How Christ Is To Be Followed As Our Example by Nathaniel Vincent
In the section "Persuasion's to Follow Christ's Example," Nathaniel Vincent contends that "Walking as Christ Walked" will make it evident that you are indeed "In Him." If we profess to be in Christ, but do not depart from iniquity, that reveals that we are not truly His.
One of the ways we are to follow Christ is,"In His Great Self Denial." The Puritan Pastor asks this poignant question——"How can he be a follower of Christ who is so utterly unlike him in being selfish?" If you are living for yourself (to please self), it would be the polar opposite of our Savior, who came not to do His own will but the will of the one who sent him. He became poor, so that we through His poverty, would be made rich. He laid down His life, so that we, through His sacrificial death, might live.
Believers ought to follow "Christ in His Suffering"——". . . their zeal ought to be so great, of those works that are good, that they should not think much to suffer for well doing." Nathaniel Vincent was one of the many Puritan Ministers who were imprisoned for their spiritual convictions; they certainly followed their Lord in this regard and so should we. Any suffering that we experience for Christ is minute in comparison to His suffering on our behalf. In addition, believers should never consider their obedience or suffering for "The Cause of Christ" as meritorious——"The merit of our Lord Jesus is so every way sufficient, that believers merit is as needless as, all things considered, it is impossible."
Christians should follow Christ's example in His patient enduring of the world's hatred. The more fully Christ is followed, will often come with greater hatred by the world; believer's should expect the world's hatred. They hated Christ and we should be unmoved by their hatred of us, as our Lord was. How are the followers of Christ to deal with the hatred and opposition of the world?——"Overcome its evil with good."
Nathaniel Vincent was the brother of Thomas Vincent, who wrote one of the great Puritan works, "The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ."