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
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
them First They begin to envie others that live better than themselves and after having envied them then they will begin to have their hearts rise against them and to hate them and after hating to speak against them and after speaking against them to persecute them and thus by degrees men that have been forward professors now they grow as bitter persecutors as others Oh therefore look to your Conversations And that should have been the exhortation Christians be careful of your Conversations in your families be careful there Psal 101. 1. you have an excellent Scripture of Davids professing his care of his Conversation in his familie how he would walk I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way when wilt thou come unto me I will walke within my house with a perfect heart Oh I beseech you look to this Scripture I will behave my self wiselie in a perfect way mark I 'le look that my way may be perfect everie way right and square to the world and when it is so I will labor to behave my self wiselie I will not carrie my self foolishlie in those waies that are good and then Oh when wilt thou come unto me Mark it was a time that God was absent from him and yet then he professes that he will behave himself wiselie in a perfect way and I wil walk in my house with a perfect heart There are some that make profession of Religion indeed and if you come to them before other companie then their conversations seem to be very fair and square but if you do but follow them to their families and see what they do there Oh those that live with them in their families after they have been abroad in companie shall see in what guiz they come home Shal they see their conversations to be holy as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ But thus it was with David saith David Let those that live with me in my house mark me as narrowlie as they can I will walk in my house with a perfect heart what I am in the Congregation or among those that are godly or any company I will be in my family that those in my family shall see my Conversation to be thus and thus Oh that professors of Religion would look to this not only to live before others in the parish or the town where they live but to walk in their familie with a perfect heart so as all in their family may even bless them and say Oh how doth my Master or Mistriss walk how graciously in their whol course from morning to night observe them in all their waies and you shall not be able almost to see anie miscarriage in them Oh that 's excellent when a man shall have a better testimony even from those in his familie than from those that are strangers it may be they think though thou makest profession of Religion yet all things are not answerable but those that see it everie day can testifie all things are answerable thus it should be w th every Christian that professes the Gospel to walk with a perfect heart in the midst of his family so to converse in the world Divers Arguments I shall give you to stir you up to look to your Conversations 1. Arg. First It is the mercy of God that you have your Conversations among men to this day that you have not your Conversations among Devils and Reprobates it might have been your portion that your Conversation might have been among Devils and Reprobates God might have sent you down to your own place to have conversed with them Let this be an Argument for you to look to your Conversations 2. Arg. Secondly consider this Wicked and carnal men among whom you live have no skill in the principles that you walk by but they have skill in your lives and Conversations they are able to pass judgment upon your lives and Conversations but not of your principles Godlie people are acted by such and such principles that are mysteries to carnal men but when it comes to their lives they can understand them they cannot search into their principles whether such a Doctrine be true or no or such a thing be according to such a Scripture whether there be a right interpretation of such a Scripture that carries them on in such a way they take no pains to look after this but they look to your lives there they have skill to discern how you walk and whether you walk to the rule or not in your lives and Conversations and therefore let it be your great care to look to your Conversations 3. Arg. A third motive is this There are some things that you cannot but do that will displease wicked men if you will act according to your Principles Well but this should make thee so much the more careful of thy Conversation in all other things that so wicked men may be convinc'd that if such men do some things that I do not understand yet surelie it is for some thing that God hath made known to them more than to me for I find this that in all things that I do understand there they walk exactly therfore though there be some things that they do that I cannot understand why should I be enraged against them As now in point of institution of Worship which doth not depend upon the light of Nature at all but meerly upon Scripture and such and such interpretations of Scripture and such principles wicked men have no skill in Now the professors of Religion they are tyed up by institution and by the words of Scripture thus interpreted which they think in their consciences is the truth they having compared all things together think this is the mind of Christ rather than the other and so long as they think thus they must follow it Now there 's many of these things that carnal men understand not for they take no pains to search into them and therefore they will be angry with you for them and indeed they will have cause to be angry with you for those things they understand not if they see you make no conscience of those things that they understand but if in other things that they do understand you walk circumspectly and that it appear to them that in those things they understand they walk conscionably then they will beleeve that it was meer conscience that made you differ from them in those things which they understood not or had no skill in this will make them ready to stand for you yea to speak and plead for you no such way to get true libertie of conscience as this is if you be careful to walk blameleslie in all those things that they understand with whom you converse they will be convinced in their consciences that if these men differ from us it 's conscience that makes them differ for say they we find that in all those things we understand these men walk conscionablie Certainlie a holie Conversation will
make manie men even carnal men themselves plead for libertie of conscience so far as things be not destructive to godliness or the Kingdom for such men they will say were they all such men as these men are they might verie wel be born withal for they differ in nothing but that conscience puts them upon say they for we find them in all their waies square and just they walk conscionablie Therefore be careful of your Conversations because in some things you cannot but do that which will displease wicked men 4. Arg. Fourthlie Consider that your lives are but short within a while you must have your Conversations either among Devils or Angels one of the two and how soon it may be only God knows Now then I would appeal and put this to your consciences Are your Conversations now such as can give you comfort Oh I hope within a while I shall have my Conversation among Angels I desire now that the will of God may be done in earth as it is in heaven and that my familie and life were as it were a heaven I would fain have my Conversation in heaven now and this gives me some good hope that my Conversation shall be with Angels within a while But on the other side Will not mens consciences mis-give them if you would make a judgment of what your Conversation shall be within a while by that they are now are not the Conversations of many of you in your families and when you come in some companie more like to those that are appointed to have their Conversation among Devils Why what 's done among Devils there 's hatred Religion and of God and of his Saints there 's railing and blaspheming the Devils they accuse the Brethren and blaspheme the Name of God And what is your Conversation otherwise than theirs Know that your Conversation is such as is an evident fore-runner that if you continue as now you are that within a while your Conversation will be among Devils for that 's the most sutable to you And my Brethren consider further The eyes of the world yea the eyes of God and of Christ and the Angels are upon you to see how grace acts in your Conversations the eyes of the world are upon you watching for your halting and rejoycing remember but this that your Conversations are not onlie before men but the eyes of God and Christ and His holy Angels they look upon you where ever you are when you are in your familie there God Christ and His holie Angels stand looking upon you to see what your Conversation is with your wife husband children servants when you come into companie there the Lord God and Jesus Christ and Angels stand looking upon you and therfore look to your Conversations And besides The eyes of wicked men are upon you they watch for your haulting and they would rejoice to see any thing that they might have against you That place that we had before in 1 Pet. 2. 12. where the Holie Ghost saith That whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation The word is thus that is Beholding with a narrow circumspection it is not onlie seeing but with a narrow circumspection Oh! it 's an excellent thing that when wicked men bend their eyes and look narrowlie upon the Saints and would be glad and rejoice if they could find them halting yet that they are able to find nothing As it was said of Christ the Pharisees sent to watch Him but they could find nothing amiss in Him And so though others should be sent on purpose to watch your lives yet your lives should be so exact that they might find nothing amisse in you And I conclude all with that excellent promise that we have to such as are careful of their Conversations In Psalm 50. 23. These times you all crie out of as dangerous times Mark that one Scripture will help you that are careful of your Conversations against the danger of the times wherein we live Who se offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God These are times that you are called upon for praises and thanksgiving for mercies we are bound to do that but mark Do not put off God with a verbal praise it 's true he that offereth praise honoreth me but yet together there must be an ordering of our Conversations and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shesh the Salvation of God This is that which is required of Christians to order their Conversations aright Oh! it 's an excellent thing to see the Conversations of Christians in due order all guided with Spiritual wisdom and holiness Oh that man or woman that is careful to order their Conversations aright here is a promise to them That the Lord will shew them his Salvation What ever times thou livest in though never so dangerous though God apear never so dreadful in the times wherein thou livest yet if thou canst have but this testimonie of thy conscience Lord thou knowest it is the care of my soul not only to make profession of Religion but to order my Conversation aright therefore Lord save me in evil times Lord shew me thy salvation thou maiest take this promise and lay it to thy heart and comfort thy heart with it thou maiest plead it with God in prayer Oh make it to be a matter of thy prayer to God In these evil times that the Lord would shew His Salvation to thee because He hath put it into thy heart through His Grace to order thy Conversation aright SERMON II. PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ WEE concluded the last day with an exhortation to Christians Do you hope that God hath wrought the work of Convertion Be you careful of your Conversation And many motives there were to stir up Christians to be careful of their Conversations I shall not look back but proceed only give unto you some few Rules that I desire to add unto the Motives and then we shall come unto the Second point Look to your Conversations and especially observe these Rules 1. Rule First If you be convinced that it ought to be your care to look to your Conversation then have a special regard to the duties of your Relations The work of Grace in mens Conversations doth appear much in the duties of their Relations as children towards their parents parents towards their children servants towards their masters masters towards their servants husbands towards wives wives towards husbands the younger towards the elder the elder towards the younger if you stand in a private or publick place Majestrates or Subjects if you profess godliness manifest in your Conversations in performing the duties of your relations what soever men may talk of godlines except it appear in their relations except a servant be a
profession and yet at length break out into some vile scandalous sin Surelie the reason is they have kept hid some corruption within and they have thought it were a verie horrible thing that this corruption in my heart and thought should break out Oh God forbid saith he I hope I shall never live to that time to be so left of God as to commit this sin well thou thinkest verily that thou shalt not commit it I but if thou takest libertie to dally and play with this sin secretlie in thy thoughts and affections it is just with God to leave thee to thy self to shame thy self to leave thee to the commission of that sin thou hast for a long time kept dandling in thy thoughts and affections within although it be with resolution not to commit it that man that shall please himself in any kind of secret sin I say it were just with God to lead him forth with the worker of iniquity so as to lay his shame open and naked before all that he lives with therefore you that are Professors of Religion be careful of secret sins if you would never dishonor your profession in your Conversations A sixth Rule is this If you would be careful of your Conversations do not so much look at those that are beneath you and in the lower form as let your eye be upon those that are most eminent in their Conversations look upon them rather as your mark and aime Manie Christians live and their Conuersations are very dark and no beauty at all in them Why Because they think they live as others do they look upon such are beneath them and they think their lives are rather better than some others that have made profession and this makes them go on in a dull and sluggish way but now if you would have your Conversation indeed as it ought so as to be convincing set before you the examples of the most eminent of those whose Conversation doth most glister not a meer glistering shew I do not mean them But that glistering that comes from Diamonds and Gold and Pearls that have the excellencie of Grace shining in their verie Faces and Conversations set them before you and labor to imitate them and so this will help you in your Conversations We have in Heb. 13. 7. a Scripture for this Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their Conversations 'T is supposed that they should be most eminent Such as have the rule over them that are their Guids but mark he speaks of those that had spoken unto them the Word of God for he doth not speak of the Rulers in Civil States but of the Ministers that were their Guids for so the word is now though there be a work of Ruling besides Teaching we find in Scripture yet we find no Rule of anie Minister but over those that they speak the Word of God unto what Ruling any Minister hath I say it is over such people as he speaks the Word of God to If anie Minister shall come to rule over a people that people may well ask them Have you spoken the Word of God to us Do you teach us the Word of God Do you chalenge Rule over us and have not spoken the Word of God to us Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their Conversations They were it seems eminent in holiness of life and eminent so as they continued in that way of eminencie and the Apostle would have all Christians to look at them it 's a notable Scripture to shew that the Ministers of the Word should be eminent in their Conversations everie way and that all those that they speak the Word of God to should see in their Conversations the Beautie and the Excellencie of the Word of God that they speak to them for people look at the lives of Ministers as well as at their Word it is not enough onlie to be a good man in the Pulpit except it be in the constant way of their Conversations The seventh and last Rule you have it here in this Scripture Heb. 13. 7. Whose faith follow Considering the end of ther Conversation That is be not only careful of your Conversations at first when you begin to be professors of Religion then to be exact but be constant to the verie end Mark Considering the end of their Conversations he doth not mean the end onlie the reward that comes upon their Conversations that they shal have a glorious reward but considering the end as if he should say thus look at these that have spoken the Word of God to you they come not onlie at the verie first to you and speak great things and seem as if they were Saints or Angels come among you but they go on in a constant way whatsoever discouragements they have they go on in a constant way to the verie dying day observe not onlie what they were when they came first among you but what they are in the end of their Conversations and follow them this is a notable Scripture to shew how careful Christians ought to be not onlie to be holie in their Conversations when their hearts are first stir'd by the Ministrie of the Word as 't is with many many there are that when the Word of God comes first to them when they are first enlightened and first converted Oh how strict are they Oh how careful are they then they walk exactly and they are afraid of the least sin and examine everie thing by the Word Oh how curious are they in everie thing then and-their consciences are verie tender and are afraid that this is sin and that the other thing is sin and there is a mightie change in the familie their Masters or Parents they see them so afraid of everie thing and careful of their verie words on the Lords Day careful in seeking of God and attending upon Ordinances and in their particular calling at the first verie strict But now within a little time you shall find manie of these that by degrees they grow more loose and especiallie in these times because in these times there is a way that the Devil hath to get men to be loose in their Conversations that hath not been known in England indeed in Germany it was known and there it was ordinarilie in the beginning of Luthers Reformation that it is weakness in men to make conscience of dutie to be troubled for their sin and be humbled Paul and Peter and David it was their weakness when they were troubled so much for their sin Oh this is a most horrid and abominable wickedness that doth dishonor the Gospel of Christ and will make it rediculous to the world I say such carriages of people to think that they may take libertie to walk in a loose way because of the Gospel
But that we shall come more fully to when we speak how our Conversations should be becoming the Gospel of Christ But I speak this in this point as a preparation to that especiallie to young Professors that have been wrought upon by the Word within these few yeers since there hath bin more freedom of preaching the Gospel and I verily beleeve that divers of you in this Congregation do know many young ones and others that have been wrought upon by the Ministrie of the Word that for the first yeer were verie exact and verie careful of their lives and verie punctual in every thing but you now see them begin to grow loose and wanton and vain in their Conversations Oh this is a sad and an evil thing If you would be careful of your Conversations observe this seventh Rule Be not onlie careful at the first work of God upon you when you begin to be enlightened but in the constant course of your lives Oh give me a professor of Religion that was wrought upon when he was a Youth or a young Maid and yet continues till they be old disciples in a constant way of holiness and strictness Oh! They are the most beautiful objects that are in the world to behold the Sun in the firmament is not so glorious as an ancient professor of Religion that hath continued constant in the waies of godliness from his youth that can say as good Obadiah once said 1 King 18. 12. I have feared the Lord from my youth and my conscience though it tell me of many failings and weaknesses yet my conscience excuseth me in this that I have endeavored with a good conscience to walk with God and without offence to man and not given way to my self in any way of loosness since God made known Himself to me Oh such may have an abundance entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven and die with abundance of comfort But thus much for this first point That Christians ought to be careful of their Conversations We come now to the second and that is the main point in the Text. Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ 2. Doct. Every kind of Conversation of professors is not enough it must rise to that height as must be sutable to the Gospel of Christ meet for the Gospel that they do profess That 's our point Now we shall come to the Particulars what Conversation it is that is meet for the Gospel of Christ I gave you the Heads in the opening of it But now I shall speak to them First That Conversation that is meet and becomes the Gospel of Christ must be a Conversation raised to a higher degree than the light of Nature will raise it That Conversation that is no higher than possibly may be raised by the light of Nature certainly that 's not a Conversation becoming the Gospel of Christ that 's beneath not fit for the Gospel of Christ As thus Suppose a man in his Boat here in the Thames rows very exactly I but this is not a work sutable to shew the skill of a Navigator of one that professes the art of Navigation it 's beneath that Why so To live exactly according to the light of Nature it is beneath the Conversation that becomes the Gospel of Christ if so be that a man should make his boast that he hath great skill in the art of Navigation And how will he shew this skill he will go into a Boat and there he will row over the Thames and by that you may see what a mighty Navigator he is this would be ridiculous to any man And so if one that professes the Gospel of Christ would manifest that he is a good Christian What doth he do the life that he lives it is no other than a man by the light of Nature may be enabled to this is even as ridiculous as the other 1. As now for instance The light of Nature that will teach this That we are to worship God the Heathens have worshiped God in their way 2. Yea the light of Nature will teach That we must live justly among men yea and that we must do as we would be done to This the light of Nature will teach Many of the Heathens have had that principle to be just with men to do as we would be done by The light of Nature condemns grosse sins of Drunkenness Adulterie Swearing c. I could give you many instances in the Laws of Heathens punishing those sins very severely and some of them with death 3. Yea the light of Nature will rise thus high That a man should be consciencious should make conscience of secret sins of sins that none in the world could know of or are ever like to know of As I remember sometimes I have told you of one of the Heathens that did but owe for a pair of shoos to a Shoo maker and no body knew it but only the Shoo-maker himselfe the Shoo-maker dies no body could challenge this of him yet his conscience would never let him be at quiet until he ran and threw the money into the shop and said Though he be dead to others yet he is not dead to me whereas he had a temptation to have kept it because no body could challeng it he knew it was not his he knew it was either the Childrens or Executors and so he restortd it Many particulars might be named to shew how far we might go by the light of Nature but now I only bring it in to this end to shew that if we would have our Conversations such as becomes the Gospel of Christ we must go beyond what ever anie have done by the light of Nature and yet Oh Lord how short do manie Professors of Religion come of this How manie that will profess they hope to be sav'd by Christ I suppose there is not anie one in this Congregation or if I should go to everie ones house that belongs to the Parish they would say they hope to be saved by Jesus Christ and yet what worship of God is there And what justice is there among men to do as they would be done by Nay this is a Rule that will examin manie professors of Religion and their consciences would tell them that in such and such things they would be loth to be dealt with as they deal with others And for gross sins manie Professors of Religion break out into them also for all are a kind of Professors of the Gospel at large Drunkards and Adulterers and Blasphemers and yet they will come and make profession of Religion and think it very much if they should be denied the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of Christ Why are they not Christians and their children Christians and yet must they not be Baptized And yet they are beneath Heathens Heathens will rise in Judgment against them And for conscienciousness in secret I appeal to everie one of your consciences are there no sins that
Christians in the time of the Gospel that are eminent should live as Angels Angelical lives and the weakest of all should be as David Indeed considering what we have revealed in the Gospel we should be ashamed that our hearts and lives should come short in spiritualness and heavenliness of any that lived in the times of the Law see in the 119. Psalm how you find Davids heart taken and ravished with the Word of God Oh how sweet was the Law of God to him sweeter than the honey and the honey comb He doth not mean there the Law in opposition to the Gospel but the whol Word of God Now you should consider this what part of Gods Word had David there he had not many of the Prophesies he had but the Books of Moses and some other Books the Book of Job was then and some of the Chronicles some part of the Kings and the Book of Judges but most part of the Kings he could not have for he was the second King therefore what little part of the Word of God was written at that time and yet how sweet was the Word to him as sweet as the honey and the honey comb and how he did delight in it above Gold and Silver And then for the Ordinances of God O how was he taken with them though in comparison of ours they were but carnal In the 84. Psalm he did envy the very birds that were in the Temple of God How aimable are thy Courts O Lord saith he now do but compare those Scriptures he had with these that we have The five Books of Moses and Joshua and Judges and Job which were the chief Scriptures then extant and do but compare them with the History of the Gospel in particular the Sermons of Christ from the fifth Chapter of Matthew to the eighth So those remarkable places from the fourteenth to the eighteenth of John and so on O what heavenly things are there let down amongst us What Heavenly truths we have study and reade over Pauls Epistles which are several holy Letters sent from Christ to His Saints here on earth Oh what spiritual transcendant truths What great mysteries and depths of God are opened and revealed there beyond what there is in Genesis or Exodus or Leviticus or Numbers c. And yet the Word of God was dearer to him than al the world and he profest he did meditate in it day and night Now we have that word in two Testaments that doth reveal abundance more of God in Christ than ever he had and therefore our Conversations should rise higher in holiness than the Converstions of those that were under the Law we should endeavor to be more exemplary in holy walking than they were And thus much for the second head Now for the third which is the chief of all If you would have your Conversations to be such as becomes the Gospel it must be suitable to what the Gospel holds foâ—â—h unto you Now this is a greâ—t point and it will serve for two ends First To hold forth unto you the principal things in the Gospel Secondly To shew you how you should sute your Conversation to those things that are in the Gospel And we shall abide upon this head somewhat long The first and principal thing in the Gospel It is the holding forth unto us the infinite love of God to man-kind this is the very end of the Gospel that God might declare what an infinite love he hath unto the children of men yea unto men rather than unto Angels you know that Scripture in John 3. â—6 So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And indeed that one verse hath more of God in it than all Creatures in Heaven Earth the whol frame of Heaven and Earth hath not so much of God in them as that one verse hath So God loved the world that he sent forth his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life It is as if God should say when he comes to reveal the Gospel I will have a way wherein it shall appear to men and Angels for ever what the greatness of my love is unto these poor creatures unto the children of men And to that end I send my Son the second Person in Trinity to take their natures upon him to come to be their Mediator there will I manifest what my love is that shall be the great fruit of love It is the similitude of a learned Divine saith he the love of God in all other things in comparision of the love of God in Christ reveal'd in the Gosspel it is a little spark of fire in comparison of the heat in a furnace when a furnace is heated red hot it may be a few sparks of fire fly out but what is one of those sparks of fire that fly out in comparison of al the heat that there is in the furnace so saith he all the fruits of the love of God to man-kind in all the works that ever God did do are but as that one spark only excepting this of Christ and the love of God unto mankind in Christ is as it were the heat of the furnace there 's burning love indeed the love of God in Christ this is the great scope of the Gospel the great aim of God the great design that God had in the Gospel to make known the infinitness of His love unto the children of men Now then if so be that God in the Gospel doth reveal what there was in His heart from all eternity to man-kind for so it is that 's the scope of the Gospel there was in the heart of God infinite love burning toward man-kind God from eternity saw man-kind before him and there was that strong inclination of his heart towards them in love as did even burn in his heart Now in time God reveals this in the Gospel in the Doctrine thereof He doth open His heart to the children of men when ever the Gospel comes to be preached in any place God doth look upon that place and hath these kind of workings in Himself Well that love of Mine that I have had burning in my Bosom from all eternity towards these poor creatures now it shal be opened now it shal be revealed just as it was with Joseph that had his heart so warm in love unto his Brethren that though he kept it in a while he could not keep it in long but at length it breaks out as fire his bowels yerned towards his Brethren and he weeps tears of love over their necks So in the Gospel of Christ look upon God towards poor creatures as Joseph towards his Brethren and God as it were keeping in his heart towards them for a long time but now when the Gospel comes among them God opens his very heart to them now therefore there must be a Conversation that
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
and to live to themselves and out of their Apprentiships then their lives are after another manner than when they were little children in their non-age now they come to have stocks in their hands to trade for themselves and not to be any more as servants a child before he comes of age is under Tutors and Governors in the family but when he comes to yeers of discretion then he lives like a man and commands rather in the family and is serviceable to none but his father and mother So we should live as becomes children of age that is manifesting in our Conversations a staiedness wisdom and gravity and now to live more above the things of this world than before we did as children of age And for the union we have with God that is That the Saints now are made one with God and with Christ his Son In 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit It 's a very strange expression we are one Spirit with God and with Jesus Christ O what Conversation becomes this that we should be principled and acted with the same Spirit surely such a one as must manifest that we are crowned graced with the same Spirit that is Gods Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus Christ his Son now surely that must needs be a very holy spiritual Conversation 1 Cor. 3. 16. Yea the Spirit of God dwelleth in you saith the text and 2 Cor. 6. 16 I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my People See the neer union that we have with God that the Gospel holds forth to us Yea and there is another phrase which is very remarkable That as the Spirit of God is in Beleevers so Beleevers are in the Spirit Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit saith the text The Spirit lives in us and we live in the Spirit what Conversation must there needs be here then Oh let us walk not in a fleshly way to satisfie the lusts of the flesh but in the Spirit the fruits that do become the Spirit of God You shall see them in this 5. of Gal. 22. vers c. But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts of it If we walk in the Spirit then here 's the fruit of the Spirit Would you have your Conversations such as becomes the Gospel then mark but these three phrases 1. The Spirit of God is in you in a constant way taking up his habitation and residence in your bosoms 2. You live in the very Spirit as in the proper element of a Christian 3. You are one Spirit with God Put these three and Oh now how unbeseeming to these three expressions that we have in the Gospel and no where else is it for professors of the Gospel so satisfie the lusts of the flesh Oh how unsutable are fleshly lusts to a spiritual man Oh take heed of this for ever you that make profession of the Gospel do not wallow in the mire of uncleanness do not give liberty to the lusts of the flesh but mortifie the lusts of the flesh and the deeds thereof for you are joyned so neer to God himself ye live in God too Col. 3. 3. Your life is hid with Christ in God It 's a very transcendent phrase that the Saints do live in God you do not only live in the aire and breath in the aire but while you live here in the world you live in God Oh the wonderful mystery of the Gospel and the high things that are held forth in the Gospel That Gods Spirit is in us and we are in the Spirit and we are the same Spirit with God yea and we live in God Oh then what a Conversation should be sutable to these things seeing these things are thus what manner of persons ought we to be Yea and there is another expression and that 's more full than any of these and that 's in the prayer of Christ in the 17. of John 21. That they all may be one as Thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in Vs The Gospel discovers this union for the Saints to be one with the Father and Son as the Father and Son are one now those that are joyned so neer to God their Conversations had need be holy and blameless witnessing the glory of that God that they are so neer related to I remember in handling of that point in drawing nigh to God in his Worship There we shewed what holiness is required in those that are so nigh to God but those that are one with God and in God Oh how much of God of Jesus Christ should shine forth by their lives in the faces of others Reade these scriptures and by faith make them real to your souls and then let your consciences tell you what Conversations is required of you If you be a Beleever this is so Charge your souls with this when any temptation to evil comes What is it fit for such a one as I to live thus who have the Spirit of God dwelling in me yea and I dwelling in the Spirit of God and joyned so as to be one spirit with God yea and to live in God and to be one with God as the Father and the Son is one and is this conversation such as beseems one that is raised to such a height of honor as this is Christians remember this it wil be a mighty help to your holy Conversations to put you on to shine before men in a holy Conversation to walk in the Spirit considering the near union we have with God we should never have known these things had we not had them revealed to us by the Gospel Oh this glorious Gospel that hath revealed such glorious things to us as this is And then Our relation and our union with Jesus Christ You know the Scripture makes Christ sometimes to be the Root and we the Branches therefore we are to bring forth fruit seeing that we are Branches in Him that is the Root Bring forth fruit sutable to the Sap. You that bring forth sowr grapes grapes of Gomorrah that have bitter tart spirits and live in any wicked and sinful way Is this the Sap that is sutable to the Root You are graffed into Jesus Christ and not into a Crab-stock And do you receive this Sap from the Root Oh you are a dishonor to the Root you grow upon I am the true Vine saith Christ and every Branch in me beareth fruit and my Father purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Christians should so live in their Conversations as to manifest the fulness of the sap and juyce that there is in the Root the Lord Jesus Christ it 's not
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
be as it becomes the Gospel of Christ Only as if the Apostle should say the Gospel hath many things that darkens it and many adversaries that do oppose it Oh but Only let your Conversation be as it becomes the Gospel you need care for nothing that opposeth so you walk worthy of the Gospel only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel Now what a many enemies hath the Gospel at this day and what errors and divisions are there to ecclipse this Evangelical Sun Why now Only let your Conversation be as it becomes the Gospel That is in these times wherein there is so much done against the Gospel as if the Apostle should say Let all Devils and wicked men do what they can they shall never prevail against the Gospel if your Conversations be as becomes the Gospel this is enough to stand out against all that is done against the Gospel Oh me thinks this argument should be a prevailing argument Oh! do not your hearts bleed when you hear what opposition is made against the glorious Gospel of Christ that should be ten thousand times deerer than your lives here 's the way that the Gospel should stand against Hell and the gates of Hell all counsels of the enemy shall not prevail against the Gospel if your Conversations be as becomes the Gospel This will do it And mark what Paul saith he looks upon it as a thing thing dearer than his life to walk so as might further the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 12. We suffer all things saith he lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ Mark as if he should say Oh 'tis more dear than our lives a thousand times we will do any thing and suffer any thing Oh the Apostles spirit was filled with the sweetness of the Gospel he had found the good of it And here in this Scripture he saith Oh what shall I do what shall I suffer that I may not hinder the Gospel Let them do any thing that possibly can be to me or take what they will from me I crave not we suffer all things that the Gospel may not be hindred Now you will neither do nor suffer for the Gospel you will not part with a base lust that the Gospel may not be hindred one professor being overtaken with an apparent sin may do more hurt to the Gospel than he can do good all his life let him live as long as Methuselah that sin of yours that is so dear to you Will not you part with it it will hinder the Gospel Oh wilt not thou part with thy sin when any temptation comes to sin Let every one of you that profess you love the Gospel but think thus Oh but shall I not hinder the Gospel if I listen and yeild to this temptation indeed this will bring me a great deal of comfort and content and I shall get so much by it Oh but will it not obstruct the Gospel the very thought of this that it possibly may hinder the Gospel should cause your hearts to rise with indignation against that temptation and cast out that sin God forbid that I should meddle with that sin which wil hinder the Gospel And therefore in Act. 20 24. the Apostle professes that his life is not dear to him so be it he might but further the Gospel And in 1 Cor. 9. from the 12. vers to the 23. he professes there he would become all things to all men he would be a servant to any man and yeeld to all things that he could so be it he might not sin against God to be never so vile in the eyes of men and all that he might but further the Gospel Oh that it were but so in our hearts We reade of an excellent commendations of one in the 2 of Cor. 8. 18. That his praise is in the Gospel in all the Churches Oh this is an excellent thing when it can be said of a Professor of Religion it may be this man hath not any great commendation for parts no but his praise is in the Gospel As the Saints of God and all the Churches of God that knew him they highly commended him Why Because that the Gospel is furthered by him his praise is in the Gospel this we should labor al of us what possibly we can My brethren what a mercy is it that God should account any thing that we do worthy of the Gospel Mark the Text Why can we poor worms do any thing worthy of the Gospel I but though you can do but little God will account your endeavours even worthy of the Gospel John saith that he was unworthy to loose the latchet of Christs shoe nor worthy to carry the shoe of Christâ— Then are we such as can walk worthy of the glorious Gospel Oh 't is Gods infinit goodness that shal account us to be worthy of the Gospel The Apostles did not account themselves worthy to suffer for the Gospel Acts 5. 41. And shall God account us to do that which is worthy of his Gospel Oh this should be a mighty encouragement to us to walk worthy of the Gospel And there is an notable encouraging text in Luke 21. 36. Walk worthy of the Gospel And then you shall see what God will account you worthy of Watch ye therefore and pray alwaies that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and to stand before the Son of Man Watch and Pray be watchful in all your converse keep your communion with God close What will be the fruit of this That ye may be accounted worthy to escape these things that is the many afflictions dangers and evils that shall come upon the world you shall escape the evil of them at least And to stand before the Son of Man Here 's a notable Scripture to quicken up our hearts to walk conscionably and strictly in our Conversation watch over your waies stand upon your guard and pray that you may be accounted worthy to stand before the Son of Man Why Is there any that can stand before the Son of Man in glory or that shal be accounted worthy to stand before Him Yes a godly and gracious man or woman that walks conscionably in their Conversation when the Son of Man shall come in his glory they shal be able to stand before Him and be accounted worthy Oh then let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel and you shall be accounted by God worthy to stand before the Son of Man Jesus Christ He walks towards you as becomes a Mediator yea Christ doth al things that are sutable to His relations as a Husband as a Savior Oh do you all things that are sutable to your relations And for the close of all I beseech you lay but to heart the great Design that God hath in the Gospel think thus with thy self Surely the Work of God in the Gospel is a glorious Work Well then surely God hath some great Design that He drives
gallows All the world was to him no otherwise was a thing crucified to him and he was crucified to the world the world cares not for me and I care not for the world I am quit with it that way and do as much slight and contemn the world and trample it under foot as the world slights and contemns me and tramples me under foot This should be the disposition of a Christian that is under the kingdom of Christ for now it is to converse with things of another nature And therefore you find that Christ He saith of those that are given to Him by the Father They are given unto Him out of the world John 17. 6. I have manifested thy Name to the men whom thou hast given me out of the world No men have Christ manifested unto them but those whom the Father doth give Him out of the world Saith the Father Here 's so many of the world And there are a select company that I wil take out of this rude heap and mass of man-kind and I 'le give them to thee Take them and manifest thy self unto them If this be so that those that come under Christ's Kingdom are given unto Him out of the world then though they live in the world they should not live as of the world Secondly They are chosen out of the world John 15. 19. And they are delivered from the world by Christ Gal. 1. 4. And they are opposed to the children of the world Luke 16. 8 speaking of divers sorts of people and makes the distinction between one and another The Lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light These two are opposed one to another the children of this world and the children of light are quite contrary one to another for indeed one is in the kingdom of darkness and the other in the Kingdom of light in the Kingdom of the dear Son of God you must be children of light others are children of the world it becomes a child of the world to follow after the things of the world but not the children of light You are chosen out of the world that you may be the light of the world So the Scripture speaks of the Saints That they should be the light of the world Philippians 2. 15. Now if they have as worldly hearts as others how can they be the lights of the world Oh! many that are Professors of Religion they are indeed but dark lanthorns they have a candle in them have some kind of knowledg but by their worldly Conversations they are made but as dark lanthorns that the light of knowledg and profession that they have is so darkned by it as none can see the beauty and excellency of Jesus Christ shining through them Thirdly Surely it is a very unbeseeming disposition in one that is under the Kingdom of Christ to be worldly for he is appointed to be one that shall judge the world another day In 1 Cor. 6. 2. The Saints shall judge the world Now there should be a great deal of difference between Judges and those that are judged by them if they be of the same disposition that the world is why should any be chosen out of the world to judge them Now all the Saints if they do beleeve themselves to be brought into the Kingdom of Christ they should look upon themselves as those that are appointed by God hereafter to judge the whol world and therefore they should not live so as the men of the world do but as Judges very precisely and strictly according to rule 4 ly It is required of them that they should hate their own lives in this world John 12. 15. Now if the Saints should be such as should see so much excellency in the Kingdom of Christ as to hate their very lives in this world then surely to look upon all things in this world as contemptible as hateful in comparison it is not meant Hate their lives that is Absolutely but in Comparison when any comfort or preservation of their lives in this world comes in the least competition with the furtherance of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ They should look upon the comforts of their lives as a hateful thing and look upon the very preservation of their lives as a hateful thing shall I make my life comfortable with any hindrance unto the Kingdom of Christ Oh 't is that that my soul should abhor and so should I preserve my life with doing any thing that may be any prejudice to the Kingdom of Christ I should look upon the very suggestion to such a thing as that that my very soul doth abhor And we find in Scripture that it 's made an argument of apostasie of one that 's falling off from the profession of Christ to imbrace the world as it is said of Demas in the 2 of Tim. 4. 10. Demas saith Paul hath forsaken me but what is it that hath made Demas to forsake me he hath imbraced this present world So look upon many of your Professors of Religion such vs have been very forward in former times and Oh nothing but Christ in their mouthes they afterward begin to decline and wax worser and worser but observe them they imbrace this present world it is because of some honors and esteem some comforts riches estates that they would have or live at ease in this present world they cannot endure the hatred of the world So it was with Demas when he began to hear Paul he perceived that it was a great excellency to be one of Pauls followers Paul he wrought miracles and Demas I say thought it an excellent thing to follow Paul but after he had followed Paul a while he found that he was persecuted and he saw there was no preferment came in by Pauls preaching nothing but blows and imprisonments and scorns and contempt then Demas begins to bethink himself better and thinks he was mistaken I had thought that this Paul would have been a great man in the world one day and that by my following of him I should get great matters to my self but when he saw that all men were set against Paul and nothing but persecution was like to betide him and his Disciples Demas begins to bethink himself And is it not better for me to keep my credit and esteem in this world so Demas leaves him to shift for himself and therefore saith the Apostle Demas hath forsaken me and imbraced this present world This may be written upon every Apostates grave Here lies an Apostate that hath forsaken Jesus Christ and hath imbraced this present world But observe it and look upon those that were forward in Religion and now are not and see whether they have not more worldly hearts than before and give themselves up to honors and pleasures and profits Therefore it 's exceeding unbeseeming the Saints to have worldly hearts they will
all their good their portion is in this life and therefore they are greedy upon this let it be upon the ruin of never so many men though it be to raise their estates by my ruin and the ruin of others that are never so innocent what care they they are greedy upon having their lusts satisfied for here is all their protion 3. Their portion is here in this world They care not for Religion they will make use of pretences of Religion any way for their own ends what care they what Protestation they make for Religion and the maintainance of it so be it that they may ruine me they regard not at all any thing in regard to have their own â—â—ds Lord deliver me from such men 4. They have their portion in this world Hence it is that their hearts are so swelled with pride in their lusts and so warms their malice it is so heated with such outrages Oh let not the foot of pride come upon me deliver me from proud men that are flush'd with the enjoyment of their hearts desires 5. They look only to what they enjoy in this world and therfore so long as they may have their own ends and own lusts they will be exceedingly hardened in their own waies they will give no glory to thee but will be so much the more inraged against me by taking it as an argument that their waies are good Lord therefore deliver me from those men 6. They are men that scorn at prayer or at any thing that is said concerning the tenderness of conscience they despise conscience and prayer Lord let me never fall into the hands of such men as those are deliver me from the men of this world who have their portion in this life For the opening of the words from the men of the world the words are translated by some from mortal men from men though of the world yet are not like to enjoy the world long for the Original doth signifie as much from frail men they shall not have it long in the 89. Psalm 47. Remember how short my time is what little time I have in this world the word is from the men that shall have but a little time in this world and the men of this world the Hebrew word here that is translated men sometimes with but the change of the position of one prick it signifies dead men mortui as well as vivi I say with the change not of a prick but only of the position of one prick of one point it signifies dead men they are men of the world but such men as are within one prick of death within one point of death howsoever they rejoyce who have their portion their dimension that is given out unto them in this life the word life though in the singular number in your books in the Hebrew it is in the plural Lives they are men that have all they have but only leased for their lives nay not so much as leased they have but an estate for life at the most and this present life unto them is instead of all lives from the men of this world that have their portion in this life there are these Two Doctrinal Conclusions in the words that lie plainly before you the first is There are a Generation of men to whom God gives some outward good things for a while but these are all that ever they are like to have they shall never have any more good from God than they have here for the present that is the first That Gods Saints do desire to be delivered from such kind of men These two contain in them the scope of the holy Ghost in the words First There are a Generation of men unto whom God gives out a portion some comforts in this world and here is all that they are like to have And now set your hearts I beseech you unto what I have to say in this Argument for in my thoughts thinking what to pitch upon for such an Assembly as this at length I could not determine of an argument that I thought might more reach unto the hearts of those to whom I was to speak as I hope before I have done you will find it such a serious argument that concerns us all I have read of Gregory that being advanced to preferment professed that there was no Scripture that went so to his heart that struck such a trembling into his spirit that daunted him so much as this Scripture did Here you have your reward Son in your life time you have had your pleasure Oh this was a dreadful Scripture that sounded in his eares continually as Hierom speaks of that Scripture Arise you dead and come to judgement night and day he thought that Scripture sounded in his his ears So Gregory here you have your reward in this life you have had your pleasure This was the Scripture that night and day sounded in his ears Oh that it might please God to assist so far to speak out of this Scripture to you that I might make this Scripture ring in your ears even when you lie upon your beds after the Sermon is done that yet you may think this Scripture rings in your ears Men of this world who have their portion in this life If this Scripture should prove to be the portion of any one of you of the richest in this place Wo unto him that ever he was born which I shall after make out more fully to you But you 'l say do you think to preach to men that have their portion here in this life I fear me I may meet with some whom it doth so neerly concern yet do not think that I have those thoughts of you all for you shall find before I have done this Scripture will concern every one in this Congregation but yet be not any of you too too ready to put off this from you to think your selves out of the danger of this Scripture for it was spoken concerning Saul and Saul might have for ought I know as strong arguments of Gods love to him as many of you I fear have this day 1. Saul was a man chosen immediately by God himself to be the first King that ever was over his own people and was not that a great favor 2. Saul for his person was one of the goodliest men that was amongst all Israel higher from the shoulders to the head than any of them 3. For his Endowments he was a man whom God did endow with admirable gifts of Government he caused another spirit to come upon him he was a man that when he heard of his preferment seemed to be very humble as judging himself unworthy of such a dignity in the first of Samuel 9. 21. Saith he Who am I and what is my Fathers house that I should be thus chosen And when he had been chosen some that would reject him Children of Belial that notwithstanding God honoring of him yet would seek to cast
of Gods mercy and the mercy of God we acknowledge to be very great and glorious well God doth shew himself glorious in mercy that thou being so wicked hast so much as thou hast in this world and therefore though thou shouldst be denied of eternal mercy hereafter yet thou hast cause to tel Devils and damned creatures that shall be thy companions that God was very merciful to thee while thou didst live in this world Somewhat thou hadst then but here 's all Secondly Here is all that ever thou art like to have 1. Because there are some men whose names are written in the Earth and not in the Book of Life In Jer. 17. 13. there it 's spoken of men that are written in the earth wheras the Saints are described to be men that are redeemed from the earth In Revel 14. 3. It is their happiness to be redeemed from the earth and it is all the happiness thou hast that thou art written in the earth 2. Here is their portion because they are vile in the eyes of God If you should ask the Question why you give bones to the Dog and swill to the Swine and nothing else The Answer would be Because it is a Dog that hath it and because it is a Swine it is Dogs meat Certainly God doth speak exceeding contemptibly of all ungodly ones in the world let them be never so great in regard of outwards In the 11. of Daniel 21. A vile person shall arise What is this vile person Interpreters generally consent in this that it is meant of Antiochus Epiphanius that was a mighty great Prince such a Prince as when the Samaritans did write to him they writ Antiocho magno deo to Antiochus the great god and his very name shews him to be a great one Antiochus Epiphanius is as much as Antiochus the Illustrious and the Famous and yet when the Holy Ghost speaks of him it is Antiochus a vile person they are vile in the eyes of God If there be any in a family that you care not much for you make no great provision for them Doth God take care for Oxen Somwhat they have but little Doth God take care for wicked and ungodly ones 3. Here is their portion it is confin'd to this life Why so Because they chuse it themselves and in that they have no wrong make choice of this Portion themselves Moses speaking to the people saith he I set before you life and death So do the Ministers of God in preaching to you they set before you Life and Death What do you chuse Now you chuse the way that goes out of life and into death you have but your choice you chuse Vanity to be your portion God doth you no wrong to give you Vanity Now you that will indent with God for your peny you cannot take it ill if when the end of the day comes God puts you off with your peny you know those in the Vineyard that agreed for their peny they began to murmur indeed when they came to receive their wages but saith the Master of the Vinyard Did you not agree with me so So you agree with God all you intend in Gods service is that you may have some present comfort in this world you dare not trust God for the future and here is that that God will shew His infinit displeasure against the sin of distrust by that when the Lord propounds now in this day of Grace such glorious and blessed things to the children of men and for ought you know any of you may have your portion in them as well as others and yet you dare not trust God for those gracious things you think rather with your selves let me have somewhat now somewhat for the present some present pay the reward that you talk of which is to come I know not whether they be imaginations yea or no therefore you mean it seems to serve God for your present pay and present pay you shall have and no more There are some servants that are your day-servants they serve you so as they expect their pay at night and perhaps you give them their two shillings at night and there is an end but there are other servants now that will serve you in expectation of some reversions and expectations of honor especially when they serve Noblemen and Princes though they have no present pay given them at night yet they go on cheerfully in their service they expect some great Reversions as Leases and preferments they may have afterwards and now though they have not their two shillings a day as the others have yet when the other befals them they are made rich men they and their posterities So now the poor man that hath his pay every day when a Lease and preferment fals if he should come in for his part No he may be answer'd you had your pay every day here was one was content to relie and trust upon me and had no pay and he did trust upon me and now he comes to be preferd This is the direct difference between the men of the world and Gods Saints the men of the world will do nothing without present pay that which is just before them they must needs have their hearts are upon it but the Saints they hear what a blessed thing God hath revealed in his Word what a blessed Covenant of Grace there is what rich Promises of glorious things to come now they beleeve God and trust in God for these and they say Lord let me have my Portion in the life to come and whatever thou doest with me here I care not As it was the speech of Austin Lord here burn here cut but spare hereafter I am content Lord to be burnt to be cut to endure any thing in the world any sufferings in the world for thee only hereafter I look for somewhat else and I 'le wait for hereafter You will not wait for hereafter but you must have it for the present and that is the reason you are put off here Oh it is a serious thing I speak of to you many a soul will wring its hands and curse it self eternally that it was not content to trust God for hereafter but would have present pay You that are great Merchants if you buy a thing that is but a trifle you pull out your purse and give the mony down presently but suppose you go to the Exchange and bargain for 10000l there you may give a little down now but the great pay must come upon pay daies afterwards it is not expected it should be presently done So there are some men in the world will trade with God but they trade with God for pedling things for their Credit and applause and for their preferments and estates God gives down the pay presently you shall have it there is your 12 d presently it is done but now there are other of Gods Saints that trade with God for great things for immortality and
an Overseeing as if God should say thus walk ye honestly and holily before the world perhaps they will vail your glory one will say this the other that but go ye on in a constant way and course there will be a time that all things shall be over-seen all things shall be examined and narrowly searched into and when that day comes the wicked men shall be convinced and shal be forced to give glory to God and shal say that whatsoever aspersions there were cast upon you yet certainly you were the servants of the living God in the day of inspection of overseeing therefore be ye careful of your Conversations in respect of wicked men to convince them Secondly In respect of wicked men to stop their mouthes their malice violence and rage 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the Will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men The word there translated Put to silence it is to put as it were a bridle into their mouthes or to stop their mouthes you may even stop their mouthes by your holy Conversation Oh Christians look to your Conversations that by them you may stop the mouthes of wicked and ungodly men that they may not be able to say any thing against your holy Conversations so in 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ Thirdly Yea you may by your good Conversation be a means to convert other men to bring wicked men into the love of the waies of God 1 Pet. 3. 1. 2. the exhortation there is directed to wives that had wicked husbands Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands that if they obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the Conversation of the wives while they behold your chast Conversation coupled with fear Mark how the Apostle urges upon wives to look to their Conversations to the end that they may be a means to gain their husbands I am verily perswaded that there are many gracious women that would give if they had it a thousand worlds to gain their husbands to those waies of godliness that they have found so much sweetness in but perhaps they cannot get them to come and hear the Word and if they do their hearts rise against it or it may be they little regard it but you by your Conversations may do that which the world will not do you may be converters of them and in this sense indeed there may be women preachers that is preaching in their lives and Conversations and that 's all the preaching that the holy Ghost allows women let them preach that way in their lives and Conversations in their families and preach every day a Sermon and neither God nor man will find fault with any such thing and this is the way for them to do great service for God and so likewise should husbands do to convert their wives you complain one of another but do you labor to convince and convert one another by your holy Conversations I am confident that there are many that are able to say by experience this That the Lord struck upon my heart and conscience by seeing the holy Conversation of my wife since she went to hear the Word by seeing the wisdom humility obedience and carriage of my wife it struck upon my heart There is many have given glory to God and acknowledged this both wives by their husbands and husbands by their wives and sometimes the parent in seeing it in the child or the child in the parent or brother in brother or one servant in another it hath been a means to turn them unto God In the last place If they be not turned to God then your conversation shall serve to condemn them to aggravate their sin and their condemnation in the day of Jesus Christ As it is said of Noah in Heb. 11. 7. that Noah prepared an ark by the which he condemned the world He condemned the world by that course of his in beleeving in God and in making the Ark every nail that he smote into the Ark was as it were a condemnation of the world and so the Saints by walking in their holy conversation shal be the Judges and Condemners of the world Therfore you are to be careful of your Conversations in respect of wicked men Also In respect of the Saints we must be very careful of our Conversations 1. For by your Conversation you will rejoyce the hearts of the Saints Oh those that are godly when they see others that profess godlines to walk in a strict and holy conversation how doth it rejoyce their hearts it is the comfort of their lives 2. Besides they blesse God for it they not only rejoyce in it but bless God for it when they get alone in secret they are blessing God for the gracious and holy and convincing Conversations of such and such kind of men that they converse with 3. And by that means the Saints they have a boldness before men they can lift up their heads wheresoever they go when they know that all such who make profession of Religion in the places where they live they walk unblamably upon that godly men can hold up their heads with boldness whereas otherwise it makes such as are professors of Religion ashamed when they see and hear of such and such that make profession of Religion to walk scandalously and loosly but of them we shall speak presently 4. Then further Your holy Conversation it will establish the hearts of the Saints it will settle young beginners there are many that are giving up their names to Christ when they see the holy and gracious Conversations of these that are Ancient professors Oh how are they stablished in the waies of godlinesse 5. And it wil edifie the Saints they wil edifie and grow up in holiness they will imitate you and will find the graces of God not only strengthened but increased in them by your Conversations Oh the abundance of good that you may do and therfore Christians have a care of your Conversations 6. Then You in respect of your selves by this means you wil have an evidence to your souls of the truth of grace in your hearts which you cannot have if your Conversations be not right In 1 John 1. 6. mark what the Apostle speaks there If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not know the truth And again you have a notable Scripture in the 3. chap. 7. vers Little children let no man deceive you He that doth righteousness is righteous even as He is righteous As if he should say there are a company of deceivers in the world and they think it enough to talk of righteousness they say they beleeve in Jesus Christ and it's Faith that is only required of them
and as for the other that 's but a meer legal thing for men to make conscience of duties and of their lives this is but legal but let them trust in Jesus Christ Christ hath done all what can we be saved by our lives hath not Christ done all Is there not righteousness in Him Let no man deceive you saith the Apostle If there be not a doing righteousness there is no righteousness in you He that doth righteousness is righteous You have nothing to do with the righteousness of Christ as your own applied yet unto you except you do righteousness therefore have a care of your Conversations that you may have evidence to your souls of the truth that there is in your hearts Secondly Have a care of your Conversations that you may continue and encrease that which is within you certainlie those that make profession of Religion and have not a care of their conversations they wil never continue in their profession mark that they may be a Comets a while blasing-stars but they will vanish within a little while you shall find that their profession will wear away where there is not a godly life together with profession profession will vanish and come to nothing their very common graces will be taken away from them if they have not a care of their lives but if they have a care of their lives they wil continue in the waies of godliness and grow up and encrease more and more Thirdly Have a care of your Conversations that you may get honor in the very consciences of men Quest Some will say Should we have a care of our Conversations that we may get honor Ans Yes truly a man may desire to have the testimony of the consciences of those that he lives withal it 's no matter for their talking this or that but that you may get into their consciences God gives you liberty for that Fourthly You by this means will be Instruments of a great deal of publick good if you live according to your profession otherwise no body will regard you you are reffuse no man will imploy you you will be contemn'd and slighted but when they see mens Conversations according to their profession everie bodie loves to make use of these men they know they shall find them faithful in whatsoever they are imployed and so they come to the Instruments of much publick good Fifthly You will further a joyful account against the great day for you must be call'd to account not only for your thoughts and the inward workings of your hearts but for whatever you have done in the flesh we must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to answer whatsoever is done in the flesh Oh be careful of your Conversations that so you may be able to give a comfortable accompt Sixtly and lastly Be careful of your Conversations in respect of your profession This should be the care of those that make profession that we may keep up the succession of the honor nor of Religion from one generation to another Heretofore there were some godly people that liv'd and they kept up in their generation the honor of the profession of Religion Wel-now we are upon the stage of the world and God looks upon us that we should in our generations keep up the succession of the honor of the profession of Religion and so afterward in another generation as men come upon the stage of the world and live here God expects succeeding ages should keep up the honor of the profession of Religion in their times And this one consideration might go to the very heart of ungodly men if they would mind it that it may be thou art the man or woman among others that keeps up in a continual succession enmity against God in the world do but consider of the difference between these two one mans Conversation is wicked and anothers is holy and gracious thou that livest wickedly this evil is charged upon thee that thou art the man that joynest in this work to keep up a continued succession of enmity against God in the world ever since Cains time there was an enmity against God and Cains posterity kept up the succession of it and so from one generation to another there hath been wicked men keeping up the succession of enmity against God and thou in thy generation art come to it and this it seems is thy work but now on the other side ever since Adams and Abels time there hath bin godly men in the world and in every generation some have kept up the honor of profession and now hath God been pleased to reveal his glorious Gospel to thy soul why now thou being careful of thy life and Conversation God imploys thee in this work to keep up the succession of the honor of profession in the world And this is a comfortable life indeed And thus we have done with the explication or the Point Now I shall only give you some passages for the Application of it Application Only saith the Apostle let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ Have a care of this above all things Oh you would fain get more knowledg and be accounted somebody in the place where you live and be an eminent professor where you live Well whatsoever you would fain be accounted of let it be your only care that your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ Oh! this point speaks bitter things and sharply rebukes the carelesness of the professors of the Gospel in point of their Conversation Oh Lord how have we cause to bewail the loosnesse of the professors of the Gospel at this day and I fear that some may be present whose consciences may tell them that they are very loose in the point of their Conversations Thou professest thou knowest Jesus Christ that the Lord hath made known the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel to thee What is thy life Canst thou say as in the presence of God that thy Conversation is answerable I beseech you as in the presence of God examin but this see whether thou art able to say Lord thou knowest according to what light thou hast given me in the Gospel it hath been my care to look to my Conversation Oh that I might live to thy honor and be a witnesse to thy truth that I might hold forth thy image and further thy designs and make up the dishonor that thou hast from others in the world and that I might convince wicked men and stop the mouthes of those that are opposite and that I might be a means to convert those that I live with or otherwise to judge them Oh that I might rejoyce the hearts of the Saints that they might lift up their heads with boldness because of me that they may and so I might be stablished and edified Go along in the rest of the heads Can thy conscience tell thee that thou hast done so No but it s quite contrary in some The