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
the world 157 2 Because he delights to exercise the graces of his Saints ib. 3 That his power and wisdom may appear the more glorious 158 Application Use 1 There is a happiness beyond the things of this world 159 Their world called 1 An evil world 160 2 The Devil is called the god of it ibid 3 The pomp of it is not of the Father ibid 4 Its glory is but darkness ibid 5 It knows not God 161 6 It lies in wickedness ibid PSALM 17. 14. TEXT Opened 295 Doctrine There are men to whom God gives some outward good for a while and this is all they are like to have 298 Arguments of Gods love to Saul 1 He was chosen by God Himself c. 300 Explication 1 Why God deals out something to wicked men 304 1 They are His Creatures ib 2 Their time of life is Gods patience ibid 3 It is their day 305 4 They do something for God here ibid 5 To shew them what little good is in this world 306 6 He hath time enough to manifest his justice upon them hereafter 307 7 He shews what great things He hath reserved for His Children 308 8 God fetcheth glory from hence ibid 1 To harden their heart 309 2 To chasten his own people ibid 9 Because he would have no argument of love or hatred drawn from outward things ibid 2 Here is all they are like to have 310 1 Because their names are not in the book of life ibid 2 They are vile in the eyes of God ibid 3 Because they chuse it themselves 311 4 They are sutable to them 313 5 They abuse the portion they have 314 6 They have no interest in Jesus Christ ibid 7 They are no sons 316 8 The manifestation of Gods patience is ended ibid 9 They must have imediately to deal with God 317 3 Corrollaries flowing from hence 1. This is the reason why worldly men are so cunning in things of this world 318 2 This is the reason why so many great ones regard Religion so little 319 3 This is the reason of the stir that is in the world to maintain this their Portion 328 4 What kind of Portion this is that the men of the world have 1 What poor things they are 329 1 They are but imaginary ibid 2 Of a low nature 330 3 But a poor pittance 331 4 It will vanish 332 5 It will stand with the hatred of God 333 2 The tenure by which thou boldest them 335 Opened in 4. things ibid 3 There is a great deal of mixture in what you have 336 1 Of trouble ibid 2 Of curse ibid 4 What Portion thou losest by it 337 1 It is fit for the Spouse of Christ ibid 2 Sutable to an Heir of Heaven ibid 3 It is the height of happiness 338 4 It is Gods great design in making Heaven and Earth ibid 5 It requires the infinite power of God to support a creature in it ibid 6 It remains to eternity ib 5 What is like to be thy end ib 1 Perplexity of spirit when death comes 339 2 You 'l be called to account for all 340 3 A dreadful Portion at the day of Judgment ib. 5 Who the man is that hath his Portion in this world 1 God gives him nothing but what belongs to this life 341 2 By the working of your hearts about your Portion 342 1 Whether your hearts terminate in what you enjoy ibid 2 Whether they go out in full strength to them 343 3 How the loss of them take thy heart ibid 4 Whether they only be sutable to thy heart 344 5 What thou accountest thy cheefest good ibid 6 What you strive to make most sure 346 7 What thou most admirest men for ibid 8 What thou art careful to lay up for thy children ib. 9 Examine thy services in 3 Particulars 1 Are they slight 347 2 Hypocritical 3 Forced 10 Doest thou draw back in Religion ibid 11 Doth God for the present curse thy portion ibid 12 Doth God convince thee of what stops the current of his mercy ibid 13. He spends his daies without fear of being put off with the things of this world 348 6 Exhortation 1 To those that have evidences of a better portion 349 1 Bless God for it 349 2 Be content with it ibid 3 Envy not wicked men ib. 4 Mind higher and better things 350 2 To all to put on for another Portion 351 Motive 1 Ye are capable of it 352 2 Ye are in a fair way for it ib Means 1 Be stir'd with the fear of God 353 2 Take off your hearts from outward comforts ibid 3 Set the glory of Heaven and Eternity before your eyes 354 4 Honor God with your substance here ibid 5 Let your services be choice services 356 6 Be willing to cast away what you have sinfully got ibid 7 Be willing to joyn with those that suffer for God 358 Conclusion ibid READER Thou hast here the Names of the Books that are lately published of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs As also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded VIZ. 1. An Exposition with Practical Observations on the 4 5 6 7. Chapters of HOSEA 2. A Treatise of EARTHLY MINDEDNES Wherein is shewed 1. What Earthly-mindedness is 2. The great evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. verse Also to the same Book is joyned a Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. And on Phil. 3. 20. 3. The rare JEWEL of Christian CONTENTMENT on Phil. 4. 11. Wherein is shewed 1. What Contentment is 2. It is an holy Art and Mysterie 3. The Excellencies of it 4. The evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Agravations of it 4. GOSPEL-WORSHIP on Levit. 10. 3. Wherein is shewed 1. The right manner of the Worship of God in general 2. And particularly in Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper And Prayer 5. GOSPEL-CONVERSATION on Philip. 1. 27. Wherein is shewed 1. That the Conversation of Beleevers must be above what could be by the light of Nature 2. Beyond those that lived under the Law 3. And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those Men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17. 14. All which are published by Thomas Goodwin Sydrach Simpson William Greenhil William Bridge John Yates William Adderly All printed by Peter Cole at the Printing-Press in Cornhil at the Royal Exchange in LONDON GOSPEL Conversation PHILIPPIANS 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ THE Apostle in the 23. verse of this Chapter we find to be in a straight what to do whether to be willing to live or to die for his own inclination or desire it was rather to die because then he should be with Christ which was best of all A notable Scripture to prove the Immortallity of the soul For if so be the soul did die with the body it
which was established upon better promises A better Covenant and stablished upon better promises or a better Testament Their promises I say were but low and mean and our promises are high and precious and we have a better Covenant a Covenant not of living in the Land of Canaan but of Heaven of which that Canaan was but a Type and therefore our Conversations should rise higher in holiness according as our Covenant and Promises are better than theirs Secondly Our Worship is more spiritual than their worship was As that known place in Joh. 4. 23. where Christ saith to the woman of Samaria You serve God in this place But the time shall come that they shall serve him every where for God is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and in truth There is more spiritual worship in the time of the Gospel than was in the time of the Law The Lord carried them on in a carnal and a sensitive way and indeed this hath been a great design of Antichrist to bring men to a carnal way of worship To carnal Ordinances for so they are called in Scripture the Commandements of God by Moses are called carnal Heb. 9. 10. For their worship was in comparison of the worship in the Gospel but carnal I say it hath bin the design of Antichrist to darken the glory of Jesus Christ in the Gospel by bringing the Church to a carnal way of worship and to take away spiritual and therefore they are altogether about carnal Institutions whereas Jesus Christ hath instituted but only two Sacraments wherein there are outward carnal things wherein we worship God through the Creature otherwise His worship is altogether spiritual but now Antichrist he would bring in altogether carnal things he would ad a hundred inventions of his own as building sumptuous Temples railing in of the Communion Tables and then turning them into Altars with such kind of apish gestures foolish garments and Heathenish musick all which was carnal worship the devices of men to please children and fools with exceedingly much against the very life and soul of Godliness and the only rule of worship in the Word of God Besides this rediculous and carnal way of worship made the worshipers twofold more the children of Satan than they were before But now the more spiritual any worship of God is the more spiritual it makes the heart the lesse we stick to the creature while we are worshipping of God the more communion we come to have with Christ and so it doth raise holinesse to a more higher pitch Thirdly Vnder the Gospel our yoke is more easie You know what Christ saith in a Scripture that I have opened to you at large Come take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easie and my burden is light You are delivered from that heavy burden that they were under and therefore you should run the waies of Gods Commandements and follow after holiness more readily and freely than they could do Fourthly We have access with boldness to the Throne of grace as the Scripture speaks God doth not reveal Himself in that terrible way to his Saints now as in the time of the Law but would have them come with boldness and have libertie of speech for that 's the word as in the second of the Ephesians of the boldness that we have to come into the presence of God Through him we have access by one spirit unto the Father Access the word signifies a coming with freedom as it were being led by the hand of God In Ephes 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and access saith the text there with confidence by the faith of Him Three words here are together We have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him The word that is here translated Boldness it is liberty of speech we may come and speak our minds and unbosome our speech freely to God without any such terror and we may come to God without desiring Moses must go into Gods presence for them as he did Oh they durst not go themselves but Moses must go and speak with God We may come into the presence of God and speak our hearts freely with a holy boldness in the Name of Christ Fifthly We have the spirit of adoption more than they Rom. 8. We have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father There was a spirit of bondage under which even the people of God were in former times and now the spirit of adoption is more spread abroad and cōmunicated in the world to the Churches than it was before and therefore the Lord expects a Conversation sutable to the spirit of adoption As now take one that is a child and hath a servile spirit and is afraid to come into the presence of his father it may be he will do some works in obedience to his father but in a heavy dull way but afterwards when his father is fully reconcil'd to him comes speaks kindly to him there comes a spirit of adoption upon the child Oh then he goes lively on in duty to his father then he rejoyces in the presence of his father to do any thing that may please his father when he is acted by a spirit of adoptiō there 's more service done according to the mind wil of Christ than there was before So my Brethren we should exceed all under the Law with a more fillial obedience than ever there was in that time or else our Conversation it is not such as becomes the Gospel Therefore when you open the old Testament and reade of those excellent gracious spirits that were there especially in the Psalms what holy breathings and pantings after God there are and in the Prophets what exemplary holiness then liv'd and shined in the world Be ashamed of your selves if you do not rise to as high a degree as they and higher too Obj. Why you will say But they were eminent men they were the Prophets of God and so were extraordinary and can ordinary Christians rise as high as they did and be such burning and shining lamps as they were Ans I 'le give you one Scripture about that in Zach. 12. 8. it is a cleer Prophesie of the times of the Gospel In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Mark he that is feeble among them shall be as David who was a man according to Gods own heart Oh reade Davids Psalms particularly the 119. Psalm and see the holy breathings of David and observe that there is a Prophesie that those that are feeble shall be as David and those that are as David that is the eminent Christians the Lords Champions and the house of David shall be as God as the Angels of the Lord.
to any sin that I should think to cover it by another sin by adding one sin to another to think to shift for my credit or esteem by adding more sin to that already committed Oh no the Lord in his mercie hath made known unto me in the Gospel of Christ what sin means the evil of sin and therefore I have learned rather to endure any thing than to multiply iniquity Indeed before I came to understand Jesus Christ I thought sin was an evil thing and I abstain'd from gross sins by that dim light of Nature that is within me but since I came to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ the great mystery of godliness in his Son the dealings of the Father with his Son the Lord knows now I abhor a sin in secret though I were sure no body in the world should ever know it more than I do abhor Hell its self I such a Conversation as would manifest such a work of God upon the heart as this is would become the Gospel of Christ indeed Whereas otherwise brethren if any of you that do profess the Gospel of Christ shall make sin but as a slight thing and shall be ready to entertain sin in thy bosom know that by this means you do no other but trample under foot the Blood of Jesus Christ as a coÌ„mon thing as a thing that had no worth at all in it This doth despight to the Gospel of Christ you do dishonor Jesus Christ and you do put him to open shame whose Name you have taken upon you by your profession I 'le give you a Scripture now for this in Heb. 6. 4. c. He speaks of some that were once enlightned and had tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and tasted of the good word of God that 's the Gospel and the powers of the world to come if they should fall away it were impossible to renew them to repentance Mark the reason Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Such as fall off after the profession of the Gospel into sinful waies they are said here to crucifie the Son of God afresh and to put him to open shame This is far from walking as becomes the Gospel And so you have another text in Heb. 10. 29. c. he speaks of those that had fallen off from their profession into sinful waies Of how much sâ—rer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy of who hath troden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace See how the holy Ghost speaks of such as fall from their profession into sinful waies again And there 's a great deal of reason for it for 't is not so much for those that never made profession of the Gospel to fall to sin not such a horrid thing for them but for those that have made profession of the Gospel that they hold forth thus much this is the language of their actions though they dare not say so Lord I acknowledge that I have seen the fruit of thy hatred of sin in the death of thy Son that thou didst so hate sin that thou madest thy Son to be a curse for sin but yet for all this such is the strength of my lusts I must have my lusts though it be so vile in thine eyes as the blood of thy Son went for it yet I must have it rather than deny my lusts Oh what a dreadful thing is this how provoking must it needs be to the holy God Oh happy had it been for such men and women that they had never heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ But of the evil of walking unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ we shall speak to after when we come to the application That 's then the sixt particular of what the Gospel holds forth The infinite hatred of God against sin Now the seventh thing that is held forth in the Gospel that cals for a Conversation beseeming is this The great price of souls There 's nothing in the world that ever God did that doth discover the worth of mans immortal soul so as the Gospel of Jesus Christ doth there God manifests to all the world what a price he puts upon mans soul the Lord saw that men by sin had undone themselves and that those souls that he made were like to perish to all eternity yea were under the sentence of eternal death and must certainly perish eternally if so be that some way were not found out by an infinit wisdom for to ransome them now saith the Lord rather than I will have all souls perish it 's true the love that I have unto my Justice is such as for many souls I 'le let them go and they shall perish but yet that I might shew that I have an high esteem of the souls of the children of men for the ransoming of that number that I have appointed from all eternity to save I 'le send my Son and he shall die for the saving of souls that souls may not perish If the Lord should have said concerning any one soul I do so highly prize this soul and account the worth of it to be such as rather than it shall perish I 'le disolve heaven and earth heaven and earth shall perish rather than this soul shall perish you will say this had been a great testimony of Gods esteem of a soul But know that the Gospel holds forth a higher esteem of a soul than this comes to when God shal say Rather than this and the other soul shall perish I 'le send my Son to be made a Curse This the Gospel holds forth this is infinitly a higher price that God puts upon a soul You know therfore what the Apostle saith in 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed saith he with corruptible things as silver and gold Then in the 19. verse But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish or without spot 'T is not silver and gold or any corruptible thing that can redeem you but the precious blood of Jesus Christ Oh that blood that 's more precious than the world even all the world must let the redemption of a soul alone for ever all the Angels in Heaven if they would have joyned together to have redeem'd a soul and would have ventured themselves to have been destroyed for ever that they might have redeem'd a soul it would not have been they must all let the redemption of a soul alone for ever the matter then of the redemption of a soul is more than we are aware of and we could never have come to have known this but by the Gospel of Jesus Christ The full price of a soul is writ down by the finger of Gods Spirit in the Gospel of Christ
The Gospel discovers unto us the great honor that God hath put upon humane Nature above the Angels This could never have been known but by the Gospel this is as proper a thing to the Gospel as any I have spoken of And one special design that God had in the Gospel was To reveal those thoughts and counsels that he had from al eternity to put mighty and great Excellencies upon our humane Nature in these two particulars First In the Personal Vnion of Mans Nature to the second Person in Trinity That 's the first and great way of honor that God hath crowned human Nature with Hence the Apostle in 1 Tim. 1. 6. Without controversie great is the mysterie of godliness What is it God was manifested in the flesh God manifested in the flesh that 's a great mystery of godliness Now it could not be such a mystery if God had only taken an humane shape upon Him for so it was in the time of the Law Jesus Christ often took humane shape as when He strove with Jacob it was Jesus Christ as might easily appear But great is the mysterie of godliness without controversie it 's great God manifested in the flesh that is God taking flesh of man into a personal union which is more fully exprest in John 1. 4. The Word was made flesh This was a strange speech but proper to the Gospel An Heathen would have thought this a strange speech and especially if he knew that by the Word was meant He that was true and eternal God And then in Heb. 2. 16. it is said That Christ did not take the Nature of Angels upon him but the seed of Abraham So that it appears by the personal union of our Natures to the Son of God God hath advanced human Nature above Angels above all creatures Truly my Brethren in Christs taking our Nature upon Him which the Gospel holds forth to us me thinks we may see God as it were resolving to do a work from Himself to the uttermost to manifest the uttermost of his glory in a work out of Himself the work of God within Himself it is His eternal generation and the possession of the holy Ghost but now God would work out of Himself and work out of Himself to the uttermost extent I 'le make a world saith God Heavens and Earth by my Word But this is not such a glorious work as I am able to do I could make ten thousand worlds and when I have made them I could make as many more and more glorious But I would do some work wherein I might manifest even the uttermost of my glory What work is that that is The work that God pitcht upon He would do one work from without to manifest the uttermost of his glory and the Lord rather pitches upon this To take the nature of Man into a personal union with His Son that 's the uttermost And it is impossible that Men or Angels if they were left to all eternity to imagin could think of a work that it were possible for God to express more of His power wisdom and glory in but we know but little of it now but we shall know more in Heaven Now Oh how hath God honored humane Nature in this That when He would do a work to the utmost of His Excellency that He would pitch upon Mans Nature to take it into Personal Union with Himself here 's the mystery of the Gospel now this is indeed the marrow of the mysterie of the Gospel The Word made flesh the second Person in Trinity taking Mans Nature upon Him This is the mystery of the Gospel that Angels and Saints admire at and shall be taken up to all eternity in admiring and praising and magnifying God for That 's the first way of Gods honoring Mans Nature And then there is a second thing which the Gospel reveals and that 's this In putting honor not only upon the Nature of Man as having soul and body but putting a mighty honor upon the very Body of Man the meanest and the very lowest part of Man the very shel outside rine and case of Man that you have in 1 Cor. 6. 19. What know ye not that your bodie is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you Your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost You have no such thing revealed in the old Testament this comes by the light of the Gospel that the Lord hath made the bodies of the Saints to be Temples to the holy Ghost that the holy Ghost dwels in their very Bodies as in a Temple as the King in his Pallace so the holy Ghost in His Temple Now these two are great things revealed in the Gospel and had we but a cleer understanding of these two things Oh! it would mightily elevate our spirits And Conversations sutable to these two particulars surely must needs be a high raised Conversation As now for instance 3. In the personal union of our natures with the second Person in Trinity Oh how should this raise up our hearts and we should manifest the elevation of our spirits in our Conversation so as it becomes those that may expect great things from God surely that God that hath honoured our natures so as to be personally united to his Son he doth intend great things to some of the children of men as now Suppose you that are the poorest and meanest here in this Congregation you had a Sister that were married to the greatest Emperor in the world yea to one that were Emperor of all the whol Earth now you would think to live another kind of life than you did before were it beseeming such a man to live now upon scraping of Chanels or wiping of horse heels or any mean imployment when his Sister is married to the only Monarch of all the whol earth surely he may think now I must live at a higher rate for I may expect something by this So should every one of the children of men think thus indeed I have liv'd in a mean base way the humane nature of mine hath been basely subject to filthy lusts all my daies I have been a bondslave to sin and Satan but when I come to hear of the Gospel I hear that the second Person in Trinity God blessed for ever equal with the Father that is the Heir of all things that he hath not married my humane nature but hath taken it into a personal union with himself and is become my kinsman my neer kinsman hath taken this into the neerest union as is possible for a creature to be taken into with God Oh let us be raised then in our thoughts to think surely God intends higher things for some of the children of men than to eat and drink and satisfie the flesh and be brutish here in the world there are higher things that God will do for mankind and why not for me I am not excluded no more than others It was a speech I remember of
Seneca though a Heathen I am greater saith he and I am born to greater things than to be a slave to my body A Heathen could say so Oh but when we hear of humane nature so advanced and enthroned in Christ we should think with our selves that any one that hath humanity in them is born to higher things than to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof What wilt thou be a slave to the Devil now Thou hearest how God hath dignified the nature of man into so neer a union with himself Oh doth not this mysterie of the Gospel call to all the children of men Oh all you children of men Behold what God hath done for man kind surely the thoughts of God for man-kind are great and glorious there be higher things you may attain unto and will you yet perish and chuse your portion here in this world and be groveling on the ground as if there were no higher thoughts that God had for your good than meerly to live as brute beasts to eat and drink and then rise up to play Oh if God hath advanced mans nature so do not despise it in the meanest of the children of men the lowest servant or poorest boy that lies begging at your door for a piece of bread for it is of the same kind that is united in a personal union with the second Person in Trinity of the same nature which this poor boy that lies begging at your door for broken bread and meat therefore honor humane nature in every one and do not vilifie it in thy self those men that live under the Gospel and vilifie humane nature they put a dishonour upon Jesus Christ And even reverence thy self in private when thou art alone I say reverence thy self do not abuse thy body it is the Temple of the holy Ghost Oh remember this all you that are professors of Religion that these bodies of yours this flesh of yours if you be godly and walk answerable to your profession I say this flesh of yours it is the very Temple of the holy Ghost do not abuse it it 's the Apostles argument Therefore fly fornication and be not joyned to whores for your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost Oh it makes the sin of uncleanness to one that professes the Gospel of Christ a cursed sin the sin of uncleaness in a professor of the Gospel it 's a thousand thousand times more abominable than the sin of uncleanness in another why Because they know how God hath advanced humane nature into a personal union with himself and how their bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost What shal I make the Temple of God a â—â—y for the unclean spirit a cage of unclean birds God forbid There hath been a great deal of do about stony Churches and Temples and you should have a great many base whoremasters plead for the Whore of Rome the Mistris of all fornications in bowing and cringing with Cap and knee as soon as they set their foot in some of our meeting places and in the mean time abuse the Saints which are the Temples of the holy Ghost and abuse their own bodies and yet they profess themselves Christians Oh now either deny thy Christianity or do not abuse thy body to any filthy lust for it is the Temple of the holy Ghost This the Gospel holds forth And let thy Conversation be now as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ not abusing thy body so For we see that the Gospel cals for bodily cleanness as well as spiritual cleanness and truly I do not know stronger arguments to godliness than these that we have mentioned here in the Gospel We have gone through three Gods infinit hatred of sin The price of souls And the honor that the Gospel shews that God hath put upon humane nature Conversations but becoming these three would be other manner of Conversations than you have I shall only speak of a fourth and that 's this 4. The Gospel holds forth the greatest example of self-denial that ever was in the world by all waies that ever God hath made known his mind he never hath revealed his will in an example of self-denial so as he hath done in the Gospel and that is in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ God evidenceth there such a work of self-denial as never was and 't is impossible to apprehend a greater example of self-denial than that is though Christ thought it no robbery to be equal with God reade but the second of the Philippians vers 7 8. and there you may see what Christ was and yet how he emptied himself how he denied himself in his honor how vile he was made in the world though he was the brightness of his fathers glory yet he was made of no reputation how he denied himself in riches Christ that was the Heir of all things though he were rich yet he was made poor for us how he denied himself in his pleasures he was the delight of the Father from all eternity and yet he was made a man of sorrows he denied himself in his life for he was the Lord of life and yet he subjected himself to death to a cursed death for us Oh the example of Christ in self-denial is the greatest that ever was and this seems to be one great end of the humiliation of Jesus Christ to hold forth a preaching pattern of self-denial to the world And there 's a great deal more power in the pattern and example of self-denial then in the commands of self-denial I only present this to shew you that it is the most unbeseeming the Gospel for any one that professes the Gospel to be selvish altogether scraping for themselves and whatsoever service they are put upon except self may have an oare in it they have no mind to it Oh 't is becoming the Gospel of Jesus Christ for men and women to be emprtied of themselves no matter what becomes of our selves but be willing to give up our selves for publick good to venture your estates and lives and all your comforts yea to be swallowed up in the glory of God to be nothing that Christ may be all In the Gospel of Christ we find that Christ he was swallowed up with the glory of his Father and he came not to do his own will but the will of his father that sent him and though he was one that had infinitely more excellency than all men and Angels in Heaven and Earth yet he was content for the honor of his Father to be made as a worm and no man to be trampled under foot to endure the greatest extremities of all sorts this holds out an example to us that while we live in this world we should be taken off from our selves Oh this self-love sticks much in the hearts of men and women now upon the example of Christs self-denial we are required to deny our selves and it is the proper lesson of the Gospel
enough here and there to have a leaf and a grape or two but full ripe clusters of grapes becomes those that grow upon such a fruitful Root And then you know Christ is the Head and we the Members Then do not dishonor your Head When there is a temptation comes to any sin but will not this be a dishonor to my Head do I receive such a spirit from the Head to act after such a sinful course Oh be not a crown of thorns to your Head Jesus Christ Yea and the Union is very great for it is not only that we are Members of Christ and so we are in Christ but Christ in us the Root is not in the Branch though the Branches be in the Root and the Head is not in the Members though the Head be joyned with the members But Christ is in us as we are in Him and so the union is very glorious and mysterious You complain of weakness But is there not strength in Christ are you not joyned to Christ thus and a member of Him and a branch in Him what ever infirmities you have which bows you down yet there is power enough in Jesus Christ to convay to any to enable them to walk in an holy Conversation before the Lord to renew their strength as the Eagle Manifest then the vertue of your Head from whence all the sinnews of every members strength doth arise And then you know the relation we have to Christ As He is the Husband we the Spouse Oh do not discredit your Husband Any wise vertuous Wife would make it a mighty argument against any evil way It will disgrace my Husband especially if her Husband be a publick man in place and authority Oh let this be an argument against every sin even the appearence of evil it will be dishonorable to the Lord Jesus who is my Husband How can I do this wickedness against my Lord and my God who hath betrothed me to Himself so that I am bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh That 's the second thing And then a Third thing that the Gospel holds forth to us that we should labor to sute our Conversations according is this The near Vnion that the Saints have one with another It 's not so revealed any where as in the Gospel Rom. 12. 5. we are said there to be members one of another as we are members of Christ I beseech you observe it so we are members one of another That Scripture may be in stead of all for this in Ephes 4. 4. the exhortation there to unity We must endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Why For there is one body and one spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all See here 's some seven ones to be an argument of unity One body and one spirit and called in the hope of one calling and one Lord and one Faith and one Baptism and one God Where have you such a unity demonstrated but in the Gospel of peace and love And I do not know in all the Book of God where any one duty is more pressed than unity Somewhat we hinted in speaking of the love of God which is a great design of the Gospel to hold forth and there we spake somewhat of Love But here of the unity of the Saints being so neer united into one thing the Saints should be one and certainly it 's the most unbeseeming thing in the world that can be for Saints to be divided in their affections upon some little differences in judgment Let me argue with you What was the Coat of Christ without any seam and shall the body of Christ be rent all to pieces Fy for shame the Gospel of Christ is in your hands which teacheth another lesson Next to our salvation the Gospel intends the union of Saints there 's nothing prest more strongly in every leaf of it and it 's here in my very text that makes me to speak to this for mark the very words that follow in this of my text Phil. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ Now if you should say Wherein should we walk so The Apostle doth answer then That ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel Mark striving together he would have the Saints to be strivers I but strivers for what Not for their own will and humors and opinions and fancies and customs and traditions which are out of date But strivers for the faith for the faith of the Gospel for the Doctrine of faith and they should labor to joyn all their strength together both shoulders and hearts There 's a great deal of striving now Professors of the Gospel they strive asunder but the holy Ghost would have us strive together and this is as becomes the Gospel saith the text The Apostle here doth instance in this particular above all others that to live as it becomes the Gospel it is to stand fast with one Spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel Oh how unbecoming the Gospel is the waies and lives of most Christians now Q. You will say From whence are these sad divisions and risings up of hearts amongst the Tribes so that one thinks that he hath the truth and another judgeth that he alone is in the right way A. I beseech you therefore because it 's so fully instanced in the very words of the Text that the Apostle instances in this particular give me leave to speak of it in a few words certainly his meaning is not when he saith that you shall be of one spirit and of one mind that men should give up their judgements and consciences to the opinions of other men that others according to their power may again lord it over us and so enslave our selves to draw in their yokes to grind in their mills and plow with their asses yea that were against other Scriptures No but the meaning is this That we should labor to find out what is truth search for it as for silver and go according to what light we have but yet so though we should differ to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and joyn in al things that we can and walk so lovingly that it may appear that if there be difference it is meerly that which conscience makes because we dare not deny what we are perswaded in conscience is a truth We cannot put out the convincing light of the candle of the Lord which is set up within us yet we can live in unity and peace and be useful one to another communicating our gifts and graces comforts and experiences one to another as it becomes Christians And indeed it is a greater honor to the Gospel for men though
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
from the things of this world a Conversation that shall manifest the hearts being taken off and disingaged from sublunary comforts and accommodations a Conversation which proves that the soul seeks not great things for its-self here below but is fully content with a morsel of bread and a cup of cold water though others fare deliciously every day so beleevers should manifest in their Conversations that they do not much pass or care how things go in this world because Christ is not of this world and the Kingdom of Christ in which they make account their happiness to be involved that is not of the world yea they are men redeemed from this present world Gal. 1. 4. it is said That by Christ we came to be redeemed from this present evil world it 's a very remarkable Scripture who gave himself for our sins to what end That he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father I beseech you observe this text Christ gave Himself to deliver us from our sins that we might not perish eternally And was that all No That He might deliver us from this present evil world I do not know a more forcible text in all the Book of God to take off the hearts of those that profess the Gospel from the world so as they should not whine and murmur at the loss of every little thing in the world nor be solicitously careful for the things of this life nor be offended though the men of the world prevail in the world and have the upper hand and carry things in a worldly way let them go on in all their pagentry and greatness but if thou beest one that belongst to Christ know that Christ hath laid down his life to purchase this for thee to deliver thee from this world Now is Christ blood laid down to purchase this and yet wilt thou have thy heart glewed to the ground and wholly place thy contentment in the earth and seek for thy happiness here in the dust Oh get up thy heart then from all these things and make it appear by thy Conversation that thou art one that by the vertue of the death of Jesus Christ art delivered from this world and therefore though thou hast not such a portion in worldly goods as other men have never envy them for Christ hath ransomed you from the world there 's another kingdom that thou hast thy portion and interest in Christ hath made us Kings and Priests to his Father and hath made us heirs and co-heirs of that Kingdom that His Father hath given Him yea and that He Himself hath purchased and so you must in your Conversations make it appear that you do see another kingdom beyond this kingdom of the world that you are made partakers of wherein you shall reign with Christ for ever now this Conversation doth beseem the Gospel And therefore you shal find it in the 10 th of Matth. about the 37. vers Christ shews what kind of Conversation He would have in those that once come to beleeve in Him saith He He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me And he that taketh not up his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Here he shews what it is that would make the soul worthy of Christ in a Gospel sense If our hearts be taken off from father and mother and those comforts relations that are the dearest in the world brother or sister or son or daughter not to take off our natural affection but to take off our hearts so as they should not be hinderances of us in spiritual things that our main affections should flow forth after spiritual things then we come to be worthy of Christ then the other conversation is unworthy of Christ Didst thou ever know the Lord Jesus Christ and the way of His Kingdom Then why is thy heart set upon the world as the hearts of other men that are strangers to Jesus Christ In Eph. 5. 3. when the Apostle speaks of those things that most men in the world are greedy after But fornication and all uncleaness or covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints As if he should say Saints those that know Jesus Christ and the way of His Kingdom for them to have their hearts either set upon bodily lusts or covetousness the things of this world it doth not becom them it is not a Gospel Conversation becoming Saints a heart greedy of the things of this world and wallowing in the lusts of this world Oh 't is unbeseeming Saints those that do profess the Gospel of Christ that shews unto us that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world Again Another great point that the Gospel holds forth to us is this The great difference or the change that it makes in the estate of a man or woman when once it prevails with him then the great difference is made in him from what he was before and from other men this is held forth in the Gospel and no where else I say the wonderful change that the Gospel makes in men when once it comes to work upon their hearts in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and the great difference between their estates before and what now is and between them and other men I put these two together First The great change that the Gospel makes in the hearts of men from what there was before the Gospel came You know the Scripture in prophesying of the times of the Gospel saith That the Wolf shall eat with the Lamb and the Lyon with the Kid and the child shall play upon the very hole of the Asp the meaning is generally carried thus that when the Gospel comes it shall change the hearts of men so mightily that though they were wolvish before and cruel as if you should see a Wolf changed into a Lamb or as if you should see a Lyon changed into a Kid you would say this were a mighty change the Gospel makes such a change as this is they that are in Christ are new creatures it 's a new Creation suppose God should make a new world what a mighty thing were this or a new Sun should be created in the Firmament that never was before how would we stand and wonder Those that are in Christ are new creatures God puts forth a creating power upon them 2 Cor. 5. Old things are pass'd away all things are become new you know the Apostle saith and the change that is made it is called a new birth Except you be born again you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3. If there were a new soul put into one or if God should infuse a rational soul into a beast
the world and as Christ saith Wo to the world because of offences so wo to the world because of this great offence Christs Kingdom being so spiritual hence it is that the world receives Him not in 1. John 10. And so in John 14. 17. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive Mark the world cannot receive the spirit of Truth the world receives not Christ and it cannot receive the spirit of Truth If you speak of the world to men then they savor of those things come to a man and tell him of a good bargain on the Exchange he will listen to you and remember what you say but come and speak to him of the great things of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ of the glorious priviledges of that kingdom only there 's a sound in the air and it passeth away and takes no impression at all on the heart of one that is carnal 1 John 4. 5. there you have this exprest fully the very guize and way of a carnal heart They saith the text are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them those that are of the world they speak of the world and discourse of the world and savor the things of the world and the world heareth them but now let a man come and tell them of things that are heavenly of a goodly Pearl of Jesus Christ they savor not those things and they hear them not Oh! 't is from hence that men come not into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ because it is not of this world What 's the reason that there are more comes into the Kingdom of Antichrist than into the Kingdom of Christ Revel 13. 3. The whol world wandered after the beast saith the text because they are of the world and Antichrist doth set up a worldly kingdom instead of Christs kingdom and men that are of the world they flock after Antichrist and hence it was that your great rich men in places where the Gospel hath not been they were Papists or Popishly affected so that therefore the Papists make outward prosperity to be one badge or sign of the true Church hence it is that Popery is so sutable to worldly hearts and the holy Ghost prophesied before hand that the whol world should follow Antichrist only here and there a few poor ones Jesus Christ chuses out of this world to follow him for His Kingdom is not of this world One Particular more in a word seeing the Kingdom of Christ is not of the world then a worldly heart is the most unbeseeming thing in one that professeth himself to be a Christian of any thing that can be in the world If Christs Kingdom be not there certainly thy heart should not be there Thou that professest thy self to be of the Kingdom of Christ which is spiritual and heavenly and yet thou a worldly earthly heart I say it is the most unbeseeming thing that possibly can be what for a Professor of Religion to have an earthly covetous worldly heart By that that I have already spoken in shewing the vanity and the evil of the world and the great evil of loving the world were enough to strengthen this use but now that that I intended should have been to speakesp ecially to those that are Christians that have hopes that God hath made them partakers of Jesus Christ and would be loth to lose their hopes in the good things of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ for 10000. worlds yet there doth remain much worldliness in their hearts to this day surely this not beseeming one of the profession that thou makest it is no honor unto thy King the Lord Jesus Christ worldly Professors they are great dishonors to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ when there shall appear no difference between those that we account to be men of the world and such as we hope are chosen out of the world Oh! how is Christ dishonored by this Look but upon the lives of Christians that profess Religion and one would think that the Kingdom of Christ were a Kingdom of this world rather than any thing else for I say to outward appearance though it may be Christ may see some integrity within the heart yet to outward appearance there is even almost no difference between them and the men of the world It doth become Christians to live so in their whol course as to make it appear that they are men and women above the world whose Conversations are in Heaven that they do beleeve the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that is not of this world SERMON III. JOHN 18. 36. Jesus answered and said My Kingdom is not of this world WHAT this Kingdom of Christ was and how different from the kingdoms of this world we have already opened unto you The fourth Use which we are to proceed in is If the kingdom of Christ be not of this world then of all dispositions a worldly spirit is most unsutable to those who profess themselves to be of the Kingdom of Christ Certainly then such as are Beleevers that are come under the Kingdom of Christ they must not be of earthly hearts We find the Apostle in the Epistle of the Ephesians doth rank Covetousness and Uncleanness together and saith of them both in the 5. Chapter 3. Verse Let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints So that a covetous heart after the things of the world it is such a disposition as it should scarce be named among Saints no more than whoredom they should abstain from it as from whordom as it becometh Saints It is the most uncomly thing for a Saint of God one of the Kingdom of Christ to have a covetous heart for the things of the world that possibly can be As it becomes them it doth not become you And Luther that was a great man for the promoting of the Kingdom of Christ he is bold to profess it That of all sins he was scarce ever tempted to that sin he found nothing tending almost that way though it 's true there 's no sin but we have the seeds of it in our hearts but yet he found his spirit most above that worldly sin because he was so much taken up with Jesus Christ And indeed the more any soul is taken up with the excellency of Christ and with the glorious things of His Kingdom the more vile will the things of the world be to them We look not at the things that are seen saith the Apostle they are not things to be looked at But at the things that are not seen And in the 6. of the Gal. 14. ver The Apostle Paul that was the great man for the promoting of Christ in the world and the setting up of His Throne he professes That he was crucified to the world and the world was crucified to him That is he look't upon the world but as a crucified thing What esteem would you have of a man that is hanging upon a