Christians in the time of the Gospel that are eminent should live as Angels Angelical lives and the weakest of all should be as David Indeed considering what we have revealed in the Gospel we should be ashamed that our hearts and lives should come short in spiritualness and heavenliness of any that lived in the times of the Law see in the 119. Psalm how you find Davids heart taken and ravished with the Word of God Oh how sweet was the Law of God to him sweeter than the honey and the honey comb He doth not mean there the Law in opposition to the Gospel but the whol Word of God Now you should consider this what part of Gods Word had David there he had not many of the Prophesies he had but the Books of Moses and some other Books the Book of Job was then and some of the Chronicles some part of the Kings and the Book of Judges but most part of the Kings he could not have for he was the second King therefore what little part of the Word of God was written at that time and yet how sweet was the Word to him as sweet as the honey and the honey comb and how he did delight in it above Gold and Silver And then for the Ordinances of God O how was he taken with them though in comparison of ours they were but carnal In the 84. Psalm he did envy the very birds that were in the Temple of God How aimable are thy Courts O Lord saith he now do but compare those Scriptures he had with these that we have The five Books of Moses and Joshua and Judges and Job which were the chief Scriptures then extant and do but compare them with the History of the Gospel in particular the Sermons of Christ from the fifth Chapter of Matthew to the eighth So those remarkable places from the fourteenth to the eighteenth of John and so on O what heavenly things are there let down amongst us What Heavenly truths we have study and reade over Pauls Epistles which are several holy Letters sent from Christ to His Saints here on earth Oh what spiritual transcendant truths What great mysteries and depths of God are opened and revealed there beyond what there is in Genesis or Exodus or Leviticus or Numbers c. And yet the Word of God was dearer to him than al the world and he profest he did meditate in it day and night Now we have that word in two Testaments that doth reveal abundance more of God in Christ than ever he had and therefore our Conversations should rise higher in holiness than the Converstions of those that were under the Law we should endeavor to be more exemplary in holy walking than they were And thus much for the second head Now for the third which is the chief of all If you would have your Conversations to be such as becomes the Gospel it must be suitable to what the Gospel holds foâ—â—h unto you Now this is a greâ—t point and it will serve for two ends First To hold forth unto you the principal things in the Gospel Secondly To shew you how you should sute your Conversation to those things that are in the Gospel And we shall abide upon this head somewhat long The first and principal thing in the Gospel It is the holding forth unto us the infinite love of God to man-kind this is the very end of the Gospel that God might declare what an infinite love he hath unto the children of men yea unto men rather than unto Angels you know that Scripture in John 3. â—6 So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And indeed that one verse hath more of God in it than all Creatures in Heaven Earth the whol frame of Heaven and Earth hath not so much of God in them as that one verse hath So God loved the world that he sent forth his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life It is as if God should say when he comes to reveal the Gospel I will have a way wherein it shall appear to men and Angels for ever what the greatness of my love is unto these poor creatures unto the children of men And to that end I send my Son the second Person in Trinity to take their natures upon him to come to be their Mediator there will I manifest what my love is that shall be the great fruit of love It is the similitude of a learned Divine saith he the love of God in all other things in comparision of the love of God in Christ reveal'd in the Gosspel it is a little spark of fire in comparison of the heat in a furnace when a furnace is heated red hot it may be a few sparks of fire fly out but what is one of those sparks of fire that fly out in comparison of al the heat that there is in the furnace so saith he all the fruits of the love of God to man-kind in all the works that ever God did do are but as that one spark only excepting this of Christ and the love of God unto mankind in Christ is as it were the heat of the furnace there 's burning love indeed the love of God in Christ this is the great scope of the Gospel the great aim of God the great design that God had in the Gospel to make known the infinitness of His love unto the children of men Now then if so be that God in the Gospel doth reveal what there was in His heart from all eternity to man-kind for so it is that 's the scope of the Gospel there was in the heart of God infinite love burning toward man-kind God from eternity saw man-kind before him and there was that strong inclination of his heart towards them in love as did even burn in his heart Now in time God reveals this in the Gospel in the Doctrine thereof He doth open His heart to the children of men when ever the Gospel comes to be preached in any place God doth look upon that place and hath these kind of workings in Himself Well that love of Mine that I have had burning in my Bosom from all eternity towards these poor creatures now it shal be opened now it shal be revealed just as it was with Joseph that had his heart so warm in love unto his Brethren that though he kept it in a while he could not keep it in long but at length it breaks out as fire his bowels yerned towards his Brethren and he weeps tears of love over their necks So in the Gospel of Christ look upon God towards poor creatures as Joseph towards his Brethren and God as it were keeping in his heart towards them for a long time but now when the Gospel comes among them God opens his very heart to them now therefore there must be a Conversation that
The Gospel discovers unto us the great honor that God hath put upon humane Nature above the Angels This could never have been known but by the Gospel this is as proper a thing to the Gospel as any I have spoken of And one special design that God had in the Gospel was To reveal those thoughts and counsels that he had from al eternity to put mighty and great Excellencies upon our humane Nature in these two particulars First In the Personal Vnion of Mans Nature to the second Person in Trinity That 's the first and great way of honor that God hath crowned human Nature with Hence the Apostle in 1 Tim. 1. 6. Without controversie great is the mysterie of godliness What is it God was manifested in the flesh God manifested in the flesh that 's a great mystery of godliness Now it could not be such a mystery if God had only taken an humane shape upon Him for so it was in the time of the Law Jesus Christ often took humane shape as when He strove with Jacob it was Jesus Christ as might easily appear But great is the mysterie of godliness without controversie it 's great God manifested in the flesh that is God taking flesh of man into a personal union which is more fully exprest in John 1. 4. The Word was made flesh This was a strange speech but proper to the Gospel An Heathen would have thought this a strange speech and especially if he knew that by the Word was meant He that was true and eternal God And then in Heb. 2. 16. it is said That Christ did not take the Nature of Angels upon him but the seed of Abraham So that it appears by the personal union of our Natures to the Son of God God hath advanced human Nature above Angels above all creatures Truly my Brethren in Christs taking our Nature upon Him which the Gospel holds forth to us me thinks we may see God as it were resolving to do a work from Himself to the uttermost to manifest the uttermost of his glory in a work out of Himself the work of God within Himself it is His eternal generation and the possession of the holy Ghost but now God would work out of Himself and work out of Himself to the uttermost extent I 'le make a world saith God Heavens and Earth by my Word But this is not such a glorious work as I am able to do I could make ten thousand worlds and when I have made them I could make as many more and more glorious But I would do some work wherein I might manifest even the uttermost of my glory What work is that that is The work that God pitcht upon He would do one work from without to manifest the uttermost of his glory and the Lord rather pitches upon this To take the nature of Man into a personal union with His Son that 's the uttermost And it is impossible that Men or Angels if they were left to all eternity to imagin could think of a work that it were possible for God to express more of His power wisdom and glory in but we know but little of it now but we shall know more in Heaven Now Oh how hath God honored humane Nature in this That when He would do a work to the utmost of His Excellency that He would pitch upon Mans Nature to take it into Personal Union with Himself here 's the mystery of the Gospel now this is indeed the marrow of the mysterie of the Gospel The Word made flesh the second Person in Trinity taking Mans Nature upon Him This is the mystery of the Gospel that Angels and Saints admire at and shall be taken up to all eternity in admiring and praising and magnifying God for That 's the first way of Gods honoring Mans Nature And then there is a second thing which the Gospel reveals and that 's this In putting honor not only upon the Nature of Man as having soul and body but putting a mighty honor upon the very Body of Man the meanest and the very lowest part of Man the very shel outside rine and case of Man that you have in 1 Cor. 6. 19. What know ye not that your bodie is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you Your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost You have no such thing revealed in the old Testament this comes by the light of the Gospel that the Lord hath made the bodies of the Saints to be Temples to the holy Ghost that the holy Ghost dwels in their very Bodies as in a Temple as the King in his Pallace so the holy Ghost in His Temple Now these two are great things revealed in the Gospel and had we but a cleer understanding of these two things Oh! it would mightily elevate our spirits And Conversations sutable to these two particulars surely must needs be a high raised Conversation As now for instance 3. In the personal union of our natures with the second Person in Trinity Oh how should this raise up our hearts and we should manifest the elevation of our spirits in our Conversation so as it becomes those that may expect great things from God surely that God that hath honoured our natures so as to be personally united to his Son he doth intend great things to some of the children of men as now Suppose you that are the poorest and meanest here in this Congregation you had a Sister that were married to the greatest Emperor in the world yea to one that were Emperor of all the whol Earth now you would think to live another kind of life than you did before were it beseeming such a man to live now upon scraping of Chanels or wiping of horse heels or any mean imployment when his Sister is married to the only Monarch of all the whol earth surely he may think now I must live at a higher rate for I may expect something by this So should every one of the children of men think thus indeed I have liv'd in a mean base way the humane nature of mine hath been basely subject to filthy lusts all my daies I have been a bondslave to sin and Satan but when I come to hear of the Gospel I hear that the second Person in Trinity God blessed for ever equal with the Father that is the Heir of all things that he hath not married my humane nature but hath taken it into a personal union with himself and is become my kinsman my neer kinsman hath taken this into the neerest union as is possible for a creature to be taken into with God Oh let us be raised then in our thoughts to think surely God intends higher things for some of the children of men than to eat and drink and satisfie the flesh and be brutish here in the world there are higher things that God will do for mankind and why not for me I am not excluded no more than others It was a speech I remember of
God 1 Cor. 1. 24. it brings a great deal of power with it to help men against strong corruptions to overcome violent temptations to carry them through in any difficulties Powerful corruptions powerful temptations powerful difficulties are overcome by the power of the Gospel and therefore it is said by faith that is by faith in the Gospel we overcome the world the Gospel certainly doth not only stir in some men and women some wishings and wouldings and faint desires but it brings a power to transforme their hearts to make a metamorphosis there when there comes the light of the Gospel there comes the light of life together with it as that Scripture in Heb. 10. 32. After ye were illuminated that is by the Gospel then he speaks of their great sufferings they were willing to endure any thing for Christ therefore a Conversation that becomes the Gospel is such an one as exemplarily demonstrates the very power of godliness that men and women should not be alwaies learning and never come to the knowledg of the truth not alwaies wishing and desiring and never come to any powerful resolutions and determinations for certainly where the Gospel hath the upper hand in a soul it doth bring power but I do not say it brings power so as to overcome all our lusts so as there should be no sin remaining for so long as we live we must be hungering after a further degree of righteousness and sanctification but certainly when the Gospel prevails there comes a great strength there 's the strength of Christ put forth the Spirit of power as the Apostle saith We have not received the spirit of fear but the Spirit of power of love and of a sound mind be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. As if Paul had said to Timothy it 's true you meet with many difficulties but hath not the Gospel given you a Spirit of power There 's spirit of power and resolution when the Gospel comes in Timothy was a poor weakly sickly man in his body and Paul himself had no bodily presence with him a poor contemptible man in regard of his bodily presence but he had a Spirit of power given him by the Gospel so we should manifest a Spirit of power that is as becomes the Gospel of Christ Lastly The Gospel of Christ is a glorious Gospel 1 Tim. 1. 11. it is call'd there by the title of a glorious Gospel According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God Mark what a title is here the Gospel is the glorious Gospel of the blessed God that is the glory of all the Attributes of God doth appear in the Gospel more brightly than they do appear in all the works that God hath made There doth appear indeed a great deal of the glory of God in the Heavens Earth and Seas and you have seen much of the glory of God there but I appeal to you in this Have you seen more of the glory of God in the Gospel than ever you did in all the works that God hath made that were a good argument that you have had a true understanding of the Gospel and that the Spirit of God hath shined into your hearts if you can say Lord I have seen much of thy glory in thy Works when I have been abroad in the mighty waters where Gods paths and foot-steps are Oh the Seas they are thy glorious creatures but thy Gospel that 's glorious beyond all there do I see thine infinite wisdom and infinite power and infinite justice and infinite mercy and infinite faithfulness and the Lord knows that all the glory of the creatures hath been darkned in my eyes since the Lord hath shewed me the glory of His Gospel Can you say so This is a good evidence that the Gospel is a saving Gospel to your souls if you stand and admire at the glory of God in the Gospel Certainly there 's none though never so weak in parts yet if so be that God hath revealed Himself in the Gospel to them they see that which makes them stand and admire at God and darkens all the world in their eyes have you seen the Gospel thus then it is to you the glorious Gospel of the blessed God and in the 2 Cor. 4. 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them Oh reade over this Scripture again and again The God of this world hath blinded their minds Mark compare this Scriptrue with that I said before of Christ that His Kingdom is not of this world but the Devil is called the God of this world note this he hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not if any which live under the Gospel beleeve not it is because the Devil as he prevails in the world and by worldly things by the pomp and vanity of the world he hoodwinks the eyes of those which beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the express Image of God should shine into them Oh the Devil is loth that the gloriou Gospel should shine into the hearts of men he is content that they should come and hear the Gospel but he labors to keep off the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ that it shine not into them for he know when once it hath shined into mens hearts then all the glory of the world will be darkned in their eyes and they will admire then at nothing but Christ Oh none but Christ none but Christ Whom have I in Heaven but Christ and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of my dearest Saviour who is the fairest of ten thousand I never knew God before I saw him in the face of Jesus Christ and now I see God in the face of His Son I see him in another way than ever I did O the Gospel is a glorious Gospel there is more of the glory of God in one sentence of the Gospel than in all the Heavens and Earth beside this we may boldly aver Now our Conversations must be as becomes the Gospel then there must be a glory in our Conversations we must hold forth the Gospel in our Conversations therefor Professors of the Gospel they should shine as lights in the world I beseech you mark this one Note I remember in the close of all the last day I shewed you that the Saints and godly people are call'd the glory of Jesus Christ Himself surely you that are Professors of the Gospel should live so as to be the glory of the glorious Gospel and what manner of persons ought we to be then it's not enough that our Conversations be not defiled with the most filthy and abominable pollutions of the world but our Conversations should be such as should be a glory to the glorious Gospel Look in the Gospel there shine the Attributes of God in glory so in our
this and if this man have not his portion here what man hath the Lord strike such a mans heart But on the other side A gracious heart when God blesses him in this world though there be but a little grace it wil work thus The Lord hath raised my condition above my brother therein the Lord gives me a larger opportunity to do him service than my brother hath or than I had before there is such a poor man he is an honest man but God knows he can do but little in the place where he is he hath but little means but God hath given me means and this means enlarges my opportunity to do God service and for this my soul blesseth God I count my estate happier in this because I now may be of more use and do God more service than otherwise I could do Have you such workings in heart you rich men if you have not never be at quiet til you get your hearts working in this manner this will be a blessed testimony that God gives you a portion here and intends another portion for you in the world hereafter 6. What is that thing that you strive to make most sure That which a man strives to make most sure that he counts his happiness to consist in Oh for thy Land and Debts thou strivest with all thy might to make that sure but as for the matter of thy Salvation and peace in Christ thou hast a good hope in God for but takest no pains to make it sure 7. What dost thou admire most men for O! such a man is happy he hath so much coming in and hath so much a yeer But dost thou call the vile man happy it is a sign that thou hast not thine eye enlightened by the Spirit of God but now Canst thou look upon even those that are poor and mean in this world that have the least portion here yet as most happy Creatures because the Lord gives them the Grace of His Spirit and think well 't is true I have a greater estate than such a poor man that is my neighbor or than such a poor man but God knows he doth God more service than I do he prayes more and more heartily in one day than I do in a whol yeer Oh! the Lord hath other manner of prayers and sighs come from his poor Cottage than ever he had from my brave Pallace I have my City-house and Country-house but they were never so perfum'd with prayers Some that live in poor Cellers send up more prayers and God hath more honor from them than He hath from me in my family perhaps there is cursing and blaspheming of God in such poor Cottages there is perhaps blessing and praising of God Now see if thou lookest upon them as the most happy people in the world 8. What art thou careful to lay up for thy Children That is like to be thy portion If the things of the world take up thy care for thy children most that is an argument thou thinkest thy Children have a good portion if thou canst leave them so many thousands it is like it is thy portion too if thou countest it theirs And then further 9. Examin thy services what they are 1. Dost thou put off God with slight services Then know thy portion is like to be of Gods slight mercies 2. Art thou hypocritical in thy service Dost thou aim at the praise of men in outward duties That is a sign thou hast thy reward here 3. And are thy services forc'd that thou art compel'd Is it meerly conscience compels thee and not an inward agreeableness between the frame of thy heart and holy things Then it 's like a servants portion is thine and not a childs portion 10. Further Hast thou heretofore been a forward Professor in Religion and hast thou forsaken the waies of God I 'le give you a dreadful Scripture for this In Jer. 17. 13. All you that forsake the Lord shall come to be ashamed and they that depart from him shall be written in the earth All that depart from God shall be written in the earth If thou hast been forward heretofore and now thou comest to be more ancient thou art dead and dull and careless here is a Text for thee go home and tremble lest thou be a man whose name is written in the earth 11. Doth not God for the present Curse thy portion thou findest the more thou hast the worse thou growest As if a man should eat meat at ones table and assoon as he hath eaten it begin to swell he will conclude certainly the meat was poysoned So when thy estate rises thy heart riseth with pride surely it was poysoned with the curse of God that was in it 12. Examin thy heart by this whether hath God convinced thee of that which stops the great Current of His mercy I spake of even now that soul that hath its portion in this world looks no further but to Gods general bounty and looks not to what stops the great Current of Gods grace he is not brought to be sensible of his need of Christ and of his satisfaction unto Divine Justice but now the heart of God intends Eternal good too such a heart the Lord causes to understand that there is such an infinite breach between God and it as cannot be made up but only by the Meditation of the Son of God and therefore Lord it is not in any righteousness of mine nor in any thing of any creature in Heaven and Earth can do it that I expect to have my portion from but in the Mediation of the Son of God that I look after and my heart closes with that Mediation and I look upon that as the spring of all my worth He is a man indeed that is not like to have his portion in this world and I 'le only name that one more What saiest thou to this 13. That man that spends his daies without having some fear lest God should put him off with the things of this world there may be some danger of that Jude 12. it is said of some That they did feed themselves without fear You can go now to a merry meeting and can go and feed upon the cheer and you eat without fear you 'l never have such a thought in your heart What if God should put me off with these things I hear indeed there are some men are put off so what if it should prove to be my portion what a miserable creature were I I fear there are some men never had such a thought in their lives What if it should prove so what a miserable creature were I The wicked are described to be men that eat without fear and thus we have done the Fifth Thing There is only the Sixth and that is Sixthly Exhortation to you all and then I have done all And this Exhortation it must be divided First Vnto you that have some Evidences that God hath given you a
to any sin that I should think to cover it by another sin by adding one sin to another to think to shift for my credit or esteem by adding more sin to that already committed Oh no the Lord in his mercie hath made known unto me in the Gospel of Christ what sin means the evil of sin and therefore I have learned rather to endure any thing than to multiply iniquity Indeed before I came to understand Jesus Christ I thought sin was an evil thing and I abstain'd from gross sins by that dim light of Nature that is within me but since I came to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ the great mystery of godliness in his Son the dealings of the Father with his Son the Lord knows now I abhor a sin in secret though I were sure no body in the world should ever know it more than I do abhor Hell its self I such a Conversation as would manifest such a work of God upon the heart as this is would become the Gospel of Christ indeed Whereas otherwise brethren if any of you that do profess the Gospel of Christ shall make sin but as a slight thing and shall be ready to entertain sin in thy bosom know that by this means you do no other but trample under foot the Blood of Jesus Christ as a coÌ„mon thing as a thing that had no worth at all in it This doth despight to the Gospel of Christ you do dishonor Jesus Christ and you do put him to open shame whose Name you have taken upon you by your profession I 'le give you a Scripture now for this in Heb. 6. 4. c. He speaks of some that were once enlightned and had tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and tasted of the good word of God that 's the Gospel and the powers of the world to come if they should fall away it were impossible to renew them to repentance Mark the reason Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Such as fall off after the profession of the Gospel into sinful waies they are said here to crucifie the Son of God afresh and to put him to open shame This is far from walking as becomes the Gospel And so you have another text in Heb. 10. 29. c. he speaks of those that had fallen off from their profession into sinful waies Of how much sâ—rer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy of who hath troden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace See how the holy Ghost speaks of such as fall from their profession into sinful waies again And there 's a great deal of reason for it for 't is not so much for those that never made profession of the Gospel to fall to sin not such a horrid thing for them but for those that have made profession of the Gospel that they hold forth thus much this is the language of their actions though they dare not say so Lord I acknowledge that I have seen the fruit of thy hatred of sin in the death of thy Son that thou didst so hate sin that thou madest thy Son to be a curse for sin but yet for all this such is the strength of my lusts I must have my lusts though it be so vile in thine eyes as the blood of thy Son went for it yet I must have it rather than deny my lusts Oh what a dreadful thing is this how provoking must it needs be to the holy God Oh happy had it been for such men and women that they had never heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ But of the evil of walking unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ we shall speak to after when we come to the application That 's then the sixt particular of what the Gospel holds forth The infinite hatred of God against sin Now the seventh thing that is held forth in the Gospel that cals for a Conversation beseeming is this The great price of souls There 's nothing in the world that ever God did that doth discover the worth of mans immortal soul so as the Gospel of Jesus Christ doth there God manifests to all the world what a price he puts upon mans soul the Lord saw that men by sin had undone themselves and that those souls that he made were like to perish to all eternity yea were under the sentence of eternal death and must certainly perish eternally if so be that some way were not found out by an infinit wisdom for to ransome them now saith the Lord rather than I will have all souls perish it 's true the love that I have unto my Justice is such as for many souls I 'le let them go and they shall perish but yet that I might shew that I have an high esteem of the souls of the children of men for the ransoming of that number that I have appointed from all eternity to save I 'le send my Son and he shall die for the saving of souls that souls may not perish If the Lord should have said concerning any one soul I do so highly prize this soul and account the worth of it to be such as rather than it shall perish I 'le disolve heaven and earth heaven and earth shall perish rather than this soul shall perish you will say this had been a great testimony of Gods esteem of a soul But know that the Gospel holds forth a higher esteem of a soul than this comes to when God shal say Rather than this and the other soul shall perish I 'le send my Son to be made a Curse This the Gospel holds forth this is infinitly a higher price that God puts upon a soul You know therfore what the Apostle saith in 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed saith he with corruptible things as silver and gold Then in the 19. verse But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish or without spot 'T is not silver and gold or any corruptible thing that can redeem you but the precious blood of Jesus Christ Oh that blood that 's more precious than the world even all the world must let the redemption of a soul alone for ever all the Angels in Heaven if they would have joyned together to have redeem'd a soul and would have ventured themselves to have been destroyed for ever that they might have redeem'd a soul it would not have been they must all let the redemption of a soul alone for ever the matter then of the redemption of a soul is more than we are aware of and we could never have come to have known this but by the Gospel of Jesus Christ The full price of a soul is writ down by the finger of Gods Spirit in the Gospel of Christ
Seneca though a Heathen I am greater saith he and I am born to greater things than to be a slave to my body A Heathen could say so Oh but when we hear of humane nature so advanced and enthroned in Christ we should think with our selves that any one that hath humanity in them is born to higher things than to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof What wilt thou be a slave to the Devil now Thou hearest how God hath dignified the nature of man into so neer a union with himself Oh doth not this mysterie of the Gospel call to all the children of men Oh all you children of men Behold what God hath done for man kind surely the thoughts of God for man-kind are great and glorious there be higher things you may attain unto and will you yet perish and chuse your portion here in this world and be groveling on the ground as if there were no higher thoughts that God had for your good than meerly to live as brute beasts to eat and drink and then rise up to play Oh if God hath advanced mans nature so do not despise it in the meanest of the children of men the lowest servant or poorest boy that lies begging at your door for a piece of bread for it is of the same kind that is united in a personal union with the second Person in Trinity of the same nature which this poor boy that lies begging at your door for broken bread and meat therefore honor humane nature in every one and do not vilifie it in thy self those men that live under the Gospel and vilifie humane nature they put a dishonour upon Jesus Christ And even reverence thy self in private when thou art alone I say reverence thy self do not abuse thy body it is the Temple of the holy Ghost Oh remember this all you that are professors of Religion that these bodies of yours this flesh of yours if you be godly and walk answerable to your profession I say this flesh of yours it is the very Temple of the holy Ghost do not abuse it it 's the Apostles argument Therefore fly fornication and be not joyned to whores for your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost Oh it makes the sin of uncleanness to one that professes the Gospel of Christ a cursed sin the sin of uncleaness in a professor of the Gospel it 's a thousand thousand times more abominable than the sin of uncleanness in another why Because they know how God hath advanced humane nature into a personal union with himself and how their bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost What shal I make the Temple of God a â—â—y for the unclean spirit a cage of unclean birds God forbid There hath been a great deal of do about stony Churches and Temples and you should have a great many base whoremasters plead for the Whore of Rome the Mistris of all fornications in bowing and cringing with Cap and knee as soon as they set their foot in some of our meeting places and in the mean time abuse the Saints which are the Temples of the holy Ghost and abuse their own bodies and yet they profess themselves Christians Oh now either deny thy Christianity or do not abuse thy body to any filthy lust for it is the Temple of the holy Ghost This the Gospel holds forth And let thy Conversation be now as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ not abusing thy body so For we see that the Gospel cals for bodily cleanness as well as spiritual cleanness and truly I do not know stronger arguments to godliness than these that we have mentioned here in the Gospel We have gone through three Gods infinit hatred of sin The price of souls And the honor that the Gospel shews that God hath put upon humane nature Conversations but becoming these three would be other manner of Conversations than you have I shall only speak of a fourth and that 's this 4. The Gospel holds forth the greatest example of self-denial that ever was in the world by all waies that ever God hath made known his mind he never hath revealed his will in an example of self-denial so as he hath done in the Gospel and that is in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ God evidenceth there such a work of self-denial as never was and 't is impossible to apprehend a greater example of self-denial than that is though Christ thought it no robbery to be equal with God reade but the second of the Philippians vers 7 8. and there you may see what Christ was and yet how he emptied himself how he denied himself in his honor how vile he was made in the world though he was the brightness of his fathers glory yet he was made of no reputation how he denied himself in riches Christ that was the Heir of all things though he were rich yet he was made poor for us how he denied himself in his pleasures he was the delight of the Father from all eternity and yet he was made a man of sorrows he denied himself in his life for he was the Lord of life and yet he subjected himself to death to a cursed death for us Oh the example of Christ in self-denial is the greatest that ever was and this seems to be one great end of the humiliation of Jesus Christ to hold forth a preaching pattern of self-denial to the world And there 's a great deal more power in the pattern and example of self-denial then in the commands of self-denial I only present this to shew you that it is the most unbeseeming the Gospel for any one that professes the Gospel to be selvish altogether scraping for themselves and whatsoever service they are put upon except self may have an oare in it they have no mind to it Oh 't is becoming the Gospel of Jesus Christ for men and women to be emprtied of themselves no matter what becomes of our selves but be willing to give up our selves for publick good to venture your estates and lives and all your comforts yea to be swallowed up in the glory of God to be nothing that Christ may be all In the Gospel of Christ we find that Christ he was swallowed up with the glory of his Father and he came not to do his own will but the will of his father that sent him and though he was one that had infinitely more excellency than all men and Angels in Heaven and Earth yet he was content for the honor of his Father to be made as a worm and no man to be trampled under foot to endure the greatest extremities of all sorts this holds out an example to us that while we live in this world we should be taken off from our selves Oh this self-love sticks much in the hearts of men and women now upon the example of Christs self-denial we are required to deny our selves and it is the proper lesson of the Gospel
did enlighten us in the things of the Gospel that we have been brought to beleeve it 's a Scripture that would mightily work upon our hearts to live godlily and holily The grace of God that bringeth Salvation what doth it teach us Not to be licentious and vain and slight and bold in our sinful courses but teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Mark it is not enough to live soberly not to be a drunkard to live righteously that is not to wrong any body many think that 's enough But mark indeed the light of nature as I told you would teach us that but now the grace of God that bringeth Salvation teacheth us more To deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly and that in this present world though we live in the midst of a wicked tempting world yet to live godly And what 's the great argument in the Gospel to cause us to live godly in this present world Looking for the blessed hope Oh we look for a blessed hope that the Gospel reveals Oh we did not understand this hope this blessed hope till the Gospel was preached to us but since we apprehend a blessed hope the holy Ghost hath raised in our hearts a blessed hope of glorious things What glorious things Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ We have some little glimps of the great God when we set forth to Sea and launce into the deeps we see the glory of the great God who rideth upon the wings of the wind and whom both the Winds and the Seas obey Oh but we look for another manner of the glorious appearing of the great God than ever yet hath appeared I beseech you consider of this text God did never appear great and glorious in comparison of what he will appear and blessed are those whose Conversations shall be such that can look upon the face of this great God with joy when He shall appear in glory we look for this blessed hope and then when this great God shall appear in His glory then we shall have our blessed hope and this teaches us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts the knowledge of this Oh do you look to be saved have you a blessed hope and do you expect the appearing of the great God in glory hath the Gospel revealed these things unto you O let this that the Gospel reveals teach us to deny all ungodliness and all worldy lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world But there are yet some other things that the Gospel holds forth that are very remarkable for the furtherance of our godly Conversation in this world and if we would live as becomes the Gospel we must have a right understanding of these things or else we shall never sute our selves to the Gospel except we do therby apprehend these great points that are published to us in and by the Gospel As now this is a great point That the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world The Gospel holds forth this to us that Jesus Christ the Son of God having taken our nature upon him he is a great King He hath a Kingdom but He hath a Kingdom that is not of this world neither is Christ of this world nor His Kingdom of this world nor the Saints those that are the Subjects of His Kingdom are not of this world the right understanding of this would much help us in our Conversations and a Conversation beseeming this would much honor the Gospel First We shall shew how the Gospel holds forth this That the Kingdom of Christ is not in this world mark those Scriptures in John 18. 36. Jesus answered My Kingdom is not of this world if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence Therefore as if he should say you must not wonder or think much that I am thus apprehended and delivered up to men that they do with me what they please though I be the great King of my Church appointed by my Father yet my Kingdom is not of this world and I came not hither for pomp and glory The glory of Christ in His Kingdom here is Spiritual Indeed when this world shall be at an end then Christ will appear gloriously though the Scripture speaks of a world hereafter wherein Christ shall appear gloriously but whether personally or otherwise that we speak not of But that Christ shall appear a glorious King even in the world not this world but upon the earth and yet the Scripture speaks of that as another world a new Heaven and a new Earth but for the present for that that the Scripture cals this world we must not expect a pompous and glorious Kingdom till ther ebe a new world till there be new heavens and a new earth this the Gospel holds forth Whereas the people of the Jews they thought as soon as the Messias came He presently should be an outward Monarch in outward pomp and glory no saith Christ this world must pass away first I must come first and reign spiritually in another way and for my Kingdom there is a time for the glory of it to appear when another world shall come but while this world lasts never expect any such outward pomp and glory in the way of my Kingdom I have a Kingdom indeed here in this world but it is not of this world I have a Kingdom wherein I reign spiritually in the hearts of my people there I have set up my Throne and therein I have writ my Laws by which I guide and order all things for their eternal salvation but my Kingdom is not of this world yea and he saith likewise in John 8. 23. I am not of this world neither And John 15. 19. for John that beloved Disciple who lay in the bosom of Christ he knew much of the mind and heart of Christ and was much instructed in this mystery and indeed none of those that did converse with Christ knew more of the bosom of Christ than John did If ye were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world So that as Christ is not of the world so the Saints are not of the world in the 17. of John 14. I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world Mark as I am not of the world so they are not of the world thus Scripture is cleer that neither Christ nor his Kingdom is of this world and therefore beleevers are not of this world And hence then what Conversation becomes this Gospel of Christ even a Conversation sequestred
on in the Gospel What is it Let me labor to serve it whatsoever in me lieth Now if you reade in the Gospel you shall find that the Design that God hath it is To purchase to Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works to promote holiness and godliness that we being redeemed from the hands of our enemies might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives This is the Design that God hath I see that Mankind is fallen from me and the people in the world are generally fallen into wickedness the whole world lieth in wickedness over head and ears in sin but I would have holiness advanced I would have my Image renewed I would have a peculiar people that might live for ever to serve and worship me Here 's the Design of God Oh let me now serve this design of God and labor to do all that I can to serve and honor and blesse and magnifie that God that hath wrought such glorious things for us as He hath wrought in the Gospel And as Christ saith in Mat. 3. when He came to be paptized of John It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness Now shall the Lord Jesus Christ Himself say thus It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness surely then it becomes you to fulfil al righteousness Would you walk as becomes the Gospel Give up your hearts strength and endeavors what possibly you can to fulfill all righteousness do not say Why should I do thus and why need we be so forward and strict Oh remember the text If any talk of too much strictness and too much forwardness then answer thus I heard in such a place such a Text opened and applied to me that my Conversation must be as it becomes the Gospel and certainly let me do what I can I cannot do so much but that the Gospel will require ten thousand times more than I can do and therfore I do endeavor to walk as becoms the Gospel And I hear that Christ Himself saith that it became Him to fulfil all righteousness And why should not I walk as Christ Himself walked O my life hath bin too vain heretofore my heart hath been dead and I have not been quickned up so as to walk worthy of the Gospel but for the time to come my care and endeavor above all things in the world shall be That I may honor this glorious GOSPEL of Jesus Christ from whom I do expect to have such glorious things hereafter Consider now what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in these things that you may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord JESUS CHRIST SERMON I. IF you please to reflect back upon the last daies Exercise when we finished that Scripture in the Philippians that teaches us to walk as becomes the Gospel in the prosecution of which we shewed what it was the Gospel principally did hold forh unto us and what Conversations ought to be in the Professors of it sutable unto those things the Gospel holds forth and among those this was one particular of great moment that we did then but hint out unto you in a word or two That the Kingdom of Christ was not of this world They are Christs own words Now because it is a consideration of very great use I would be loth the benefit of it should be lost therefore I have now pickt out that to speak to more largely and to open the meaning of it unto you from this Scripture JOHN 18. 36. Jesus answered and said My Kingdom is not of this world THE words are a part of the story of Christs arraignment before Pilat Behold here the King of Heaven and Earth stands arraigned at the Barr of a wicked man In this Arraignment we find a special Charge which his Adversaries bring against Him which was this THAT HE MADE HIMSELF THE KING OF THE JEWS He was an enemy to Government The usual charge that the world hath had against the Saints that they are enemies to Government They fare no worse here than Christ did Pilat requires of him to answer to the Charge whether it were so or no that He hath made Himself a King Now you shall find in the answer of Christ He doth not deny the thing but implicitly grants it neither doth he answer him fully to his mind but saith My Kingdom is not of this world My Kingdom As if he should say I acknowledg that I have a Kingdom as mean and low as I am brought now though I stand here before you as a despised man a Carpenters son yet I confess I have a Kingdom but it is not of this world Not of this world He doth not say not IN this world but saith it is not OF this world it is not a worldly Kingdom We have in the words these two things First That Christ hath a Kingdom Secondly What kind of Kingdom Christs is Not of this world I shall not here speak much unto the former and so to handle the common place of Christs Kingly Office but only hint it to you as it makes way to the latter there we shall stay a while Christ he hath a Kingdom He is anointed by the Father to be King as well as Priest and Prophet of His Church Psal 45. 6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter that Psalm is a Prophesie of Christ And in the 19. of Revel 16. Christ is there called The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ God-man is the King of Heaven and Earth Christ God-man is the King of Angels and over all the World and we must know Christ as a King and act our faith upon him as a King or else we know Him not aright we have not the true work of faith except I say our faith act upon Him as a King as well as a Savior In Acts 2. 36. God hath made Him saith the text both Lord and Christ Mark He it not only Christ but Lord and Christ though it is true that in the word Christ all His Offices are implyed which signifies anointed to them all but yet this is expressed by its self Lord and Christ for indeed properly He is Christ unto His Church but He is also Lord over all the World in some sense But then you will say How doth He say that His Kingdom is not of this world if He he Lord over all the world Now that I might come to that point that I have chosen the text for we are to know that Christ hath a double Kingdom First Together with the Father He hath a Providential Kingdom as I may so say for distinction sake Secondly He hath a Mediatory Kingdom as Divines call it First A Providential Kingdom together with the Father whereby He mannages all the affairs of the world I say God-man the second Person in Trinity doth mannage all the affairs of the world His Scepter ruleth over all as
Saints shall ascend up into Heaven with Jesus Christ for the Beasts had their lives prolonged for a season and time after that But saith he in the 18. ver The Saints of the most High shall take your Kingdom and possess it for ever even for ever and ever And in the 21. ver I beheld and the same born made war with the Saints and prevailed against them until the Ancient of daies came and Judgment was given unto the Saints of the most High and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom And then in the 27. ver And the Kingdom and dominion and the greatest of the kingdom under the whol Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him What Dominions shall there be when the Saints are in the highest Heavens to serve and obey Christ He means the Dominions that are here upon the earth shall serve and obey Christ Therefore the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world nor be said hereafter to be such a world as this is but when there shall be another world then Christ shall have a kingdom that shall have such glory as shall be apparent to all and such a Kingdom as the Kings of the earth shall come and bring their glory to it as in 21. of Revelations you shal find that it 's said of the Kings of the earth Reade but that description of the glorious condition of the Church of God there and you shall see this true And the Nations of them which are saved shal walk in the light of it and the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor to it But that is in another world not that world that Christ speaks of here in this place of John Only now do but consider a little of the excellency of this point by way of preparation to you for the next time It would be a notable Scripture to take off our hearts from all the things of this world The right understanding of this would spiritualize the hearts of the Saints would take away the offence of the Crosse of Jesus Christ would help them to carry themselves through this world with a great deal of joy and triumph and not much to regard how things go here below I through the mercy of God am brought into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ And I find the whole tenor of Scripture carries it so that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world but in a spiritual way Oh then let me have spiritual mercies let me enjoy Jesus Christ in way of His spiritual Kingdom and farewell the world and all things under Christ Truly Christians are not acquainted with this point of the spiritual Government of Jesus Christ in His Church and how God the Father hath so ordered things that In this world Christ should have a Kingdom but not Of this world And blessed are they that have by the holy Ghost an enlightning to understand this Mystery to see the reality of it indeed That the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world SERMON II. JOHN 18. 36. Jesus answered and said My Kingdom is not of this world MAny particulars I past over the last day briefly which I told you would need some further explication I 'le give you some few things about that then proceed to Aplication of al The Priviledges of this Kingdom of Christ they are not of this world I 'le name a principal one and this is the priviledg of al that are under the Kingdom of Christ That all businesses transactions between God and them are in the Court of Christ the Mediator They are not in the Court of exact severe justice but they are to be tried for their eternal estates for all they do in the Court of Christ in his Kingdom which is a mighty priviledg the Saints have As kingdoms have several priviledges 't is a greater priviledg to be tried in one kingdom than in another All men and women in their natural estate not under the kingdom of Christ they are to be tried in the Court of Justice i. e. the Court of Gods providential kingdom and there they are either to be acquitted or condemn'd by the Law that 's the way of Gods proceedings towards those that are under His providential kingdom only to be dealt withal according to the Law But al those that are under the kingdom of Christ have all their businesses in reference to God tried in another Court tried in the Court as I may so call it of the Gospel in the Judicature of Jesus Christ for Christ He is as Mediator to them He is the Judge to pass all sentences concerning them and the right understanding of this would much help in the point of Beleevers being chastised for sin it 's true they are not chastised by judgement out of the court of Law as other men are but they are chastised by Christ that hath the Judicature committed to Him and the Administration of all things especially concerning His Church and People and by a sentence from Him chastised not by a sentence from the Father as He is the Judge of all flesh proceeding according to the Law This is the main thing which we spake to before But yet there are divers other things 2 ly That all that are in Christs Kingdom are Free-men they are delivered from bondage all that are out of this Kingdom are bondslaves they are under the prince of this world that is the Devil and in slavery unto him they are all as vassals under the Law in bondage and have no other spirit but a spirit of bondage in them they are slaves to sin they are under the curse of the Law But now being brought to the Kingdom of Christ they are made free they are free Denizons of Heaven 3 ly And then from hence follows in the third place All that are in Christ's Kingdom have the priviledg of a free-trade to Heaven they have free traffick to Heaven there is now a blessed intercourse between Heaven and them that they have by being subjects of this Kingdom As we know the subjects of this Kingdom have many freedoms that forreigners have not that those that belong to another Kingdom have nothing to do with So the subjects of Christs Kingdom have a freedom of coming into Gods presence of trading to the promised Land that others have not others are cast out of Gods sight and cannot trade to Heaven so as beleevers do that are brought under the Kingdom of Christ 4 ly By vertue of this Kingdom they come to have right unto all the Ordinances of Christ And only by this we come I say to have right unto them so as to be our own Indeed Christ for the sake of such as are His Elect Ones that He intends to bring into His Kingdom He sends forth His Word the preaching of the Word unto them
to make way for that First Consider what poor things they are that they make such a stir about Secondly Consider the Tenure upon which they hold whatsoever they do enjoy Thirdly Consider the mixture of Evil that there is in that they do enjoy Fourthly The blessed Portion that they lose that they might enjoy Lastly The dreadful end that there will be to such men that have their portion here 1. The poor things that men have here in this world What are they Their Comforts for the most part are but imaginary In Hosea 12. 1. Ephraim feeds upon the wind And when a bladder is ful of wind one prick lets it quite out and so when Death comes it lets out all their Comforts even as the wind goes all out at one prick in a bladder so all the comforts of the men of the world go out by the prick of death In Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is not it is not it hath no reality in it And in Acts 25. when Bernice and Agrippa came in great pomp and state to the Assembly that which you have in your books translated great Pomp it is in the Greek with great Fancie all the pomp and jollity in the world it is but a fancy this is their portion 2. That which they have it is of a very low nature this would be an argument we might phylosophize in if it were fit or if we had time but I 'le quickly pass over these things it 's of a very low nature it not much concerns the soul all the portion they have Therefore saith the Text here Thou fillest their belly it 's but a belly full what is that to the soul Indeed the rich man in the Gospel could say Soul take thy ease for thou hast goods laid up for many yeers eat drink c. Wilt thou say Soul take thy ease because thou hast goods laid up and because you may eat and drink What is all this to the soul Ambrose hath such a speech upon the place If the man had the soul of a swine what could be said otherwise for indeed these things were sutable to the soul of a swine you shall find that a man is not the better because of outward things not a whit the heart of the wicked is little worth his estate may be somewhat worth his house may be somewhat worth his lands may be somewhat worth But the heart of the wicked is little worth Prov. 10. And would not you think it to be a great evil if so be that when you go up and down abroad you should certainly know that there is no man doth give you any entertainment or any respect but it is for your servants sake that tends upon you would not that discourage you and trouble you Indeed you come to such a mans house and he seems to make you welcome and you have entertainment I but you come to know afterwards that it was not for your sake but for your servants sake that be loved would you think you had a good entertainment there the truth is so all the respect you have in this world it is for your servants sake for your goods house and lands it is not for any worth that is in you It was a speech that Socrates spake once to one Achilous when he had a fine house and a many brave things there saith he There are many come to see thy house and thy fine things there but no body comes to see thee they know there is a worth in thy fine house and in thy fine furniture but they see no worth in thee Indeed all these things are not souls meat it is not mans meat they feed upon it is but ashes it is nothing to the soul of man Further 3. Suppose it were for the soul What thou hast here is but a very poor pittance a scantie portion thou hast not all the world neither thou hast thy portion in this world If thou hadst the whol world at command yea if God should make a thousand worlds more for thee to command this were all but a poor pittance to put off an immortal soul withal but now that thou hast is but a little minnim in the world All Nations of the Earth are but as the dust of the ballance and drop of the bucket to God What is thy dust then what is thy house and land then As Socrates wittily rebuked the pride of Alcibiades when he was very proud that he had so much Land lay together He brought his Map of the world to him and saith he Pray shew me where your land lies here one prick of a pen would have described it all Should we take a rich man here that hath a great deal of land and bring a Map of the world to him all England Ireland and Scotland are but three little spots unto the world And what are your Farms and your Mannours you have you have but a little portion if you had all it were no great matter the truth is All you have in this world cannot be enough to make you live in fashion in the world like a man it 's not enough I say for to live like a man in the world to live like one that hath an immortal soul like one that hath the Image of God upon him and was sent hither into the world to do some great service as every one of you was sent hither to do therefore it is but a mean thing little cause you have for to rejoyce in it It 's true they that are godly account themselves unworthy of the least thing they have here in this world but I 'le tell you a Mystery of Religion now a practical Maxime of Religion that is a great Mystery to the world and that is this That a gracious heart though he thinks himself unworthy of the least crum of bread yet all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth will not serve him to be his portion will not satisfie him though he hath a heart that will be satisfied with any thing as counting himself unworthy of the meanest condition in this world as a present gift of God but if God should give him Heaven and Earth he hath such an unsatisfying heart as he would not be satisfied with Heaven and Earth except God gives him Himself therefore certainly thy portion is but a very little portion 4. Those things that thou hast are things that will vanish and quickly come to nothing It is said of the whol world in Job 26. 7. The whol earth hangs upon nothing and so all things of the Earth do and therefore it is said of Abraham in Hebrews 11. That he sought a City that had foundations All other things are as things that have no foundation at all There is a worm in every creature that will consume it in time and the Scripture calls all our riches Vncertain riches and Christian thou art made for an eternal condition these things
have neither the right of Justice to claim nor the right from your Creation nor the right from Promise What right then There is a Fourth right and that right I confess you have and that is 4. A right from Donation God is pleased to give to you but just thus You hold all your Honors and Estates that are ungodly men just thus Even as a man that is condemned to die and there being a little reprieving for two or three daies before his execution the Prince out of his indulgence gives order to have provision made for him according to his Quality that if he be a Gentleman he shal have such provision if a Knight a Nobleman a Peer of the Realm he shall have provision according to his Quality till his Execution now no man can say this man usurps though he hath forfeited all his right to his Land and Estate yet if the King will give him this refreshment he is no usurper but it is a poor right he hath it 's a right from Donation and thus God gives the ungodly men in this world they have a right to outward comforts you have your Portion but you see how you hold it That 's the Second thing I have but one or two things more to dispatch of this particular and two things further and I shall wind up all as briefly as I can I am told I may take some liberty at such a time as this is and seeing it is only the preaching oportunity we meddle withal give me leave a little the more to transgresse upon your patience in that I hope it will not be very much The next thing to be considered it is That this Portion here as it 's poor in regard of the mean things and the Tenure So Thirdly There is a great deal of Mixture here in this you have 1. There is a manifold Mixture of Cumber of Trouble and the truth is All the good things that wicked men enjoy in this world will scarce bear charges that is there is so much trouble they meet withal here in this world with their Portion that all they have will scarce bear charges And if a man goes a Voyage we use not to count any thing he spends by the way to be part of his Treasury Now all we have here in this world is but Spending-money to bear our Charges in regard God knows we shall be at a great deal of Charges and afflictions we shall meet with here But besides 2. There is a Mixture of Curse in every Portion of an Ungodly man If any of you think you get such a rich Match you get an Heir that is a very rich Match and you get her portion and there you go and fetch away the bags of God that are her portion but if it should prove that every bag of Gold you have of your Wives portion had the Plague in it it were but a poor portion Certainly it is thus with all ungodly ones in the world that all the while they live whatsoever they enjoy so long as continuing wicked they have a Curse of God that goes along with it and makes way unto Eternal misery for them As those that are godly have the blessing of God in outward things that makes way for their Eternal good So thou hast the Curse of the Lord mingled with all thy outward things that makes way for Eternal evil unto thee And then Consider 3. What portion thou losest thou hast gotten one but thou losest a great deal more If a man had been at the Exchange and made some bargain about some petty thing and afterwards when he comes home knows that by not buying such a thing he hath lost a bargain that would have made him and his posteritie he hath little cause of rejoycing in that bargain he hath made So though thou hast got a portion that may seem to satisfie thee somwhat know thou hast lost a portion of infinit worth and value and it 's impossible to shew you what this portion is for the Devil could shew Christ all the glory of the world in the twinkling of an eye but if I should come to shew you the glory of Heaven I had need have Eternity to shew you what the portion of the Saints is but though I cannot shew it you all I will only give you a hint or two that you may know somewhat what it is 1. It is such a portion as is fit for the Spouse of the Lamb as is fit for the Spouse of one that is to marry the Son of God the second Person in Trinity 2. It is such a portion which is fit and sutable to an Heir of Life and Glory an Heir of Heaven and Earth 3. It is such a portion as God doth give it unto them to this very end As to declare what the infinite Power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to the height of happiness What think you this must be that I say it must therefore be done that it might declare to Angels and all creatures what the infinit power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to happiness and glory This must be somewhat 4. It must be such a one as in which God must attain unto the great design that he had from all eternity in making the Heaven and Earth the special design that God had in making Heaven and Earth from all Eternity it was to magnifie the Riches of His Grace to a Company that He had set apart to glory it must be such a portion and guess you what this must needs be 5. It is such a portion as must require the infinite power of God to support a Creature to be able to bear the weight of that glory it 's such a portion And do you but think what kind of portion that must needs be 6. All this must needs be now to all Eternity I remember when Esau did but hear Isaac his father tel what a blessing he had given unto Jacob the Text saith that Esau fell a weeping Oh! that God would strike upon the hearts of men that have so little minded any thing but the present things of the world thou hearest but a few words of what the Lord hath reserved to all eternity for his Saints and compare but that with what is thy portion and what is like to be thy portion and thou hast cause to weep I but more cause you will have to weep if so be you consider the last thing Fifthly What is like to be thy End thy Portion is in this world if indeed thou couldst ruffle it out in this world and enjoy thy hearts desire and there an end it were somewhat Oh but there is somewhat else remains afterwards As first 1. Oh the perplexity of Spirit that any worldly man will have when Death comes when he shall see an end of all the comforts of this world now farewell house and lands and friends and acquaintance and all
a little portion here yet there is as fair a way for you to have the God of Heaven and Earth to be your Portion to have whatsoever Jesus Christ hath purchased by His blood to be your Portion to have Heaven and Eternity and Immortallity to be your Portion I say there is as fair a way for it as for the greatesest Prince in the Earth you may come to have a Portion Here indeed many a poor Apprentise may say My Father is dead and hath left me no Portion I but you that are poor Apprentises and others and the poor Hospital Boys that live upon Charity It 's possible some poor wretches there may have their portion in God and Christ and Immortallity aswel as the greatest and richest of all therefore raise up your hearts here you that are the poorest and meanest and know you are born for high things If I should come and tell one that is a poor Boy in a blew Coat Whatsoever you are now there is such a rich man will adopt you to be his Child and make you his Heir that would raise up his heart Well how meanly soever you live now you may be a glorious Creature hereafter if so be you have an heart to put upon it and to seek after it for your portion Then you 'l say Lord what should we do that our portion should be an higher portion than in this world The First thing I would put you upon is this 1. Let the whole Course of your life be steered as it were with the fear of God lest that this should be all that you have as it was a sign before so now I may make use of it as a means I say let your course of life be steer'd as it were with the fear of God lest that God with this should put you off hold forth this in every action that any one may see by your Conversation surely this man this woman hath some fears lest God should put them off with a portion in this world And especially you that have great portions in this life and you know you have done God little service you know there are many poor people that live upon Alms have done God more service than you you have most cause to fear They that are Rulers and Governours have most cause to fear unless they have mighty good evidence in their hearts Chrysostom upon the 13. of the Hebrews speaking of those that are Governours I wonder that any Governour should be saved he hath such a speech there we will not say so but he saith so there is a great deal of hazard Christ tels us too that a man that hath a great portion in this world though it 's possible he may have more hereafter yet it is doubtful It is the Counsel of one to a King of Portingal saith he I desire you to grant me this favor that every day you would but think of this Text What profits it a man If he should gain the whol world and lose his own soul Spend some little time every day to think of this Text and pray to God that he would give you the true understanding and sense of this Text and let it be the conclusion of al your prayers that God would shew you what there is in this Text what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul The same counsel I give to you Daily pray to God to make you understand what there is in this Text that there are men that have their portion in this world 2. Labor to take off your hearts from all these outward comforts that are here take off your spirits He that will be rich shall fall into many temptations Know it is not necessary so you should conclude every one in your own hearts it is not necessary I should have estate in this world but it is necessary I should make my peace up with God it is necessary I should provide for my soul but how things are with me here there is no great necessity And then 3. Set you the glory of Heaven and Eternity daily before your eyes and be trading for higher things than these are you that are great Merchants you are trading for thousands when as many poor people now that go up and down in the streets and cry some mean thing they think well if they can get eighteen pence in a whole day carrying things upon their heads and crying in the streets but a rich Merchant can go out in the morning and make a bargain and perhaps get five hundred pound in an hour he is trading for somewhat like So the men of this world are like the poor women that go with things about upon their heads and get eighteen pence in a day but a godly man hath communion with God and in a quarter of an hour gets that he would not lose for hundreds nor for thousands It was a speech of Cleopatra to Anthony Why Anthony thou art not to fish for Gudgeons and Trouts but thou art to angle for Castles and Towers and Forts and Cities thou art to fish for them so may I say If thou hast an immortal soul within thee thou art not so much to angle for to make provision for the flesh for meat and drink and cloathes c. but for Heaven and Immortality set that continually before thine eyes And the next thing is this 4. Honor God with thy substance here lay out thy portion here for God and Oh that I could but convince you of one Principle of Divinity more and that is this That there is more excellency and good in one vertuous Action than there is in all the creatures in Heaven and Earth besides the works of Angels and others of the Saints excepting them Take all Creatures Sun Moon Stars Seas Earth all the riches in the world Pearls put all together this is the true Divinity I say that there is more excellencie in one vertuous Action than there is if thou hadst all these things to be thy possession If men were convinced of this they would be abundant in good works then Thou thinkest it a brave thing thou hast so much coming in by the yeer do but one good action for God out of an upright principle and there is more excellency in that one action than there is in thy estate if thou hadst ten thousand times more added to it Certainly this will make them that are rich to be rich in good works so the Scripture saith Charge them that are rich in this world that they be rich in good works There is a richness in good works as well as in an estate Oh! improve lay out thy estate for God Ambrose I remember upon that place his Sermons upon the rich man saith he Is it not more honor that so many children shall ask of you as their father than that so many pieces of gold shall call you their lord These pieces of gold they do
the world 157 2 Because he delights to exercise the graces of his Saints ib. 3 That his power and wisdom may appear the more glorious 158 Application Use 1 There is a happiness beyond the things of this world 159 Their world called 1 An evil world 160 2 The Devil is called the god of it ibid 3 The pomp of it is not of the Father ibid 4 Its glory is but darkness ibid 5 It knows not God 161 6 It lies in wickedness ibid PSALM 17. 14. TEXT Opened 295 Doctrine There are men to whom God gives some outward good for a while and this is all they are like to have 298 Arguments of Gods love to Saul 1 He was chosen by God Himself c. 300 Explication 1 Why God deals out something to wicked men 304 1 They are His Creatures ib 2 Their time of life is Gods patience ibid 3 It is their day 305 4 They do something for God here ibid 5 To shew them what little good is in this world 306 6 He hath time enough to manifest his justice upon them hereafter 307 7 He shews what great things He hath reserved for His Children 308 8 God fetcheth glory from hence ibid 1 To harden their heart 309 2 To chasten his own people ibid 9 Because he would have no argument of love or hatred drawn from outward things ibid 2 Here is all they are like to have 310 1 Because their names are not in the book of life ibid 2 They are vile in the eyes of God ibid 3 Because they chuse it themselves 311 4 They are sutable to them 313 5 They abuse the portion they have 314 6 They have no interest in Jesus Christ ibid 7 They are no sons 316 8 The manifestation of Gods patience is ended ibid 9 They must have imediately to deal with God 317 3 Corrollaries flowing from hence 1. This is the reason why worldly men are so cunning in things of this world 318 2 This is the reason why so many great ones regard Religion so little 319 3 This is the reason of the stir that is in the world to maintain this their Portion 328 4 What kind of Portion this is that the men of the world have 1 What poor things they are 329 1 They are but imaginary ibid 2 Of a low nature 330 3 But a poor pittance 331 4 It will vanish 332 5 It will stand with the hatred of God 333 2 The tenure by which thou boldest them 335 Opened in 4. things ibid 3 There is a great deal of mixture in what you have 336 1 Of trouble ibid 2 Of curse ibid 4 What Portion thou losest by it 337 1 It is fit for the Spouse of Christ ibid 2 Sutable to an Heir of Heaven ibid 3 It is the height of happiness 338 4 It is Gods great design in making Heaven and Earth ibid 5 It requires the infinite power of God to support a creature in it ibid 6 It remains to eternity ib 5 What is like to be thy end ib 1 Perplexity of spirit when death comes 339 2 You 'l be called to account for all 340 3 A dreadful Portion at the day of Judgment ib. 5 Who the man is that hath his Portion in this world 1 God gives him nothing but what belongs to this life 341 2 By the working of your hearts about your Portion 342 1 Whether your hearts terminate in what you enjoy ibid 2 Whether they go out in full strength to them 343 3 How the loss of them take thy heart ibid 4 Whether they only be sutable to thy heart 344 5 What thou accountest thy cheefest good ibid 6 What you strive to make most sure 346 7 What thou most admirest men for ibid 8 What thou art careful to lay up for thy children ib. 9 Examine thy services in 3 Particulars 1 Are they slight 347 2 Hypocritical 3 Forced 10 Doest thou draw back in Religion ibid 11 Doth God for the present curse thy portion ibid 12 Doth God convince thee of what stops the current of his mercy ibid 13. He spends his daies without fear of being put off with the things of this world 348 6 Exhortation 1 To those that have evidences of a better portion 349 1 Bless God for it 349 2 Be content with it ibid 3 Envy not wicked men ib. 4 Mind higher and better things 350 2 To all to put on for another Portion 351 Motive 1 Ye are capable of it 352 2 Ye are in a fair way for it ib Means 1 Be stir'd with the fear of God 353 2 Take off your hearts from outward comforts ibid 3 Set the glory of Heaven and Eternity before your eyes 354 4 Honor God with your substance here ibid 5 Let your services be choice services 356 6 Be willing to cast away what you have sinfully got ibid 7 Be willing to joyn with those that suffer for God 358 Conclusion ibid READER Thou hast here the Names of the Books that are lately published of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs As also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded VIZ. 1. An Exposition with Practical Observations on the 4 5 6 7. Chapters of HOSEA 2. A Treatise of EARTHLY MINDEDNES Wherein is shewed 1. What Earthly-mindedness is 2. The great evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. verse Also to the same Book is joyned a Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. And on Phil. 3. 20. 3. The rare JEWEL of Christian CONTENTMENT on Phil. 4. 11. Wherein is shewed 1. What Contentment is 2. It is an holy Art and Mysterie 3. The Excellencies of it 4. The evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Agravations of it 4. GOSPEL-WORSHIP on Levit. 10. 3. Wherein is shewed 1. The right manner of the Worship of God in general 2. And particularly in Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper And Prayer 5. GOSPEL-CONVERSATION on Philip. 1. 27. Wherein is shewed 1. That the Conversation of Beleevers must be above what could be by the light of Nature 2. Beyond those that lived under the Law 3. And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those Men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17. 14. All which are published by Thomas Goodwin Sydrach Simpson William Greenhil William Bridge John Yates William Adderly All printed by Peter Cole at the Printing-Press in Cornhil at the Royal Exchange in LONDON GOSPEL Conversation PHILIPPIANS 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ THE Apostle in the 23. verse of this Chapter we find to be in a straight what to do whether to be willing to live or to die for his own inclination or desire it was rather to die because then he should be with Christ which was best of all A notable Scripture to prove the Immortallity of the soul For if so be the soul did die with the body it
you live in that your consciences condemns you for A Heathen would not do it a Heathen would not wilfully live in a sin that his conscience tells him is a sin manie of the Heathens came to that And what way have you made in profession Perhaps you have seemed to be in the School of Christ manie yeers and others take you for a forward Professor and yet your conscience tells you that you live in some sins that are known sins to you but because they are secret and none knows them but your self therefore you have continued in them and ventured upon them hoping of Gods pardon being perhaps but one and no great one I say in this you are beneath the light of Nature and therefore you are far from having your Conversations such as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ This Conversation of yours is not such as becomes the light of Nature divers Heathens would abhor such Conversations in Christians yea if it were among themselves and they would hardlie companie with you there are manie that make profession of Religion that I say if they lived among Heathens Heathens would not keep companie with a great part of this Kingdom yea and of most Congregations and therefore they should not think much though they may not be admitted into such a near communion as the Lords supper Q. You will say then But what is that Conversation becoming the Gospel that is beyond the light of Nature First The light of Nature teaches to worship a God That many of you do you worship God But this is that that becomes the Gospel of Christ To worship honor God as a Father as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ this goes beyond the light of Nature in that particular not only I am convinc'd that there is a God that He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth and my Creator and therefore I 'le worship Him but I do not do that that becomes the Gospel of Christ til I get my self to this That I am able through the grace of the Gospel to worship God as a Father reconciled to me in Christ and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and so do I come and present all my services unto God This few of our Civil men do yet your Civil men will make a profession of the Gospel too and your Civil men they worship God but it is in a meer natural way The God of Heaven and Earth that made them is to be worshiped they can say their old Catechism Q. Who made you A. God Q. Wherefore did he make you A. He made me to serve Him c. I but doest thou when thou comest to serve and worship the Lord look upon God as a Father reconcil'd in Christ and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and so doest thou tender up all thy services to God Thou art not raised to that that becomes the Gospel of Christ except thou doest thus worship God in this way that 's that which becomes the Gospel of Christ and know that all other worship that thou tenderest up to God meerly as God is Creator God that made thee and therfore thou must serve him I say al that worship if thou goest no further God rejects it indeed we are to worship God as a Creator God would have that I but if He hath not that and the other too and if He have not both he will not accept of one for the first is included in the second but the second is not included in the first A man that worships God as a Father and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ he doth worship God as a Cretor too but a man may worship God as a Creator and not at all be acquainted with Him as a Father and as the Father of our Lord Jesus and therefore till the Lord in the Ministrie of the Gospel hath been pleased to shine in upon thy soul as a Father and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and thou comest to worship God thus or at least this is the endeavour of thy soul that thou maiest worship God in this way thou art not satisfied in worshiping God after the other way because he made thee and thy heart works after this indeed I have not got this full assurance that he is my Father but this is that my heart is unsatisfied untill I have got it and I cannot be quiet in anie other kind of worshiping God till I find some abilitie to tender up all to him as a Father and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ I say till thou comest to this thou doest not in that particular worship God as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ And so in the point of Justice thou doest give every one his own I but this is beneath that that is required in thy dealing with men according to the Gospel of Christ If you reade the 5. of Mat. there you shall find when Christ comes to preach what he requires he raises the point of Justice beyond doing as we would be dealt with saith Christ there You have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecut you this is higher than meerly to be just and for one man not to wrong another you shall have manie men say Who is able to say black is mine eye I live and no bodie can say I wrong them you think this is an excellent Conversation it 's true it is good in its kind and it were good if all Professors of Religion could say they live so that no body can charge them for unjust dealings I but this doth not rise to that height to be the Conversation as becomes the Gospel of Christ you must come to this height to love your enemies and to bless them that curse you you must do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you Can you find this this is somewhat like the Gospel of Christ this is somewhat more than to do no wrong to others And to do as we would be done to we must go higher we must not onlie set this as a pattern I 'le do as I would be done by No But I 'le labour to do to another as God hath done to me This is higher that 's thus hath God shewed Himself gracious unto me I 'le labour to do that good to others as much as I am able even as God hach done to me You have for that those two Scriptures Ephes 4. 31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one towards another tender hearted forgiving one another The light of Nature now will justifie all this But mark the conclusion Even as
him so that his obedience was tendred up to God to that end that he might obtain the continuance of a natural life here in this world only in order unto that for we find no more revealed The first man Adam he was Natural the second Spiritual the first of the Earth earthly the second the Lord from Heaven The Apostle 1 Cor. 15. speaks of Adam in innocency as the common head of al man-kind he was of the Earth earthly and in way of distinction the second Adam was the Lord from Heaven He brings all heavenly glory Though Adam had stood yet we never reade of any heavenly glory that ever he or his posterity should have had but the second Adam he is the Lord from Heaven that brings Heavenly glory with him That 's the second thing considerable in the Law as a Covenant with Adam The third thing in the Law as a Covenant with Adam was this That Adam under the Law he must have wrought by his own strength that he had received God at first gave man strength for obedience and he puts his stock into his own hand and so he must have wrought and continued by the power of the strength that God did at first give him he had not that fountain to go to for that continual supply of strength as we have which you shall see presently Fourthly Adam he was in such a condition as he was in hazard of his miscarrying for his eternal estate He was indeed in a way of obedience to the Law that God gave him but still so as he was in hazard of eternal miscarrying this was the condition of Adam under the Law Obj. You will say He was holy and had no sin Ans But considering his condition under the Law That it was Obedience to God as a Creator he did work for natural good and he wrought by the strength he had received and he was in hazard of miscarrying eternally Now compare his condition with the condition of the Saints in the time of the Gospel and you will find the condition of the Saints having the fruit of the Gospel to be in a great deal better condition even now not only shall be in Heaven but are in a better condition now than Adam was in paradise 1. Adam he obeyed God and tendered up his service to God as a Creator But now the people of God under the Gospel those that are brought home to God by the Gospel they look upon God under another relation not meerly as Creator but all their services that they tender up to God it is as unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and their Father in Him I go to my Father and I go to your Father saith Christ John 20. 17. It 's true still we look upon God as the First-being of all things as Creator but we look upon Him in a higher relation than meerly our Creator we look upon Him as the Father of Jesus Christ and so in Jesus Christ as our Father and so we tender up obedience to Him in that way and surely such obedience tendered up to God as under such a relation should be a higher kind of obedience a higher kind of holiness than was in Adam Although it is true in respect of our condition here we are not so free from corruption as Adam was in Innocencie yet the obedience that we tender up to God though it be not so free I say from mixture yet it is of a higher nature than Adams was it is to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. We have better promises than ever Adam had we have promises of Heavenly Glory that he had not God doth not say Do and live to us only live hear in the world in a natural life and I will free you from outward troubles and from the death of the body But we know that the Gospel brings immortallity and glory to light it tels us of the glory of Heaven and of the Mansions that Jesus Christ is gone before to prepare of the glorious Communion that the Saints shall have with God in the highest heavens which is another manner of motive to obedience than ever Adam had And therefore our obedience to God should be raised in a higher way than ever his was 3. The strength that we have it 's not put into our own hands to keep and so to improve and there 's all But Jesus Christ the Second Person in Trinity He is fil'd with all fulness that we might receive grace for grace continually from the fulness of Jesus Christ that hath all the treasures of wisdom in Him In Him it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell now the Saints by faith have as it were a pipe laid into that Cistern that hath all fulness from whence continually by the work of Faith they draw strength and nourishment new supply from Him they have not somewhat given to them and so are set to trade for themselves and improve what is given them but they suck new vertue from Jesus Christ as from a Head Adam he was the head of the first Covenant himself but now 't is Jesus Christ that is the Head of the Second and all Beleevers draw spirits from Jesus Christ and strength from him as from the Head they have a Head that Adam had not to draw strength from and therefore they are to manifest the strength of Jesus Christ in all their waies that fulness that there is in Jesus Christ they are to make that appear to the world in their lives and Conversations And therefore that text Col. 1 10 11. is very remarkable That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledg of God mark in the 11. verse strengthened with all might according to his glorious power This is worthy of the Lord because that now we come to receive of his fulness of the fulness of Jesus Christ and to have a continual supply from him Though 't is true so God hath ordered it that so long as we live we shall have some mixtures of corruption here but yet he hath provided a help for us a fulness in his Son that from Him we should draw of His fulness and so come to be strengthened with all might 4. We now serve the Lord and obey Him in our lives as those that are delivered from the hazard of eternal miscarrying Adam obeyed but yet he might know when he was obeying I now obey but I am in danger to miscarry eternally every hour to undo my self and posterity for ever But now certainly this very thought and the understanding of this it could not stand with that full freedom of spirit that the Saints may have now under the Gospel the Saints under the Gospel come in a way of obedience to God and upon this ground they have their feet as it were upon sure ground Well as for my eternal estate the hazard of
becomes the Gospel as becomes this great thing in the Gospel that is the chief thing indeed that the Gosspel holds forth in every line of it and discovers his eternal love towards them in particular in the Son of his love Christ Jesus in whom he is well pleased Quest You will say What is it that becomes this thing in the Gospel Ans Surely love answerable love that we should return love for love he that dwels in God dwels in love God Himself is love Reade but the first Epistle of that beloved Disciple John what abundance of love is there made known of God every letter thereof is a character of love and what commendations of love in heavenly expressions But you reade no such thing in the Scripture before the Gospel was revealed in that cleerness as it was then now nothing but Love love and how it called for love Then there must be this conversation Love to God as God to us And that must be real as Gods love in Christ was Quest How did God manifest his love Answ A Conversation becoming the Gospel must be a manifestation of our love in some proportionable way So God loved the world as He gave His only Son that is as if he should have said thus God so loved the world so dearly as that which was the dearest thing unto God he gave for a testimonie of his love to man-kind The dearest thing What 's that His Son If God should have said That I might testifie my love to mankind as I have made one world for them I will make ten thousand more yea I will make so many worlds as every one of the children of men shall have a world to possess you would think this were very much Oh this were nothing in comparison of that expression So God loved the world as He gave His Son the Son of God is infinitly dearer to God than ten thousand thousand millions of worlds are Now a conversation that becomes the revelatio of such love must needs be this Whatsoever then is dearest to our souls let that be given up to God As it was a testimony of the love of Abraham to God Hereby I know thou lovest me Why Because he gave up his Isaac to God he would not spare his only Son whom he loved so God shewed his love to us we may say Lord hereby we know thou lovest us that thou hast given thine Isaac thine only Son for us and hereby Lord shal men and Angels know that we love thee that whatsoever is dear to our souls thou shalt have it we will offer it up to thee in way of sacrifice this is a conversation that becomes the Gospel So that when God cals for anything never think it much Oh this is hard and costly and dear to me and how shall I part with this Is this becoming the Gospel to stand with God for any thing for thy love must be somewhat sutable to Gods His love was such as he gave the dearest to thee and thy love therefore if it runs paralel with his must give the dearest to him And then if we be acted by love for that 's the conversation that becomes the Gospel to be acted in all that we do with love to God to be in a flame of love continually as the Salamander they say doth alwaies live in the fire so should we do in the fire of love not in the fire of contention But now Love hath no need of any argument to do any thing but only this this thing will be pleasing unto him that I do tender it unto it will please my Father that 's argument enough for Love that if I do such a thing it will please my beloved therefore never stand arguing thus Such a thing is a duty but is it necessity Must I do it Cannot a man be saved unless he do it Be all damn'd that do not this These are arguments from base sordid spirits but here 's enough for love here 's a thing would please God if we did thus we should please God better than in not doing it Therefore that place that you had before in the first of the Colossians Walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing let the heart presently spring upon this There 's such a thing propounded out of the Word at such a time and I heard it would be well pleasing to God if I did this If we put but this upon you you that do not set up the worship of God in your families Do not you think that it would please God better to set up his Worship in your families than not Is there no Conversation that your consciences tell you would please God better than that Conversation which you live in Would it not be more pleasing to God ask but your conscience now if your hearts were acted by love you would presently fall upon that which your consciences tel you would be more pleasing to God And then Love This is a maxim of Love Love never knows when it hath done enough it knows no such thing as too much for men to say What need we be so strict as to walk circumspectly what need we do so much why must we be so holy This is a base kind of reasoning Is this as becomes the Gospel If thou wert acted by Love then thou wouldst never think that thou hadst done enough for God Oh thou wouldst rather think had I ten thousand thousand times more strength than I have Lord thou art worthy of it all what soever I have whatsoever I am whatsoever I can do thou art worthy of it all never stand arguing thus what need so much is the thing a good thing love never knows any such thing as too much We know love It cannot bear with dishonor done unto those that we do love if any wrong any one that we love if our hearts be inflam'd with love we know not how to bear it such strike us in the apple of our eye Oh that 's a Conversation that becomes the Gospel that when we see the Name of God dishonored our hearts rise more against any thing that is done against God than it doth against any thing that is done against our selves we are inflam'd for God when we see any thing done that is a dishonour to the Name of God And love we know it will make us mourn and melt for any offence to those that are beloved of us So that 's a Conversation that becomes the Gospel when we manifest melting hearts and mourning spirits Love makes us delight in the presence of those that we do love so that 's a Conversation that becomes the Gospel when we manifest that there is nothing in the world that we delight in more than to be in the presence of our Beloved Oh to be alwaies with God in the arms of Christ it is our Heaven on Earth And then a Conversation that becomes this Gospel It is to be of a loving disposition towards
scope of the Gospel a principal scope I say God would in the Gospel make known to all the world his infinite willingness to be reconcil'd to such as have offended him Indeed without the Gospel we might apprehend this that the Lord is a God that is full of goodness that He is good and doth good that all good is in him but to apprehend God to be such a God of peace so infinitely set upon it as I may so say to be reconciled to such as are enemies could never have been known but by this Gospel of Christ herein we find that though there was an infinite difference between God and man between Heaven and Earth through our sinning sin yet the Lord was willing to be reconciled yea though the offence of man was exceeding great so that it cried for vengance yet he was pleased wonderfully to condescend to make a peace with him Yea though the Lord had man under his power and could do what He pleased with him He had His enemy under His feet and might have broken him all to pieces with His iron-rod as a Potters vessel which when it is broken can never be made whol again yet He was willing to be reconciled Thirdly Though God had no need at all of us He was infinitly blessed in himself who is perfection and blessedness it self Sometimes we are willing to be reconcil'd to our enemies either because we have them not under our power or because we have some need of them but God that had us under his hand and might easily have destroyed us and had no need at all of us yet was desirous to spare us as a father spareth his only son whom he loveth Fourthly The Gospel holds this out to us That the Lord He begins the work of reconciliation He first loving us the infinit God seeketh to us his creatures to come in to be reconciled therefore he sends his Ambassadors of peace to beseech us in Christs stead to come in to be reconciled to him to accept of His Propositions of Peace which make so much for our everlasting salvation Fiftly Though reconciliation must cost God very dear that God must be at a great deal of costs and charges to reconcile His creatures to himself it cost no less than the blood of his only begotten Son and yet he is willing to be reconcil'd saith God my heart is set upon this work and let it cost what it will if it were ten thousand worlds yet my heart iâ— so upon it that I will bring them in that they may be reconciled to me and made one with me Sixthly and lastly The Gospel reveals this That God is so set upon reconciliation and is so reconcil'd to such as do imbrace the Gospel as he will never be at enmity with them again Being once reconcil'd he wil never suffer such a breach to be made between Man-kind and Himself any more He wil be their Father in Christ and ye shall be his Sons and Daughters through Him to all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. Who shall separate us from the love of God Thus the Gospel holds forth not only reconciliation but such reconciliation as this is which men and Angels can never sufficiently admire and bless God for This is a Second beam as I may so say of the Gospel Then what manner of persons ought we to be our conversations must be as becomes this Gospel of Christ in this great thing that the Gospel holds forth unto us Surely then this cals to us al aloud to love peace O love peace Is God so set upon peace as he is and is he willing to be at so great cost for peace Oh let us love peace let us follow peace le ts pursue peace let 's seek peace let us do what we can possibly for peace If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Let us account peace never bought too dear with any thing but sin The Lord Christ would not sin to purchase peace if it could possibly have been conceived that any sin should have bin committed Christ would never have purchased peace that way but if it be by any way of suffering by his being willing to leave the Heavens for a while to take upon him the form of a servant yea to have the sence of the influences of the love of his Father ecclipsed for a time he was willing to endure yea to be made a curse whatsoever he suffered in his Name he was willing to endure any thing to make peace between God and man to reconcile the World to Heaven Oh! let us love peace that 's becoming the Gospel of Christ for our hearts to be set upon peace And the exhortation that you have in the Ephesians before mentioned it is likewise built upon the consideration of Christs working so for our peace Ephes 2. 14. For He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished in Hiâ— flesh the enmity And then in the 16. verse That He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross having slain the enmity thereby So that this Scripture holds forth not only that Christ is our peace in respect of God and he died for that end to make peace between God and us but likewise that Jesus Christ did die to make peace between man and man it was one fruit of His death to break down the middle wall of partition between us and to slay the enmity he doth not say to kill our enemies but to kill the enmity it 's self the meaning is this that Christ died to take down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile there was an enmity between the Jew and Gentile that they might not one converse with the other now it was a fruit of the death of Christ to take down the partition wall and to slay the enmity between them that so there might be but one sheep fold that He might reconcile both unto God in one body Now was this the end of the death of Christ not only to reconcile us to God but one unto another in one body Jew and Gentile Certainly there cannot be such a distance between one Christian and another as there was between Jew and Gentile and Christ did so love unity and peace in the world especially among those that made any profession of his Name that he would die to that end He would lose His life that He might procure peace between Jews and Gentiles and bring them into one body And truly so it should be with us we should be willing and those whose hearts are right I say cannot but be so sensible of the breaches that are among us and the unpeaceableness of mens spirits as if they could by the laying down of their lives procure peace they should be willing to do it every Christian should make it appear that he is so set upon peace that if
which is only this The Blood of the Son of God the Blood of the Son of God Well then let our Conversation be as becomes this that is held forth in this Gospel that 's thus Manifesting in your Conversation that you set a high price upon your souls do not venture your souls upon nothing Oh how unbeseeming is this that when God shall set such a price upon a soul as to give for the redemption of it more than ten thousand thousand worlds are worth yet that a man or woman that professes themselves to be Christians shall venture the loss of their souls for the getting of sixpence or twelvepence hazard those immortal Jewels for one or two minutes of sensual pleasure to satisfie the lusts of the flesh what is it else when such will lye or cosen for a little while for thick clay For the Lords sake do not lay down thy everlasting soul at stake for a little gain some for a little credit art thou a Christian didst ever reade the Gospel man or woman didst thou ever hear of Christ and dost thou know what the death of Christ meant and wherefore Christ came into the world must Heaven and earth be mov'd to provide a way to ransom souls and dost thou set them at so low a rate Oh how unbeseeming is this to the Gospel And others pawn away their souls when God manifests what a price he sets upon them yet will pawn their souls to the very Devil Quest You will say Is any man so wicked as to pawn away his soul to the Devil Ans Yes When any man will venture upon sin but upon this condition I will repent before I die that is as if I should say thus Here I give my soul to pawn if I do repent then I 'l have it again if I do not repent before I die then it 's gone for ever As when you give a pawn you give it upon these terms Wel I give you this and if I bring you by such a time so much money then I 'le have it again and if not then 't is gone So do men and women they say thus Here Devil thou shalt have the possession of my soul all this while so long as I am in a way of sin if I do repent then I must have it again but if I do not repent before I die then thou shalt have it for ever Now dost thou know the price of a soul Oh! is this to shew the high price of a soul that wil pawn your souls thus And mark to whom you pawn it you pawn it to the Devil he hath it all this time it 's in his custody al the while that any one sins upon hope of repentance I say til they repent the Devil hath their souls in his possession in his hands as when you pawn a piece of houshold-stuff til the time that you bring the money so long the man you pawn it to hath the possession of it And thus do people you put your souls into the Devils hands and upon such a condition that you are not able to perform that is if you repent you will have it again if not he must have it for ever Oh friends you little know what repentance means What is it to repent it requires a mighty work of God the same power of God that made the world is required to break the heart of a sinner so that you put it to pawn upon that that is impossible for you your selves to perform by all the power that you have Now if a man put a thing to pawn for that which is impossible for him to redeem it may be if he should have a great many friends that will do some great matter for him then he may redeem it but it is beyond his power you will say there is a great deal of danger then that that pawn shall never be redeemed So know when you pawn your souls you put it into the hands of Satan and lock it up in the powers of darknesse and pawn it for that that you have no power to bring Do you prize the Gospel and know what a price God hath set upon souls O then take heed and set a greater prise upon your souls than to pawn them away for every trifle a thing of naught And then If this be held forth in the Gospel O then do not pollute and defile you souls with sin as you do from time to time God hath a high esteem of them have you a high esteem of them likewise Do not make your souls drudges and scuullions to your bodies only to make use of your souls to provide for the satisfying of the lusts of the flesh as many men and women have no other use of their precious immortal souls all their lives but only their souls are imployed to be slaves for the lusts of their flesh Oh! are these the souls that must cost the blood of Christ that God hath put such a price upon surely you do not know the Gospel nor Jesus Christ If I should tel you what Phylosophers say of the soul of mens immortal eternal souls though this be now doubted yet it was plentifully known among the Heathens these would be but dry things to you in comparison of this to tell you that Jesus Christ hath died to redeem souls there 's more in this than in al the arguments that possibly can be brought to shew the excellency of the soul of man Oh then likewise let your Conversation be as becomes this of the Gospel in your care of the souls of those that are committed to your care and charge Do you profess the Gospel then you profess withal that God so esteemed of a soul that he gave the life and blood of his Son to ransom a soul Oh then really demonstrate that you do highly esteem of the souls of your children and servants by walking convincingly before them that you may do all the good you can to them by instructing of them by praying for them and with them and so before all your friends and acquaintance let such kind of meditations work thus in you as these Oh Lord since I came to know the Gospel I have learn'd what a high price thou hast put upon souls Lord this shall make me for evermore to value souls at a higher rate than heretofore I have done Oh it were an excellent point to urge upon Ministers who are charged with many souls Oh let them so watch over them pray for them and preach to them all the Counsels of God both in season and out of season that in the great Day of Christ they may be cleer of the blood of all men as Paul was And that 's the seventh thing that the Gospel holds forth unto us The preciousness of souls and let your Conversations be as becomes this great point of the Gospel But then Eighthly which is as principal a one almost as any and neerly concerns us and that 's this
extreams that I have spoken of are waies that are very much unbeseeming the Gospel of Christ for men our of base ends to break unity to rend from the Saints or otherwise because men joyn not with you in every thing you desire therefore presently to put such a brand upon them as to stigmatize them for schismaticks certainly this unchristian like nicknaming the children of God maintains the breach and widens it more and more whereas the Conversation that becomes the Gospel is to study to find out the truth And do I see Learned and Godly men of another judgment Let me pray more unto the Father of lights for the Spirit of revelation It may be I may mistake If I be mistaken Lord discover it let me not go on in the waies of darkness but take away the scales from my understanding that I may see into the deep things of God and his Gospel And therefore others that they differ from should tender these as brethren and look upon them and see are they not consciencious in all their other waies Can I be able to find any fault with them in their lives and Conversations It may be it 's their mistake then let me pray for them and labor to help them and tender them all I can it may be God will reveal his mind to them more fully afterward Now in what we have attained let us walk and if any be otherwise minded God will reveal his mind to them and this carriage should be in Christians one towards another that differ one from another and this is a Conversation becoming the Gospel But when one differs from another for to give reviling speeches and names of disgrace and to cast dirt one upon another this is exceeding unbecoming the Gospel yea if the Heathens were amongst us they would even loath the Gospel of Jesus Christ to see the carriage of Christians that there are at this day amongst us But the Conversation that becomes the Gospel of Christ is that which manifests unity to live in unity one with another for the Gospel preacheth to us the greatest unity of Christians that possibly can be between man and man Again The Gospel holds forth this The glorious happiness of the Saints in Heaven You cannot find much of that in the Law in all the old Testament you find but little of eternal life I cannot discover three texts from Genesis to the end of Malachi that doth cleerly hold forth eternal life it 's true our forefathers no question in the old Testament did know that there was eternal life and some Scriptures there are that do tend that way but I beleeve there 's none of you can give many texts from Genesis to Malachi that do expresly hold forth the Glory of the Saints in Heaven Now the Gospel that holds it forth in 2 Tim. 1. 10. saith the Apostle there speaking of the glory of the Saints and immortality in the 9. ver Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which he hath givin us in Christ Jesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel How comes life and immortality to be brought to light through the Gospel Did not our forefathers know of life and immortality before Yes but very darkly and some of the eminent ones knew but little of that exceeding riches of glory and happiness the Saints shall be crowned with in Heaven life and immortality is brought to light through the Gospel In former times was it known till Christ came in the flesh that the happiness of the Saints should be in the vision of God in standing before the face of God and beholding him in glory in Heaven Did they know the communion that the Saints shall have w th God and with Jesus Christ in his bodily presence in glory Did they understand the fruition of God and Gods being all in all to the Saints as he shal be in the communication of all fulness of good Did they understand the inheritance of the Saints which is in light Did they know that the Saints were not only Heirs but Co-heirs with Jesus Christ These things are known only in the Gospel the glorious reward of the Saints Did they in the time of the Law know that these bodies of ours should be made more glorious than the Sun in the firmament This the Gospel tels us that these lumps of clay which we carry now about with us shall be one day more glorious than the Sun shining in his luster Did they know that our bodies should be made like to the glorious body of Jesus Christ That it is sown in weakness but it is raised in power sown in dishonor but raised in glory sown a natural body but should rise a spiritual body and sown in corruption and should be raised in incorruption Certainly these things were very little known to the forefathers if known at all Now these things were the great Counsels of God that were kept hid from all eternity only the Lord did reserve the discovery thereof to the coming of his Son that was the time for opening of Heaven Heaven was shut and there was little seen of the glory thereof till Christ was incarnate in the flesh the Lord I say reserved the opening of the Gates of Heaven and the shewing of the glory of it to the Saints till the coming of Jesus Christ Christ now tels us of mansions that He is gone before to prepare for us and when our earthly tabernacle is dissolved we have a building not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens Oh now my brethren how ought we to live It 's the argument of the Apostle when he speaks but of the great chang in the Church here speaking of new Heavens and a new Earth it 's meant of the state of the Church that it shall be in even here â—nd saith he What manner of persons ought we to be in all holiness and godly conversation But then when we hear of the highest Heavens Abrahams bosom the Paradise the Saints shall be living with Christ wrapt up to the third Heavens as the Apostle was Oh what manner of persons ought we to be in all godliness and holy Conversation Now if you should ask me what Conversation is becoming the Gospel I would tell you that which we have in the third Chap. of this Epistle For our Conversation is in Heaven Upon what ground is it from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who shall chang our vile body that it may be fashioned like to His glorious body We look saith he for the Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven who shall put forth such a power as shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto His glorious body therefore our
from the things of this world a Conversation that shall manifest the hearts being taken off and disingaged from sublunary comforts and accommodations a Conversation which proves that the soul seeks not great things for its-self here below but is fully content with a morsel of bread and a cup of cold water though others fare deliciously every day so beleevers should manifest in their Conversations that they do not much pass or care how things go in this world because Christ is not of this world and the Kingdom of Christ in which they make account their happiness to be involved that is not of the world yea they are men redeemed from this present world Gal. 1. 4. it is said That by Christ we came to be redeemed from this present evil world it 's a very remarkable Scripture who gave himself for our sins to what end That he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father I beseech you observe this text Christ gave Himself to deliver us from our sins that we might not perish eternally And was that all No That He might deliver us from this present evil world I do not know a more forcible text in all the Book of God to take off the hearts of those that profess the Gospel from the world so as they should not whine and murmur at the loss of every little thing in the world nor be solicitously careful for the things of this life nor be offended though the men of the world prevail in the world and have the upper hand and carry things in a worldly way let them go on in all their pagentry and greatness but if thou beest one that belongst to Christ know that Christ hath laid down his life to purchase this for thee to deliver thee from this world Now is Christ blood laid down to purchase this and yet wilt thou have thy heart glewed to the ground and wholly place thy contentment in the earth and seek for thy happiness here in the dust Oh get up thy heart then from all these things and make it appear by thy Conversation that thou art one that by the vertue of the death of Jesus Christ art delivered from this world and therefore though thou hast not such a portion in worldly goods as other men have never envy them for Christ hath ransomed you from the world there 's another kingdom that thou hast thy portion and interest in Christ hath made us Kings and Priests to his Father and hath made us heirs and co-heirs of that Kingdom that His Father hath given Him yea and that He Himself hath purchased and so you must in your Conversations make it appear that you do see another kingdom beyond this kingdom of the world that you are made partakers of wherein you shall reign with Christ for ever now this Conversation doth beseem the Gospel And therefore you shal find it in the 10 th of Matth. about the 37. vers Christ shews what kind of Conversation He would have in those that once come to beleeve in Him saith He He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me And he that taketh not up his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Here he shews what it is that would make the soul worthy of Christ in a Gospel sense If our hearts be taken off from father and mother and those comforts relations that are the dearest in the world brother or sister or son or daughter not to take off our natural affection but to take off our hearts so as they should not be hinderances of us in spiritual things that our main affections should flow forth after spiritual things then we come to be worthy of Christ then the other conversation is unworthy of Christ Didst thou ever know the Lord Jesus Christ and the way of His Kingdom Then why is thy heart set upon the world as the hearts of other men that are strangers to Jesus Christ In Eph. 5. 3. when the Apostle speaks of those things that most men in the world are greedy after But fornication and all uncleaness or covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints As if he should say Saints those that know Jesus Christ and the way of His Kingdom for them to have their hearts either set upon bodily lusts or covetousness the things of this world it doth not becom them it is not a Gospel Conversation becoming Saints a heart greedy of the things of this world and wallowing in the lusts of this world Oh 't is unbeseeming Saints those that do profess the Gospel of Christ that shews unto us that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world Again Another great point that the Gospel holds forth to us is this The great difference or the change that it makes in the estate of a man or woman when once it prevails with him then the great difference is made in him from what he was before and from other men this is held forth in the Gospel and no where else I say the wonderful change that the Gospel makes in men when once it comes to work upon their hearts in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and the great difference between their estates before and what now is and between them and other men I put these two together First The great change that the Gospel makes in the hearts of men from what there was before the Gospel came You know the Scripture in prophesying of the times of the Gospel saith That the Wolf shall eat with the Lamb and the Lyon with the Kid and the child shall play upon the very hole of the Asp the meaning is generally carried thus that when the Gospel comes it shall change the hearts of men so mightily that though they were wolvish before and cruel as if you should see a Wolf changed into a Lamb or as if you should see a Lyon changed into a Kid you would say this were a mighty change the Gospel makes such a change as this is they that are in Christ are new creatures it 's a new Creation suppose God should make a new world what a mighty thing were this or a new Sun should be created in the Firmament that never was before how would we stand and wonder Those that are in Christ are new creatures God puts forth a creating power upon them 2 Cor. 5. Old things are pass'd away all things are become new you know the Apostle saith and the change that is made it is called a new birth Except you be born again you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3. If there were a new soul put into one or if God should infuse a rational soul into a beast
God did make all things by Christ so He doth govern all things by Him if God had not deputed the second Person in Trinity God man the Mediator to have been the Governor of all things the holiness and justice of God according to the Covenant of works by which he had to deal with man would have destroyed the world upon mans sin had not the ordering and governing of the world been put into the hand of the second Person in Trinity God-man the Mediator for though he was not manifested in the flesh He had not actually taken our humane Nature upon Him yet He was look'd upon as God-man with the Father even before the foundation of the world was laid and so all things were committed to Him And hence the world notwithstanding the sin that hath been in it hath been preserved so as it hath been to this day Christ therefore hath a Providential Kingdom together with the Father and so he is King not over the Churches only the King of the Saints but He is over all the Heathen over all the world from the rising of the Sun to the setting thereof And the Civil Magistrate as I may so say is the Deputy of Christ in this his Providential Kingdom Gods Vicegerent upon Earth all Magistrates whatsoever are Officers subordinate under Him But now there 's another Kingdom of Christ that this Scripture speaks of My Kingdom is not of this world That is the Kingdom of the Mediator as Divines calls it that more properly concerns His Church in the execution of His Mediatory Office Now this Kingdom of Christ it was ever since there was a Church but it was very dark under clouds and curtains the glory of it was little till the second Person came to be manifested in the flesh then indeed this Mediatory Kingdom of Christ came to be revealed abundantly more cleerly than before and Christ exercised it more fully this is that which the Scripture so often in the Gospel cals the Kingdom of Heaven Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand 't is not of this world but it 's cal'd the Kingdom of Heaven the Mediatory Kingdom of Christ is not of this world there 's a great deal of difference between a worldly kingdom and this Kingdom of Christ And that 's the subject that I am now to open to you How Christs Kingdom is not of this world the vast difference between worldly kingdoms and Christs Kingdom which you will find to be a point of very great use First Christs Kingdom hath not that pomp and glory that bravery and galantry that the Kingdoms of the world have you know in the Kingdoms of the world there 's a great deal of outward pomp and glory Bernice and Agrippa they came in great pomp the text saith the Kings of the earth have glorious attendance Christ hath no such thing His attendance was a few poor Fisher-men Kings have great Courts and crouded with Courtiers His Court was but small only a few of such kind of men mean and contemptible taken from the hedges and out of the high waies They have sumptuous Pallaces Christ had not a place to hide His head here in this world He saith himself that the Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man hath not wherewithal to hide His head and yet a great King for all that Surely it was not of this world The Kings of the earth have all kind of delicates that this world can afford they carry things in great state It was not so with Christ Zech. 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly Oh Daughter of Zion shout Oh Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee He is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the foal of an Ass He comes lowly and mean the way of Christ in this His kindom is a way of humility and outward meanness and lowliness it is a way of outward contempt scorn and dirision this is the way of the kingdom of Christ by poverty and lowliness He would overcome the world not by bravery and magnificence nor by great pomp and glory He doth not dazle the eyes of men by such means but His glory consists in self-denial in emptying of Himself in becoming poor therfore His Kingdom is not of this world Luke 17. 20. The Kingdom of God saith the text there comes not with observation that 's the word the meaning of it is this It is not a thing that by any outward pompous Ceremonies can be observed Now Kings when they go from one place to another by their attendance and by a great many ceremonies that are used for the setting out of their pomp and glory they are taken notice of and observed you may know the King comes here say the people when they see such things But saith the text there The Kingdom of God comes not by observation there 's no such outward pomp and glory there 's nothing but outward meaness and baseness to the eye of the flesh in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ He that is in Himself the most glorious King and from whom all other Kings have their power yet He hath a Kingdom that is not of this world that hath nothing but meaness poverty and lowliness that doth appear in it to the eyes of men Secondly The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world in regard of His Subjects Look what subjects Christ hath they are such as are not of this world So Christ tels His Disciples as you may find in the 17. of John I am not of the world and you are not of the world Kings they have for their subjects Nobles Peers and great Personages especially those that are near about them but now the subjects that Christ hath for His Kingdom for the generality of them they are of the poor mean base contemptible men of the world such as are look'd upon as the off-scouring of all things these are His subjects as in the second of James 5. verse Hearken my beloved brethren Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom The poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom they are the great hears even the poor of this world You know what an offence it was unto the Jews say they Do any of the Rulers beleeve in him but this multitude which is accursed A company of poor women illiterat people they flock after Jesus Christ The subjects of Christ are men chosen out of this world he himself appeared not with the glory of the world And secondly His subjects are men chosen out of the world Thirdly The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world that is the rule that Christ hath in His subjects and over these His subjects in this His Kingdom it is not of this world the rule it is spiritual It is principally upon the hearts the wills the consciences of those that are
but when they are brought into his Kingdom then they are under the Ministry of the Word in another way Christ then is their great Pastor and Shepherd and so His Ministers are in a more peculiar manner Pastors Shepherds unto them And besides there are other Ordinances that they have nothing to do withal till they be brought into the Kingdom of Christ namely the seals of the Covenant with some others that might be named That 's the great privledge of those that are under the Kingdom of Christ to have right to all Ordinances Certainly all Saints and Beleevers have right unto all but they are to come in an orderly way to them 5 ly By being under the Kingdom of Christ there is this Priviledge Protection As Kings should be the protectors of their subjects Jesus Christ hath taken upon Him the protectors of their subjects Jesus Christs hath taken upon Him the protection of all such as come under Him all power in Heaven and Earth is given unto Christ and it is al exercised for their protection to deliver them from dangers bodily and spiritual to protect their souls they are under Christs Kingly power for protection when any temptation to sin comes they should fly unto Christ as King to shield them from their enemies when their spiritual enemies come in like a floud then the Spirit of Christ sets up a standard against them 6 ly They shall certainly have victory over all their enemies This Kingdom shall never be shaken let all the world conspire what they will against it the gates of Hel shall not prevail against it no cunning devises no subtil waies shall ever overcome this Kingdom no nor any one subject of this Kingdom This is a priviledge beyond what is in the world A Kingdom may preserve its self so as to continue a kingdom but many subjects may be destroyed in the preservation of it but this is such a kingdom as there shall never one subject be destroied in it that is Al the enemies shal never take off one subject from this kingdom indeed they may take away their bodily lives but that is but a transferring of them to the more glorious part of the kingdom that they shall attain to Then may a subject of this kingdom be said to be destroyed when he shall be cut off from Christ and lose the grace that he hath received but none shall be thus destroyed but shall be preserved by Christ and shall certainly overcome all enemies both inward and outward And that 's a sixt priviledge 7 ly By being in this Kingdom Beleevers are made every one of them Kings though they be subjects in some sense unto Christ yet Christ hath made them Kings and Priests unto God so they are called in Scripture There 's no kingdom where all the subjects are Kings it is so here Christ makes all that come under His kingdom to be Kings and they have too according to their Princely state the Angels to be their guard as Kings have their guard where ever they go so the poorest and meanest Beleever that is under this kingdom of Christ hath his guard of Angels wheresoever he goes though it be a poor smokey hole or Cottage that he lives in yet it is guarded by Angels every night they keep the Door and watch about the Bed Thus the Scripture tells us that the Angels are Ministring Spirits for Gods Elect 8 ly The benefit of this kingdom of Christ It is Spiritual peace and joy in the holy Ghost So in Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God consists not in meat and drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost There 's another manner of peace than the world gives So Christ in John 14. 17. Peace I leave with you My peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you It 's the note of a learned Interpreter speaking of this place I give not peace as the world gives the world gives peace saith he by taking away afflictions from a troubled person but Christ gives peace by taking away a troubled person from affliction His meaning is this the worlds way to give peace is to take away trouble from us but the way that Christ hath is to take the trouble of our hearts from our affliction the world cannot give so long as the affliction continues but Christ gives peace though the affliction doth continue that 's thus Christ He takes off the troublesomness of mens hearts from the affliction the world takes off the affliction from the trouble of mens hearts now this is a great deal better peace when the trouble of our hearts is taken away though the affliction continues rather than when the affliction is taken away and trouble of heart continues I give peace not as the world gives peace 't is inward peace the worlds is outward the world takes away some trouble but I take away the very root of all trouble the branches are taken away by the peace of the world that is whereas you had not trading before nor the freedom of your estates before you shall have that now but the root of all your trouble the world cannot take away that is sin but I take away sin that is the root of all trouble We may through the blessing of God upon Armles Parliament we may come to have outward peace that is freedom from outward troubles Oh but there may be vexation and trouble in our spirits in the mean time But Christs peace is especially in the conscience and heart within doors we may have peace here mixed with abundance of sin and wickedness it may be procured in a sinful way or it may be the cause of much sin but my peace is a holy peace it doth further holiness wheresoever I give it my peace is a lasting and a stable peace peace here may be but for a few months but my peace shall be eternally I give peace not as the world that is the fruit of the kingdom of Christ So the truth is though there be many outward afflictions attend the Kingdom of Christ yet the Kingdom of Christ is alwaies in peace and in joy of the holy Ghost That is a priviledge which we can never be crowned with but in the kingdom of Christ as we can never enjoy peace but here all the peace that mens consciences have till they come under the kingdom of Christ it will turn to greater trouble that peace they have and live loosly not being subdued to the kingdom of Christ will turn to horror and misery and so the joy that there is in the world it will turn to sorrow and vexation 't is proper to the kingdom of Christ to have joy in the holy Ghost thou mayest have joy in thy cups joy in thy dishes joy in thy mirth and wicked company but 't is proper to the kingdom of Christ to bring joy unspeakable and glorious unto the soul the soul never knows experimentally what
His dear Son as the Scripture speaks and therefore very glorious And all the glory of the kingdom of Solomon it was but to typifie out the glory of the Kingdom of Christ now that is not of this world therefore there is some glory beyond that of this world and it is a good sign of a spiritual eye and a spiritual heart to be able to see an excellency and glory that is beyond this world to be able to look higher and further than this world can We think that all the good things that God hath to communicate to the children of men should be here on earth but I beseech you consider of it Can we think in our consciences that all the good things that God hath to cōmunicate to such as He loves should be here in this world Certainly no. Consider therefore that all the good things that God intends for his people are not of this world First It 's called An evil world Truly it 's no great matter and we should not account much that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world if we consider these things First That this world it is an evil world Gal. 4. We are delivered from this evil world Secondly It 's a world that the Devil in Scripture is called the god of and the prince of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. Whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded Surely all the good things that God hath to communicate to His Saints are not of this world that is an evil world that is a world that the very Devil is god of it in scripture phrase Thirdly A world all whose bravery and pomp and glory it is not of the Father 1 John 2. 16. you have an epitomy there of what the excellency of the world is for saith he All that is in the world the lusts of the flesh lusts of the eyes and the pride of life Under these three heads are all things that the men of the world look upon as desirable either they are the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes or the pride of life But saith he All that is in the world is not of the Father but is of the world Surely the chief things that God hath to communicate to His Saints are not of the things of this world for all that is in the world is not of the Father And wouldest not thou have the riches of the Father 'T is true God is the Creator of all things and hath the dispose of all things but that that the men of the world look upon as the excellent things that are here they are not of the Father they are none of the good things that God the Father hath to bestow upon His children and therefore surely there is a happiness beyond the things of this world Oh my Brethren that I could but so take off the hearts of people by this point from the things of this world as to make them look after the Kingdom of Christ that is not of this world for you see that all that is here in the world the Scripture saith it is not of the Father Fourthly As all the excellent things are not of the Father so the truth is all the glory that is in the world it is but darkness it is a dungeon of darkness to a spiritual eye As the Bats can see in the night so the men of the world they think they see some glittering here in the world but in the language of Scripture and to spiritual hearts it is but darkness Hence the Apostle Eph. 6. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world Rulers of the darkness of this world are the unclean spirits spiritual wickednesses the Devils are the Rulers of the darkness of this world this world it hath a darkness in it and therefore surely the chief good things that God hath to bestow upon the Saints they are things that are beyond this world Fifthly The world knows not God John 17 25. The world is that that Christ saith doth not know the Father Oh righteous Father the world hath not known thee Take men that are the wisest of the world and have all the wisdom that this world can afford it will not help them to the knowledge of the Father the world knows not those excellent and glorious things that are of the Father Sixthly The world it lies in wickedness 1 John 5. 19. as sometimes I have opened that Scripture to you Just as you see in a common shore a carion a dead dog that lies over head and ears in the mire or mud in a common shore and in its own filthiness so the whole world lies in wickedness the wickedness of the world is like the common shore in w ch there is nothing but filth and dirt and the world as a dead carion lies in its own pollutions surely then there are other things that God hath to communicate to his Saints than the things of this world and we should not be offended though the Kingdom of Christ be not of this world Seventhly The world it passeth away with the lusts of it 1 John 2. 17. it is a notable Scripture for that And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever speaking before of what was the glory of the world and it passeth away with the lusts thereof Mark Not only the things of the world passeaway but the very lusts to those things passeth away As now men and women who have their healths and live bravely for a while Oh! how greedy are they for the contents of this world how do they long and desire that they might have such a merry meeting with such friends and such cheer and such commings in They make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof But now mark within a little while not only these comforts shall be taken from them but the very lusts of them shall passe away that is they shal have no mind in the world to them Take a poor man that was wont to long for these things when he lieth upon his sick bed at the point of death now he looks upon these things as those things that are dry leaves he hath no mind to them not so much as a phansie after these things all the varnish of the things of the world are gone in his eyes he tasts them no more than the white of an eg yea the desire of his heart is dead to them as now a man that lusted after drink when his desire is satisfied the very desire after it is gon and one that liv'd in gluttony when his body is a little distempered the very lusts therof passeth away surely there are other things that God hath for his people than the things of this world Eightly There must be somwhat else besides the things of this world for Christ Himself is not
soul this would be the answer of one that is chosen out of the world that hath a gracious heart and is brought under the Kingdom of Jesus Christ 2. A second note that I would give to know whether a man be a man of this world or no is this A man of this world is one that accounts the possessions of worldly comforts to be greater rices than any riches conteined in the promises that looks upon the comforts of this world as real things they have them in possession But looks upon the promise as that that hath but a notion in it as if there were no such reality and excellency in the things of the promise a man that dares not trust God upon his word upon his promise without seeing in a way of reason or sence how things may come in unto him for supply from the things of this world this is a man of the world he hath a promise but things go very ill with him in respect of his outward estate in respect of whatsoever by sence or reason he is able to discern he looks upon himself as miserable if indeed God would give him in the things of the world in real possession that would satisfie him but not the promise This is an evidence of a worldly heart that regards more the possession of the things of the world than the promise of God for provision for him as for promises he thinks that that man is but in a sad condition that hath nothing but bare promises to live upon here 's a worldly heart that hath low and mean thoughts of the promises But now one who is taken out of this world and translated into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ regards more to have a promise to live upon than to have possessions to live upon Promises in the word are greater and more real things to that soul than any Bills or Bonds from men can be he can live better upon a Promise than upon Bils or Bonds or Leases or any such things in the world Hast thou found such a principle within thee that canst close with the promise and canst bless thy self in the promises I have title to and an interest in many promises in the Book of God for life and godliness are more to me than all the treasures of Egypt and though I do not enjoy so much in the hand as others yet my heart hath enough because it is possest by Christ in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen that is sure and infallible God is faithful who hath promised this is an argument that thou art taken out of the world and taken into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ but otherwise thou that canst not trust God for thy outward estate body and soul upon a promise this is an evidence of one that hath his heart set on the world 3 A third sign of a man of this world is this A man of the world blesses those that are like himself looks upon and measures the happiness or misery of other men according to what they do enjoy or according to what they do enjoy in this world They call the proud happy I mean by this they measure the happiness of other men according to what they have of the world and think that the meer enjoying of worldly accommodations is enough to make men happy notwithstanding they see them to be very wicked and sinful yet so long as they flourish as a green bay tree yet rejoyce in them and with them yea get themselves in the midst of the guilt that is upon them when conscience as a woolf in their bosom flyes in their faces yet they can blesse themselves in the enjoyment of outward comforts and set that against any trouble of mind whatsoever as if so be it were enough to make up their comforts I have been at such a place and contracted such guiltiness upon my soul committed such sins Oh! what shall comfort me now well he comes home and sees all wel about him his house furnished his table spread means coming in as a floud and this quiets him here 's a worldly heart whereas were the heart taken off from the world the possession of al under Christ would never calm a conscience that hath any guilt upon it when I have contracted any guilt upon my soul although I see all well about me Oh! till I have an assurance from the Holy Ghost the Witness of the Spirit that the guilt of my sin is washt away in the blood of Jesus Christ what wil all these do me good I have these and these comforts Oh! but I have an unclean conscience a leprous soul Doest thou set the good things here to countervail the evil of sin Certainly thou art a man of the world thy name is written in the earth thou art but living dust and ashes at the best And the world is like to be the only portion of thy soul thou art a stranger to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ That 's a second Use Vse 3. The third Use should have been this Here we see the main thing that doth hinder people from the Kingdom of Jesus Christ What is that which keeps off men from coming under the Scepter of this King of Saints from subjecting themselves to His Kingdom Certainly this point shews it cleerly His Kingdom is not of this world were the Kingdom of Jesus Christ of this world then people would flock into it Who would not joyn in such a Kingdom and be a member therof where he could have worldly glory and pomp and riches and bravery but now because it is not of this world therefore they slight it As I remember we reade in the Gospel of Herod that when he heard of the great Miracles that Christ wrought Herod sent for Christ and he longed a great while to see Jesus Christ but when Christ came and he saw Him a poor mean contemptible man to the outward eye he thought to have seen him to have done such and such great things and to have been such a man as not the like upon the earth But Christ contemn'd Herod as much as Herod contemn'd Him and Christ would not shew his glory before Herod but appeared in his outward meaness and the text saith Herod set Him at naught he set Him at naught when he saw him so outward contemptible And so it is reported of the Roman Emperors that hearing that Christ should be the King of the Jews and that out of Davids stock there should come a King of the Jews they sought to destroy all of that family that they could find out and all the Tribe of Judah But afterward when they found out some that were of the Kindred of Jesus Christ and saw that they were poor laboring men that labored with their hands to eat their bread by the sweat of their brows they set them at naught and contemn'd them certainly this is the great offence to the world that the Kingdom of Christ is not of
certainly Apostatize if their hearts take deep root in the earth If you find your spirits so glewed to the things of the world that you know not how to part with them that you know not how to live in a place and not to have your neighbors love and respect and to honor you and to have the countenance of the times in which you live Do you find your hearts thus cleaving to the things of the world like the Serpent that dust you eat and upon your belly you go Know that thou hast a worldly heart thou art like to be an Apostate from the Truth of God ere long In the 2. of Titus 12. the Apostle saith That the grace of God that hath appeared to all men teaches them to deny all worldly lusts Oh my brethren let 's labor to walk worthy of our Calling into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ 1 Thess 2. 12. There the Apostle with a great deal of earnestness speaks to the Thessalonians exhorting them that they would Walk worthy of God who hath called them into his Kingdom and Glory Are you converted to Christ you are called into this Kingdom walk worthy of Him And mark his earnestness in the verse before As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his children We comforted you in shewing you the excellency of the Kingdom of God and the Priviledges of this Kingdom we exhorted you and we charged every one of you as a father doth his children And what did he exhort and charge them to it was this That they would walk worthy of God who had called them into his Kingdom and his glory Oh! 't is a great mercy that God hath revealed any thing of the Kingdom of his Son unto you walk worthy of it as it becomes those that are called to be the Subjects of such a glorious Kingdom as this is and above all things have a care and let me warn you of this worldliness in the hearts of the Saints Namely of a crafty cunning subtilness in the things of this life there is nothing more unbeseeming a Christian than a crafty cunning subtilness for the world many men bless themselves in this and they take abundance of content to think that by their craft and cunning sophistry they can fetch about things circumvent others so provide for themselves in this world I say there is nothing more unbeseeming a Christian than to be crafty and cunning in circumventing others and providing for themselves in the matters of this world In 1. Cor. 2. 12. saith the Apostle We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God it is that we have received There is many men you may plainly see that they have the spirit of the world that 's thus I have many times wondered at it some men come and speak to them about any matters of the Kingdom of Christ they speak so foolishly and childishly either they must hold their peace and say nothing or else if they do speak they discover so much ignorance and childishness that a man would wonder where the understandings of such men are that have liv'd so long a time in the world as they have done and heard so much of Religion and when one hears them speak so one would wonder how these men should have understanding to live in the world but now these in the businesses of the world they are as worldly politick no man can out go them there they can foresee all kind of dangers in any miscarriage and can judge of twenty things together in their thoughts and compare one thing with another see further into the world than other men so that a man would wonder sometimes I say when one hears them speaking of Religion whether these men have any wit or understanding but when one follows them in the things of the world you shall see them as witty as understanding as judicious and as cunning as any men almost can be they have received the spirit of the world and they are led by the spirit of the world the god of this world hath taken possession of them and it 's that that makes them so but they have not received the Spirit of Jesus Christ they may say quite contrary to the Apostle saith the Apostle we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of Jesus Christ they may say we have not received the Spirit of Christ but of the world it 's true Christ would have us so long as we live in the world to be as wise as serpents yet innocent as doves the wisdom that is for the promotion of the Kingdom of Christ it is a wisdom that hath an upright plainess in it and is according to the simplicity of the Gospel indeed when they have to deal with wicked men they may exercise a natural wisdom to avoid the dangers of persecution or to avoid the circumventing of wicked men but when they have to deal with spiritual things there the wisdom is that that holds forth a simplicity of the Gospel that is carried on with plainess and simpleness of heart The Hebrews have the same word that signifies a naked man and a cunning subtil man You shall find where it 's said of Adam and Eve they were naked nakedness of spirit and subtilty may stand together they signifie the same thing to shew what kind of subtilty should be in those that are the People of God it should be that that may stand with a naked spirit so as if God would discover the secrets of all their hearts to all the children of men that they should not be ashamed to have all their secrets to be opened to them But now the cunningness that is the cunningness of the serpent is such a cunningness as men if they were but laid open would quickly be ashamed of And so much of the fourth use that it is unbeseeming those that are of the kingdom of Christ to have the spirit of the world because Christs kingdom is not of this world 5. Vse Hence we see the reason of the meanness of the outward condition of the people of God in this world why is it that Christ hath so ordered things that the people of God should be so outwardly poor in this world My Kingdom is not of this world saith Christ Therefore why should any that come under my kingdom look for great things in this world they must look to have their comfort and glory in things that concern my Kingdom and not in the things of this world in Psal 73. 12. Behold those that are ungodly prosper in this world saith the Scripture As for men that are godly and come under the Kingdom of Christ they must look for a prosperity that is beyond this world God gives the earth to the children of men and to the men of the world Let them prosper saith God here 's their portion here 's
dishonor upon him yet this Saul had mighty power over his Spirit he was very meek and a quiet man in the first of Samuel 10. 27. the text saith He held his peace when the Children of Belial said What have we to do with him 4. Though he were quiet in his own cause yet he shewed himself to have an excellent spirit of Government in him in a publick cause he was full of anger when it was for the good of the people that he was a Governor over though quiet in his own in the first of Samuel 11. 6. When he heard of a dishonor done to the people of Israel the Text saith that his anger did rise within him an excellent pattern for all Governors for all in publique places to be very silent and quiet self denying putting up wrongs in their own cause but to be full of zeal for the publick cause to reserve their spirits for a publick good Many there are in publick places that when they are anger'd in their private cause how full of Spirit they are and they spend their Spirit there so much that they have no spirit at all when it comes to a publick cause Saul went beyond them in this 5. Saul was one who was much troubled at the sin of the people against God not only had a spirit to vindicate a publick wrong but when he saw the people sin against God his heart was much troubled at their very sin and seemed to be grieved for it and mighty solicitous and careful about it to prevent sin in the people this you shall have in 1 Sam. 14. 33. they told Saul there That the people had sinned in eating with blood upon that Saul shews himself displeased Come saith he and do not sin against the Lord roul a stone to me hither and so he would see with his own eyes that they did slay the Cattel and they did powr forth the blood that they might not sin against God in eating blood this was his care 6. Saul he was very careful to enquire of God what he should do in businesses of great consequence in the 37. ver of that 14. chap. of the 1 of Samuel there he would not go out till he had first enquired of God Yea more than all this 7. He was a man that had a very reverend esteem of the Prophets of God when Samuel came to him in the 1 of Samuel 15. 13. O thou blessed of the Lord saith Saul to Samuel Yea yet further than this 8. When Samuel shewed unto him what his sin was in the 30. ver of that 15. chap. he comes and confesses it before the people and saith I have sinned I have sinned against the Lord meerly at the conviction of one Prophet Yea yet more than this 9. God seemed to be with Saul very much and to shew great respect unto him to make him an Instrument of much good to Israel He granted unto him as glorious a victory as ever man had in this world for so we may cal it and if there be any outward thing in the world might be gathered as an argument of Gods love then such a remarkable victory as he had over his enemies the victory you shall find in the 1 of Samuel 13. 5. and so reade on afterwards in that Chapter and the next you shall find there that the Philistims were risen up against him and Israel and there were thirty thousand Chariots of his Adversaries of the Philistims and six thousand horsmen and people as the sand of the Sea for multitude besides all this Wel here was a mighty Enemy What had Saul to oppose these You shall find in the 2. verse of that 14. chapter that there were but six hundred men with Saul here was of one side thirty thousand Chariots here was six thousand horsmen here was people as the sand of the Sea without number and Saul had but six hundred with him at this time yea and of those six hundred there was not any one of them that had a sword but only Saul and Jonathan for the Philistims were wise enough to disarm all the Malignants that they accounted so and would not let so much as a Smith be amongst them they would not only take away their Arms but they would look to them to see that they had no arms supplied unto them that was the wisdom of the Philistims yet we find if you reade afterwards in the Scripture that God was so far with Saul that he blessed him and gave him victory over all these Besides all this 10. God blessed Saul with a very gracious Child a godly son of a sweet nature Jonathan which indeed if any outward argument in the world might be an argument of Gods love that might be But now put all these things together and yet here is the man that hath his Portion in this world I now challenge the man especially one I challenge him that hath certain evidence of a mighty work of God upon him in Christ let him shew me greater arguments of Gods love to him than Saul might have done and yet it proved to be Sauls Portion that he should have only his portion in this world God herein shews that His mercy is His own and that He will let out His mercy as He pleaseth It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom The Father doles out the Portion as He pleaseth unto His Children God will let the Line of His mercy to go thus far to one and there stop and so far to another and there stop and then come in a cross line again unto them God so disposes of his mercy that there are some that shall have Heaven and Earth to be their portion and their portion is blessed indeed There are some that shall have Earth but not Heaven and their portion is poor and mean and sad there are others that shall have Heaven but not earth and their portion is good And there are others that shall neither have Heaven nor Earth and their portion you 'l say is miserable indeed Gods mercy is His own to dispose of as He will We reade that Abraham in Gen. 21. 14. He cals for Ishmael and Hagar and he gives them a piece of bread a bottle of water and sends them away there 's an end of them So Jehoshaphat in the 2 of Chron. 21. 3. He gave his other son saith the text gifts but the Kingdom he gave to Jehoram So God hath people to whom he gives pieces of bread bottles of water yea some to whom he gives great gifts in this world but he keeps his inheritance for his Isaac He keeps the Kingdom for Jehoram Esau he had his portion in this world and such a portion as he thought to be a very good portion in Gen. 33. 9. Brother saith he I have enough Most rich men are complaining they go not so far as Esau they have their portion and yet complain of it Esau hath his portion and
be merciful to them in the world to come now this is a certain truth that man to whom God denies Spiritual mercies in this world God will deny Eternal mercy to him in the world to come this therefore should be thy care Doth God encrease my estate in this world Oh that the Lord would give a proportionable measure of grace too else it is nothing Lord thou givest me here a great estate if thou givest not to me grace with it a proportionable measure of grace to use it to thy glory I had better have been without this Is this thy care I put it to thy conscience As thy estate encreases art thou solicitious at the Throne of grace that the Lord would give thee a proportionable measure of grace to mannage thy estate for His glory then peace be to thee thou art not the man And then further you may examin it 2. By the working of your hearts about your present Portions As first 1. Whether you enjoy what you have for it self and whether your hearts be terminated in what you do enjoy One that is godly and hath his Portion beyond these things he enjoyes the Creature I but it is God in it he enjoyes It is sweet to me that I can see and tast the love of God in it I but a carnal heart enjoys the creatures and runs away and is terminated there looks at the Creature but at little in God as divers of your Hospital Children here look more at the Men that were their friends to bring them into the Hospital when they were Fatherless and Motherless and Sisterless than they look at the Founders of the Hospital they little think of them to thank God for them but if they meet with him that was the next cause to bring them in they will thank him for his kindness So it is with men they look at that Creature that was the first means of bringing them in but a godly heart looks at the root of all I remember it is said of one that came into the Treasuries of Venice he saw tables of Gold and Silver there and he points down and looks at the bottom of the table and one asked him Why is your eye so at the bottom Oh saith he I am looking at the root of all this Oh! alas it is a small matter for a man that hath a great Trade to have a great Portion So many men look not so much at the Root whereas a godly man though he hath but a little yet he looks at the Root at the love of God and the Covenant of grace that is the Root of all and this is the thing that satisfies his heart When a man takes a portion of physick he puts it into the Posset-ale the Posset-ale is not the thing that makes the Physick work though it is that that is the greater part but it is the Physick in it So it is the goodness of God that satisfies a gracious heart and not the Creature that is operative so much upon a gracious heart and then you may examine how your hearts are set upon these things of the world 2. Whether your hearts go out with full strength to them If you make your bellies to be your god then your end will be destruction as the Apostle speaks That man that hath his heart swallowed up in the earth like Corah Dathan and Abiram that were swallowed up in the earth if the things of the earth be a gulf to swallow thy heart up there is another gulf to swallow thee up hereafter 3. How do the loss of the things of the world take thy heart Dost not thou count thy self an undone man when thou hast lost some comforts Dost not thou come home to thy wife and children and say I am an undone man Why what 's the matter I have lost some part of my estate O carnal heart one that is gracious may have some crosses but no losses at all because he enjoyes all in God he hath God to make up all his losses And the truth is if thou wert truly godly whatsoever afflictions thou meetest withal as we say a man may put all in his eye so you may if you be godly put all your crosses in your eyes you are so far from being undone And further examin 4. Whether these things of the world be not the only sutable things to your hearts whether you bless not your selves in these as in your happiness The Ivie will clasp about a rotten tree and cannot be taken off it without tearing And so the heart of a worldling will clasp about these rotten-comforts as the only agreeable thing You may hear them sometimes tell with joy That we were in such a place and we were so merry and had the bravest meeting And what was there Why there was singing and roaring and blaspheming of the Name of God and yet it was the bravest meeting that could be When did you ever come from an Ordinance of God and say Oh! it was a brave day to me the Lord hath spoken to my heart this day Did you never go from the Word with as merry a heart and can rejoyce for it amongst your friends as you did from a merry meeting You may fear you are the man that have your portion here And then this is more cleer for every one to examin his heart in and if I were to give but any one Evidence whether a man hath Grace or no I would give this assoon as any one A man that hath got some estate in the world I put this to him 5. What dost thou account to be the chiefest good of thy estate more than thou hadst before or more than another man hath A man that hath got an estate more than he had or more than his brother there are many good things in his estate that he will think good Now I may live in better fashion than I could before now I may have more freedom than I had before now I may have more credit in the world than I had before now I may have my own mind and satisfie my own lusts more than I had before or than another man can do Is not this the thing thou most rejoycest in yea is not this a truth that some of your hearts if they were ripped up this would be the language of them that you must rejoyce in your estates because by them you have fuel for your lusts A poor man hath not so much fuel for his uncleanness as you have nor so much fuel for his lust of pride and malice as you have and many rich men account the blessing the good and happiness of their estates to consist in this very thing that now they may have a larger scope for their lusts than ever they could before alas a poor man cannot go abroad and drink as you can do a poor man cannot lay out so much money on a Whore an Unclean wretch as you can do and you rejoyce in
21 Institution is the rule of Worship 141 Justice Gods Justice is no loser by His Mercy 74 K King Wherein the Kings of the earth ar not like Christ 137 See Christ Subjects Kingdom Christs Kingdom is not of this world 116 Why Christs Kingdom is not of this world 157 When the Kingdoms of this world shall be submitted to Christ 150 See Dependance L Latimer Latimers story 339 Law The Law of God goes higher than the light of Nature and how 41 The Law considered under two Considerations 42 The Law given to Adam what it was 43 Difference between the Law of Adam and the Law given by Moses 47 Difference between the Law given by Moses and the Gospel ibid They under the Law had somthing of the Gospel ibid See Gospel Christ Worship and Beleevers Leturgie True Leturgie what it is 355 Liberty see Conscience Light of Nature see Nature Life see Spirit Looseness see profession Love The love of God is more to men than to Angels 53 The love of God should work an answerable love in us 54 See Testimony Christ Lusts see Flesh Luther Luthers opinion of the Turkish Empire 306 Luthers's Protestation 334 M Magistrates How Magistrates are helpful to the Church 140 Malice Malice is unbeseeming the Gospel 58 Man see World Mercy Mercy must be real not verbal 71 Gods infinit mercy 286 Gods Mercy undervalued by worldly men ibid See Transcendant Christ Bowels Ministers Ministers of the Gospel what they are 4 Ministers ought to rule over none but those they teach 30 Ministers should be eminent in their Conversations every way ibid Ministers Charge over soules 88 Mixture What mixture is in worldly portions 336 Monsters Hard-hearted Christians are monsters 71 Moses see Law N Nature Light of Nature its extent 33 Difference between the light of Nature before the fall and since 41 Light of Nature shews something of the mercie of God 69 Necessity see Faith O Obedience The Obedience of a Beleever is of an higher nature than Adams in his innocency 44 Observing Observing daies forbidden 98 Old see Customs Opinions What Opinions are not to be tollerated 327 Opposed World opposed to Saints 272 Overseeing see Visitation P Papists Papists reproved 287 Parliament The PARLIAMENT defended 324 Partition The partition wall between Jew and Gentile taken down 66 Peace We should love peace 65 Peace with our Brethren what it should be 68 Difference between the worlds peace and Christs 155 Why men should have peace upon any terms 323 See God and Seek People Why Gods People are mean in this world 277 Perfection Perfection comes by suffering 279 Persecution Persecution unlawful 283 Persecution opposed 326 Pope A mortal choice of Popes 328 Portion Why wicked men have a portion 304 The worlds portion described 329 Rules to know who hath his portion only in this life 341 See Excellency Power What the power of the Gospel is 123 Prelates Prelates reproved 287 Priviledges Priviledges of the Saints 152 Profession The reason why some mens profession vanisheth 14 Loosness of profession what mischief it doth 16 The miseries attending a loose profession 18 Why forward professors turn persecutors 19 See Eyes Promises Difference between the promises of the Gospel and Adams promises 45 R Reason We are not to live altogether according to reason 67 Reason discovers some sin 80 Reconciliation Reconciliation to God 65 Rebels How the Saints are Rebells 280 Redemption What the Redemption of a soul is 86 Religion Religion comes to nothing without consideration of the duties of relation 25 Why Religion is so little regarded by great ones 319 See Honor Weapons Repentance Repentance is a mighty work 87 Repentance is out of our power 85 Root see Christ S Saints The Saints shall condemn the world 12 The Saints may come to the Throne of grace with boldness 50 The Saints shall judge the world 272 See Rebels Difference Seek Seek for peace 66 Self-denial see Christ Selvishness Selvishness unbeseeming a Saint 94 Schism What Schism is 108 Services Gods services are choice services 356 Sin Sin harboured in thought produceth sinful actions 29 No sin is little 82 The wages of sin is death ib. See Hatred Beginings Socrates Socrates his rebuke 331 Soul Souls Immortallity proved 1 Souls pawn'd to the Devil 86 See Worth Redemption Strength Strength drawn from Christ 45 Strive We must strive together not asunder 105 Spirit The life of the Spirit what it is 102 Subjects Difference between Christs subjects and the subjects of other Kings 138 Suffering see Perfection T Temptations Particular temptations must be looked to 27 Tenure The tenure men hold the world by 335 Testimonies Testimonies of Gods love to us 55 Testimonies of our love to God 56 Time The time sanctifies the duty 99 Transcendent The mercies of God are transcendent 69 Tribulation We have Companions in Tribulation 278 Turkish Empire see Luther U Unity Unity of the Saints 105 Visitation Visitation of the wicked what it is 10 W Wanton Wanton Conversation becomes not the Gospel 71 Well-doing Well-doing stops the mouthes of wicked men 11 Well-doing converts men ibid Weapons Carnal weapons not to be used in defence of Religion 145 Wicked Wicked men do something for God 305 See Portion Wickedness Wickedness is unbeseeming Professors 128 The wickednesse of the world 281 Works Our good works should shine before men 8 Difference between doing of good works that may be seen and doing good works that they may be seen ibid Women Women-Preachers in what sense lawful 9 Worship We must set up the Worship of God in our families 56 The worship of the world is carnal 96 God will have as much worship under the Gospel as under the Law ibid What worship becomes the Gospel 100 See Institution Worth The worth of the soul 85 World How to know a man of this world 263 See Peace Opposed Saints People Portion Worldly Why worldly men are cunning 118 Worldly men see Difference Worldly portion see Mixture Wronged We must seek peace of those that have wronged us 67 FINIS March 2. 1645. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 March 15. 1645 March â—2 1645 April 12 1646. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Humanae creationae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preached on Easter Munday April 3. 1643. before Isaac Penington then Lord Major of London Mol. in Psal Doct. 1. Doct. 2.