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
mightily set upon such foolish things as these are But now this text tels you that if you know what it is to be redeemed by the blood of Christ you must know that the blood of Christ was shed for to take you off from your vain conversation received by tradition from your forefathers Christ shed his blood that he might deliver you from all such traditional things that so you might worship God in spirit and in truth this becomes the Gospel And at your leasure do but reade over that second Chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians speaking of men that in a voluntary humility worshiped Angels intruding into those things which they have not seen and vainly puft up by their fleshly mind And then in the 16. verse Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink not that you may not eat flesh at such and such times in the year or in respect of an holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath daies the Jewish Sabbath day let no man judg you saith the Apostle in regard of these things which are a shadow of things to come Then in the 19. vers And not holding the head Those that stood upon such things as these are they are here charged for not holding the head that is they did not hold Christ as if the Apostle should say If so be that you hold Christ and profess Christ you would not stand upon these things upon these kind of superstitious waies in the worship of God And you shall find in the Epistle to the Galatians the Apostle telling of the GALATIANS about such kind of waies of continuing and holding of the worship of the Law saith he in Gal. 4. 10. Ye observe daies and months and times and years What then I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain As if the Apostle should say I profess I see you stand upon such old things and worshiping of God in an external way I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed all my labor in vain This is so opposite to the Gospel as makes me think and am afraid that all my preaching of the Gospel to you is in vain and yet mark my Brethren what were these daies and months and times and yeers they were such as God heretofore had appointed but now they were ceased after Christ came out of date and yet they sticking to them after the death of Christ saith the Apostle I profess I am afraid of you that all my preaching in vain to you Now my brethren what shall we say to those that stick upon these things that God had never appointed but were of Popish ordination As keeping one time more holy than another and thinking thereby to tender up service to God Why should we not keep the memory of such and such times Now as to keep them so as to think that they shall sanctifie any time is a dangerous thing a sign that they understand the Gospel but little to think that any men upon any reason whatsoever should be able to sanctifie a time to make that time to be holy I say that 's unbeseeming the Gospel no man can make a holy day under the Gospel Obj. But you will say We keep daies of fasting and thanksgiving Ans But there 's a great deal of difference between them and these times that here the Apostle speaks of Now the keeping of holy daies is this We account the time holy and the very duty is more acceptable because it is performed at that time as now on the Sabbath day there may be a Sermon on the week day but certainly it 's a more holy worship of God to hear upon the Sabbath than on the week day and we sanctifie Gods Name more on the Sabbath than on the week why Because the time doth sanctifie the duty being set apart by God As in the Temple the duty was more acceptable than in any other place why because it was set apart by God but we cannot make any place holy and so no time holy so that our daies of fasting thansgiving are only thus that we wil spend that time in holy duties to humble our selves or to bless God but not to make this time holy so that the duty should be holy because it 's on this day rather than on another day that 's the superstition of it when a duty should be holy rather on this day than on another as now some they think it 's a more holy thing to receive the Lords Supper on an Ester day than on another day this is superstition to think the duty is more holy by any holiness that men put upon a thing that 's unbeseeming the Gospel and we are redeemed from such vain Conversations by the blood of Christ and while men stick upon these things and say let them do what they will me thinks these things are good and right it 's very evil Thus it was with the Galatians they had more seeming reason to think that those things that they stuck upon were according to God than you yet saith the Apostle I am afraid of you lest I have spent all my labor in vain lest I have been a burning and shining lamp to no purpose and truly there 's no people of which there can be less hope that the Ministry of the Word should work sayingly upon than those people that are set upon old customs in the worship of God as wines upon their lees and till the Lord be pleased to take off your hearts from old customs in the service and worship of God there 's a plain demonstration that the preaching of the Gospel hath not prevailed with your hearts for you do not live as becomes the Gospel That which becomes the Gospel it is worshiping God only in a spiritual way the consecrating of your souls and bodies and all you have to the worship of God in making them to be an holy sacrifice to God and that according to the rules of the Gospel which is your reasonable service And that 's another particular that the Gospel teaches And therefore to live as becomes the Gospel is to worship God in spirit and in truth The tenth thing that I shall further add of what the Gospel holds forth to us and that is of such consequence that I shall a little insist upon it that is The near relation that we are in to God and Christ and spiritual union with him This is opened in the Gospel more fully than ever it was before The relation to God First God as a Father and Beleevers as Children yea and as Children of age for though in the Law it 's true we find that God was there a Father and Ephraim was his deer son But you shall find in the 3. of Galatians That now we are as Children of age whereas Beleevers in the time of the Law were under age Now you know any of your children when they come to be of age
an Overseeing as if God should say thus walk ye honestly and holily before the world perhaps they will vail your glory one will say this the other that but go ye on in a constant way and course there will be a time that all things shall be over-seen all things shall be examined and narrowly searched into and when that day comes the wicked men shall be convinced and shal be forced to give glory to God and shal say that whatsoever aspersions there were cast upon you yet certainly you were the servants of the living God in the day of inspection of overseeing therefore be ye careful of your Conversations in respect of wicked men to convince them Secondly In respect of wicked men to stop their mouthes their malice violence and rage 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the Will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men The word there translated Put to silence it is to put as it were a bridle into their mouthes or to stop their mouthes you may even stop their mouthes by your holy Conversation Oh Christians look to your Conversations that by them you may stop the mouthes of wicked and ungodly men that they may not be able to say any thing against your holy Conversations so in 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ Thirdly Yea you may by your good Conversation be a means to convert other men to bring wicked men into the love of the waies of God 1 Pet. 3. 1. 2. the exhortation there is directed to wives that had wicked husbands Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands that if they obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the Conversation of the wives while they behold your chast Conversation coupled with fear Mark how the Apostle urges upon wives to look to their Conversations to the end that they may be a means to gain their husbands I am verily perswaded that there are many gracious women that would give if they had it a thousand worlds to gain their husbands to those waies of godliness that they have found so much sweetness in but perhaps they cannot get them to come and hear the Word and if they do their hearts rise against it or it may be they little regard it but you by your Conversations may do that which the world will not do you may be converters of them and in this sense indeed there may be women preachers that is preaching in their lives and Conversations and that 's all the preaching that the holy Ghost allows women let them preach that way in their lives and Conversations in their families and preach every day a Sermon and neither God nor man will find fault with any such thing and this is the way for them to do great service for God and so likewise should husbands do to convert their wives you complain one of another but do you labor to convince and convert one another by your holy Conversations I am confident that there are many that are able to say by experience this That the Lord struck upon my heart and conscience by seeing the holy Conversation of my wife since she went to hear the Word by seeing the wisdom humility obedience and carriage of my wife it struck upon my heart There is many have given glory to God and acknowledged this both wives by their husbands and husbands by their wives and sometimes the parent in seeing it in the child or the child in the parent or brother in brother or one servant in another it hath been a means to turn them unto God In the last place If they be not turned to God then your conversation shall serve to condemn them to aggravate their sin and their condemnation in the day of Jesus Christ As it is said of Noah in Heb. 11. 7. that Noah prepared an ark by the which he condemned the world He condemned the world by that course of his in beleeving in God and in making the Ark every nail that he smote into the Ark was as it were a condemnation of the world and so the Saints by walking in their holy conversation shal be the Judges and Condemners of the world Therfore you are to be careful of your Conversations in respect of wicked men Also In respect of the Saints we must be very careful of our Conversations 1. For by your Conversation you will rejoyce the hearts of the Saints Oh those that are godly when they see others that profess godlines to walk in a strict and holy conversation how doth it rejoyce their hearts it is the comfort of their lives 2. Besides they blesse God for it they not only rejoyce in it but bless God for it when they get alone in secret they are blessing God for the gracious and holy and convincing Conversations of such and such kind of men that they converse with 3. And by that means the Saints they have a boldness before men they can lift up their heads wheresoever they go when they know that all such who make profession of Religion in the places where they live they walk unblamably upon that godly men can hold up their heads with boldness whereas otherwise it makes such as are professors of Religion ashamed when they see and hear of such and such that make profession of Religion to walk scandalously and loosly but of them we shall speak presently 4. Then further Your holy Conversation it will establish the hearts of the Saints it will settle young beginners there are many that are giving up their names to Christ when they see the holy and gracious Conversations of these that are Ancient professors Oh how are they stablished in the waies of godlinesse 5. And it wil edifie the Saints they wil edifie and grow up in holiness they will imitate you and will find the graces of God not only strengthened but increased in them by your Conversations Oh the abundance of good that you may do and therfore Christians have a care of your Conversations 6. Then You in respect of your selves by this means you wil have an evidence to your souls of the truth of grace in your hearts which you cannot have if your Conversations be not right In 1 John 1. 6. mark what the Apostle speaks there If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not know the truth And again you have a notable Scripture in the 3. chap. 7. vers Little children let no man deceive you He that doth righteousness is righteous even as He is righteous As if he should say there are a company of deceivers in the world and they think it enough to talk of righteousness they say they beleeve in Jesus Christ and it's Faith that is only required of them
and as for the other that 's but a meer legal thing for men to make conscience of duties and of their lives this is but legal but let them trust in Jesus Christ Christ hath done all what can we be saved by our lives hath not Christ done all Is there not righteousness in Him Let no man deceive you saith the Apostle If there be not a doing righteousness there is no righteousness in you He that doth righteousness is righteous You have nothing to do with the righteousness of Christ as your own applied yet unto you except you do righteousness therefore have a care of your Conversations that you may have evidence to your souls of the truth that there is in your hearts Secondly Have a care of your Conversations that you may continue and encrease that which is within you certainlie those that make profession of Religion and have not a care of their conversations they wil never continue in their profession mark that they may be a Comets a while blasing-stars but they will vanish within a little while you shall find that their profession will wear away where there is not a godly life together with profession profession will vanish and come to nothing their very common graces will be taken away from them if they have not a care of their lives but if they have a care of their lives they wil continue in the waies of godliness and grow up and encrease more and more Thirdly Have a care of your Conversations that you may get honor in the very consciences of men Quest Some will say Should we have a care of our Conversations that we may get honor Ans Yes truly a man may desire to have the testimony of the consciences of those that he lives withal it 's no matter for their talking this or that but that you may get into their consciences God gives you liberty for that Fourthly You by this means will be Instruments of a great deal of publick good if you live according to your profession otherwise no body will regard you you are reffuse no man will imploy you you will be contemn'd and slighted but when they see mens Conversations according to their profession everie bodie loves to make use of these men they know they shall find them faithful in whatsoever they are imployed and so they come to the Instruments of much publick good Fifthly You will further a joyful account against the great day for you must be call'd to account not only for your thoughts and the inward workings of your hearts but for whatever you have done in the flesh we must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to answer whatsoever is done in the flesh Oh be careful of your Conversations that so you may be able to give a comfortable accompt Sixtly and lastly Be careful of your Conversations in respect of your profession This should be the care of those that make profession that we may keep up the succession of the honor nor of Religion from one generation to another Heretofore there were some godly people that liv'd and they kept up in their generation the honor of the profession of Religion Wel-now we are upon the stage of the world and God looks upon us that we should in our generations keep up the succession of the honor of the profession of Religion and so afterward in another generation as men come upon the stage of the world and live here God expects succeeding ages should keep up the honor of the profession of Religion in their times And this one consideration might go to the very heart of ungodly men if they would mind it that it may be thou art the man or woman among others that keeps up in a continual succession enmity against God in the world do but consider of the difference between these two one mans Conversation is wicked and anothers is holy and gracious thou that livest wickedly this evil is charged upon thee that thou art the man that joynest in this work to keep up a continued succession of enmity against God in the world ever since Cains time there was an enmity against God and Cains posterity kept up the succession of it and so from one generation to another there hath been wicked men keeping up the succession of enmity against God and thou in thy generation art come to it and this it seems is thy work but now on the other side ever since Adams and Abels time there hath bin godly men in the world and in every generation some have kept up the honor of profession and now hath God been pleased to reveal his glorious Gospel to thy soul why now thou being careful of thy life and Conversation God imploys thee in this work to keep up the succession of the honor of profession in the world And this is a comfortable life indeed And thus we have done with the explication or the Point Now I shall only give you some passages for the Application of it Application Only saith the Apostle let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ Have a care of this above all things Oh you would fain get more knowledg and be accounted somebody in the place where you live and be an eminent professor where you live Well whatsoever you would fain be accounted of let it be your only care that your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ Oh! this point speaks bitter things and sharply rebukes the carelesness of the professors of the Gospel in point of their Conversation Oh Lord how have we cause to bewail the loosnesse of the professors of the Gospel at this day and I fear that some may be present whose consciences may tell them that they are very loose in the point of their Conversations Thou professest thou knowest Jesus Christ that the Lord hath made known the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel to thee What is thy life Canst thou say as in the presence of God that thy Conversation is answerable I beseech you as in the presence of God examin but this see whether thou art able to say Lord thou knowest according to what light thou hast given me in the Gospel it hath been my care to look to my Conversation Oh that I might live to thy honor and be a witnesse to thy truth that I might hold forth thy image and further thy designs and make up the dishonor that thou hast from others in the world and that I might convince wicked men and stop the mouthes of those that are opposite and that I might be a means to convert those that I live with or otherwise to judge them Oh that I might rejoyce the hearts of the Saints that they might lift up their heads with boldness because of me that they may and so I might be stablished and edified Go along in the rest of the heads Can thy conscience tell thee that thou hast done so No but it s quite contrary in some The
Lord speaks now to the consciences of those that this point concerns that have been negligent in the point of their Conversation thou art the man or woman that God hath as great dishonor from as from most in the world yea certainly there is no men upon the face of the earth that darkens the glory of the blessed God so much as professors of Religion who live loosly al the prophane ones all your drunkards that reel up and down in the streets and your blasphemers yea name what sinners you will there is non that do darken the glorie of God so much as thou doest who art loose in thy Conversation and yet a professor of the Gospel thou castest dirt upon the blessed Image of God thou doest as much hinder the designe that God hath in the world as any men whatsoever thou standest against the great works that God hath to do in the world Oh wretch that thou art what is this a time to be loose and wicked in There was never a time that the Conversations of the professors of Religion were so pried into as now and never a time since Christian Religion was professed upon the earth that the loose Conversation of Professors have done more hurt and I verily beleeve never a time wherein there were more loose Professors If so be that our fore-fathers that were godly and holie and kept strict with God were now alive again they would spit in the faces of manie that would think themselves eminent Professors of Religion because of the looseness of their Conversations And this is the worst that they can all put it upon Christ and the Doctrine of Christ but of that we shall speak more when we come to shew how our Conversation must be as becomes the Gospel of Christ Certainly it is that that is quite opposite to the Gospel of Jesus Christ The Lord rebuke thee this day and let this point be as a dart in thy liver thou art the man that livest in this generation as if thou wert born to do mischief no men live so as if they were born to do mischief as the Professors of the Gospel that live looslie in their Conversations If I should give a mark of a man that were born on purpose to do mischief it 's that man that lives in these times and walks looslie What doest thou convince wicked men and stop the mouthes of wicked men Oh no thou hardenest them and openest their mouthes nay all the scorns of Religion thou art charged with and shalt be brought to an account for it I say such as live looslie in their Conversations they shall be one day charged for all the scorn that is cast upon the profession of Religion and for all the opposition of it and for all the persecution of it and for all the dishonor of it it is because of you you harden the hearts of wicked men that they think they do God good service in following and persecuting such and such men so forward in Religion for they think they are all like to you what care they for mens talking and profession when they see your Conversation loose and wicked therefore they be hardened by you and the Saints they fare the worse for you they are ashamed of it when they go in the streets and meet with some of their acquaintance Oh say they Do you not know such a one what he did such a week in his house how false he was and how he plaid the knave What! one that would go in a morning to hear and rise early in the winter time and take so much pains and yet do such and such things it casts a mighty scorn upon all professors of Religion and upon the Ministers of the Gospel and the waies of the Gospel all I say is scorn'd and contemn'd and men be hardned against it meerly for thy Conversation and it may be some that were coming on and began to think that the profession of Religion was the way to Heaven and for them to be more strict than they were and to enquire after the waies of God more than before and to attend upon the Ministry of the Word but since they heard of such a miscarriage such loosness in such a ones Conversation their hearts rise against it and they blesse themselves from such a way God blesse me say they from such waies If this be the fruit of their profession and of their talking of Religion to do thus and thus So that thou provest to be a stumbling block that others stumble at and perish by and dost thou think that they stumbling and perishing at thy sins that thou shalt go scot-free Canst thou think that thou that art a means to send so many to Hell that thou shalt not go thither thy self Certainly there 's no men in the world that are the causes of sending so many to Hell as such as live loosly in their Conversations when they make profession of Religion Canst thou have any evidence to thy soul that there is any work of grace in thee and yet live looslie Oh! Christ and His Gospel will scorn such as thou art such wicked loose ones thou art a dishonor to Jesus Christ a dishonor to the Gospel and I may say of thee that dost so as it was said of Judas It had been happy if thou hadst never been born especially to be born in these times But we shall meet with these again when we come to the point in the particulars how we should walk as becomes the Gospel this is but only in the general for such as are loose in their Conversations for certainly this must be granted as an everlasting rule That that man or woman which makes not conscience of every thing in their Conversations makes conscience of nothing if there be anie that upon deliberation and knowing this or that to be sin beforehand and yet for by and base ends will sin to get monie or the like and so think to gain or free themselves from some trouble by going against their light and that upon deliberation let that man or woman know that they can have no evidence that they ever made conscience of anie one thing He that breaks one Commandement breaks all and there is such a bond in the Commandements and conscience doth knit the bond so uniformlie that where there is one bond thus broken the truth is all is broken Knowest thou not saith Saint James Oh vain man what doest thou talk of faith if there be no works thou art a vain man and thou doest deceive thy self Certainlie those men that are loose in their Conversations if God doth not humble them and bring down their hearts they will grow in time not onlie to lose their profession as I said but to be enemies to those that are stricter than themselves that is when men have corrupt hearts and cannot get up to that height of strictness that others do they fall to persecute that way which is above
certainly Apostatize if their hearts take deep root in the earth If you find your spirits so glewed to the things of the world that you know not how to part with them that you know not how to live in a place and not to have your neighbors love and respect and to honor you and to have the countenance of the times in which you live Do you find your hearts thus cleaving to the things of the world like the Serpent that dust you eat and upon your belly you go Know that thou hast a worldly heart thou art like to be an Apostate from the Truth of God ere long In the 2. of Titus 12. the Apostle saith That the grace of God that hath appeared to all men teaches them to deny all worldly lusts Oh my brethren let 's labor to walk worthy of our Calling into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ 1 Thess 2. 12. There the Apostle with a great deal of earnestness speaks to the Thessalonians exhorting them that they would Walk worthy of God who hath called them into his Kingdom and Glory Are you converted to Christ you are called into this Kingdom walk worthy of Him And mark his earnestness in the verse before As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his children We comforted you in shewing you the excellency of the Kingdom of God and the Priviledges of this Kingdom we exhorted you and we charged every one of you as a father doth his children And what did he exhort and charge them to it was this That they would walk worthy of God who had called them into his Kingdom and his glory Oh! 't is a great mercy that God hath revealed any thing of the Kingdom of his Son unto you walk worthy of it as it becomes those that are called to be the Subjects of such a glorious Kingdom as this is and above all things have a care and let me warn you of this worldliness in the hearts of the Saints Namely of a crafty cunning subtilness in the things of this life there is nothing more unbeseeming a Christian than a crafty cunning subtilness for the world many men bless themselves in this and they take abundance of content to think that by their craft and cunning sophistry they can fetch about things circumvent others so provide for themselves in this world I say there is nothing more unbeseeming a Christian than to be crafty and cunning in circumventing others and providing for themselves in the matters of this world In 1. Cor. 2. 12. saith the Apostle We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God it is that we have received There is many men you may plainly see that they have the spirit of the world that 's thus I have many times wondered at it some men come and speak to them about any matters of the Kingdom of Christ they speak so foolishly and childishly either they must hold their peace and say nothing or else if they do speak they discover so much ignorance and childishness that a man would wonder where the understandings of such men are that have liv'd so long a time in the world as they have done and heard so much of Religion and when one hears them speak so one would wonder how these men should have understanding to live in the world but now these in the businesses of the world they are as worldly politick no man can out go them there they can foresee all kind of dangers in any miscarriage and can judge of twenty things together in their thoughts and compare one thing with another see further into the world than other men so that a man would wonder sometimes I say when one hears them speaking of Religion whether these men have any wit or understanding but when one follows them in the things of the world you shall see them as witty as understanding as judicious and as cunning as any men almost can be they have received the spirit of the world and they are led by the spirit of the world the god of this world hath taken possession of them and it 's that that makes them so but they have not received the Spirit of Jesus Christ they may say quite contrary to the Apostle saith the Apostle we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of Jesus Christ they may say we have not received the Spirit of Christ but of the world it 's true Christ would have us so long as we live in the world to be as wise as serpents yet innocent as doves the wisdom that is for the promotion of the Kingdom of Christ it is a wisdom that hath an upright plainess in it and is according to the simplicity of the Gospel indeed when they have to deal with wicked men they may exercise a natural wisdom to avoid the dangers of persecution or to avoid the circumventing of wicked men but when they have to deal with spiritual things there the wisdom is that that holds forth a simplicity of the Gospel that is carried on with plainess and simpleness of heart The Hebrews have the same word that signifies a naked man and a cunning subtil man You shall find where it 's said of Adam and Eve they were naked nakedness of spirit and subtilty may stand together they signifie the same thing to shew what kind of subtilty should be in those that are the People of God it should be that that may stand with a naked spirit so as if God would discover the secrets of all their hearts to all the children of men that they should not be ashamed to have all their secrets to be opened to them But now the cunningness that is the cunningness of the serpent is such a cunningness as men if they were but laid open would quickly be ashamed of And so much of the fourth use that it is unbeseeming those that are of the kingdom of Christ to have the spirit of the world because Christs kingdom is not of this world 5. Vse Hence we see the reason of the meanness of the outward condition of the people of God in this world why is it that Christ hath so ordered things that the people of God should be so outwardly poor in this world My Kingdom is not of this world saith Christ Therefore why should any that come under my kingdom look for great things in this world they must look to have their comfort and glory in things that concern my Kingdom and not in the things of this world in Psal 73. 12. Behold those that are ungodly prosper in this world saith the Scripture As for men that are godly and come under the Kingdom of Christ they must look for a prosperity that is beyond this world God gives the earth to the children of men and to the men of the world Let them prosper saith God here 's their portion here 's
why so many Magistrates are like to Galio in Acts 18. 17. Carring for none of those things they were to him but matters of words and yet they were about the great fundamental Points of Religioâ— Whether Christ were the true Messias and whether He were God or no but to Gallio these things were but matter of words And so the great things of God and Religion to carnal hearts they are things that are of no great consequence at all yea when as Sosthenes that was the Ruler of the Synagogue for countenancing of Paul had the rude multitude of the City rise up in a rude manner to apprehend him and to lay violent hands upon him Gallio cared for none of these things but so far he did not go Gallio went not to stir up a rude multitude to lay violent hands upon a Ruler of a Synagogue or a City but he cared for none of those things saith the text What did he care for rectifying any thing that was amiss in Religion Oh let us say they that have their portion here what ever becomes of things let us make peace say they that we may go on and be quiet in our houses enjoy that we have quietly and peacably and they look no further Their portion is here and as for Truth how do they reject it contemn it It is a speech as is credibly reported hath come even from a Citizen here in cursing of the Truth so as had he lived among the Jews he would certainly have been stoned to death Let us have Peace and a Pox of Truth I say such a speech as this among the Jews would have caused him to have been stoned to death being such horrible blasphemy But how many are ready to say with Pilat in the 18. of John 38. when as Christ was before Pilat and talked to Pilat of Truth Truth saith Pilat What is Truth You shall observe it at the 38. ver What is Truth Saith Pilat as if Pilat should have said What a strange man is this the man is in danger of his life and he talks of Truth when he is in danger of his life What is Truth saith Pilat turns it back upon him presently Just thus are the hearts of many What should we look at Truth or at any thing now but to preserve our lives and estates and outward comforts in the world What is Truth They are a company of mad-brain'd fellows that are factious and seditious they talk of Truth and know not what they say Come let us have peace though it be upon any terms Who is there in this place that desires not Peace The Lord knows it is the desires of those that are accused most for want of desires in this thing yea so as we dare challenge any of you with this Challenge Those who have been most at the Throne of Grace begging unto God for peace for England let them carry the day those that have put forth most prayrs for Peace before the Throne of Grace we are willing they shall have the day We reade that amongst al the Tribes that came up in a war-like way to help the people of God against oppression in the 5. of Judges 18. and so in that Chapter that of all Naphtali was the only Tribe that joyned w th Zebulun that jeoparded their lives in the Cause of God that would take up Arms to defend themselves and the people against oppression Surely these two Tribes by the others that would not venture themselves were at that time accounted very factious and very seditious What they only Zebulun and Naphtali Yet it is observable though there were none joyned with Zebulun but only Naphtali there is no Tribe of which it is so much spoken to be a Tribe full of Courtesie and Civility of a peacable and quiet disposition as Naphtali was you shall find it if you reade in the 49. of Genesis 21. and afterwards in another text there are these two things said of Naphtali only these two first That he was a Hinde let loose and give goodly words But they may be but words of Complement not reality Nay when Moses comes with the blessing you shall find these two places one in Genesis and the other in Deuteronomy when Moses comes with the blessing again upon Naphtali Naphtali filled with favour and with the blessing of the Lord. What is the meaning Naphtali was a Tribe that had most courtesie and civility of all compar'd to a goodly Hinde of a quiet disposition and one that gave courteous language to all not meer words but reality it was such a one that was fill'd with favour that had the favour of God and the favour of Men he had such a courteous carriage and he had the blessing of God upon him and yet this Naphtali was the Tribe that would jeobard their lives and take up Arms in defence of the people of God against oppression in those times above all And Phinebas ye know was so zealous and would make use of the sword so as he did yet in the 25. of Num. 12 13. God saith there He would make a Covenant of Peace with him Beloved Phinehas that is such a fiery hot man yet a Covenaut of peace must be made with him by God Himself for he did indeed by that way procure peace to Israel for so the Text saith there in that place of Num. That because Phinehas was so zealous it was that I might not consume them in my jealousie Now it 's observable the word in the Original is Because he was zealous therefore it was that I might not consume them in my Zeal It s translated in your books Because he was thus zealous that I might not consume them in my Jealousie the words are different in the English but in the Hebrew they are the same and so be turn'd thus Because he was so zealous it was that I might not consume them in my Zeal as if he should have said If there had not been some among them that had been zealous and as they account fiery I would have been zealous my Self and fiery my Self and consumed them and it was wel they had such amongst them and one day those that cry out of them may come to see cause to bless God for them that would not have the world put off and gul'd with the fair name of peace we know the Devil hath made much use of it in former times and would fain make use of it now As if those that desired Truth most were not greatest friends unto peace God forbid but it should be so Though it's true we think not we have our portion here and therefore we would not have peace upon any terms indeed we confess our portion lies higher and that wherein our portion doth consist we would have upon any terms and therefore Saint Paul saith in Philippoans 3. if by any means I may attain to the Resurrection of the dead If by any means upon any
to make way for that First Consider what poor things they are that they make such a stir about Secondly Consider the Tenure upon which they hold whatsoever they do enjoy Thirdly Consider the mixture of Evil that there is in that they do enjoy Fourthly The blessed Portion that they lose that they might enjoy Lastly The dreadful end that there will be to such men that have their portion here 1. The poor things that men have here in this world What are they Their Comforts for the most part are but imaginary In Hosea 12. 1. Ephraim feeds upon the wind And when a bladder is ful of wind one prick lets it quite out and so when Death comes it lets out all their Comforts even as the wind goes all out at one prick in a bladder so all the comforts of the men of the world go out by the prick of death In Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is not it is not it hath no reality in it And in Acts 25. when Bernice and Agrippa came in great pomp and state to the Assembly that which you have in your books translated great Pomp it is in the Greek with great Fancie all the pomp and jollity in the world it is but a fancy this is their portion 2. That which they have it is of a very low nature this would be an argument we might phylosophize in if it were fit or if we had time but I 'le quickly pass over these things it 's of a very low nature it not much concerns the soul all the portion they have Therefore saith the Text here Thou fillest their belly it 's but a belly full what is that to the soul Indeed the rich man in the Gospel could say Soul take thy ease for thou hast goods laid up for many yeers eat drink c. Wilt thou say Soul take thy ease because thou hast goods laid up and because you may eat and drink What is all this to the soul Ambrose hath such a speech upon the place If the man had the soul of a swine what could be said otherwise for indeed these things were sutable to the soul of a swine you shall find that a man is not the better because of outward things not a whit the heart of the wicked is little worth his estate may be somewhat worth his house may be somewhat worth his lands may be somewhat worth But the heart of the wicked is little worth Prov. 10. And would not you think it to be a great evil if so be that when you go up and down abroad you should certainly know that there is no man doth give you any entertainment or any respect but it is for your servants sake that tends upon you would not that discourage you and trouble you Indeed you come to such a mans house and he seems to make you welcome and you have entertainment I but you come to know afterwards that it was not for your sake but for your servants sake that be loved would you think you had a good entertainment there the truth is so all the respect you have in this world it is for your servants sake for your goods house and lands it is not for any worth that is in you It was a speech that Socrates spake once to one Achilous when he had a fine house and a many brave things there saith he There are many come to see thy house and thy fine things there but no body comes to see thee they know there is a worth in thy fine house and in thy fine furniture but they see no worth in thee Indeed all these things are not souls meat it is not mans meat they feed upon it is but ashes it is nothing to the soul of man Further 3. Suppose it were for the soul What thou hast here is but a very poor pittance a scantie portion thou hast not all the world neither thou hast thy portion in this world If thou hadst the whol world at command yea if God should make a thousand worlds more for thee to command this were all but a poor pittance to put off an immortal soul withal but now that thou hast is but a little minnim in the world All Nations of the Earth are but as the dust of the ballance and drop of the bucket to God What is thy dust then what is thy house and land then As Socrates wittily rebuked the pride of Alcibiades when he was very proud that he had so much Land lay together He brought his Map of the world to him and saith he Pray shew me where your land lies here one prick of a pen would have described it all Should we take a rich man here that hath a great deal of land and bring a Map of the world to him all England Ireland and Scotland are but three little spots unto the world And what are your Farms and your Mannours you have you have but a little portion if you had all it were no great matter the truth is All you have in this world cannot be enough to make you live in fashion in the world like a man it 's not enough I say for to live like a man in the world to live like one that hath an immortal soul like one that hath the Image of God upon him and was sent hither into the world to do some great service as every one of you was sent hither to do therefore it is but a mean thing little cause you have for to rejoyce in it It 's true they that are godly account themselves unworthy of the least thing they have here in this world but I 'le tell you a Mystery of Religion now a practical Maxime of Religion that is a great Mystery to the world and that is this That a gracious heart though he thinks himself unworthy of the least crum of bread yet all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth will not serve him to be his portion will not satisfie him though he hath a heart that will be satisfied with any thing as counting himself unworthy of the meanest condition in this world as a present gift of God but if God should give him Heaven and Earth he hath such an unsatisfying heart as he would not be satisfied with Heaven and Earth except God gives him Himself therefore certainly thy portion is but a very little portion 4. Those things that thou hast are things that will vanish and quickly come to nothing It is said of the whol world in Job 26. 7. The whol earth hangs upon nothing and so all things of the Earth do and therefore it is said of Abraham in Hebrews 11. That he sought a City that had foundations All other things are as things that have no foundation at all There is a worm in every creature that will consume it in time and the Scripture calls all our riches Vncertain riches and Christian thou art made for an eternal condition these things