But that we shall come more fully to when we speak how our Conversations should be becoming the Gospel of Christ But I speak this in this point as a preparation to that especiallie to young Professors that have been wrought upon by the Word within these few yeers since there hath bin more freedom of preaching the Gospel and I verily beleeve that divers of you in this Congregation do know many young ones and others that have been wrought upon by the Ministrie of the Word that for the first yeer were verie exact and verie careful of their lives and verie punctual in every thing but you now see them begin to grow loose and wanton and vain in their Conversations Oh this is a sad and an evil thing If you would be careful of your Conversations observe this seventh Rule Be not onlie careful at the first work of God upon you when you begin to be enlightened but in the constant course of your lives Oh give me a professor of Religion that was wrought upon when he was a Youth or a young Maid and yet continues till they be old disciples in a constant way of holiness and strictness Oh! They are the most beautiful objects that are in the world to behold the Sun in the firmament is not so glorious as an ancient professor of Religion that hath continued constant in the waies of godliness from his youth that can say as good Obadiah once said 1 King 18. 12. I have feared the Lord from my youth and my conscience though it tell me of many failings and weaknesses yet my conscience excuseth me in this that I have endeavored with a good conscience to walk with God and without offence to man and not given way to my self in any way of loosness since God made known Himself to me Oh such may have an abundance entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven and die with abundance of comfort But thus much for this first point That Christians ought to be careful of their Conversations We come now to the second and that is the main point in the Text. Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ 2. Doct. Every kind of Conversation of professors is not enough it must rise to that height as must be sutable to the Gospel of Christ meet for the Gospel that they do profess That 's our point Now we shall come to the Particulars what Conversation it is that is meet for the Gospel of Christ I gave you the Heads in the opening of it But now I shall speak to them First That Conversation that is meet and becomes the Gospel of Christ must be a Conversation raised to a higher degree than the light of Nature will raise it That Conversation that is no higher than possibly may be raised by the light of Nature certainly that 's not a Conversation becoming the Gospel of Christ that 's beneath not fit for the Gospel of Christ As thus Suppose a man in his Boat here in the Thames rows very exactly I but this is not a work sutable to shew the skill of a Navigator of one that professes the art of Navigation it 's beneath that Why so To live exactly according to the light of Nature it is beneath the Conversation that becomes the Gospel of Christ if so be that a man should make his boast that he hath great skill in the art of Navigation And how will he shew this skill he will go into a Boat and there he will row over the Thames and by that you may see what a mighty Navigator he is this would be ridiculous to any man And so if one that professes the Gospel of Christ would manifest that he is a good Christian What doth he do the life that he lives it is no other than a man by the light of Nature may be enabled to this is even as ridiculous as the other 1. As now for instance The light of Nature that will teach this That we are to worship God the Heathens have worshiped God in their way 2. Yea the light of Nature will teach That we must live justly among men yea and that we must do as we would be done to This the light of Nature will teach Many of the Heathens have had that principle to be just with men to do as we would be done by The light of Nature condemns grosse sins of Drunkenness Adulterie Swearing c. I could give you many instances in the Laws of Heathens punishing those sins very severely and some of them with death 3. Yea the light of Nature will rise thus high That a man should be consciencious should make conscience of secret sins of sins that none in the world could know of or are ever like to know of As I remember sometimes I have told you of one of the Heathens that did but owe for a pair of shoos to a Shoo maker and no body knew it but only the Shoo-maker himselfe the Shoo-maker dies no body could challenge this of him yet his conscience would never let him be at quiet until he ran and threw the money into the shop and said Though he be dead to others yet he is not dead to me whereas he had a temptation to have kept it because no body could challeng it he knew it was not his he knew it was either the Childrens or Executors and so he restortd it Many particulars might be named to shew how far we might go by the light of Nature but now I only bring it in to this end to shew that if we would have our Conversations such as becomes the Gospel of Christ we must go beyond what ever anie have done by the light of Nature and yet Oh Lord how short do manie Professors of Religion come of this How manie that will profess they hope to be sav'd by Christ I suppose there is not anie one in this Congregation or if I should go to everie ones house that belongs to the Parish they would say they hope to be saved by Jesus Christ and yet what worship of God is there And what justice is there among men to do as they would be done by Nay this is a Rule that will examin manie professors of Religion and their consciences would tell them that in such and such things they would be loth to be dealt with as they deal with others And for gross sins manie Professors of Religion break out into them also for all are a kind of Professors of the Gospel at large Drunkards and Adulterers and Blasphemers and yet they will come and make profession of Religion and think it very much if they should be denied the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of Christ Why are they not Christians and their children Christians and yet must they not be Baptized And yet they are beneath Heathens Heathens will rise in Judgment against them And for conscienciousness in secret I appeal to everie one of your consciences are there no sins that
in all their dealings in their dealing with God in their dealings between man and man To see one that professeth the Gospel sometimes accounts the feet of those beautiful that bring glad tydings of salvation yet unjust in his dealings so as do but follow him in his course between man and man there he makes no conscience of justice there he will rather break the rule of justice than it may be he will lose six pence or a shilling what if it were the losing of thirty or fourty pounds is it such a thing that the rule of justice must rather be broken than the loss of a little mony Is this as becomes the Gospel when as thou hearest the Gospel say that rather than the glory of justice shall be darkned the Blood of his Son must go for it and God expects that Christians should be so in love with justice that they should rather be content to be undone in their estates to beg their bread from door to door than be unjust in any of their actions Oh 't is an exceeding ecclipsing of the glory of the Word when Professors of it shall be false in their dealings Oh remember thou Christian who holdest up the Gospel with thy right hand that when thou hearest of the death of Christ there the love that God bears to justice is held forth and God is set upon the honor of justice and he wil have it thy justice in thy trading this must be made up one way or other either thou must pay eternally for it and so justice made up or else it must cost the Blood of Jesus Christ God is set upon justice in another manner than you think of Oh let your Conversations be as becometh this truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Fifthly That the Lord in the Gospel shews how he is set upon satisfying the Law and what a high price he puts upon the Law The excellency of the Law doth more cleerly appear in the Gospel than in the Doctrine of the Law its self as thus Christ came to fulfil all righteousness surely God set a high price of his Law that he would not save any soul living that had broken it but by his Son that must come to fulfil it first He must have all righteousness kept to the end that he might manifest his love unto his Law I say therefore it was that Christ must come and subject himself to the Law he must be under the Law It was from thence that Christ saith It becomes us to fulfil all righteousness So was God set upon his Law that when Christ did undertake for man-kind if Christ had not satisfied every part of the Law that was required if there had been one jot of the Law unfilfilled all man-kind must have perished in everlasting burnings God sets an high rate on his Royal Law therefore learn to prize the Law of God It 's true you cannot keep it for justification that was Christs task so to keep the Law that he might justifie sinners God by this teaches us to esteem highly of it and not to slight it and contemn it the Law of God it is a precious Cristal glass it is the very glass of the holiness and righteousness of God and you must prize it as you do prize your great glasses that your Marriners have from other parts you bring home your great Cristals of 20. or 40. or threescore pounds according to the largenesse of them Now would not you take it extream ill when you have bestowed so much upon it that a child or servant should come and break it al to pieces Now my brethren consider The Law of God here resembles the Cristal glasse and as in your glasses you may see your faces so in that Cristal glasse of the Law the holiness of God is transparent 't is such a glass that God prizes it more worth than all the world this is visible for the Lord stands much upon the observing of the Law and upon obedience unto it and therfore take heed of breaking it meerly to satisfie your lusts to accommodate and befriend your own base ends this is unbeseeming the Gospel of Christ There are many that make a great noise about Evangelical truths so that they cry up the Gospel of Christ the Gospel of Christ as they once did the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and they think that this doth wholly take away their obedience to the Law of God and that it must not be so much as a rule of life Certainly there 's nothing holde forth the excellency of the Law more than the knowledge of Jesus Christ the only Law-giver being subjected to the Law and his subjection it was to take away our guiltinesse to cancel the bond of the Law binding us to eternal death But we never reade that this subjection to the Law was to make void our obedience to it so that it should not be any rule of life unto us for indeed what is the Law of God but the pure Will of God and do you think that Christ came to take us away from obeying the Will of God which was Christs meat and drink to do I stand not so much upon that term Whether as given by Moses but upon those things that are therein contained therein revealed as part of the will of God God stands much upon that that we should make the revealing of these things in the Word to be the rule of our life and this is manifested by Christs ready and full subjection unto it And that is the first particular what it is that we come to know by the Gospel according to which we should sute our Conversations SERMON V. PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ IN the sixt place Would you know what Conversation becomes the Gospel Consider what it is that the Gospel holds out to you It holds forth Gods infinit hatred of sin more than any other thing whatsoever 1. A man may come to know the evil of sin partly by Reason he may understand that sin it is against a right rule yea by the light of reason he may conceive it is but reasonable for a rational creature to live by rule and to transgress against the rule of justice and equity is evil 2. A man may come to know the evil of sin by Gods Command the Law of God forbids sin and therefore it is evil certainly to transgress the Law of God to go against the Will of God must needs be a great transgression 3. A man may come to know the evil of sin by the Dreadful Threatnings that are added to the Law Cursed is he that abideth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do it This discovers a dreadful evil in sin when a soul comes to have a real sight of the dreadful threats that are in the Law it doth exceedingly terrifie conscience and raise up that sleepy Lyon
His subjects every subject of Christ hath his will and heart subdued to Jesus Christ It is not so in this world men may be subject to the Kings of this world meerly by constraint because they dare not do otherwise many Kings in this world have subjects whose hearts are not with them who love them not the Kings of this world they rule only the outward man But Christs Kingdom is another kind of Kingdom He rules in the hearts of men there is His Throne in the wills in the affections of men in the consciences of men Christ swaies His Scepter in mens souls men by conquest they subdue subjects to themselves Christ he subdues too in a way of conquest but he doth not subdue the outward man so much as the inward man the will is subdued to Christ He swaies His Scepter in their hearts this is a great mystery of godliness the swaying of the Scepter of Jesus Christ in the hearts of the Saints and therefore the Scripture tels us That the Kingdom of God is within us it is an inward Kingdom That 's the third thing wherein the difference between Christs Kingdom and the Kingdoms of the world consists Fourthly The Laws of Christ are Spiritual Observe the difference between the Laws of Christ in the government of His Church and the Laws that are for the government of the world it will be of very great use for you to know The Lord in His Providential Kingdom appointing Magistrates to govern here in the world in His room He leaves them to make Laws according to the general rules of prudence and justice such Laws are sufficient for the governing of the outward man and for the attaining to a Civil end for which their government is appointed But now Jesus Christ in His Mediatory Kingdom in His Church He makes all the Laws Himself He doth not leave it unto the Church to make new Laws according to the rules of their own prudence what they conceive to be fit in way of prudence no but they must fetch the Laws out of His Word and impose none but the same Laws that are in His Word they must have a Scriptum est it is written here are these and these texts of Scripture for what is enjoyned nothing must be added unto what He hath in His Word revealed only there are Divine Laws for the government of His Church now 't is true that the Church because they are a society of men they have some things natural and some things civil among them so far as they have need of natural and civil helps so far there may be Laws made according to rules of prudence and justice and Magistrates may come in to be helpful to the Church so far as they have need here of natural and civil helps as a society of men But now to speak properly to that which belongs to them meerly as they are the Church of Christ besides that that they have need of as they are men and natural and civil societies I say what belongs to them meerly considered as a Church of Christ they are to be governed only by the Laws of Jesus Christ who is the only Law-giver only by the Laws of the Word and there is not that liberty of making new Laws in the Church as there is of making new Laws in the Common-wealth and State and that 's a great difference between the Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdoms of this world That 's a fourth The Laws are different The Laws are different not only that they are by Divine revelation in the one and left to humane prudence in the other But 2 ly in the one the Laws bind conscience in the other they do not they do not bind conscience any further than the nature of the thing that is required binds except it be in case of scandal and contempt so our Divines that have been the most orthodox have gone that the Laws of men in the State they bind not conscience that is if a man should not do the thing that is required he should in conscience be bound over to eternal death for not doing it this is a very hard bondage a cruel yoke but thus if the thing that is required be right and just then the nature of the thing may bind conscience for then there comes in a Law of God if the thing be just and right that is required or however if I know nothing to the contrary but it may be just and right I must not break the Laws of man so as to give scandal or in a way of contempt but if it be privatly so as it be no scandal nor no contempt and the nature of the thing bind me not then my conscience is not bound over as guilty of eternal death if so be I do not every thing that man requires But now the Laws of Christ they are such as bind conscience as they come from him he is such a King that I say because they come from him and from his Will though we see no reason in the matter of the thing though they have nothing in the nature of the thing but meerly the Will of Christ it 's enough to tye conscience and to bind us even upon pain of eternal death to obedience Fiftly Christs Kingdom is not of this world That homage that the Saints do unto Christ it is not worldly but spiritual the Worship of Christ and the Ordinances of Christ they are not worldly but spiritual Now the Kings of this world they may appoint what kind of worship they please that is what Ceremonies they will whereby their subject should tender up their homage to them and now men have ventured to be so bold with Christ the King because men may tender up their homage unto their earthly Kings by any waies invented of their own therefore they have thought that they might presume to tender up their homage to Christ their spiritual King by any waies of invented worship and therein was a great error they lookt upon the Kingdom of Christ only in a carnal way whereas the Kingdom of Christ is such as all our homage that we tender up to Him must be Spiritual it must be Heavenly it must be from Heaven it must be from Christ Himself it must be from some Institution and Appointment of Jesus Christ and the more the kingdom of Christ doth prevail the more Spiritual shall that homage be that the subjects tender up to Him therefore you shall find that when the holy Ghost speaks of the Kingdom of Christ in the new Testament with reference unto that which was then in the old Testament He calls even those waies of worship in the old Testament worldly in comparison of the worship and homage that the Saints tender to Christ in the new Testament as in Gal. 4. 3. Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world The ceremonies of the Law are call'd here the elements of
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
great dishonor He hatb from the world ibid 2. In respect of wicked men 10 1 That you may convince them ibid 2 To stop their mouthes 11 3 To convert them ibid 4 To condemn them 12 3 In respect of the Saints ibid 1 They rejoyce in it ibid 2 They bless God for it ibid 3 They have boldness before men ibid 4. They are established by it 13 5 They are edified by it ib. 4 In respect of your selves ibid 1 It evidenceth the truth to your souls ibid 2 It continueth and encreaseth what is in you 14 3 It gets honor in the consciences of men ibid 4 It is an instrument of publick good ibid 5 it furthers a joyful account at the great day ibid 6 It keeps up the honor of Religion from one generation to another ibid Application 1 To reprove careless professors 16 2 To exhort to be careful of your Conversations 19 Arg. 1 It is a mercy you have conversation among men 20 2 Wicked men are able to passe judgment on your lives but not on your principles 21 3 Sometimes you must displease wicked men ibid 4 Your lives are but short 22 5 The eyes of all are upon you 23 6 God promiseth salvation to them that order their Conversation aright 24 SERMON II. Rule 1 Have a special regard to the duties of your relation 25 2 Take heed of the sins you are most inclined to 26 3 Take heed of the temptations of your callings 27 4 Take heed of the sins of the times 28 5 Take heed of secret sins ibid 6 Look not upon those that are below but upon those that are above you in profession 29 7 Be constant to the end 30 Doct. 2 The Conversation of Profesfessors must be sutable to the Gospel of Christ 1. It must be higher than the light of Nature will raise it 32 Viz. 1 That we are to knew God 33 2. That we must do as we would be done to ibid 3 We must make conscience of secret sins ibid What Conversation becomes the Gospel that is above the light of Nature 1 To worship God as a father 35 2 To love our enemies 36 3 To do to others as God hath don to us 37 4 To labor for the mortification of the body of sin within us 39 5 To love the Commandement you obey 40 Secondly It must go beyond such as lived under the Law SERMON III Consider first as a Covenant of works for life as it was at first made to Adam 42 1 Obedience to God meerly as Creator 43 2 Had only promise of natural things ibid 3 He must work by his own strength ibid 4 He was in hazard of miscarrying in his eternal estate ib. 1 The Saints are in a better condition 1 They serve God as a father 44 2 Vpon better promises ibid 3 Our strength is not put into own hands to keep 54 4 Are delivered from the hazzard of eternal miscarrying ibid 2. As the Law was in the ministration of it by Moses 47 1 Given under low promises ibid 2 Their Ordinances mean 48 3 Their burden great ibid 4 The administration terrible ibid 5 Their spirits servile ibid But under the Gospel 1 Our Covenant is better 48 2 Our Worship more spiritual 49 3 Our yoke more easie 50 4 We have access with boldnes to the throne of grace ibid 5 We have the spirit of Adoption ibid 3. It must be sutable to what the Gospel holds forth 53 Herein consider 1 What the Gospel holds forth 2 How to sute our Conversations according 1 The Gospel holds forth 1. The infinite love of God to mankind 53 2 Love in us becomes this love of God 54 SERMON IV. 2. The willingness of God to to be at peace with man 63 1 When we were enemies to Him 64 2 We were under his power ibid 3 He had no need of us ibid 4 He begins the work of reconciliation ibid 5 It costs Him very dear ibid 6 He will never be at enmity with us again 65 This cals us to love peace ib. 3 The infinite mercy of God to miserable creatures 69 It should work mercy in us 70 4 He is merciful in such a way that justice is not wronged 74 It should warn us first not to turn the grace of God into wantonness 75 To be just in our Conversations 77 5 What a high price he sets upon the Law 78 SERMON V 6 Gods infinit hatred of sin 80 It should move us to hate it 82 7 The great price of souls 85 It should teach us 1 To set a high price upon our souls 86 2 Not to pollute them with sin 88 8 The great honor God hath put upon human Nature above Angels 89 1. In the personal union of mans Nature with the God-head ibid 2 The body is the temple of the holy Ghost 90 3 The Personal Vnion of our Natures with the second Person in Trinity 91 4 The great example of Self-denial 93 SERMON VI. 9 Our Conversations should be sutable to spiritual worship 96 10 Our spiritual union with God 100 1 God is a Father Beleevers are Children ibid 2 We are one Spirit with God and Christ 102 3 The union of the Saints one with another 104 4 Their hapines in heaven 110 SERMON VII What Conversation becomes the Gospel 114 1 Denying ungodliness ibid 2 Sequestred from this world 118 3 A change of estate 120 1 From what there was before the Gospel came ibid 2 Between one man and another 122 4 Becoming the Ordinances of the Gospel 123 5 Sutable to the power of the Gospel ibid 6 Seeing the glory of the Gospel have a glory in our Conversations 125 Application 1 To reprove those whose Conversations becomes not the Gospel 126 2 Exhortation to walk worthy of the Gospel 129 Five Motives to it JOHN 18. 36 SERMON I. TEXT Opened 139 Doct. 1. Christ hath a Kingdom ibid 1 Providential 136 2 Mediatory ibid Doct. 2 Christs Kingdom is not of this world 137 Difference between worldly Kingdoms Christs Kingdom ib. 1 In regard of pomp and glory ibid 2 In regard of his subjects 138 3 In regard of his rule 139 4 His Laws are spiritual ibid 5 His homage spiritual 141 6 The Officers by Divine institution 143 7 His weapons spiritual 144 8 In regard of priviledges 147 9 In regard of penalties 147 SERMON II. Priviledges of the Saints 1 All their businesses are in the Court if Christ 152 2 They are all free men 153 3 They have free trade to heaven ib. 4 They have right to all the Ordinances of Christ ib. 5 They have his protection 154 6 They shall have certain victory over their enemies ib. 7 They are all Kings ib. 8 They have peace and joy in the holy Ghost 155 9 They have right to the gifts and graces of all the Saints 156 10 They are coheirs with Christ 157 Why Christs Kingdom is not of this world 1 Because he would confound the wisdom of
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
out of his den 4. A man may come to know the evil of sin by some dreadful judgments that God hath executed upon sinners here in this world and by the terrors of conscience that there are upon the wicked as on Cain Saul and Judas c. men many times here for their sins by the wrath of God that is reveal'd from Heaven against sin in the execution of it but take all those together yea did we see the woful execution of the wrath of God in Hell its self did the Lord open unto us a door into the chambers of death to discover the torments that are there and to hear all the shreeks and cries of the damned in everlasting burnings yet all this the threats of the Law the terrors of it the agonies of Conscience the torments of the damned in Hell I say put all together and they would not so much nor so cleerly discover Gods infinit hatred of sin as what we find in the Gospel the red Glasse of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for sin doth discover more of Gods hatred against it than all the torments of Hell can do or all the threats of the Law can do God doth in inflicting his wrath upon his Son for mans sin thus preach unto the world Wel I see that you cannot be brought to understand how I hate sin with a perfect hatred but I 'le have one way of argument to convince you that it is impossible you should stand against I will therefore send my Son to take your nature upon him and to stand charged with your debt and you shall see how I 'le deal with him who is your Surety I 'le not spare him I 'le powr out the vials of my wrath upon him to the last drop I 'le make him a curse for sin though he be infinitly blessed and equal with my self yet I 'le make him cry out in the anguish and trouble of his soul My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He shal tread the winepress of my wrath I 'le make the burden of sin heavy to Him that shall make Him fall groveling upon His face and sweat great clodders of blood in a winter season that shall run down from His body upon the cold ground I 'le do this to that end that all the world to whom the preaching of the Gospel shall come may see how infinitely I hate sin This is one of Gods ends though it 's true that the principal end of the death of Christ it was to satisfie Divine Justice But there is another end that God aims at in the death of his Son To declare to all the world to men and Angels how infinitly the Lord doth abominate all sin Now this is held forth in the Gospel more than in all the execution of the Law if the Law were executed to the full upon all the world it would not hold forth Gods hatred of sin so much as this doth Do you beleeve this Gospel Hath God let you live under this Gospel that you hear it it your ears And do you profess that the Lord hath enlightened you by his holy Spirit to understand the certainty and reality of this Oh then let your Conversation be as becomes this Evangelical truth Quest What Conversation doth become this Answ Hence then your own reason cannot but make a consequence from this that the Gospel holds forth Hence then Cast away al sin as an abominable thing from you What have I to do any more with Idols Hence then Call no sin little which so much provokes the Lord. Indeed if you were only acted by the light of reason reason perhaps will tell you that such things are but little and smal and you need make no such great matter about them But now Art not thou a Christian A follower of Christ A friend to the Gospel For shame call no sin little for in the Gospel you see the infinit hatred of God against all sin yea there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction whatsoever that 's a point that hath been long since opened to you at large and this will shew it cleerly there is more evil in any sin than in the greatest affliction by the dealing of God the Father with his Son and therefore if you will be willing to live as becomes the Gospel of Christ rather be willing to bear any affliction in the world than wilfully to commit the least sin Are these two in the ballance Here is a great and a sore cross you think how shall I endure that On the other side Here 's a sin to be committed if I venture upon this sin it may be I shall be delivered from this affliction Now would this become the Gospel of Christ for one that professes that he doth beleeve that God the Father dealt thus with His Son that had sin but by imputation upon Him that He let out the vials of His wrath upon Him and made Him a curse for sin and if Christ had but undertaken for to have satisfied for one sin though the least sin He must have died for it For the wages of sin is death of sin indefinitly it 's death And do I beleeve this and yet shall I rather chuse the commission of a sin than the bearing of any affliction Oh this is infinitly unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ do I beleeve this and is it real unto my soul Oh let me then manifest in my whol course and life that I tremble at the very thought of a sin at the appearance of evil and am as much afraid of the least spark of lusts as of the fire of Hell let me discover the temptation to sin that I may endeavour to avoid all temptations to sin because God hath given such a testimony from Heaven against sin Oh it is a loud testimony indeed that God hath given from heaven against sin in the death of his Son Oh then let my Conversation be such as I may make it appear that I am afraid of the beginnings of sin of the first whispering and motions to sin Oh set me not stand dandling of sin in my thoughts and roul it as a sweet morsel under my tongue let me not entertain it in my affections in the least degree as to love it to approve it to delight in it but as soon as ever it enters into thy heart cast it out presently let it not lodge within thy doors one moment raise up all the power of thy soul against it follow it with Hue and Cry till thou hast overtaken it and then do justice and judgment upon it what though it may be a Delilah yet cut it off Oh let me take heed of lying in any sin have I bin overtaken in my sin Oh let me be willing rather to shame and condemn my self to deny any thing in the world rather than to continue in that sin the Lord forbid that if I have been once drawn
extreams that I have spoken of are waies that are very much unbeseeming the Gospel of Christ for men our of base ends to break unity to rend from the Saints or otherwise because men joyn not with you in every thing you desire therefore presently to put such a brand upon them as to stigmatize them for schismaticks certainly this unchristian like nicknaming the children of God maintains the breach and widens it more and more whereas the Conversation that becomes the Gospel is to study to find out the truth And do I see Learned and Godly men of another judgment Let me pray more unto the Father of lights for the Spirit of revelation It may be I may mistake If I be mistaken Lord discover it let me not go on in the waies of darkness but take away the scales from my understanding that I may see into the deep things of God and his Gospel And therefore others that they differ from should tender these as brethren and look upon them and see are they not consciencious in all their other waies Can I be able to find any fault with them in their lives and Conversations It may be it 's their mistake then let me pray for them and labor to help them and tender them all I can it may be God will reveal his mind to them more fully afterward Now in what we have attained let us walk and if any be otherwise minded God will reveal his mind to them and this carriage should be in Christians one towards another that differ one from another and this is a Conversation becoming the Gospel But when one differs from another for to give reviling speeches and names of disgrace and to cast dirt one upon another this is exceeding unbecoming the Gospel yea if the Heathens were amongst us they would even loath the Gospel of Jesus Christ to see the carriage of Christians that there are at this day amongst us But the Conversation that becomes the Gospel of Christ is that which manifests unity to live in unity one with another for the Gospel preacheth to us the greatest unity of Christians that possibly can be between man and man Again The Gospel holds forth this The glorious happiness of the Saints in Heaven You cannot find much of that in the Law in all the old Testament you find but little of eternal life I cannot discover three texts from Genesis to the end of Malachi that doth cleerly hold forth eternal life it 's true our forefathers no question in the old Testament did know that there was eternal life and some Scriptures there are that do tend that way but I beleeve there 's none of you can give many texts from Genesis to Malachi that do expresly hold forth the Glory of the Saints in Heaven Now the Gospel that holds it forth in 2 Tim. 1. 10. saith the Apostle there speaking of the glory of the Saints and immortality in the 9. ver Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which he hath givin us in Christ Jesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel How comes life and immortality to be brought to light through the Gospel Did not our forefathers know of life and immortality before Yes but very darkly and some of the eminent ones knew but little of that exceeding riches of glory and happiness the Saints shall be crowned with in Heaven life and immortality is brought to light through the Gospel In former times was it known till Christ came in the flesh that the happiness of the Saints should be in the vision of God in standing before the face of God and beholding him in glory in Heaven Did they know the communion that the Saints shall have w th God and with Jesus Christ in his bodily presence in glory Did they understand the fruition of God and Gods being all in all to the Saints as he shal be in the communication of all fulness of good Did they understand the inheritance of the Saints which is in light Did they know that the Saints were not only Heirs but Co-heirs with Jesus Christ These things are known only in the Gospel the glorious reward of the Saints Did they in the time of the Law know that these bodies of ours should be made more glorious than the Sun in the firmament This the Gospel tels us that these lumps of clay which we carry now about with us shall be one day more glorious than the Sun shining in his luster Did they know that our bodies should be made like to the glorious body of Jesus Christ That it is sown in weakness but it is raised in power sown in dishonor but raised in glory sown a natural body but should rise a spiritual body and sown in corruption and should be raised in incorruption Certainly these things were very little known to the forefathers if known at all Now these things were the great Counsels of God that were kept hid from all eternity only the Lord did reserve the discovery thereof to the coming of his Son that was the time for opening of Heaven Heaven was shut and there was little seen of the glory thereof till Christ was incarnate in the flesh the Lord I say reserved the opening of the Gates of Heaven and the shewing of the glory of it to the Saints till the coming of Jesus Christ Christ now tels us of mansions that He is gone before to prepare for us and when our earthly tabernacle is dissolved we have a building not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens Oh now my brethren how ought we to live It 's the argument of the Apostle when he speaks but of the great chang in the Church here speaking of new Heavens and a new Earth it 's meant of the state of the Church that it shall be in even here â—nd saith he What manner of persons ought we to be in all holiness and godly conversation But then when we hear of the highest Heavens Abrahams bosom the Paradise the Saints shall be living with Christ wrapt up to the third Heavens as the Apostle was Oh what manner of persons ought we to be in all godliness and holy Conversation Now if you should ask me what Conversation is becoming the Gospel I would tell you that which we have in the third Chap. of this Epistle For our Conversation is in Heaven Upon what ground is it from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who shall chang our vile body that it may be fashioned like to His glorious body We look saith he for the Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven who shall put forth such a power as shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto His glorious body therefore our
here would be a mighty change thou wert a beast before but here is the soul of grace there 's a new birth when the Gospel comes to prevail and to enter in upon an heart and it 's call'd a new resurrection if there should be a voice come from Heaven that should open all the graves that you have here in the yard and all the dead bodies should stand up and live what a mighty change would there be Such a change doth the Gospel make when it conquers a people indeed the Gospel may be preached and little change may be wrought because the power of the Gospel prevails not with their hearts but when it doth prevail in their hearts there is such a strange change Oh then What Conversation become this it must be a Conversation that doth hold forth to the world that there is such a mighty change wrought in you Now I appeal to you you that make profession of the Gospel you know what you have been heretofore worldly and base and carnal and sensual and froward and peevish and prophane men altogether unsavory before the Gospel came to you now you profess that God hath begun to work upon you by the Gospel What change hath it wrought in you Can those that live with you see your Conversations so changed as to make them stand and admire at the work of the Gospel upon your hearts the husband to stand and admire at the work of God upon the heart of the wife as if she were another woman and so the wife to admire at the grace of God upon the heart of the husband as if he were another man and so your children and servants not the same that heretofore they were Oh what honour would this be to the Gospel that in places where it comes to be preached in power there might appear a change that becomes the Gospel of Christ Certainly if your Conversations be not such as holds forth a mighty change that God hath wrought in you then it is not such as becomes the Gospel of Christ It may be you are somewhat better than heretofore you have been as not to be a common drunkard you see that 's despised by men Who regards drunken fools mad-men very beasts Therfore you come to be of more understanding that you will not be so prophane and lascivious as you were wont to be but live somewhat better Oh but this change is not that change which holds forth the work of the Gospel for when the Gospel prevails it makes the greâ—test change that ever was made in the world we may boldly ascert this that since the Creation of God in the first six daies there was never such a change made in the world as the Gospel makes and therefore a Conversation becoming the Gospel must be a Conversation that must be a changed Conversation must be mightily different from what they were before sometimes we see it so through the mercy of God that when men and women come to hear the Word in the cleerness and power of it to be revealed they have such changes that al their friends stand wondring at them What shall we have of you now Oh such have cause to answer and say Blessed be God it is so it is the Gospel that hath made such a change in me I this becomes the Gospel when it shall appear that your Conversation is so changed so holy and godly and gracious now over it was before But you whose lives are not better than they were before before you made some profession only your profession now is greater than it was before but your lives no better know this is a Conversation that doth no way become the Gospel of Christ the Gospel of Christ hath no honor by this Conversation of yours And then The great difference that the Gospel makes between one man and another As now those that the Gospel doth not prevail upon the Scripture tels us they are the children of wrath they are dead in trespasses and sins they are under the curse of the Law they are even enemies to God this is the condition of al men before this Scepter of Christ conquers their hearts children of wrath enemies to God dead in sins under the curse But now when the Gospel comes to prevail over mens hearts then they come to be the Children of the living God Heirs of Christ Co-heirs with Him they come to be partakers of the life of God they encrease with the encrease of God and their lives are hid with Christ in God and they come to be reconciled to God to be friends with God to be at peace with God and to inherit blessings Oh the change that the Lord puts upon the heart and state of the Saints when the Gospel prevails How high are they raised above other men Therefore you must not make other men to be your example in your way you must not think to live as the world lives and to say I do as other men do the Gospel makes a mighty difference between your estate and the state of other men therefore never look to what other men do but consider as God hath made a vast difference between you and other men so let there be a great difference between your Conversation and the Conversation of other men Now this meditation should have a mighty deal of power to prevail upon the heart I beleeve that I have such and such priviledges beyond other men and I look for such and such mercies above others now what things I look for beyond others I must labor to be as much beyond them in holiness of Conversation as God hath made me beyond them in spiritual priviledges and spiritual mercies I think sometimes I would not be in the condition of such men as are in their natural estate for a world nay I would not be one our in their estates if I might have ten thousand worlds for fear I should die that hour and then I should be lost for ever Well hath God made such a difference then let not my life be like theirs for one hour nay for one moment Oh this meditation through Gods blessing would mightily help us in our Conversation Our Conversation should be such as becomes the Ordinances of the Gospel The Word and Sacraments they have a great deal more in them than the Ordinances of the Law but because I spake of the Gospels being higher than the Law heretofore and these things may fall something neer yet had I time I would speak a little concerning these and shew how we are to hold forth a Conversation sutable to them Our Conversations should be sutable to the power of the Gospel there is a great deal of power in the Gospel it 's call'd the power of God unto salvation in the 1. of the Rom. 16. The very light of the Gospel it is a transforming light it hath a mighty power in it the Gospel it 's called the Wisdom of God and the Power of
Christ they may be under penalties You think that those that are beleevers cannot be chastised for their sin as if there were no penalties in Christs kingdom I confess they are delivered from the penalties of the Law But Christs inflicts penalties as he is King there may be penalties in Christs kingdom And the right understanding of this would much help us in that point Whether Beleevers may be chastised for sin or no though they be Beleevers Oh they will say No. Why Because Christ hath satisfied the Lawfully and how can God require it in them I confess the Law cannot I but Jesus Christ in His administration as He is King not as He is the Judge of the Law but as He is the King over them He may inflict chastisements upon them they may in Christs kingdom have some chastisements they cannot be carried out of that kingdom to have the chastisements of the Law but in Christs kingdom Jesus Christ many times inflicts spiritual chastisements upon them by hiding his face from them for sin and by many spiritual discertions and such men as are but by outward profession under the kingdom of Christ and do seem to be His Subjects and are not so indeed the Lord inflicts spiritual judgments upon them as hardness of heart blindness of mind reprobate sences and I beseech you observe it The Lord Christ doth not so much observe the way of outward judgements upon wicked men that are in the bosom of the Church as He doth observe to inflict outward judgments upon the Heathens and others that are out of the bosom of the Church no Christ hath other manner of punishments for those that are in the Church though now and then Christ doth inflict outward judgments upon them but the main thing that Christ looks at in His Church is To reward with spiritual rewards as righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost and the like so He doth inflict spiritual punishments Those that are professors in the Church naught and vile it may be God may prosper them for a while as well as others outwardly Oh but the punishments of Christ in His kingdom they are spiritual your souls are bound over to eternal death your hearts are hardned your consciences are benum'd and that 's more dreadful wrath a great deal than if the Lord Christ should punish your bodies or take away your estates those are punishments in Christs providential Kingdom but the penalties as Christ is the King of the Church they are ever spiritual punishments which we should more fear and tremble at a great deal Thus the kingdom of Christ is not of this world Now I should have shewed you how this kingdom of Jesus Christ will certainly prevail in the world let the world do what they can In the 2 d Psal Yet have I set My King upon My holy Hill It will at length prevail over all the world and bring under all the kingdoms of the world to it but when it hath done so then there shall be a new world Certainly there is a time that Christ shall have the kingdoms of this world to reign over them in another manner than now He hath and that is at the end of the world I will give you a Scripture or two about that Revel 11. 15. The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign for ever and ever That is He shall subdue the kingdoms that were of this world and then He shall reign He shall reign for ever and ever Now they are the kingdoms of this world but when He reigns it is in this manner that is here spoken of it is in another world as appears in Heb. 2. 5. For unto the Angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak Here the Apostle shews that Christ is above the Angels for he hath not put in subjection the world to come unto the Angels therefore there is a world to come wherein Christ shall have a further dominion than yet he hath and Adam was a type of Jesus Christ in this Adam he had the command of this present world Now in this world Christ doth rule but in the midest of his Adversaries but there is a time coming that Christ shall have all under him as Adam in his innocency had the whol world under his feet And Christ doth promise unto his people in the 3. of Revel 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne Mark it seems there is a Throne of Christ yet that hath not been for here 's a promise that he will set them upon his Throne as he sits upon his Fathers Throne Now Christ rules together with his Father but saith he You that are my Saints and my Subjects now you shall sit upon my Throne I but you will say That is in Heaven in Heaven indeed the Saints shall reign Nay It connot be meant of a kingdom wherein the Saints shall sit eternally with Christ in Heaven I might give you many Scriptures for that but I will only give you one Scripture 1 Cor 15. 28. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him that God may be All in All. Here he tells us that there is a time that God shall be All in All both unto Christ and unto His Saints yea and you shall find in this chapter that Jesus Christ shall give up the kingdom unto the Father speaking of the time of the resurrection When all shall rise again and when that shall come the kingdom shall be delivered up unto the Father so that this is a time before the general resurrection that Christ shall sit upon the Throne there is yet a time between this and the Saints being in Heaven when the Saints shall sit upon Christs Throne as he upon his Fathers in another manner than now they do Therefore surely Christ shall have the kingdoms of this world subdued unto him in another manner than yet he hath and for the proof of it do but reade the 7 th chapter of the book of Daniel and you shall find abundant of proof there shall be abundant deal of glory in that kingdom of his there he shall have attendants to purpose thousand thousands administred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Christ and though there was a Judgment and the Books were brought yet its apparant afterwards that the Scripture speaks of a time that should be before the Saints should come to Heaven for he saith this That as concerning the rest of the Beasts they had their Dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season Therefore it is not meant at that time when the
Saints shall ascend up into Heaven with Jesus Christ for the Beasts had their lives prolonged for a season and time after that But saith he in the 18. ver The Saints of the most High shall take your Kingdom and possess it for ever even for ever and ever And in the 21. ver I beheld and the same born made war with the Saints and prevailed against them until the Ancient of daies came and Judgment was given unto the Saints of the most High and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom And then in the 27. ver And the Kingdom and dominion and the greatest of the kingdom under the whol Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him What Dominions shall there be when the Saints are in the highest Heavens to serve and obey Christ He means the Dominions that are here upon the earth shall serve and obey Christ Therefore the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world nor be said hereafter to be such a world as this is but when there shall be another world then Christ shall have a kingdom that shall have such glory as shall be apparent to all and such a Kingdom as the Kings of the earth shall come and bring their glory to it as in 21. of Revelations you shal find that it 's said of the Kings of the earth Reade but that description of the glorious condition of the Church of God there and you shall see this true And the Nations of them which are saved shal walk in the light of it and the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor to it But that is in another world not that world that Christ speaks of here in this place of John Only now do but consider a little of the excellency of this point by way of preparation to you for the next time It would be a notable Scripture to take off our hearts from all the things of this world The right understanding of this would spiritualize the hearts of the Saints would take away the offence of the Crosse of Jesus Christ would help them to carry themselves through this world with a great deal of joy and triumph and not much to regard how things go here below I through the mercy of God am brought into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ And I find the whole tenor of Scripture carries it so that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world but in a spiritual way Oh then let me have spiritual mercies let me enjoy Jesus Christ in way of His spiritual Kingdom and farewell the world and all things under Christ Truly Christians are not acquainted with this point of the spiritual Government of Jesus Christ in His Church and how God the Father hath so ordered things that In this world Christ should have a Kingdom but not Of this world And blessed are they that have by the holy Ghost an enlightning to understand this Mystery to see the reality of it indeed That the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world SERMON II. JOHN 18. 36. Jesus answered and said My Kingdom is not of this world MAny particulars I past over the last day briefly which I told you would need some further explication I 'le give you some few things about that then proceed to Aplication of al The Priviledges of this Kingdom of Christ they are not of this world I 'le name a principal one and this is the priviledg of al that are under the Kingdom of Christ That all businesses transactions between God and them are in the Court of Christ the Mediator They are not in the Court of exact severe justice but they are to be tried for their eternal estates for all they do in the Court of Christ in his Kingdom which is a mighty priviledg the Saints have As kingdoms have several priviledges 't is a greater priviledg to be tried in one kingdom than in another All men and women in their natural estate not under the kingdom of Christ they are to be tried in the Court of Justice i. e. the Court of Gods providential kingdom and there they are either to be acquitted or condemn'd by the Law that 's the way of Gods proceedings towards those that are under His providential kingdom only to be dealt withal according to the Law But al those that are under the kingdom of Christ have all their businesses in reference to God tried in another Court tried in the Court as I may so call it of the Gospel in the Judicature of Jesus Christ for Christ He is as Mediator to them He is the Judge to pass all sentences concerning them and the right understanding of this would much help in the point of Beleevers being chastised for sin it 's true they are not chastised by judgement out of the court of Law as other men are but they are chastised by Christ that hath the Judicature committed to Him and the Administration of all things especially concerning His Church and People and by a sentence from Him chastised not by a sentence from the Father as He is the Judge of all flesh proceeding according to the Law This is the main thing which we spake to before But yet there are divers other things 2 ly That all that are in Christs Kingdom are Free-men they are delivered from bondage all that are out of this Kingdom are bondslaves they are under the prince of this world that is the Devil and in slavery unto him they are all as vassals under the Law in bondage and have no other spirit but a spirit of bondage in them they are slaves to sin they are under the curse of the Law But now being brought to the Kingdom of Christ they are made free they are free Denizons of Heaven 3 ly And then from hence follows in the third place All that are in Christ's Kingdom have the priviledg of a free-trade to Heaven they have free traffick to Heaven there is now a blessed intercourse between Heaven and them that they have by being subjects of this Kingdom As we know the subjects of this Kingdom have many freedoms that forreigners have not that those that belong to another Kingdom have nothing to do with So the subjects of Christs Kingdom have a freedom of coming into Gods presence of trading to the promised Land that others have not others are cast out of Gods sight and cannot trade to Heaven so as beleevers do that are brought under the Kingdom of Christ 4 ly By vertue of this Kingdom they come to have right unto all the Ordinances of Christ And only by this we come I say to have right unto them so as to be our own Indeed Christ for the sake of such as are His Elect Ones that He intends to bring into His Kingdom He sends forth His Word the preaching of the Word unto them
all that they are like ever to have But now for the people of God they must not look to prosper outwardly in this world John 16. 33. In the world you shall have trouble saith Christ Christ does tell His Disciples plainly beforehand That in the world they shall have trouble never make account to have ease and prosperity here below in the world Certainly you shall have trouble this is not your kingdom and therefore John in the 1. of Rev. 9. ver There he stiles himself in writing to the Churches Your Companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ Observe it John that was such an Eminent Member of the Kingdom of Christ when he speaks unto others that are brought into the kingdom of Christ saith he â— John who also am your Brother and Companion in Tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ These two may well stand together to be of the Kingdom of Christ and companions of men in the Kingdom of Christ and in Tribulation yea mark how the Kingdom of Christ is set in the middle Companion in Tribulation and then Kingdom and then patience So that trouble and afflictions are on both sides as it were of the Kingdom of Christ And it 's very observable here John he doth not to get himself credit say I John that was the Apostle of Jesus Christ I John that was the beloved Disciple of Jesus Christ I John that was a Kins-man of Jesus Christ no but I John your Companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ If you would be the Companion of the Saints in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ you must be willing to be their Companion in Tribulation and in the patience of Jesus Christ So things are ordered by Christ that the Saints should be in Tribulation live in trouble in this world When any of you that are godly shall meet with crosses and afflictions the briers and thornes which spring out of the world ever since it was cursed by God the very thought of this Text may be a means to quiet your hearts and not to have any risings in your bosomes against the dispensations of God towards you Do not I desire to fear the Lord and follow Him in all His waies and yet how doth the Lord cross me in this world These murmuring and repining thoughts will be yea it may be since the time that God wrought upon me by His Word I am more afflicted than before Is not God displeased with me it may be I am not in the right way because of these afflictions Oh take heed of these temptations let my text come into your minds and answer all these temptations Christ saith His Kingdom is not of this world since the time I was called out of darkness by the Ministry of the Word no mervail though I meet with afflictions more than before for I am translated into another Kingdom which is not of this world it pleases the Father to make Christ who is my Captain to be perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 10. For it became Him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings It 's an excellent Scripture to quiet the hearts of the Saints in the midst of their sufferings It became Him saith the Text for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings The Captain of your salvation yea your King that is the King of glory yet He was made perfect through sufferings Now you must go the same way that He did Now if you must enter into a full possession of this glorious Kingdom through sufferings why should you murmur Luke 24. 26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His Glory It 's a speech of Christ Himself So I say concerning you Ought not you to suffer first and then to enter into your glory Why should not you come to the fulness of the glory of that Kingdom that is prepared for you as Jesus Christ your Head came to the fulness of the glory of His Kingdom It was by suffering Remember His Kingdom is not of this world 6. Vse Here 's the reason why the wicked hates the Saints Why they love their own John 15. 19. If you were of the world the world would love you but you are not of the world therefore the world hates you you are translated into another Kingdom and therefore their spirits are bitter against you and their tongues as sharp as two edged sword you come to live by other Laws than they do they know no other Law but the Law of the Land where they live but you have other Laws that they do not understand the authority of you have other rules for your consciences than they have their consciences can yeeld to this or that according as may serve for their worldly ends but now your consciences are subjected to another authority you cannot have your consciences yeeld up and down as they can and thereupon they think it to be â—â—outness in you but God knows it to be otherwise And they wonder at this they understand not the reason of this and therefore it is that they malign you they hate you with a perfect hatred you are Rebels against their kingdom they are under the kingdom of Satan but you are brought under the kingdom of Christ and so do Rebel against that kingdom We hate Rebels It 's true in some sense all the Saints are Rebels that is they do rebel against the kingdom of Satan and the powers of darkness and if any thing should be enjoyed by men yet if it be against the Kingdom of Christ they cannot but rebel in a sense that is their spirits must needs be against it and whatever they suffer they cannot submit to it they do not rebel against lawful authority but against the kingdom of darkness and the power of darkness and therefore it is that the world doth so much hate them When you come into the kingdom of Christ you live upon other principles and have other ends you are a kind of separated people from the world and we know there is nothing more odious to the world than that we should be a certain kind of separated people from them the world would have all to be like themselves and for any kind of people to make a profession as if they were call'd out of the world and live after another kind and fashion and have other sort of hopes and comforts and ends and rules by which they live Oh this the world cannot endure so long as Paul was in the world and liv'd as the men of the world they loved him and he was a man of authority among them but when he was called out of the world then a pestilent fellow then