Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	law_n	light_n	perfect_a	1,397	5	9.4420	5	true

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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

But that we shall come more fully to when we speak how our Conversations should be becoming the Gospel of Christ But I speak this in this point as a preparation to that especiallie to young Professors that have been wrought upon by the Word within these few yeers since there hath bin more freedom of preaching the Gospel and I verily beleeve that divers of you in this Congregation do know many young ones and others that have been wrought upon by the Ministrie of the Word that for the first yeer were verie exact and verie careful of their lives and verie punctual in every thing but you now see them begin to grow loose and wanton and vain in their Conversations Oh this is a sad and an evil thing If you would be careful of your Conversations observe this seventh Rule Be not onlie careful at the first work of God upon you when you begin to be enlightened but in the constant course of your lives Oh give me a professor of Religion that was wrought upon when he was a Youth or a young Maid and yet continues till they be old disciples in a constant way of holiness and strictness Oh! They are the most beautiful objects that are in the world to behold the Sun in the firmament is not so glorious as an ancient professor of Religion that hath continued constant in the waies of godliness from his youth that can say as good Obadiah once said 1 King 18. 12. I have feared the Lord from my youth and my conscience though it tell me of many failings and weaknesses yet my conscience excuseth me in this that I have endeavored with a good conscience to walk with God and without offence to man and not given way to my self in any way of loosness since God made known Himself to me Oh such may have an abundance entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven and die with abundance of comfort But thus much for this first point That Christians ought to be careful of their Conversations We come now to the second and that is the main point in the Text. Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ 2. Doct. Every kind of Conversation of professors is not enough it must rise to that height as must be sutable to the Gospel of Christ meet for the Gospel that they do profess That 's our point Now we shall come to the Particulars what Conversation it is that is meet for the Gospel of Christ I gave you the Heads in the opening of it But now I shall speak to them First That Conversation that is meet and becomes the Gospel of Christ must be a Conversation raised to a higher degree than the light of Nature will raise it That Conversation that is no higher than possibly may be raised by the light of Nature certainly that 's not a Conversation becoming the Gospel of Christ that 's beneath not fit for the Gospel of Christ As thus Suppose a man in his Boat here in the Thames rows very exactly I but this is not a work sutable to shew the skill of a Navigator of one that professes the art of Navigation it 's beneath that Why so To live exactly according to the light of Nature it is beneath the Conversation that becomes the Gospel of Christ if so be that a man should make his boast that he hath great skill in the art of Navigation And how will he shew this skill he will go into a Boat and there he will row over the Thames and by that you may see what a mighty Navigator he is this would be ridiculous to any man And so if one that professes the Gospel of Christ would manifest that he is a good Christian What doth he do the life that he lives it is no other than a man by the light of Nature may be enabled to this is even as ridiculous as the other 1. As now for instance The light of Nature that will teach this That we are to worship God the Heathens have worshiped God in their way 2. Yea the light of Nature will teach That we must live justly among men yea and that we must do as we would be done to This the light of Nature will teach Many of the Heathens have had that principle to be just with men to do as we would be done by The light of Nature condemns grosse sins of Drunkenness Adulterie Swearing c. I could give you many instances in the Laws of Heathens punishing those sins very severely and some of them with death 3. Yea the light of Nature will rise thus high That a man should be consciencious should make conscience of secret sins of sins that none in the world could know of or are ever like to know of As I remember sometimes I have told you of one of the Heathens that did but owe for a pair of shoos to a Shoo maker and no body knew it but only the Shoo-maker himselfe the Shoo-maker dies no body could challenge this of him yet his conscience would never let him be at quiet until he ran and threw the money into the shop and said Though he be dead to others yet he is not dead to me whereas he had a temptation to have kept it because no body could challeng it he knew it was not his he knew it was either the Childrens or Executors and so he restortd it Many particulars might be named to shew how far we might go by the light of Nature but now I only bring it in to this end to shew that if we would have our Conversations such as becomes the Gospel of Christ we must go beyond what ever anie have done by the light of Nature and yet Oh Lord how short do manie Professors of Religion come of this How manie that will profess they hope to be sav'd by Christ I suppose there is not anie one in this Congregation or if I should go to everie ones house that belongs to the Parish they would say they hope to be saved by Jesus Christ and yet what worship of God is there And what justice is there among men to do as they would be done by Nay this is a Rule that will examin manie professors of Religion and their consciences would tell them that in such and such things they would be loth to be dealt with as they deal with others And for gross sins manie Professors of Religion break out into them also for all are a kind of Professors of the Gospel at large Drunkards and Adulterers and Blasphemers and yet they will come and make profession of Religion and think it very much if they should be denied the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of Christ Why are they not Christians and their children Christians and yet must they not be Baptized And yet they are beneath Heathens Heathens will rise in Judgment against them And for conscienciousness in secret I appeal to everie one of your consciences are there no sins that

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

all that they are like ever to have But now for the people of God they must not look to prosper outwardly in this world John 16. 33. In the world you shall have trouble saith Christ Christ does tell His Disciples plainly beforehand That in the world they shall have trouble never make account to have ease and prosperity here below in the world Certainly you shall have trouble this is not your kingdom and therefore John in the 1. of Rev. 9. ver There he stiles himself in writing to the Churches Your Companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ Observe it John that was such an Eminent Member of the Kingdom of Christ when he speaks unto others that are brought into the kingdom of Christ saith he ● John who also am your Brother and Companion in Tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ These two may well stand together to be of the Kingdom of Christ and companions of men in the Kingdom of Christ and in Tribulation yea mark how the Kingdom of Christ is set in the middle Companion in Tribulation and then Kingdom and then patience So that trouble and afflictions are on both sides as it were of the Kingdom of Christ And it 's very observable here John he doth not to get himself credit say I John that was the Apostle of Jesus Christ I John that was the beloved Disciple of Jesus Christ I John that was a Kins-man of Jesus Christ no but I John your Companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ If you would be the Companion of the Saints in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ you must be willing to be their Companion in Tribulation and in the patience of Jesus Christ So things are ordered by Christ that the Saints should be in Tribulation live in trouble in this world When any of you that are godly shall meet with crosses and afflictions the briers and thornes which spring out of the world ever since it was cursed by God the very thought of this Text may be a means to quiet your hearts and not to have any risings in your bosomes against the dispensations of God towards you Do not I desire to fear the Lord and follow Him in all His waies and yet how doth the Lord cross me in this world These murmuring and repining thoughts will be yea it may be since the time that God wrought upon me by His Word I am more afflicted than before Is not God displeased with me it may be I am not in the right way because of these afflictions Oh take heed of these temptations let my text come into your minds and answer all these temptations Christ saith His Kingdom is not of this world since the time I was called out of darkness by the Ministry of the Word no mervail though I meet with afflictions more than before for I am translated into another Kingdom which is not of this world it pleases the Father to make Christ who is my Captain to be perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 10. For it became Him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings It 's an excellent Scripture to quiet the hearts of the Saints in the midst of their sufferings It became Him saith the Text for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings The Captain of your salvation yea your King that is the King of glory yet He was made perfect through sufferings Now you must go the same way that He did Now if you must enter into a full possession of this glorious Kingdom through sufferings why should you murmur Luke 24. 26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His Glory It 's a speech of Christ Himself So I say concerning you Ought not you to suffer first and then to enter into your glory Why should not you come to the fulness of the glory of that Kingdom that is prepared for you as Jesus Christ your Head came to the fulness of the glory of His Kingdom It was by suffering Remember His Kingdom is not of this world 6. Vse Here 's the reason why the wicked hates the Saints Why they love their own John 15. 19. If you were of the world the world would love you but you are not of the world therefore the world hates you you are translated into another Kingdom and therefore their spirits are bitter against you and their tongues as sharp as two edged sword you come to live by other Laws than they do they know no other Law but the Law of the Land where they live but you have other Laws that they do not understand the authority of you have other rules for your consciences than they have their consciences can yeeld to this or that according as may serve for their worldly ends but now your consciences are subjected to another authority you cannot have your consciences yeeld up and down as they can and thereupon they think it to be ●●outness in you but God knows it to be otherwise And they wonder at this they understand not the reason of this and therefore it is that they malign you they hate you with a perfect hatred you are Rebels against their kingdom they are under the kingdom of Satan but you are brought under the kingdom of Christ and so do Rebel against that kingdom We hate Rebels It 's true in some sense all the Saints are Rebels that is they do rebel against the kingdom of Satan and the powers of darkness and if any thing should be enjoyed by men yet if it be against the Kingdom of Christ they cannot but rebel in a sense that is their spirits must needs be against it and whatever they suffer they cannot submit to it they do not rebel against lawful authority but against the kingdom of darkness and the power of darkness and therefore it is that the world doth so much hate them When you come into the kingdom of Christ you live upon other principles and have other ends you are a kind of separated people from the world and we know there is nothing more odious to the world than that we should be a certain kind of separated people from them the world would have all to be like themselves and for any kind of people to make a profession as if they were call'd out of the world and live after another kind and fashion and have other sort of hopes and comforts and ends and rules by which they live Oh this the world cannot endure so long as Paul was in the world and liv'd as the men of the world they loved him and he was a man of authority among them but when he was called out of the world then a pestilent fellow then

21 Institution is the rule of Worship 141 Justice Gods Justice is no loser by His Mercy 74 K King Wherein the Kings of the earth ar not like Christ 137 See Christ Subjects Kingdom Christs Kingdom is not of this world 116 Why Christs Kingdom is not of this world 157 When the Kingdoms of this world shall be submitted to Christ 150 See Dependance L Latimer Latimers story 339 Law The Law of God goes higher than the light of Nature and how 41 The Law considered under two Considerations 42 The Law given to Adam what it was 43 Difference between the Law of Adam and the Law given by Moses 47 Difference between the Law given by Moses and the Gospel ibid They under the Law had somthing of the Gospel ibid See Gospel Christ Worship and Beleevers Leturgie True Leturgie what it is 355 Liberty see Conscience Light of Nature see Nature Life see Spirit Looseness see profession Love The love of God is more to men than to Angels 53 The love of God should work an answerable love in us 54 See Testimony Christ Lusts see Flesh Luther Luthers opinion of the Turkish Empire 306 Luthers's Protestation 334 M Magistrates How Magistrates are helpful to the Church 140 Malice Malice is unbeseeming the Gospel 58 Man see World Mercy Mercy must be real not verbal 71 Gods infinit mercy 286 Gods Mercy undervalued by worldly men ibid See Transcendant Christ Bowels Ministers Ministers of the Gospel what they are 4 Ministers ought to rule over none but those they teach 30 Ministers should be eminent in their Conversations every way ibid Ministers Charge over soules 88 Mixture What mixture is in worldly portions 336 Monsters Hard-hearted Christians are monsters 71 Moses see Law N Nature Light of Nature its extent 33 Difference between the light of Nature before the fall and since 41 Light of Nature shews something of the mercie of God 69 Necessity see Faith O Obedience The Obedience of a Beleever is of an higher nature than Adams in his innocency 44 Observing Observing daies forbidden 98 Old see Customs Opinions What Opinions are not to be tollerated 327 Opposed World opposed to Saints 272 Overseeing see Visitation P Papists Papists reproved 287 Parliament The PARLIAMENT defended 324 Partition The partition wall between Jew and Gentile taken down 66 Peace We should love peace 65 Peace with our Brethren what it should be 68 Difference between the worlds peace and Christs 155 Why men should have peace upon any terms 323 See God and Seek People Why Gods People are mean in this world 277 Perfection Perfection comes by suffering 279 Persecution Persecution unlawful 283 Persecution opposed 326 Pope A mortal choice of Popes 328 Portion Why wicked men have a portion 304 The worlds portion described 329 Rules to know who hath his portion only in this life 341 See Excellency Power What the power of the Gospel is 123 Prelates Prelates reproved 287 Priviledges Priviledges of the Saints 152 Profession The reason why some mens profession vanisheth 14 Loosness of profession what mischief it doth 16 The miseries attending a loose profession 18 Why forward professors turn persecutors 19 See Eyes Promises Difference between the promises of the Gospel and Adams promises 45 R Reason We are not to live altogether according to reason 67 Reason discovers some sin 80 Reconciliation Reconciliation to God 65 Rebels How the Saints are Rebells 280 Redemption What the Redemption of a soul is 86 Religion Religion comes to nothing without consideration of the duties of relation 25 Why Religion is so little regarded by great ones 319 See Honor Weapons Repentance Repentance is a mighty work 87 Repentance is out of our power 85 Root see Christ S Saints The Saints shall condemn the world 12 The Saints may come to the Throne of grace with boldness 50 The Saints shall judge the world 272 See Rebels Difference Seek Seek for peace 66 Self-denial see Christ Selvishness Selvishness unbeseeming a Saint 94 Schism What Schism is 108 Services Gods services are choice services 356 Sin Sin harboured in thought produceth sinful actions 29 No sin is little 82 The wages of sin is death ib. See Hatred Beginings Socrates Socrates his rebuke 331 Soul Souls Immortallity proved 1 Souls pawn'd to the Devil 86 See Worth Redemption Strength Strength drawn from Christ 45 Strive We must strive together not asunder 105 Spirit The life of the Spirit what it is 102 Subjects Difference between Christs subjects and the subjects of other Kings 138 Suffering see Perfection T Temptations Particular temptations must be looked to 27 Tenure The tenure men hold the world by 335 Testimonies Testimonies of Gods love to us 55 Testimonies of our love to God 56 Time The time sanctifies the duty 99 Transcendent The mercies of God are transcendent 69 Tribulation We have Companions in Tribulation 278 Turkish Empire see Luther U Unity Unity of the Saints 105 Visitation Visitation of the wicked what it is 10 W Wanton Wanton Conversation becomes not the Gospel 71 Well-doing Well-doing stops the mouthes of wicked men 11 Well-doing converts men ibid Weapons Carnal weapons not to be used in defence of Religion 145 Wicked Wicked men do something for God 305 See Portion Wickedness Wickedness is unbeseeming Professors 128 The wickednesse of the world 281 Works Our good works should shine before men 8 Difference between doing of good works that may be seen and doing good works that they may be seen ibid Women Women-Preachers in what sense lawful 9 Worship We must set up the Worship of God in our families 56 The worship of the world is carnal 96 God will have as much worship under the Gospel as under the Law ibid What worship becomes the Gospel 100 See Institution Worth The worth of the soul 85 World How to know a man of this world 263 See Peace Opposed Saints People Portion Worldly Why worldly men are cunning 118 Worldly men see Difference Worldly portion see Mixture Wronged We must seek peace of those that have wronged us 67 FINIS March 2. 1645. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 March 15. 1645 March ●2 1645 April 12 1646. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Humanae creationae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preached on Easter Munday April 3. 1643. before Isaac Penington then Lord Major of London Mol. in Psal Doct. 1. Doct. 2.

in all their dealings in their dealing with God in their dealings between man and man To see one that professeth the Gospel sometimes accounts the feet of those beautiful that bring glad tydings of salvation yet unjust in his dealings so as do but follow him in his course between man and man there he makes no conscience of justice there he will rather break the rule of justice than it may be he will lose six pence or a shilling what if it were the losing of thirty or fourty pounds is it such a thing that the rule of justice must rather be broken than the loss of a little mony Is this as becomes the Gospel when as thou hearest the Gospel say that rather than the glory of justice shall be darkned the Blood of his Son must go for it and God expects that Christians should be so in love with justice that they should rather be content to be undone in their estates to beg their bread from door to door than be unjust in any of their actions Oh 't is an exceeding ecclipsing of the glory of the Word when Professors of it shall be false in their dealings Oh remember thou Christian who holdest up the Gospel with thy right hand that when thou hearest of the death of Christ there the love that God bears to justice is held forth and God is set upon the honor of justice and he wil have it thy justice in thy trading this must be made up one way or other either thou must pay eternally for it and so justice made up or else it must cost the Blood of Jesus Christ God is set upon justice in another manner than you think of Oh let your Conversations be as becometh this truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Fifthly That the Lord in the Gospel shews how he is set upon satisfying the Law and what a high price he puts upon the Law The excellency of the Law doth more cleerly appear in the Gospel than in the Doctrine of the Law its self as thus Christ came to fulfil all righteousness surely God set a high price of his Law that he would not save any soul living that had broken it but by his Son that must come to fulfil it first He must have all righteousness kept to the end that he might manifest his love unto his Law I say therefore it was that Christ must come and subject himself to the Law he must be under the Law It was from thence that Christ saith It becomes us to fulfil all righteousness So was God set upon his Law that when Christ did undertake for man-kind if Christ had not satisfied every part of the Law that was required if there had been one jot of the Law unfilfilled all man-kind must have perished in everlasting burnings God sets an high rate on his Royal Law therefore learn to prize the Law of God It 's true you cannot keep it for justification that was Christs task so to keep the Law that he might justifie sinners God by this teaches us to esteem highly of it and not to slight it and contemn it the Law of God it is a precious Cristal glass it is the very glass of the holiness and righteousness of God and you must prize it as you do prize your great glasses that your Marriners have from other parts you bring home your great Cristals of 20. or 40. or threescore pounds according to the largenesse of them Now would not you take it extream ill when you have bestowed so much upon it that a child or servant should come and break it al to pieces Now my brethren consider The Law of God here resembles the Cristal glasse and as in your glasses you may see your faces so in that Cristal glasse of the Law the holiness of God is transparent 't is such a glass that God prizes it more worth than all the world this is visible for the Lord stands much upon the observing of the Law and upon obedience unto it and therfore take heed of breaking it meerly to satisfie your lusts to accommodate and befriend your own base ends this is unbeseeming the Gospel of Christ There are many that make a great noise about Evangelical truths so that they cry up the Gospel of Christ the Gospel of Christ as they once did the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and they think that this doth wholly take away their obedience to the Law of God and that it must not be so much as a rule of life Certainly there 's nothing holde forth the excellency of the Law more than the knowledge of Jesus Christ the only Law-giver being subjected to the Law and his subjection it was to take away our guiltinesse to cancel the bond of the Law binding us to eternal death But we never reade that this subjection to the Law was to make void our obedience to it so that it should not be any rule of life unto us for indeed what is the Law of God but the pure Will of God and do you think that Christ came to take us away from obeying the Will of God which was Christs meat and drink to do I stand not so much upon that term Whether as given by Moses but upon those things that are therein contained therein revealed as part of the will of God God stands much upon that that we should make the revealing of these things in the Word to be the rule of our life and this is manifested by Christs ready and full subjection unto it And that is the first particular what it is that we come to know by the Gospel according to which we should sute our Conversations SERMON V. PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ IN the sixt place Would you know what Conversation becomes the Gospel Consider what it is that the Gospel holds out to you It holds forth Gods infinit hatred of sin more than any other thing whatsoever 1. A man may come to know the evil of sin partly by Reason he may understand that sin it is against a right rule yea by the light of reason he may conceive it is but reasonable for a rational creature to live by rule and to transgress against the rule of justice and equity is evil 2. A man may come to know the evil of sin by Gods Command the Law of God forbids sin and therefore it is evil certainly to transgress the Law of God to go against the Will of God must needs be a great transgression 3. A man may come to know the evil of sin by the Dreadful Threatnings that are added to the Law Cursed is he that abideth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do it This discovers a dreadful evil in sin when a soul comes to have a real sight of the dreadful threats that are in the Law it doth exceedingly terrifie conscience and raise up that sleepy Lyon

out of his den 4. A man may come to know the evil of sin by some dreadful judgments that God hath executed upon sinners here in this world and by the terrors of conscience that there are upon the wicked as on Cain Saul and Judas c. men many times here for their sins by the wrath of God that is reveal'd from Heaven against sin in the execution of it but take all those together yea did we see the woful execution of the wrath of God in Hell its self did the Lord open unto us a door into the chambers of death to discover the torments that are there and to hear all the shreeks and cries of the damned in everlasting burnings yet all this the threats of the Law the terrors of it the agonies of Conscience the torments of the damned in Hell I say put all together and they would not so much nor so cleerly discover Gods infinit hatred of sin as what we find in the Gospel the red Glasse of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for sin doth discover more of Gods hatred against it than all the torments of Hell can do or all the threats of the Law can do God doth in inflicting his wrath upon his Son for mans sin thus preach unto the world Wel I see that you cannot be brought to understand how I hate sin with a perfect hatred but I 'le have one way of argument to convince you that it is impossible you should stand against I will therefore send my Son to take your nature upon him and to stand charged with your debt and you shall see how I 'le deal with him who is your Surety I 'le not spare him I 'le powr out the vials of my wrath upon him to the last drop I 'le make him a curse for sin though he be infinitly blessed and equal with my self yet I 'le make him cry out in the anguish and trouble of his soul My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He shal tread the winepress of my wrath I 'le make the burden of sin heavy to Him that shall make Him fall groveling upon His face and sweat great clodders of blood in a winter season that shall run down from His body upon the cold ground I 'le do this to that end that all the world to whom the preaching of the Gospel shall come may see how infinitely I hate sin This is one of Gods ends though it 's true that the principal end of the death of Christ it was to satisfie Divine Justice But there is another end that God aims at in the death of his Son To declare to all the world to men and Angels how infinitly the Lord doth abominate all sin Now this is held forth in the Gospel more than in all the execution of the Law if the Law were executed to the full upon all the world it would not hold forth Gods hatred of sin so much as this doth Do you beleeve this Gospel Hath God let you live under this Gospel that you hear it it your ears And do you profess that the Lord hath enlightened you by his holy Spirit to understand the certainty and reality of this Oh then let your Conversation be as becomes this Evangelical truth Quest What Conversation doth become this Answ Hence then your own reason cannot but make a consequence from this that the Gospel holds forth Hence then Cast away al sin as an abominable thing from you What have I to do any more with Idols Hence then Call no sin little which so much provokes the Lord. Indeed if you were only acted by the light of reason reason perhaps will tell you that such things are but little and smal and you need make no such great matter about them But now Art not thou a Christian A follower of Christ A friend to the Gospel For shame call no sin little for in the Gospel you see the infinit hatred of God against all sin yea there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction whatsoever that 's a point that hath been long since opened to you at large and this will shew it cleerly there is more evil in any sin than in the greatest affliction by the dealing of God the Father with his Son and therefore if you will be willing to live as becomes the Gospel of Christ rather be willing to bear any affliction in the world than wilfully to commit the least sin Are these two in the ballance Here is a great and a sore cross you think how shall I endure that On the other side Here 's a sin to be committed if I venture upon this sin it may be I shall be delivered from this affliction Now would this become the Gospel of Christ for one that professes that he doth beleeve that God the Father dealt thus with His Son that had sin but by imputation upon Him that He let out the vials of His wrath upon Him and made Him a curse for sin and if Christ had but undertaken for to have satisfied for one sin though the least sin He must have died for it For the wages of sin is death of sin indefinitly it 's death And do I beleeve this and yet shall I rather chuse the commission of a sin than the bearing of any affliction Oh this is infinitly unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ do I beleeve this and is it real unto my soul Oh let me then manifest in my whol course and life that I tremble at the very thought of a sin at the appearance of evil and am as much afraid of the least spark of lusts as of the fire of Hell let me discover the temptation to sin that I may endeavour to avoid all temptations to sin because God hath given such a testimony from Heaven against sin Oh it is a loud testimony indeed that God hath given from heaven against sin in the death of his Son Oh then let my Conversation be such as I may make it appear that I am afraid of the beginnings of sin of the first whispering and motions to sin Oh set me not stand dandling of sin in my thoughts and roul it as a sweet morsel under my tongue let me not entertain it in my affections in the least degree as to love it to approve it to delight in it but as soon as ever it enters into thy heart cast it out presently let it not lodge within thy doors one moment raise up all the power of thy soul against it follow it with Hue and Cry till thou hast overtaken it and then do justice and judgment upon it what though it may be a Delilah yet cut it off Oh let me take heed of lying in any sin have I bin overtaken in my sin Oh let me be willing rather to shame and condemn my self to deny any thing in the world rather than to continue in that sin the Lord forbid that if I have been once drawn

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