th scripture examples hold forth a divine
right to us in the mysteries of religion, and particularly in church
government.

I. That some scripture examples in matters of religion are obligatory on
Christians, as patterns and rules, which they are bound in conscience to
follow and imitate, is evident,

1. By the divine intention of the Spirit of God, in recording and
propounding of examples in Scripture: for he records and propounds them
for this very end, that they may be imitated. Thus Christ's humility,
in washing the feet of his disciples, was intentionally propounded as an
obligatory example, binding both the disciples, and us after them, to
perform the meanest offices of love in humility to one another. "If I
then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash
one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do
as I have done to you," John xiii. 4, &c., 13-15. Thus Christ's
suffering with innocence and unprovoked patience, not reviling again,
&c., is purposely propounded for all Christians to imitate, and they are
bound in conscience as well as they can to follow it--"Christ suffered
for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps," &c., 1
Pet. ii. 21-23. Hence, the apostle so urges the example of Christ for
the Corinthians to follow in their bounty to the poor saints, yea,
though to their own impoverishing, "For you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich," 2 Cor. viii. 9. Nor
was the example of Christ only written for our imitation; but the
examples of the apostles also in the primitive churches were
intentionally left upon record for this end, that they might be binding
patterns for us to follow in like cases in after ages. And in
particular, this seems to be one singular ground, scope, and intention
of Christ's Spirit in writing the history of the Acts of the Apostles,
that the apostles' acts in the primitive churches might be our rules in
successive churches. For, 1. Though this book contain in it many things
dogmatical, that is, divers doctrines of the apostles, yet it is not
styled the book of the doctrine, but of the Acts of the Apostles, that
we may learn to act as they acted. This being one main difference
between profane and sacred histories; those are for speculation, these
also for admonition and imitation, 1 Cor. x. 11. The history, therefore,