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
be joy there they would account it acceptable news indeed Now then Those that do beleeve this Gospel or do profess it that they have entertain'd this Gospel this glad Tydings they must be careful to walk in their Conversation so as it becomes this Gospel as becomes such glorious glad Tydings as are sent unto them from Heaven As becomes The word signifies Worthy of the Gospel that that is translated in your books become it signifies worthy of the Gospel But this cannot be meant as if so be that our Conversation should be such as deserves al the good that there is in the Gospel No but Worthy that is as much as Beseeming the Gospel as meet for the Gospel or as it is translated in your books Becoming the Gospel as he that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks his own damnation Can one eat and drink so as to be worthy of the Body and Blood of Christ No but he that eats and drinks so carries himself so in that Ordinance of the Sacrament as is unbeseeming the Body and Blood of Christ that he comes to receive and on the other side those that do eat and drink so as to sanctifie Gods Name in that Ordinance as you have heard they do it worthily for so the same word is here Worthy of the Gospel of Christ And so bring forth fruit worthy of repentance saith John to those that came to him that is meet sit for repentance such fruit as may manifest your repentance as is sutable unto such men or women that do profess their repentance for their sins Further I find that the word that is here translated Becoming in another place is translated Convenient and meet and can be understood in no other sense as in 1 Cor. 16. 4. If it be meet that I shall go also the word that is translated there meet it is in the Greek worthy the same word that we have here translated Becoming if it be a comly thing or a meet or convenient thing then I 'le go so then it 's cleer that this word that we have here is meet convenient sutable or becoming the Gospel Let your Conversation be such as it meet for or becoming the Gospel You will say What Conversation is that which is meet for or becoming the Gospel To that I answer First a Conversation raised to a higher degree than the light of Nature or than the Law can raise one to it must be that certainly it is not a Conversation becoming the Gospel except it be a Conversation raised higher than the light of Nature or than the Law can raise one to it becomes not the Gospel else Secondly A Conversation sutable and answerable to those many blessed and glorious truths that are revealed in the Gospel there is much of the mind of God revealed in the Gospel glorious truths are there presented to us that is a Conversation becoming the Gospel that is sutable and answerable unto these blessed and glorious truths that are revealed in the Gospel Thirdly A Conversation manifesting the power of the Gospel Fourthly A Conversation that is sutable unto al the Ordinances of the Gospel agreeable unto whatsoever there is in any Ordinance of the Gospel And then fiftly A Conversation holding forth the beauty excellency and glory of the Gospel before those with whom we do converse here 's a Conversation becoming the Gospel when those that are Christians professing that the Lord hath revealed the Gospel unto them and that in some measure they have been brought to beleeve in the Gospel when as now their Conversation is beyond that which any man can attain unto by the light of Nature when it is beyond that that any man by the Law can be raised unto when it 's answerable to the many blessed and glorious truths that are revealed in the Gospel when it manifests a power of the Gospel in him when it 's answerable unto the blessed Ordinances that he doth enjoy in the Gospel and when his Life and Conversation holds forth the beauty excellency and glory of the Gospel before the world here is a Conversation becoming the Gospel and this is that which the Apostle here exhorts unto Only let your Conversation be such as becomes the Gospel of Christ Thus you have had the words opened Now for the Doctrinal Points in the words only these two the first is but to make way to the second 1. Doct. The first is this That those that profess the Gospel must have a great care of their Conversations 2. Secondly This Conversation of theirs must be such as becomes as beseems the Gospel These are the two main Points in the Text. I shall this morning but make way to the second Point which is the great Point in the Text. First That Christians that do profess the Gospel must have a great care of their Conversations to look to them They must not satisfie themselves with what is inward in their minds or in their affections but look to their Conversations You think or hope at least that through the Gospel there hath been conversion wrought in you After the Lord hath wrought conversion he doth expect that you be careful of your Conversations before men you have knowledge you can speak well you have some stirrings of heart that you have felt in hearing of the Word preaching of the Gospel but now look to your Conversations and know there is a bond laid upon you more than ever was to look to your Conversations in James 3. see the exhortation of the Apostle there at the 13. verse Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among yeu mark let him shew out of a good Conversation his works with meekness of wisdom It is a very sweet and excellent Scripture Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you What should he do Let him shew out of a good Conversation his works with meekness of wisdom here is wise and knowledge and wisdom again If you would manifest that God hath wrought any true saving knowledge any wisdom in you to save your souls why know that God requires that you should show your good Conversation that with meekness and wisdom your Conversations you must have a care of them both in respect of men and in respect of God In respect of men 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having your Conversation honest among the Gentils And the latter part wee shall speak to by and by so that Christians they must look to their Conversations in respect of men And then in respect of God In 1 Pet. 1. 15. But as be who hath called you is Holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation There you have Honest Conversation and in this scripture holy in all manner of conversation so that you are to have regard to your Conversations both in respect of men and in respect of God and upon these grounds First in general First in regard of God more generally that God may be
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
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
miscarrying there it is over I blesse God that is over for that now my obedience it is not that I might work out and earn salvation but my obedience to God now is being set safe upon the shore that I might live to the praise of the grace of God that hath delivered me from al danger of miscarrying and hath set me with Jesus Christ in heavenly places I am now already set in heavenly places with Jesus Christ and as sure of Heaven for so a Believer may come to be as if so be that I were there already and so I am now to begin the life of Heaven to be blessing and magnifying God not in word only but in my life therefore am I to hold forth the glory of God in my life and Conversation that I might blesse and magnifie the Name of God that hath delivered me from darkness and hath translated me into the Kingdom of his dear Son and upon these terms do I serve God now I do not serve God as one that is in hazard for ever to miscarry and out of a base and slavish fear lest I should miscarry I do endeavor to work out my salvation but it is as one that is redeemed and delivered from eternal misery yea I now begin to joyn with the Saints and Angels that are in Heaven that are there magnifying God and shal be to al eternity praising of Him for His free grace towards them surely this Conversation should be in a higher degree of holiness than the Conversation of Adam could be even in Paradise Yet still remembring this we cannot in this life attain to such a Conversation as to be without mixture of evil but we should be more spiritual and heavenly in our waies we have more cause to be so than Adam had in his innocency and we do not walk answerable to the Gospel except our hearts do rise in a more spiritual and heavenly way than his heart could rise when it came new out of the hand of his Creator That 's the first consideration of the Law as it was a Covenant of life to him and al man-kind in him Oh that as we go along we would but consider what cause we have of humiliation then Oh how far are our Conversations short of that that becomes the Gospel if it should rise to so high a pitch as this is that hath been mentioned Secondly Consider we the Law as in the administration of it to Moses and so to the people of the Jews The administration of the Law to them it was under another notion it was to bring them to Christ and that they might come to see their inability of keeping of that Covenant and come to understand Christ so much the more and to be driven unto Christ by having the Law presented to them God did never intend by giving of the Law to the people of the Jews that it should be a Covenant of eternal life to them indeed there was this in the administraon of it somewhat different from us some special Covenant about their living in Canaan and about mercies in that promised Land beyond that that we have in the Law as we find in the new Testament they I say had this annexed to it The Law that was first given unto Adam and written in his heart afterwards even obliterated then it was transcribed by the same hand in tables of stone and given unto them chiefly to shew them their misery and their need of Christ to be a preparation for Christs coming into the world and with this one addition beyond what we have in the new Testament that there was a temporal Covenant annexed unto it that concern'd their living prosperously in the Land of Canaan so far we are delivered even from the Law as it was given by Moses that is from the connexion of the Covenant that was added unto the delivering of the Law concerning their happy and comfortable condition in the Land of Canaan upon the keeping of their Law but now how ever it was certainly that Conversation that becomes the Gospel should be beyond what could be even from godly men in the time of the Law As first The Law to them it was given under low Promises their promises were but very low that were under the Law It 's true they had somewhat of the Gospel that we have but extream darkly and very little that they knew of it but the chief Ministration of God towards them was then in a legal way and that had but low promises as their living in Canaan you shall find generally al the promises that are annexed to the Law even by Moses it is but that they shall prolong their daies in the Land the Lord their God shall give them That they should be blest in their basket and store their Promises were under Heaven-Promises Promises of this life only and therefore it could raise them but to a very low degree of holiness Secondly Their Ordinances were but poor and mean and beggerly in comparison of our for so the Gospel cals them Col. 2. They were but beggerly rudiments which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal Ordinances imposed on them untill the time of reformation Heb. 9. 10. They had an earthly Tabernacle a worldly Sanctuary Heb. 9. 1. c. Thirdly The burden of them under the Law was very great they were under a heavy yoke burden that did bow them down A man that is under a heavy burden it makes him stoop bend in the back he cannot stand so upright nor fast as others that have no such weight upon them Fourthly The administration of the Law was with Thunder and Lightning very terrible It made even Moses quake and tremble as the Author to the Hebrews speaks Fiftly Their spirits were very servile under the Law they were subject to bondage even all their daies God so ordered things as to carry on his people even in a very servile way they were but mean servants then hewers of wood and drawers of water But now under the Gospel First our Promises are far better and our Covenant better in Heb. 8. 6. there the Apostle compares their Condition and ours Who serve saith he unto the example and shadow of heavenly things There was but the shadow of heavenly things the Gospel hath the Heavenly things themselves and they are but the shadow for so you have it in Heb. 10. 1. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things They had but a shadow of good things to come and not the very image it self As Moses was admonish'd of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the Mount And then in Heb. 8. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry that 's Christ By how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant
which was established upon better promises A better Covenant and stablished upon better promises or a better Testament Their promises I say were but low and mean and our promises are high and precious and we have a better Covenant a Covenant not of living in the Land of Canaan but of Heaven of which that Canaan was but a Type and therefore our Conversations should rise higher in holiness according as our Covenant and Promises are better than theirs Secondly Our Worship is more spiritual than their worship was As that known place in Joh. 4. 23. where Christ saith to the woman of Samaria You serve God in this place But the time shall come that they shall serve him every where for God is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and in truth There is more spiritual worship in the time of the Gospel than was in the time of the Law The Lord carried them on in a carnal and a sensitive way and indeed this hath been a great design of Antichrist to bring men to a carnal way of worship To carnal Ordinances for so they are called in Scripture the Commandements of God by Moses are called carnal Heb. 9. 10. For their worship was in comparison of the worship in the Gospel but carnal I say it hath bin the design of Antichrist to darken the glory of Jesus Christ in the Gospel by bringing the Church to a carnal way of worship and to take away spiritual and therefore they are altogether about carnal Institutions whereas Jesus Christ hath instituted but only two Sacraments wherein there are outward carnal things wherein we worship God through the Creature otherwise His worship is altogether spiritual but now Antichrist he would bring in altogether carnal things he would ad a hundred inventions of his own as building sumptuous Temples railing in of the Communion Tables and then turning them into Altars with such kind of apish gestures foolish garments and Heathenish musick all which was carnal worship the devices of men to please children and fools with exceedingly much against the very life and soul of Godliness and the only rule of worship in the Word of God Besides this rediculous and carnal way of worship made the worshipers twofold more the children of Satan than they were before But now the more spiritual any worship of God is the more spiritual it makes the heart the lesse we stick to the creature while we are worshipping of God the more communion we come to have with Christ and so it doth raise holinesse to a more higher pitch Thirdly Vnder the Gospel our yoke is more easie You know what Christ saith in a Scripture that I have opened to you at large Come take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easie and my burden is light You are delivered from that heavy burden that they were under and therefore you should run the waies of Gods Commandements and follow after holiness more readily and freely than they could do Fourthly We have access with boldness to the Throne of grace as the Scripture speaks God doth not reveal Himself in that terrible way to his Saints now as in the time of the Law but would have them come with boldness and have libertie of speech for that 's the word as in the second of the Ephesians of the boldness that we have to come into the presence of God Through him we have access by one spirit unto the Father Access the word signifies a coming with freedom as it were being led by the hand of God In Ephes 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and access saith the text there with confidence by the faith of Him Three words here are together We have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him The word that is here translated Boldness it is liberty of speech we may come and speak our minds and unbosome our speech freely to God without any such terror and we may come to God without desiring Moses must go into Gods presence for them as he did Oh they durst not go themselves but Moses must go and speak with God We may come into the presence of God and speak our hearts freely with a holy boldness in the Name of Christ Fifthly We have the spirit of adoption more than they Rom. 8. We have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father There was a spirit of bondage under which even the people of God were in former times and now the spirit of adoption is more spread abroad and cōmunicated in the world to the Churches than it was before and therefore the Lord expects a Conversation sutable to the spirit of adoption As now take one that is a child and hath a servile spirit and is afraid to come into the presence of his father it may be he will do some works in obedience to his father but in a heavy dull way but afterwards when his father is fully reconcil'd to him comes speaks kindly to him there comes a spirit of adoption upon the child Oh then he goes lively on in duty to his father then he rejoyces in the presence of his father to do any thing that may please his father when he is acted by a spirit of adoptiō there 's more service done according to the mind wil of Christ than there was before So my Brethren we should exceed all under the Law with a more fillial obedience than ever there was in that time or else our Conversation it is not such as becomes the Gospel Therefore when you open the old Testament and reade of those excellent gracious spirits that were there especially in the Psalms what holy breathings and pantings after God there are and in the Prophets what exemplary holiness then liv'd and shined in the world Be ashamed of your selves if you do not rise to as high a degree as they and higher too Obj. Why you will say But they were eminent men they were the Prophets of God and so were extraordinary and can ordinary Christians rise as high as they did and be such burning and shining lamps as they were Ans I 'le give you one Scripture about that in Zach. 12. 8. it is a cleer Prophesie of the times of the Gospel In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Mark he that is feeble among them shall be as David who was a man according to Gods own heart Oh reade Davids Psalms particularly the 119. Psalm and see the holy breathings of David and observe that there is a Prophesie that those that are feeble shall be as David and those that are as David that is the eminent Christians the Lords Champions and the house of David shall be as God as the Angels of the Lord.
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
Conversation is in Heaven Do you expect that this flesh of yours should be made like the Sun in the Heavens like the glorious body of Jesus Christ Oh then do not abuse your flesh to sin make not provision for the flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof let no member of your body be a weapon of unrighteousness to sin against God withal when you are tempted to any bodily sin stop your selves with this meditation Shall I sin against God with this body of mine that I beleeve shall one day be more glorious than the Sun in the firmament which ere long will be made like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ Have we the hopes and promises of such an inheritance in Heaven Oh then let not only our thoughts be there but our Conversation our Trading our only business be there also Oh let it appear that we have heavenly hearts and spiritual carriages that we live as it becomes those that hope within a few daies or months to be possest with the glory of Heaven which Christ hath prepared for us such should our Conversations be heavenly Conversations shining with the light of the glory of Heaven upon us Heaven should appear in our Conversations now so that they who look upon us and converse with us may truly judg these are the Citizens of the new Jerusalem free Denizons of Heaven they speak the very language of Canaan already and ere long they wil be possest of that promised Land I 'le conclude all now with one Scripture in 2 Cor. 3. 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart Mark the Apostle here tels the Corinthians that they are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ observe the text the People of God Beleevers are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ Quest Epistle of Christ you wil say what 's the meaning of that or what use can you make of that to your point Answ The meaning of it is this That Christ doth by them or in them write an Epistle to the world to declare to the world His mind and His will 't is as if the Apostle should say You that are beleevers know that Christ makes use of you to declare to the world what He is what His glory is you are His Epistle Christ sends by you the knowledge of Himself into the world so that when the world looks upon you they that run may reade in your lives and Conversations and examples the very Epistle of Christ transcribed to the life whereby He declares to the world His excellencies and His glory in lively Characters Now my brethren this should be the Conversation of all Saints that is They should in their lives be the Epistle of Jesus Christ there should be as it were fairly written in their lives the graces of Jesus Christ the mysteries of the Gospel the deep things of God Would you know what Christs mind is and what the excellencies of Christ are and of the Gospel Reade it in the Saints in their lives see their waies and you may know much of the mind of Christ in them you that caÌ„not tel a letter in the book yet you may read this Epistle you may reade the Epistle that Jesus Christ sends to the world to convince the world Now the Epistle that Christ sends to the world is not only in His Word there indeed is a great Epistle that Christ hath sent for the Scripture is no other but as an Ancient cals it the Epistle of God to the world God sends His Letter to the world but the Saints are Christs Epistle likewise wherin Christs mind is to be read and known then let your Conversations be such as that you may be a full Epistle of Christ to the whole world that all the world may reade what Christ is in you take heed of blotting and blurring this Epistle If there be a Letter sent from a great man if a Prince or a King send a Letter it uses to come fairly written and if those that should bring it should all besmeer it and blot the Letter so as it could not be read it would be taken exceeding ill So you that profess your selves to be Christians you do not bring the Letter only but you are the Letter therfore do not blot blur this Epistle of Christ but keep it fair that all with whom you converse all in the family may every day reade somewhat of the mind of Jesus Christ in your Conversations that so you may be the glory of Christ as in that scripture 2 Cor. 8. 23. it is said of Titus and other fellow-helpers That they were the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ Oh! this all Professors of Religion should endeavor to be the glory of Jesus Christ that wheresoever they live all might see the glory of Jesus Christ held forth there whithersoever you go you may carry the glory of Jesus Christ about you Oh Christians I appeal to your consciences Do you live so as the glory of Christ shines in you in the course of your lives As the shine of the Candle goes through the Lanthorn so the shine and glory of Jesus Christ should go through Christians in their Conversations to dazle the eyes of the world Oh! do not darken the glory of Christ but make it as bright as possibly thou canst that so this puâ—blind world may be able to see somewhat in the glory of Christ in your Conversations this should be the great care of your lives SERMON VII PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ WE have preached you know many Sermons upon this necessary and seasonable Duty That as Christians are to sanctifie the Name of God in Worship so in their Conversations their lives and Conversations must be such as becomes the Gospel of Christ worthy of the Gospel of Christ for so I told you the word signified Now we are upon this great point What Conversation is that which becomes the Gospel of Christ I 'le only add one Scriptare more to the last thing I named and then proceed That the revealing of the glory of Heaven in the Gospel should work mightily upon our hearts to labor for a Conversation sutable thereunto In Titus 2. 11 12 13. For the grace of God saith he that 's the Gospel that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men What doth it teach us That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world We have made use of this Scripture thus far already but that which I quote it for is the refference of this to the next words Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ Here 's a Scripture that if ever the Lord
here would be a mighty change thou wert a beast before but here is the soul of grace there 's a new birth when the Gospel comes to prevail and to enter in upon an heart and it 's call'd a new resurrection if there should be a voice come from Heaven that should open all the graves that you have here in the yard and all the dead bodies should stand up and live what a mighty change would there be Such a change doth the Gospel make when it conquers a people indeed the Gospel may be preached and little change may be wrought because the power of the Gospel prevails not with their hearts but when it doth prevail in their hearts there is such a strange change Oh then What Conversation become this it must be a Conversation that doth hold forth to the world that there is such a mighty change wrought in you Now I appeal to you you that make profession of the Gospel you know what you have been heretofore worldly and base and carnal and sensual and froward and peevish and prophane men altogether unsavory before the Gospel came to you now you profess that God hath begun to work upon you by the Gospel What change hath it wrought in you Can those that live with you see your Conversations so changed as to make them stand and admire at the work of the Gospel upon your hearts the husband to stand and admire at the work of God upon the heart of the wife as if she were another woman and so the wife to admire at the grace of God upon the heart of the husband as if he were another man and so your children and servants not the same that heretofore they were Oh what honour would this be to the Gospel that in places where it comes to be preached in power there might appear a change that becomes the Gospel of Christ Certainly if your Conversations be not such as holds forth a mighty change that God hath wrought in you then it is not such as becomes the Gospel of Christ It may be you are somewhat better than heretofore you have been as not to be a common drunkard you see that 's despised by men Who regards drunken fools mad-men very beasts Therfore you come to be of more understanding that you will not be so prophane and lascivious as you were wont to be but live somewhat better Oh but this change is not that change which holds forth the work of the Gospel for when the Gospel prevails it makes the greâ—test change that ever was made in the world we may boldly ascert this that since the Creation of God in the first six daies there was never such a change made in the world as the Gospel makes and therefore a Conversation becoming the Gospel must be a Conversation that must be a changed Conversation must be mightily different from what they were before sometimes we see it so through the mercy of God that when men and women come to hear the Word in the cleerness and power of it to be revealed they have such changes that al their friends stand wondring at them What shall we have of you now Oh such have cause to answer and say Blessed be God it is so it is the Gospel that hath made such a change in me I this becomes the Gospel when it shall appear that your Conversation is so changed so holy and godly and gracious now over it was before But you whose lives are not better than they were before before you made some profession only your profession now is greater than it was before but your lives no better know this is a Conversation that doth no way become the Gospel of Christ the Gospel of Christ hath no honor by this Conversation of yours And then The great difference that the Gospel makes between one man and another As now those that the Gospel doth not prevail upon the Scripture tels us they are the children of wrath they are dead in trespasses and sins they are under the curse of the Law they are even enemies to God this is the condition of al men before this Scepter of Christ conquers their hearts children of wrath enemies to God dead in sins under the curse But now when the Gospel comes to prevail over mens hearts then they come to be the Children of the living God Heirs of Christ Co-heirs with Him they come to be partakers of the life of God they encrease with the encrease of God and their lives are hid with Christ in God and they come to be reconciled to God to be friends with God to be at peace with God and to inherit blessings Oh the change that the Lord puts upon the heart and state of the Saints when the Gospel prevails How high are they raised above other men Therefore you must not make other men to be your example in your way you must not think to live as the world lives and to say I do as other men do the Gospel makes a mighty difference between your estate and the state of other men therefore never look to what other men do but consider as God hath made a vast difference between you and other men so let there be a great difference between your Conversation and the Conversation of other men Now this meditation should have a mighty deal of power to prevail upon the heart I beleeve that I have such and such priviledges beyond other men and I look for such and such mercies above others now what things I look for beyond others I must labor to be as much beyond them in holiness of Conversation as God hath made me beyond them in spiritual priviledges and spiritual mercies I think sometimes I would not be in the condition of such men as are in their natural estate for a world nay I would not be one our in their estates if I might have ten thousand worlds for fear I should die that hour and then I should be lost for ever Well hath God made such a difference then let not my life be like theirs for one hour nay for one moment Oh this meditation through Gods blessing would mightily help us in our Conversation Our Conversation should be such as becomes the Ordinances of the Gospel The Word and Sacraments they have a great deal more in them than the Ordinances of the Law but because I spake of the Gospels being higher than the Law heretofore and these things may fall something neer yet had I time I would speak a little concerning these and shew how we are to hold forth a Conversation sutable to them Our Conversations should be sutable to the power of the Gospel there is a great deal of power in the Gospel it 's call'd the power of God unto salvation in the 1. of the Rom. 16. The very light of the Gospel it is a transforming light it hath a mighty power in it the Gospel it 's called the Wisdom of God and the Power of
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
thought he had enough Christs Auditors in the 6. of Luke 24. they had their portion in this world Wo to you here is your consolation saith Christ unto them O dreadful speech wo to this man wo to these here is their consolations Dives he had portion in this world in Luke 16. 25. Son remember in thy life time thou hadst thy pleasure and thou hadst thy good things they were thy good things those things that were measured out for thee thou hadst them in thy life-time In the handling of this Argument a shall divide what I have to say in these six Particulars that you may every one of you go on the more readily along with me First Why is it that God will deal out somewhat to wicked men in this world why they shall have any Portion at all Secondly That this their portion it is confin'd to this life and why so Thirdly Some Corrallaries that you will see will naturally flow from those Two Fourthly We shall consider the condition of these men who are such that have their Portion in this world Fifthly We shall endeavor to shew unto you who are those men to cull out of the Congregation what that man is or woman is that is like to have their Portion in this world Sixthly Conclude in the words of Exhortation unto you all For the first God doth give to wicked men a Portion He doles out something First They are all His Creatures Saith John concerning Jezebel Go take away this cursed woman shew some respect unto her let her not lie there in the streets but take her away for she is the Daughter of a King So saith God Well though these be cursed yet they are my Creatures some respect they shall have from me some good I 'le communicate to them Indeed it is not an Argument strong enough that because you are Gods Creatures therfore God should be merciful eternally to you but it may be an Argument strong enough because you are His Creatures you shall have somewhat Secondly This time of life it 's the time of Gods patience the day of Gods long-suffering Thirdly Therefore somewhat you shall have and the day of patience is mans day in 1 Cor. 4. 3. saith the Apostle there I pass not for mans judgement The words are in the Greek For mans Day I pass not for mans day so the words may be translated as if the Apostle should say it is true Man carries all before him now man hath all the doings now at this day and he may judg and censure as he pleaseth it is but his day and I pass not for mans day the day of patience may prove to be mans day that is the third Fourthly Wicked men they do somewhat for God here some kind of service that is at least materially a service for God and God will not have them clamour upon Him that they have nothing for their work God will give to every one something for what they do for Him though it be never so little here in this world You have a famous place for that in Ezekiel 29. 18 19 20. Nebuchadnezzer King of Babylon caused his Army to serve a great service against Tyrus yet had he no wages for his Army saith God he had no wages for his service well therefore God He enquires about this and seems to complain that when a Nebuchadnezzer did Him any service yet he should be all this while without his wages therefore saith God Behold I will give the Land of Egypt unto him he shall take a spoil and a prey and that shall be his wages He will give him wages for what he doth Many wicked men God doth make use of in divers services and much refreshing and good His Churches shall have from them the Lord causes the very Earth to help the woman earthly men to be of use to the Church and God will not be beholding to them for their work A thron may serve to stop a gap though it be but a thorn bush and if it serve to stop a gap and be of any use it hath that Benefit by it all that while it is kep from the fire whereas were it not of use it might presently be brought to the fire An argument by the way to provoke all men to be of as much use to the Church of God as possibly they can it may be that is the very thing that keeps thee from the fire thou art a thorn but God hath use of thee and therefore brings thee not to the fire but if thou once comest to be un-useful the fire is the next thing thou shalt hear of I remember Austin in his 5 th Book De Civitate Dei and the 12. Chap. speaks of the Romans that had such a flourishing condition for a while and he gives that for one Reason the Romans had brave spirits they were men that had excellent moralities and had Herotick kind of spirits and were delivered from that baseness of spirit that other people had and therefore God shewed some kind of respect unto them here many instances might be in that kind That 's the fourth Fifthly God gives wicked men a portion here to shew unto them what little good there is in all these things and to shew the world what little good there is in all the things that are here below in the world Certainly if there were much good they should never have them it is an argument there is no great excellency in the strength of body for an Ox hath it more than you an argument there is no great excellency in agility of body for a Dog hath it more than you an argument no great excellency in gay cloathes for a Peacock hath then more than you an argument there is not any great excellency in Gold Silver for the Indians that know not God have them more than you and if these things had any great worth in them certainly God would never give them to wicked men a certain argument As it is an argument there is no great evil in afflictions in this world because that the Saints are so much afflicted So no great argument there is any great good in this world for the wicked they enjoy so much of it Luther hath such an expression as this is in his Comment upon Genesis saith he The Turkish Empire as great as it is it is but a crum that the master of the family that God casts to dogs the whol Turkish Empire such an esteem had Luther of it and indeed it is no more All the things of the world God in giving of them to Turks and wicked ones His enemies shews there is not much excellency and good in them God therefore will cast them promiscuously up and down in the world because he looks upon them as worthless things God doth not so much regard whether men be prepared to give him the glory of them yea or no they shall have them however He is content to
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