How to read the life of Christ in the gospel
How to read the life of Christ in the gospel (2.) For his own particular, how holy and heavenly was he.† He takes occasion of vines, of stones, of water, of sheep, and all things to be heavenly minded, to raise his soul upon all occasions. And when he rose from the dead, and conversed with his disciples, what was his talk? He discoursed all of matters of the kingdom of heaven. So his whole disposition was heavenly and holy in himself, and patient in wrongs done to him. He did not return injury for injury. You see how meek he was. I give you but a touch of every particular. You may by proportion apply the rest. He was in his own particular holy and heavenly, and full of purity and holiness and heavenliness.
(3.) What was he to his enemies? Did he call for fire from heaven when they wronged him? Was he all on a heat? When his poor disciples, being more flesh than spirit, would have fire from heaven,
'You know not what spirit you are of,' saith he, Luke 9:55. He shed tears for those that shed his blood, 'Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem,' &c.,
Mat. 23:37, that afterward crucified him. And upon the cross you see there to his very enemies, 'Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,' Luke 23:34. So then if we will be like to Christ, consider how he carried himself to God in devotion and obedience, and how in himself he was full of purity and holiness, unspotted every way; how to his friends, to all that had any goodness in them; and how to his enemies, he prayed for his very enemies.
(4.) And for the devil himself. Deal with him as Christ did, that is, have no terms with him, although he come to us in our nearest friends. He came to Christ in Peter. 'Satan avoid,' saith he, Mat.
16:23. If the devil come to us in our wives, in our children, in our friends, 'avoid Satan.' Satan comes to us sometime in our friends, to give corrupt judgment, to maintain self causes, to do this or that that may crack our conscience. Discern the devil in our best friends; for sometime they may be the trunks* of the devil. The devil may convey