first admission, and to their subjecting themselves to Christ himself, as their stated and infallible Guide. The other is, the teaching them further to know more of God, "and to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them." And this last is it we are now to speak of, and I shall add some sub-directions for your help.
Directions for Learning of Christ, as our Teacher Direct. I. 'Remember who it is that is your teacher: that he is the Son of God, that knoweth his Father's will, and is the most faithful,
infallible Pastor of the church.'—There is neither ignorance, nor negligence, nor ambition, nor deceit in him, to cause him to conceal the mind of God. There is nothing which we need to know, which he is not both able and willing to acquaint us with.
Direct. II. 'Remember what it is that he teacheth you, and to what end.'—That it is not how to sin, and be damned, as the devil, the world, and the flesh would teach you; nor how to satisfy your lusts, or to know, or do, or attain the trifles of the world: but it is how to be renewed to the image of God, and how to do his will, and please him, and how to be justified at his bar, and how to escape everlasting fire, and how to attain everlasting joys: consider this well, and you will gladly learn of such a teacher.
Direct. III. 'Let the book which he himself hath indited by his Spirit, be the rule, and principal matter of your learning.'—The Holy
Scriptures are of Divine inspiration: it is them that we must be judged by, and them that we must be ruled by; and, therefore, them that we must principally learn. Men's books and teachings, are but the means for our learning this infallible word.
Direct. IV. 'Remember that, as it is Christ's work to teach, it is your's to hear, and read, and study, and pray, and practise what you hear.'—
Do your part, then, if you expect the benefit. You come not to the school of Christ to be idle. Knowledge droppeth not into the sleepy dreamer's mouth. Dig for it, as for silver, and search for it in the Scriptures, as for a hidden treasure. Meditate in them day and night.
Leave it to miserable fools, to contemn the wisdom of the Most High.
Direct. V. 'Fix your eye upon himself, as your pattern and study, with earnest desire to follow his holy example, and to be made conformable to him.'—Not to imitate him in the works which were proper to him as God, or as Mediator; but in his holiness, which he
hath proposed to his disciples for their imitation. He knew how effectual a perfect example would be, where a perfect doctrine alone would be less regarded. Example bringeth doctrine nearer to our eye and heart; it maketh it more observable, and telleth us with more powerful application, 'such you must be, and thus you must do.' The eye maketh an easier and deeper impression on the imagination and mind, than the ear doth: therefore Christ's example, should be much preached and studied. It will be a very great help to us, to have still upon our minds, the image of the holy life of Christ; that we be affected, as if we always saw him doing the holy actions which once he did. Paul calls the Galatians, "foolish," and "bewitched," that "obeyed not the truth, when Christ had been set forth as crucified among them, evidently before their eyes." Papists think that images serve well for this turn: but the records of Scripture, and the living images of Christ, whom they persecute and kill, are far more useful.
How much example is more operative than doctrine alone, you may perceive by the enemies of Christ, who can bear his holy doctrine, when they cannot bear his holy servants, that practise that doctrine before their eyes. And that which most stirs up their enmity, hath the advantage for exciting the believer's piety.
Let the image of Christ, in all his holy examples, be always lively written upon your minds. 1. Let the great ones of the world remember, that their Lord was not born of such as bore rule, or were in worldly pomp and dignity, but of persons that lived but meanly in the world (however, they were of the royal line): how he was not born in a palace, but a stable, and laid in a manger, without the attendance or accommodation of the rich.
2. Remember how he subjected himself unto his reputed father, and his mother, to teach all children subjection and obedience.
3. And how he condescended to labour at a trade, and mean employment in the world; to teach us that our bodies, as well as our minds, must express their obedience, and have their ordinary employment; and to teach men to labour and live in a calling; and to comfort poor labourers, with assurance that God accepteth them in the meanest work, and that Christ himself lived so before them, and chose their kind of life, and not the life of princes and nobles, that live in pomp, and ease, and pleasure.
4. Remember how he refused not to submit to all the ordinances of God, and to fulfil all righteousness, and to be initiated into the solemn administration of his office by the baptism of John, which God approved, by sending down upon him the Holy Ghost: to teach us all to expect his Spirit in the use of his ordinances.
5. Remember how he voluntarily begun his work, with an encounter with the tempter in the wilderness, upon his fasting: and suffered the tempter to proceed, till he moved him to the most odious sin, even to worship the devil himself: to teach us that God loveth tried servants, and expecteth that we be not turned from him by temptations; especially those that enter upon a public ministry, must be tried men, that have overcome the tempter: and to comfort tempted
Christians, who may remember, that their Saviour himself was most blasphemously tempted, to as odious sins as ever they were; and that to be greatly tempted, without consenting or yielding to the sin, is so far from being a sin in itself, that it is the greatest honour of our obedience; and that the devil, who molesteth and haunteth us with his temptations, is a conquered enemy, whom our Lord in person hath overcome.
6. Remember how earnestly and constantly he preached; not stories, or jingles, or subtle controversies, but repentance, and faith, and
self-denial, and obedience. So great was his love to souls, that, when he had auditors, he preached, not only in the temple and synagogues, but in mountains, and in a ship, and any other convenient place; and no fury of the rulers or Pharisees could silence him, till his hour was come, having his Father's commission. And even to particular persons, he vouchsafed, by conference, to open the mysteries of salvation: to teach us to love and attend to the plain and powerful preaching of the Gospel, and not to forbear any necessary means for the honour of God, and the saving of souls, because of the enmity, or opposition of malicious men, but to "work while it is day, seeing the night is coming when none can worku."
7. Remember how compassionate he was to men's bodies, as well as to their souls; going up and down with unwearied diligence, doing good; healing the blind, and lame, and deaf, and sick, and possessed; and how all his miracles were done in charity, to do good: and none of them to do hurt: so that he was but living, walking LOVE and MERCY. To teach us to know God, in his love and mercy; and to abound in love and mercy to our brethren; and to hate the spirit of hurtfulness, persecution, and uncharitableness; and to lay out ourselves in doing good; and to exercise our compassion to the bodies of men, as well as to their souls according to our power.
8. Remember how his zeal and love endured the reproach, and resisted the opposition of his friends, who went to lay hold on him as if he had been beside himself: and how he bid Peter "Get behind me satan; thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things of God, but those of men," when in carnal love and wisdom he rebuked him for resolving to lay down his life, saying, "Be it far from thee, this shall not be unto thee." To teach us to expect that carnal love and wisdom in our nearest friends, will rise up against us in the work of God, to discourage us both from duty and from sufferings:
and that all are to be shaken off; and counted as the instruments of satan, that would tempt us to be unfaithful to our trust and duty, and to favour ourselves by a sinful avoiding of the sufferings which God doth call us to undergo.
9. Remember how through all his life, he despised the riches of the world, and chose a life of poverty, and was a companion of the meanest, neither possessing sumptuous houses, or great attendance, or spacious lands, or a large estate. He lived in a visible contempt of all the wealth and splendor, and greatness of the world: to teach us how little these little things are to be esteemed; and that they are none of the treasure and portion of a saint; and what a folly it is to be fond of such snares, and diversions, and temptations which make the way to heaven to be to us, as a needle's eye.
10. Observe, how little he regardeth the honour and applause of men; how "he made himself of no reputation, but took upon him the form of a servant," refusing to be "made a king," or to have a "kingdom of this world." Though he told malignant blasphemers how greatly they sinned in dishonouring him, yet did he not seek the honour of the world: to teach us how little the thoughts or words of ignorant men do contribute to our happiness, or are to be accounted of; and to turn our eyes from the impenitent censures of flesh and blood, to the judgment of our Almighty Sovereign, to whom it is that we stand or fall.
11. Remember, how little he made provision for the flesh, and never once tasted of any immoderate, sinful pleasure. How far was he from a life of voluptuousness and sensuality? Though his avoiding the formal fastings of the Pharisees, made them slander him as a "gluttonous person," and "a wine-bibberb," as the sober Christians were called, 'carnivori' by those that thought it unlawful to eat flesh;
yet so far was he from the guilt of any such sin, that never a desire of it was in his heart. You shall never find in the Gospel that Christ spent half the morning in dressing him, choosing rather to shorten his time for prayer, than not to appear sufficiently neatified, as our empty, worthless, painted gallants do: nor shall you ever read that he wasted time in idle visitations, or cards, or dice, or in reading romances, or hearing stage-plays: it was another kind of example that our Lord did leave for his disciples.
12. Mark also, how far Christ was from being guilty of any idle, or lascivious, or foolish kind of talk: and how holy and profitable all his speeches were. To teach us also to speak as the oracles of God, such words as tend to edification, and to administer grace unto the hearers, and to keep our tongues from all profane, lascivious, idle speeches.
13. Remember that pride, and passion, are condemned by your pattern. Christ bids you "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls." Therefore he resolveth that "except" men "be converted and become as little children, they shall not enter into the kingdom of heavend." Behold therefore the Lamb of God, and be ashamed of your fierce and ravenous natures.
14. Remember that Christ your Lord and pattern did humble himself to the meanest office of love, even to wash the feet of his disciples: not to teach you to wash a few poor men's feet, as a ceremony once a year, and persecute and murder the servants of Christ the rest of the year, as the Roman Vice-Christ doth; but to teach us, that if he their
Lord and Master washed his disciples' feet, we also should stoop as low in any office of love, for one another.
15. Remember also that Christ your pattern spent whole nights in prayer to God; so much was he for this holy attendance upon God: to teach us to "pray always and not wax faintg." And not to be like the impious God-haters, that love not any near or serious addresses unto
God, nor those that use them, but make them the object of their cruelty or scorn.
16. Remember also that Christ was against the Pharisees' outside, hypocritical, ceremonious worship, consisting in lip-labour, affected repetitions, and much babbling; their 'touch not, taste not, handle not,' and worshipping God in vain, according to their traditions, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. He taught us a serious, spiritual worship: not "to draw nigh to God with our mouth, and honour him with our lips, while our hearts are far from him;" but to "worship God who is a Spirit, in spirit and truth."
17. Christ was a sharp reprover of hypocritical, blind, ceremonious, malicious Pharisees; and warneth his disciples to take heed of their leaven. When they are offended with him, he saith, "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone, they be blind leaders of the blind," &c. To teach us to take heed of Autonomous, supercilious, domineering formal hypocrites, and false teachers, and to difference between the shepherds and the wolves.
18. Though Christ seems cautiously to avoid the owning of the Roman usurpation over the Jews, yet rather than offend them he payeth the tribute himself, and biddeth them "render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and to God the things that are God'sl." The Pharisees bring their controversy to him hypocritically, "Whether it be lawful to give tribute to Cæsar or not?" (For that Cæsar was an usurper over them, they took to be past controversy.) And Christ
would give them no answer, that should either ensnare himself, or encourage usurpation, or countenance their sedition: teaching us much more to pay tribute cheerfully to our lawful Government, and to avoid all sedition and offence.
19. Yet is he accused, condemned, and executed among malefactors, as aspiring to be "King of the Jews," and the judge called, "none of Cæsar's friend," if he let him go: teaching us to expect, that the most innocent Christians should be accused, as enemies to the rulers of the world, and mistaken governors be provoked and engaged against them, by the malicious calumnies of their adversaries; and that we should, in this unrighteous world, be condemned of those crimes of which we are the most innocent; and which we most abhor, and have borne the fullest testimonies against.
20. The furious rout of the enraged people deride him by their words and deeds, with a purple robe, a sceptre of reed, a crown of thorns, and the scornful name of "King of the Jews;" they spit in his face, and buffet him, and then break jests upon him: and in all this, "being reviled he reviled not again, but committed all to him that judgeth, righteously." Teaching us to expect the rage of the ignorant rabble, as well as of deluded governors; and to be made the scorn of the worst of men: and all this without impatience, reviling, or threatening words; but quieting ourselves in the sure expectation of the righteous judgment, which we and they must shortly find.
21. When Christ is urged at Pilate's bar to speak for himself, he holds his peace: teaching us to expect to be questioned at the judgmentseat of man; and not to be over careful for the vindicating of our names from their most odious calumnies, because the judgment that will fully justify us is sure and near.
22. When Christ is in his agony, his disciples fail him; when he is judged and crucified, they "forsook him and fled: to teach us not to be too confident in the best of men; not to expect much from them in a time of trial, but to take up our comfort in God alone, when all our nearest friends shall fail us.
23. Upon the cross he suffered the torments and ignominy of death for us, praying for his murderers: "leaving us an example that we should follow his steps; and that we should think not life itself too dear to part with, in obedience to God, and for the love of Christ and one anothero, and that we forgive and pray for them that persecute us.
24. In all this suffering from men, he feels also so much of the fruit of our sin upon his soul, that he crieth out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" To teach us, if we fall into such calamity of soul as to think that God himself forsaketh us, to remember, for our support, that the Son of God himself before us cried out, My God, why hast, thou forsaken me? And that in this also we may expect a trial to seem of ourselves forsaken of God, when our Saviour underwent the like before us.
I will instance in no more of his example, because I would not be tedious. Hither, now, let believers cast their eyes: if you love your
Lord you should love to imitate him, and be glad to find yourselves in the way that he hath gone before you. If he lived a worldly and sensual life, do you do so; if he was an enemy to preaching, and praying, and holy living, be you so: but if he lived in the greatest contempt of all the wealth, and honours, and pleasures of the world, in a life of holy obedience to his Father, wholly preferring the kingdom of heaven, and seeking the salvation of the souls of others, and patiently bearing persecution, derision, calumnies and death,
then take up your cross, and follow him in joyfully to the expected crown.
Direct. VI. 'If you will learn of Christ, you must learn of his ministers, whom he hath appointed to be the teachers of his church.'—He purposely enabled them, inclineth them and sendeth them to instruct you: not to have dominion over your faith, but to be your spiritual fathers, and "the ministers by whom you believe, as God shall give" (ability and success) "to every one" as he pleases, "to plant and water," while "God giveth the increase, to open men's eyes, and turn them from darkness to light," and to be "labourers together with God, whose husbandry and building you are," and to be "helpers of your joy." Seeing therefore Christ hath appointed them under him, to be the ordinary teachers of his church, he that "heareth them"
(speaking his message) "heareth him," and he "that despiseth them despiseth himq." And he that saith, 'I will hear Christ but not you,' doth say in effect to Christ himself, 'I will not hear thee, nor learn of thee, unless thou wilt dismiss thy ushers, and teach me immediately thyself.'
Direct. VII. 'Hearken also to the secret teachers of his Spirit and your consciences, not as making you any new law or duty, or being to you instead of Scriptures or ministers; but as bringing that truth into your hearts and practices, which Scriptures and ministers have first brought to your eyes and ears,'—If you understand not this, how the office of Scripture and ministers differ from the office of the Spirit and your consciences, you will be confounded as the sectaries of these times have been, that separate what God hath joined together, and plead against Scripture or ministers, under pretence of extolling the Spirit, or the light within them. As your meat must be taken into the stomach, and pass the first concoction before the second can be performed, and chylification must be before sanguification; so the
Scripture and ministers must bring truth to your eyes and ears, before the Spirit or conscience bring them to your hearts and practice. But they lie dead and ineffectual in your brain or imagination, if you hearken not to the secret teachings of the Spirit and conscience, which would bring them further. As Christ is the principal teacher without, and ministers are but under him; so the Spirit is the principal teacher within us, and conscience is but under the Spirit, being excited and informed by it. Those that learn only of Scriptures and ministers (by reading or hearing), may become men of learning and great ability, though they hearken not to the sanctifying teachings of the Spirit or to their consciences: but it is only those that hearken first to the Scriptures and ministers, and next to the Spirit of God and to their consciences, that have an inward, sanctifying, saving knowledge, and are they that are said to be taught of God. Therefore, hearken, first with your ears what Christ hath said to you without, and then hearken daily and diligently with your hearts, what the Spirit and conscience say within. For it is their office to preach over all that again to your hearts, which you have received.
Direct. VIII. 'It being the office of the present ordinary ministry, only to expound and apply the doctrine of Christ, already recorded in the Scriptures, believe not any man that contradicteth this recorded doctrine, what reason, authority, or revelation soever he pretend. 'To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to these, it is because there is no light in them.'—No reason can be reason indeed, that is pretended against the reason of the Creator and God of reason. Authority pretended against the highest authority of God is no authority: God never gave authority to any against himself; nor to deceive men's souls; nor to dispense with the law of Christ; nor to warrant men to sin against him; nor to make any supplements to his law or doctrine. The apostles had their power only to edification, but
not to destruction.' There is no revelation from God, that is contrary to his own revelation already delivered as his perfect law and rule unto the church; and therefore none supplemental to it. If an "apostle or an angel from heaven 'per possibile vel impossibile' shall evangelize to us besides what is evangelized," and we "have received," he must be held "accursedt."
Direct. IX. 'Come not to learn of Christ with self-conceitedness, pride, or confidence in your prejudice and errors: but as little children, with humble, teachable, tractable minds.'—Christ is no teacher for those that in their own eyes are wise enough already: unless it be first to teach them to "become fools" (in their own esteem, because they are so indeed) "that they may be wise." They that are prepossessed with false opinions, and resolve that they will never be persuaded of the contrary, are unmeet to be scholars in the school of Christ. "He resisteth the proud, but giveth more grace unto the humblex." Men that have a high conceit of their own understandings, and think they can easily know truth from falsehood as soon as they hear it, and come not to learn, but to censure what they hear or read, as being able to judge of all, these are fitter for the school of the prince of pride and father of lies and error, than for the school of Christ. "Except conversion" make men as "little children," that come not to carp and cavil, but to learn, they are not "meet for the kingdom of Christ." Know how blind and ignorant you are, and how dull of learning, and humbly beg of the Heavenly Teacher, that he will accept you and illuminate you; and give up your understandings absolutely to be informed by him, and your hearts to be the tables in which his Spirit shall write his law, believing his doctrine upon the bare account of his infallible veracity, and resolving to obey it; and this is to be the disciples of Christ indeed, and such as shall be taught of God.
Direct. X. 'Come to the school of Christ with honest, willing hearts, that love the truth, and feign would know it that they may obey it; and not with false and biassed hearts, which secretly hinder the understanding from entertaining the truth, because they love it not, as being contrary to their carnal inclinations and interest.'—The word that was received into "honest hearts" was it that was as the seed that brought forth plentifully. When the heart saith unfeignedly,
'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth; teach me to know and do thy will;' God will not leave such a learner in the dark. Most of the damnable ignorance and error in the world is from a wicked heart, that perceiveth that the truth of God is against their fleshly interest and lusts, and therefore is unwilling to obey it, and unwilling to believe it, lest it torment them because they disobey it. A will that is secretly poisoned with the love of the world, or of any sinful lusts and pleasures, is the most potent impediment to the believing of the truth.
Direct. XI. 'Learn with quietness and peace in the school of Christ, and make not divisions, and meddle not with others' lessons and matters, but with your own.'—Silence, and quietness, and minding your own business, is the way to profit. The turbulent wranglers that are quarrelling with others, and are religious contentiously, in envy and strife, are more likely to be corrected or ejected than to be edified. Read James 3.
Direct. XII. 'Remember that the school of Christ hath a rod; and therefore learn with fear and reverence.'—Christ will sharply rebuke his own, if they grow negligent and offend: and if he should cast thee out and forsake thee, thou art undone for ever. "See," therefore, that "ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not, who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we refuse him that speaketh from heavenb." "For how shall we escape, if we