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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30579	Gospel-conversation: wherein is shewed, I. How the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature. II. Beyond those that lived under the law. III. And suitable to what truths the Gospel holds forth. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to Stepney and Criplegate, London. Being the third book published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simpson, Philip Nye, William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1650 (1650)	Wing B6076A; ESTC R213106	221,498	277

's the meaning of the Original Like as a man that scorns and derides another snivles in the nose that 's the propriety of the word that is here translated derided Oh! a worldly heart is hardest brought unto the Kingdom of Christ therefore bless God so much the more that hath brought thy soul to understand the mysteries of Christs Scepter that hath translated thee into another Kingdom 11. Vse If the Kingdom of Christ be not of this world then they are rebuked that do seek to make the Kingdom of Christ a worldly Kingdom I might name very many sorts of men that do this I will speak but of Three or Four The first is the Papists those that are Popishly affected all their way is under the name of honoring of Christ to raise up a worldly Kingdom and therefore they make the Pope to be as an Emperor of all the world as the King of Kings and their Cardinals and many of their Bishops to be Princes and all in a worldly pomp and they carry it on and maintain it by a worldly policy and by worldly means and worldly weapons and therfore stir up the Kings of the earth to root out all those that are against them these understand not the Kingdom of Christ Secondly Such as would conform the Government of the Church meerly to worldly Government that because worldly men may by their prudence order things as they please in Common-wealths so as shall be most sutable to them therefore they falsly think that the Kingdom of Christ must be so too that it must be suted to every Country whereas the truth is there is but one way of the Government of Christ in all the world The great Argument of the Prelates was Indeed say they in some places there may be another Government where there is an Aristocracy in the Civil Government but where there is Monarchy there must be a Bishop Now certainly that's not the way of Christ to sute himself in his Government to the Government of the world But the Government that was in the primitive times must be still Thirdly Such kind of men as think that the success of the Gospel and the Ordinances do depend upon worldly things as now upon outward pomp except there be some outward pomp go along with the Gospel As now Great preferments of those that are the Preachers of the Gospel they think the Gospel will be contemn'd else and except the Ordinances be carried on in an outward pomp They conceive that all will be despised except there be Magnificent Temples built and beautified and except brave Gold and Silver Chalises the Sacrament would be despised and except they have their Altars and Rails about them with all their heathenish vanities Christ is not worshiped But this is to look upon the Kingdom of Christ as the Kingdoms of the world but Oh no! the kingdom of Christ prevails where there is but little of the world with it I remember I have read of one Boniface a Martyr that being asked whether it were lawful to give the Wine in the Sacrament in a wooden Challis saith he There was a time indeed when the Church had wooden Challises and golden Priests but now the Church hath golden Challises and wooden Priests No question in the primitive times they had very mean things in the Lords Supper and all things were carried in a very low way to a worldly eye but saith he though their Challises were wooden the Priests were golden and so the Gospel did prevail Oh! it 's the spiritualness of things that makes the kingdom of Christ to prevail many think that the Gospel cannot prevail except it hath abundance of gingles of mens wit and tongues and such kind of school-boy-vanities as these are but the Gospel never prevails by such things but that which the world calls foolishness that is made the power of God and the wisdom of God to Salvation They have carnal hearts that think that the outward pomp and glory of the world should be such a furtherance to the Gospel as if it should not thrive without it Lastly Those that think that the Gospel and the promoting of Christs kingdom depends wholly upon humane policy and strength these do make the kingdom of Christ to be but as a worldly kingdom The last Vse is this If Christs Kingdom be not of this world then it teaches us all for to labor to further a kingdom of Christ as distinct from the world it is a great Point that I am speaking of about furthering the Kingdom of Christ as distinct from the kingdoms of the world Christ himself professes that he came into the world to witness to this truth and therefore certainly we should do so likewise It is in the very next words to my text when Christ had said his Kingdom was not of this world Pilate said to Him Art thou a King then Jesus answered Thou saiest I am a King To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness to the Truth Truth Pilate asked Him what the Truth was but he said not for an answer but certainly the Truth that Christ means here is the Truth of His Kingdom Oh my brethren it is a matter of so great consequence that it is a special end why Christ came into the world why He was born that he should witness to this Truth Then certainly we should account it a great end of our lives to set to our seal to this Truth of the Kingdom of Christ as distinct from the world let this be a great engagement on our spirits to further the preaching of the kingdom further it as many waies as you can improve your Estates improve your Credits your Esteem your Places for the kingdom of Christ and then Oh how comfortable will your death be though you should not live here to enjoy all the priviledges that the Saints in other ages shall have in the kingdom of Christ yet when you die your death shall be but a passage of you into the glorious Kingdom of Jesus Christ for there 's a Kingdom of Christ beyond this world though Christ will rule Spiritually while this world lasts but when men are taken off from this world yet they do but go into the Kingdom of Christ In 2 Peter 1. 5 6. c. with which I will conclude and besides this giving all diligence Ad to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledg ad to knowledg temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity for if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ And so he goes on further in his exhortation and in the 10. verse Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things you shall never fall for so an

have neither the right of Justice to claim nor the right from your Creation nor the right from Promise What right then There is a Fourth right and that right I confess you have and that is 4. A right from Donation God is pleased to give to you but just thus You hold all your Honors and Estates that are ungodly men just thus Even as a man that is condemned to die and there being a little reprieving for two or three daies before his execution the Prince out of his indulgence gives order to have provision made for him according to his Quality that if he be a Gentleman he shal have such provision if a Knight a Nobleman a Peer of the Realm he shall have provision according to his Quality till his Execution now no man can say this man usurps though he hath forfeited all his right to his Land and Estate yet if the King will give him this refreshment he is no usurper but it is a poor right he hath it 's a right from Donation and thus God gives the ungodly men in this world they have a right to outward comforts you have your Portion but you see how you hold it That 's the Second thing I have but one or two things more to dispatch of this particular and two things further and I shall wind up all as briefly as I can I am told I may take some liberty at such a time as this is and seeing it is only the preaching oportunity we meddle withal give me leave a little the more to transgresse upon your patience in that I hope it will not be very much The next thing to be considered it is That this Portion here as it 's poor in regard of the mean things and the Tenure So Thirdly There is a great deal of Mixture here in this you have 1. There is a manifold Mixture of Cumber of Trouble and the truth is All the good things that wicked men enjoy in this world will scarce bear charges that is there is so much trouble they meet withal here in this world with their Portion that all they have will scarce bear charges And if a man goes a Voyage we use not to count any thing he spends by the way to be part of his Treasury Now all we have here in this world is but Spending-money to bear our Charges in regard God knows we shall be at a great deal of Charges and afflictions we shall meet with here But besides 2. There is a Mixture of Curse in every Portion of an Ungodly man If any of you think you get such a rich Match you get an Heir that is a very rich Match and you get her portion and there you go and fetch away the bags of God that are her portion but if it should prove that every bag of Gold you have of your Wives portion had the Plague in it it were but a poor portion Certainly it is thus with all ungodly ones in the world that all the while they live whatsoever they enjoy so long as continuing wicked they have a Curse of God that goes along with it and makes way unto Eternal misery for them As those that are godly have the blessing of God in outward things that makes way for their Eternal good So thou hast the Curse of the Lord mingled with all thy outward things that makes way for Eternal evil unto thee And then Consider 3. What portion thou losest thou hast gotten one but thou losest a great deal more If a man had been at the Exchange and made some bargain about some petty thing and afterwards when he comes home knows that by not buying such a thing he hath lost a bargain that would have made him and his posteritie he hath little cause of rejoycing in that bargain he hath made So though thou hast got a portion that may seem to satisfie thee somwhat know thou hast lost a portion of infinit worth and value and it 's impossible to shew you what this portion is for the Devil could shew Christ all the glory of the world in the twinkling of an eye but if I should come to shew you the glory of Heaven I had need have Eternity to shew you what the portion of the Saints is but though I cannot shew it you all I will only give you a hint or two that you may know somewhat what it is 1. It is such a portion as is fit for the Spouse of the Lamb as is fit for the Spouse of one that is to marry the Son of God the second Person in Trinity 2. It is such a portion which is fit and sutable to an Heir of Life and Glory an Heir of Heaven and Earth 3. It is such a portion as God doth give it unto them to this very end As to declare what the infinite Power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to the height of happiness What think you this must be that I say it must therefore be done that it might declare to Angels and all creatures what the infinit power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to happiness and glory This must be somewhat 4. It must be such a one as in which God must attain unto the great design that he had from all eternity in making the Heaven and Earth the special design that God had in making Heaven and Earth from all Eternity it was to magnifie the Riches of His Grace to a Company that He had set apart to glory it must be such a portion and guess you what this must needs be 5. It is such a portion as must require the infinite power of God to support a Creature to be able to bear the weight of that glory it 's such a portion And do you but think what kind of portion that must needs be 6. All this must needs be now to all Eternity I remember when Esau did but hear Isaac his father tel what a blessing he had given unto Jacob the Text saith that Esau fell a weeping Oh! that God would strike upon the hearts of men that have so little minded any thing but the present things of the world thou hearest but a few words of what the Lord hath reserved to all eternity for his Saints and compare but that with what is thy portion and what is like to be thy portion and thou hast cause to weep I but more cause you will have to weep if so be you consider the last thing Fifthly What is like to be thy End thy Portion is in this world if indeed thou couldst ruffle it out in this world and enjoy thy hearts desire and there an end it were somewhat Oh but there is somewhat else remains afterwards As first 1. Oh the perplexity of Spirit that any worldly man will have when Death comes when he shall see an end of all the comforts of this world now farewell house and lands and friends and acquaintance and all

God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Set the example of God before you what God hath done for you for Christs sake and let that be the great motive Do not only argue thus well I would be forgiven if I had offended and I would not have another to bear anger and malice against mee and therefore I will not be angrie with them nor malign them this is a low principle but if I find that this is revealed in the Gospel that the Lord for Christs sake hath forgiven me and it 's this that quiets my passion when I feel my corruption rising and stirring against any that hath offended me when I do but think of Gods mercie in forgiving me for Christs sake this quiets me I this is somewhat like as becomes the Gospel of Christ when we walk upon such principles as these are And so you have it in Col. 3. 13. Forbearing one another and forgiving one another If any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgive you so also do ye It is very unbeseeming such as profess the Gospel of Christ to be quarrelsome with their neighbours Now you shall have some that are of very meek and quiet dispositions naturally I love to live quiet say some men thus far thou maiest come by the light of Nature not to love to quarrel But now when any doth cause any quarrel doest thou labor to quiet the quarrel upon this ground Evn as Christ forgave me O I have found the Lord Jesus Christ notwithstanding my wretchedness against Him and all the wrong I have done Him He hath forgiven me and therefore seeing Christ will not take advantage against me as He might I will not take advantage against another Is it upon this ground And dost thou raise thy Conversation with thy Neighbor in keeping from quarrelsomness and contentiousness dost thou naise it to this height upon this ground so to forgive as Christ hath forgiven you I will not forgive only in this particular or in this lesse offence But as Christ hath forgiven me We shall still have further occasion to mention these things in opening the sutableness of our Conversations to the Gospel that is for the point of Justice it must rise higher than that of doing as we would be done by And then for grosse sins thou keepest from them thou thankest God thou art no Swearer no Drunkard no Whoremonger such kind of notorious sins thou art not guilty of but what art thou in respect of inward sins what art thou in respect of secret sins Mark that Scripture in Matth. 5. 10. saith Christ there I say unto you That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven We shall likewise speak further of this when we open that of the Law that our Conversations must rise higher than the Conversations of those did that lived under the Law or else it doth not become the Gospel of Christ You shall find further in the Chapter how Christ would raise them higher than meerly not to commit adulterie or to be openly prophane Verse 17. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time Thou shalt not commit adultery But I say unto you That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whol body should be cast into Hell And then If thy right hand offend thee cut it off And so in the point of Anger in the 21 22. verses Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the Judgment But I say unto you That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever shall say unto his brother Racha shall be in danger of the councel but wosoever shall say Thou fool shal be in danger of hell fire That is liable to the same judgment that you think murder is Now is your conversations as becometh the Gospel Here Christ is a great Preacher of the Gospel and shews that there is more strictness in the Gospel than ther is by the light of Nature or by the Law or by that that they understand by the Law This the light of Nature doth dictate that men should not Kill nor commit Adultrie but now If thy Conversation be such as becomes the Gospel then thou must make conscience of Anger and tremble at that as a natural man would tremble at Murder for that becomes the Gospel I say one that is a professor of the Gospel he should tremble at sinful anger as a natural man would tremble at murder for observe it here look what they said murder did make a man liable to the same thing Christ saith Anger would make a man liable to therefore one that would walk as becomes the Gospel must tremble at the inward sin of Anger as a natural man would tremble at the outward sin of Murder And so for Adultry Thou art no Whoremonger But one that professes the Gospel must look at the lusting of the eye and of the heart as a natural man that hath but the light of Nature would look upon the cōmission of Adultrie for Christlaies that upon the lust of the heart that they lay upon the commission of Adultrie This is as becometh the Gospel Further By the light of Nature a man may be consciencious That is make conscience of several sins Q. But now you will say Wherein should a man go beyond this as becomes the Gospel What can any man that professes the Gospel go beyond this of making conscience of a secret sin that though he knew that no bodie in the world did know his sin nay suppose he knew certainlie that it should never be known yet he dares not do it how can a man go beyond that Ans Yes You must labor for the mortification of the body of sin that is within you not onlie to make conscience to keep from the act of secret sins but thy work must be to labor for the mortification of the bodie of sin and death that is in thee that 's that that is reveal'd by the Gospel that no man by the light of Nature ever knew you shall never reade among all the Phylosophers of the point of Original sin nor of mortification of the body of sin and death this the light of Nature never tels So that now when a man come to his height that is first my conscience being enlightned by the Word so that I dare not commit any secret sin for the world though there be none but God and my conscience together but besides that Oh I carry about with me a body of sin and death a root of

they do differ in their judgments yet if they can keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace I say it 's a great honor to the Gospel than if they were all of the same mind You know the Turks they are al of one mind but I cannot say so of the Papists yet they have a chain to keep them together We read of the Egyptians that when it was darkness among them they sat still and kept close together but when it came to be light every man went about his own business so when light doth begin to break forth and there 's liberty given to search into truths we cannot imagin that at the very first men should be of the same judgment except they will give up their consciences and sacrifice their reason one to another but though they be not of one judgement yet there may be kept a blessed unity of affection there may be a golden girdle clapsed about their loins yea and of practice so far as men can with peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost so as not to sin against conscience and light Unity of affection and practice should be endeavored to the utmost and it is a most Christian thing so to do and certainly this should be studied and endeavored by us as much as lieth in us Me thinks when I reade over the Epistles of Paul or any part of the new Testament I see nothing more pressed than this next to beleeving in Jesus Christ and therefore it should be the care of Christians And as it ought to be the care of Christians to study unity and peace so I beseech you that small differences may not be abused and heightned so far as because some do differ from others that therefore presently if they be the least part especially all the odium should be cast upon them though they can appeal to God that they do endeavour to know the mind of God and to keep unity so far as they can without sin And we shall see that the Scripture doth never lay the sin of devision upon any except those that do lay it upon them are able to say that those make division from some corrupt end or other of their own and then it charges them deeply as that place is most famous that you have in Rom. 16. 17 18. and I verily perswade my self that there is many of your that hear this text very much abused Now I beseech you brethren mark those which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them This is the great place against that sin which we call schism for schism is nothing but a rending asunder That cause division schism contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Now you know the sin of schism was cast by the Popish Bishops heretofore upon all that would not be of their minds in any ceremonies and will-worship and because many would not come up to the Rails and submit to receive the Lords Supper by kneeling in that way that it was then admistred by our Prelatical Priests therefore they were termed schismaticks And so at this day many cry out of others if so be they cannot swallow Camels with them if so be they differ in some things wherein they cannot joyn with them because it would be sin and a snare to them they presently say they are guilty of schism and faction There is a great deal of taking Gods Name in vain in this thing yet they do not tell you what the true nature of schism is but if any persons joyn not with the greater part which is usually least conscientious that 's schism in an high degree this is not that that becomes the Gospel presently to judg all that differ from us But mark the next words and there the Apostle tells what schism is First it must be contrary to sound doctrine for saith he They that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple The Apostle could take it upon his conscience by seeing the behaviour of these men that the cause why they differed from others it was not out of tenderness of conscience and desire to know the mind of God but by their behavior he saw enough to satisfie his conscience their Conversation gave their profession the lye and therefore saith he avoid such So I confess if men can take it upon their consciences as they would answer to Jesus Christ I see such and such men to differ thus but I can appeal to Christ in it that upon these and these grounds I am perswaded it is not out of tenderness of conscience and I am verily perswaded that there is no willingness in them to know the mind of Christ but it is to serve their own carnal ends and purposes I confess if we can take this upon our consciences as we will answer it to Jesus Christ that there are such and such grounds upon which we beleeve Christ wil so account that such men do not differ through their tenderness but from their own carnal ends these men may be accounted schismaticks This is the sin of schism when through want of love and to serve their own by-ends men shall rend one from another But now is it possible to think that the holy Ghost should lay so great a load as to command the Saints to avoid such persons upon men whose consciences are upright with God sure when a man shall be able to appeal to God and say Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that it is the desire of my soul to know thy will and I search for it and pray for it and it is the affliction of my soul that I differ in any thing from my brethren that I see to be godly and if I knew thy mind thou knowest I would quickly close with them and account it the greatest happiness that can befall me in this life to shake hands with them in such and such particulars But thou hast laid this charge upon me that I must do what I do out of faith and I should sin against that rule of thine if I should yeeld to that that I see no footing for out of thy Word Now if a soul should make this moan to Jesus Christ do you think that Christ would account this man a schismatick and that he must be avoided and persecuted 〈◊〉 a schismatick no certainly there 's a great mistake in this and this is meerly for want of charity and that which the holy Ghost is so bitter against is when men for want of love to their brethren and for to serve their own base ends make breaches and rents in the Church judge such now to be guilty of the sin of schism and no other for that is to break unity to judge others guilty of schism meerly because they differ from you and cannot reade by your spectacles these

here would be a mighty change thou wert a beast before but here is the soul of grace there 's a new birth when the Gospel comes to prevail and to enter in upon an heart and it 's call'd a new resurrection if there should be a voice come from Heaven that should open all the graves that you have here in the yard and all the dead bodies should stand up and live what a mighty change would there be Such a change doth the Gospel make when it conquers a people indeed the Gospel may be preached and little change may be wrought because the power of the Gospel prevails not with their hearts but when it doth prevail in their hearts there is such a strange change Oh then What Conversation become this it must be a Conversation that doth hold forth to the world that there is such a mighty change wrought in you Now I appeal to you you that make profession of the Gospel you know what you have been heretofore worldly and base and carnal and sensual and froward and peevish and prophane men altogether unsavory before the Gospel came to you now you profess that God hath begun to work upon you by the Gospel What change hath it wrought in you Can those that live with you see your Conversations so changed as to make them stand and admire at the work of the Gospel upon your hearts the husband to stand and admire at the work of God upon the heart of the wife as if she were another woman and so the wife to admire at the grace of God upon the heart of the husband as if he were another man and so your children and servants not the same that heretofore they were Oh what honour would this be to the Gospel that in places where it comes to be preached in power there might appear a change that becomes the Gospel of Christ Certainly if your Conversations be not such as holds forth a mighty change that God hath wrought in you then it is not such as becomes the Gospel of Christ It may be you are somewhat better than heretofore you have been as not to be a common drunkard you see that 's despised by men Who regards drunken fools mad-men very beasts Therfore you come to be of more understanding that you will not be so prophane and lascivious as you were wont to be but live somewhat better Oh but this change is not that change which holds forth the work of the Gospel for when the Gospel prevails it makes the gre●test change that ever was made in the world we may boldly ascert this that since the Creation of God in the first six daies there was never such a change made in the world as the Gospel makes and therefore a Conversation becoming the Gospel must be a Conversation that must be a changed Conversation must be mightily different from what they were before sometimes we see it so through the mercy of God that when men and women come to hear the Word in the cleerness and power of it to be revealed they have such changes that al their friends stand wondring at them What shall we have of you now Oh such have cause to answer and say Blessed be God it is so it is the Gospel that hath made such a change in me I this becomes the Gospel when it shall appear that your Conversation is so changed so holy and godly and gracious now over it was before But you whose lives are not better than they were before before you made some profession only your profession now is greater than it was before but your lives no better know this is a Conversation that doth no way become the Gospel of Christ the Gospel of Christ hath no honor by this Conversation of yours And then The great difference that the Gospel makes between one man and another As now those that the Gospel doth not prevail upon the Scripture tels us they are the children of wrath they are dead in trespasses and sins they are under the curse of the Law they are even enemies to God this is the condition of al men before this Scepter of Christ conquers their hearts children of wrath enemies to God dead in sins under the curse But now when the Gospel comes to prevail over mens hearts then they come to be the Children of the living God Heirs of Christ Co-heirs with Him they come to be partakers of the life of God they encrease with the encrease of God and their lives are hid with Christ in God and they come to be reconciled to God to be friends with God to be at peace with God and to inherit blessings Oh the change that the Lord puts upon the heart and state of the Saints when the Gospel prevails How high are they raised above other men Therefore you must not make other men to be your example in your way you must not think to live as the world lives and to say I do as other men do the Gospel makes a mighty difference between your estate and the state of other men therefore never look to what other men do but consider as God hath made a vast difference between you and other men so let there be a great difference between your Conversation and the Conversation of other men Now this meditation should have a mighty deal of power to prevail upon the heart I beleeve that I have such and such priviledges beyond other men and I look for such and such mercies above others now what things I look for beyond others I must labor to be as much beyond them in holiness of Conversation as God hath made me beyond them in spiritual priviledges and spiritual mercies I think sometimes I would not be in the condition of such men as are in their natural estate for a world nay I would not be one our in their estates if I might have ten thousand worlds for fear I should die that hour and then I should be lost for ever Well hath God made such a difference then let not my life be like theirs for one hour nay for one moment Oh this meditation through Gods blessing would mightily help us in our Conversation Our Conversation should be such as becomes the Ordinances of the Gospel The Word and Sacraments they have a great deal more in them than the Ordinances of the Law but because I spake of the Gospels being higher than the Law heretofore and these things may fall something neer yet had I time I would speak a little concerning these and shew how we are to hold forth a Conversation sutable to them Our Conversations should be sutable to the power of the Gospel there is a great deal of power in the Gospel it 's call'd the power of God unto salvation in the 1. of the Rom. 16. The very light of the Gospel it is a transforming light it hath a mighty power in it the Gospel it 's called the Wisdom of God and the Power of

dishonor upon him yet this Saul had mighty power over his Spirit he was very meek and a quiet man in the first of Samuel 10. 27. the text saith He held his peace when the Children of Belial said What have we to do with him 4. Though he were quiet in his own cause yet he shewed himself to have an excellent spirit of Government in him in a publick cause he was full of anger when it was for the good of the people that he was a Governor over though quiet in his own in the first of Samuel 11. 6. When he heard of a dishonor done to the people of Israel the Text saith that his anger did rise within him an excellent pattern for all Governors for all in publique places to be very silent and quiet self denying putting up wrongs in their own cause but to be full of zeal for the publick cause to reserve their spirits for a publick good Many there are in publick places that when they are anger'd in their private cause how full of Spirit they are and they spend their Spirit there so much that they have no spirit at all when it comes to a publick cause Saul went beyond them in this 5. Saul was one who was much troubled at the sin of the people against God not only had a spirit to vindicate a publick wrong but when he saw the people sin against God his heart was much troubled at their very sin and seemed to be grieved for it and mighty solicitous and careful about it to prevent sin in the people this you shall have in 1 Sam. 14. 33. they told Saul there That the people had sinned in eating with blood upon that Saul shews himself displeased Come saith he and do not sin against the Lord roul a stone to me hither and so he would see with his own eyes that they did slay the Cattel and they did powr forth the blood that they might not sin against God in eating blood this was his care 6. Saul he was very careful to enquire of God what he should do in businesses of great consequence in the 37. ver of that 14. chap. of the 1 of Samuel there he would not go out till he had first enquired of God Yea more than all this 7. He was a man that had a very reverend esteem of the Prophets of God when Samuel came to him in the 1 of Samuel 15. 13. O thou blessed of the Lord saith Saul to Samuel Yea yet further than this 8. When Samuel shewed unto him what his sin was in the 30. ver of that 15. chap. he comes and confesses it before the people and saith I have sinned I have sinned against the Lord meerly at the conviction of one Prophet Yea yet more than this 9. God seemed to be with Saul very much and to shew great respect unto him to make him an Instrument of much good to Israel He granted unto him as glorious a victory as ever man had in this world for so we may cal it and if there be any outward thing in the world might be gathered as an argument of Gods love then such a remarkable victory as he had over his enemies the victory you shall find in the 1 of Samuel 13. 5. and so reade on afterwards in that Chapter and the next you shall find there that the Philistims were risen up against him and Israel and there were thirty thousand Chariots of his Adversaries of the Philistims and six thousand horsmen and people as the sand of the Sea for multitude besides all this Wel here was a mighty Enemy What had Saul to oppose these You shall find in the 2. verse of that 14. chapter that there were but six hundred men with Saul here was of one side thirty thousand Chariots here was six thousand horsmen here was people as the sand of the Sea without number and Saul had but six hundred with him at this time yea and of those six hundred there was not any one of them that had a sword but only Saul and Jonathan for the Philistims were wise enough to disarm all the Malignants that they accounted so and would not let so much as a Smith be amongst them they would not only take away their Arms but they would look to them to see that they had no arms supplied unto them that was the wisdom of the Philistims yet we find if you reade afterwards in the Scripture that God was so far with Saul that he blessed him and gave him victory over all these Besides all this 10. God blessed Saul with a very gracious Child a godly son of a sweet nature Jonathan which indeed if any outward argument in the world might be an argument of Gods love that might be But now put all these things together and yet here is the man that hath his Portion in this world I now challenge the man especially one I challenge him that hath certain evidence of a mighty work of God upon him in Christ let him shew me greater arguments of Gods love to him than Saul might have done and yet it proved to be Sauls Portion that he should have only his portion in this world God herein shews that His mercy is His own and that He will let out His mercy as He pleaseth It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom The Father doles out the Portion as He pleaseth unto His Children God will let the Line of His mercy to go thus far to one and there stop and so far to another and there stop and then come in a cross line again unto them God so disposes of his mercy that there are some that shall have Heaven and Earth to be their portion and their portion is blessed indeed There are some that shall have Earth but not Heaven and their portion is poor and mean and sad there are others that shall have Heaven but not earth and their portion is good And there are others that shall neither have Heaven nor Earth and their portion you 'l say is miserable indeed Gods mercy is His own to dispose of as He will We reade that Abraham in Gen. 21. 14. He cals for Ishmael and Hagar and he gives them a piece of bread a bottle of water and sends them away there 's an end of them So Jehoshaphat in the 2 of Chron. 21. 3. He gave his other son saith the text gifts but the Kingdom he gave to Jehoram So God hath people to whom he gives pieces of bread bottles of water yea some to whom he gives great gifts in this world but he keeps his inheritance for his Isaac He keeps the Kingdom for Jehoram Esau he had his portion in this world and such a portion as he thought to be a very good portion in Gen. 33. 9. Brother saith he I have enough Most rich men are complaining they go not so far as Esau they have their portion and yet complain of it Esau hath his portion and