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
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
Conversation is in Heaven Do you expect that this flesh of yours should be made like the Sun in the Heavens like the glorious body of Jesus Christ Oh then do not abuse your flesh to sin make not provision for the flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof let no member of your body be a weapon of unrighteousness to sin against God withal when you are tempted to any bodily sin stop your selves with this meditation Shall I sin against God with this body of mine that I beleeve shall one day be more glorious than the Sun in the firmament which ere long will be made like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ Have we the hopes and promises of such an inheritance in Heaven Oh then let not only our thoughts be there but our Conversation our Trading our only business be there also Oh let it appear that we have heavenly hearts and spiritual carriages that we live as it becomes those that hope within a few daies or months to be possest with the glory of Heaven which Christ hath prepared for us such should our Conversations be heavenly Conversations shining with the light of the glory of Heaven upon us Heaven should appear in our Conversations now so that they who look upon us and converse with us may truly judg these are the Citizens of the new Jerusalem free Denizons of Heaven they speak the very language of Canaan already and ere long they wil be possest of that promised Land I 'le conclude all now with one Scripture in 2 Cor. 3. 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart Mark the Apostle here tels the Corinthians that they are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ observe the text the People of God Beleevers are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ Quest Epistle of Christ you wil say what 's the meaning of that or what use can you make of that to your point Answ The meaning of it is this That Christ doth by them or in them write an Epistle to the world to declare to the world His mind and His will 't is as if the Apostle should say You that are beleevers know that Christ makes use of you to declare to the world what He is what His glory is you are His Epistle Christ sends by you the knowledge of Himself into the world so that when the world looks upon you they that run may reade in your lives and Conversations and examples the very Epistle of Christ transcribed to the life whereby He declares to the world His excellencies and His glory in lively Characters Now my brethren this should be the Conversation of all Saints that is They should in their lives be the Epistle of Jesus Christ there should be as it were fairly written in their lives the graces of Jesus Christ the mysteries of the Gospel the deep things of God Would you know what Christs mind is and what the excellencies of Christ are and of the Gospel Reade it in the Saints in their lives see their waies and you may know much of the mind of Christ in them you that caÌ„not tel a letter in the book yet you may read this Epistle you may reade the Epistle that Jesus Christ sends to the world to convince the world Now the Epistle that Christ sends to the world is not only in His Word there indeed is a great Epistle that Christ hath sent for the Scripture is no other but as an Ancient cals it the Epistle of God to the world God sends His Letter to the world but the Saints are Christs Epistle likewise wherin Christs mind is to be read and known then let your Conversations be such as that you may be a full Epistle of Christ to the whole world that all the world may reade what Christ is in you take heed of blotting and blurring this Epistle If there be a Letter sent from a great man if a Prince or a King send a Letter it uses to come fairly written and if those that should bring it should all besmeer it and blot the Letter so as it could not be read it would be taken exceeding ill So you that profess your selves to be Christians you do not bring the Letter only but you are the Letter therfore do not blot blur this Epistle of Christ but keep it fair that all with whom you converse all in the family may every day reade somewhat of the mind of Jesus Christ in your Conversations that so you may be the glory of Christ as in that scripture 2 Cor. 8. 23. it is said of Titus and other fellow-helpers That they were the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ Oh! this all Professors of Religion should endeavor to be the glory of Jesus Christ that wheresoever they live all might see the glory of Jesus Christ held forth there whithersoever you go you may carry the glory of Jesus Christ about you Oh Christians I appeal to your consciences Do you live so as the glory of Christ shines in you in the course of your lives As the shine of the Candle goes through the Lanthorn so the shine and glory of Jesus Christ should go through Christians in their Conversations to dazle the eyes of the world Oh! do not darken the glory of Christ but make it as bright as possibly thou canst that so this puâ—blind world may be able to see somewhat in the glory of Christ in your Conversations this should be the great care of your lives SERMON VII PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ WE have preached you know many Sermons upon this necessary and seasonable Duty That as Christians are to sanctifie the Name of God in Worship so in their Conversations their lives and Conversations must be such as becomes the Gospel of Christ worthy of the Gospel of Christ for so I told you the word signified Now we are upon this great point What Conversation is that which becomes the Gospel of Christ I 'le only add one Scriptare more to the last thing I named and then proceed That the revealing of the glory of Heaven in the Gospel should work mightily upon our hearts to labor for a Conversation sutable thereunto In Titus 2. 11 12 13. For the grace of God saith he that 's the Gospel that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men What doth it teach us That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world We have made use of this Scripture thus far already but that which I quote it for is the refference of this to the next words Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ Here 's a Scripture that if ever the Lord
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
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
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
honored by your Conversations Oh! you that have ever heard from God the glorious glad tydings of Salvation in the Gospel Is it not in your hearts to do what you can to honor him now let your Conversation be such have a care of your Conversations that God may be honored the Name of God will be blasphemed except you have a care of your Conversations in Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven As if Christ should say What hath God brought the light of the Gospel to you hath it shined into your hearts and hath He revealed unto you those glorious Mysteries of Salvation in Him O then let this light break forth and shine in your Conversations before men that others seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Some men and women are ready to say what do they care what others observe in them so that God knows their hearts I but that 's not enough if it could be so that you could have good hearts unto God without good Conversations but we shall see that there cannot be any such thing and it is required of you your works should shine forth before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven 'T is one thing to do a good work that may be seen and another thing to do a good work that it may be seen to do a good work that may be seen that is lawful though we should not do them principally aiming that they may be seen but our works should be such that of their own nature they may be seen but not to make that to be our main end that they may be seen so as aiming not so much that they may may be seen but that being seen men may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven that God may be honoured Now God is honoured by the Conversations of His Saints many waies and therefore they should be very careful of their Conversations As in the first place The people of God Saints Beleevers they are the great Witnesses that God hath in the world to witness for Him against the corruptions of the world If so be that you are not careful of your Conversations God will lose witnesses to His Truth Now a witnesse is not a thing that is kept within a man cannot be a witness by keeping things within his own thoughts and heart he must manifest something to witness The Lord makes use of the lives of His Saints to be His Witnesses in the world to stand and witness for His Truth whereas others they will think when the Gospel is preached that it is but a meer notion or imagination and that there is no reallity in what is preached No saith God look here upon the Conversations of these that have beleeved the Gospel do you not see they witnesse that there it a reallity in those things of the Gospel look what a change my Gospel hath made upon them in their lives and conversations those that were before proud how humble they are that were before froward how meek they are and the like these are my witnesses Many Scriptures might be given especially that in Revel 11. 3. where the Saints in general are called witnesses And that 's the first thing You are to look to your Conversations that you may be Gods witnesses Secondly That you may hold forth the Image of God in the world that Image that God made man in at first by the sin of man was lost but now through the Gospel it comes to be renewed and God delights to have His Image held forth in the world that men may behold somewhat of the glory of His Image But how can the world see the Image of God They cannot see it in your hearts but now God would have it conspicuous therefore have you a care of your Conversations that in your Conversations you may hold forth the Image of God in the world It 's much to the glory of God to have His Image held forth in the world As men that would honor their parents and other dear friends if they have a curious Picture of them when their image is drawn they will not see it abused and sullyed but they will keep it fair a man that hath the image of his father or dear friend will not hang it in a smokey hole behind a chimney or door but in some conspicuous place so we should hold forth the Image of God conspicuously it should appear in our lives and Conversations Thirdly By your Conversations God may be honored for you will further the great designs that God hath in the world the holy and gracious lives of the Saints serve to further the great designs that God hath in the world to do And lastly They may serve to make up the great dishonor that God hath from others the Lord hath abundance of dishonor from most in the world but now there are some that God cals out of the world and He gives his Grace unto them to the end that He might have some of the great dishonor that He hath in the world from others made up now such as are carefull of their Conversations as walk exactly and closely with God I say they are made use of by God for the making up in some part of the great dishonor that God hath in the world What honor should God have in the world were it not for the holy and gracious Conversations of some of His Saints and therefore you who profess the Gospel look to your Conversations that God may be honored by you Secondly Have a care of your Conversations look to them in respect of wicked men among whom you live As first That you may convince evil and ungodly men among whom you live in the world 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation This likewise doth confirm what was said before for the glory of God and the conviction of wicked men That they beholding may glorifie God in the day of visitation There are many interpretations upon this place In the day of visitation the day wherein God shall visit them Though now they rail against you yet when God shall visit them either in His stroke upon them by sickness then they will acknowledg you to be righteous and holy men and wish that their conditions were like yours or in the day of visitation if God shall visit their spirits to turn them or in the day of visitatiō as some think in the day of Jesus Christ But I find others looking narrowly into the words In the day of Over seeing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the word Bishop comes it is an Over-seer now this word visitation signifies nothing else but
make manie men even carnal men themselves plead for libertie of conscience so far as things be not destructive to godliness or the Kingdom for such men they will say were they all such men as these men are they might verie wel be born withal for they differ in nothing but that conscience puts them upon say they for we find them in all their waies square and just they walk conscionablie Therefore be careful of your Conversations because in some things you cannot but do that which will displease wicked men 4. Arg. Fourthlie Consider that your lives are but short within a while you must have your Conversations either among Devils or Angels one of the two and how soon it may be only God knows Now then I would appeal and put this to your consciences Are your Conversations now such as can give you comfort Oh I hope within a while I shall have my Conversation among Angels I desire now that the will of God may be done in earth as it is in heaven and that my familie and life were as it were a heaven I would fain have my Conversation in heaven now and this gives me some good hope that my Conversation shall be with Angels within a while But on the other side Will not mens consciences mis-give them if you would make a judgment of what your Conversation shall be within a while by that they are now are not the Conversations of many of you in your families and when you come in some companie more like to those that are appointed to have their Conversation among Devils Why what 's done among Devils there 's hatred Religion and of God and of his Saints there 's railing and blaspheming the Devils they accuse the Brethren and blaspheme the Name of God And what is your Conversation otherwise than theirs Know that your Conversation is such as is an evident fore-runner that if you continue as now you are that within a while your Conversation will be among Devils for that 's the most sutable to you And my Brethren consider further The eyes of the world yea the eyes of God and of Christ and the Angels are upon you to see how grace acts in your Conversations the eyes of the world are upon you watching for your halting and rejoycing remember but this that your Conversations are not onlie before men but the eyes of God and Christ and His holy Angels they look upon you where ever you are when you are in your familie there God Christ and His holie Angels stand looking upon you to see what your Conversation is with your wife husband children servants when you come into companie there the Lord God and Jesus Christ and Angels stand looking upon you and therfore look to your Conversations And besides The eyes of wicked men are upon you they watch for your haulting and they would rejoice to see any thing that they might have against you That place that we had before in 1 Pet. 2. 12. where the Holie Ghost saith That whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation The word is thus that is Beholding with a narrow circumspection it is not onlie seeing but with a narrow circumspection Oh! it 's an excellent thing that when wicked men bend their eyes and look narrowlie upon the Saints and would be glad and rejoice if they could find them halting yet that they are able to find nothing As it was said of Christ the Pharisees sent to watch Him but they could find nothing amiss in Him And so though others should be sent on purpose to watch your lives yet your lives should be so exact that they might find nothing amisse in you And I conclude all with that excellent promise that we have to such as are careful of their Conversations In Psalm 50. 23. These times you all crie out of as dangerous times Mark that one Scripture will help you that are careful of your Conversations against the danger of the times wherein we live Who se offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God These are times that you are called upon for praises and thanksgiving for mercies we are bound to do that but mark Do not put off God with a verbal praise it 's true he that offereth praise honoreth me but yet together there must be an ordering of our Conversations and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shesh the Salvation of God This is that which is required of Christians to order their Conversations aright Oh! it 's an excellent thing to see the Conversations of Christians in due order all guided with Spiritual wisdom and holiness Oh that man or woman that is careful to order their Conversations aright here is a promise to them That the Lord will shew them his Salvation What ever times thou livest in though never so dangerous though God apear never so dreadful in the times wherein thou livest yet if thou canst have but this testimonie of thy conscience Lord thou knowest it is the care of my soul not only to make profession of Religion but to order my Conversation aright therefore Lord save me in evil times Lord shew me thy salvation thou maiest take this promise and lay it to thy heart and comfort thy heart with it thou maiest plead it with God in prayer Oh make it to be a matter of thy prayer to God In these evil times that the Lord would shew His Salvation to thee because He hath put it into thy heart through His Grace to order thy Conversation aright SERMON II. PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ WEE concluded the last day with an exhortation to Christians Do you hope that God hath wrought the work of Convertion Be you careful of your Conversation And many motives there were to stir up Christians to be careful of their Conversations I shall not look back but proceed only give unto you some few Rules that I desire to add unto the Motives and then we shall come unto the Second point Look to your Conversations and especially observe these Rules 1. Rule First If you be convinced that it ought to be your care to look to your Conversation then have a special regard to the duties of your Relations The work of Grace in mens Conversations doth appear much in the duties of their Relations as children towards their parents parents towards their children servants towards their masters masters towards their servants husbands towards wives wives towards husbands the younger towards the elder the elder towards the younger if you stand in a private or publick place Majestrates or Subjects if you profess godliness manifest in your Conversations in performing the duties of your relations what soever men may talk of godlines except it appear in their relations except a servant be a
But that we shall come more fully to when we speak how our Conversations should be becoming the Gospel of Christ But I speak this in this point as a preparation to that especiallie to young Professors that have been wrought upon by the Word within these few yeers since there hath bin more freedom of preaching the Gospel and I verily beleeve that divers of you in this Congregation do know many young ones and others that have been wrought upon by the Ministrie of the Word that for the first yeer were verie exact and verie careful of their lives and verie punctual in every thing but you now see them begin to grow loose and wanton and vain in their Conversations Oh this is a sad and an evil thing If you would be careful of your Conversations observe this seventh Rule Be not onlie careful at the first work of God upon you when you begin to be enlightened but in the constant course of your lives Oh give me a professor of Religion that was wrought upon when he was a Youth or a young Maid and yet continues till they be old disciples in a constant way of holiness and strictness Oh! They are the most beautiful objects that are in the world to behold the Sun in the firmament is not so glorious as an ancient professor of Religion that hath continued constant in the waies of godliness from his youth that can say as good Obadiah once said 1 King 18. 12. I have feared the Lord from my youth and my conscience though it tell me of many failings and weaknesses yet my conscience excuseth me in this that I have endeavored with a good conscience to walk with God and without offence to man and not given way to my self in any way of loosness since God made known Himself to me Oh such may have an abundance entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven and die with abundance of comfort But thus much for this first point That Christians ought to be careful of their Conversations We come now to the second and that is the main point in the Text. Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ 2. Doct. Every kind of Conversation of professors is not enough it must rise to that height as must be sutable to the Gospel of Christ meet for the Gospel that they do profess That 's our point Now we shall come to the Particulars what Conversation it is that is meet for the Gospel of Christ I gave you the Heads in the opening of it But now I shall speak to them First That Conversation that is meet and becomes the Gospel of Christ must be a Conversation raised to a higher degree than the light of Nature will raise it That Conversation that is no higher than possibly may be raised by the light of Nature certainly that 's not a Conversation becoming the Gospel of Christ that 's beneath not fit for the Gospel of Christ As thus Suppose a man in his Boat here in the Thames rows very exactly I but this is not a work sutable to shew the skill of a Navigator of one that professes the art of Navigation it 's beneath that Why so To live exactly according to the light of Nature it is beneath the Conversation that becomes the Gospel of Christ if so be that a man should make his boast that he hath great skill in the art of Navigation And how will he shew this skill he will go into a Boat and there he will row over the Thames and by that you may see what a mighty Navigator he is this would be ridiculous to any man And so if one that professes the Gospel of Christ would manifest that he is a good Christian What doth he do the life that he lives it is no other than a man by the light of Nature may be enabled to this is even as ridiculous as the other 1. As now for instance The light of Nature that will teach this That we are to worship God the Heathens have worshiped God in their way 2. Yea the light of Nature will teach That we must live justly among men yea and that we must do as we would be done to This the light of Nature will teach Many of the Heathens have had that principle to be just with men to do as we would be done by The light of Nature condemns grosse sins of Drunkenness Adulterie Swearing c. I could give you many instances in the Laws of Heathens punishing those sins very severely and some of them with death 3. Yea the light of Nature will rise thus high That a man should be consciencious should make conscience of secret sins of sins that none in the world could know of or are ever like to know of As I remember sometimes I have told you of one of the Heathens that did but owe for a pair of shoos to a Shoo maker and no body knew it but only the Shoo-maker himselfe the Shoo-maker dies no body could challenge this of him yet his conscience would never let him be at quiet until he ran and threw the money into the shop and said Though he be dead to others yet he is not dead to me whereas he had a temptation to have kept it because no body could challeng it he knew it was not his he knew it was either the Childrens or Executors and so he restortd it Many particulars might be named to shew how far we might go by the light of Nature but now I only bring it in to this end to shew that if we would have our Conversations such as becomes the Gospel of Christ we must go beyond what ever anie have done by the light of Nature and yet Oh Lord how short do manie Professors of Religion come of this How manie that will profess they hope to be sav'd by Christ I suppose there is not anie one in this Congregation or if I should go to everie ones house that belongs to the Parish they would say they hope to be saved by Jesus Christ and yet what worship of God is there And what justice is there among men to do as they would be done by Nay this is a Rule that will examin manie professors of Religion and their consciences would tell them that in such and such things they would be loth to be dealt with as they deal with others And for gross sins manie Professors of Religion break out into them also for all are a kind of Professors of the Gospel at large Drunkards and Adulterers and Blasphemers and yet they will come and make profession of Religion and think it very much if they should be denied the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of Christ Why are they not Christians and their children Christians and yet must they not be Baptized And yet they are beneath Heathens Heathens will rise in Judgment against them And for conscienciousness in secret I appeal to everie one of your consciences are there no sins that
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
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
out of his den 4. A man may come to know the evil of sin by some dreadful judgments that God hath executed upon sinners here in this world and by the terrors of conscience that there are upon the wicked as on Cain Saul and Judas c. men many times here for their sins by the wrath of God that is reveal'd from Heaven against sin in the execution of it but take all those together yea did we see the woful execution of the wrath of God in Hell its self did the Lord open unto us a door into the chambers of death to discover the torments that are there and to hear all the shreeks and cries of the damned in everlasting burnings yet all this the threats of the Law the terrors of it the agonies of Conscience the torments of the damned in Hell I say put all together and they would not so much nor so cleerly discover Gods infinit hatred of sin as what we find in the Gospel the red Glasse of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for sin doth discover more of Gods hatred against it than all the torments of Hell can do or all the threats of the Law can do God doth in inflicting his wrath upon his Son for mans sin thus preach unto the world Wel I see that you cannot be brought to understand how I hate sin with a perfect hatred but I 'le have one way of argument to convince you that it is impossible you should stand against I will therefore send my Son to take your nature upon him and to stand charged with your debt and you shall see how I 'le deal with him who is your Surety I 'le not spare him I 'le powr out the vials of my wrath upon him to the last drop I 'le make him a curse for sin though he be infinitly blessed and equal with my self yet I 'le make him cry out in the anguish and trouble of his soul My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He shal tread the winepress of my wrath I 'le make the burden of sin heavy to Him that shall make Him fall groveling upon His face and sweat great clodders of blood in a winter season that shall run down from His body upon the cold ground I 'le do this to that end that all the world to whom the preaching of the Gospel shall come may see how infinitely I hate sin This is one of Gods ends though it 's true that the principal end of the death of Christ it was to satisfie Divine Justice But there is another end that God aims at in the death of his Son To declare to all the world to men and Angels how infinitly the Lord doth abominate all sin Now this is held forth in the Gospel more than in all the execution of the Law if the Law were executed to the full upon all the world it would not hold forth Gods hatred of sin so much as this doth Do you beleeve this Gospel Hath God let you live under this Gospel that you hear it it your ears And do you profess that the Lord hath enlightened you by his holy Spirit to understand the certainty and reality of this Oh then let your Conversation be as becomes this Evangelical truth Quest What Conversation doth become this Answ Hence then your own reason cannot but make a consequence from this that the Gospel holds forth Hence then Cast away al sin as an abominable thing from you What have I to do any more with Idols Hence then Call no sin little which so much provokes the Lord. Indeed if you were only acted by the light of reason reason perhaps will tell you that such things are but little and smal and you need make no such great matter about them But now Art not thou a Christian A follower of Christ A friend to the Gospel For shame call no sin little for in the Gospel you see the infinit hatred of God against all sin yea there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction whatsoever that 's a point that hath been long since opened to you at large and this will shew it cleerly there is more evil in any sin than in the greatest affliction by the dealing of God the Father with his Son and therefore if you will be willing to live as becomes the Gospel of Christ rather be willing to bear any affliction in the world than wilfully to commit the least sin Are these two in the ballance Here is a great and a sore cross you think how shall I endure that On the other side Here 's a sin to be committed if I venture upon this sin it may be I shall be delivered from this affliction Now would this become the Gospel of Christ for one that professes that he doth beleeve that God the Father dealt thus with His Son that had sin but by imputation upon Him that He let out the vials of His wrath upon Him and made Him a curse for sin and if Christ had but undertaken for to have satisfied for one sin though the least sin He must have died for it For the wages of sin is death of sin indefinitly it 's death And do I beleeve this and yet shall I rather chuse the commission of a sin than the bearing of any affliction Oh this is infinitly unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ do I beleeve this and is it real unto my soul Oh let me then manifest in my whol course and life that I tremble at the very thought of a sin at the appearance of evil and am as much afraid of the least spark of lusts as of the fire of Hell let me discover the temptation to sin that I may endeavour to avoid all temptations to sin because God hath given such a testimony from Heaven against sin Oh it is a loud testimony indeed that God hath given from heaven against sin in the death of his Son Oh then let my Conversation be such as I may make it appear that I am afraid of the beginnings of sin of the first whispering and motions to sin Oh set me not stand dandling of sin in my thoughts and roul it as a sweet morsel under my tongue let me not entertain it in my affections in the least degree as to love it to approve it to delight in it but as soon as ever it enters into thy heart cast it out presently let it not lodge within thy doors one moment raise up all the power of thy soul against it follow it with Hue and Cry till thou hast overtaken it and then do justice and judgment upon it what though it may be a Delilah yet cut it off Oh let me take heed of lying in any sin have I bin overtaken in my sin Oh let me be willing rather to shame and condemn my self to deny any thing in the world rather than to continue in that sin the Lord forbid that if I have been once drawn
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
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
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
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
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