John Owen on Conformity to Christ

From his book Christologia, found at Christian Classics Ethereal Library (linked on my sidebar), is a short paragraph from Owen about true conformity to Christ:

One Christian who is meek, humble, kind, patient, and useful unto all; that condescends to the ignorance, weaknesses and infirmities of others; that passeth by provocations, injuries, contempt, with patience and with silence, unless where the glory and truth of God call for a just vindication; that pitieth all sorts of men in their failings and miscarriages, who is free from jealousies and evil surmises; that loveth what is good in all men, and all men even wherein they are not good, nor do good, — doth more express the virtues and excellencies of Christ than thousands can do with the most magnificent works of piety or charity, where this frame is wanting in them. For men to pretend to follow the example of Christ, and in the meantime to be proud, wrathful envious, bitterly zealous, calling for fire from heaven to destroy men, or fetching it themselves from hell, is to cry, “Hail unto him,” and to crucify him afresh unto their power.

I Dare Not Think Where I Would Be

Didst Thou, my Lord, Thine all resign,
And courts of glory thus forsake,
Laying aside Thy rights divine,
Of human clay so to partake?
I dare not think where I would be
Hadst Thou retained Thy liberty!

And loving Thine unto the end
Thou gavest Thyself in blood to die -
And, oh, for sinners, what a Friend!
For even such a wretch as I.
I dare not think where I would be
Hadst Thou retained Thy liberty!

Oh, Holy One - becoming sin -
No words can tell the sacrifice!
What agonies enduredst Thou then,
When Thou didst pay redemption's price?
I dare not think where I would be
Hadst Thou retained Thy liberty!

Oh, could my tears forever flow
And could my zeal no languor know
These all for sin could not atone
For Thou must save, and Thou alone.
In dying on dark Calvary,
Thou gavest up all Thy liberty.

Though rich, yet poor becamest Thou,
Thou prayedst "Not My will but Thine,"
Thou drainedst the bitter cup for me,
Bearing the awful wrath Divine.
I dare not think where I would be
Hadst Thou retained Thy liberty!

And can it be that I should gain
(I dare not think where I would be . . .)
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
( . . . Hadst Thou retained Thy liberty!)
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me!

MC (et al)