I shall only here put you upon the consideration of two things 1. Which promiseth most 2. Which threatneth most 1. Which promiseth most the Word or the World Look over the promises of the Word and tell me whether the World can promise what God in his Word doth Can it promise you That by conforming to its Statutes and Laws it shall be well with you and your children for ever The world cannot promise you a long and happy life here much less can it promise you eternal life and happiness hereafter 2. Consider which threatneth most whose threatnings are most dreadful and terrible those of the Word or of the World It 's true the world can thunder out threatnings against those that conform not to her But tell me Is that Thunder like in terror to that thunder we hear in the word and the threatnings of it against those that conform to a wicked world The world can threaten with Bonds and Imprisonments with Fire and Faggot But God threatens with Hell and everlasting burnings As the Martyr told the Persecutor that threatned him with imprisonment Tu Carcerem ille Gehennam Thou threatnest me with a Prison but God threatens me with Hell Remember the counsel of our Saviour Matt. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell And now you have heard all this consider seriously of it and tell me whether the world is worthy your conformity or whether you are at all engaged to conform to the world or whether it will be any advantage to you to conform to the world and not rather an infinite disadvantage And thus much for the Directions in general and in these Directions are wrap'd up the Motives to move us to be Nonconformists to this world I shall now close all with giving you some particular Directions as further Means and Helps against Conformity to this world and that briefly 1. Consider your natural inclinations and remember there is by nature in us a strong propensity to a conformity to the world The world is a tempting alluring bewitching thing apt to steal away our hearts as Absalom did the hearts of the men of Israel It will court invite and tempt it will flatter and fawn to gain a conformity it hath tempting rules tempting examples tempting proffers and much more to draw men into a conformity to her Now Christians you had need be watchful in this case upon considering in what danger you are to be deluded by the world and that upon two accounts 1. You live among those that are of the world and therefore apt to be infected by them as Joseph was by living in Pharoah's Court and Peter by being in the High-Priest's Hall Rivers partake of the nature of the soil through which they run and it is a difficult thing to live in the world and not to have a taste of the sins and corruptions of it 2. Remember you have even the best the remainders of corruption in you There are the remainders of self and so a love of worldly Credity of outward Ease of worldly Enjoyments and these will be as a Byas to the Bowl which will encline you toward the world and a conformity to it 2. That you may be Nonconformists to this world Grow and encrease in love to Jesus Christ The more we love Jesus Christ the less we shall love the world Any sinful compliance with the world argues either no love or litle love to Jesus Christ Love is the great worker of imitation as Hatred is of aversation Those that love Jesus Christ will live to Jesus Christ and will be such to whom the world is crucifi'd and they unto the world Such will say as St. Paul did To us to live is Christ Jesus Christ will be the All of their lives all the Rule and all the End of their living 3. That you may be Nonconformists to the world Meditate much of Christ's love to you by that you will come to know you owe all your conformity to Him Right thoughts of this will cause the world to be crucified to you and you to the world that neither the world shall care for you not you for it 4. Remember where Christ is He is no more in this world in respect of his corporal Presence he is ascended into Heaven he is there preparing Mansions for his he hath left you steps on earth in which you are to tread and in which you are to follow him if you desire to be where he is So that this considered a conformity to the world can never consist with a Christian's aims of being with Christ hereafter and to behold his glory He now being in Heaven is drawing the hearts and affections of those up to him who are to be for ever with him 5. Be much in searching the Scriptures where you may view as the Rules you are to walk by so the examples you are to imitate you will there have Glasses by which you are to dress your selves you will there find the pure example of him who was holy undefiled without spot and blemish viz. Jesus Christ You will there find the Examples of holy men who were Nonconformists to the men of their generation 6. Be much in prayer That God would deliver you from this present evil world That you may not be led into temptation but may be delivered from the evil of it Pray that God would carry you above the world and over all the good and evil of it without being infected or hurt by it 7. Remember what your condition in this world is If you profess your selves Christians then you profess your selves to be strangers and pilgrims in the world and a conformity to this world cannot consist with such a profession What have strangers to do with a conformity to that place through which they pass only as travellers and where they lodg only as pilgrims 8. Remember you are for Eternity and that you live upon the borders of it Think not so much where at present you are as where you shortly must be In every Conformist to this world there is a forgetfulness of Eternity How can those that think of an Eternal world that is drawing near to them and they to it give up themselves to a conformity to a world that is passing away Remember Eternity now calls on you and will shortly call for you 9. Encrease in Self-denyal It is the self-denying Christian that is the Nonconforming Christian to the world Such a Christian will regard neither the world's favours nor the world's frowns Such a Christian will say as Luther did I despise both the world's favour and the world's fury The self-denying Christian is one whom the world may both flatter and frown on but he stands like an immovable Rock not shaken by either 10. Encrease in the mortification of your worldly lusts Not mortifying these hath reduced some to a conformity to the world who seemed to have escaped the pollutions of it This was the undoing of Demas who forsook both his Ministry and the fellowship of St. Paul to embrace this present world and as some are of opinion became an Idol-Priest at Thessalonica upon the account of filthy lucre and worldly gain 11. Strengthen Faith whereby you will be strengthened to overcome this present evil world The Apostle tells us 1 John 5. 4. This is the victory whereby we overcome this world even our faith It will make us couragious to out-face a sinful world It is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. and will work in us a contempt of the things that are seen It will be the eye by which with Moses we shall see him that is Invisible and therby keep us from a conforming to a visible world upon greatest temptations though they be the pleasures and promotions of a Pharoah's Court. The more faith the less fear and it is base fear and cowardise that often betrays to a sinful compliance with and conformity to the world The more believing Christians are the less conforming they are to this world To close all let me mind you of what the Lord speaks to Jeremiah and that I say to all Christians concerning complying with and conforming to the world Jer. 15. 19. Therefore thus saith the Lord If thou return then will I bring thee again and thou shalt stand before me And if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth Let them return unto thee but return not thou unto them FINIS
NON-CONFORMITY WITHOUT CONTROVERSIE FROM ROM Chap. 12. Ver. 2. SHEWING That it is every Christian's Duty To be a NONCONFORMIST to this World By BENJAMIN BAXTER Preacher of the Gospel Jer. 15. 19. Let them return unto thee but return thou not unto them John 15. 19. You are not of the world I have chosen you out of the world LONDON Printed by A.M. for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible on London-Bridg 1670. READER TAke not occasion by the Title of this Book either of a pleasing or displeasing Mistake It speaketh not at all against any Conformity to the lawful Commands of lawful Governours in things Civil or Ecclesiastical but only against a Conformity to the Vices of the World Which should be no offence to any who renounceth not his Baptism in which we all renounce the World with the pomps and vanities thereof and all the sinful lusts of the flesh promising that we will not follow or be led by them He understandeth nothing of Christianity who understandeth not the enmity of the World to a life of sincere Holiness and how inconsistent the Love of the World is to the Love of God and how much the Life and Death of Christ were intended and fitted to mortifie our earthly Minds and Affections and to bring us to a holy contempt of the Pleasures and Profits and Honours of the World and that it is the office of our Faith to be our victory over the World and all this in the imitation and strength of Him who hath heartned us to the warr with this Encouragement Be of good cheer I have overcome the World They that are not Enemies to the Cross of Christ whose God is not their Belly who glory not in their shame and mind not earthly things while they are named Christians are crucified to the world and the world to them by the cross of Christ and their Political conversation is in Heaven This Subject you will find handled in this Discourse by the Reverend Author my very dear and worthy Friend with great plainness and perspicuity in a stile neither obscure dull nor tedious and in a most natural and congruous Method in which respect all the Sermons that ever I heard from him whereof some were above thirty years ago did excel other men's The Lord make it effectually serviceable to his Ends who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father To whom be glory for ever Amen Gal. 1. 4 5. Sept. 14. 1668. Ri. Baxter To the Vertuous and his much Honoured Cousins Mrs. Grace Allen Wife to Mr. William Allen Merchant Mrs. Sarah Paunsfoot Wife to Mr. Robert Paunsfoot Mrs. Hester Brear-cliff Wife to Mr. Thomas Brear-cliff Merchant all of the City of LONDON Much Honoured Cousins IT is not any Ambition to appear in Print that hath induced me to this Vndertaking Only I could not handsomly decline the Dedication of this Posthumous Piece and Presenting it to your Hands who have so clear and unquestionable a Right to it as will appear by the Sequel I presume you are not ignorant that it was really intended and designed for you by the Reverend Author now at Rest with the Lord your dear Brother and mine Who had he not been prevented by Death had done it with his own Hand but perceiving the Printing of this Book procrastinated beyond his Expectation and being dayly sensible of his near approaching and long expected Change it was his desire that I would undertake it in his behalf and indeed it was one of the last requests he made to me before he left the World I doubt not then but what I have done herein will be well construed and kindly accepted when it is done in pursuance of so honest a Design to gratifie the just reasonable Desire of so near and dear a Relation who on his Death-bed bequeath'd this Legacy as a Testimony of his unfeigned Brotherly-Love and Memorial of his real Gratitude to you his dear Dear Sisters who had not been forgetful of him but oft relieved and refreshed him by your Kind and Christian like Visits in his Low and Languishing Condition As for the Subject of the following Discourse You will easily grant it is very seasonable and needful as for all Times so especially these last and worst Times wherein Worldliness so much prevails gets ground of Godliness even in the Hearts and Lives of those that call themselves Christians whereas did they truly answer the Name they bear what would it speak else but their Conformity to Christ and not to the World The Words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. 29. 30 31. deserve seriously to be taken and laid to heart by every Christian Where to take us off the extreams of Joy and Sorrow in the Possessing or Parting with Earthly Relations and Worldly Comforts he tells us The fashion of this World passeth away and yet notwithstanding how do we find by Woful Experience the Hearts of too many drawn away and enticed through the Predominancy of Worldly Lusts that this is their chiefest study how to keep in with the World by Fashioning and Conforming the dayly Actions of their Lives according to the Rules and Patterns of it And herein how do they seek to out-vye and out-stripeach other with so great Emulation and Contention when their Lives and the World are hastning to an end as if it were their highest Ambition to live and dye the Werld's Favorites But certainly if there were a through and sound Belief of a Life and World to come after this present frail and transitory State of all things here below how would it turn the Stream and Current of Mens Thoughts and Affections and have a powerful Influence on their Lives and Conversations to make them more Godly less Worldly and from this very Consideration 2 Pet. 3. 11. the Apostle argues strongly for a Holy and Godly Conversation and not a Worldly Conformity But our Saviour himself hath foretoldus and therefore we may and must believe it that towards the end of the World it will be a rare thing to find true Faith Luk. 18. 8. that Victorious Grace which St. John tells us 1 Joh. 5. 4. overcometh the World and the Lusts thereof But dear Cousins I am perswaded better things of you and such as accompany Salvation You have been happy above mamy in respect of your Education having been acquainted with Sound Principles of Godliness from your tender years through the Care and Diligence of your Religious Parents And although there are too many to be found in these times between whose Principles and Practices there is little or no Conformity but the one is rather a plain Confutation of the other I hope you will never be found in that number for that precious Seed of good Principles which was sown in your Minority was not it seems burned and last but hath through Gods Blessing with a continual watering budded and brought
of its Rules Examples He must not walk by the Rules the World walks by He must not imitate the same Patterns the life of a Christian must be a life ordered by the Rules and Examples of the Word not of the World His Principles from which he acts his Rules and Precepts by which he acts and his Ends for which he acts must be higher than the World And thus much for the Explication II. For the Confirmation of the truth of the Doctrine So consider the grounds and reasons Why Christians must be Nonconformists to the World First They are to be Nonconformists to the world in respect of their Calling A Christian's Calling and his Conformity to the world cannot consist nor stand together To make this out consider 1. What a Christian is called from 2. What a Christian is called to 1. What a Christian is called from He is called from the world he is called out of the world and so he is called from a conformity to the world John 15. 19. I have chosen you out of the world The Church is described to be a company of faithful ones chosen and called out of the world Now What is this calling out of the world It is not calling them from living in the world It is not calling them from using of the world it is not calling them from all conversing with the world but it is a calling them from conforming to the world Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my people i. e. Have nothing to do with Babylon's Manners and sinful Customs and corrupt Forms of Worship 2. Consider what Christians are called to 2 Pet 1. 3. they are said to be called to Glory and Vertue Christians are called to Holiness and Happiness And upon this account he must not be a Conformist to this world 1. He is called to Holiness 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. Be ye holy Now Holiness consisteth not with conforming to the world the world is unclean impure unholy 1 Joh. 5. 19. The world lieth in wickedness it lies like a Beast in its own dung and filth Conforming to the world is being like the world and bearing the image of the world and so it is to bear the image of that that is unholy and unclean A Christian is called to bear another image he is called to be like God But none can bear the Image of God and the Image of the world too God is infinitely holy and he that will be like to a holy God must be unlike an unholy world Jam. 1. 27. it is there made one part of that Religion that is said to be pure and undefiled For a man to keep himself unspotted of the world which shews that the world is a bespotting and defiling thing 2 Pet. 2. 20. we read of the pollutions of the world If you look upon that Scheam and Figure of the world that St. John hath drawn 1 Joh. 2. 16. you will find whatever is in the world is all lust So Tit. 2. 12. we read of worldly lusts And if you will see what the way and course and practice of the world is you have it in 1 Pet. 4. 3. excess of Riot Drunkenness Revelling c. So then it cannot be that a Christian's being called to holiness can consist with a conforming to this world 2. Christians are called to Glory As to Holiness so to Happiness Now calling to glory and conforming to the world cannot stand together Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above to the wise That way that leads to glory lyes above the world Those Principles from which a man acts those Rules by which a man acts and those Ends for which a man acts that acts for Heaven and seeks for Glory and Immortality are all higher Principles Rules and Ends than those of the world and far above them The world's way will never bring a man to glory it may bring a man to worldly Honour and Preferment but will never mount a man to the enjoyment of the things of that world that is to come The world hath kept many from Heaven and is still the great block and hinderance in the way to Heaven How many have the cursed courses and examples of the world undone and damned And how often doth the Scripture cautionate all to take heed of the world as a dangerous Rock against which a thousand Demaâ—â— have dashed themselves and made shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience Secondly Consider some particular grounds Why Christians are to 〈◊〉 Nonconformists to the world 1. Conformity to God and the World cannot stand together no more than the love of God and the love of the World can 1 Joh. 2. 15. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him There is an antipathy and contrariety between God and the World A man is never more like God than when he is most unlike the World Now a Christian is to conform to God and Christ The first and best is said to be the Rule of the rest Christ is our highest and best Pattern Here is no serving of two Masters no conforming to two contrary Patterns He that will be a Conformist to the World must be a Non-conformist to God and Christ 2. The world is one of the declared Enemies that a Christian is to fight against worldly lusts as well as fieshly lusts fight against the soul so that conforming to the world is taking part and siding with our Enemy The Apostle saith Gal. 6. 14. The world is crucified to me and I to the world q. d. The world and I are upon equal terms of defiance I neither care for the would nor the world for me 3. Christians are predestinated to another Conformity than that to the world Rom 8. â—9 For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son Not to the Image of the world Conformity to the world consists not with that Predestination 4. What was a Christian's Rule and Pattern before conversion cannot be his Rule after Before conversion the world was so Eph. 2. 3. The Apostle tells the Ephesians that before conversion they walked according to the course of the world 5. It was one end of Christ's living so long on earth to give us a better and a more noble Pattern and Example than what the world gave 1 Pet. 2. 21. Leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 6. It is a debasement to a Christian to be a Conformist to the world The ground of Conformity and Imitation should be to advance and better but in conforming to the world a Christian doth but degrade himself he writes after a Copy by which he cannot mend his hand It is observable in Scripture what the wicked of the world are compared to among Beasts to I yon 's Bears Wolves among Plants to Briers Thorns c. Among other living Creatures to Vipers Dogs Swine What a debasement is it for Christians to be like such
To be thought some-body in the World and not to be looked upon as Cyphers as No-bodies to be well accounted of well spoken of by the most of their generation Some extreamly affect the good-will and the good-word of every one and hereby are betrayed to a sinful compliance Although such should remember the saying of our Savior Wo unto you when all men speak well of you Mat. 5. 2. There is a desire in most to be as free from trouble and opposition in the World as they can Most say with Issachar Rest is good Why should I say some create trouble to my self and may chuse Why should I cross with the World and cause the World to cross with me If I do as the World doth and conform to it I need not fear its frowns And this is one cause why so many sinfully comply with and conform to the World not remembring the saying of our Saviour Matt. 5. 10. Blessed are those that are persecuted for righteousness sake c. 3. There is in men naturally a desire to have company in their way Man is a sociable Creature and loves company Now the way of the World is the way most beaten and trodden and frequented being the way that most walk in Men naturally love not solitary paths but those in which they can see most foot-steps And upon this account it is that so many comply sinfully with the World for the sake of company not at all considering whither the broad way leads nor that prohibition Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil 4. Men naturally desire Elbow-room in their way They love ways wherein they may enjoy the most of sinful liberty and this they fancy to be only found in the way of the World they would have room for them and their lusts to march together and such a way the way of the World is the wide way as our Saviour saith that leads to destruction And hence it is that so many comply with the World not considering That it 's easier for a man to have so much Religion and Christianity as will please the World and go to Hell at last than to have so much as will please God and bring him to Heaven 2. The second cause is A strong love to and desire after the World's Favours There is an innate disposition in persons to enjoy the World's Sun-shine thinking there is a refreshment in those beams They think it sweet to sit in the World's lap to be hugg'd in the World's bosome to be embrac'd in the VVorld's arms Many love not to see others embraced and themselves cast out to see others favoured and themselves frowned on to see others the world's Darlings and they to be the world's Out-casts The world hath its temptations on both hands On the one hand there are its persecutions and threats and frowns on the other hand its preferments allurements and favours and the last of these have often proved the most powerful temptations to draw men to compliance with the world Thus it 's observed of Julian That he drew more away and made more Apostates by his Preferments than he did by his Persecutions VVe read Rev. 12. 4. that the Dragon with his tail drew the third part of the Starrs from Heaven the meaning is that many that were eminent in the Church and did shine as Starrs were drawn away and became Apostates by the tail of the Dragon i. e. by its embraces And this is one great reason why men have been brought to comply with and conform to the world And this hath ever been the world's way of tempting it first frowns and then flatters and the latter hath been found to be the most dangerous Thus was that famous Galeacius assaulred and when they saw threatnings would do nothing he was offered a great sum of Gold to return again to his former Religion and Countrey but his answer was That he preferr'd one day's communion with Christ in the Gospel before all the Gold in the world And thus it was with Luther when they saw Bulls and nothing else by way of Menace would do then they offered him a Cardinals Hat but his answer was Contemptus est à me Romanus favor furor I despise both Rome's Favours and Fury Though these stood as unshaken Mountains yet how many if not by the first yet by the last have been overcome like the Traveller who by the wind kept his Cloak closer was by the warm and alluring beams of the Sun invited to cast it off The Sun-shine of the world hath had more influence upon men to conform them to the world than all its cold and stormy blasts could have It 's Favours and Preferments hath drawn those whom its Persecutions could not drive Hence it is that so many comply with and conform to the world not remembring that there is more comfort and happiness attends those that are the world 's Cast-aways than those that are the world's Darlings Those Christ chuseth to be the objects of his love whom the world casts out as objects of her hatred Secondly Consider the trials and discoveries VVhether we are Conformists or Non-conformists to this world 1. He that is a Non-conformist to the world is one unlike the world he is unlike the world in his judgment affection conversation he doth not judg as the world judgeth of Christ of Holiness of Heaven of Saints of Sin Here is the question VVhether we differ from the world in these One said of Nero That must needs be good that Nero persecutes And so I say That must needs be evil that the world commends and good that the world condemns Try your selves by this Do you judg as the world judgeth Do you love and hate as the world loves and hates Is your conversation according to the course and conversation of the world Then you may conclude you are Conformists to the world Oh that Christians would but examine themselves seriously wherein they are unlike the world and by that they may find whether they are Non-conformists to the world I am brief in this because I have spoken more largely to it before 2. He that is a Non-conformist to this world is a Conformist to another world VVhen the Apostle saith Be not conformed to this world it implies there is another world to which we ought to conform Scripture mentions a world that now is and a world that is to come There is another world besides this present world a world that will be when this world shall be no more As I said before so I say again It is but a little while and the world present will be the world past and the world to come will be the world present all the days of Eternity Now Christians you are to be Conformists to the world that is to come there is an Earthly and a Heavenly world and the great thing you have to do is to examine what Conformity there is in you to the latter to the Heavenly
report of those that are godly and that are really so Christ hath some chosen precious ones in the World redeemed from the World that are not of the world whose Names are written in Heaven who are Virgins i.e. who are not defiled nor spotted with the World's corruptions and pollutions you have a description of them Rev. 14. 4 c. such as vvalk in the steps of Christ here and shall vvalk vvith Christ in vvhite hereafter Novv consider Your not conforming to the World vvill gain the good report of these What the Apostle saith Heb. 11. 2. By faith the Elders obtained a good report may I say By this Nonconformity you vvill obtain a good report from those that are truly and sincerely good Novv compare this gain vvith the fore-mentioned loss What is it to lose the good vvord of a Drunkard a Swearer a filthy wicked prophane person and to be vvell reported of by those that are holy and pious Let me tell you Next to God's Approbation the Approbation of those that are godly is most desirable What comfort vvill this give a man upon his dying-bed that all the Drunkards and Prophane persons in the Countrey commend him and speak vvell of him Our Saviour said Wo to you when all men shall speak well of you and surely then Wo to that man of vvhom none can speak vvell but only such as are vvicked 2. By not conforming to the World you vvill not only gain a good report from godly men but also from God himself let me tell you They are such as God makes high account of whom Jesus Christ highly priseth and vvhom the Angels in Heaven rejoice over Look but into Scripture and see hovv highly God commends those vvho are Nonconformists to the men of their generation The Apostle in Heb. 11. speaks of the Faith of the holy men of old as Enoch of vvhom it 's said he walked with God and of Noah who by building the Ark upon the vvarning he had from God condemned the World Let me tell you vvhat the Apostle speaks of all them there in relation to their Faith we may speak of them in relation to their Nonconformity to the world that as the Apostle saith v. 2 by Faith they obtained a good report so by their Nonconformity to the world What was Enoch but a Nonconformist What was Noah but a Nonconformist to the men of his generation What were Abraham and Isaac and Jacob but Nonconformists to the world when it is expresly said of them v. 13. that they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth that they did look after a better Countrey i.e. a heavenly one What was Moses but a Nonconformist to this World who refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter who chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season who esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt This is an eminent and high demonstration of his Nonconformity to the World And so I might speak of the rest who were all persons of whom the world was not worthy who obtained a good report from God and of whom we may say as the Apostle doth Heb. 11. 13. All these dyed in faith So all these lived and dyed Nonconformists to the World How highly and honourably doth the Lord in Scripture speak of these Nonconformists Non doubt but the men of their generation looked upon them as men singular factious humorous as such that delighted to be unlike their Neighbours But the Lord speaks of them as excellent and precious and such of whom the World was not worthy Now compare these together and see whether is better To be well reported of by the World or to be well reported of by God What though the World account such precise Fools if the Lord call such the only wise in the world It is not whom the World commends but whom God commends that are praise-worthy indeed Moses in the blessing of Joseph Deut. 33. 16. he wisheth to him the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush To have the good-will and the good-word of God is that that is most desirable in this life 3. That you may be Nonconformists to this World Be much in comparing together Rules and Patterns Those of the Word and those of the World Take a view of both and then consider these three things First Which are most worthy your conformity Secondly To which you are most obliged and engaged to conform Thirdly By your conformity to which you shall most benefit and advantage your selves First Consider whether the Rules and Examples of the Word or of the World be most worthy of your conformity So consider 1. What the World's Rules and Commands and Prescriptions are You will find them to be all corrupt erroneous base unclean unholy And you will find its Examples such likewise The Rules it hath by which it doth and acts things and by which it judgeth of things are all naught Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean saith Job And how can a filthy and unclean World prescribe Rules that are otherwise Take a survey of its Rules 1. For judging of things It makes this one of its great Rules by which it judgeth of things Whether they be Good or Evil by the suitableness or unsuitableness there is in them to sinful flesh and corrupt nature I might name many other Rules of the like nature but for brevity's sake I omit them 2. For its Rules for practice they are sinful and corrupt too I shall name you some viz. To do as the most do is one Rule To do as the greatest do is another Rule To do as our Ancestors and Fore-fathers did who lived in dark and corrupt times is another Rule To do what respects our outward ease and credit and quiet in this world that we may sleep in a whole skin is another Rule In a word To do what is good in our own eyes and to do what tends to the pleasing and gratifying of our lusts is another Rule I might name more but let these suffice Next for the World's Patterns and Examples take a view of them You will find them all corrupt and naught If you look with a right eye upon them you will find they all have ugly base sinful inscriptions on them as of Prophaneness Drunkenness Swearing Covetousness Pride Luxury Uncleanness and of all Ungodliness Atheism Indifferency in Religion Lukewarmness Denying the power of Godliness c. Such are the World's Examples And so I have shew'd you what the World's Rules for judging and practice are and what its Patterns and Examples are All naught 2. Now I shall come to shew you what the Rules and Examples of the Word are that so upon comparing them together you may see which are most worthy of your conformity As for the Rules of the Word they are holy they are pure they are perfect so are all
the Rules of the Word both for judging of things and for practice 1. For the Rules prescribed us in the Word they are all pure I might name many but among others take these three 1. The VVord teacheth us to judg of things as God judgeth of them whose judgment is according to truth the judgment of the VVorld is according to appearance and corrupt phantasie 2. The Word teacheth us to judg of things as they have relation to the Soul That that is good which is good for the Soul which tends to the making of us more Holy and Heavenly 3. The Word teacheth us to judg of things to be good or evil as they relate to a man's future and eternal state So those things to be good that concern a man's eternal well being and those things to be evil that relate to eternal misery Thus for the Rules of judging of things Next for the Rules of Practice I shall name some of many to you you will find them all holy and pure 1. Is this Doing what pleaseth God not what pleaseth men Pleasing God whom ever we displease This is a Rule in the Word for practice it telleth us We should not be the servants of men to please their sinful humours and lusts and fancies 2. To do as the best do and not as the most do where by best we mean not the best of the Parish who are accounted so for their Riches and Lands and Possessions but the best in respect of Godliness and Holiness 3. In all things we do to prefer suffering before sinning To chuse Affliction rather than Sin It gives us to consider that the least evil of Sin hath more evil in it than the greatest evil of Suffering 4. In all we do to respect more inward than outward peace To regard most peace in our own Spirits and Consciences To remember what the Martyr said There were no Stocks to the Stocks of an evil Conscience To have a care to preserve the Bird in our bosome 5. Doing good and avoiding evil though with disadvantage to our selves when the good concerns eternal life and the disadvantage only this life Thus for some of the Rules for practice Next for the Patterns and Examples that the VVord of God holds out to us You will find them all holy having the Inscriptions of Heaven and Holiness on them So it propounds to us for our imitation the Examples First Of Jesus Christ Secondly Of Holy men and such as were Followers of Jesus Christ 1. Of Jesus Christ So it holds him out to us as our great Pattern to imitate It shews us the steps of his Humility Meekness Patience Obedience Holiness Heavenliness 2. It holds out to us the Examples of Holy men for our imitation more famous in their Generation than others for their Faith Piety Patience Holiness Zeal Heb. 6. 12 Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the Promises Consider the Scripture propounds to us for our example such as inherit the Promises of God the VVorld propounds such as inherit the Threatnings of God The Word propounds to us for our examples such as now are in Heaven The VVorld propounds such who for ought we know are either in Hell or in the road-way to Hell Now Christians I have given you a brief specimen and view of the VVorld's Rules and Examples and of those of the VVord and now compare them together and judg which are most worthy of your conformity Upon your comparing them together you will find the result to be this 1. That the Rules and Examples of the VVord are more high and noble and excellent than those of the VVorld The VVorld's Rules and Examples are low and base and a Christian debaseth himself in conforming to them they are below a Christian's Calling they are below a Christian's Spirit they are below a Christian's Profession they are below a Christian's Hope and Expectation and so must needs be too low for his conformity and imitation Man is an excellent Creature he was made a little lower than the Angels so that next to the Angels he is the most noble of Creatures And God that gave Man a noble Being gave him also a noble Rule to live and walk by As God made not man to be his own End neither did he make him to be his own Rule From whom he received his Being he was to receive his Rule His Rule was the Will and Law of his Creator and herein stood his excellency in conforming to that Rule When man conformed to another Rule he lost his excellency God made man upright but as Solomon saith they have found out many inventions So God made Man excellent but having found out other Rules to conform to than those of his Creator they have lost their excellency There was a high and noble Rule for a high and noble Creature and that Rule is the Rule of the Word which contains the revealed Will of the Creator 2. You will find this upon comparing them together That the Rules and Examples of the Word are more pure and holy than those of the World Consider what is said of the Word of God and what is said of the World Of the Word of God the Scripture saith it is pure very pure as Gold tryed in the fire seven times Of the World it 's said that it is sinful evil and that it lieth in wickedness Now as the Word is so are its Rules and as the World is so are its A pure Word hath pure Rules and an impure VVorld must needs prescribe impure Rules The higher things are the purer they are VVhat is Purity but a freeness from all Contagion and touch of inferior things That Gold is impure that is mixed with dross and that Face and Garment is defiled that is spotted with dirt Consider things are pure ex contactu superiorum the higher they are and the more heavenly the more pure And things are impure ex contactu inferiorum the lower things are the more impure Now upon this account the Rules and Precepts of the VVord most needs be the purest because they are must high holy heavenly There is no scoria no dross at all in them And as for the Examples of the VVord they are holy and heavenly ones that are propounded to us for our conformity and imitation Obj. It 's true some may here except against the Examples and say What was there no dross in them Had not the best Saints their failings and corruptions Were they perfectly pure without stain or blemish Ans To this we answer That the Examples and Patterns that the VVord of God holds out to us for our imitation are as I told you before of two sorts those 1. Of Jesus Christ 2. Of Holy men 1. The Example of Jesus Christ Now his Example is without and beyond all exception it is perfectly pure He hath left us his steps to tread in and upon view of them it wil never be found that he trod