Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	worship_v	worshipper_n	7,267	5	12.9330	5	false

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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

He that will follow me let him deny himself you never read of such a precept in all the old Testament though no question the people of God did deny themselves then but in expresse terms so fully you have not such a thing there and there 's no such rules among the Heathens for a man to deny himself Let him deny himself those that know the Original know that the word is not only to Deny but there is that joyned to it that doth encrease the signification let them deny themselves throughly there is a Preposition put to the word to shew that those that will come to Christ must deny themselves and that throughly it is a proper lesson of the Gospel and the first lesson Oh when our Lord and Master hath thus denied himself and emptied himself for good to us what is beseeming this Gospel but that all that are professors of it should deny themselves It is very unbeseeming the glorious Gospel for a Christian to be selvish to have his self-ends and self-waies and interests in every thing as generally almost al men in the world they are acted by self some self-ends or self-excellency carries them on in their actions or else they have no heart to do any thing this is unbecoming the Gospel But now I say one that would live as becomes the Gospel must be wholly emptied of himself whatsoever parts estate credit or honor he hath in the world must be melted into the glory of God Jesus Christ for the glory of His Father was content infinitly to deny Himself more than we can For what have we to deny our selves of Do you or I live as becomes the Gospel when I say all that we apprehend to have any excellency in we have it all swallowed up in the glory of God when we can dedicate and consecrate our lives honors liberties estates comforts and all to the glory of God and be as nothing to our selves and let God be all in all to us Ministers may bring many reasons why we should deny our selves but all these reasons comes to nothing till the soul comes to behold the cleer light of the Gospel and there beholds the Son of God by faith how he did empty Himself nay then saith a beleeving soul if the Son of God did deny Himself was emptied thus for me Oh then let me be wholly taken off from my self and venture wholly upon God I must not live in my self nor live for my self nor live to my self but wholly live in God and for God and to God and upon God Oh this is that which becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ SERMON VI. PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ THE Ninth thing that the Gospel holds forth is this That our Conversation should be sutable to spiritual worship the spiritual worshiping of God The worship that there was in the time of the Law it was carnal in comparison of what there is in the time of the Gospel And therefore a great part of the worship of God is called a carnal commandement and rudiments of the world and beggerly things If you reade the 2 d of Colossians there you have strange expressions about that which was even the worship of God and so in the Hebrews divers times But now you know what Christ saith in John 4. to the woman of Samaria The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh when the true worshipers shal worship the Father in spirit and in truth for such the Father seeks to worship him We must not think to worship God in such carnal waies as before I beseech you consider this one thing Certainly God wil have as much worship in the time of the Gospel as ever He had But where we have one external thing to worship God in now in the time of the Law there was an hundred an hundred to one of external things yet now this worship of God must be made up some way we are not cal'd to those outward worshipings offerings sacrifices and costly things as they were in the time of the Law now how should this be made up but in spiritual sacrifices in presenting our bodies and souls to God as a living sacrifice therefore such men and women as altogether are for the out-side of things in the worship of God and because God hath appointed but a few things in his worship we have use of no other creature in the worshipping of God but meerly the Bread and Wine and Water only these elements and the Man to speak to us to be either Gods mouth to us or our mouth to God there 's all we have appointed in the Gospel for the worship of God therefore it is expected if we would have our Conversation be as becoms the Gospel to be very spiritual in our worship and therefore to take heed of thinking to make up Gods worship with external things of our own that 's exceedingly unbeseeming the Gospel Many thought in former times they did honor God much by adding to His Worship ceremonies external things and peoples hearts are set most upon them because they are from man they are humane I 'le give you but one-Scripture to shew how we should for ever take heed of traditions of men and of mixtures in the Worship of God because that the Gospel points at spiritual worship That place in 1 Pet. 1. 18. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from what from your vain Conversations received by traditions from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot See what an argument the Apostle uses here unto those he writ to saith he There was a time that you worshiped God in an external way and in a superstitious manner according to the traditions and fancies of your fathers this was before you knew Jesus Christ but saith he now you come to know Jesus Christ know it was the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed to redeem you from this vain Conversation that you received by tradition from your forefathers I do not know any one Scripture hath more power in it to take off mens hearts from all false and superstitious worship from all old customs that they had from their forefathers as people are mightily set upon old customs to worship God according to them what a stir and do had we to get off men from their late Service-Book the great Diana of England which was made up of the ends and shreds of the Romish Mass-Book only printed in an English letter and reading and babling over Burials and such kind of trumperies Oh how were those old Samaritan customs setled in the hearts of men as coming up to the Communion Table and there to kneel down at Rails like so many Beads-men to the Pope Votaries to Rome Mens hearts are

great dishonor He hatb from the world ibid 2. In respect of wicked men 10 1 That you may convince them ibid 2 To stop their mouthes 11 3 To convert them ibid 4 To condemn them 12 3 In respect of the Saints ibid 1 They rejoyce in it ibid 2 They bless God for it ibid 3 They have boldness before men ibid 4. They are established by it 13 5 They are edified by it ib. 4 In respect of your selves ibid 1 It evidenceth the truth to your souls ibid 2 It continueth and encreaseth what is in you 14 3 It gets honor in the consciences of men ibid 4 It is an instrument of publick good ibid 5 it furthers a joyful account at the great day ibid 6 It keeps up the honor of Religion from one generation to another ibid Application 1 To reprove careless professors 16 2 To exhort to be careful of your Conversations 19 Arg. 1 It is a mercy you have conversation among men 20 2 Wicked men are able to passe judgment on your lives but not on your principles 21 3 Sometimes you must displease wicked men ibid 4 Your lives are but short 22 5 The eyes of all are upon you 23 6 God promiseth salvation to them that order their Conversation aright 24 SERMON II. Rule 1 Have a special regard to the duties of your relation 25 2 Take heed of the sins you are most inclined to 26 3 Take heed of the temptations of your callings 27 4 Take heed of the sins of the times 28 5 Take heed of secret sins ibid 6 Look not upon those that are below but upon those that are above you in profession 29 7 Be constant to the end 30 Doct. 2 The Conversation of Profesfessors must be sutable to the Gospel of Christ 1. It must be higher than the light of Nature will raise it 32 Viz. 1 That we are to knew God 33 2. That we must do as we would be done to ibid 3 We must make conscience of secret sins ibid What Conversation becomes the Gospel that is above the light of Nature 1 To worship God as a father 35 2 To love our enemies 36 3 To do to others as God hath don to us 37 4 To labor for the mortification of the body of sin within us 39 5 To love the Commandement you obey 40 Secondly It must go beyond such as lived under the Law SERMON III Consider first as a Covenant of works for life as it was at first made to Adam 42 1 Obedience to God meerly as Creator 43 2 Had only promise of natural things ibid 3 He must work by his own strength ibid 4 He was in hazard of miscarrying in his eternal estate ib. 1 The Saints are in a better condition 1 They serve God as a father 44 2 Vpon better promises ibid 3 Our strength is not put into own hands to keep 54 4 Are delivered from the hazzard of eternal miscarrying ibid 2. As the Law was in the ministration of it by Moses 47 1 Given under low promises ibid 2 Their Ordinances mean 48 3 Their burden great ibid 4 The administration terrible ibid 5 Their spirits servile ibid But under the Gospel 1 Our Covenant is better 48 2 Our Worship more spiritual 49 3 Our yoke more easie 50 4 We have access with boldnes to the throne of grace ibid 5 We have the spirit of Adoption ibid 3. It must be sutable to what the Gospel holds forth 53 Herein consider 1 What the Gospel holds forth 2 How to sute our Conversations according 1 The Gospel holds forth 1. The infinite love of God to mankind 53 2 Love in us becomes this love of God 54 SERMON IV. 2. The willingness of God to to be at peace with man 63 1 When we were enemies to Him 64 2 We were under his power ibid 3 He had no need of us ibid 4 He begins the work of reconciliation ibid 5 It costs Him very dear ibid 6 He will never be at enmity with us again 65 This cals us to love peace ib. 3 The infinite mercy of God to miserable creatures 69 It should work mercy in us 70 4 He is merciful in such a way that justice is not wronged 74 It should warn us first not to turn the grace of God into wantonness 75 To be just in our Conversations 77 5 What a high price he sets upon the Law 78 SERMON V 6 Gods infinit hatred of sin 80 It should move us to hate it 82 7 The great price of souls 85 It should teach us 1 To set a high price upon our souls 86 2 Not to pollute them with sin 88 8 The great honor God hath put upon human Nature above Angels 89 1. In the personal union of mans Nature with the God-head ibid 2 The body is the temple of the holy Ghost 90 3 The Personal Vnion of our Natures with the second Person in Trinity 91 4 The great example of Self-denial 93 SERMON VI. 9 Our Conversations should be sutable to spiritual worship 96 10 Our spiritual union with God 100 1 God is a Father Beleevers are Children ibid 2 We are one Spirit with God and Christ 102 3 The union of the Saints one with another 104 4 Their hapines in heaven 110 SERMON VII What Conversation becomes the Gospel 114 1 Denying ungodliness ibid 2 Sequestred from this world 118 3 A change of estate 120 1 From what there was before the Gospel came ibid 2 Between one man and another 122 4 Becoming the Ordinances of the Gospel 123 5 Sutable to the power of the Gospel ibid 6 Seeing the glory of the Gospel have a glory in our Conversations 125 Application 1 To reprove those whose Conversations becomes not the Gospel 126 2 Exhortation to walk worthy of the Gospel 129 Five Motives to it JOHN 18. 36 SERMON I. TEXT Opened 139 Doct. 1. Christ hath a Kingdom ibid 1 Providential 136 2 Mediatory ibid Doct. 2 Christs Kingdom is not of this world 137 Difference between worldly Kingdoms Christs Kingdom ib. 1 In regard of pomp and glory ibid 2 In regard of his subjects 138 3 In regard of his rule 139 4 His Laws are spiritual ibid 5 His homage spiritual 141 6 The Officers by Divine institution 143 7 His weapons spiritual 144 8 In regard of priviledges 147 9 In regard of penalties 147 SERMON II. Priviledges of the Saints 1 All their businesses are in the Court if Christ 152 2 They are all free men 153 3 They have free trade to heaven ib. 4 They have right to all the Ordinances of Christ ib. 5 They have his protection 154 6 They shall have certain victory over their enemies ib. 7 They are all Kings ib. 8 They have peace and joy in the holy Ghost 155 9 They have right to the gifts and graces of all the Saints 156 10 They are coheirs with Christ 157 Why Christs Kingdom is not of this world 1 Because he would confound the wisdom of

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.

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

extreams that I have spoken of are waies that are very much unbeseeming the Gospel of Christ for men our of base ends to break unity to rend from the Saints or otherwise because men joyn not with you in every thing you desire therefore presently to put such a brand upon them as to stigmatize them for schismaticks certainly this unchristian like nicknaming the children of God maintains the breach and widens it more and more whereas the Conversation that becomes the Gospel is to study to find out the truth And do I see Learned and Godly men of another judgment Let me pray more unto the Father of lights for the Spirit of revelation It may be I may mistake If I be mistaken Lord discover it let me not go on in the waies of darkness but take away the scales from my understanding that I may see into the deep things of God and his Gospel And therefore others that they differ from should tender these as brethren and look upon them and see are they not consciencious in all their other waies Can I be able to find any fault with them in their lives and Conversations It may be it 's their mistake then let me pray for them and labor to help them and tender them all I can it may be God will reveal his mind to them more fully afterward Now in what we have attained let us walk and if any be otherwise minded God will reveal his mind to them and this carriage should be in Christians one towards another that differ one from another and this is a Conversation becoming the Gospel But when one differs from another for to give reviling speeches and names of disgrace and to cast dirt one upon another this is exceeding unbecoming the Gospel yea if the Heathens were amongst us they would even loath the Gospel of Jesus Christ to see the carriage of Christians that there are at this day amongst us But the Conversation that becomes the Gospel of Christ is that which manifests unity to live in unity one with another for the Gospel preacheth to us the greatest unity of Christians that possibly can be between man and man Again The Gospel holds forth this The glorious happiness of the Saints in Heaven You cannot find much of that in the Law in all the old Testament you find but little of eternal life I cannot discover three texts from Genesis to the end of Malachi that doth cleerly hold forth eternal life it 's true our forefathers no question in the old Testament did know that there was eternal life and some Scriptures there are that do tend that way but I beleeve there 's none of you can give many texts from Genesis to Malachi that do expresly hold forth the Glory of the Saints in Heaven Now the Gospel that holds it forth in 2 Tim. 1. 10. saith the Apostle there speaking of the glory of the Saints and immortality in the 9. ver Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which he hath givin us in Christ Jesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel How comes life and immortality to be brought to light through the Gospel Did not our forefathers know of life and immortality before Yes but very darkly and some of the eminent ones knew but little of that exceeding riches of glory and happiness the Saints shall be crowned with in Heaven life and immortality is brought to light through the Gospel In former times was it known till Christ came in the flesh that the happiness of the Saints should be in the vision of God in standing before the face of God and beholding him in glory in Heaven Did they know the communion that the Saints shall have w th God and with Jesus Christ in his bodily presence in glory Did they understand the fruition of God and Gods being all in all to the Saints as he shal be in the communication of all fulness of good Did they understand the inheritance of the Saints which is in light Did they know that the Saints were not only Heirs but Co-heirs with Jesus Christ These things are known only in the Gospel the glorious reward of the Saints Did they in the time of the Law know that these bodies of ours should be made more glorious than the Sun in the firmament This the Gospel tels us that these lumps of clay which we carry now about with us shall be one day more glorious than the Sun shining in his luster Did they know that our bodies should be made like to the glorious body of Jesus Christ That it is sown in weakness but it is raised in power sown in dishonor but raised in glory sown a natural body but should rise a spiritual body and sown in corruption and should be raised in incorruption Certainly these things were very little known to the forefathers if known at all Now these things were the great Counsels of God that were kept hid from all eternity only the Lord did reserve the discovery thereof to the coming of his Son that was the time for opening of Heaven Heaven was shut and there was little seen of the glory thereof till Christ was incarnate in the flesh the Lord I say reserved the opening of the Gates of Heaven and the shewing of the glory of it to the Saints till the coming of Jesus Christ Christ now tels us of mansions that He is gone before to prepare for us and when our earthly tabernacle is dissolved we have a building not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens Oh now my brethren how ought we to live It 's the argument of the Apostle when he speaks but of the great chang in the Church here speaking of new Heavens and a new Earth it 's meant of the state of the Church that it shall be in even here ●nd saith he What manner of persons ought we to be in all holiness and godly conversation But then when we hear of the highest Heavens Abrahams bosom the Paradise the Saints shall be living with Christ wrapt up to the third Heavens as the Apostle was Oh what manner of persons ought we to be in all godliness and holy Conversation Now if you should ask me what Conversation is becoming the Gospel I would tell you that which we have in the third Chap. of this Epistle For our Conversation is in Heaven Upon what ground is it from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who shall chang our vile body that it may be fashioned like to His glorious body We look saith he for the Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven who shall put forth such a power as shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto His glorious body therefore our

all their good their portion is in this life and therefore they are greedy upon this let it be upon the ruin of never so many men though it be to raise their estates by my ruin and the ruin of others that are never so innocent what care they they are greedy upon having their lusts satisfied for here is all their protion 3. Their portion is here in this world They care not for Religion they will make use of pretences of Religion any way for their own ends what care they what Protestation they make for Religion and the maintainance of it so be it that they may ruine me they regard not at all any thing in regard to have their own ●●ds Lord deliver me from such men 4. They have their portion in this world Hence it is that their hearts are so swelled with pride in their lusts and so warms their malice it is so heated with such outrages Oh let not the foot of pride come upon me deliver me from proud men that are flush'd with the enjoyment of their hearts desires 5. They look only to what they enjoy in this world and therfore so long as they may have their own ends and own lusts they will be exceedingly hardened in their own waies they will give no glory to thee but will be so much the more inraged against me by taking it as an argument that their waies are good Lord therefore deliver me from those men 6. They are men that scorn at prayer or at any thing that is said concerning the tenderness of conscience they despise conscience and prayer Lord let me never fall into the hands of such men as those are deliver me from the men of this world who have their portion in this life For the opening of the words from the men of the world the words are translated by some from mortal men from men though of the world yet are not like to enjoy the world long for the Original doth signifie as much from frail men they shall not have it long in the 89. Psalm 47. Remember how short my time is what little time I have in this world the word is from the men that shall have but a little time in this world and the men of this world the Hebrew word here that is translated men sometimes with but the change of the position of one prick it signifies dead men mortui as well as vivi I say with the change not of a prick but only of the position of one prick of one point it signifies dead men they are men of the world but such men as are within one prick of death within one point of death howsoever they rejoyce who have their portion their dimension that is given out unto them in this life the word life though in the singular number in your books in the Hebrew it is in the plural Lives they are men that have all they have but only leased for their lives nay not so much as leased they have but an estate for life at the most and this present life unto them is instead of all lives from the men of this world that have their portion in this life there are these Two Doctrinal Conclusions in the words that lie plainly before you the first is There are a Generation of men to whom God gives some outward good things for a while but these are all that ever they are like to have they shall never have any more good from God than they have here for the present that is the first That Gods Saints do desire to be delivered from such kind of men These two contain in them the scope of the holy Ghost in the words First There are a Generation of men unto whom God gives out a portion some comforts in this world and here is all that they are like to have And now set your hearts I beseech you unto what I have to say in this Argument for in my thoughts thinking what to pitch upon for such an Assembly as this at length I could not determine of an argument that I thought might more reach unto the hearts of those to whom I was to speak as I hope before I have done you will find it such a serious argument that concerns us all I have read of Gregory that being advanced to preferment professed that there was no Scripture that went so to his heart that struck such a trembling into his spirit that daunted him so much as this Scripture did Here you have your reward Son in your life time you have had your pleasure Oh this was a dreadful Scripture that sounded in his eares continually as Hierom speaks of that Scripture Arise you dead and come to judgement night and day he thought that Scripture sounded in his his ears So Gregory here you have your reward in this life you have had your pleasure This was the Scripture that night and day sounded in his ears Oh that it might please God to assist so far to speak out of this Scripture to you that I might make this Scripture ring in your ears even when you lie upon your beds after the Sermon is done that yet you may think this Scripture rings in your ears Men of this world who have their portion in this life If this Scripture should prove to be the portion of any one of you of the richest in this place Wo unto him that ever he was born which I shall after make out more fully to you But you 'l say do you think to preach to men that have their portion here in this life I fear me I may meet with some whom it doth so neerly concern yet do not think that I have those thoughts of you all for you shall find before I have done this Scripture will concern every one in this Congregation but yet be not any of you too too ready to put off this from you to think your selves out of the danger of this Scripture for it was spoken concerning Saul and Saul might have for ought I know as strong arguments of Gods love to him as many of you I fear have this day 1. Saul was a man chosen immediately by God himself to be the first King that ever was over his own people and was not that a great favor 2. Saul for his person was one of the goodliest men that was amongst all Israel higher from the shoulders to the head than any of them 3. For his Endowments he was a man whom God did endow with admirable gifts of Government he caused another spirit to come upon him he was a man that when he heard of his preferment seemed to be very humble as judging himself unworthy of such a dignity in the first of Samuel 9. 21. Saith he Who am I and what is my Fathers house that I should be thus chosen And when he had been chosen some that would reject him Children of Belial that notwithstanding God honoring of him yet would seek to cast

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