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
you live in that your consciences condemns you for A Heathen would not do it a Heathen would not wilfully live in a sin that his conscience tells him is a sin manie of the Heathens came to that And what way have you made in profession Perhaps you have seemed to be in the School of Christ manie yeers and others take you for a forward Professor and yet your conscience tells you that you live in some sins that are known sins to you but because they are secret and none knows them but your self therefore you have continued in them and ventured upon them hoping of Gods pardon being perhaps but one and no great one I say in this you are beneath the light of Nature and therefore you are far from having your Conversations such as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ This Conversation of yours is not such as becomes the light of Nature divers Heathens would abhor such Conversations in Christians yea if it were among themselves and they would hardlie companie with you there are manie that make profession of Religion that I say if they lived among Heathens Heathens would not keep companie with a great part of this Kingdom yea and of most Congregations and therefore they should not think much though they may not be admitted into such a near communion as the Lords supper Q. You will say then But what is that Conversation becoming the Gospel that is beyond the light of Nature First The light of Nature teaches to worship a God That many of you do you worship God But this is that that becomes the Gospel of Christ To worship honor God as a Father as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ this goes beyond the light of Nature in that particular not only I am convinc'd that there is a God that He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth and my Creator and therefore I 'le worship Him but I do not do that that becomes the Gospel of Christ til I get my self to this That I am able through the grace of the Gospel to worship God as a Father reconciled to me in Christ and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and so do I come and present all my services unto God This few of our Civil men do yet your Civil men will make a profession of the Gospel too and your Civil men they worship God but it is in a meer natural way The God of Heaven and Earth that made them is to be worshiped they can say their old Catechism Q. Who made you A. God Q. Wherefore did he make you A. He made me to serve Him c. I but doest thou when thou comest to serve and worship the Lord look upon God as a Father reconcil'd in Christ and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and so doest thou tender up all thy services to God Thou art not raised to that that becomes the Gospel of Christ except thou doest thus worship God in this way that 's that which becomes the Gospel of Christ and know that all other worship that thou tenderest up to God meerly as God is Creator God that made thee and therfore thou must serve him I say al that worship if thou goest no further God rejects it indeed we are to worship God as a Creator God would have that I but if He hath not that and the other too and if He have not both he will not accept of one for the first is included in the second but the second is not included in the first A man that worships God as a Father and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ he doth worship God as a Cretor too but a man may worship God as a Creator and not at all be acquainted with Him as a Father and as the Father of our Lord Jesus and therefore till the Lord in the Ministrie of the Gospel hath been pleased to shine in upon thy soul as a Father and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and thou comest to worship God thus or at least this is the endeavour of thy soul that thou maiest worship God in this way thou art not satisfied in worshiping God after the other way because he made thee and thy heart works after this indeed I have not got this full assurance that he is my Father but this is that my heart is unsatisfied untill I have got it and I cannot be quiet in anie other kind of worshiping God till I find some abilitie to tender up all to him as a Father and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ I say till thou comest to this thou doest not in that particular worship God as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ And so in the point of Justice thou doest give every one his own I but this is beneath that that is required in thy dealing with men according to the Gospel of Christ If you reade the 5. of Mat. there you shall find when Christ comes to preach what he requires he raises the point of Justice beyond doing as we would be dealt with saith Christ there You have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecut you this is higher than meerly to be just and for one man not to wrong another you shall have manie men say Who is able to say black is mine eye I live and no bodie can say I wrong them you think this is an excellent Conversation it 's true it is good in its kind and it were good if all Professors of Religion could say they live so that no body can charge them for unjust dealings I but this doth not rise to that height to be the Conversation as becomes the Gospel of Christ you must come to this height to love your enemies and to bless them that curse you you must do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you Can you find this this is somewhat like the Gospel of Christ this is somewhat more than to do no wrong to others And to do as we would be done to we must go higher we must not onlie set this as a pattern I 'le do as I would be done by No But I 'le labour to do to another as God hath done to me This is higher that 's thus hath God shewed Himself gracious unto me I 'le labour to do that good to others as much as I am able even as God hach done to me You have for that those two Scriptures Ephes 4. 31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one towards another tender hearted forgiving one another The light of Nature now will justifie all this But mark the conclusion Even as
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
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
could not have bin better for Paul to have been dead than to live it were better that Paul had lived even to the day of Judgment than to have died and so to be nothing and turned into dust but he saith that when he died he should be with Christ which was better for him but that which swayed him on the other side why he should be willing to live it was this That he might be useful to the Churches Nevertheless it is better for you that I should abide in the flesh Service to the Churches is the great cause that makes one who hath made his peace with God to be willing to live it is not that he may live in ease and enjoy pleasures to the flesh but that he may live and do service for God that makes him willing to live And then he tels them he is confident he shal continue with them a while for the furtherance of their faith and that by his coming to them their rejoycing should be more abundant but in the mean time whether I do come or come not Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ As if he should say I shall the more willingly live my life wil be the more comfortable to me it will somthing recompence my absence from Heaven my staying from the joyes of it if your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ If I may hear from you being absent or when I come to you I may see that your Conversation be as becommeth the Gospel of Jesus Christ This is the dependancy of the words For the opening of the words Only Only let your Conversation That is as if he should say be not solicitous about me and my sufferings and what shall become of me and whether I shall come to you or not be not so careful about that only let your care be taken up about this great business That your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ for saies he this should be the main thing that I should aim at if I should come to you this is that I should put you upon and give you directions about That your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ And if I be absent there is not any thing I desire more to hear of than this That you that have received the Gospel of Christ from my hands as it were through my Ministry that your Conversations be as becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ Brethren if we had Paul here present with us or preaching among us or if he were alive and could write an Epistle to this Congregation or any other Congregation the main drift of his preaching or writing would be to those that had heretofore received the Gospel That they would make it their great care that their Conversations be as becomes the Gospel of Christ Only let your Conversation The word here is a word taken from the ordering of a City or a Common-wealth wherein every one acts in their own sphere and is serviceable each unto other to the publick good so saith he the Church of God it is as a City as a Common-wealth wherein every Christian is to act in his own sphere and every one laboring for the good each of other in a comely order that so there may not only be peace in the Churches but edification of all and the Gospel may thrive and prosper that 's the meaning of this word translated here Let your Conversation As if he should say Do not think it enough that you have some enlightenings that you have some stirrings some affections are moved by the Ministry of the Gospel rest not there but look to your Conversation It is not enough for Christians to have knowledg and to be able to speak of the Gospel and have some stirrings of affection but they must look to their Conversations Let your Conversation be As it becometh the Gospel of Christ For the opening of these words there are these two things considerable First What is this Gospel of Christ that here is spoken of And secondly What is it so to live as becometh the Gospel of Christ Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ The Gospel of Christ in general is this It is the good Tydings that God hath revealed concerning Christ This hath come unto your ears the good Tydings concerning Christ for so the word Gospel the Greek word signifies nothing else but the good Tydings the good Tydings that comes from Heaven unto you concerning Jesus Christ that 's the Gospel of Christ More largely it is this As all Mankind were lost in Adam become the children of wrath put under the sentence of death God though he left his fallen Angels and hath reserved them in the chains of eternal darkness yet he hath thought upon the children of men he hath provided a way of atonement to reconcile them to himself again Namely the second Person in Trinity takes mans nature upon him and becomes the Head of a second Covenant standing charged with mans sin and to answer for it in a way of suffering what the Law and Divine Justice required and for making satisfaction and keeping the Law perfectly which satisfaction and righteousness he tenders up unto the Father as a sweet savor of Rest for the souls of those that are given to him and now this mediation of Christ is by the appointment of the Father preached to the children of men of what Nation or rank soever freely offering this unto sinners for atonement for them requiring them to beleeve in him and upon beleeving promising not only a discharge of all their former sins but that they shall never enter into condemnation that none of their sins or unworthiness shall ever hinder the peace of God with them but that they shall through him be received into the number of Sons that they shall have the Image of God again to be renewed in them that they shall be kept by the Power of God through faith and salvation that these souls and bodies shall be raised to the height of glory that such creatures are capable of that they shall live for ever enjoying the presence of God and Christ in the fulness of al good this is the Gospel of Christ this is the sum of the Gospel that is preached unto sinners when you hear speaking of the Gospel your thoughts may be about this this glad Tydings that is come into the world for salvation of sinful creatures through Jesus Christ and all the good things that Jesus Christ by his blood hath purchased for sinners When Ministers are cald the Ministers of the Gospel the meaning is they are appointed by God Ministers to declare and to preach this glad Tydings to the world Oh it is glad Tydings indeed to the world could there be such glad tidings preached at Hell gates that there were any such way of reconciliation of them to God we could not but conceive there would
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
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
miscarrying there it is over I blesse God that is over for that now my obedience it is not that I might work out and earn salvation but my obedience to God now is being set safe upon the shore that I might live to the praise of the grace of God that hath delivered me from al danger of miscarrying and hath set me with Jesus Christ in heavenly places I am now already set in heavenly places with Jesus Christ and as sure of Heaven for so a Believer may come to be as if so be that I were there already and so I am now to begin the life of Heaven to be blessing and magnifying God not in word only but in my life therefore am I to hold forth the glory of God in my life and Conversation that I might blesse and magnifie the Name of God that hath delivered me from darkness and hath translated me into the Kingdom of his dear Son and upon these terms do I serve God now I do not serve God as one that is in hazard for ever to miscarry and out of a base and slavish fear lest I should miscarry I do endeavor to work out my salvation but it is as one that is redeemed and delivered from eternal misery yea I now begin to joyn with the Saints and Angels that are in Heaven that are there magnifying God and shal be to al eternity praising of Him for His free grace towards them surely this Conversation should be in a higher degree of holiness than the Conversation of Adam could be even in Paradise Yet still remembring this we cannot in this life attain to such a Conversation as to be without mixture of evil but we should be more spiritual and heavenly in our waies we have more cause to be so than Adam had in his innocency and we do not walk answerable to the Gospel except our hearts do rise in a more spiritual and heavenly way than his heart could rise when it came new out of the hand of his Creator That 's the first consideration of the Law as it was a Covenant of life to him and al man-kind in him Oh that as we go along we would but consider what cause we have of humiliation then Oh how far are our Conversations short of that that becomes the Gospel if it should rise to so high a pitch as this is that hath been mentioned Secondly Consider we the Law as in the administration of it to Moses and so to the people of the Jews The administration of the Law to them it was under another notion it was to bring them to Christ and that they might come to see their inability of keeping of that Covenant and come to understand Christ so much the more and to be driven unto Christ by having the Law presented to them God did never intend by giving of the Law to the people of the Jews that it should be a Covenant of eternal life to them indeed there was this in the administraon of it somewhat different from us some special Covenant about their living in Canaan and about mercies in that promised Land beyond that that we have in the Law as we find in the new Testament they I say had this annexed to it The Law that was first given unto Adam and written in his heart afterwards even obliterated then it was transcribed by the same hand in tables of stone and given unto them chiefly to shew them their misery and their need of Christ to be a preparation for Christs coming into the world and with this one addition beyond what we have in the new Testament that there was a temporal Covenant annexed unto it that concern'd their living prosperously in the Land of Canaan so far we are delivered even from the Law as it was given by Moses that is from the connexion of the Covenant that was added unto the delivering of the Law concerning their happy and comfortable condition in the Land of Canaan upon the keeping of their Law but now how ever it was certainly that Conversation that becomes the Gospel should be beyond what could be even from godly men in the time of the Law As first The Law to them it was given under low Promises their promises were but very low that were under the Law It 's true they had somewhat of the Gospel that we have but extream darkly and very little that they knew of it but the chief Ministration of God towards them was then in a legal way and that had but low promises as their living in Canaan you shall find generally al the promises that are annexed to the Law even by Moses it is but that they shall prolong their daies in the Land the Lord their God shall give them That they should be blest in their basket and store their Promises were under Heaven-Promises Promises of this life only and therefore it could raise them but to a very low degree of holiness Secondly Their Ordinances were but poor and mean and beggerly in comparison of our for so the Gospel cals them Col. 2. They were but beggerly rudiments which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal Ordinances imposed on them untill the time of reformation Heb. 9. 10. They had an earthly Tabernacle a worldly Sanctuary Heb. 9. 1. c. Thirdly The burden of them under the Law was very great they were under a heavy yoke burden that did bow them down A man that is under a heavy burden it makes him stoop bend in the back he cannot stand so upright nor fast as others that have no such weight upon them Fourthly The administration of the Law was with Thunder and Lightning very terrible It made even Moses quake and tremble as the Author to the Hebrews speaks Fiftly Their spirits were very servile under the Law they were subject to bondage even all their daies God so ordered things as to carry on his people even in a very servile way they were but mean servants then hewers of wood and drawers of water But now under the Gospel First our Promises are far better and our Covenant better in Heb. 8. 6. there the Apostle compares their Condition and ours Who serve saith he unto the example and shadow of heavenly things There was but the shadow of heavenly things the Gospel hath the Heavenly things themselves and they are but the shadow for so you have it in Heb. 10. 1. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things They had but a shadow of good things to come and not the very image it self As Moses was admonish'd of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the Mount And then in Heb. 8. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry that 's Christ By how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant
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
on in the Gospel What is it Let me labor to serve it whatsoever in me lieth Now if you reade in the Gospel you shall find that the Design that God hath it is To purchase to Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works to promote holiness and godliness that we being redeemed from the hands of our enemies might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives This is the Design that God hath I see that Mankind is fallen from me and the people in the world are generally fallen into wickedness the whole world lieth in wickedness over head and ears in sin but I would have holiness advanced I would have my Image renewed I would have a peculiar people that might live for ever to serve and worship me Here 's the Design of God Oh let me now serve this design of God and labor to do all that I can to serve and honor and blesse and magnifie that God that hath wrought such glorious things for us as He hath wrought in the Gospel And as Christ saith in Mat. 3. when He came to be paptized of John It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness Now shall the Lord Jesus Christ Himself say thus It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness surely then it becomes you to fulfil al righteousness Would you walk as becomes the Gospel Give up your hearts strength and endeavors what possibly you can to fulfill all righteousness do not say Why should I do thus and why need we be so forward and strict Oh remember the text If any talk of too much strictness and too much forwardness then answer thus I heard in such a place such a Text opened and applied to me that my Conversation must be as it becomes the Gospel and certainly let me do what I can I cannot do so much but that the Gospel will require ten thousand times more than I can do and therfore I do endeavor to walk as becoms the Gospel And I hear that Christ Himself saith that it became Him to fulfil all righteousness And why should not I walk as Christ Himself walked O my life hath bin too vain heretofore my heart hath been dead and I have not been quickned up so as to walk worthy of the Gospel but for the time to come my care and endeavor above all things in the world shall be That I may honor this glorious GOSPEL of Jesus Christ from whom I do expect to have such glorious things hereafter Consider now what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in these things that you may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord JESUS CHRIST SERMON I. IF you please to reflect back upon the last daies Exercise when we finished that Scripture in the Philippians that teaches us to walk as becomes the Gospel in the prosecution of which we shewed what it was the Gospel principally did hold forh unto us and what Conversations ought to be in the Professors of it sutable unto those things the Gospel holds forth and among those this was one particular of great moment that we did then but hint out unto you in a word or two That the Kingdom of Christ was not of this world They are Christs own words Now because it is a consideration of very great use I would be loth the benefit of it should be lost therefore I have now pickt out that to speak to more largely and to open the meaning of it unto you from this Scripture JOHN 18. 36. Jesus answered and said My Kingdom is not of this world THE words are a part of the story of Christs arraignment before Pilat Behold here the King of Heaven and Earth stands arraigned at the Barr of a wicked man In this Arraignment we find a special Charge which his Adversaries bring against Him which was this THAT HE MADE HIMSELF THE KING OF THE JEWS He was an enemy to Government The usual charge that the world hath had against the Saints that they are enemies to Government They fare no worse here than Christ did Pilat requires of him to answer to the Charge whether it were so or no that He hath made Himself a King Now you shall find in the answer of Christ He doth not deny the thing but implicitly grants it neither doth he answer him fully to his mind but saith My Kingdom is not of this world My Kingdom As if he should say I acknowledg that I have a Kingdom as mean and low as I am brought now though I stand here before you as a despised man a Carpenters son yet I confess I have a Kingdom but it is not of this world Not of this world He doth not say not IN this world but saith it is not OF this world it is not a worldly Kingdom We have in the words these two things First That Christ hath a Kingdom Secondly What kind of Kingdom Christs is Not of this world I shall not here speak much unto the former and so to handle the common place of Christs Kingly Office but only hint it to you as it makes way to the latter there we shall stay a while Christ he hath a Kingdom He is anointed by the Father to be King as well as Priest and Prophet of His Church Psal 45. 6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter that Psalm is a Prophesie of Christ And in the 19. of Revel 16. Christ is there called The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ God-man is the King of Heaven and Earth Christ God-man is the King of Angels and over all the World and we must know Christ as a King and act our faith upon him as a King or else we know Him not aright we have not the true work of faith except I say our faith act upon Him as a King as well as a Savior In Acts 2. 36. God hath made Him saith the text both Lord and Christ Mark He it not only Christ but Lord and Christ though it is true that in the word Christ all His Offices are implyed which signifies anointed to them all but yet this is expressed by its self Lord and Christ for indeed properly He is Christ unto His Church but He is also Lord over all the World in some sense But then you will say How doth He say that His Kingdom is not of this world if He he Lord over all the world Now that I might come to that point that I have chosen the text for we are to know that Christ hath a double Kingdom First Together with the Father He hath a Providential Kingdom as I may so say for distinction sake Secondly He hath a Mediatory Kingdom as Divines call it First A Providential Kingdom together with the Father whereby He mannages all the affairs of the world I say God-man the second Person in Trinity doth mannage all the affairs of the world His Scepter ruleth over all as
but when they are brought into his Kingdom then they are under the Ministry of the Word in another way Christ then is their great Pastor and Shepherd and so His Ministers are in a more peculiar manner Pastors Shepherds unto them And besides there are other Ordinances that they have nothing to do withal till they be brought into the Kingdom of Christ namely the seals of the Covenant with some others that might be named That 's the great privledge of those that are under the Kingdom of Christ to have right to all Ordinances Certainly all Saints and Beleevers have right unto all but they are to come in an orderly way to them 5 ly By being under the Kingdom of Christ there is this Priviledge Protection As Kings should be the protectors of their subjects Jesus Christ hath taken upon Him the protectors of their subjects Jesus Christs hath taken upon Him the protection of all such as come under Him all power in Heaven and Earth is given unto Christ and it is al exercised for their protection to deliver them from dangers bodily and spiritual to protect their souls they are under Christs Kingly power for protection when any temptation to sin comes they should fly unto Christ as King to shield them from their enemies when their spiritual enemies come in like a floud then the Spirit of Christ sets up a standard against them 6 ly They shall certainly have victory over all their enemies This Kingdom shall never be shaken let all the world conspire what they will against it the gates of Hel shall not prevail against it no cunning devises no subtil waies shall ever overcome this Kingdom no nor any one subject of this Kingdom This is a priviledge beyond what is in the world A Kingdom may preserve its self so as to continue a kingdom but many subjects may be destroyed in the preservation of it but this is such a kingdom as there shall never one subject be destroied in it that is Al the enemies shal never take off one subject from this kingdom indeed they may take away their bodily lives but that is but a transferring of them to the more glorious part of the kingdom that they shall attain to Then may a subject of this kingdom be said to be destroyed when he shall be cut off from Christ and lose the grace that he hath received but none shall be thus destroyed but shall be preserved by Christ and shall certainly overcome all enemies both inward and outward And that 's a sixt priviledge 7 ly By being in this Kingdom Beleevers are made every one of them Kings though they be subjects in some sense unto Christ yet Christ hath made them Kings and Priests unto God so they are called in Scripture There 's no kingdom where all the subjects are Kings it is so here Christ makes all that come under His kingdom to be Kings and they have too according to their Princely state the Angels to be their guard as Kings have their guard where ever they go so the poorest and meanest Beleever that is under this kingdom of Christ hath his guard of Angels wheresoever he goes though it be a poor smokey hole or Cottage that he lives in yet it is guarded by Angels every night they keep the Door and watch about the Bed Thus the Scripture tells us that the Angels are Ministring Spirits for Gods Elect 8 ly The benefit of this kingdom of Christ It is Spiritual peace and joy in the holy Ghost So in Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God consists not in meat and drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost There 's another manner of peace than the world gives So Christ in John 14. 17. Peace I leave with you My peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you It 's the note of a learned Interpreter speaking of this place I give not peace as the world gives the world gives peace saith he by taking away afflictions from a troubled person but Christ gives peace by taking away a troubled person from affliction His meaning is this the worlds way to give peace is to take away trouble from us but the way that Christ hath is to take the trouble of our hearts from our affliction the world cannot give so long as the affliction continues but Christ gives peace though the affliction doth continue that 's thus Christ He takes off the troublesomness of mens hearts from the affliction the world takes off the affliction from the trouble of mens hearts now this is a great deal better peace when the trouble of our hearts is taken away though the affliction continues rather than when the affliction is taken away and trouble of heart continues I give peace not as the world gives peace 't is inward peace the worlds is outward the world takes away some trouble but I take away the very root of all trouble the branches are taken away by the peace of the world that is whereas you had not trading before nor the freedom of your estates before you shall have that now but the root of all your trouble the world cannot take away that is sin but I take away sin that is the root of all trouble We may through the blessing of God upon Armles Parliament we may come to have outward peace that is freedom from outward troubles Oh but there may be vexation and trouble in our spirits in the mean time But Christs peace is especially in the conscience and heart within doors we may have peace here mixed with abundance of sin and wickedness it may be procured in a sinful way or it may be the cause of much sin but my peace is a holy peace it doth further holiness wheresoever I give it my peace is a lasting and a stable peace peace here may be but for a few months but my peace shall be eternally I give peace not as the world that is the fruit of the kingdom of Christ So the truth is though there be many outward afflictions attend the Kingdom of Christ yet the Kingdom of Christ is alwaies in peace and in joy of the holy Ghost That is a priviledge which we can never be crowned with but in the kingdom of Christ as we can never enjoy peace but here all the peace that mens consciences have till they come under the kingdom of Christ it will turn to greater trouble that peace they have and live loosly not being subdued to the kingdom of Christ will turn to horror and misery and so the joy that there is in the world it will turn to sorrow and vexation 't is proper to the kingdom of Christ to have joy in the holy Ghost thou mayest have joy in thy cups joy in thy dishes joy in thy mirth and wicked company but 't is proper to the kingdom of Christ to bring joy unspeakable and glorious unto the soul the soul never knows experimentally what
the joy of the holy Ghost means till it comes under the kingdom of Jesus Christ it 's the priviledge of the kingdom of Christ to bring spiritual peace which passeth all understanding and joy in the holy Ghost Ninthly This is a priviledg in the kingdom of Christ That all that are in His Kingdom have right to all the gifts and graces of all the Saints in the world Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephus or Life or Death all is yours for you are Christs and Christ is Gods They have I say right to all all the gifts of all the Ministers of the world and the graces of all the Saints they work for good unto them Tenthly and lastly They are all Heirs of Christ with an immortal Crown of glory that is laid upon Heaven for them Thus Christs Kingdom is not of this world the priviledges of it are beyond the worlds which can only be seen by the eye of faith for they are spiritual and glorious priviledges Quest If you ask me why it is that God the Father would not have His Son to have his kingdom in this world Certainly God might have given to Christ all the Government of this world might have made Him the great Emperor to have rul'd in an external way and all His Subjects to have been in pomp and glory here below but God would not have the kingdom of His Son here in this world for these reasons Ans First Because that hereby He would confound the wisdom of the world and shew the vanity of all the things of this present world and the folly of the hearts of men that are set upon the things of this world we look upon these things as great things but God hath shewed that he doth not look upon them as great matters but as things that have little value and excellency in them and therfore He would not have His Son to have His kingdom here of this world surely if there were such excellent things here as men dream of then undoubtedly Christ should have had His Kingdom of this world but that God might confound all the glory and non-plus the wisdom of this world therefore he would go another way to work God would so order things that He would fetch about the glory of his Name and those great things that he did intend from all eternity He would fetch them about in a way that should be hidden from the eyes of the world in a way that should appear contemptible in the eyes of the world and he would by this rebuke and shame all the pride folly and vanity of the world there is no greater rebuke of the pride folly and vanity of the world than in my Text here that saith The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world Secondly Because the Lord delights so much in the exercise of the graces of His Spirit the spiritual workings of the hearts of His Saints there 's nothing that is ab extra from God that is more delightful to Him than the exercises of the graces of His Spirit in the hearts of His Saints excepting what is in the Person of Christ himself nothing more pleasing in all the works that ever God made in which He takes more pleasure than in the exercise of faith and of humility and of patience and the like and the holiness of His Saints Now the less the Kingdom of Christ is of the world the more bright and glorious do the graces of the Saints appear the more do they come to be exercised had the Saints a worldly glory and pomp here their graces would not shine forth so eminent there would not be such a spiritual lustre and shine upon them but now that God may exercise especially the grace of faith and humility and patience and self-denial and brotherly love which are so precious to Him therefore God hath so ordered things that the Kingdom of His Son should not be of this world but it should be spiritual it may be you think it a sad affliction that you have not those comforts that you see others have in the world you have not such estates and bravery as others have brave dwellings costly furnitures and fine cloaths as others have and you cannot provide for your children as they do I but is there the exercise of faith in God in the want of these things the exercise of humility self-denial of patience know that these are more glorious things than if thou didst sit upon a Throne with a Crown of gold upon thy head and a Scepter in thy hand and al the people prostrating themselves before thee this were all but a childish vanity in comparison of the exercise of the graces of Gods Spirit thou hast that that is more excellent in the eyes of God and of His Son and in the eyes of the blessed Angels far more excel lent than these outward pompous glorious glittering vanities that are here when thou findest by experience that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world Oh then think that surely God delights much in the exercise of the graces of His Spirit in His Saints And this is the reason why he would not have the kingdom of Christ to be of this world Thirdly and lastly Therefore He would not have it to be of this world that hereafter when the Lord shall come to fetch out all his glory from those things that seem to be the most contrary that his power and wisdom may be more glorious and appear more evidently that his glory may be more conspicuous as certainly it will hereafter at the great Day when the issue of all the great designs that God had in sending of Christ into the world when the issue of all shall come and be accomplisht then the Name of God will be so much the more honorable to all eternity because He hath wrought out such glorious things from that which did seem to the eye of flesh to be so mean and contemptible APPLICATION But by way of Application and that shall be built upon the consideration of the point more generally and upon the Reasons that are named why the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world From hence follow thus much in the first place That if the Kingdom of Christ be not of this world then there is a happiness beyond the things of this world to be had that we must certainly conclude and determin If we beleeve this point That Christ Kingdom is not of this world we must lay down this for a certain and infalible ground that we may build upon That there is a happiness to be attained unto that is beyond this world for surely there is a good in the of Christ there is somewhat beyond this world for the souls of the children of men to look after as their cheef good as their happiness that 's a confectory that follows from it The Kingdom of Christ whatsoever it be it 's a glorious Kingdom it is the Kingdom of
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
2. may prove to be your portion it is spoken of Doeg This is the man saith the Psalmist that did not make God his trust but trusted in his great riches this is the man So you may be pointed out one day This is the man Doeg was a great Courtier and because he was an Officer of King Sauls and because he had his favour he trusted in the favour of the King and in his riches and what did he care for David Yea by the Text it appears he was one that made some shew of Religion too in the 1 of Sam. 21. 7. He was detained before the Lord Tremelius thinks either out of some Religious vow or to keep the Sabbath or somewhat concerning the Law he was detained before the Lord and yet he was a vile Malignant against David and all because he trusted in the great countenance he had at Court Now this is the man that made not God his trust but that trusted in his great riches the Lord forbid this Scripture should be made true of any of you I leave this Text with you that are rich men take heed you trust not in your great riches I leave this Text with you that are in places of dignity and honor take heed you have not your portion in this world I leave this Text to Voluptuous men given up to pleasures take heed you hear not one day this Son remember in thy life-time thou hadst thy pleasure I leave this with those that dare not trust God for a portion to come And above all I leave this with all Hypocrites let them take heed it be not said to them Here is your reward Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS THE ALPHABETICAL TABLE A ABuse see Body Adam First Adam what he was and what he should have been had he stood Page 43 The state of Adam compared with the state of the Saints 44 Admiration Admiration of Saints and Angels 90 Adrian Adrian the Pope his wofull death 339 Alexanders rebuke 349 Angels Angels are the Saints keepers 155 Angels see Love Honor Anger Anger must be avoided 38 Arbitrary Arbitrary Government and the differences of it 324 Antichrist Antichrists great design 49 Argument see Gospel B Beginning Beginings of sin to be feared 83 Beleevers Beleevers draw strength from Christ 45 Beleevers should manifest Christ in their actions Ibid Beleevers cannot fall away 46 Beleevers are not without mixture of evil ib. Beleevers under the Law were as children under age 100 Beleevers under the Gospel are children of full age ib Beleevers must not be of earthly hearts and why 270 Beleeve The manner how to beleeve 76 Bishops see Prelats Blood The Blood of Christ takes us off from vain conversations 98 Body The body of sin must be mortified 39 The body of sin is unknown to Nature 40 Abuse not your bodies and why 92 Boldness see Saints Boniface Boniface his answer 288 Bowels Bowels of mercy beseem the Gospel 71 Branch see Christ C Canaan The Land of Canaan a type of Heaven 47 Carelesness see Profession Christians Carnal Carnal worship opposeth the soul of godliness 49 Carnal see Weapons Heart Ceremonies Ceremonies condemned and why 97 Chastisement Chastisements for sin what they are 148 Children see Beleevers Christ Christs love known in the Gospel 69 Christ is the mercy of all mercies 70 Christs kept the Law and why 78 Christs self denial 93 Christ is the Root and we are the Branches 103 Christs is a great King 116 Christ God-man governs all things and why 136 Christs Rule 139 Christs Law ibid See Dependance Subjects and Peace Christians Christians must be carefull of their families 19 Christians should eye those whose Conversations are above them 29 Christians subject to grow careless by degrees 31 Church Church of God as a City 3 Circumvent We must not circumvent one another 275 Citizen A Citizen's wretch'd speech 320 Civil Civil mens worship of God 35 Companions see Tribulation Compulsion see Persecution Conscience Liberty of Conscience the way to procure it 22 Contentment Motives to contentment 349 Conversation The meaning of this word CONVERSATION 3 What Conversation becomes the Gospel 5 Our Conversation must be looked to after conversion 7 Conversation becoming the Gospel 57 How our Conversation should be manifested 350 What Conversation becomes the Gospel 115 See Image Wanton Cook Cook his opinion of the Martyrs 308 Covetousness Covetousness unbeseeming a Saint 270 Customs Old Customs an hindrance to spiritual worship 100 D Daies Difference between daies of fasting and thanksgiving and holy daies 99 See Observing Danger see Help Deceivers Self Deceivers how 13 Dependance No dependance between the Kingdom of Christ and this world 284 Design see Gospel Despair The reason of despair 75 Despise Despise not the meanest of men 92 Difference Difference which the Gospel makes 122 Difference betwen Saints and worldly men 312 Divisions Divisions whence they come 105 Duty see Time Dying Dying one for another becomes the Gospel 58 E Elevation Elevation of spirit upon what ground 91 Enmity How enmity against God is kept up 15 Epistle The Saints should be the Epistles of Christ 113 Eternal life Little mention of Eternal life in the Old Testament 110 Excellency The Excellency of a Saints portion wherein it consists 354 Eyes The eyes of all are upon Professors 23 What the eyes of a Christian should be set upon 354 F Faith Faith acts upon Christ as a King aswell as a Savior 135 Necessity of living by faith 285 Fleshly-lusts Fleshly lusts unsutable to the Gospel 102 G Gentils see Partition German The speech of a German Divine 137 God Gods willingnesse to be at peace with man 63 See Hatred Love Glory People Mercy God is full of goodness 64 How the utmost of Gods glory is manifested 90 Godly Why godly men are willing to live 2 Gospel What the Gospel is 3 Gospel-Conversation what it is 38 Gospel Obedience proceeds from love 40 Difference between the Law of Adam and the Gospel 41 Those that live under the Gospel must live in an higher way of holiness than those that lived under the Law 42 The great Design of the Gospel 54 The Gospel cals for love 58 Gospel-arguments are the strongest arguments 69 Difference between the Gospel the light of Nature 73 See Law Mallice Christ Conversation Dying Bowels Wanton Worship Beleevers Power Government see Arbitrary Great ones see Religion H Hard-hearted see Monster Hatred Gods hatred of sin how to know it 81 Heart Carnal hearts will not trust God 351 Help Helps against the danger of the times 24 Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost dwells in our bodies 90 Honor How the honor of Religion is kept up 15 More honor put upon Men than upon Angels 89 I Jewes The error of the Jews about Christs Kingdom 117 See Partition Image How man holds out the Image of God Injustice A remedy against Injustice 77 Institution Whereon institution of Worship depends