is Lord in your heart he is Lord in your spirits he is Lord in your tongues he is Lord in your heads he is Lord in all your wayes therefore look upon him as Lord and Moderator of all your thoughts words and actions and this will help you to do things in his name Secondly if you would do things in his name then mind the very example and practice of the Lord Jesus Christ himself he did not do things in his own name but he did all in his fathers name and therefore we should do all in his name when he requires it of us as the Father required it of him he did all in his Fathers name in Job 5.43 I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not I am come but I come in my Fathers name I dont come in my own name I run not on my own head I come not with my own will or my own words to do what I would but I am come in my Fathers name and the Fathers works he did in Joh. 10.25 Jesus answered them I told you and ye believe not the works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me all the works that I do I do in my Fathers name not in my own name Now here 's a good example for us to mind the Lord Christ he did all in his Fathers name and so should we do all in Christs name and if we do them in his name we do them in the Fathers name also Paul did all in Christs name and we should do all in Christs name He did all in his Fathers name and his example is an unerring example Thirdly If we would do all in the name of Christ then let us get lowâ—â—â—o the Lord Jesus Christ 'T is want of love that makes us do so little in the name of Christ if we had love enough to Christ it would make us act in his name the name of Christ is an Oyntment poured out therefore do the Virgins love thee if we did look at the name of Christ as an Oyntment poured out sweet and precious and saving and comforting indeed O it would make us love the Lord Jesus as the Virgins do A Wife that loves her Husband it will make her do all in her Husbands name Oh if we had love to Jesus Christ we would do all in his name why the Lord Christ he loved his Father and saith he I keep his Commandements and abide in his love 'T is love will make you do things in the name of Christ the more love is in any soul the more it will act in the name of Christ and honour him Fourthly Lastly if we would do all in Christs name then let us consider the great reward that we shall have the reward will be great if we do all in his name I there will be a reward here and a reward hereafter we glorifie him and honour him much if we do all in his name I all the glory will be his now if we glorifie him we shall have a reward in our very acting how sweet is that action which is done aright in a right manner to a right end from a right principle how sweet is it as the Psalmist saith in keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward in the very keeping of the commands of God and Christ is great reward 〈◊〉 is great peace great comfort great content sweetness communion with God and at the end there is great reward Crowns of Glory a Kingdom Rivers of pleasure great reward so in doing things in the name of Christ there is a great reward in the very doing of it great sweetness great content to the soul great peace great communion with God great favour of Christ and afterwards there will be a great and glorious reward for the soul that doth so in the 12. John 26. If any man serve me saith Christ let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be if any man serve me why who serves Christ better than he that doth all in Christs name if we be the Servants of Christ we shall do all in the name of Christ and what then Let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be and if any man serve me him will my Father honour He shall be honoured by me and honoured by my Father honoured in Earth and honoured in Heaven honoured with a Kingdom and Glory and honoured with fruition of nâ—e and of my Father and all that is desirable Therefore consider of the great reward you shall have if you do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ The preciousness of the Word Psal 19.10 More to be desired are they then Gold yea then much fine Gold THe Psalmist had lay'd down in the former part of the Psalm many commendations of the Law the Statutes the Commandements the Testimonies and Judgments of the Lord. And here he draws up a conclusion concerning them all They are more to be desired then Gold then much fine Gold The words themselves are a Doctrine or an Observation and you may take it thus Doct. Divine truths are more to be desired then the choicest Treasures of the earth then all earthly treasures Two things are here to be done First to shew you that Gold is desirable and truths upon the same account Secondly that divine truths are more desirable then Gold or Silver or any earthly treasures whatsoever For the first two things there First what desire is Secondly that Gold is desirable and the truths of God upon the same account First what desire is desire is the reaching out of the soul after some good affected not in possession but absent saith David O that I had of the water of the Well of Bethlehem here 's the reaching out of his soul after some good affected 2 Sam. 23.15 saith Rachel give me Children or else I dye here 's the reaching out of her Soul after Children It is after good affected Either seeming good or real good affected Love is the root that bears desire and desire is the branch or fruit the hand and opperation of Love what we have no Love to we dont desire but what we have some Love too that we do desire It is the affecting of Good either seeming or real Solomon he desires wisdom that was a real good and he had real desires of it The desire of the Righteous is onely to good saith Solomon and there are seeming goods Eve desires the fruit 't was but a seeming good to her for it brought woe and sorrow to her and all hers Amnon desires Tamar it was a seeming good but a real evil Achan desires the Wedge of Gold it was his ruine Gehezi desires the Garments and the Wedge of Gold Now there must be good real or in appearance where desire is carried out unto it the soul sees some amiableness in the thing it doth desire and so it puts forth its desires after it
and the things of God as things by the by and they look after the world as the main business Fifthly Then I use the world aright and dont abuse it when my moderation is known that way and my affections run out little to the world when our moderation and affection towards them is such as if they were not And this you shall see plain in the 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. saith he It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none When my moderation and affection towards a wife be as though I had none and they that weep as though they wept not you are under great and heavy afflictions but you weep as if you wept not And they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not Have you prosperous times and all things go well Be as if you rejoyced not as if there were no such thing And those that buy as though they possessed not Be as if you had no possessions no houses no lands when you have bought and purchas'd them And they that use this world as not abusing it When our moderation is such towards things as if they were not Phil. 4. Let your moderation be known to all men Sixthly Lastly we use the world as not abusing it when we so use it that we can give a good and chearful account to God concerning what we have had in the world God gives some men great portions and some men less portions there 's none but have something Now when we use our Gifts our Estates our Relations so that we can give a good account to God Come give account of thy Stewardship it will be said e'r long to every man and woman thou hast had Wife and Children and Parents and Brethren and Sisters and health and strength and the like come give account of your Stewardship now when we so use all that we can give a good and chearful account to God we have not abused the world but us'd it the right way There 's a question or two more before I come to the use and application of the point which is this Qu. Are not the creatures of God good and may we not love them being good for good is the object of love An. To this I answer first that the good in the creature is very little very little compared to spiritual good or the goodness of God The good of the creature is very little and so little that it cannot make us good but rather doth further our corruptions and feed our lusts for all that is in the world as he saith here is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life The things of the world do feed our lusts and are stronger to set our corruptions a work than to further that good is in us and because the things of the world do divert us from God or discourage us towards good or corrupt the good is in us therefore the Lord hath forbid us to love the world though there be some good in the world But Secondly I answer that we may love the world and the things thereof as a man loves his tools to carry on some business of concernment so we may love the world as it may further us in our chief business if riches will promote the gospel promote and further our spiritual interest in Christ our peace and comfort and graces so far we may love the world And Thirdly We may love the world in subordination to God so we may love the world with a subordinate love to God so it hinders not love to God so we may love the good that is in the world and in the creature otherwise we must not love the world Qu. Another question is whether may a man follow his calling to be rich and take the calling which will bring in most gain men are in the world and have their callings in the world may not a man follow his calling to be rich and choose the calling which will be most gainful unto him This is a common practice of men they do follow their callings to be rich and choose those callings that may be most profitable An. But the answer to it is negative they may not do so and I shall give you reasons for it for First It is a heathenish thing to plead the goodness of a calling from the gain of a calling 't is a heathenish practice in the 19. Acts. 24 25. A certain man named Demetrius a Silver-Smith which made Silver Shrines for Diana brought no small gain unto the Crafts-men whom he brought together with the work-men of like occupation and said Sirs ye know that by this craft we have our wealth or gain The Heathens did plead the goodnes of their calling from the gain that it brought in unto them now we should not account a calling good because it 's gainful the very Heathens did so In the 2 Pet. 2.3 speaking of false Prophets Through covetousness shall they which feigned words make Merchandize of you Through covetousness true Prophets are to have their maintenance and countenance and to live comfortably but the end of their calling is not gain now the Scripture condemns it and it was their sin they would sell their souls for gain they car'd not what became of their souls so they might have gain and profit thereby And when two callings do lye before a man he is not to choose that calling will bring most gain but that calling he is most fit for that God hath fitted him for and given him gifts and talents whereby he may use the calling well So that that 's the first answer unto it Secondly in callings men must aim at the publick good the good of the Church the good of State and not at gain in the 2. Neh. 10. When Sanballat the Heronite and Tobiah the Servant the Ammonite heard of it it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the Children of Israel Nehemiah did not seek himself but he sought the welfare of the children of Israel the publick good he had his calling he was governour and he did seek the welfare of the children of Israel and in Esth 10.3 It 's said of Mordecai That he sought the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed So every man should make that his main aim to seek the publick good of Church or State and as a Heathen said our Countrey our Parents our Friends do challenge part of our estates or of our callings or of what we get we are not to be for our selves but for the publick good so in the 2 Cor. 12.15 saith the Apostle there I will very gladly spend and be spent for you though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved Paul did mind them and not what they had he would spend and be spent for them he would sacrifice himself if there were occasion upon their faith to confirm and strengthen
earth and therefore savoured the things of the earth and spake of them but Christ he was of heaven and spake of heavenly things They were minding of their Cummin and Annise and Mint and Tythes and neglected the weighty things of the Law their hearts were upon those things 1 Joh. 4.5 saith he they are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heard them Men that are of the world that love the world they speak of the world and men love to hear them speak of the world And when any speak of heavenly things how unwelcome and unsavory are they 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned They do not perceive the things of God nor receive the things of God they are spiritual and unwelcome unto them Therefore in the 8. Rom. 5 6. saith the Apostle They that are after the flesh do savour the things of the flesh they savour them relish them and delight in them but they that are after the Spirit do savour the things of the Spirit and in Isa 58.13 If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a delight The Holy of the Lord Honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words God accounts that man a gracious man a heavenly man a good man that turns his foot away from the Sabbath from finding his own pleasure and doing his own will and calls the Sabbath a delight and honourable and doth not his own work and will nor speaks his own words Now our own words are the words of the world the words of the flesh It 's an Argument a man is not of the world when he savours the things of God and turns away his feet from the Sabbath from doing his pleasure on Gods Holy day c. But when a man relishes and savors the world and the things of it in his discourses this shews we are glewed to the world and love the world Ninthly A man loves the world when he doth mourn and lament for the things of the world being taken from him That which we love we mourn when we lose it when men mourn exceedingly for a child it 's an argument they lov'd their child so when men mourn and are afflicted for the loss of Estate Names Friends and Relations it 's an argument they loved the world Rachel weeps and refuses to be comforted why her Children are not Many how greatly are they afflicted when they lose some outward things â—redit profit honours pleasures estates and reâ—â—tions how they mourn and are disconâ—tâ—ted and hang down the head and will not be comforted They love the world and the things of the world Tenthly Lastly we are said to love the world when men are resolved to be rich and will have the world one way or other they will have the world by hook or by crook as we use to say 1 Tim. 6.9 They that Will be rich They are resolved to be rich and to have the world whatsoever comes of it These men love the world indeed Thus then you see what the world is and what it is to love the world The next thing is why we should not love the world nor the things of the world First Those that are in a state of grace be they Babes little Children young men or Fathers they should not love the world because they are called out of the world called off from the world They are called to another state to a state of grace and now their love should run out to grace and the things of another world which they are called unto They are called to be Heirs with Christ and that of Heaven Glory and Happiness and therefore they should not love the world Secondly They should not love the world because it will put them upon things that are unreasonable which will be seen in tvvo or three particulars First 'T will put you upon things that are but probable and make you leave things that are certain Now this is unreasonable to be taken off from things that are certain and to be put upon things that are but probable It is but probabâ— for any man in this world to get the world noâ— to follow hard after that which is but probable whether we shall get it or no Hag. 1.6.9 saith the Prophet ye have sown much and bring in little ye eat but ye have not enough ye drink but ye are not filled with drink ye cloath you but there is none warm and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes and v. 9. Ye looked for much and loe it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it It is a hazzard a venture to get the things of this world men may take a great deal of pains and pursue these things eagerly and yet come short of them The greatest part of men dye in their expectations they look to get these things and do not get them nay those that labour most do usually attain least And therefore as the wise man saith Eccles 9.11 I returned and saw under the Sun that the race is not to the Swift who should get the race but the swift it's most probable that the swift should get the Race But the Race is not to the swift nor the Battel to the strong neither yet bread to the wise wise men dont get bread nor understanding men get riches nor get favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all 't is uncertain whether they shall get these things or no. The World and the Devils promises are seldom made good but now for other things they are certain and therefore it puts men upon unreasonable things to leave certain things for improbable things God's promises are certain God will not fail men that take pains for true Wisdom and understanding Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you First seek these things for they are certain Secondly Suppose we do get the world with our endeavours yet we cannot keep them without fear of losing them Prov. 23.4 5. Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they flee away as an Eagle towards Heaven Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not which is not considerable which is not long to continue Riches certainly makes themselves wings others need not make them wings And they flee away as an Eagle towards Heaven Prov. 27.1 Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth To morrow may be a great storm and may blow down the house a great Tempest and the Ship be overturned or driven upon an Anchor and all the
them to do them good to build them up so far was he from seeking himself in his calling Thirdly For a man to seek to be rich in his calling and to make that his end is against that great and glorious principle of the Gospel self-denyal It 's a great principle and a glorious truth self-denyal in the 16. Matth. saith our blessed Saviour v. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Crose and follow me he must deny himself now if I make gain or profit my end in my calling I dont deny my self but I set up my self and this is complained of by the Apostle Phil. 2.21 Every man seeks his own things and no man seeks the things of Christ every man is for himself his own honour profit and pleasure and dont deny himself Now self-denyal is a great and glorious truth that every man and woman should take notice of and put in practice else he is none of the Disciples of the Lord Christ Fourthly It is but a base and low end and directly against Scripture for a man to propound gain in his calling to be his end Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich that must not be your end most men do labour to be rich and to be great in the world but it should not be their end Labour not to be rich so that it 's directly against the Scripture it self Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but labour for that which endures to everlasting life There should be a mans end to labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life and not for the meat that perisheth Fifthly Lastly men should follow a calling whether they get any gain or no they are to follow a calling and that to glorifie God God set Adam in a calling that he might glorifie him 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God This should be the end of men in their callings do all to the glory of God And in the 6. Eph. 5 6 7. speaking of servants in their calling Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ They must serve Christ and glorifie Christ in their callings be they never so mean the lowest and meanest Servant in a family should serve Christ Not with Eye-service as men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men They should not be men-pleasers they should not seek themselves but serve the Lord and seek to honour the Lord knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free They shall have a reward of the Lord if they be right in their callings and dont make gain profit to be their aim end And so much for that question I shall now come to the uses of the point that those that are in a state of grace whether they be little children or young men or fathers ought not to love the world or the things of it Vse 1. This doth inform us of the corruption of our natures which are very prone to love the world and the things of the world and therefore God gives a flat prohibition Love not the world nor the things of the world intimating that men and women since the fall are most prone to lvoe the creature for in their fall they were turned from God to the creature to leave the creator and to run to the creature and we are so turned to the creature that we do Idolize the creatures affect the creatures dote upon the creature and spend our time and strength about creatures and forget God and the things of God The water is not more prone to run downward nor the fire to go upwards then our hearts are to run out to creatures this is common to all men an universal sickness and disease in all men and their hearts and natures are exceeding corrupt that are so prone to these things that are forbidden It should humble us that we are so corrupt and go the wrong way and mind poor perishing vain things and neglect God himself who only can say I am that I am I am Substance and Being I am excellency I am worthy of love and yet I am not beloved 2. If those in a state of grace should not love the world nor the things of the world then I infer from hence that the number of such is very few there are very few that are truly in the state of grace very few little children very few young men very few fathers that love not the world the love of the world is so common that it proclaims to the world they have no grace or but seeming grace not saving grace All men seek their own saith Paul no man the things of Christ 't was so in the Apostles dayes they loved the world the things of the world the honours of the world and the preferments of the world and places of power and riches and pleasures and things of that nature which were sutable to the flesh and the old man they loved these and Christ was not regarded so in the Revelations All the world wondered after the Beast 'T is rare to find a man estranged from the world to live above the world Our conversation saith Paul is in Heaven where is a man now whose conversation is in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Common-wealth is in heaven we are Citizens of heaven our affections are in heaven our trading is in heaven 't is very rare to find such a man Thirdly If such should not love the world then those who are gracious godly should be content with a little of the world a little of the world should serve their turns a little will suffice nature and less will suffice grace a little will carry us to our Journeys end and 't is not wisdom to load our selves with thick clay when we have a Journey to go a Race to run The Apostle saith in the 13. Heb. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have You are Christians you are in a Church state you are Young men you are Children you are Fathes be content with such things as ye have and be not covetous after the world and the things of the world and in the 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and rayment let us be therewith content A gracious heart should consider I brought nothing into the world I shall carry nothing our if I have Food and Rayment and things convenient for me while I am in the world what should I trouble my self any further to moyl and labour and keep a do for I know
jealousie least his actions come not from a right principle all men act but few men consider from what principle their actions come why they have a soul within them and an understanding within them and they act as men I but a Godly man must act higher They are partakers of the Divine nature they have the Spirit put into them they have faith put into them they have a new heart and a new spirit and they act from another principle than the world doth Now a Godly Soul is jealous from what principal he acts Thirdly A gracious heart is jealous of its own graces whether its graces be real and true graces or feigned imagined or seeming graces or restraining graces a gracious heart is very jealous very watchful very tender and careful in this point it knows that there are seeming graces which are not saving it knows that there is reprobate Silver as well as right and good Silver it knows there is Brass and Lead and Tin as well as Gold and therefore is very jealous least it should miscarry and Judge that true grace which is not true grace it 's jealous of it self and very vigilant and careful herein O that my heart may be sound and that I may not mistake nor be turned off now with common grace restraining grace but that I may have justifying grace saving grace and sanctifying grace Fourthly A gracious heart is jealous about its union with Christ union with Christ there must be if ever any of you be sav'd Christ is the head and the body must be united to the head and every member in the body must have union with the head he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit now a gracious heart hath a Godly jealousie about its union am I united to Christ or am I not deceived am I not mistaken Is it any more than a bare profession is it any more than a bare external professional union Is it an Intrinsecal union an essential union Is it a union made by the Spirit of Christ hath Christ hold of me and I hold of Christ by Faith do I apprehend as I am apprehended Fifthly He is jealous of his apprehensions his apprehensions about truths about joys he hath other apprehensions than he had before and yet he hath a Godly jealousie about his apprehensions least he should not apprehend God aright and Christ aright and Scriptures aright and Promises aright and other truths aright He is jealous of his joy he hath sometimes joy inward joy but he fears least it should be the fruit of nature of fancy of misapprehending and of misapplying things least his joys be no other than the joys of the Stony ground So of his feelings and experiences he is jealous there least he do mistake in them build too much upon them draw other conclusions from them than he should And evry Godly man and woman hath cause to be jealous here There are so many errors which are so like truth and such false joys that men have cause I say to be very jealous Sixthly he hath jealousie in respect of his affections a gracious soul is jealous least his affections be misplaced least his affections be inordinate run the wrong way and run out too much towards things below and too little towards things above he is jealous that they be not plac'd upon the right object That his love is not where it should be his hatred where it should be Jealous least they do not work according as they ought to work in reference to the objects they are plac'd upon Is my love upon God do I love him him with all my Soul and with all my heart and with all my might Do I love him above all things in the world Is my heart with him constantly and continually Is my hatred carried out against Sin Do I hate sin in my self Do I not wink at Sin in a Wife a Child a Brother a Sister or a Relation So for his fear do not I fear creatures more than God have not I more lively stirrings in my Soul in regard of Thunder and Lightning and dangers and evils and death than I have of the great God of Heaven and Earth He is jealous of himself of his affections that way jealous least he sorrow for Sin because of the evils and mischiefs it brings him not because it is against God darkens his Glory is the breach of his Commands and defiles the Soul So for the manner of his affections he is jealous least they should not be real and true but hypocritical for many pretend much love and friendship and kindness and yet there 's no reality so many pretend much love to God and no reality pretend much sorrow for Sin and no reality pretend fear of God and no reality thus is he jealous over his affections with a Godly jealousie Seventhly A gracious heart is jealous over its own ends what its ends are whether its ends are right or no according to God or no he sees men have base ends and by ends and selfish ends and particular interests which carries them aside and turns them out of the way and he is jealous least his heart should have some wrong ends Religion is the pretence and Gods glory is the pretence of all men O to honour God and to countenance Religion these two ends must countenance all the base practices in the world both by Papists and others now a Godly man is jealous of his ends least he have not propounded a right end and so carry on things in order to that end Eighthly He is jealous least he should neglect any thing that may conduce to his spiritual and eternal good he is very jealous in this Paul in the 1. Cor. 9. last saith he I keep under my body and bring it into subjection least that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away Saith Paul I dare not neglect the keeping under my body and bringing it into subjection to the Doctrine I pâ—â—ch least that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away Now a gracious heart is as jealous as Paul Paul was jealous he durst not neglect Fasting and Abstinence and Prayer and Mortification thus a gracious heart is jealous least he should neglect any thing that might further his spiritual good so run that you may obtain be sure to cast off every weight and the Sin that doth so easily beset you cast off the world that doth so hinder O run and so run that you may obtain Ninthly Lastly he is jealous least his heart should cary out his Tongue and his hand to such expressions and actions that are not becoming his profession he is very jealous O let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let my heart never carry me out to do any thing that may prejudice thy Statutes nor to speak any thing that may disparage them let me not Judge Censure and Condemn let me
Spirit in the heart then it 's a sound heart there may be seeming Graces and seeming Comforts but these do not cause soundness Take Brass Tin Cooper let it be Silver'd over by the Art of man this is not sound it is not Currant money so many have parts and they may have seeming graces and seeming comforts and yet not be real not be true such a heart is not sound you read in Scripture of a feigned faith a dead faith you read likewise of feigned love and there are feigned comforts flashy comforts and groundless hopes Now where the heart is sound these are graces comforts wrought by the Word and Spirit hence you read of faith unfeigned 2 Tim. 1.5 and you read of Love the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and so peace and joy There 's false peace and false joy but you read of these wrought by the Spirit and love shed abroad in the heart by the Spirit you read of a lively hope of a hope that 's grounded upon the promises 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth now when graces are real in the heart and comforts are real in the heart and there 's a real truth in them Then the heart is sound And so soundness is opposed to the fancies conceits and dreams of men and their mistakes but their hearts are rotten notwithstanding all their dreams and fancies Fifthly Soundness of heart doth lye in sincerity Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let it be sincere and upright and so some read the words And the word signifies upright and sincere and so it 's opposed to Hypocrisie O let me not be an Hypocrite let me not be a deceiver a sound heart is a sincere heart where there is Hypocrisie in men and women there 's an unsound heart there 's a rotten heart the Apostle speaks of love without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 So all must be without dissimulation where there is soundness and here both the end and the means and the manner are respected First where the heart is sound there will be sound ends sincere ends and among the rest there be three great ends that a sound heart aims at First the Glory of God Secondly Publick good Thirdly the Spiritual and Eternal good of the Soul First the Glory of God that 's the great end of a sound heart such ends will a sound heart have as Gods Statutes doth propound and hold out now this is one great and high end that God holds out in his word the glorifying of himself Prov. 16.4 God hath made all things for himself for his own glory for his own honour God hath set up his own Glory as his own end and so a sound heart hath that end that God hath propounded So in the 11 Rom. last saith the Apostle there From him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Glory is the end 1. Cor. 10.31 Do all to the Glory of God whether you eat or drink or whatever you do that 's the great end 1. Cor. 6. you are not your own you are bought with a price Glorifie God in Soul and Body That 's the great end of a sound heart Secondly the end of a sound heart is publick good Do good to all but especially to the Houshold of Faith not a private and domestick end but do good to all the world if possible but especially to Sion to the Church of God to the people of God saith Hester if I perish I perish Sion is in danger Gods people are in danger I will not stand upon my self and my own safety and upon the Kings Law but Gods glory the welfare and good of Sion lyes at the Stake and I will venture here was a sound heart that had a right end if I perish I perish I will venture my self for God and for his cause and people Thirdly It hath a right end in regard of it self viz. it 's Spiritual and Eternal good A Godly man will have a care of his body but his great care is of his soul and the spiritual and eternal good of his soul Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which indureth to everlasting life that meat that perishes concerns the body but there is meat saith Christ which indures to everlasting life and that 's the meat you must look at and that 's the meat a sound heart doth aim at and seek to find out and to feed upon First seek the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof and saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4.18 our scope is not to look at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen things that are eternal and that concern the eternal good of our souls Secondly It is sincere likewise in regard of the means a sound heart will use all the means Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commands there must be respect to all Gods Commands to all his Threatnings to all his Promises to all Examples to all Invitations to all Admonitions to all Counsels to the whole will of God a sound heart hath respect to all that God hath revealed to all the means whatsoever they have unsound and rotten hearts who throw off the Law or the Gospel who throw of all Ordinances who throw off the Scriptures but then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commands Thirdly So likewise for the manner of using the means many come and hear the word but not with trembling Isa 66.2 not as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 they receive it not with love 2 Thess 2.13 they mingle it not with faith Heb. 4.2 they hear it not as the word that shall judge them John 12.48 so many pray but not spiritually Ephes 6.18 not feelingly and fervently Rom. 12.11 Jam. 5.16 not believingly Jam. 1.6 so many receive but descern not the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11.29 and many give but not with simplicity Rom. 12.8 and secresie Mat. 6.3 Now a sound heart respects the manner in these and all other duties as much as the duties themselves and is much humbled for failings in the manner of performing duties Sixthly Lastly soundness of heart lyes in this in the hearts putting forth to practice what is revealed to it or received by it when a man hath truth and witholds truth in unrighteousness that man is not sound at the heart but where the heart is sound the soundness of it carries him to practice what is revealed and given in unto it you may see it in David and in Hezekiah 1 K. 15.15 David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life whatsoever God commanded him that he did his heart was sound in his Statutes And so here in Isa 38. v. 3. Remember now O Lord
name and strength of the Lord and make mention of his righteousness and of his onely and in Isa 44.25 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength what made Peter fall but this that he went out in his own strength I will dye e're I will deny thee O poor Peter he did then presently deny him once twice he denyed him with execrations 15. Men prove unsound and are ashamed that do either joyn any thing of their own to Christ or fetch their comforts any where else then from Christ most men and women joyn something of their own with Christ I will do what I can and I hope Christ will do the rest Alas poor creature dost thou joyn thy self with Christ and make thy works and thy sufferings equal to Christs and give them the honour that Christ must have thou art undone Christ must save alone or he will not save at all Christ doth all alone without thee he looks for nothing from thee Rom. 9.32 wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law we read saith the Jews and we Pray and we offer Sacrifice and we burn Incense we keep Sabbaths Solemn Feasts and new Moons and what must we not bring in our own Righteousness with Christs must all this be lay'd by they would have it as it were by the works of the Law and Ch. 10.3 they being ignorant of Gods righteousness they did not know that Christ's righteousness alone must do it and Christs obedience and Christ's sufferings must do it but going about to establish their own righteousness they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God and so they were unsound hearted and undid themselves for when men or women bring any thing to Christ they undo themselves you must come without money to Christ without righteousness without your duties without your own actions and the good of them for what 's all your goodness but as a morning cloud therefore whosoever will bring ought to Christ is unsound and will be ashamed and so are you if you fetch your comfort from any but Christ there are many poor Christians which are shaken very much are empty of all is good in their own eyes yet they will fetch their Comfort from elsewhere than from Christ they will fetch their comfort from the promises from God immediately or from the Ordinances or the Minister or some good Christian or Godly friend but know that if you fetch your comfort any where but from Christ it will never hold is not Christ the consolation of Israel God hath given Christ to send the Comforter and you must have your comfort in Christ for all the promises of God in Christ are yea and in him Amen the promises are made first to Christ and you must take up the promise in Christ and draw the comfort out of the promise through Christ and you must go to God through Christ what comfort to you from God out of Christ it's nothing but discomfort if we will take up comfort any way but by Christ we go the wrong way to work and undo our selves and shall be ashamed at last 16. They are like to prove unsound who do go on in a tract of duty in a form of Godliness and get nothing thereby when men do not get and gain and grow by the Ordinances of God it 's a sign their hearts are corrupt they are unsound do not many sit under Ordinances year after year and yet no lusts mortifyed ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth no lust is mortified no lust subdued no change made in their heads and hearts no zeal be got in them no encrease of faith no more love to God c. these men now are unsound and will be ashamed at last the Jews were long under the means of grace and yet they gain'd nothing the Scribes and Pharises had a form of Godliness and I am not like this Publican but no whit the better now when it is so it 's a dangerous symptom having a form of Godliness but without power yet many Families and Christians have a form of Godliness but no power at all 17. Again 't is a dangerous symptom of an unfound heart when as we are under troubles shakings convictions and terrors of Conscience and we look more at ease and comfort than we do at foundness many when they are shaken and convinced of sin and see that they are lost and undone creatures they must have ease comfort and relief presently they must have Oyl they must have Wine it 's a thousand to one if this soul ever proves right for if thy conviction be right and God intend thee rich mercy to eternity Thou wilt look after soundness and healing of thy soul rather than ease and comfort Heal my soul saith David for I have sinned against thee Create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right Spirit O God let me be made clean let me be made sound and no matter for comfort that will come in time if the cure be right if therefore we look at ease comfort and refreshing and look not at healing we are not right and there 's no healing virtue but in Christ the Lord Jesus he is the Son of righteousness that comes with healing in his wings come Lord and heal my soul come Lord and purge my conscience come and take away these lusts and corruptions come and take away my enmity to God and to his wayes the soul goes thus to God that soul is sound indeed 18. That soul which loves any thing more than the Lord Christ himself and God himself cannot have a testimony of its foundness but may be assured it is corrupt and rotten unless we do love God and Christ superlatively above all things in the world yea our selves we are not sound Math. 12.30 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength mark here be four all 's and God must have all in every one thou must love the Lord thy God with thy heart and with all thy heart it must not be a divided heart it must be with all thy soul the soul is larger than the heart and with all thy mind the mind runs here and there and imagins strange things God must have all thy mind all thy affections and all thy understanding and with all thy strength is there strength in thy mind in thy soul in thy heart in thy body in thy hand in thine eye God must have thy strength Love the Lord thy God will all thy strength but if we love any thing more than God where are we then 2 Tim. 3. Lovers of pleasure more than Lovers of God men will spend night and day in Feasting in Drinking in Gaming in Rioting one way or other what are these now but corrupt men unsound men rotten hearted men men
the Father had drawn it it sees that Christ hath done all for it taken away its sin and put upon it his righteousness so that the soul sees no cause to boast at all Fourthly Where there is true faith in the Son of God that soul sees a lustre in holiness in grace and glory in the person in the life in the sufferings in the doctrine in the ordinances of Jesus Christ others see no beauty nor worth in the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 1.14 The word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begtoten of the Father what a glory did we behold in the person of Christ though he was cloathed with flesh and had put on our Sack-cloth yet we beheld a glory in him even the glory of the Father full of grace and full of truth a believing soul sees a lustre in Jesus Christ more glorious than the Sun and so in his Life what a glorious sin-less life he liv'd and lead and so in his sufferings glorying in the Cross God forbid saith Paul that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ so in the Doctrine of Christ what a glorious Doctrine is it 2 Cor. 3. last but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord that 's in the Gospel are changed into tho same Image from glory to glory In the Doctrine of the Gospel there is a glory a marvellous glory 'T is called marvellous light in Peter so in all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ there is a lustre a glory in every thing of Jesus Christ he hath stamp'd something of his own Image and glory and excellency upon it In 5 Cant. say the daughters of Jerusalem What is thy beloved more than anothers beloved they saw no great matter in him O my beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand she saw a glory which they could not see Fifthly That faith which is right in the Son of God it interests the whole heart in Christ not a part but the whole heart Acts 8.37 Philip said if thou believest with all thine heart and he answered and said I believe that Jesus is the Son of God my whole heart runs out to this so that where faith in Christ is true there the whole heart is interested in Christ the understanding the will the affections they are taken up with Christ he is highly esteemed in the understanding he is fully closed with by the will he is greatly loved and delighted in by the affections the soul doth now love him and joy in him he is the exceeding joy of his heart When a woman is married to a rich man that is loving and suitable every way her whole heart is carried out to him so when the soul is married to Christ the whole heart is taken up with him and runs out strongly unto him Sixthly The soul that doth believe in Christ sets up Christ and all of Christ and nothing but Christ No King said the Jews but Caesar so saith the soul no King but Jesus Christ we have no King but Christ saith the believing soul it sets up the person of Christ it sets up the Laws of Christ it sets up the Ordinances of Christ no Prophet but Christ no High-Priest but Christ so saith the soul that is rightly united to Christ by faith believes aright in him yea it sets up the worst of Christ above the best of the world whatever place or profit or honour the world affords the soul that is rightly believing in Christ sets up the worst of Christ above it all Heb. 11.24 c By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharoah's Danghten What Moses will you refuse to be Son to Pharoah's Daughter to be Heir to the Crown will you refuse that I he refuses to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season what will you refuse the pleasures of the Court the choicest pleasures that can be invented I let them go for the afflictions of Gods people and mark in the 26. v. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt The reproach of Christ or reproach for Christ to be called a Phanatick a Seditious fellow a Schismatick and the like he did esteem that more than all the treasures in Egypt So that the worst of Christ which is reproaching and Persecution and Affliction and Imprisonment and Banishment it esteems all for Christ and therefore saith Paul Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Alas what 's in these sufferings to the glory that is to be had by Jesus Christ Seventhly The soul that doth rightly believe in Christ doth bring its heart and will to be one with the will of Christ As Christ who had faith in God and said My God my God he said Not my will but thy will be done So the Soul that believes in Christ rightly saith not my will but thy will be done It 's brought over to the will of Christ I live not saith Paul but Christ lives in me Christ hath his will altogether in me I have no will but Christs will What do you weeping and breaking my heart I am ready not to be bound onely but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ he dyed for him and laid down his life to fulfill the will of God and Paul had the same will that he had and we have the mind of Christ saith he Eighthly Lastly You have here one note in the Text and that is Love faith in the Son of God doth work love in the Soul and therefore mind the connexion of these Commands this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ And Love one another as he gave us Commandment The more saith you have in Christ the more love you will have to others for we do see in Christ so much love to us that were so unworthy so sinful in so damnable an estate and condition that we will have love and pity towards the worst and those are Godly we shall have love to them because they are in the same condition with our selves we see that they are Brethren they are Members of Christ and they have the same precious faith with our selves that they are glorious through the Robe of Christs Righteousness put upon them I we see that they are Heirs together with our selves of the same grace and in time shall be of the same Glory that they are Heirs with Christ and Co-heirs with him and so upon this account they come to love them and faith works by love O the love that is in the Soul that hath a right saith in Jesus Christ it 's full of
love Thus then you see now to know whether your faith be right in Jesus Christ being commanded to believe in him One thing more and that is if faith lye under a Command let us all then be obedient to this Command and labour to believe in his Son Jesus Christ more and more if we have no faith let us do it if we have faith let us do it more and more I shall give you two or three motives and answer a question and so conclude First for Motives know you can never truly love God till your sins are forgiven you you will think God is not your God till your sins are forgiven but if you find that your sins are forgiven you you will love God then to purpose you will love God then in truth and in strength Mary loved much why many sins were forgiven her now unless you believe in Jesus Christ you cannot have the forgiveness of your sins and so you will be questioning whether God love you or whether he be not a hard God and a hard Master and dont pardon your sins and so you cannot love God truly and love God with strength If therefore you would love God with truth and strength believe in his Son Jesus Christ that you may know your sins are forgiven Secondly This believing in the Lord Jesus Christ makes our persons very acceptable unto God Eph. 1.6 he hath made us accepted in his Beloved How are we made accepted by faith in him if we have not faith in him we are not accepted therefore the Apostles put us to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 There 's the acceptation of your persons And so of your Prayers our Prayers will never speed in Heaven and have gracious Returns unless we believe in the Son of God 't is for Christs sake that our Prayers are heard as you may see in the verse before the Text and the Text together whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments And what 's one Command That we belieive on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ why now our Prayers come to be heard when we keep his Commandments Lastly It is that which doth exalt the grace of God and honours him very much to believe in his Son Jesus Christ It 's said in 1 Joh. 5. He that believes not hath made God a Lyar. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself There 's encouragement to believe in the Son of God He that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is one record that God hath given us eternal life in him And this is another that he Commands us to believe in him that we may have this eternal life Now what a dishonour is this to the God of truth to make him a lyar but now to believe in his Son doth exalt the free grace of God God hath made all the promises to Jesus Christ and in Christ they are all yea and Amen And mark it All the promises of God in him are Yea and and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 When we believe in his Son Jesus Christ in whom they are all concentred in whom they are all yea and Amen but if you do not believe in the Son of God They are not all to the honour of God God hath not his glory in that way that he looks for by Jesus Christ So that we should believe in the Son of God because it doth exalt his honour and his free grace and promotes his Glory abundantly and the contrary brings reproach and dishonour upon God One question more But happily some will say I cannot believe what should I do To that Soul and to all of us I would say thus much First attend diligently unto the means by which God works faith Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Attend now unto the means the Gospel especially which is the means that God hath appointed to work faith by and doth work faith by Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation When they heard the word of truth the Gospel of Salvation then they came to trust in him So when people do attend unto the means of Grace and attend seriously unto it God doth work faith and increase faith where it is by the same means You know Pipes dont give water but water comes through Pipes so the Gospel is the Pipe through which God lets out this water of grace and conveys it unto us and will you see it performed in Acts 13.48 And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed When they heard the Gospel Preached as many as were ordained to eternal life believed they attended upon the word and the means of grace and it was not in vain they believed Attend therefore upon the Gospel and the word Preached as an Ordinance of God appointted and designed of God purposely to work faith in your Souls many persons they come to hear the Word they come only to hear a man what he can say and what notions and new things there may be but they come not to it as an ordinance of God appointed to work grace and faith in the soul and so miss of their expectation upon that account Secondly Consider how freely Jesus Christ is offered in the Gospel and offered unto you and at what a cheap rate Christ is to be had In Isa 55 come without money and without price come and drink of the waters of life freely Why the Lord Jesus Christ is a free gift Rom. 5.15 saith the Apostle not as the offence so also is the free gift A free gift Jesus Christ and grace is and Joh. 4.10 If thou haddest known the gift of God O Christ is the gift of God and what is required now but receiving of this gift will you not receive a gift and such a gift as this is when it is tendred to you by God himself and tendred to you in such a glorious manner and God doth put off this rich gift at a very low rate if you will receive it Rev. 3.20 I stand at the dore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come into him and Ch. 22.17 whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely here 's Christ with the water of life and bread of life with his Righteousness with all that is useful for you for the present and to eternity here he is receive him O how great will our condemnation be if we dont receive him when as he is offered so freely to us 3. Lastly you cannot believe you say and I believe you too you cannot believe I but pray unto God to inable you
Sun of the water now let this mind be in you which also was in Jesus Christ a heavenly mind Eighthly The Lord Christs mind was a zealous mind a servent mind in 2 Joh. 17. Christ was zealous there in driving them out of the Temple that made his fathers house a den of Thieves He was zealous against the Traditions Doctrines and Practises of the Scribes and Pharisees the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up saith he a zealous mind he had Mat. 15. he was zealous against the tradition of the Elders and in Mat. 23. he was zealous against the Scribes and Pharisees woe to you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites often he pronounces woe to them he had a zealous mind against all was corrupt and wicked So how zealous was Christ against the Churches for failings Rev. 2.2 3 4 5. I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil and thou hast tryed them which say they are Apâ—stles and are not and hast found them lyars and hast born and hast patience and for my name sake hast laboured and hast not fainted He commends them for what was good first Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love I have somewhat against thee Ephesus thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Here 's the zeal of Christ I 'le come and I 'le come quickly and I 'le come and put out the Candle and break the Candlestick I will come and lay you waste though you be a Church if you dont return to your first works and first love The Lord had a zealous mind and spirit against declensions against declensions in love and grace and the like so in Heb. 5.7 who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save O how zealously did Christ Pray when he prayed till the blood trickled down Christ had a zealous mind Now let this mind be in you also to have a zealous mind against traditions superstitions against declinings in Grace against Apostacy and things of that nature Ninthly the Lord Christ had a peaceable and a quiet mind in Mat. 11. saith Christ learn of me for I am meek he had a quiet and a meek mind and Mat. 12.19 he shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man here his voice in the streets he shall be meek and quiet and peaceable it 's said of Seraiah in Jeremiah that he was a quiet Prince much more of Jesus Christ there was no striving no bitterness no contention and the like but peaceable and quiet he was Now let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus a meek a quiet a peaceable mind the Ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit is of great price saith the Apostle Peter speaking of Godly women such a spirit had Christ a quiet and a meek spirit and let this be in Christians and in Churches Tenthly the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ it was a submissive mind a submissive mind to his Fathers will whatever hard thing he should meet withall though he met with the hardest thing that was immaginable yet Christ was submissive unto it in Luke 22.42 Father if thou be willing remove the Cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done There was a cup prepared for Christ that never was the like cup for any to drink a a cup that had so much gall so much of the wrath of God a cup wherein all the guilt of our sins were and all the merit and desert of them this cup Christ must drink well saith he Father seeing I must drink it not my will but thy will be done So that the Lord Christ had a submissive mind to any hard and severe providence We are apt to stumble and quarrel and keep a do if things go cross to our wills and cannot bear them and say Lord not my will but thy will be done But let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus a submissive mind to the providences of God to drink the bitterest cup that he shall order out for you Eleventhly the Lord Christ had a Compassionate mind he was full of bowels of compassion and very tender hearted Mat. 15.32 Then Jesus called his Disciples unto him and said I have Compassion on the multitude because they continue now with me three dayes and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting least they saint in the way O I pitty them I have compassion on them I would not have them faint in the way and so afterwards in Mat. when some came and cryed to him that he would shew them mercy saith the Text Christ had compassion on them Mat. 20.3 4. he was wonderful compassionate Heb. 4.15 We have not an High-Priest which cannot â—e tâ—uched with the feeling of our Infirmities the Lord Christ doth feel the infirmities of every member of his body and in Heb. 2.17 It behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful High Priest He is sensible of our ignorances and infirmities weakness ful of bowels compassions Why then let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus a compassionate a merciful mind he was the good Samaritan which had compassion when neither the Priest nor the Levite would Twelfthly Lastly the Lord Christ had a loving mind a mind full of love a forgiving mind he â—ad such love as he could cover sins and forgive sins Eph. 5.2 walk in love as Christ also hath loved us O Christ hath loved us loved us and washed us in his own blood loved us and lay'd down his life for us loved us dearly and strongly loved us even above himself well saith he let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus walk in love as Christ hath loved us And he loved us so as to forgive those that wronged him though they wronged him exceedingly took away his garments took away his credit took away his liberty took away his life Father forgive them they know not what they do Luke 23.34 and therefore he appoints or commands Mat. 5.44 I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you Christ did so let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus Thus you see what mind was in Christ Yet to reduce things to these four particulars First to have the mind of Christ is to have the same thoughts in you that Christ had Christ had no ill thoughts in him but rebuk'd ill thoughts why think you evil in your hearts as it is in Psal 139.17
hope for a blessing upon the action but the ground of his hope is from the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 because of the savour of thy good Oyntments Thy name is as an Oyntment poured forth That perfumes all the actions done in Christs name and so they are acceptable unto God and this name is the ground of my hope for a blessing from God and from Christ because I look at the name of Christ which is the sweet Oyntment that doth perfume all Therefore ask your hearts what 's the ground and the Pillar of your hopes for a blessing upon your actions 't is not the goodness of your actions but the name of Christ that gives the hope Fifthly Lastly he that doth all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ ascribes the blessing and success of all unto the name of Christ he will attribute nothing to his own thoughts words or actions he will attribute nothing to any intervening cause but attribute all unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us away with all that should rise from us but unto thy name give glory yea all the glory 1 Tim. 1.12 I thank Jesus Christ our Lord saith Paul that inabled me and put me into the Ministry He gives the glory to Christ I thank the Lord I had no power to Preach but thou hast enabled me to Preach and I give thee the glory so did Pet. 2 E. 3.18 To him be glory both now and for ever Amen To him be the glory that makes known himself unto us that gives grace unto us that inables us to Preach and Pray and do good in our places and generations and callings to him be glory both now and for ever So John in 1. Rev. to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever The soul that doth all in the name of Christ will see infinite reason why Christ should have all the glory and all the honour do you so give him all and challenge nothing to your selves attribute nothing to your own dregs to your own endeavours to your own actings it 's a sign you do all in the name of Christ then Eighthly Lastly must Christians do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ then it serves to be an exhortation unto us that we should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ let all your thoughts be in his name all your words be in his name all your actions be in his name see you have warrant from his word for them do all in his strength and power and lay by your own do all as in his stead think such thoughts as Christ would think if he were present speak such words as Christ would speak do all according to his will do all for Christs sake do all for his honour and glory do all invocating his name for advice in your actions Q. But you will say is it possible to do all in his name can we alwayes have Christ in our thoughts mouths and actions A. To this I answer that immediately we should have a disposition a frame of spirit an inclination of heart unto it the very bent and tendency of our hearts should be that way the desire of our souls is unto thee and to thy name So the desire of our souls should be unto Christ and to his name the bent and tendency of it should be that way And not only so but Secondly I answer 't is well to have this but 't is not enough we should every morning at least actually mind and intend the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and so go on all the day in that intention as a bowl when it is thrown it runs by virtue of the strength that is put into it from the arm that threw it at first and runs till the strength be spent so we should by virtue of a morning intention and in a morning consideration of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ go on all the day long and if we find it to flag as it will quickly do we should renew our intentions and thoughts in the name of Christ send up secret Ejaculations to Heaven O Lord I desire to think in thy name and to speak in thy name and to act in thy name this we may and ought to do and not to rest altogether in an habitual inclination and disposition and they that do it oftest they will order things best best for themselves and best for Christs glory and advantage but to press the exhortation Christians should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I will give you three or four Motives First We should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this consideration it will assure us that the Lord Christ doth approve of us and will be with us and will make our actions successful and bless them unto us Mat. 28.19 20. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Go and Baptize them all in my name and in their names and what follows teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the world Do it in my name I will be with you then and I will bless you and prosper you and I will make your Preaching successful and useful David went in the name of the Lord against Goliah that grand enemy of the Israelites and did not the Lord bless him and prosper him did not he slay Goliah and free the Israelites from their fears and dangers the Lord was with him David went out in the name of the Lord in the strength of the Lord will I go and the Lord was with him wheresoever he went and prosper'd him in all he went about he did all things wisely would you therefore in spirituals or in your ordinary callings and places be approved of by Christ have Christ with you and bless you do all in his name not in your own names or in the name of others but in his name and in his name alone Secondly it is great wisdom to do so for what we do in Christs name out of respect to him carries much sweetness in it It is an impulse of of love to such a friend we love Christ when we do it out of respect to his name and 't is our wisdome so to do and the work of love is very sweet A wise man will do things so as they may be most sweet and pleasing to himself and acceptable to him he doth them now when we do it upon this account I say it is the impulse of love and there 's a great deal of sweetness in acting from love there is as true sweetness in acting for Christ as when we receive from Christ when you receive some influences of his spirit when you have an answer of your Prayers when you have your fears
highly dont think meanly of the word of God Phil. 3.8 Paul did esteem the knowledge of Christ above all knowledge in the world the excellency of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that is the knowledge of the Gospel and the knowledge of the word There 's an excellency in it beyond all knowledge all Histories and all Arts and Sciences whatsoever there is not that excellency in them as in the word of God therefore esteem it highly Psal 84.10 A day in thy courts is better than a thousand In the courts of God There was the word of God preached and held forth and read and interpreted and therefore a day there is worth a thousand dayes elsewhere Seventhly If the word of God be so sweet sweeter than the Honey and the Honey-comb then feed much upon the word of God in the 24. Prov. 13. saith Solomon to his Son My Son eat thou Honey because it is good So let me say to you Eat this Honey because it is good Honey hath three great properties Honey doth cleanse it doth preserve and honey doth please Eat this spiritual Honey 't will please your spiritual souls and appetites it will preserve you from all evil it will cleanse you from all your pollutions David loved to be in the courts of God and to be feeding upon this Honey continually and to be satisfied with it Psal 65.4 We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house it will satisfie me in point of cleansing in point of preserving in point of pleasing I am never better pleased nor safer nor in a purer condition then when I am under thy word seed much upon this others feed upon Acorns and upon the Wind and Ashes and the like but Saints feed upon Honey the Honey of Gods word the Honey that will do your souls good to eat it will sweeten all of your afflictions Eighthly Lastly if the word be sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb then try whether it be so to you or no Try whether you have found the word to be sweet to you sweet as Honey and as the Honey comb Honey will sweeten other things so if the word have been Honey to you it will sweeten you it sweetens men and women it sweetens their spirits men have harsh sowr and bitter spirits of themselves but if the word have been Honey to them it hath sweetned their spirits and calm'd and meekned their spirits Eph. 4.31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamur and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice put away all of this nature this is sowr leaven and be ye kind one to another tender hearted for giving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Have you found the word to be Honey to you to sweeten your spirits and make them peaceable and plyable to the will of God it 's an argument that you have tasted the sweetness that is in the word of God and so in the 4. Cant. 11. where it 's said Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the Honey-comb That is her words and expressions were sweet a Law of kindness was in her lips so if the word of God have been sweet to us there will be sweetness and meekness of spirit in us therefore try whether the word have been Honey unto you Thus you see that the Statutes and Law of the Lord they are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb And the Lord make them sweet to every one of your Souls Against Love of the World 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World IOhn was the beloved Disciple of Christ and he writes this Epistle unto those that were dear unto Christ and his great scope is to confirm them in the faith of Christ and to put them on to holiness and love as may appear in the 23. v. of the third Chapter This is his Commandment saith he that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment And in the second Chapter he lay'd down a remedy against the infirmities of weak Christians in the first and second verses that if any sinned they had an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And lest that should be abused and men take liberty to sin seeing there was such a remedy he puts them upon keeping the Commandments of the Lord in the 3 4 5 6. verses that if they have any benefit by Christ they will love Christ and if they love Christ they will keep the commands of Christ and walk as Christ walked And in the 7 8 9 10 11. verses he puts them on to love shewing that it is a new Commandment and an old Commandment in divers respects And then he comes and speaks in particular unto little Children verse 12. and to young men in the 13 verse and to fathers in the 14 verse and tells them in the Text that they must not love the world neither the things that are in the world for this is a great impediment both to holiness of life and love one to another The words will afford us two observations Obs The first is that there is a proness even in Saints to love the world There would not be a prohibition against it unnless there were a proness in us to it Even Christians and Believers are too apt and prone to love the world and the things of the world There is a great suitableness between the world and our corrupt hearts and natures Pleasures Profits Honours and things of that nature do suit with our sancies and suit with our affections dispositions and inclinations and therefore he saith Love not the world but this I shall not stand upon Obs The second observation which I shall insist upon is this That those that are in a state of Grace be they little Children or be they young Men or be they Fathers they are not to love the world Love not the World nor the things that are in the world Now here I must shew you what is meant by the World 2. What it is to love the World 3. Some reasons why we should not love the World 4. Answer a question or two For the first what is meant by the World By world in the first place is meant the visible Heavens and Earth with all the creatures in them as they came out of the hand of God Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth and afterwards he tells you of particulars that were created Joh. 1.3 It 's said By him all things were made and verse 10. he was in the world and the world was made by him The world and all things were made by Christ God imployed Christ in making of the world and the things of the world So that all the visible things in this world are the workmanship of God and Christ and are
understood by the word World Secondly By world is meant the customs and manners the worship and fashions of the world Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to the world but be transformed that is be not conformed to the customs and manners of the world to the worship of the world and fashions of the world So world is used there And in the 2 Col. 20. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances after the Commandments and Doctrines of men By world is understood the Rudiments of men the Ordinances of men the worship of men and wayes of men in the worship of God So that world doth imply the customs fashions manners and worship of the world and in the Galatians they are called weak and beggerly Elements the traditions and inventions of men Thirdly By World is meant the pomp and splendor of the world the glory and greatness of the world whether in men or other creatures as the excellencies and gifts of Men the profits and pleasures of the World which Satan makes use of to further his Kingdom and Interest and to hinder the Kingdom and Interest of Christ So in Gal. 6.14 saith Paul there God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world I am crucified unto the pomp and glory and splendor of the world and all that 's goodly in the world and the world is crucified unto me it 's a dead thing unto me and I am a dead thing unto it Demas embraced the world the things the pleasures the profits the honours the comforts the contents of the world So then love not the world Dont love the creatures of the world the customs and fashions of the world the splendor and pomp and glory of the world the worship of the world These are all understood here Now what is it to love the world First To love the world is highly to esteem of the world to have the world in a high account For Christ saith The things that are of high account with men are abomination with God When we have the world and the things of it in high esteem and in high account this is to Love the world As those in the 14. Luk. when they were invited to the great Feast they had their Farms their Oxen their Wives the things of the world in higher account than the things of Christ When these are highly esteemed we are said to love the world Many men would think themselves made if they had the world I were happy if I had such an Estate such Honours such Greatness I were made In the 144. Psal from the 12. verse to the end That our Sons may be as plants grown up in their youth that our Daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a Palace That our Garners may be full affording all manner of store that our Sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets That our Oxen may be strong to labour that there be no breaking in nor going out that there be no complaining in our streets Happy is that people that is in such a case David speaks in the person of the men of the world They are happy men who have all prosperous and successful But he corrects it Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Jonas highly esteemed his Gourd that perished in anight The Jews highly esteemed their Temple so that we are said to love the world when we set a high value and estimation upon the things of the world Secondly We love the world when we have our thoughts much upon the world what any persons love that their thoughts are much upon O how I love thy Law saith David it is my meditation all the day What we love our meditations are most upon Now when our thoughts are most upon the world we love the world and the things of it 't is in our thoughts early and late Men are full of the thoughts of the world the pleasures the honours the profits the contents the delights of the world their thoughts are taken up with them James 4.13 Go to now ye that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain Their thoughts were much upon the world buying and selling and getting of gain and thus they testified their love unto the world So in the 49. Psal 11. Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all Generations they call their lands after their own Names Their inward thoughts All their thoughts were taken up with these things and busied about these things which argued their love of the world Phil. 3.19 Earthly minded men when mens minds are upon the earth and the things of the world they love the earth and they love the world they are Inhabitants of the earth they are of the earth and that 's a second thing wherein the love of the world consists to have our thoughts taken up with the world and minding the world and carried towards the world Thirdly Men are said to love the world when their desires are after the world what men and women love they desire much their desires are strong that way and run after those things Love is a desire of union too or with the thing loved They are carried unto the thing you know what 's said in the Commandments Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House Thoushalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Man-servant nor his Maid-servant nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours When there is a covetous desire in the soul that shews the soul is in love with the thing O now the desires of men are carried after the things of the world strongly affecting the things of the world Fourthly The love of the world is in this in setting the heart upon the things of the world when the heart is setled upon things Psal 62.10 If riches increase set not your hearts upon them Many set their hearts upon the things of the world Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to Idols his heart is set upon his Idols when the heart is set upon things there 's loving of them you know what Samuel said to Saul Set not thine heart upon thy Fathers Asses Mens hearts are set upon their goods and their cattel and their corn and wine and oyl and their pleasures and profits and those things that the world holds out Col. 3.2 Set your affections upon things above and not upon the things on the earth Men set and settle their affections upon the things of the earth one thing or other here below steals away the hearts and the hearts are taken up with them and so they love them In the 24. Matth. 38. As in the dayes
worthy to live else but if we love the world we dont serve God and love God we cannot serve God and Mamon Mamon is Riches 't is an impossible thing and therefore the Lord Christ when he was tempted by the Devil Matth. 4.10 saith he Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve I cannot hearken to thy Temptations to imbrace the world no 't is impossible him Onely shalt thou serve God Onely is to be served and we cannot serve two Masters whosoever loves the world hath two Masters to serve God and the world and 't is impossible to serve them both Seventhly We should not love the world because hereby we make God our enemy 'T was a sad thing when God said to Jer. Behold I am against thee I am thy enemy to have the great God the Lord of Hosts the Lord of Sabbaths the Lord of Heaven and Earth to be our Enemy O dreadful whosoever loves the world is the enemy of God in 4. James 4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enemity with God That 's more than an Enemy Enmity to God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the Enemy of God Would you be enemies to God Love the World If you would not be enemies to God dont love the world Better have all the world our enemy than God our enemy all the world to be against us than God to be against us And in Psal 10. It 's said The covetous whom God abhors A man of a covetous heart and covetous affections is greedy of the world and loves the world God abhors him To have God our enemy is sad what will become of that man or woman that hath God for their enemy The love of the world doth make God our enemy Eighthly We should not love the world because it makes us expensive of time which is better than the world Would any man lay out Gold and Silver for Straws and Stubble and Chips and Butterflyes and such things as these Those that love the world are at greater expences than the world is worth and they give that for the world which is better than the world The best things of the world are the riches and honours and pleasures and preferments and learning and gifts but now our souls are better than all these better than the whole world What shall a man give in exchange for his soul all the world is not worth one soul one soul is worth a Million of worlds Now to lay out our time strength understandings and souls about the world and the things of the world what expences are we at we give too much for the world the world is not worthy of our affections understandings strengths hearts therefore see what the Prophet saith in Isa 55.2 he comes there with a vehement expostulation wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread 'T is not bread when you get it It 's not any thing will satisfie or advantage your souls And you labour for that which satisfieth not So that we are at too great cost and too great expences when we love the world and labour to get the world and buy it at so dear a rate Ninthly We should not love the world because it imbaseth the understanding that most noble faculty of the soul The world doth imbase our understandings and imbase our spirits our understanding was made and given us for God and for heavenly things that we might have Communion with God by virtue of our understanding and reason and apprehension and fall in with God Now if the Body be for God as in 1 Cor. 6.13 much more the soul and the understanding is for God and for heavenly things and not for the Earth and earthly things Now the world doth imbase our understandings for what is the world it's a meer dirty thing Rom. 8.20.22 You shall see that the world is subject to corruption subject to vanity the world is in bondage to corruption and the world lyes in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 It lyes like a piece of Carrion in a Ditch it lyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the wicked one in the Devil And what can the world contribute to your understanding now to do you good No it imbases the understanding and makes the soul earthly drossy muddy and miery Now will you imbase a noble Soul to a dirty World in Dan. 2. There is mention made of a great Image and what was the best of that Image the Feet are Clay and the Legs are Iron and the Thighs are Brass and the Belly is Silver and the Head is Gold the best is but Gold and Silver and they are rusty things perishing things and these do imbase a noble Heroical Soul to be bowed down to these things for the Soul becomes that which it loves if it loves the earth it is an earthly soul Tenthly The world it is of a damning nature and therefore we should not love it The world doth not onely indanger us but it drowns the soul in perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition The soul is drown'd in perdition whosoever is a lover of the world is a child of the world and so is a Son of perdition It 's said of the man of sin he is a Son of perdition the world doth make men leave Christ in the 19. Matth. 22. There 's a young man comes to Christ Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life keep the Commandments saith Christ He saith unto him which Jesus said Thou shalt do no Murther Thou shalt not commit Adultery c. The young man saith unto him all these things have I kept from my youth up what lack I yet Jesus saith unto him if thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come and follow me but he leaves Christ he went away sorrowful saith the Text why he had great Possessions So the Scribes and Pharises they leave Christ for their Credit Joh. 12.42 43. So in the 8. Matth. 34. The Gadarens desire Christ to be gone out of their Countrey they would have none of Christ but they loved their Swine which were drown'd in the Sea and the world drown'd them in perdition Eleventhly The world is a great enemy to growth in grace and Communion with God for the world and the things of it divert the heart from spiritual things Martha is cumbred about many things and diverted from Christ and hearing of him So in Matth. 13.22 He also saith Christ that received seed among the Thornes is he that heareth the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful So that the love of the world
and the things of the world are a great enemy to growing in grace and to Communion with God It makes men to leave the best things and most excellent things even Grace it self and God himself and Communion with God A worldly heart hath little or no Communion with God If a Woman fall in love with another and commit folly with another her Husband cares not for Communion with her so is it here ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God Psal 73.27 They went a whoring from under God Men go a whoring from God when they love the world and dote upon the world and the things of it Now what an enemy is the world to growth in grace and Communion with God Twelfthly The world is the Devils Instrument whereby he ensnares men and women and leads them captive at his pleasure he is called the God of the world and he takes men with the world The world is his grand Instrument to take men and women In Matth. 4.8 9. he thought to catch Christ with the glory of the world The Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them Here was his last bait whereby he thought to catch Christ And saith unto him all these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He thought to catch Christ with it but the Lord Christ was too hard for him but 't is his Instrument whereby he catches men and women Thus he caught Eve by the fruit of the Garden thus he caught David by Bathsheba and thus he caught Achan by a Wedg of Gold and a Babilonish Garment And thus he catches men and women some by Wine some by Women some by Kingdoms and he leads them captive when he hath taken them by some bait or other of the world something or other he presents sutable to the eye to the taste to the fancy or to their opinion he presents something or other sutable by which he leads them Captive at his will 13. Lastly We should not love the world because it is that which causes men to erre and go astray from the truth and from the wayes of God and leads them to Apostacy in the end 1 Tim. 6.10 The Love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith Mark they have erred from the faith if we love the world we will let the faith go and truth go and the wayes of God go and so we make way for Apostacy what was it caused Spira to renounce the faith whose story you have heard of and is among you it was the love of the world of his credit and esteem and outward engagements that he had These made him to renounce the faith And so Demas 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken me saith Paul and embrac'd the present world What forsake Paul that great Apostle brought up at the feet of Gamaliel a man wrapt up into the third Heavens a man of that note that Paul was to forsake him for the present world yet Demas did it the Love of the world drew him off from Paul and his Doctrine and Church State and wayes the Devil by that means drew him away So then you see the reasons why we should not love the world nor the things of the world But now a Question or two comes to be answered Qu. What must we then quite cast off the world and have nothing to do with the world Anâ— I answer not so neither 't is not said here we may not have the world but we must not love the world We may have to do with the world I shall answer this question in three or four things First We may study the world make it a part of our study we may study the works of God in the world they are honourable sought out of all them that have pleasure therein we may study the world for the world will teach us many good lessons First We may study the world and come to the knowledge of the invisible things of God by these visible things Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God-head so that they are without excuse We may come to know there is an eternal God an Omnipotent God by these visible things and in the 12. Job 7 8. Ask now the Beasts and they shall teach thee and the fowls of the Air and they shall tell thee or speak to the Earth and it shall teach thee and the Fishes of the Sea shall declare unto thee These will teach us something the Beasts and the Fowls and the Earth and the Fishes will teach us the invisible things of God and instruct us in those things may do us good There 's something to be learned from these therefore we may study these God's power wisdom goodness mercy are all learned by the creatures Secondly The creatures do teach us prudence and providence Go to the Ant thou Sluggard he layes up in Summer against Winter Thirdly The creatures will teach us to do the will of God Psal 119.91 They Continue to this day according to thy Ordinances for all are thy Servants They all serve thee The Sun and Moon and Stars they all serve the Lord and the Winds do serve the Lord Psal 148.8 Stormy winds fulfil his Word The very winds do fulfill the word of God and obey his voice and do what he commands them to do They teach us therefore to do the will of God shall the waves and winds and all the creatures obey the Lord and shall not man obey the Lord for whom all these were made Fourthly They teach us to wait upon God 145. Psal 15. The eyes of all wait upon thee that thou mayest give them their meat in due season the fowls of the heaven wait upon God the very Leviathan in the Sea waits upon God for its meat in due season And what shall we be carking and caring about what shall we eat and what shall we drink and wherewith shall we be cloathed who feeds the Wild fowl in the air the Lord feeds them and therefore they teach us to wait upon God without carking and being distracted and desponding Fifthly The creatures do teach us to expect glorious liberty from the hand of God Rom. 8.14.21 The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God and v. 21. They wait to be delivered into the glorious liberty of the Children of God there is a glorious liberty for the Children of God to come to they may be in bondage and are at this day but there is a liberty and a glorious liberty and shall not we wait for it when the whole
and to overtake them to be as great and high and honourable as they to have as great Purchases as they have to have as great Revennues and In-comes as they have but they look not at those that are rich in grace those that are very spiritual and heavenly and Godly and walk close with God and say I would I were like to them and so labour to get more grace and to walk with God as Enoch did for three hundred years together now when it is thus it 's an argument men love the world Ask your own hearts therefore whether it be so or no with you that you are desirous of more and more of the world but are not desirous after more and more of heaven and of God and covetous after the best things Fourthly Ask your hearts what they do find most sweet and content in is it not in the world and the things of the world how sweet and pleasing are they unto our natures but for the things of heaven what are they what are the things of heaven unto you they are like the white of an Egg they are unsavory things to men and women or very little savour in them There be many that say who will shew us any good who will shew us a good bargain who will shew us a good purchase who will shew us any good But Lord saith David do thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon me There was good in that that was sweet unto him the light of Gods countenance Psal 34.8 Taste and see that the Lord is good the Lord is good and the Lord is sweet to my soul and he would have others taste how good the Lord is to have the favour of God communion with God peace with God joy in the Holy Ghost oh these have a sweet taste and relish to a gracious heart and soul Others say who will shew us any good Corn and Wine and Oyl Pleasures and Profits and the like these are pleasing to them and as for spiritual and heavenly things they are notions and shaddows and they make small account of them but a gracious soul he finds it as in the 19. Psal The Statutes of the Lord are right saith David Rejoycing the heart his Crown and Kingdom did not so rejoyce his heart as God's Statutes did and v. 10. More are they to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb Give me Gold say some Gold Gold but saith David the Statutes of God they are more desirable than fine Gold the choicest Gold they are sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Honey is sweet but the Honey-comb the Honey that runs out of it self out of the Honey-comb that 's sweetest of all now saith he they are sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Now what sweetness do your souls find in these things In the 3. Mal. 14. What profit is it say they that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts we find no profit in this serving of God and in being much in prayer and reading and meditation and holy conference in hearing and worshipping of God We find no profit in it what profit is it To such men Gain is Godliness but to a gracious heart any thing of God is sweet and great gain Qu. Fifthly put this question to your hearts heart dost thou not use questionable and unlawful means to get the world and neglect lawful means and unquestionable means that would get heaven and get spiritual things Many do use things questionable and means questionable and unlawful too to get the world you have it in the 1 Thess 4.6 That no man go beyond anâ— defraud his Brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such dont men go beyond others and defraud others to get the world oppress or over-reach them as the word signifies they have a deep insight into things and they will over-reach a man that 's simple and labour to wring from them and draw from them that so they may encrease their estates these love the world so in the 8. Amos 5. saith he They do falsifie the ballances by deceit when men do falsifie the haslances have false weights false wayes false lights it 's an argument they love the world and the things of the world that will hazzard their souls to get the world and grate upon their own Consciences for if ever their Consciences be awakened they will speak and accuse and condemn for such practices This is a manifest argument of loving the world if we can use questionable means and unlawful means and then neglect the means that are unquestionable and very lawful God hath appointed means to get Grace Prayer Meditating hearing the Word searching the Scriptures these are means that are unquestionable and will bring in gain whereas the other are questionable and unlawful means Qu. Sixthly put this question to your souls Soul dost thou not affect notions and learning and wisdom of words and parts and gifts and things of this nature All these things are of the world and how are mens fancies tickled with these and affected and taken with these Humane Learning Fathers and Latine Greek Hebrew and Authors how it pleases some men which shews they are but carnal natural and worldly as Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.4 My Speech and my Preaching was not with the enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of Men but in the power of God The faith of such men stands in the wisdom of men he is a brave Orator he is a Learned man and he hath singular notions and expressions and these things please them and so they have a faith that stands in the wisdom of men but now as for the simplicity of the Gospel and plain wholsom truths these are hardly welcome to them Now that which is of God is plain and spiritual and the more spiritual any truth is the more welcome to a gracious heart but the more spiritual it is the less acceptable to that man whose heart loves the world because it strikes at his carnalness and his corruptions So that ask your hearts that question Qu. Seventhly Lastly put this question to your hearts whether thou art not more griev'd and troubled for the loss of outward things worldly things then thou art for the loss of spiritual things or the removal of spiritual things many mourn bitterly for Relations Husband taken away a Wife taken away Children taken away Estate taken away how they mourn and weep and hang down their heads and forsake their dyet and take to their Chambers and Beds and will not be comforted many times But if a Godly Minister be taken away Ordinances taken away Sabbath taken away Meetings taken away these things dont much trouble them Now it 's an argument that we love the world when we can be affected so with the loss of these
things that we know we must part with and the loss of other things concerning our souls and which we should mind above all things in the world the Word of God and his Sabbath and Ordinances and Worship and the like these little trouble us Well by these things you may know whether you love the world yea or no and if it be so you are worthy of great blame for loving of the world In the next place it shall be a use of exhortation to exhort you not to love the world nor the things of the world the pomp of the world tho pleasures of the world the profits preferments and honours of the world and the things that are in it Love them not I shall do two things here First Give you several grounds or arguments to enforce the exhortation Secondly Some directions how to take off our hearts from loving the world First We should not love the world because it is a sin to love the world whatever is forbidden us is a sin and will you live in sin is sin a small matter sin is the transgression of a Law you will say well here 's the Law Love not the world If you love the world you transgress this Law therefore dont live in the transgression of this Law It 's an ill thing to live in sin Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sins shall dye be it what soul it will the souls of the highest or lowest learned or ignorant rich or poor if they live in sin they shall dye it 's a dangerous thing to live in sin a pleasing sin a profitable sin an honourable sin if you love the world you live in sin and we should as in the 12. Rom. 9. abhor that which is evil and love that which is good sin is evil the least sin is evil sinful thoughts sinful lusts are evil if unconsented to it's evil much more if consented to and lived in and practised it will bring forth death death eternal for the wages of sin is death that 's the first reason Secondly We should not love the world because it is the command of the great God the great and blessed and glorious God he commands us to not to love the world Love not the world saith he nor the things that are in it shall not the command of the great God obtain upon us and prevail with us In the word of a King there is power here 's the word of the greatest King of all Kings the great God of Heaven and Earth Love not the world saith God saith Peter Lord we have been toyling all the night and caught nothing nevertheless at thy command I will throw out the Net So the command of God we should hearken to it at thy command Lord I will not love the world nor the things of the world In the 35. Jer. 6. There are the Rechabites their Father commanded them to drink no Wine to plant no Vineyards to build no Houses and one comes to them and sets Wine before them and fills Cups and saith unto them drink Wine say they v. 6. we will drink no Wine for Jonadab the Son of Rechab our Father commanded us saying ye shall drink no Wine neither ye nor your sons for ever neither shall ye build House nor sow Seed nor plant Vineyard now see in the 14. v. what the Lord saith The words of Jonadab the Son of Rechab that he commanded his Sons not to drink Wine are performed Here 's dutiful Sons observe the command of their Father they will drink no Wine build no House sow no Seed They are performed for unto this day they drink none but obey their Fathers Commandment Notwithstanding I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye hearkned not unto me saith God what a reproach is this to me faith God that the command of a man is observed and obeyed and the command of me the great God that have your lives and all in my hand is not observed not regarded well the great God he faith unto us Love not the world Therefore let his commands be of force and authority with us to knock our hearts off from the love of the world Thirdly Love not the world nor the things of it because it is the portion of the wicked of ungodly men Psal 17.14 From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life There are men of the world Inhabitants of the world they are of the world of worldly principles of worldly affections and of worldly practices and conversations they have their portion in this life saith he the things of this world are their portion would you have your portion here have your portion in these things it 's a poor portion a perishing portion an unsatisfying portion the worst portion of all In the 21. Job 7 8 9. Wherefore do the wicked live saith Job Lord wherefore doth the wicked live wicked men are not worthy to live in the world wherefore do the wicked live become old you are mighty in power To live and live long and be mighty in power and place and honour and estates they are mighty in power Their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes They have their seed and posterity and are established Their houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them Their Bull gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calf they send forth their little ones like a Flock and their Children dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and Rejoyce at the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go down to the Grave Here are wicked men now you see it 's their portion to have the world to have the musick and mirth and all things according to their hearts desires it 's their portion and who would have such a portion It was the trouble of Jer. 12.1 Wherefore doth the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously wicked men prosper in the world though they deal treacherously yet they prosper and saith he Thou hast planted them yea they have taken root They grow yea they bring forth fruit Thou art near in their mouth and far from their Reins The world is the portion of wicked men therefore we should not love it Alexander a Heathen he had all the world he had it for his portion So Julius Caesar he had the Roman Empire for his portion Ahashuerus had 127 Provinces for his portion The world is meat for Dogs as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is a portion fit for Dogs and 't is not Childrens meat therefore we should not love the world it is the portion of the wicked Fourthly We should not love the world because if we do we shall meet with great disappointments much trouble and little good in it Great afflictions we shall have in the world Joh. 16.
last In the world ye shall have tribulation saith Christ ye shall have tribulations Thorny cares piercing cares and sorrows in the world ye shall meet with those and from day to day year to year you shall have trouble Eccles 1.1 Vanity of vanities all is vanity and vexation of Spirit you meet with nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit there is a great deal of vexation in the best condition the world affords unto any man and in the 5. Eccles from the 11. v. to the 16. When Goods increase they are increased that eat them There will be many mouths if you have much wealth to consume the same And what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their eyes what good have you others eat them as well as you you behold them others behold them as well as you all the difference is these are mine No they are not yours they are the worlds goods not yours yours for your use well The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether he eateth little or much A poor man that labours hard his sleep is sweet unto him but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep is not this an evil further There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Sun namely Riches kept from the owners thereof to their hurt They get riches and treasure up riches and keep them unto their hurt how to their hurt why they are hurt with their fears hurt with their cares and they are hurt with abusing of them and they keep them to their hurt others get them from them sometimes the fire sometimes Thieves sometimes Oppressors come and take them away They are kept to their hurt and men lye in wait to make a prey of them and theirs But saith he those riches perish by evil travel some miscarriage of a man makes him lose his estate a word or an act sometimes makes him lose his estate And he begetteth a Son and there is nothing in his hand there is nothing in his hand to do any good to improve this that 's left unto him As he came forth of his Mothers womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand He shall carry away nothing of all he takes such a deal of pains and trouble about and this also is a sore evil that in all points as he came so shall he go This is a sore evil and yet men do encrease this evil to themselves daily so that men will meet with disappointments and meet with trouble and vexation if they love the world and things of the world therefore we should not love it Fisthly To beat us off from the love of the world the love of the world hath been the ruine of Millions hardly any man perishes but it is upon the account of the world and the things of the world Phil. 3.19 Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things when men do mind earthly things and love the world and the things of it their end is destruction their God is their belly their glory is in their shame they are rich and they must go so and so they must have their pleasures and they must exceed they glory in their shame in Drunkenness in Whoredom in Oppression they glory in their shame they mind earthly things their end is destruction honours pleasure profit power do poison the souls of men and are the ruine of them 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition men love the world and the things of it and they will be rich and so fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Ill gotten goods that drown a man in destruction and perdition and the Lord Christ tells you It is easier for a Camel or a Cable to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven It 's a hard thing for a man to be rich and to be good to be rich and to be sav'd One at Sea having made a great voyage and coming near home the Ship leak'd and was ready to sink he fills his Pockets and Bosome with choice things Silver Gold and Jewels and going out of it to the Boat through weight of the thick clay he had laded himself with let go his hold and dropt into the Sea and was seen no more So many through the fulness weight of their riches miss the Boat should carry them to Heaven are sunk down into a Sea of misery if not into eternal misery And another I have read of giving away his estate one ask'd him why he did so that I may go the more easily up Jacob's Ladder saith he The ruine of most men and women is the world and the love of the world something or other in it they affect and dote upon that ruines their souls to all eternity therefore we should take heed of that which ruines so many and not affect the same Sixthly If we love the world God will imbitter it unto us one way or other Jonas affects his Gourd and was much taken with his Gourd God sends a worm in the night and that gnaws the root of it and the Gourd withers away and Jonas was perplext and angry with God for taking away his Gourd Jacob he loves Joseph and he loves Benjamin and being taken from him the old man he thought that with sorrow he should go down to his grave God did imbitter those things unto him his heart was upon Many men love pleasures and credit and honour and God whips them sooner or later for the love of those things some cross or other will befall them Many love their Children and God takes them away and then they are in bitterness and mourn as for an onely Son Many they have beauty and God sends the Small Pox and takes away their beauty and imbitters them Children which their Parents have made Idols of how untoward have they proved usually they prove matter of sorrow and shame unto them and increase and multiply their fears and cares and tears they are multiplyed because they did dote upon them and loved them inordinately 'T is so usually with the things of this world if we love them God will cross us in them the way to enjoy any mercy is to love it but a little or to love it in order to God Seventhly We should not love the world because we cannot enjoy the world long we cannot have the things of it long it may be they will leave us however we must leave them and the stronger affections we have to any thing the more bitter will the affliction be when we leave it strong
affections bring great afflictions unto men and women in the 12. Luke 20. see how short a mans time is the fool there in the Gospel had got a great estate thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry but God said unto him Thou fool This night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided we have many such fools in the world that lay up much here and think they shall live long and be at ease as many use to say well when I have gotten such an estate then I will give over the Sea and live at ease but before that comes Thou fool This night thou art taken away from it in the midst of thy pursuit of it so that we cannot long enjoy the things of this world and therefore seeing the time is short as the Apostle saith use the world as not abusing it use the world you may but dont love it for then you abuse it use the world for your necessity to further your journey to Heaven to further your accounts before God but dont abuse it dont love it The time is short Eighthly To take our hearts off from the world consider that those are truely Godly they are for God and not for the world Psal 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is Godly for himself God hath set a Godly man apart from the world and set him for himself now if thou beest set apart for God wilt thou give thy self to the world Be for him who hath set thee apart for himself A maid when she is set a part by friends for such a man she will be for him and not for another so when God hath set you apart from the world your hearts will be for God and not for the world and it 's an argument that a man is a Godly man when he is set apart God calls them out of the world and chooses them for himself and he will have them to be imployed in his way and his work and not for the world A Godly man is above the world and better than the world and what should he loose himself in the world and mire himself with the world Heb. 11. of whom the world was not worthy the world did not think them worthy to live in it and the world was not worthy of them so precious is a Godly man the soul is a precious thing and more precious than all the world but when there 's precious grace in the soul it 's far beyond the worth of worlds a thousand worlds are not worthy one gracious soul therefore be not for the world but for God for whom thou art set apart Ninthly We should not love the world because such as do love the world they dont love the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 3.18 19. Many walk saith he of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ Mark they are not friends to Christ nor to his Cross they are enemies to the Cross of Christ and who be they he tells you in the 19 v. who mind earthly things Men that mind earthly things the things of this world are enemies to the Cross of Christ and James 4.4 saith the Apostle Ye Adnlterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God To be an enemy of God and an enemy to Christ is a sad thing not to love the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Let him be accursed till I come saith the Lord Jesus I will come e're long again to see who loves me and who loves me not now if any man dont love me let him be accursed till I come and send him to hell and give him his portion there well then this should prevail with us not to love the world for we cannot love Christ if we love the world no man can serve two Masters we cannot love God and Mammon Tenthly Lastly we should not love the world 't is not the end of our creation nor the end of our redemption but crosses the end of both why was man created man was created for God and for communion with God he was made after Gods own Image in knowledge and righteousness and holiness that so he might be a meet companion if I may so speak for God to converse with and to have familiarity with Now if we love the world what Communion have we with God how do we answer the end of our creation In Rev. 14.4 he tells them that they are redeemed from the earth and from among men it crosses the end of our redemption The end of our Creation is to have Communion with God to serve God and to walk with God and the end of our Redemption is that we should follow the Lamb and being redeemed serve in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our lives Now loving the world is cross to both these if we love the world we will follow the world if we love Christ we will follow him So that if you would not cross the end of your creation nor the end of your redemption dont love the world nor the things of the world By this time I conceive you are convinced in your Judgments you should not love the world But here 's the business we would not love the world but we find it such a hard thing that we know not how to get our hearts off from the world and the things of the world therefore what should we do in this case First If you would have your affections and hearts off from the world look well to your Judgments and dont highly esteem the world for the affections do follow the judgment and the apprehensions If men have strong apprehensions of things they will have strong affections and when men do highly esteem of things then their hearts are carried out strongly after those things and work violently towards them Now then have low thoughts of the world judge of the world as the Scripture judges of it and how doth the Scripture judge of the world look into the 1. Gal. 4. who hath delivered us from this present evil world 'T is an evil world a world that is full of evils full of sins full of mischief full of oppression full of corruption subject to bondage subject to perishing an evil world full of evil plots and designs and devils Thus the Scripture judges of it do you judge of it so So in the 1 Joh. 5.19 The whole world lyes in wickedness Judge you so of it here 's a world lyes in wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lyes in the devil and he makes use of the world to deceive you and undo you and to draw you to perdition Should a
man love Sodom that lay in wickedness the world is a Sodom that lyes in wickedness Solomon tells you 'T is vanity and vexation of Spirit and will you love vanity and vexation of Spirit and in the next verse to the Text saith he All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and these are not of the Father but of the world All these strengthen our lusts and the more our lusts are strengthened the more grace is hindered and the worle we grow but let not the painted bravery of the world deceive and cheat you what is there in an estite in power c. men have strange apprehensions of these things but see what John saith The fashion of this world passeth away it 's all a shew a Scheme there 's no substance in it That men have low thoughts of that they never dote upon If a woman have low thoughts of a man she will never love him the lower thoughts you have the looser will your love be what 's this world e're long it will be turned to ashes and will you love ashes Ephraim feeds upon ashes and upon the wind vain things vain worship and traditions and inventions of men and things of this nature men and women feed upon ashes poor low things well judge lowly of the world and account not highly of the world nor any thing in the world for it 's a world that lyes in wickedness a world that is evil The more you do ponder upon these things the more will your hearts be taken off Secondly If you would not love the world take pains with your own hearts mortifie your lusts mortifie the lusts that are in your hearts 't is our lusts make us love the world 't is from the wisdom of the flesh that men do love the world and the things of the world in Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be Rich why cease from thine own wisdom saith he 't is thine own wisdom 't is but the wisdom of thy flesh and of thy corrupt nature that thou wouldest be rich Labour not to 〈◊〉 rich cease from thine own wisdom and the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in the 13 v. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Mortifie these Iusts our lusts are deceitful things unruly things they are craving things and they have their pretences Do but hearken to me in this one thing and if you would but hearken to me now I will trouble you no more but if you do they will come again and again and never have done therefore the best way for us is to mortifie our lusts and if we would do so we should not love the world From whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts Your lusts will set a praying to have the world to have honour and power and riches and you have them not but now if our lusts were mortified all these things would be at an end presently but we seek to gratifie our lasts and they undo us Thirdly If we would not love the world nor the things of the world then let us look much at the other world there is another world Heb. 2.5 For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come There is a world to come and that world 's a better world than this world for in the 11 ch 16 v. But now they desire a better countrey that is an heavenly Abraham and Isaac and the Prophets they look'd at a better countrey there 's a better world above better things above then are here in this world And if so be we would look at that world the glory of it the riches of it the pleasures of it the company of it the latitude of it we should soon bid farewel to this world and look upon it as a dream a shadow a picture as nothing 2 Cor. 4. last While we look not at things which are seen but at things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal There are things not seen eternal things eternal riches the eternal God the Lord Jesus glorious Angels the Saints at one Rivers of pleasure at the right hand of God look at these things and then your hearts will be taken off of this world Fourthly If we would get our hearts off from the world which is a thing very necessary then keep your hearts with all diligence look as narrowly to thy heart as to thy eyes to the meat thou eatest to thy life keep it with all diligence look to your affections and let them not rove and wander up and down in the world and range here and there look to your fear many are afraid of poverty and afraid they shall not have to live and pay every man his own and so are filled with fears that they shall want but Matth. 6.26 saith Christ Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them are ye not much better than they poor creatures dont fear saith he dont fear want and poverty and that ye shall not have meat and drink and cloaths the fowls of the air are never afraid they have no body to look after them you feed your tame fowls indeed but who provides for the wild-fowls God provides for them look well to your fear now that makes men love the world and scrape and rave that they might have meat and drink and clothes So look well to your love that you take complacency in no creature whatsoever but love the Lord take complacency in God and Christ you know what Christ saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy strength c. Now if God have all what shall the creature have But the creatures have all and God hath little or nothing here 's a great failing yet here 's all put four times with all thy soul with all thy strength c. God should have all and the creatures have little or none So look well to your desires men are desiring O that I had this or that but thou shalt not covet saith God be content with what thou hast we should not covet any thing of the world but follow our
callings and leave events to God if God will cast it in take it thankfully and use it well to his glory Fifthly If you would not love the world get your wills subordinate to Gods will God is infinitely wise and infinitely good he is the great Soveraign and his will is not to be disputed Gods will must take place now what is the will of God labour not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom here 's the will of God now if our wills were subordinate to his will there would be no loving of the world little or much of the world it 's all one to me it 's the will of God that I look after and if God will give me any thing or nothing I am content therewith Sixthly If you would have your hearts taken off from the love of the world and the things of it behold and look upon the Lord Jesus Christ crucified and glorified Set Christ crucified often before your eyes and look upon him by an eye of faith Gal. 6.14 God forbid saith Paul that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world I look upon Christ crucified and I by an eye of faith can see Christ hanging there and all the glory of the world stain'd there Is all the world comparable to Christ here 's the King the High-Priest the Mediator the great Prophet here 's the Heir of the world crucified here 's his blood running down and he hath lay'd down his life for sinners and to take off my heart from the world if you look but upon a dead man it strikes a damp into you what will the looking upon Christ do then it will strike a damp in your hearts towards the world if you look upon Jesus Christ crucified I am crucified to the world saith Paul So look upon Christ glorified and our hearts will be raised above the world Col. 3. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your affection on things above not on things on the earth Christ hath dyed and is risen again and gone to glory if now you be risen out of the state of sin translated out of the power of darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son you will have your hearts where Christ is consider Christ there 's my Head my King my Husband there 's my Redeemer there 's he that is a thousand times better than the world therefore I will not set my heart upon the things of the earth but upon the things above what a glorious thing it is to see the King in his glory look much and consider much of Christ crucified and Christ glorified Seventhly Lastly if we would have our hearts taken off from the world see you love God himself more that blessed God more and more and that will estrange your hearts from the creature and from the world for you will find all in the creature united in God and infinitely more than in the world than in the creature if a man be in love with a Blackamore it may be she hath a good feature but she is black bring a beautiful and lovely object now and it will take him off from the black the world is but a Blackamore an evil thing and it 's full of corruption having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lusts the world is corrupted through lusts and is full of loathsomness but look upon the beauties of God and the excellencies of God are such as would ravish a mans soul and draw it up unto him And to close all mark in the Text Love not the world neither things that are in the world If any man love the world The love of the Father is not in him If you love the world the love of the father is not in you the father doth not love you take it that way if you love the world or you may take it the other way you dont love the father if you love the world If you would therefore have an evidence that the father loves you and you love the father love not the world but let your love be more and more to the father and so you will have more and more evidence of his love and that you dont love the world Thus you see many Arguments to beat us off and the remedies and helps how to get us off from the love of the world which the Lord make effectual FINIS
goods be lost to morrow may be a fire in thine house therefore wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not But if we get grace that will continue with us if we get peace and joy none can take them from us if we get interest in Christ none can pluck us out of his hand Thirdly Suppose we do get them and we can keep them yet they will not satisfie our souls and therefore to be put upon that which will not satisfie and let go that which will satisfie the soul is unreasonable Eccles 5.10 He that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied therewith If we love the world the honours the pleasures or any thing in the world we shall not be satisfied with it for every creature hath a cranny in it yea there is a curse goes along with it In the 6. Mich. 14 15. Thou shalt eat but not be satisfied and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee Thou shalt be cast down though thou gettest never so much And that which thou deliverest will I give up to the Sword Thou shalt sow but thou shalt not reap thou shalt tread the Olives but thou shalt not anoint thee with oyl and sweet wine but shalt not drink wine There 's a vacuum in all creatures every creature hath but dry breasts it will not yield that which we expect and look for at it There is not that in Riches and Honours or Trades or Health or Wives or Children or Estates which men expect Haman had great honour and greatness in the world as much as a man could desire yet he wants Mordecai's cruse and that doth sowâ— all unto him There is vanity and vexation in all estates and conditions Solomon hath written that Inscription upon all things here in the world Vanity of vanities all is vanity and vexation of spirit Therefore to love the world and the things of it puts us upon unreasonable things But now the things of God are better than the things of the world Fourthly it puts us upon the worst things all the things in the world are perishing things but the things of God are durable things These things are but Dogs meat as Paul calls them but the things of God and of Heaven and of the Kingdom they are excellent things There 's an excellency in grace there 's an excellency in the knowledge of Christ now we let these things go and choose the other that 's unreasonable Thirdly We should not love the world because it 's scandalous to the wayes and things of God when professors are as the men of the world it is a scandal unto the wayes of God To love it and the things of it so that nothing appears but a profession of Religion 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of Godliness but denying the power Who are those that have a form of Godliness but deny the power Covetous men lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God Now this brings a great scandal upon the wayes of God that men of the world say these Professors are as covetous as any love the world as much as any and early up and down late and as greedy after the things of the world as any others whatsoever what 's in their Religion so that hereby Religion suffers The Spies brought up an ill report upon the Land of Canaan So these bring up an ill report upon God and his Ordinances upon the Milk and Honey that is in that Land indeed They are ready to say such and such are great professors and make a noise in the world but Silver comes from them as a joynt from the body as blood from their veins they are so hard that there 's nothing to be gotten from them In Matth. 18.7 Woe be to the world because of offences And one of the great offences that comes is from Professors because they love the world so much Fourthly As it is scandalous so it is idolatrous when men love the world they make an Idol of the world The world hath their hearts their heart is glewed to the world Eph. 5.5 Nor covetous man who is an Idolater and in the 3d. Collos he tells you that covetousness is Idolatry We cry out of the Papists that they set up Images and Pictures and bow to them and we are greater Idolaters our selves if we love the world and the things of the world We set up Idols and Pictures in our hearts and certainly Idolatry is a great sin and an Idolater is a grievous sinner We would be loath to have that imputation fastened upon us to be Idolaters and yet if we love the world we are Idolaters and live in Idolatry Fifthly It 's a dangerous thing to love the world A man that loves the world whose bent is that way is in danger of two or three things 1. A man that loves the world by little and little grows a stranger to God a stranger to Christ we cannot at once have our eyes upon Heaven and upon Earth too When we are between two men or two mountains the nearer we draw to one the further we go off from the other So the further we go off from God the more we love the world When men do love the Cistern they leave the Fountain all the creatures they are but Cisterns and when our hearts run out to these then we leave God who is the Fountain 2. Another evil is that we grow acquainted with the worlds wayes and the wayes of worldlings we grow acquainted with their shifts and their over-reachings and their plots and designs and customs and many times with their oaths and wicked courses and we are defiled and hardened thereby 3. We expose our selves to divers Temptations and Snares which are hurtful Those that will be rich fall into a snare and into a temptation and many hurtful lusts 't is a thousand to one if we dont lose a good Conscience thereby Nay we are in danger of losing our very souls by loving the world and the things of the world In the 19. Matth. 23. Then said Jesus unto his Disciples verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven What a danger is that man in that loves the world and the things of the world in danger of losing Heaven of losing his soul what will it profit a man to win the world and lose his soul And he that loves the world he is labouring to get the world and be great in the world and so to hazzard his soul 'T is dangerous to love the world Sixthly We should not love the world because it puts us upon impossibilities Matth. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mamon The Lord Jesus Christ tells you 't is an impossibility to serve God and Mamon every man saith I will serve God and love God I were not