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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	worship_n	worship_v	worthy_a	35	3	6.6890	4	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

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.

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

the world that we were in bondage to while we were children for though we were subject to Christ then yet we were but in our non-age and indeed in comparison of what we are in the times of the Gospel we were slaves rather than subjects we were then in bondage and then in Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through Phylosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ after the rudiments of the world These rudiments of the world they had some reference as it appears in reading this Chapter unto the ceremonies of the Law and together with them there was mixture of mens own inventions they were the rudiments of the world not after Christ you do not acknowledge Christ to be a King when you worship him in a worldly way after the rudiments of the world As now for instance because men were wont to honor the Presence Chamber where the King sits when you go into it you are to be uncovered Now like unto that according to the way of the world men think that because they meet here for Religious ends to worship God that when they come as any time in the week into such a place as this is they must come uncovered now this is after the rudiments of the world you think to worship this King after the same way but his way of worship is no such low institution And as they bowed to the Chair of State and so they would bow with cap and knee to the Communion Table that they cal'd the Altar now these are according to the rudiments of the world but Christs Kingdom is not of this world His worship must be spiritual in Heb. 9. 1. Then verily the first Covenant had also Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary Mark in the time of the Law it was but a worldly Sanctuary in comparison of what is now in the times of the Gospel those waies of worship though they were once appointed by God Christ the King of His Church in the new Testament would not have His homage tendered up by these waies of worship they were too worldly for Him then surely to have the inventions of men in the worship of Christ in the new Testament especially it is too worldly for Christ No it must be Divine and Spiritual he that worships must worship in spirit and in truth al that worship and homage we tender up to Jesus Christ we must look to have it spiritual and not worldly and so the Ordinances though they have something external as the Sacraments yet if we stick to the outward part we do not worship Christ as our King in a right way but we must be spiritual in all look upon the spiritual part in al Ordinances or else I say we do not tender up that homage to Christ that is due to Him as the King of His Church Sixthly Christs Kingdom is not of this world that is The Officers that Christ hath appointed for the government of His Church are not of this world are not to be of this world but they are all to be by Divine Institution Observe the difference in the Administration of Christs Kingdom and the worldly Kingdoms In the kingdoms of this world men may invent as many new Officers as they please they may errect new Officers in a State and Common-wealth But al the men in the world cannot errect any one new Office in the Church cannot make one new Officer otherwise than is in the Word we do not reade of any such name as Tryers there Now though we do not find Officers of States in the Word yet a Human Creation is enough as the Apostle cals it Be subject to every Ordinance of men You have it in Peter the word that is there translated Ordinance of men it is a Humane Creation In the Church there can be no new Officers created Christ hath made Pastors and Teachers Elders and Decons and Widdows in the Church and not any new sort can be added by all the men in the world And therfore it was heretofore as in Popery so in Prelacy they would errect a new kind of Religion as they cal'd it more spiritual and so made the Kingdom of Christ like unto the kingdoms of the world and thought that they had power to make as many new Officers in the Church as they pleased Certainly this was a derogation from the kingdom of Christ they made it too worldly A second difference in the Church-Officers from the Officers in the kingdoms of the world is this If once they be put into such a place in the Church they have the ful power of the place As supose now a Pastor or a Teacher hath as much power as any one Pastor or Teacher upon the face of the earth there cannot be a difference between one Officer and another of the same kind in the Church as in the State Now the State may limit their Officers as they please in some Countries they may make Justices of the Peace for one use and in another Country for another use they may limit them according as they please how they shall execute their places and when they must leave their Offices to others But in the Church one Pastor whatsoever he be hath as much power of Christ in him as any that live for as there can be no new Offices in this kingdom of Christ but by Divine Institution so there can be no limitation of their Office but according to the Institution of Jesus Christ So His Kingdom is not of this world It 's true if so be that the Magistrate shall come in by Law to help the Church so far as they shall come in to give Civil help to the Church they may appoint Officers to see that their power be not abused but not any that are properly Church Officers to administer any spiritual Ordinances in the Church but such as are by Divine Institution Seventhly The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world the weapons by which Christ doth fight with His adversaries to maintain His Kingdom are not the weapons of the world in that notable Scripture 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong bolds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Mark here 's the weapons of the Kingdom of Christ Christ brings into captivity every thought easts down strong holds whatsoever strong hold or high thing is lifted up against the Kingdom of Christ Christ hath weapons in His Kingdom to cast it down but saith he the weapons of our warfare there is a warfare they are not carnal but spiritual Christ in His kingdom He doth not appoint carnal weapons He gives not unto His Church weapons of the flesh to make men beleeve whether

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

lives there should be shining the glorious Attributes of God that all that behold our Conversations may admire the Attributes of God shining in our lives and glorifie our Heavenly Father Certainly a child of God that keeps close to God and lives holily in his life doth let out more of the glory of God shining before the world than the Sun in the Firmament A Christian that professes the Gospel and doth walk answerably to the Gospel I say he is a more glorious creature in this world than the Sun in the Firmament certainly if we do but consider this that we are appointed here in this world while we live to hold forth the glory of the Gospel to make it to be a glorious Gospel before all that we live among it would cause another manner of Conversation than as yet we have But to wind up all in a few words of Application more particularly though all the way as I have gone I have labored to apply it all that I shall say may be refer'd unto these two particulars Application And the first is For the rebuking of those whose Conversations are not as becomes the Gospel I appeal to your consciences Do not your consciences in hearing these things condemn you If this be a Conversation becoming the Gospel O Lord how far are we from honoring the Gospel in our lives for how do many of your Conversations disgrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ you put Jesue Christ even to open shame by your Conversations and such as you are are blots to profession stains to Religion and the truth is it had been better you had never bin born if God doth not work upon your hearts in some measure before you die to recover the honor that you have taken away from this glorious Gospel Gal. 2. compare the 11. vers and the 14. together and in the. 11. ver you shall find Paul when he did but see Peter to walk not as he ought to do saith he I withstood Peter to his face What 's the matter You shall see the cause in the 14. verse for saith he He did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel In that one particular it seems Peter was blame-blame-worthy O how was Pauls spirit stir'd I resisted him to his face saith he Though Peter was a glorious Apostle yet because in that thing he did not walk according to the truth of the Gospel Paul resisted him to his face And are there any that make profession and do you see that they walk not according to the truth of the Gospel Resist them to their faces though they be never so eminent either in Church or Common-wealth to be head and shoulders above others yet these are to be resisted to their face Oh the Gospel was precious to the heart of Paul and therfore he could not bear no not a Peter not to walk according to the truth of the Gospel Oh how many how many are there among you that do not walk according to the truth of the Gospel Now the Lord cause your consciences this day to resist you to your faces and to speak in secret to you and to convince you of the dreadful evil that you are guilty of is such a Conversation as you walk in such as become the Gospel I remember I have read a story you shal find it in Richard the first when he prevailed in warr and took a Bishop the Bishop of Bevoice the Pope was angry and sends and expostulates with him that he would presume to meddle with one of his Sons and imprison him The King sent this answer again to the Pope He takes the Habergion and other warlike instruments that the Bishop had and sends them to the Pope with these words See Is this thy Sons Coat is it fit for him to wear such things as these So I may say concerning many professors look upon their Conversations and what is this the Coat this the Conversation of the son of God As that Richard the first thought it such an unbeseeming thing for a Bishop to have warlike instruments about him and to be taken clad in armor On 't is an unbeseeming thing for such as profess the Gospel of Christ to have instruments of death about them to have wicked Conversations to live in wicked and ungodly waies Oh! 't is not Christs Livery not the Coat of one that professes godliness Certainly there must be another manner of Conversation than this EXHORTATION And therefore to close all in a word or two of Exhortation Oh that God would move our hearts now by what we have heard to labor to honor the glorious Gospel that we do profess O that that worthy Name in Jam. 2. 7. may not be blasphemed by wicked men Oh let not that worthy Name of God and Christ which you profess be blasphemed for your sakes but walk worthy of that worthy Name of the Lord and of his Christ and of his Gospel My brethren know that when you undertake the profession of the Gospel you undertake a great matter do not come to the profession of the Gospel and look upon it as if it were a slight matter 't is a great matter the profession of the Gospel In 1 Tim. 2. 10. it is a good Scripture for women he speaks of women that they should walk as those that do profess godliness such should preach the contents of the Gospel in an Evangelical behavior before others they should therefore bring forth fruits worthy of repentance or meet for repentance Hath the Lord wrought upon your hearts to chang your minds and turn your hearts to him O then bring forth fruits worthy of repentance that is your Conversations must be worthy of the Gospel and that is fruit worthy of repentance and in Acts 26. 20. Works meet for repentance Oh you say you have repented you of your sins the word that is translated there repentance it is change of mind Oh hath God changed your mind Then let there be works worthy of this change of mind And divers motives there should have been named for the stirring up of your hearts to walk worthy of the Gospel O consider what 's this Gospel you profess the Scripture cals it as here the Gospel of Christ So the Gospel of the grace of God Act. 20. 24. It 's a Gospel by which you are begotten 1 Cor. 4. 15. Thirdly It 's the Gospel of your salvation Ephes 1. 13. And fourthly It 's an everlasting Gospel Revel 14. 6. And then as you had it before a glorious Gospel Oh walk worthy of this Gospel that you have got so much good by I appeal to you any that have had the Gospel working upon your hearts Have not you got so much good by the Gospel that you would not part withal for ten thousand worlds Oh then walk worthy of that Gospel seeing you have got so much good by it And I beseech you consider that motive in the text Only let your Conversation

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