Conversation is in Heaven Do you expect that this flesh of yours should be made like the Sun in the Heavens like the glorious body of Jesus Christ Oh then do not abuse your flesh to sin make not provision for the flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof let no member of your body be a weapon of unrighteousness to sin against God withal when you are tempted to any bodily sin stop your selves with this meditation Shall I sin against God with this body of mine that I beleeve shall one day be more glorious than the Sun in the firmament which ere long will be made like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ Have we the hopes and promises of such an inheritance in Heaven Oh then let not only our thoughts be there but our Conversation our Trading our only business be there also Oh let it appear that we have heavenly hearts and spiritual carriages that we live as it becomes those that hope within a few daies or months to be possest with the glory of Heaven which Christ hath prepared for us such should our Conversations be heavenly Conversations shining with the light of the glory of Heaven upon us Heaven should appear in our Conversations now so that they who look upon us and converse with us may truly judg these are the Citizens of the new Jerusalem free Denizons of Heaven they speak the very language of Canaan already and ere long they wil be possest of that promised Land I 'le conclude all now with one Scripture in 2 Cor. 3. 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart Mark the Apostle here tels the Corinthians that they are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ observe the text the People of God Beleevers are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ Quest Epistle of Christ you wil say what 's the meaning of that or what use can you make of that to your point Answ The meaning of it is this That Christ doth by them or in them write an Epistle to the world to declare to the world His mind and His will 't is as if the Apostle should say You that are beleevers know that Christ makes use of you to declare to the world what He is what His glory is you are His Epistle Christ sends by you the knowledge of Himself into the world so that when the world looks upon you they that run may reade in your lives and Conversations and examples the very Epistle of Christ transcribed to the life whereby He declares to the world His excellencies and His glory in lively Characters Now my brethren this should be the Conversation of all Saints that is They should in their lives be the Epistle of Jesus Christ there should be as it were fairly written in their lives the graces of Jesus Christ the mysteries of the Gospel the deep things of God Would you know what Christs mind is and what the excellencies of Christ are and of the Gospel Reade it in the Saints in their lives see their waies and you may know much of the mind of Christ in them you that caÌ„not tel a letter in the book yet you may read this Epistle you may reade the Epistle that Jesus Christ sends to the world to convince the world Now the Epistle that Christ sends to the world is not only in His Word there indeed is a great Epistle that Christ hath sent for the Scripture is no other but as an Ancient cals it the Epistle of God to the world God sends His Letter to the world but the Saints are Christs Epistle likewise wherin Christs mind is to be read and known then let your Conversations be such as that you may be a full Epistle of Christ to the whole world that all the world may reade what Christ is in you take heed of blotting and blurring this Epistle If there be a Letter sent from a great man if a Prince or a King send a Letter it uses to come fairly written and if those that should bring it should all besmeer it and blot the Letter so as it could not be read it would be taken exceeding ill So you that profess your selves to be Christians you do not bring the Letter only but you are the Letter therfore do not blot blur this Epistle of Christ but keep it fair that all with whom you converse all in the family may every day reade somewhat of the mind of Jesus Christ in your Conversations that so you may be the glory of Christ as in that scripture 2 Cor. 8. 23. it is said of Titus and other fellow-helpers That they were the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ Oh! this all Professors of Religion should endeavor to be the glory of Jesus Christ that wheresoever they live all might see the glory of Jesus Christ held forth there whithersoever you go you may carry the glory of Jesus Christ about you Oh Christians I appeal to your consciences Do you live so as the glory of Christ shines in you in the course of your lives As the shine of the Candle goes through the Lanthorn so the shine and glory of Jesus Christ should go through Christians in their Conversations to dazle the eyes of the world Oh! do not darken the glory of Christ but make it as bright as possibly thou canst that so this puâ—blind world may be able to see somewhat in the glory of Christ in your Conversations this should be the great care of your lives SERMON VII PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ WE have preached you know many Sermons upon this necessary and seasonable Duty That as Christians are to sanctifie the Name of God in Worship so in their Conversations their lives and Conversations must be such as becomes the Gospel of Christ worthy of the Gospel of Christ for so I told you the word signified Now we are upon this great point What Conversation is that which becomes the Gospel of Christ I 'le only add one Scriptare more to the last thing I named and then proceed That the revealing of the glory of Heaven in the Gospel should work mightily upon our hearts to labor for a Conversation sutable thereunto In Titus 2. 11 12 13. For the grace of God saith he that 's the Gospel that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men What doth it teach us That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world We have made use of this Scripture thus far already but that which I quote it for is the refference of this to the next words Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ Here 's a Scripture that if ever the Lord
did enlighten us in the things of the Gospel that we have been brought to beleeve it 's a Scripture that would mightily work upon our hearts to live godlily and holily The grace of God that bringeth Salvation what doth it teach us Not to be licentious and vain and slight and bold in our sinful courses but teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Mark it is not enough to live soberly not to be a drunkard to live righteously that is not to wrong any body many think that 's enough But mark indeed the light of nature as I told you would teach us that but now the grace of God that bringeth Salvation teacheth us more To deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly and that in this present world though we live in the midst of a wicked tempting world yet to live godly And what 's the great argument in the Gospel to cause us to live godly in this present world Looking for the blessed hope Oh we look for a blessed hope that the Gospel reveals Oh we did not understand this hope this blessed hope till the Gospel was preached to us but since we apprehend a blessed hope the holy Ghost hath raised in our hearts a blessed hope of glorious things What glorious things Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ We have some little glimps of the great God when we set forth to Sea and launce into the deeps we see the glory of the great God who rideth upon the wings of the wind and whom both the Winds and the Seas obey Oh but we look for another manner of the glorious appearing of the great God than ever yet hath appeared I beseech you consider of this text God did never appear great and glorious in comparison of what he will appear and blessed are those whose Conversations shall be such that can look upon the face of this great God with joy when He shall appear in glory we look for this blessed hope and then when this great God shall appear in His glory then we shall have our blessed hope and this teaches us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts the knowledge of this Oh do you look to be saved have you a blessed hope and do you expect the appearing of the great God in glory hath the Gospel revealed these things unto you O let this that the Gospel reveals teach us to deny all ungodliness and all worldy lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world But there are yet some other things that the Gospel holds forth that are very remarkable for the furtherance of our godly Conversation in this world and if we would live as becomes the Gospel we must have a right understanding of these things or else we shall never sute our selves to the Gospel except we do therby apprehend these great points that are published to us in and by the Gospel As now this is a great point That the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world The Gospel holds forth this to us that Jesus Christ the Son of God having taken our nature upon him he is a great King He hath a Kingdom but He hath a Kingdom that is not of this world neither is Christ of this world nor His Kingdom of this world nor the Saints those that are the Subjects of His Kingdom are not of this world the right understanding of this would much help us in our Conversations and a Conversation beseeming this would much honor the Gospel First We shall shew how the Gospel holds forth this That the Kingdom of Christ is not in this world mark those Scriptures in John 18. 36. Jesus answered My Kingdom is not of this world if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence Therefore as if he should say you must not wonder or think much that I am thus apprehended and delivered up to men that they do with me what they please though I be the great King of my Church appointed by my Father yet my Kingdom is not of this world and I came not hither for pomp and glory The glory of Christ in His Kingdom here is Spiritual Indeed when this world shall be at an end then Christ will appear gloriously though the Scripture speaks of a world hereafter wherein Christ shall appear gloriously but whether personally or otherwise that we speak not of But that Christ shall appear a glorious King even in the world not this world but upon the earth and yet the Scripture speaks of that as another world a new Heaven and a new Earth but for the present for that that the Scripture cals this world we must not expect a pompous and glorious Kingdom till ther ebe a new world till there be new heavens and a new earth this the Gospel holds forth Whereas the people of the Jews they thought as soon as the Messias came He presently should be an outward Monarch in outward pomp and glory no saith Christ this world must pass away first I must come first and reign spiritually in another way and for my Kingdom there is a time for the glory of it to appear when another world shall come but while this world lasts never expect any such outward pomp and glory in the way of my Kingdom I have a Kingdom indeed here in this world but it is not of this world I have a Kingdom wherein I reign spiritually in the hearts of my people there I have set up my Throne and therein I have writ my Laws by which I guide and order all things for their eternal salvation but my Kingdom is not of this world yea and he saith likewise in John 8. 23. I am not of this world neither And John 15. 19. for John that beloved Disciple who lay in the bosom of Christ he knew much of the mind and heart of Christ and was much instructed in this mystery and indeed none of those that did converse with Christ knew more of the bosom of Christ than John did If ye were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world So that as Christ is not of the world so the Saints are not of the world in the 17. of John 14. I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world Mark as I am not of the world so they are not of the world thus Scripture is cleer that neither Christ nor his Kingdom is of this world and therefore beleevers are not of this world And hence then what Conversation becomes this Gospel of Christ even a Conversation sequestred
on in the Gospel What is it Let me labor to serve it whatsoever in me lieth Now if you reade in the Gospel you shall find that the Design that God hath it is To purchase to Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works to promote holiness and godliness that we being redeemed from the hands of our enemies might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives This is the Design that God hath I see that Mankind is fallen from me and the people in the world are generally fallen into wickedness the whole world lieth in wickedness over head and ears in sin but I would have holiness advanced I would have my Image renewed I would have a peculiar people that might live for ever to serve and worship me Here 's the Design of God Oh let me now serve this design of God and labor to do all that I can to serve and honor and blesse and magnifie that God that hath wrought such glorious things for us as He hath wrought in the Gospel And as Christ saith in Mat. 3. when He came to be paptized of John It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness Now shall the Lord Jesus Christ Himself say thus It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness surely then it becomes you to fulfil al righteousness Would you walk as becomes the Gospel Give up your hearts strength and endeavors what possibly you can to fulfill all righteousness do not say Why should I do thus and why need we be so forward and strict Oh remember the text If any talk of too much strictness and too much forwardness then answer thus I heard in such a place such a Text opened and applied to me that my Conversation must be as it becomes the Gospel and certainly let me do what I can I cannot do so much but that the Gospel will require ten thousand times more than I can do and therfore I do endeavor to walk as becoms the Gospel And I hear that Christ Himself saith that it became Him to fulfil all righteousness And why should not I walk as Christ Himself walked O my life hath bin too vain heretofore my heart hath been dead and I have not been quickned up so as to walk worthy of the Gospel but for the time to come my care and endeavor above all things in the world shall be That I may honor this glorious GOSPEL of Jesus Christ from whom I do expect to have such glorious things hereafter Consider now what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in these things that you may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord JESUS CHRIST SERMON I. IF you please to reflect back upon the last daies Exercise when we finished that Scripture in the Philippians that teaches us to walk as becomes the Gospel in the prosecution of which we shewed what it was the Gospel principally did hold forh unto us and what Conversations ought to be in the Professors of it sutable unto those things the Gospel holds forth and among those this was one particular of great moment that we did then but hint out unto you in a word or two That the Kingdom of Christ was not of this world They are Christs own words Now because it is a consideration of very great use I would be loth the benefit of it should be lost therefore I have now pickt out that to speak to more largely and to open the meaning of it unto you from this Scripture JOHN 18. 36. Jesus answered and said My Kingdom is not of this world THE words are a part of the story of Christs arraignment before Pilat Behold here the King of Heaven and Earth stands arraigned at the Barr of a wicked man In this Arraignment we find a special Charge which his Adversaries bring against Him which was this THAT HE MADE HIMSELF THE KING OF THE JEWS He was an enemy to Government The usual charge that the world hath had against the Saints that they are enemies to Government They fare no worse here than Christ did Pilat requires of him to answer to the Charge whether it were so or no that He hath made Himself a King Now you shall find in the answer of Christ He doth not deny the thing but implicitly grants it neither doth he answer him fully to his mind but saith My Kingdom is not of this world My Kingdom As if he should say I acknowledg that I have a Kingdom as mean and low as I am brought now though I stand here before you as a despised man a Carpenters son yet I confess I have a Kingdom but it is not of this world Not of this world He doth not say not IN this world but saith it is not OF this world it is not a worldly Kingdom We have in the words these two things First That Christ hath a Kingdom Secondly What kind of Kingdom Christs is Not of this world I shall not here speak much unto the former and so to handle the common place of Christs Kingly Office but only hint it to you as it makes way to the latter there we shall stay a while Christ he hath a Kingdom He is anointed by the Father to be King as well as Priest and Prophet of His Church Psal 45. 6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter that Psalm is a Prophesie of Christ And in the 19. of Revel 16. Christ is there called The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ God-man is the King of Heaven and Earth Christ God-man is the King of Angels and over all the World and we must know Christ as a King and act our faith upon him as a King or else we know Him not aright we have not the true work of faith except I say our faith act upon Him as a King as well as a Savior In Acts 2. 36. God hath made Him saith the text both Lord and Christ Mark He it not only Christ but Lord and Christ though it is true that in the word Christ all His Offices are implyed which signifies anointed to them all but yet this is expressed by its self Lord and Christ for indeed properly He is Christ unto His Church but He is also Lord over all the World in some sense But then you will say How doth He say that His Kingdom is not of this world if He he Lord over all the world Now that I might come to that point that I have chosen the text for we are to know that Christ hath a double Kingdom First Together with the Father He hath a Providential Kingdom as I may so say for distinction sake Secondly He hath a Mediatory Kingdom as Divines call it First A Providential Kingdom together with the Father whereby He mannages all the affairs of the world I say God-man the second Person in Trinity doth mannage all the affairs of the world His Scepter ruleth over all as
them First They begin to envie others that live better than themselves and after having envied them then they will begin to have their hearts rise against them and to hate them and after hating to speak against them and after speaking against them to persecute them and thus by degrees men that have been forward professors now they grow as bitter persecutors as others Oh therefore look to your Conversations And that should have been the exhortation Christians be careful of your Conversations in your families be careful there Psal 101. 1. you have an excellent Scripture of Davids professing his care of his Conversation in his familie how he would walk I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way when wilt thou come unto me I will walke within my house with a perfect heart Oh I beseech you look to this Scripture I will behave my self wiselie in a perfect way mark I 'le look that my way may be perfect everie way right and square to the world and when it is so I will labor to behave my self wiselie I will not carrie my self foolishlie in those waies that are good and then Oh when wilt thou come unto me Mark it was a time that God was absent from him and yet then he professes that he will behave himself wiselie in a perfect way and I wil walk in my house with a perfect heart There are some that make profession of Religion indeed and if you come to them before other companie then their conversations seem to be very fair and square but if you do but follow them to their families and see what they do there Oh those that live with them in their families after they have been abroad in companie shall see in what guiz they come home Shal they see their conversations to be holy as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ But thus it was with David saith David Let those that live with me in my house mark me as narrowlie as they can I will walk in my house with a perfect heart what I am in the Congregation or among those that are godly or any company I will be in my family that those in my family shall see my Conversation to be thus and thus Oh that professors of Religion would look to this not only to live before others in the parish or the town where they live but to walk in their familie with a perfect heart so as all in their family may even bless them and say Oh how doth my Master or Mistriss walk how graciously in their whol course from morning to night observe them in all their waies and you shall not be able almost to see anie miscarriage in them Oh that 's excellent when a man shall have a better testimony even from those in his familie than from those that are strangers it may be they think though thou makest profession of Religion yet all things are not answerable but those that see it everie day can testifie all things are answerable thus it should be w th every Christian that professes the Gospel to walk with a perfect heart in the midst of his family so to converse in the world Divers Arguments I shall give you to stir you up to look to your Conversations 1. Arg. First It is the mercy of God that you have your Conversations among men to this day that you have not your Conversations among Devils and Reprobates it might have been your portion that your Conversation might have been among Devils and Reprobates God might have sent you down to your own place to have conversed with them Let this be an Argument for you to look to your Conversations 2. Arg. Secondly consider this Wicked and carnal men among whom you live have no skill in the principles that you walk by but they have skill in your lives and Conversations they are able to pass judgment upon your lives and Conversations but not of your principles Godlie people are acted by such and such principles that are mysteries to carnal men but when it comes to their lives they can understand them they cannot search into their principles whether such a Doctrine be true or no or such a thing be according to such a Scripture whether there be a right interpretation of such a Scripture that carries them on in such a way they take no pains to look after this but they look to your lives there they have skill to discern how you walk and whether you walk to the rule or not in your lives and Conversations and therefore let it be your great care to look to your Conversations 3. Arg. A third motive is this There are some things that you cannot but do that will displease wicked men if you will act according to your Principles Well but this should make thee so much the more careful of thy Conversation in all other things that so wicked men may be convinc'd that if such men do some things that I do not understand yet surelie it is for some thing that God hath made known to them more than to me for I find this that in all things that I do understand there they walk exactly therfore though there be some things that they do that I cannot understand why should I be enraged against them As now in point of institution of Worship which doth not depend upon the light of Nature at all but meerly upon Scripture and such and such interpretations of Scripture and such principles wicked men have no skill in Now the professors of Religion they are tyed up by institution and by the words of Scripture thus interpreted which they think in their consciences is the truth they having compared all things together think this is the mind of Christ rather than the other and so long as they think thus they must follow it Now there 's many of these things that carnal men understand not for they take no pains to search into them and therefore they will be angry with you for them and indeed they will have cause to be angry with you for those things they understand not if they see you make no conscience of those things that they understand but if in other things that they do understand you walk circumspectly and that it appear to them that in those things they understand they walk conscionably then they will beleeve that it was meer conscience that made you differ from them in those things which they understood not or had no skill in this will make them ready to stand for you yea to speak and plead for you no such way to get true libertie of conscience as this is if you be careful to walk blameleslie in all those things that they understand with whom you converse they will be convinced in their consciences that if these men differ from us it 's conscience that makes them differ for say they we find that in all those things we understand these men walk conscionablie Certainlie a holie Conversation will
profession and yet at length break out into some vile scandalous sin Surelie the reason is they have kept hid some corruption within and they have thought it were a verie horrible thing that this corruption in my heart and thought should break out Oh God forbid saith he I hope I shall never live to that time to be so left of God as to commit this sin well thou thinkest verily that thou shalt not commit it I but if thou takest libertie to dally and play with this sin secretlie in thy thoughts and affections it is just with God to leave thee to thy self to shame thy self to leave thee to the commission of that sin thou hast for a long time kept dandling in thy thoughts and affections within although it be with resolution not to commit it that man that shall please himself in any kind of secret sin I say it were just with God to lead him forth with the worker of iniquity so as to lay his shame open and naked before all that he lives with therefore you that are Professors of Religion be careful of secret sins if you would never dishonor your profession in your Conversations A sixth Rule is this If you would be careful of your Conversations do not so much look at those that are beneath you and in the lower form as let your eye be upon those that are most eminent in their Conversations look upon them rather as your mark and aime Manie Christians live and their Conuersations are very dark and no beauty at all in them Why Because they think they live as others do they look upon such are beneath them and they think their lives are rather better than some others that have made profession and this makes them go on in a dull and sluggish way but now if you would have your Conversation indeed as it ought so as to be convincing set before you the examples of the most eminent of those whose Conversation doth most glister not a meer glistering shew I do not mean them But that glistering that comes from Diamonds and Gold and Pearls that have the excellencie of Grace shining in their verie Faces and Conversations set them before you and labor to imitate them and so this will help you in your Conversations We have in Heb. 13. 7. a Scripture for this Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their Conversations 'T is supposed that they should be most eminent Such as have the rule over them that are their Guids but mark he speaks of those that had spoken unto them the Word of God for he doth not speak of the Rulers in Civil States but of the Ministers that were their Guids for so the word is now though there be a work of Ruling besides Teaching we find in Scripture yet we find no Rule of anie Minister but over those that they speak the Word of God unto what Ruling any Minister hath I say it is over such people as he speaks the Word of God to If anie Minister shall come to rule over a people that people may well ask them Have you spoken the Word of God to us Do you teach us the Word of God Do you chalenge Rule over us and have not spoken the Word of God to us Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their Conversations They were it seems eminent in holiness of life and eminent so as they continued in that way of eminencie and the Apostle would have all Christians to look at them it 's a notable Scripture to shew that the Ministers of the Word should be eminent in their Conversations everie way and that all those that they speak the Word of God to should see in their Conversations the Beautie and the Excellencie of the Word of God that they speak to them for people look at the lives of Ministers as well as at their Word it is not enough onlie to be a good man in the Pulpit except it be in the constant way of their Conversations The seventh and last Rule you have it here in this Scripture Heb. 13. 7. Whose faith follow Considering the end of ther Conversation That is be not only careful of your Conversations at first when you begin to be professors of Religion then to be exact but be constant to the verie end Mark Considering the end of their Conversations he doth not mean the end onlie the reward that comes upon their Conversations that they shal have a glorious reward but considering the end as if he should say thus look at these that have spoken the Word of God to you they come not onlie at the verie first to you and speak great things and seem as if they were Saints or Angels come among you but they go on in a constant way whatsoever discouragements they have they go on in a constant way to the verie dying day observe not onlie what they were when they came first among you but what they are in the end of their Conversations and follow them this is a notable Scripture to shew how careful Christians ought to be not onlie to be holie in their Conversations when their hearts are first stir'd by the Ministrie of the Word as 't is with many many there are that when the Word of God comes first to them when they are first enlightened and first converted Oh how strict are they Oh how careful are they then they walk exactly and they are afraid of the least sin and examine everie thing by the Word Oh how curious are they in everie thing then and-their consciences are verie tender and are afraid that this is sin and that the other thing is sin and there is a mightie change in the familie their Masters or Parents they see them so afraid of everie thing and careful of their verie words on the Lords Day careful in seeking of God and attending upon Ordinances and in their particular calling at the first verie strict But now within a little time you shall find manie of these that by degrees they grow more loose and especiallie in these times because in these times there is a way that the Devil hath to get men to be loose in their Conversations that hath not been known in England indeed in Germany it was known and there it was ordinarilie in the beginning of Luthers Reformation that it is weakness in men to make conscience of dutie to be troubled for their sin and be humbled Paul and Peter and David it was their weakness when they were troubled so much for their sin Oh this is a most horrid and abominable wickedness that doth dishonor the Gospel of Christ and will make it rediculous to the world I say such carriages of people to think that they may take libertie to walk in a loose way because of the Gospel
of Nature will tel us something of the mercy of God but there 's nothing that sets out the bowels of Gods mercy so as the Gospel of Jesus Christ doth there you have the very bowels of Gods mercy indeed made legible to all the world in Luke 1. 78. Through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us The tender mercies of our God the bowels of mercy so the words are here 's the depth of the bowels of mercy held forth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ it 's imposible that we could have understood the depth of those bowels of mercy but by the Gospel Adam in innocency knew little of the mercy of God for he not being in misery had no need of that mercy to help out of misery but though he by his understanding must needs know that mercy was a good thing and therefore in God the First being of all but yet he did not understand that mercy that the Gospel holds forth yea the Angels in Heaven know it not but by the Gospel and so they desire to pry into those deep mercies of God unto man kind Oh here are the mercies of God that shall be the subject of the praises of Angels and of the Saints to all eternity held forth in the Gospel You think 't is a great mercy when a child is sick that God recovers it you think it is a great mercy when you are at Sea that God turns the wind when if it had stood but one half hour more that way it did you had lost Vessel lives and all when you have been in any danger abroad in forraign parts that the Lord was a present help in time of trouble when there hath been any affliction upon your family that God hath sent deliverance to you these are mercies that God is to be praised for Oh! but what are all these to the mercies of God in Jesus Christ His right-hand mercies and indeed this would be a good argument of a gracious heart when any particular mercie is granted unto them either family mercies or personal mercies Thus to meditate Lord I am less I am less than the least of all thy mercies yet here is seasonable comfortable mercies to me and mine c. but O Lord what is all this to that infinite fountain of mercy in Christ thy mercies in the Gospel thy mercies in thy Son there 's depths infinite depths of mercy indeed this is but a drop and indeed that 's sweet but the infinite Ocean of mercy it is in Jesus Christ Christ is the mercy of God to mankind in the bowels of which all other mercies are conceived and brought forth in the world All my fresh springs both upper and neather springs are in him who is All in All. Oh it were a good argument that the Gospel is revealed to you if you admire at Jesus Christ as the great mercy of all mercies though thankful for every mercy yet when you come to consider of the mercy of Christ look upon that as mercy of wonder stand amazed at the thought of that mercy well it 's the Gospel that holds forth the glory of the riches of the mercy of God God is said in the word to be rich in mercy He is not said so much to be rich in power as rich in mercy Now what Conversation is sutable to this What 's that but as Christ himself saith Be ye merciful as your heavenly father is merciful Oh have you a merciful heart one towards another look with a merciful eye upon those who are in great misery this is it that becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ Oh a harsh rugged and cruel disposition it is infinitely unbeseeming the Gospel of Christ To see a Christian one that professes the Gospel that makes more profession of the knowledge of God and of the free grace of God in Christ than others and yet when it comes to it that he hath to deal with such as are in misery to have a hard heart Oh a hard hearted Christian is a monster I say a hard hearted Christian is a monster in the world not to be ready to forgive others and to do any thing for others that are in misery is devilish but to rejoyce that they may have any object to shew pity and compassion unto Oh this is that which becomes the Gospel of Christ though they be strangers to you that are in misery yet be merciful to them for you were strangers to God Yea Be merciful to your enemies not only be willing to be at peace but be merciful Do you see any that have wronged you to be in misery do not let them perish but let bowels of compassion even work towards them Oh that our hearts did yern towards all Christ when He came neer unto Jerusalem He wept over it Oh that the like spirit were in us as was in Jesus Christ There 's no such argument for mercy to others as the consideration of the mercies of God in Jesus Christ Oh bowels of mercy beseems the Gospel of Christ and it should be manifested really Let not people that are in misery have verbal mercies from you that is you seem to pity them in words Oh but let there be real mercies to them open your hearts and let something drop from you for releef of them that are in misery it is a notable Scripture in Ephes 4. 31 32. and sutable to that in Col. 3. 13. in the 4. of the Ephes there the Apostle speaking of the mercies of Christ saith he Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Be tender hearted Oh God manifests the tenderness of His heart in the Gospel and this is beseeming the Gospel to set forth this as a pattern the tenderness of Gods heart to poor sinners in the depth of misery do you see any to be in misery and do not you find your heart begin to break towards them if you do not find your heart breaking Oh set before you the infinite tenderness of Gods mercies in Jesus Christ and 't is that will break your hearts if any thing in the world will And so in Col. 3. 13. a place somewhat paralel to this Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye and above all these things put on charity You see the Apostle accounts this the great argument of all and therefore know that the Lord takes it very much to heart when the bowels of Professors are turned into gravel Search into that remarkable Parable Matthew 18 from vers 28. to vers 35. where Jesus Christ Preacheth down all cruel and unchristian like dispositions in those that are fellow servants belonging to one and the same Master and
His subjects every subject of Christ hath his will and heart subdued to Jesus Christ It is not so in this world men may be subject to the Kings of this world meerly by constraint because they dare not do otherwise many Kings in this world have subjects whose hearts are not with them who love them not the Kings of this world they rule only the outward man But Christs Kingdom is another kind of Kingdom He rules in the hearts of men there is His Throne in the wills in the affections of men in the consciences of men Christ swaies His Scepter in mens souls men by conquest they subdue subjects to themselves Christ he subdues too in a way of conquest but he doth not subdue the outward man so much as the inward man the will is subdued to Christ He swaies His Scepter in their hearts this is a great mystery of godliness the swaying of the Scepter of Jesus Christ in the hearts of the Saints and therefore the Scripture tels us That the Kingdom of God is within us it is an inward Kingdom That 's the third thing wherein the difference between Christs Kingdom and the Kingdoms of the world consists Fourthly The Laws of Christ are Spiritual Observe the difference between the Laws of Christ in the government of His Church and the Laws that are for the government of the world it will be of very great use for you to know The Lord in His Providential Kingdom appointing Magistrates to govern here in the world in His room He leaves them to make Laws according to the general rules of prudence and justice such Laws are sufficient for the governing of the outward man and for the attaining to a Civil end for which their government is appointed But now Jesus Christ in His Mediatory Kingdom in His Church He makes all the Laws Himself He doth not leave it unto the Church to make new Laws according to the rules of their own prudence what they conceive to be fit in way of prudence no but they must fetch the Laws out of His Word and impose none but the same Laws that are in His Word they must have a Scriptum est it is written here are these and these texts of Scripture for what is enjoyned nothing must be added unto what He hath in His Word revealed only there are Divine Laws for the government of His Church now 't is true that the Church because they are a society of men they have some things natural and some things civil among them so far as they have need of natural and civil helps so far there may be Laws made according to rules of prudence and justice and Magistrates may come in to be helpful to the Church so far as they have need here of natural and civil helps as a society of men But now to speak properly to that which belongs to them meerly as they are the Church of Christ besides that that they have need of as they are men and natural and civil societies I say what belongs to them meerly considered as a Church of Christ they are to be governed only by the Laws of Jesus Christ who is the only Law-giver only by the Laws of the Word and there is not that liberty of making new Laws in the Church as there is of making new Laws in the Common-wealth and State and that 's a great difference between the Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdoms of this world That 's a fourth The Laws are different The Laws are different not only that they are by Divine revelation in the one and left to humane prudence in the other But 2 ly in the one the Laws bind conscience in the other they do not they do not bind conscience any further than the nature of the thing that is required binds except it be in case of scandal and contempt so our Divines that have been the most orthodox have gone that the Laws of men in the State they bind not conscience that is if a man should not do the thing that is required he should in conscience be bound over to eternal death for not doing it this is a very hard bondage a cruel yoke but thus if the thing that is required be right and just then the nature of the thing may bind conscience for then there comes in a Law of God if the thing be just and right that is required or however if I know nothing to the contrary but it may be just and right I must not break the Laws of man so as to give scandal or in a way of contempt but if it be privatly so as it be no scandal nor no contempt and the nature of the thing bind me not then my conscience is not bound over as guilty of eternal death if so be I do not every thing that man requires But now the Laws of Christ they are such as bind conscience as they come from him he is such a King that I say because they come from him and from his Will though we see no reason in the matter of the thing though they have nothing in the nature of the thing but meerly the Will of Christ it 's enough to tye conscience and to bind us even upon pain of eternal death to obedience Fiftly Christs Kingdom is not of this world That homage that the Saints do unto Christ it is not worldly but spiritual the Worship of Christ and the Ordinances of Christ they are not worldly but spiritual Now the Kings of this world they may appoint what kind of worship they please that is what Ceremonies they will whereby their subject should tender up their homage to them and now men have ventured to be so bold with Christ the King because men may tender up their homage unto their earthly Kings by any waies invented of their own therefore they have thought that they might presume to tender up their homage to Christ their spiritual King by any waies of invented worship and therein was a great error they lookt upon the Kingdom of Christ only in a carnal way whereas the Kingdom of Christ is such as all our homage that we tender up to Him must be Spiritual it must be Heavenly it must be from Heaven it must be from Christ Himself it must be from some Institution and Appointment of Jesus Christ and the more the kingdom of Christ doth prevail the more Spiritual shall that homage be that the subjects tender up to Him therefore you shall find that when the holy Ghost speaks of the Kingdom of Christ in the new Testament with reference unto that which was then in the old Testament He calls even those waies of worship in the old Testament worldly in comparison of the worship and homage that the Saints tender to Christ in the new Testament as in Gal. 4. 3. Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world The ceremonies of the Law are call'd here the elements of
this and if this man have not his portion here what man hath the Lord strike such a mans heart But on the other side A gracious heart when God blesses him in this world though there be but a little grace it wil work thus The Lord hath raised my condition above my brother therein the Lord gives me a larger opportunity to do him service than my brother hath or than I had before there is such a poor man he is an honest man but God knows he can do but little in the place where he is he hath but little means but God hath given me means and this means enlarges my opportunity to do God service and for this my soul blesseth God I count my estate happier in this because I now may be of more use and do God more service than otherwise I could do Have you such workings in heart you rich men if you have not never be at quiet til you get your hearts working in this manner this will be a blessed testimony that God gives you a portion here and intends another portion for you in the world hereafter 6. What is that thing that you strive to make most sure That which a man strives to make most sure that he counts his happiness to consist in Oh for thy Land and Debts thou strivest with all thy might to make that sure but as for the matter of thy Salvation and peace in Christ thou hast a good hope in God for but takest no pains to make it sure 7. What dost thou admire most men for O! such a man is happy he hath so much coming in and hath so much a yeer But dost thou call the vile man happy it is a sign that thou hast not thine eye enlightened by the Spirit of God but now Canst thou look upon even those that are poor and mean in this world that have the least portion here yet as most happy Creatures because the Lord gives them the Grace of His Spirit and think well 't is true I have a greater estate than such a poor man that is my neighbor or than such a poor man but God knows he doth God more service than I do he prayes more and more heartily in one day than I do in a whol yeer Oh! the Lord hath other manner of prayers and sighs come from his poor Cottage than ever he had from my brave Pallace I have my City-house and Country-house but they were never so perfum'd with prayers Some that live in poor Cellers send up more prayers and God hath more honor from them than He hath from me in my family perhaps there is cursing and blaspheming of God in such poor Cottages there is perhaps blessing and praising of God Now see if thou lookest upon them as the most happy people in the world 8. What art thou careful to lay up for thy Children That is like to be thy portion If the things of the world take up thy care for thy children most that is an argument thou thinkest thy Children have a good portion if thou canst leave them so many thousands it is like it is thy portion too if thou countest it theirs And then further 9. Examin thy services what they are 1. Dost thou put off God with slight services Then know thy portion is like to be of Gods slight mercies 2. Art thou hypocritical in thy service Dost thou aim at the praise of men in outward duties That is a sign thou hast thy reward here 3. And are thy services forc'd that thou art compel'd Is it meerly conscience compels thee and not an inward agreeableness between the frame of thy heart and holy things Then it 's like a servants portion is thine and not a childs portion 10. Further Hast thou heretofore been a forward Professor in Religion and hast thou forsaken the waies of God I 'le give you a dreadful Scripture for this In Jer. 17. 13. All you that forsake the Lord shall come to be ashamed and they that depart from him shall be written in the earth All that depart from God shall be written in the earth If thou hast been forward heretofore and now thou comest to be more ancient thou art dead and dull and careless here is a Text for thee go home and tremble lest thou be a man whose name is written in the earth 11. Doth not God for the present Curse thy portion thou findest the more thou hast the worse thou growest As if a man should eat meat at ones table and assoon as he hath eaten it begin to swell he will conclude certainly the meat was poysoned So when thy estate rises thy heart riseth with pride surely it was poysoned with the curse of God that was in it 12. Examin thy heart by this whether hath God convinced thee of that which stops the great Current of His mercy I spake of even now that soul that hath its portion in this world looks no further but to Gods general bounty and looks not to what stops the great Current of Gods grace he is not brought to be sensible of his need of Christ and of his satisfaction unto Divine Justice but now the heart of God intends Eternal good too such a heart the Lord causes to understand that there is such an infinite breach between God and it as cannot be made up but only by the Meditation of the Son of God and therefore Lord it is not in any righteousness of mine nor in any thing of any creature in Heaven and Earth can do it that I expect to have my portion from but in the Mediation of the Son of God that I look after and my heart closes with that Mediation and I look upon that as the spring of all my worth He is a man indeed that is not like to have his portion in this world and I 'le only name that one more What saiest thou to this 13. That man that spends his daies without having some fear lest God should put him off with the things of this world there may be some danger of that Jude 12. it is said of some That they did feed themselves without fear You can go now to a merry meeting and can go and feed upon the cheer and you eat without fear you 'l never have such a thought in your heart What if God should put me off with these things I hear indeed there are some men are put off so what if it should prove to be my portion what a miserable creature were I I fear there are some men never had such a thought in their lives What if it should prove so what a miserable creature were I The wicked are described to be men that eat without fear and thus we have done the Fifth Thing There is only the Sixth and that is Sixthly Exhortation to you all and then I have done all And this Exhortation it must be divided First Vnto you that have some Evidences that God hath given you a