I. The Design of this History .

SINCE the only End and Design of Jesus Christs coming down from Heaven , and all the Circumstances of his Incarnation , his Birth , Life , Preaching , Death , Resurrection and Ascension , was to procure Salvation for Men ; It is highly reasonable , that they should fully understand all those Mysteries , which are contained in the great Work of their Redemption , and be well versed in the History of that Life , and Death , from which they receive so great Advantage . They were Enemies to God : Jesus Christ hath made a compleat satisfaction to his Father by his Death , Ro. 5.10 . and by his Discourses and Example hath Taught them what they ought to do ; return unto him . They can never sufficiently meditate upon the Sufferings , which the Son of God endured to expiate their Guilts , that they may make a grateful acknowledgment of them , by an unfeigned Love of him ; nor upon those Truths which he hath Taught them , and exemplified by his own practice , since we must be saved by the observation of those Truths , and Imitation of his Actions .

For this Reason it is , that the Church of God in all Ages hath been so urgent with Christians , to receive the Holy Sacrament frequently , it being a lively representation of his Death , and of the Sacrifice , which he offered upon the Cross for a propitiation to God , and our frequent use of it , being an Authentick Testimony of our Thankfulness to God for his Goodness . Upon which account it is called the Eucharist , i. e. a Thanksgiving . But because we cannot obtain that Life Eternal , which Jesus Christ hath purchased for us by his Death , but by the exact observation of those Laws , he hath imposed upon us , and by following the Example he hath left us , he requires his Ministers before the receiving of the Holy Sacrament to Instruct Men well , both in the Precepts of the Gospel , and in the Actions of the Son of God . And by this he shews , that there is nothing that he recommends so much to his Children , as to meditate upon , and get a full knowledge of the Life and Death of Jesus Christ , either that they may give him thanks continually for what he hath done and suffered for them , or know by what he hath done , what they ought to do themselves ; for all his whole Life , as St. Austin saith , Is but one continual Instruction , Aug. de ver. Rel. c. 14. how we should lead our Lives ; and we never commit any Sin , but by departing from his Example .

It is true , that the Gospels are the most exact History of the Life and Death of Christ ; for they contain in them all that God hath thought fit to make known to us , concerning the Actions and Doctrins of his Son . And Men can never be too much Importun'd to Read those Books diligently , which contain in them those Truths , by which they must be judged at the Last Day : But since it is very conducible to the Right Understanding of the Scripture-Relation concerning Christ to have the History of his Life , lay'd down in a continued draught , according to the Order of Time , and with all the Circumstances of it , which none of the Evagelists have done , I thought I might do some service to the Church of God , in general , and to more ignorant and weak Christians in particular , in composing a short , but perfect Harmony of the Gospels .

And in my performing this undertaking , I have had special care to relate nothing but the Truth , avoiding all Traditional Stories , and confining my self strictly to the Relations of the Evangelical Writers ; and have adventured to put in nothing of my own , but the Style and Expression , that I might render the Sense and Phrase of Scripture more easie and intelligible to the most ordinary capacities . And that nothing be difficult to them , I have observed these two things :

1. I have related the Actions of Jesus Christ with all their Circumstances : But as to his Sermons , and Discourses , I have set down only so much of them , as are most easie to be understood , and necessary to know , for the improvement of our Manners . I am sensible , that the Sermons of our Saviour make up a great part of his Life , and that the Truths he Taught are as necessary to be known as the Actions he did ; but since several of his Sermons , especially such as concern the proof of his Divinity , are scarcely intelligible by any but the Learned , I have touched , but lightly upon them , and chose to set down more largely those Truths which are essential , and of Universal concern for all Mens Salvation , which as I have expressed in short , so also in such words as may render them more Intelligible to the People .

2. Altho' I designed to speak of nothing , but what is in the Gospel , and that I might not be obliged to add any thing , have chosen to relate nothing that is obscure or controversal , yet sometimes I have been forced to transgress these bounds meeting with something which could not be omitted , tho' difficult , upon which account I have added some explications of them . Jesus Christ hath Taught many Moral Truths in Metaphors and Parables , which are very important for all Christians to know , but useless , and some times dangerous , unless they be accompanyed with some Reflexions , which may help the Reader in understanding and applying them . For this reason we have intermixed some explications without breaking the Series of the History , to clear that which is obscure , sweeten that which is harsh , and so prepare the Bread of Truth , that it may nourish the weak , as well as the strong ; tho' these observations and remarks are very rare , short and easily distinguishable from the Relations of the Evangelists , and I am perswaded , will be thought necessary for the most part by the Reader , who will think them rather too few , than too many .

But considering that unless we well understand the design of our Saviours coming into the World , we cannot read the History of his Life with any real advantage ; for since he did , spake and suffered nothing , but with a tendency to that end , we can never have a true notion of them , unless we know the true motive , and the end which he himself aimed at ; I judged it necessary to propound a short History of the Fall of Man , and the Wounds which Men have received by it ▪ before I present them with the Medicine to heal them , and teach them in a few words the happiness of that Estate , wherein God Created them , the lamentable Miseries into which they have faln by Sin , and the means , which Gods infinite goodness makes use of to save them . The Discovery of these Miseries will make them more desirous to know what Christ hath done to deliver them ; and by how much they perceive themselves more obnoxious to Gods Justice , by so much they will the more eagerly lay hold upon Jesus by Faith to save them from it .

II. Mans Creation , and Fall by Sin .

When God created the Heaven and the Earth in six days , he being desirous not only to provide a Governour for all his Corporeal Creatures , but to put some other Beings into the places of the faln Angels in Heaven , Created a Man and Woman , whom he called Adam and Eve , which signifies the Mother of all Living . God formed them in his own Image , i. e. gave them an Immortal Soul , endowed them with abilities , to know and love him , which are two of the most noble Actions of the Rational Creature , which make up the whole Life , and happiness of God , which is to know , and love himself from all Eternity . Wherefore he filled their Minds with Knowledge , and their Will with Love . He Created them perfect and upright , their Souls in perfect submission to God , and their Body to their Soul . There was no darkness , or trouble in their minds , because God was their Light and Peace ; and nothing in there Bodies , which might make them ashamed , because there was nothing disorderly ; for which reason it is , that the Holy Scripture saith , That they were Naked , Gen. 2.25 . and were not ashamed . In this Holy and Happy Estate they had a sound Judgment and perfect freedom of Will , furnished with all Graces necessary to do that good which God required of them , and to purchase that Glory , which should be the reward of their Virtue , which is to have a clear Vision of God . They knew so much of God , as Creatures are capable of ; and if they made a good use of this knowledge upon Earth , they should be Translated to the full fruition of God in Heaven . Their Innocency exempted them from Death , and all other Evils , which are the effects of Sin . And their privileges were not only for themselves , but their Posterity to whom they should communicate not only their Nature , but Innocency and all the priviledges of it .

For the continuance of all these Temporal favours , and obtaining that eternal happiness , which he hath promised them , God required nothing , but an entire submission to his Will , which that he might have tryal of , he gave them a Command to abstain from the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil , which was in the midst of Paradise , threatning them with Death , if they dared to Touch it . Nothing was more easy than the observation of this Commandment ; but they kept it not long ; for the Devil envying their Happiness , came to Eve under the Shape of a Serpent , perswading her to Eat the Fruit which was forbidden , and telling her , that they should be so far from dying , that they shall become as Gods . By these promises she suffered her self to be seduced , eat of the Fruit , and gave it to her Husband , who thro' a wicked Compliance made himself guilty of the Womans Sin .

As soon as they had thus broken the Command of their God , they were made sensible of their Fault by the fearful Change in themselves ; for they perceived they were Naked , and were filled with confusion , because they felt in their Bodies the disorderly Motions of their Concupiscence . God shewed himself to them no longer as a Father , whose presence was their Joy and Happiness ; but as an offended Lord , who reproved their disobedience and as a severe Judge to punish their Rebellion , He Condemned the Man to Toil and Drudgery , for his necessary Food , the Woman to Pains in Child-bearing , and drave them both out of the Terrestrial Paradise , in which he had placed them ; he subjected them to all the miseries of this Life , and passed the sentence of Death upon them , which he had threatned , condemning them not only to a Temporal Death of the Body , but to the Second Death , which is more terrible than the former , the Death of the Soul , which is to Live eternally with the Devils in Hell , and be banished from the only cause and foundation of all Happiness , God . A just punishment , saith St. Austin for their fault in disobeying so easy a Law of so great a God!

All the Race of Adam being corrupted in him , as in their Fountain and Root by his Sin , was also lyable to the same punishment ; for as if he had continued in his Innocency , all his Posterity had inherited it by their Birth , and all the Advantages of it ; after the same manner , since he hath sinned , all Men naturally inherit his Crimes , and all the Plagues , which are consequent upon it . This is the Sin , which we call Original , because we are guilty of it from our Original and Birth ; and this is the Sin , which brings upon us all those Evils , which we feel , either in our Souls or Bodies ; for the darkness of the Understanding , the corruption of the Heart , the proneness of the Will to Evil , and Opposition to Good , the disorderly Motions of Concupiscence , the turbulency of our Passions , the excessive Love of our selves , forgetfulness and Aversion to God , all the Sins which we commit , Hunger , Thirst , Weariness , Griefs , Death , and Lastly , Eternal Damnation , are the sad Consequences and just punishments of this Sin , which we come into the World with , and which make us , as St. Paul saith , the Children of the Wrath of God . Eph. 2.3 .

III. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ .

Out of the miserable condition , into which Man had plunged himself and Posterity by Sin , there was no way of Recovery , had not God in his infinite Mercy been pleased to find out a way , which none else could do . He had compassion on his Creatures , and contrived this means to save them , the Word , i. e. the Son of God , the Second Person of the Holy Trinity was made Incarnate , assuming a Body and Soul like us , and united to his Divinity in his own person the Humane Nature , which he intended to redeem . He became Man , still being God , and took upon him all the weaknesses and Infirmities of Man , Sin and Ignorance only excepted . He undertook to satisfie Justice for the Sin of Men , and to pacifie God for the offence committed against him by suffering himself for it . He condescended to be conceived by a Virgin , Born in a Stable , become an Infant , converse with Men , and live among them such a Life , as we shall hereafter relate . He preached , did Miracles , suffered Affronts and Injuries , endured an Infamous , and painful Death , was Buryed in a Tomb , rose again , and Lastly , ascended into Heaven : After he commanded his Disciples to go , and Preach in his Name thro' all the World , and all this to perform and Compleat the Great Work of our Salvation .

Behold how great Love God hath shewed to Rebellious Man ! The Father hath given his only Son , and this Son gave himself for them . Let no Man ask the reason , why God did not make choice of some easier way to save us , which might cost him less . It is certain , that the Almighty could have found out some other means , but it is also certain that we ought to look upon this , which God hath made use of as the most advantageous for us , and most agreeable to our needs , since that God hath preferred it before all others , who is not only the most Powerful , but Wise Being , who cannot be mistaken in the fittest means for attaining the End he aims at . Let us not then examine , what other ways God might have taken to effect this Great Work , but let us devoutly consider , how Glorious to himself , and how profitable to us , that way is which he hath taken .

And 1st . God in the Incarnation of his Son hath magnified his Power and Goodness ; for he hath demonstrated to Man , that tho' he is pleased to permit the Evils , which he could hinder , he can produce great good out of them , and make those very Sins , which dishonour him , to be serviceable for his glory in it . He hath shewed his Mercy , and his Justice ; for he pardons the Guilty , and at the same time he received a satisfaction equivalent to the Offence committed . By it he hath discovered to us , the admirable and unsearchable strength of his Wisdom , which hath found out a way to satisfy at once , both his Justice and his Love , and hath so ordered it , that the Criminal may be saved , and yet God , who hath been offended , not be dishonoured ; for by the Death of Jesus Christ , God is revenged , and Mans Sin punished . He bore our grief in his own Body , and offered such a Sacrifice to his Father , as could not but be accepted because it was Pure and Innocent , and which payd him as great honour , as he had received affront by Man's Sin ; for it was of infinite value being united to the God-head . The perfect submission of the Son of God , even to the Death of the Cross , hath made sufficient amends for the Disobedience of a mere Man . Men are saved , because another hath undergone the punishment due to them ; and God hath lost nothing of his Honour , since he was offended by a mere Creature , but hath been infinitely Honoured by a God . And as it is glorious to God , so also is

2. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ as advantageous to Man , by the wonderful fitness , which it hath to all the defects and evils , from which the Divine Wisdom hath thought fit to deliver him ; for Gods anger was not only to be appeased , but Man , who was diseased , was to be cured . Now as the perfection of Man consisted in knowing and loving God , so the disease of Man was to be stripped of these , so that he neither knew God , nor loved him , but laboured under blindness of Mind , and corruption of Heart , which Christ by his Incarnation hath removed and cured : For

1. He hath restored Man to the knowledge of God . He hath opened the Eyes of Man , to make him know the true God ; for the Word who is the Light of the Soul , John 1.14 . was made flesh , and dwelt among us . The Light which we shut our Eyes against , came down from Heaven to present it self to us , accommodating it self to the weakness of our sight , and because we were able to discern nothing but Corporeal things , he cloathed himself with a Body , that so by our Senses he might insinuate himself into our Souls , and disperse our darkness and blindness . Jesus Christ being thus become visible , he conversed sometime with Men , did Miracles to make them believe on him , and by sensible benefits , healing the Sick , freeing the Possessed , drawed them to him ; and so having insensibly link'd them to his Human Nature , which he assumed , to work out Salvation for them , he Preached the Truth to them : They heard his Word with pleasure , and this Word purifying their Hearts by Faith , which they had in this Man , who Preached to them , prepared them by little and little , and at last led them insensibly to the knowledge of the-God-head , which was hidden under the Vail of the Humanity .

2. But since it is not enough for Man to know God , unless he Love him ; Jesus Christ by his Incarnation hath healed our corruption of Heart , and hath drawn our Affections off from the Love of the Creature , to that of the Creator ; for being Cloathed with a Body , he placed his God-head among those Objects , which the Soul in the State of Corruption doth naturally fix its Love upon , and by sensible benefits and kindnesses endeavoured to bring it to the Consideration and Love of Invisible and Eternal good things . He shewed it , what it ought to love , as its true Happiness , and not only raised its hopes to attain it , but Taught it the proper means of arriving at it . Lastly , He convinced it of the great Love God had for it , and consequently , how much it ought to love him ; for what greater sign of love could he have given us , than in sending his only begotten Son to Dye for us , who were his Enemies ? And what more effectual Attracture to oblige us to love him again , who hath thus loved us first ? What Heart is so hard as not to be melted with such immense kindness ? A slight reflection upon it will make us resolve with the beloved Disciple , and say , Let us Love God , for he hath first Loved us . 1 Jo. 4 19.

And as the Incarnation of Christ , gives us an ample proof of Gods love to us , so also it shews us the greatness of the Crime , with which we have offended him . The greatness of the Satisfaction discovers the greatness of our Guilt . Man could never have conceived the heinousness of his Sin , if God had not required so great a satisfaction . We usually look upon Adam's sin , as a small sin , and are apt to accuse God of injustice for punishing a momentary Action , with eternal Torments ; not considering , that the Person , who was threatned with eternal Torments for his Rebellion , might have enjoyed an eternal Happiness for his Obedience : But the Incarnation of the Son of God hath justified the Justice of God ; for his Blood , which was shed for the expiation of our Sin , is a faithful Mirrour to represent the greatness of our Crimes . By it we see how much our Offences displeased God , since he punisheth it with Eternal Death , and for the Pardon of it , requires no less satisfaction than the abasing Tortures and Death of the Son of God . Nor let us say , that if God loved Men so tenderly , he might have saved them without exacting of them so great a Satisfaction , as Jesus Christ made ; but let us think rather , that if God , notwithstanding the love he hath for Man , would not save Man any other way than by the Death of his Son God-Man , he must need have an irreconcilable hatred to Sin , and of all Evil , that is most odious to him . This is none of the least advantages which we may gain by the Incarnation of the Son of God , to raise in our selves a hatred of Sin , and a fear of losing the benefit of our Reconciliation with God by our fresh Sins , by considering what it cost to redeem us , viz. as the Apostle St. Peter says , We are not redeemed with Corruptible things , as Silver and Gold ; 1 Pet. 18. but with the precious Blood of the Lamb of God without spot , i. e. by the Blood of the only begotten Son of God .

IV. Of the Life of Jesus Christ .

Heb. 12.14 Since without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord , we cannot reasonably desire , that God should make us happy : So long as we remain in our Sins , enemies to him by our wicked Works , it is absolutely necessary in Order to salvation that Men should be converted from their Sins , and return to him by a sincere and unfeigned Love of him . Now to effect this great Work , saith S. Austin , God thought not fit to make use of Violence and Force , Aug. de ver. Rel. c. 16. but rational inducements ; and perswasions , and of all those gentle Methods , which could be possibly made use of by infinite Wisdom for that end , as fit and proper for effecting this design , none was thought so suitable , as the Life and Converse of Jesus Christ with the Sons of Men ; by which not only all the obstacles of our Conversion are removed , but all the sweetest allurements imaginable are tendred to us .

We are ignorant , what we ought to do to please God , and being blinded with the false Idea's of Good and Evil , are not sensible , that the only real Good of the Rational Soul is the enjoyment of God , and the only real Evil is the loss of this Chief Good . All Men are involved in this Error , and therefore 't was in vain to expect a better information from any mere Man ; or if any had those true notions of Mans happiness , yet either Mans natural pride , or the differences of the Wise about it , would make us either slight our Teachers , or deny our assent , to what they Instruct us in , as dubious and uncertain .

That therefore we might be Instructed in this Truth without fear of being deceived , the Truth it self came to dispel our Darkness and enlighten our Ignorance , and hath tendred himself to us as a Master , whose Disciples we need not be ashamed to own our selves , because this Master is our God . He was made Man , and dwelt among us . He hath proved to us by his admirable Miracles , That he was a Teacher sent from God to Instruct us ; that he is Gods only Son . Lastly , that he is Wisdom , Light and Truth , and having proved himself to be God , he hath dispersed the Rays of his Doctrin , and Taught by his Preaching , what is our true Happiness , and what we must do to attain it .

But he did not content himself to teach us ; but joyned Example to his Instruction . He perswaded us to the practise of those Truths by his Actions , which he delivered in his Sermons . He prescribed them fit Remedies for their Distempers , but because they were bitter and unpleasant , troublesome and nauseous for Men to take , he first took them himself , altho' he had no need of them , that the sick person might be more willing to take them after their Physician . We must be humble that we may be saved , and this was the way he took to perswade the Proud to it . God might have commanded his Creatures to be humble , crying out from his Caelestial Throne , Matth. 18.3 . in Jesus 's Words , Except ye humhle your selves , and be converted , ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven : But God did not make choice of this way to bring Men to embrace this Virtue , Aug. Ep. 42. but made use , as St. Austin saith , of a more effectual and taking way , more sweet and pleasant ; he had rather root Pride out of our Hearts by perswasion , than force , and invite us to Humility by the example of the Son of God , who being humble and of no Reputation , saith unto us , Learn of me , Matth. 11.29 . for I am meek , and lowly in Heart . What arrogance can withstand such words as these , supported by infinite Dignity , and profound Humility of the Speaker ? And who will not think it now a greater shame for him to be elevated with Pride after the manner of Men , than to be humble and meek in imitation of the Son of God ? And the same may be said of all the Virtues necessary for Mans Conversion , which I have said of Humility ; for whereas there is nothing more prevalent with Men , than Example ; Jesus Christ hath made himself an exact Pattern for them , and for this cause hath propounded his Life to us , that he lived upon Earth as an exact Pattern of our matters .

Sin hath separated us from God , and setting us at a distance from him , puts us out of a possibility of returning to him . We are carryed by our Affections , which are so far from leading us to Happiness , as we suppose , that they hurry us headlong into our own Ruin and Destruction . Who can discover the Depth of Gods admirable Wisdom , in making choice of Christs Incarnation and Life to redeem Man out of this miserable condition !

God , who is the end at which we ought to aim , and from which we naturally go farther and farther , is come himself to seek us . We had lost the sight of him , he hath made himself visible : He thought it not sufficient to propose the most absolute and compleat good to their sight in his own Person , as the only fit object of their Love , but he would shew them the way they should go in to come to the full possession of it . He became himself their Fellow-Traveller and Guide , and appeared himself as a Person at a distance from God that he might carry us to God with him . He went before us , and restored all our Defects by his perfections , i. e. he hath reform'd all our Sentiments , and all the affections of our Souls , by the affections and motions , which he shewed in the Human Narure which he assumed for our Salvation . We were not sensible what we ought to Love or Hate , Desire or Fear , Follow or eschew ; but he hath Instructed us by his Example to Order , and regulate the whole course of our Lives , with a reference to that ultimate End . For , as St. Austin saith , Aug. de cat . rud. c. 22. Jesus Christ our Lord , who is the Son of God , and was made Man , hath contemned the good things of this World , to Teach us to contemn them ; suffered many Sorrows , to give us Courage to endure them ; was Poor that we might not glory in Riches ; would not be made a King , to teach us to be Humble ; suffered Hunger and Thirst , to teach us Contentment . In fine , Dyed and Rose again , that we might learn to contemn Death , in hopes of a Glorious Resurrection . Thus hath the Son of God given us an Example of managing our Words , Actions and Sufferings , and in so doing we shall be saved .

V. Some directions , how we may read the Life of Jesus Christ , with advantage .

The Life of Christ , being intended , as we have already shewed , as the Universal Remedy of all the Distempers of Mans Soul , deserves our daily reading , and serious Meditation upon it . All Arguments to perswade Men to it , come far short of this very consideration . That 't is the Life , not of a Man , but of a God , so that it is in vain to propound any other . All that I shall add , shall be only some directions to the Reader , in perusing it , which may help him to make it as Beneficial , as it is design'd , and ought to be to us .

1. One of the most Important is , that we should always keep it in our minds , whose Life it is we are Reading of , that we may not be offended at his Infirmities and Sufferings , by looking upon them as Involuntary . Jesus Christ is God , and by consequent Almighty ; and therefore nothing could befal him against his Will , nor could he suffer any thing but what he would , and so long as he pleased . When we see him dying upon the Cross , let us remember what he hath said , That he lay'd down his Life of himself , John 10.18 . Luke 4.30 . John 18.6 . and no Man was able to take it from him . When he falls into the hands of his Enemies , let us consider , that before this he had often withdrew himself Miraculously from the Fury of his Enemies , and before he suffered himself to be taken , he threw them down on the Earth at his Word alone . If at any time the Evangelists , who have undertaken to describe exactly , what Jesus did as a Man here upon Earth , do sometimes represent him to us , under such Troubles and Passions , as happen to Men involuntarily , let them know that the Evangelist , who hath written on purpose to prove his Divinity , teaches us , That all these Motions were voluntary in him , and that he troubled himself .

But let no Man say , That these Troubles and Infirmities , though voluntary , were unbecoming God ; but , on the contrary , let us honour him the more for them , since he made choice of them , who is the Wisdom and Power of the Father . Let us consider the Design why he underwent our Weaknesses and Miseries , and be so far from being ashamed of his Humiliation , that we should admire the wonderful propriety and fitness to bring about the End Proposed , which is the Salvation of Man . The Mockings which the Gentiles treated him withal , were a necessary Remedy to cure our Pride ; and our Physician was willing to take this Medicine himself , that he might make it more pleasant and tolerable to the Sick , whom he intended to save .

He sometimes acted as God , and sometimes as Man ; but managed all his Actions , both Human and Divine for our Benefit . If he manifests his Glory by Miracles , it is to make us believe on him , and to perswade us , that when he suffers 't is not out of Necessity , but Love to us : And if he conceal the Glory of his Divinity under the Vail of our Infirmities , 't is that he may gain our Love and Service as a Guide to us , teaching us by his Example , what we should do and suffer . If he opposes his Enemies till they are ready to stone him , but yet cannot , 't is that when they shall put him to Death , we may be thankful for the Death which he suffered to redeem us . He submitted to Death , in Obedience to the Command of his Father , to teach us a patient Submission to all Afflictions God shall please to lay upon us . He was seized with Fear and Sorrow at the Approaches of Death , which yet he endured voluntarily , and had long desired , and which he knew was the Cup given him to drink , by his Father ; not that we should think that he drank it unwillingly , but to comfort and instruct those that are obliged to dye , either through Force or by Necessity of Nature . Thus , like a good Physician , he subjected himself to all our Weaknesses , that he might make us couragious and strong , to take the wholsome , but bitter Potion which he offered to us . Who could have been perswaded of the necessity of suffering and bearing the Cross , if Jesus Christ had not suffered and been crucified for us ? Who would think himself able to endure Crosses , when Nature makes so strong an Opposition , if Jesus Christ had not Suffered it himself ? Who , of us , would not tremble at the Efforts which we must sustain in encountring the horrible Terrors of Death , had not our Spiritual Physician swet Blood and Water in the same Combat ? These voluntary Sufferings of Jesus Christ are our Consolation under our involuntary Afflictions ; teaching us , that they are no sins , since the Son of God was contented to endure them , and shewing us the Way how to engage God's Love to us by them , saying to God as his Son did , Not mine , Luke 22.42 . but thy Will be done . Thus the Infirmities of our Saviour , though they seem unbecoming a God , yet are evident Demonstrations of the Infinite Mercy by which he desired to save us . His Humiliations are all our Honour , since he was humbled for us only . Let us adore his Condescension , and judge with ourselves that all our Love is due to that God , who abased himself , suffered and dyed for our Salvation .

2. Another Direction , how we should read the Life of our Saviour with Advantage , is to read it with a Design of conforming our selves to it . All the Holiness of Men consisteth in the Imitation of Jesus Christ ; Rom. 8.2 . for according to S. Paul's Words , God hath predestinated us to be conformed to the Image of his Son . 1 Cor. 15.49 . And the same Apostle teaches us elswhere , as we have born the Image of the Old Man , by following the irregular Desires of our Flesh , we must bear the Image of the New Man , which is Christ Jesus , by regulating our Lives by his : Wherefore we ought not to be lead by mere Curiosity to the Reading of this History , nor to know his Actions only , but to learn by what he hath done , what we ought to do . He said to the Jews long since , Joh. 5.35 . who had heard John's Sermons with Pleasure ; John was a Burning and Shining Light , and ye were willing , for a Season to rejoyce in his Light : But it is not sufficient for us to cast our Eyes upon him who is the true Light of Men , for he hath discovered the Way that leads to eternal Happiness , not to those who only take some Pleasure in knowing his admirable Works , but to those who follow him by a faithful Imitation of his Example . Before we know what Jesus Christ hath done and taught upon Earth ; we are like Travellers , who journey in the Night , and wander they know not whither , because they cannot tell their Way but by reading the Life of Christ : We are like the same Travellers , who as soon as Day breaks perceive their Errors , and return again into the right Way . He came from Heaven to shew us the way thither , and to bring us out of the Paths that lead down to Hell . He goes before us himself , that we may not wander or lose our Way , nor take any other Way but that in which he leads us . He assures us , that all other Ways , but that in which he goes , lead down to Death ; wherefore we must read his Life to make it a Rule and Exemplar of ours , that all our Conversation , being a lively Expression of his , we may say , with the Apostle , It is not I that live , Gal. 2.20 . but Christ that liveth in me .

But it is not sufficient to read the Life of Christ , if we desire to profit by it , but we must meditate upon it , and apply all that we read , because this is the only way to make the right Use and Advantage of our Reading : We need lose no part of the History of the Son of God ; for as he did nothing but for our Salvation , so there is no circumstance of his Life which we cannot gather some Advantage to our selves from , if we consider upon it with serious Attention : It will then be worth our while to take every Part of it into Examination , and see what Benefit we may reap from it , and what Motions and Affections it may excite in us ; for the reading of the Life of Christ must needs sometimes instruct us , sometimes shame us , sometimes comfort us , and sometimes encourage us , and sometimes inspire us with Love , Thankfulness , Reverence , Joy , Grief , Hope or Fear , according to the different Objects which it presents to our Observation .

All the Life of Jesus Christ is made up of Miracles , Discourses , Actions and Sufferings . He wrought so many Miracles to prove his Divinity , and to relieve either the Miseries or Necessities of those who either wanted or desired his Help : We may make an Advantage of these , by supposing our selves to be in the Number of those who saw them , and for whose sake they were done . The Eye-Witnesses of them believed in him , admired and adored him , and became his Disciples : Let us do the same , when we read what they saw , adore Christ , acknowledge him for our God , believe in his Godhead , and devote our selves entirely to his Service , since we can never honour him as our God but by obeying and loving him .

And in the same manner let us apply all the Miracles he did for the Relief of others needs : He healed no bodily Diseases but what were a Figure of the Spiritual Distempers of our Souls . Sin is our Leprosy , , our Deafness , our Blindness , our Palsy , our Death ; let us do the same to obtain Health of our Souls , that we read the diseased Persons did for their Bodies , to obtain Cure ; let us present our selves before Jesus , and say with the Leper , Lord , if thou wilt , thou canst make me clean ; and with the blind Man , Open mine Eyes that I may see ; and so of others . Let us think that Jesus requires the same Faith for the cure of our Souls that he did of those he healed of their Bodily Distempers ; and let us look upon that Thankfulness , Faith , Love and other Passions of those who were miraculously cured , as a Pattern of those Affections which we ought to have for the Graces we have received .

The Discourses of Jesus Christ ought to be read with great Reverence , which consists in believing and practising what he teacheth . He is the Truth , and nothing but Truth can save us , and we shall be judged by that which he hath taught . We must hear him , as his Disciples , and be won by his Words : We must discover our Ignorance to him , that he may inform us and our Ways , that he may amend them . This must be done , in applying every Word of Jesus Christ , and examining our selves by it , that we may condemn our selves , if we find our selves out of the Way which he hath taught , and we may reform our Practice by it . And if there be any thing obscure in his Discourses , let us make our Prayers to him , to enlighten our Understandings in the Knowledge of it , if it be necessary to Salvation , practising those Truths in the mean Time , that are plain , and worthy of our Observation .

To profit by the Actions of Jesus Christ we must look upon them as the Rule and Pattern of our Conversations . He would have us admire his Miracles , but imitate his Actions ; for this Reason it is that he commands us to learn of him not to cure the Blind or raise the Dead , Matth. 11.30 . but to be meek and lowly in Heart : When he commanded the Leper to tell no Man of the Cure he had wrought on him , and fled from the People , who would have made him a King , we should learn to avoid Vain-glory and Ambition from him . We should read the Actions of the Son of God with Design of conforming our selves to them , when we see him washing his Apostles Feet , putting on the same Humility which we see in him ; and when we see him eating with Sinners , learn the same Charity . In fine , let us study the Affections of Jesus , and conform our selves to them ; love nothing but what he loves , and contemn the same Things he despised . He hated Sin , he despised Riches , Honour and Pleasures ; he loved and sought the Glory of his Father , and all his Care was to obey and please him , for which end he refused not to undergo Poverty , Affronts , Disgrace , Grief , Sorrow , yea , Death itself : These are the things he would have us learn from him , and this is what we should think upon and imitate .

Nor is the Advantage less which we may gather from reading the Sufferings of Jesus Christ . We must look upon them , as we have already said , as voluntary ; and it is good to consider them with relation to the Two Ends for which he suffered : 1. For our Satisfaction . 2. For our Instruction . 1. He suffered to satisfy Justice for our Sins , and endured the Punishment of our Offences , to deliver us from eternal Torments . The Consideration of this Action ought to excite in us ● . Love to Jesus Christ , who endured so much to give us a Proof of his Love to us . 2. Hatred and Abhorrence of him , which could not be expected but by the Sufferings and Death of God himself , with relation to the Second End for which Christ suffered , which was our Instruction . We ought to make these Reflections upon it ; in reading them we ought to be satisfied , That Sufferings are necessary to obtain Heaven , considering that this is the Way our Saviour leads us , and went himself : When we are persecuted , we ought to comfort our selves with this , that it is an Honour to be treated as our Master was . The Submission with which he drank the Cup which his Father gave him to drink , should teach us to welcome the Crosses which God lays upon us , without murmuring , as Sickness , loss of Goods , Friends , Parents , &c. His Patience in suffering Affronts and Abuses , should quench all our passionate Resentments and Desires of Revenge , which rise in our Hearts at the Sense of Wrongs . In fine , his exemplary Behaviour in his Sufferings should teach us to accept the Persecutions of Men , as ordained by God , and to adore his Justice in their most unjust Dealings with us , to love our Enemies , and be so far from requiting the Injuries we receive from them , as to pardon them and do them good , and to comfort our selves in the meek Sufferings of Evil , by the Contemplation of the Glory that shall follow ; for as S. Cyprian , Quod est Christus , Cypr. de Idol . van. hoc erimus Christiani , si Christum fuerimus imitati . If we imitate Christ , we shall be like him , and enjoy the same Glory .

The last Direction which I shall give those Persons who would read the Life of Christ with Benefit to themselves , is this ; That they would joyn Prayers with their Reading . Before we begin to read , we should beg of God in Prayer , That he would discover to us all the imitable Parts and Circumstances of the Life of his Son ; and after we have done Reading , we must implore his Grace to do what we have learned from thence to be our Duty ; Joh. 1.14 . The Word was made Flesh , and dwelt among us , saith the Gospel , being full of Grace and Truth . He brought Truth to instruct us in our Duties , and Grace to enable us to practise what he taught us . This Truth which is intended for our Instruction is diffused through all the Circumstances of his Life , but we must have Eyes able to discover it ; he must give us these Eyes , or else his Words and Actions will be to us like an enclosed Book , or as so many Riddles , which we cannot understand : Wherefore , since he hath given us abilities to know the Truth , let us pray him to embrace us with Love , and give us that Grace which he hath merited for us by his Sufferings , and which may make us receive his Doctrin , and conform to his Example . 'T is the Effusion of this which hath , as I may say , perfected the Mystery of the Incarnation . Jesus Christ was made Man to allure the Love of Men ; he lived with them to teach them how he would be loved by them ; he ascended into Heaven , and sent down the Holy Spirit from thence upon them , to fill their Hearts with that Love that he requires of them . This is the whole Contrivance of our Salvation ; let us acknowledge the Obligation which we have to love Jesus Christ , and let us learn , by reading his Life , after what manner he would have us love him , and pray for Grace to love him as we ought , and enkindle in our Hearts that Fire of which he speaks , Luke 12.49 . I am come to send Fire on Earth , and I wish it were already kindled .