of this world John 8. 23. Are all the good things that the Father hath to cōmunicate of this world and not Christ Himself of this world Let me tell you Christ is the greatest gift that ever was given or possibly could be received and yet Christ is not of this world therefore there is somwhat else besides the things of this world that God hath for some of the children of men that He intends good unto Ninthly The Saints are said not to be of this world Joh. 15. 19. 17. 14. If they be not of this world then their happiness is not here God hath other happiness for them than that which is here Tenthly The Scripture makes it to be a sign of a child of wrath that he walks according to the course of this world in 2 Joh. 2. this is enough to describe a child of wrath Eleventhly It 's made a sign of one that is an enemy to God and that 's hateful before God that is a lover of this world Jam. 4. 4. And 1 Joh. 2. 15. He that loves the world the love of the Father is not in him and the friendship of the world is enmity to God saith the Holy Ghost in those two Scriptures If so be that in the world there were the special things that God hath to communicate to the Children of men certainly then God would have his people to love the world He would say Love these things for these are the fruits of my favor and love these are part of the riches that I have to communicate to those that I intend good to and therefore delight in these expatiate your heart in these Oh me saith the holy Ghost whosoever loves the world is an enemy to God And if the love of the world be in you the love of the Father is not in you surely then here are not the things that God intends for the children of men Twelfthly The world is that that shall be condemned 1 Cor. 11. 32. That ye may not be condemned with the world that notes that God intends to condemn this whol world all these things are under the sentence of death and all the men of the world are condemned before God and therefore these are not the things that men should so much look after to make them happy Thirteenthly Take all the world together the Scripture speaks by way of supposition That a man may gain the whol world and yet his soul be lost for ever If one man could get all the world in to his possession and thereby lose his soul it would be an ill bargain the world then hath no such excellency in it as we should place our happiness in it God hath something else for His people than these things that are at the best under Moon-vanities Fourteenthly If Christs Kingdom is not of this world then certainly those that are of the world are not of His Kingdom for these two cannot stand together that Christs Kingdom should not be of this world and yet that these that are of the world should be of his Kingdom if such as are of the world are none of his kingdom then certainly a worldly man or woman is not of the kingdom of Christ Christ owns them not as under His kingdom they are Vagabonds and Runnagates not under the protection of Jesus Christ not partakers of any priviledg of Jesus Christ Quest You will say to me How should one know when a man is a man of this world The Scripture makes a plain distinction of some that are of this world and some not the best of all you will say they have hearts worldly enough and they desire to have the comforts of this world as well as others well though there are some yet we had need look to our selves to examine whether we be of the world yea or no for there lies thus much upon it that if we be of the world we are not of the kingdom of Christ now I would give you but these three notes of a man of the world Answ The first is this One that is a man of the world is such an one as could be content if God would let him live here in this world and enjoy what he doth he would be content for to live here for ever and could be satisfied though he never enjoyed any thing from God but what he hath received here if he might alwaies bold it Here 's an evident Argument of a man of the world I mean such a man as hath health of body in this world he hath for outwards as much as the world can afford any man that for the properness of his body his comliness his health he hath as much as the world can give he hath convenient dwelling with all accommodations belonging thereunto and he hath the comings in of the world as much as his heart can desire he hath his wife and children about him in which he hath a great deal of delight and content now I would but put it to this man What sayest thou would not this satisfie thy heart if thou mightest alwaies be here alwaies have thy house and gardens and walks and these comings in that thou hast now that thou mightest fare deliciously every day and have the sweet and fat of the world would it not satisfie thy soul though God should never give thee any thing else but this I beseech you in your own thoughts answer even to God this question and seriously look into your hearts for you may know very much of your hearts upon the answer to this question you may come to know what is like to become of you for ever even from the answer that your consciences would give to this question That man or woman whose conscience tels them that this would satisfie then we may conclude that surely that man or woman is of this world because the things of this world would be enough for his portion But now take a man or woman that is chosen out of this world that is of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ unto whom the Lord hath made known the things of another world and the excellencies of Jesus Christ and such a one though it had ten thousand times more than it hath though it had what possibly can be imagined it would say Lord it 's true I am unworthy of the least crum of bread that I eat or of the least drop of water but yet it is not all the world nor ten thousand worlds can satisfie my soul for the portion of it It is nothing but thy self the unsearchable riches in Jesus Christ those blessed things that thou hast revealed in that glorious kingdom of thy Son it 's only that that can satisfie my soul for the portion of it and if thou shouldest say well thou shalt have all the things in this world for thy portion and enjoy them for ever I should account my self in a miserable condition for thou hast revealed better and higher things to my
Saints shall ascend up into Heaven with Jesus Christ for the Beasts had their lives prolonged for a season and time after that But saith he in the 18. ver The Saints of the most High shall take your Kingdom and possess it for ever even for ever and ever And in the 21. ver I beheld and the same born made war with the Saints and prevailed against them until the Ancient of daies came and Judgment was given unto the Saints of the most High and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom And then in the 27. ver And the Kingdom and dominion and the greatest of the kingdom under the whol Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him What Dominions shall there be when the Saints are in the highest Heavens to serve and obey Christ He means the Dominions that are here upon the earth shall serve and obey Christ Therefore the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world nor be said hereafter to be such a world as this is but when there shall be another world then Christ shall have a kingdom that shall have such glory as shall be apparent to all and such a Kingdom as the Kings of the earth shall come and bring their glory to it as in 21. of Revelations you shal find that it 's said of the Kings of the earth Reade but that description of the glorious condition of the Church of God there and you shall see this true And the Nations of them which are saved shal walk in the light of it and the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor to it But that is in another world not that world that Christ speaks of here in this place of John Only now do but consider a little of the excellency of this point by way of preparation to you for the next time It would be a notable Scripture to take off our hearts from all the things of this world The right understanding of this would spiritualize the hearts of the Saints would take away the offence of the Crosse of Jesus Christ would help them to carry themselves through this world with a great deal of joy and triumph and not much to regard how things go here below I through the mercy of God am brought into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ And I find the whole tenor of Scripture carries it so that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world but in a spiritual way Oh then let me have spiritual mercies let me enjoy Jesus Christ in way of His spiritual Kingdom and farewell the world and all things under Christ Truly Christians are not acquainted with this point of the spiritual Government of Jesus Christ in His Church and how God the Father hath so ordered things that In this world Christ should have a Kingdom but not Of this world And blessed are they that have by the holy Ghost an enlightning to understand this Mystery to see the reality of it indeed That the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world SERMON II. JOHN 18. 36. Jesus answered and said My Kingdom is not of this world MAny particulars I past over the last day briefly which I told you would need some further explication I 'le give you some few things about that then proceed to Aplication of al The Priviledges of this Kingdom of Christ they are not of this world I 'le name a principal one and this is the priviledg of al that are under the Kingdom of Christ That all businesses transactions between God and them are in the Court of Christ the Mediator They are not in the Court of exact severe justice but they are to be tried for their eternal estates for all they do in the Court of Christ in his Kingdom which is a mighty priviledg the Saints have As kingdoms have several priviledges 't is a greater priviledg to be tried in one kingdom than in another All men and women in their natural estate not under the kingdom of Christ they are to be tried in the Court of Justice i. e. the Court of Gods providential kingdom and there they are either to be acquitted or condemn'd by the Law that 's the way of Gods proceedings towards those that are under His providential kingdom only to be dealt withal according to the Law But al those that are under the kingdom of Christ have all their businesses in reference to God tried in another Court tried in the Court as I may so call it of the Gospel in the Judicature of Jesus Christ for Christ He is as Mediator to them He is the Judge to pass all sentences concerning them and the right understanding of this would much help in the point of Beleevers being chastised for sin it 's true they are not chastised by judgement out of the court of Law as other men are but they are chastised by Christ that hath the Judicature committed to Him and the Administration of all things especially concerning His Church and People and by a sentence from Him chastised not by a sentence from the Father as He is the Judge of all flesh proceeding according to the Law This is the main thing which we spake to before But yet there are divers other things 2 ly That all that are in Christs Kingdom are Free-men they are delivered from bondage all that are out of this Kingdom are bondslaves they are under the prince of this world that is the Devil and in slavery unto him they are all as vassals under the Law in bondage and have no other spirit but a spirit of bondage in them they are slaves to sin they are under the curse of the Law But now being brought to the Kingdom of Christ they are made free they are free Denizons of Heaven 3 ly And then from hence follows in the third place All that are in Christ's Kingdom have the priviledg of a free-trade to Heaven they have free traffick to Heaven there is now a blessed intercourse between Heaven and them that they have by being subjects of this Kingdom As we know the subjects of this Kingdom have many freedoms that forreigners have not that those that belong to another Kingdom have nothing to do with So the subjects of Christs Kingdom have a freedom of coming into Gods presence of trading to the promised Land that others have not others are cast out of Gods sight and cannot trade to Heaven so as beleevers do that are brought under the Kingdom of Christ 4 ly By vertue of this Kingdom they come to have right unto all the Ordinances of Christ And only by this we come I say to have right unto them so as to be our own Indeed Christ for the sake of such as are His Elect Ones that He intends to bring into His Kingdom He sends forth His Word the preaching of the Word unto them
great dishonor He hatb from the world ibid 2. In respect of wicked men 10 1 That you may convince them ibid 2 To stop their mouthes 11 3 To convert them ibid 4 To condemn them 12 3 In respect of the Saints ibid 1 They rejoyce in it ibid 2 They bless God for it ibid 3 They have boldness before men ibid 4. They are established by it 13 5 They are edified by it ib. 4 In respect of your selves ibid 1 It evidenceth the truth to your souls ibid 2 It continueth and encreaseth what is in you 14 3 It gets honor in the consciences of men ibid 4 It is an instrument of publick good ibid 5 it furthers a joyful account at the great day ibid 6 It keeps up the honor of Religion from one generation to another ibid Application 1 To reprove careless professors 16 2 To exhort to be careful of your Conversations 19 Arg. 1 It is a mercy you have conversation among men 20 2 Wicked men are able to passe judgment on your lives but not on your principles 21 3 Sometimes you must displease wicked men ibid 4 Your lives are but short 22 5 The eyes of all are upon you 23 6 God promiseth salvation to them that order their Conversation aright 24 SERMON II. Rule 1 Have a special regard to the duties of your relation 25 2 Take heed of the sins you are most inclined to 26 3 Take heed of the temptations of your callings 27 4 Take heed of the sins of the times 28 5 Take heed of secret sins ibid 6 Look not upon those that are below but upon those that are above you in profession 29 7 Be constant to the end 30 Doct. 2 The Conversation of Profesfessors must be sutable to the Gospel of Christ 1. It must be higher than the light of Nature will raise it 32 Viz. 1 That we are to knew God 33 2. That we must do as we would be done to ibid 3 We must make conscience of secret sins ibid What Conversation becomes the Gospel that is above the light of Nature 1 To worship God as a father 35 2 To love our enemies 36 3 To do to others as God hath don to us 37 4 To labor for the mortification of the body of sin within us 39 5 To love the Commandement you obey 40 Secondly It must go beyond such as lived under the Law SERMON III Consider first as a Covenant of works for life as it was at first made to Adam 42 1 Obedience to God meerly as Creator 43 2 Had only promise of natural things ibid 3 He must work by his own strength ibid 4 He was in hazard of miscarrying in his eternal estate ib. 1 The Saints are in a better condition 1 They serve God as a father 44 2 Vpon better promises ibid 3 Our strength is not put into own hands to keep 54 4 Are delivered from the hazzard of eternal miscarrying ibid 2. As the Law was in the ministration of it by Moses 47 1 Given under low promises ibid 2 Their Ordinances mean 48 3 Their burden great ibid 4 The administration terrible ibid 5 Their spirits servile ibid But under the Gospel 1 Our Covenant is better 48 2 Our Worship more spiritual 49 3 Our yoke more easie 50 4 We have access with boldnes to the throne of grace ibid 5 We have the spirit of Adoption ibid 3. It must be sutable to what the Gospel holds forth 53 Herein consider 1 What the Gospel holds forth 2 How to sute our Conversations according 1 The Gospel holds forth 1. The infinite love of God to mankind 53 2 Love in us becomes this love of God 54 SERMON IV. 2. The willingness of God to to be at peace with man 63 1 When we were enemies to Him 64 2 We were under his power ibid 3 He had no need of us ibid 4 He begins the work of reconciliation ibid 5 It costs Him very dear ibid 6 He will never be at enmity with us again 65 This cals us to love peace ib. 3 The infinite mercy of God to miserable creatures 69 It should work mercy in us 70 4 He is merciful in such a way that justice is not wronged 74 It should warn us first not to turn the grace of God into wantonness 75 To be just in our Conversations 77 5 What a high price he sets upon the Law 78 SERMON V 6 Gods infinit hatred of sin 80 It should move us to hate it 82 7 The great price of souls 85 It should teach us 1 To set a high price upon our souls 86 2 Not to pollute them with sin 88 8 The great honor God hath put upon human Nature above Angels 89 1. In the personal union of mans Nature with the God-head ibid 2 The body is the temple of the holy Ghost 90 3 The Personal Vnion of our Natures with the second Person in Trinity 91 4 The great example of Self-denial 93 SERMON VI. 9 Our Conversations should be sutable to spiritual worship 96 10 Our spiritual union with God 100 1 God is a Father Beleevers are Children ibid 2 We are one Spirit with God and Christ 102 3 The union of the Saints one with another 104 4 Their hapines in heaven 110 SERMON VII What Conversation becomes the Gospel 114 1 Denying ungodliness ibid 2 Sequestred from this world 118 3 A change of estate 120 1 From what there was before the Gospel came ibid 2 Between one man and another 122 4 Becoming the Ordinances of the Gospel 123 5 Sutable to the power of the Gospel ibid 6 Seeing the glory of the Gospel have a glory in our Conversations 125 Application 1 To reprove those whose Conversations becomes not the Gospel 126 2 Exhortation to walk worthy of the Gospel 129 Five Motives to it JOHN 18. 36 SERMON I. TEXT Opened 139 Doct. 1. Christ hath a Kingdom ibid 1 Providential 136 2 Mediatory ibid Doct. 2 Christs Kingdom is not of this world 137 Difference between worldly Kingdoms Christs Kingdom ib. 1 In regard of pomp and glory ibid 2 In regard of his subjects 138 3 In regard of his rule 139 4 His Laws are spiritual ibid 5 His homage spiritual 141 6 The Officers by Divine institution 143 7 His weapons spiritual 144 8 In regard of priviledges 147 9 In regard of penalties 147 SERMON II. Priviledges of the Saints 1 All their businesses are in the Court if Christ 152 2 They are all free men 153 3 They have free trade to heaven ib. 4 They have right to all the Ordinances of Christ ib. 5 They have his protection 154 6 They shall have certain victory over their enemies ib. 7 They are all Kings ib. 8 They have peace and joy in the holy Ghost 155 9 They have right to the gifts and graces of all the Saints 156 10 They are coheirs with Christ 157 Why Christs Kingdom is not of this world 1 Because he would confound the wisdom of
him so that his obedience was tendred up to God to that end that he might obtain the continuance of a natural life here in this world only in order unto that for we find no more revealed The first man Adam he was Natural the second Spiritual the first of the Earth earthly the second the Lord from Heaven The Apostle 1 Cor. 15. speaks of Adam in innocency as the common head of al man-kind he was of the Earth earthly and in way of distinction the second Adam was the Lord from Heaven He brings all heavenly glory Though Adam had stood yet we never reade of any heavenly glory that ever he or his posterity should have had but the second Adam he is the Lord from Heaven that brings Heavenly glory with him That 's the second thing considerable in the Law as a Covenant with Adam The third thing in the Law as a Covenant with Adam was this That Adam under the Law he must have wrought by his own strength that he had received God at first gave man strength for obedience and he puts his stock into his own hand and so he must have wrought and continued by the power of the strength that God did at first give him he had not that fountain to go to for that continual supply of strength as we have which you shall see presently Fourthly Adam he was in such a condition as he was in hazard of his miscarrying for his eternal estate He was indeed in a way of obedience to the Law that God gave him but still so as he was in hazard of eternal miscarrying this was the condition of Adam under the Law Obj. You will say He was holy and had no sin Ans But considering his condition under the Law That it was Obedience to God as a Creator he did work for natural good and he wrought by the strength he had received and he was in hazard of miscarrying eternally Now compare his condition with the condition of the Saints in the time of the Gospel and you will find the condition of the Saints having the fruit of the Gospel to be in a great deal better condition even now not only shall be in Heaven but are in a better condition now than Adam was in paradise 1. Adam he obeyed God and tendered up his service to God as a Creator But now the people of God under the Gospel those that are brought home to God by the Gospel they look upon God under another relation not meerly as Creator but all their services that they tender up to God it is as unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and their Father in Him I go to my Father and I go to your Father saith Christ John 20. 17. It 's true still we look upon God as the First-being of all things as Creator but we look upon Him in a higher relation than meerly our Creator we look upon Him as the Father of Jesus Christ and so in Jesus Christ as our Father and so we tender up obedience to Him in that way and surely such obedience tendered up to God as under such a relation should be a higher kind of obedience a higher kind of holiness than was in Adam Although it is true in respect of our condition here we are not so free from corruption as Adam was in Innocencie yet the obedience that we tender up to God though it be not so free I say from mixture yet it is of a higher nature than Adams was it is to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. We have better promises than ever Adam had we have promises of Heavenly Glory that he had not God doth not say Do and live to us only live hear in the world in a natural life and I will free you from outward troubles and from the death of the body But we know that the Gospel brings immortallity and glory to light it tels us of the glory of Heaven and of the Mansions that Jesus Christ is gone before to prepare of the glorious Communion that the Saints shall have with God in the highest heavens which is another manner of motive to obedience than ever Adam had And therefore our obedience to God should be raised in a higher way than ever his was 3. The strength that we have it 's not put into our own hands to keep and so to improve and there 's all But Jesus Christ the Second Person in Trinity He is fil'd with all fulness that we might receive grace for grace continually from the fulness of Jesus Christ that hath all the treasures of wisdom in Him In Him it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell now the Saints by faith have as it were a pipe laid into that Cistern that hath all fulness from whence continually by the work of Faith they draw strength and nourishment new supply from Him they have not somewhat given to them and so are set to trade for themselves and improve what is given them but they suck new vertue from Jesus Christ as from a Head Adam he was the head of the first Covenant himself but now 't is Jesus Christ that is the Head of the Second and all Beleevers draw spirits from Jesus Christ and strength from him as from the Head they have a Head that Adam had not to draw strength from and therefore they are to manifest the strength of Jesus Christ in all their waies that fulness that there is in Jesus Christ they are to make that appear to the world in their lives and Conversations And therefore that text Col. 1 10 11. is very remarkable That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledg of God mark in the 11. verse strengthened with all might according to his glorious power This is worthy of the Lord because that now we come to receive of his fulness of the fulness of Jesus Christ and to have a continual supply from him Though 't is true so God hath ordered it that so long as we live we shall have some mixtures of corruption here but yet he hath provided a help for us a fulness in his Son that from Him we should draw of His fulness and so come to be strengthened with all might 4. We now serve the Lord and obey Him in our lives as those that are delivered from the hazard of eternal miscarrying Adam obeyed but yet he might know when he was obeying I now obey but I am in danger to miscarry eternally every hour to undo my self and posterity for ever But now certainly this very thought and the understanding of this it could not stand with that full freedom of spirit that the Saints may have now under the Gospel the Saints under the Gospel come in a way of obedience to God and upon this ground they have their feet as it were upon sure ground Well as for my eternal estate the hazard of
which was established upon better promises A better Covenant and stablished upon better promises or a better Testament Their promises I say were but low and mean and our promises are high and precious and we have a better Covenant a Covenant not of living in the Land of Canaan but of Heaven of which that Canaan was but a Type and therefore our Conversations should rise higher in holiness according as our Covenant and Promises are better than theirs Secondly Our Worship is more spiritual than their worship was As that known place in Joh. 4. 23. where Christ saith to the woman of Samaria You serve God in this place But the time shall come that they shall serve him every where for God is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and in truth There is more spiritual worship in the time of the Gospel than was in the time of the Law The Lord carried them on in a carnal and a sensitive way and indeed this hath been a great design of Antichrist to bring men to a carnal way of worship To carnal Ordinances for so they are called in Scripture the Commandements of God by Moses are called carnal Heb. 9. 10. For their worship was in comparison of the worship in the Gospel but carnal I say it hath bin the design of Antichrist to darken the glory of Jesus Christ in the Gospel by bringing the Church to a carnal way of worship and to take away spiritual and therefore they are altogether about carnal Institutions whereas Jesus Christ hath instituted but only two Sacraments wherein there are outward carnal things wherein we worship God through the Creature otherwise His worship is altogether spiritual but now Antichrist he would bring in altogether carnal things he would ad a hundred inventions of his own as building sumptuous Temples railing in of the Communion Tables and then turning them into Altars with such kind of apish gestures foolish garments and Heathenish musick all which was carnal worship the devices of men to please children and fools with exceedingly much against the very life and soul of Godliness and the only rule of worship in the Word of God Besides this rediculous and carnal way of worship made the worshipers twofold more the children of Satan than they were before But now the more spiritual any worship of God is the more spiritual it makes the heart the lesse we stick to the creature while we are worshipping of God the more communion we come to have with Christ and so it doth raise holinesse to a more higher pitch Thirdly Vnder the Gospel our yoke is more easie You know what Christ saith in a Scripture that I have opened to you at large Come take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easie and my burden is light You are delivered from that heavy burden that they were under and therefore you should run the waies of Gods Commandements and follow after holiness more readily and freely than they could do Fourthly We have access with boldness to the Throne of grace as the Scripture speaks God doth not reveal Himself in that terrible way to his Saints now as in the time of the Law but would have them come with boldness and have libertie of speech for that 's the word as in the second of the Ephesians of the boldness that we have to come into the presence of God Through him we have access by one spirit unto the Father Access the word signifies a coming with freedom as it were being led by the hand of God In Ephes 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and access saith the text there with confidence by the faith of Him Three words here are together We have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him The word that is here translated Boldness it is liberty of speech we may come and speak our minds and unbosome our speech freely to God without any such terror and we may come to God without desiring Moses must go into Gods presence for them as he did Oh they durst not go themselves but Moses must go and speak with God We may come into the presence of God and speak our hearts freely with a holy boldness in the Name of Christ Fifthly We have the spirit of adoption more than they Rom. 8. We have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father There was a spirit of bondage under which even the people of God were in former times and now the spirit of adoption is more spread abroad and cōmunicated in the world to the Churches than it was before and therefore the Lord expects a Conversation sutable to the spirit of adoption As now take one that is a child and hath a servile spirit and is afraid to come into the presence of his father it may be he will do some works in obedience to his father but in a heavy dull way but afterwards when his father is fully reconcil'd to him comes speaks kindly to him there comes a spirit of adoption upon the child Oh then he goes lively on in duty to his father then he rejoyces in the presence of his father to do any thing that may please his father when he is acted by a spirit of adoptiō there 's more service done according to the mind wil of Christ than there was before So my Brethren we should exceed all under the Law with a more fillial obedience than ever there was in that time or else our Conversation it is not such as becomes the Gospel Therefore when you open the old Testament and reade of those excellent gracious spirits that were there especially in the Psalms what holy breathings and pantings after God there are and in the Prophets what exemplary holiness then liv'd and shined in the world Be ashamed of your selves if you do not rise to as high a degree as they and higher too Obj. Why you will say But they were eminent men they were the Prophets of God and so were extraordinary and can ordinary Christians rise as high as they did and be such burning and shining lamps as they were Ans I 'le give you one Scripture about that in Zach. 12. 8. it is a cleer Prophesie of the times of the Gospel In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Mark he that is feeble among them shall be as David who was a man according to Gods own heart Oh reade Davids Psalms particularly the 119. Psalm and see the holy breathings of David and observe that there is a Prophesie that those that are feeble shall be as David and those that are as David that is the eminent Christians the Lords Champions and the house of David shall be as God as the Angels of the Lord.
scope of the Gospel a principal scope I say God would in the Gospel make known to all the world his infinite willingness to be reconcil'd to such as have offended him Indeed without the Gospel we might apprehend this that the Lord is a God that is full of goodness that He is good and doth good that all good is in him but to apprehend God to be such a God of peace so infinitely set upon it as I may so say to be reconciled to such as are enemies could never have been known but by this Gospel of Christ herein we find that though there was an infinite difference between God and man between Heaven and Earth through our sinning sin yet the Lord was willing to be reconciled yea though the offence of man was exceeding great so that it cried for vengance yet he was pleased wonderfully to condescend to make a peace with him Yea though the Lord had man under his power and could do what He pleased with him He had His enemy under His feet and might have broken him all to pieces with His iron-rod as a Potters vessel which when it is broken can never be made whol again yet He was willing to be reconciled Thirdly Though God had no need at all of us He was infinitly blessed in himself who is perfection and blessedness it self Sometimes we are willing to be reconcil'd to our enemies either because we have them not under our power or because we have some need of them but God that had us under his hand and might easily have destroyed us and had no need at all of us yet was desirous to spare us as a father spareth his only son whom he loveth Fourthly The Gospel holds this out to us That the Lord He begins the work of reconciliation He first loving us the infinit God seeketh to us his creatures to come in to be reconciled therefore he sends his Ambassadors of peace to beseech us in Christs stead to come in to be reconciled to him to accept of His Propositions of Peace which make so much for our everlasting salvation Fiftly Though reconciliation must cost God very dear that God must be at a great deal of costs and charges to reconcile His creatures to himself it cost no less than the blood of his only begotten Son and yet he is willing to be reconcil'd saith God my heart is set upon this work and let it cost what it will if it were ten thousand worlds yet my heart iâ— so upon it that I will bring them in that they may be reconciled to me and made one with me Sixthly and lastly The Gospel reveals this That God is so set upon reconciliation and is so reconcil'd to such as do imbrace the Gospel as he will never be at enmity with them again Being once reconcil'd he wil never suffer such a breach to be made between Man-kind and Himself any more He wil be their Father in Christ and ye shall be his Sons and Daughters through Him to all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. Who shall separate us from the love of God Thus the Gospel holds forth not only reconciliation but such reconciliation as this is which men and Angels can never sufficiently admire and bless God for This is a Second beam as I may so say of the Gospel Then what manner of persons ought we to be our conversations must be as becomes this Gospel of Christ in this great thing that the Gospel holds forth unto us Surely then this cals to us al aloud to love peace O love peace Is God so set upon peace as he is and is he willing to be at so great cost for peace Oh let us love peace let us follow peace le ts pursue peace let 's seek peace let us do what we can possibly for peace If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Let us account peace never bought too dear with any thing but sin The Lord Christ would not sin to purchase peace if it could possibly have been conceived that any sin should have bin committed Christ would never have purchased peace that way but if it be by any way of suffering by his being willing to leave the Heavens for a while to take upon him the form of a servant yea to have the sence of the influences of the love of his Father ecclipsed for a time he was willing to endure yea to be made a curse whatsoever he suffered in his Name he was willing to endure any thing to make peace between God and man to reconcile the World to Heaven Oh! let us love peace that 's becoming the Gospel of Christ for our hearts to be set upon peace And the exhortation that you have in the Ephesians before mentioned it is likewise built upon the consideration of Christs working so for our peace Ephes 2. 14. For He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished in Hiâ— flesh the enmity And then in the 16. verse That He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross having slain the enmity thereby So that this Scripture holds forth not only that Christ is our peace in respect of God and he died for that end to make peace between God and us but likewise that Jesus Christ did die to make peace between man and man it was one fruit of His death to break down the middle wall of partition between us and to slay the enmity he doth not say to kill our enemies but to kill the enmity it 's self the meaning is this that Christ died to take down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile there was an enmity between the Jew and Gentile that they might not one converse with the other now it was a fruit of the death of Christ to take down the partition wall and to slay the enmity between them that so there might be but one sheep fold that He might reconcile both unto God in one body Now was this the end of the death of Christ not only to reconcile us to God but one unto another in one body Jew and Gentile Certainly there cannot be such a distance between one Christian and another as there was between Jew and Gentile and Christ did so love unity and peace in the world especially among those that made any profession of his Name that he would die to that end He would lose His life that He might procure peace between Jews and Gentiles and bring them into one body And truly so it should be with us we should be willing and those whose hearts are right I say cannot but be so sensible of the breaches that are among us and the unpeaceableness of mens spirits as if they could by the laying down of their lives procure peace they should be willing to do it every Christian should make it appear that he is so set upon peace that if
out of his den 4. A man may come to know the evil of sin by some dreadful judgments that God hath executed upon sinners here in this world and by the terrors of conscience that there are upon the wicked as on Cain Saul and Judas c. men many times here for their sins by the wrath of God that is reveal'd from Heaven against sin in the execution of it but take all those together yea did we see the woful execution of the wrath of God in Hell its self did the Lord open unto us a door into the chambers of death to discover the torments that are there and to hear all the shreeks and cries of the damned in everlasting burnings yet all this the threats of the Law the terrors of it the agonies of Conscience the torments of the damned in Hell I say put all together and they would not so much nor so cleerly discover Gods infinit hatred of sin as what we find in the Gospel the red Glasse of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for sin doth discover more of Gods hatred against it than all the torments of Hell can do or all the threats of the Law can do God doth in inflicting his wrath upon his Son for mans sin thus preach unto the world Wel I see that you cannot be brought to understand how I hate sin with a perfect hatred but I 'le have one way of argument to convince you that it is impossible you should stand against I will therefore send my Son to take your nature upon him and to stand charged with your debt and you shall see how I 'le deal with him who is your Surety I 'le not spare him I 'le powr out the vials of my wrath upon him to the last drop I 'le make him a curse for sin though he be infinitly blessed and equal with my self yet I 'le make him cry out in the anguish and trouble of his soul My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He shal tread the winepress of my wrath I 'le make the burden of sin heavy to Him that shall make Him fall groveling upon His face and sweat great clodders of blood in a winter season that shall run down from His body upon the cold ground I 'le do this to that end that all the world to whom the preaching of the Gospel shall come may see how infinitely I hate sin This is one of Gods ends though it 's true that the principal end of the death of Christ it was to satisfie Divine Justice But there is another end that God aims at in the death of his Son To declare to all the world to men and Angels how infinitly the Lord doth abominate all sin Now this is held forth in the Gospel more than in all the execution of the Law if the Law were executed to the full upon all the world it would not hold forth Gods hatred of sin so much as this doth Do you beleeve this Gospel Hath God let you live under this Gospel that you hear it it your ears And do you profess that the Lord hath enlightened you by his holy Spirit to understand the certainty and reality of this Oh then let your Conversation be as becomes this Evangelical truth Quest What Conversation doth become this Answ Hence then your own reason cannot but make a consequence from this that the Gospel holds forth Hence then Cast away al sin as an abominable thing from you What have I to do any more with Idols Hence then Call no sin little which so much provokes the Lord. Indeed if you were only acted by the light of reason reason perhaps will tell you that such things are but little and smal and you need make no such great matter about them But now Art not thou a Christian A follower of Christ A friend to the Gospel For shame call no sin little for in the Gospel you see the infinit hatred of God against all sin yea there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction whatsoever that 's a point that hath been long since opened to you at large and this will shew it cleerly there is more evil in any sin than in the greatest affliction by the dealing of God the Father with his Son and therefore if you will be willing to live as becomes the Gospel of Christ rather be willing to bear any affliction in the world than wilfully to commit the least sin Are these two in the ballance Here is a great and a sore cross you think how shall I endure that On the other side Here 's a sin to be committed if I venture upon this sin it may be I shall be delivered from this affliction Now would this become the Gospel of Christ for one that professes that he doth beleeve that God the Father dealt thus with His Son that had sin but by imputation upon Him that He let out the vials of His wrath upon Him and made Him a curse for sin and if Christ had but undertaken for to have satisfied for one sin though the least sin He must have died for it For the wages of sin is death of sin indefinitly it 's death And do I beleeve this and yet shall I rather chuse the commission of a sin than the bearing of any affliction Oh this is infinitly unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ do I beleeve this and is it real unto my soul Oh let me then manifest in my whol course and life that I tremble at the very thought of a sin at the appearance of evil and am as much afraid of the least spark of lusts as of the fire of Hell let me discover the temptation to sin that I may endeavour to avoid all temptations to sin because God hath given such a testimony from Heaven against sin Oh it is a loud testimony indeed that God hath given from heaven against sin in the death of his Son Oh then let my Conversation be such as I may make it appear that I am afraid of the beginnings of sin of the first whispering and motions to sin Oh set me not stand dandling of sin in my thoughts and roul it as a sweet morsel under my tongue let me not entertain it in my affections in the least degree as to love it to approve it to delight in it but as soon as ever it enters into thy heart cast it out presently let it not lodge within thy doors one moment raise up all the power of thy soul against it follow it with Hue and Cry till thou hast overtaken it and then do justice and judgment upon it what though it may be a Delilah yet cut it off Oh let me take heed of lying in any sin have I bin overtaken in my sin Oh let me be willing rather to shame and condemn my self to deny any thing in the world rather than to continue in that sin the Lord forbid that if I have been once drawn
to any sin that I should think to cover it by another sin by adding one sin to another to think to shift for my credit or esteem by adding more sin to that already committed Oh no the Lord in his mercie hath made known unto me in the Gospel of Christ what sin means the evil of sin and therefore I have learned rather to endure any thing than to multiply iniquity Indeed before I came to understand Jesus Christ I thought sin was an evil thing and I abstain'd from gross sins by that dim light of Nature that is within me but since I came to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ the great mystery of godliness in his Son the dealings of the Father with his Son the Lord knows now I abhor a sin in secret though I were sure no body in the world should ever know it more than I do abhor Hell its self I such a Conversation as would manifest such a work of God upon the heart as this is would become the Gospel of Christ indeed Whereas otherwise brethren if any of you that do profess the Gospel of Christ shall make sin but as a slight thing and shall be ready to entertain sin in thy bosom know that by this means you do no other but trample under foot the Blood of Jesus Christ as a coÌ„mon thing as a thing that had no worth at all in it This doth despight to the Gospel of Christ you do dishonor Jesus Christ and you do put him to open shame whose Name you have taken upon you by your profession I 'le give you a Scripture now for this in Heb. 6. 4. c. He speaks of some that were once enlightned and had tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and tasted of the good word of God that 's the Gospel and the powers of the world to come if they should fall away it were impossible to renew them to repentance Mark the reason Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Such as fall off after the profession of the Gospel into sinful waies they are said here to crucifie the Son of God afresh and to put him to open shame This is far from walking as becomes the Gospel And so you have another text in Heb. 10. 29. c. he speaks of those that had fallen off from their profession into sinful waies Of how much sâ—rer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy of who hath troden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace See how the holy Ghost speaks of such as fall from their profession into sinful waies again And there 's a great deal of reason for it for 't is not so much for those that never made profession of the Gospel to fall to sin not such a horrid thing for them but for those that have made profession of the Gospel that they hold forth thus much this is the language of their actions though they dare not say so Lord I acknowledge that I have seen the fruit of thy hatred of sin in the death of thy Son that thou didst so hate sin that thou madest thy Son to be a curse for sin but yet for all this such is the strength of my lusts I must have my lusts though it be so vile in thine eyes as the blood of thy Son went for it yet I must have it rather than deny my lusts Oh what a dreadful thing is this how provoking must it needs be to the holy God Oh happy had it been for such men and women that they had never heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ But of the evil of walking unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ we shall speak to after when we come to the application That 's then the sixt particular of what the Gospel holds forth The infinite hatred of God against sin Now the seventh thing that is held forth in the Gospel that cals for a Conversation beseeming is this The great price of souls There 's nothing in the world that ever God did that doth discover the worth of mans immortal soul so as the Gospel of Jesus Christ doth there God manifests to all the world what a price he puts upon mans soul the Lord saw that men by sin had undone themselves and that those souls that he made were like to perish to all eternity yea were under the sentence of eternal death and must certainly perish eternally if so be that some way were not found out by an infinit wisdom for to ransome them now saith the Lord rather than I will have all souls perish it 's true the love that I have unto my Justice is such as for many souls I 'le let them go and they shall perish but yet that I might shew that I have an high esteem of the souls of the children of men for the ransoming of that number that I have appointed from all eternity to save I 'le send my Son and he shall die for the saving of souls that souls may not perish If the Lord should have said concerning any one soul I do so highly prize this soul and account the worth of it to be such as rather than it shall perish I 'le disolve heaven and earth heaven and earth shall perish rather than this soul shall perish you will say this had been a great testimony of Gods esteem of a soul But know that the Gospel holds forth a higher esteem of a soul than this comes to when God shal say Rather than this and the other soul shall perish I 'le send my Son to be made a Curse This the Gospel holds forth this is infinitly a higher price that God puts upon a soul You know therfore what the Apostle saith in 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed saith he with corruptible things as silver and gold Then in the 19. verse But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish or without spot 'T is not silver and gold or any corruptible thing that can redeem you but the precious blood of Jesus Christ Oh that blood that 's more precious than the world even all the world must let the redemption of a soul alone for ever all the Angels in Heaven if they would have joyned together to have redeem'd a soul and would have ventured themselves to have been destroyed for ever that they might have redeem'd a soul it would not have been they must all let the redemption of a soul alone for ever the matter then of the redemption of a soul is more than we are aware of and we could never have come to have known this but by the Gospel of Jesus Christ The full price of a soul is writ down by the finger of Gods Spirit in the Gospel of Christ
Seneca though a Heathen I am greater saith he and I am born to greater things than to be a slave to my body A Heathen could say so Oh but when we hear of humane nature so advanced and enthroned in Christ we should think with our selves that any one that hath humanity in them is born to higher things than to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof What wilt thou be a slave to the Devil now Thou hearest how God hath dignified the nature of man into so neer a union with himself Oh doth not this mysterie of the Gospel call to all the children of men Oh all you children of men Behold what God hath done for man kind surely the thoughts of God for man-kind are great and glorious there be higher things you may attain unto and will you yet perish and chuse your portion here in this world and be groveling on the ground as if there were no higher thoughts that God had for your good than meerly to live as brute beasts to eat and drink and then rise up to play Oh if God hath advanced mans nature so do not despise it in the meanest of the children of men the lowest servant or poorest boy that lies begging at your door for a piece of bread for it is of the same kind that is united in a personal union with the second Person in Trinity of the same nature which this poor boy that lies begging at your door for broken bread and meat therefore honor humane nature in every one and do not vilifie it in thy self those men that live under the Gospel and vilifie humane nature they put a dishonour upon Jesus Christ And even reverence thy self in private when thou art alone I say reverence thy self do not abuse thy body it is the Temple of the holy Ghost Oh remember this all you that are professors of Religion that these bodies of yours this flesh of yours if you be godly and walk answerable to your profession I say this flesh of yours it is the very Temple of the holy Ghost do not abuse it it 's the Apostles argument Therefore fly fornication and be not joyned to whores for your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost Oh it makes the sin of uncleanness to one that professes the Gospel of Christ a cursed sin the sin of uncleaness in a professor of the Gospel it 's a thousand thousand times more abominable than the sin of uncleanness in another why Because they know how God hath advanced humane nature into a personal union with himself and how their bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost What shal I make the Temple of God a â—â—y for the unclean spirit a cage of unclean birds God forbid There hath been a great deal of do about stony Churches and Temples and you should have a great many base whoremasters plead for the Whore of Rome the Mistris of all fornications in bowing and cringing with Cap and knee as soon as they set their foot in some of our meeting places and in the mean time abuse the Saints which are the Temples of the holy Ghost and abuse their own bodies and yet they profess themselves Christians Oh now either deny thy Christianity or do not abuse thy body to any filthy lust for it is the Temple of the holy Ghost This the Gospel holds forth And let thy Conversation be now as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ not abusing thy body so For we see that the Gospel cals for bodily cleanness as well as spiritual cleanness and truly I do not know stronger arguments to godliness than these that we have mentioned here in the Gospel We have gone through three Gods infinit hatred of sin The price of souls And the honor that the Gospel shews that God hath put upon humane nature Conversations but becoming these three would be other manner of Conversations than you have I shall only speak of a fourth and that 's this 4. The Gospel holds forth the greatest example of self-denial that ever was in the world by all waies that ever God hath made known his mind he never hath revealed his will in an example of self-denial so as he hath done in the Gospel and that is in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ God evidenceth there such a work of self-denial as never was and 't is impossible to apprehend a greater example of self-denial than that is though Christ thought it no robbery to be equal with God reade but the second of the Philippians vers 7 8. and there you may see what Christ was and yet how he emptied himself how he denied himself in his honor how vile he was made in the world though he was the brightness of his fathers glory yet he was made of no reputation how he denied himself in riches Christ that was the Heir of all things though he were rich yet he was made poor for us how he denied himself in his pleasures he was the delight of the Father from all eternity and yet he was made a man of sorrows he denied himself in his life for he was the Lord of life and yet he subjected himself to death to a cursed death for us Oh the example of Christ in self-denial is the greatest that ever was and this seems to be one great end of the humiliation of Jesus Christ to hold forth a preaching pattern of self-denial to the world And there 's a great deal more power in the pattern and example of self-denial then in the commands of self-denial I only present this to shew you that it is the most unbeseeming the Gospel for any one that professes the Gospel to be selvish altogether scraping for themselves and whatsoever service they are put upon except self may have an oare in it they have no mind to it Oh 't is becoming the Gospel of Jesus Christ for men and women to be emprtied of themselves no matter what becomes of our selves but be willing to give up our selves for publick good to venture your estates and lives and all your comforts yea to be swallowed up in the glory of God to be nothing that Christ may be all In the Gospel of Christ we find that Christ he was swallowed up with the glory of his Father and he came not to do his own will but the will of his father that sent him and though he was one that had infinitely more excellency than all men and Angels in Heaven and Earth yet he was content for the honor of his Father to be made as a worm and no man to be trampled under foot to endure the greatest extremities of all sorts this holds out an example to us that while we live in this world we should be taken off from our selves Oh this self-love sticks much in the hearts of men and women now upon the example of Christs self-denial we are required to deny our selves and it is the proper lesson of the Gospel
and to live to themselves and out of their Apprentiships then their lives are after another manner than when they were little children in their non-age now they come to have stocks in their hands to trade for themselves and not to be any more as servants a child before he comes of age is under Tutors and Governors in the family but when he comes to yeers of discretion then he lives like a man and commands rather in the family and is serviceable to none but his father and mother So we should live as becomes children of age that is manifesting in our Conversations a staiedness wisdom and gravity and now to live more above the things of this world than before we did as children of age And for the union we have with God that is That the Saints now are made one with God and with Christ his Son In 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit It 's a very strange expression we are one Spirit with God and with Jesus Christ O what Conversation becomes this that we should be principled and acted with the same Spirit surely such a one as must manifest that we are crowned graced with the same Spirit that is Gods Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus Christ his Son now surely that must needs be a very holy spiritual Conversation 1 Cor. 3. 16. Yea the Spirit of God dwelleth in you saith the text and 2 Cor. 6. 16 I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my People See the neer union that we have with God that the Gospel holds forth to us Yea and there is another phrase which is very remarkable That as the Spirit of God is in Beleevers so Beleevers are in the Spirit Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit saith the text The Spirit lives in us and we live in the Spirit what Conversation must there needs be here then Oh let us walk not in a fleshly way to satisfie the lusts of the flesh but in the Spirit the fruits that do become the Spirit of God You shall see them in this 5. of Gal. 22. vers c. But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts of it If we walk in the Spirit then here 's the fruit of the Spirit Would you have your Conversations such as becomes the Gospel then mark but these three phrases 1. The Spirit of God is in you in a constant way taking up his habitation and residence in your bosoms 2. You live in the very Spirit as in the proper element of a Christian 3. You are one Spirit with God Put these three and Oh now how unbeseeming to these three expressions that we have in the Gospel and no where else is it for professors of the Gospel so satisfie the lusts of the flesh Oh how unsutable are fleshly lusts to a spiritual man Oh take heed of this for ever you that make profession of the Gospel do not wallow in the mire of uncleanness do not give liberty to the lusts of the flesh but mortifie the lusts of the flesh and the deeds thereof for you are joyned so neer to God himself ye live in God too Col. 3. 3. Your life is hid with Christ in God It 's a very transcendent phrase that the Saints do live in God you do not only live in the aire and breath in the aire but while you live here in the world you live in God Oh the wonderful mystery of the Gospel and the high things that are held forth in the Gospel That Gods Spirit is in us and we are in the Spirit and we are the same Spirit with God yea and we live in God Oh then what a Conversation should be sutable to these things seeing these things are thus what manner of persons ought we to be Yea and there is another expression and that 's more full than any of these and that 's in the prayer of Christ in the 17. of John 21. That they all may be one as Thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in Vs The Gospel discovers this union for the Saints to be one with the Father and Son as the Father and Son are one now those that are joyned so neer to God their Conversations had need be holy and blameless witnessing the glory of that God that they are so neer related to I remember in handling of that point in drawing nigh to God in his Worship There we shewed what holiness is required in those that are so nigh to God but those that are one with God and in God Oh how much of God of Jesus Christ should shine forth by their lives in the faces of others Reade these scriptures and by faith make them real to your souls and then let your consciences tell you what Conversations is required of you If you be a Beleever this is so Charge your souls with this when any temptation to evil comes What is it fit for such a one as I to live thus who have the Spirit of God dwelling in me yea and I dwelling in the Spirit of God and joyned so as to be one spirit with God yea and to live in God and to be one with God as the Father and the Son is one and is this conversation such as beseems one that is raised to such a height of honor as this is Christians remember this it wil be a mighty help to your holy Conversations to put you on to shine before men in a holy Conversation to walk in the Spirit considering the near union we have with God we should never have known these things had we not had them revealed to us by the Gospel Oh this glorious Gospel that hath revealed such glorious things to us as this is And then Our relation and our union with Jesus Christ You know the Scripture makes Christ sometimes to be the Root and we the Branches therefore we are to bring forth fruit seeing that we are Branches in Him that is the Root Bring forth fruit sutable to the Sap. You that bring forth sowr grapes grapes of Gomorrah that have bitter tart spirits and live in any wicked and sinful way Is this the Sap that is sutable to the Root You are graffed into Jesus Christ and not into a Crab-stock And do you receive this Sap from the Root Oh you are a dishonor to the Root you grow upon I am the true Vine saith Christ and every Branch in me beareth fruit and my Father purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Christians should so live in their Conversations as to manifest the fulness of the sap and juyce that there is in the Root the Lord Jesus Christ it 's not
did enlighten us in the things of the Gospel that we have been brought to beleeve it 's a Scripture that would mightily work upon our hearts to live godlily and holily The grace of God that bringeth Salvation what doth it teach us Not to be licentious and vain and slight and bold in our sinful courses but teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Mark it is not enough to live soberly not to be a drunkard to live righteously that is not to wrong any body many think that 's enough But mark indeed the light of nature as I told you would teach us that but now the grace of God that bringeth Salvation teacheth us more To deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly and that in this present world though we live in the midst of a wicked tempting world yet to live godly And what 's the great argument in the Gospel to cause us to live godly in this present world Looking for the blessed hope Oh we look for a blessed hope that the Gospel reveals Oh we did not understand this hope this blessed hope till the Gospel was preached to us but since we apprehend a blessed hope the holy Ghost hath raised in our hearts a blessed hope of glorious things What glorious things Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ We have some little glimps of the great God when we set forth to Sea and launce into the deeps we see the glory of the great God who rideth upon the wings of the wind and whom both the Winds and the Seas obey Oh but we look for another manner of the glorious appearing of the great God than ever yet hath appeared I beseech you consider of this text God did never appear great and glorious in comparison of what he will appear and blessed are those whose Conversations shall be such that can look upon the face of this great God with joy when He shall appear in glory we look for this blessed hope and then when this great God shall appear in His glory then we shall have our blessed hope and this teaches us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts the knowledge of this Oh do you look to be saved have you a blessed hope and do you expect the appearing of the great God in glory hath the Gospel revealed these things unto you O let this that the Gospel reveals teach us to deny all ungodliness and all worldy lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world But there are yet some other things that the Gospel holds forth that are very remarkable for the furtherance of our godly Conversation in this world and if we would live as becomes the Gospel we must have a right understanding of these things or else we shall never sute our selves to the Gospel except we do therby apprehend these great points that are published to us in and by the Gospel As now this is a great point That the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world The Gospel holds forth this to us that Jesus Christ the Son of God having taken our nature upon him he is a great King He hath a Kingdom but He hath a Kingdom that is not of this world neither is Christ of this world nor His Kingdom of this world nor the Saints those that are the Subjects of His Kingdom are not of this world the right understanding of this would much help us in our Conversations and a Conversation beseeming this would much honor the Gospel First We shall shew how the Gospel holds forth this That the Kingdom of Christ is not in this world mark those Scriptures in John 18. 36. Jesus answered My Kingdom is not of this world if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence Therefore as if he should say you must not wonder or think much that I am thus apprehended and delivered up to men that they do with me what they please though I be the great King of my Church appointed by my Father yet my Kingdom is not of this world and I came not hither for pomp and glory The glory of Christ in His Kingdom here is Spiritual Indeed when this world shall be at an end then Christ will appear gloriously though the Scripture speaks of a world hereafter wherein Christ shall appear gloriously but whether personally or otherwise that we speak not of But that Christ shall appear a glorious King even in the world not this world but upon the earth and yet the Scripture speaks of that as another world a new Heaven and a new Earth but for the present for that that the Scripture cals this world we must not expect a pompous and glorious Kingdom till ther ebe a new world till there be new heavens and a new earth this the Gospel holds forth Whereas the people of the Jews they thought as soon as the Messias came He presently should be an outward Monarch in outward pomp and glory no saith Christ this world must pass away first I must come first and reign spiritually in another way and for my Kingdom there is a time for the glory of it to appear when another world shall come but while this world lasts never expect any such outward pomp and glory in the way of my Kingdom I have a Kingdom indeed here in this world but it is not of this world I have a Kingdom wherein I reign spiritually in the hearts of my people there I have set up my Throne and therein I have writ my Laws by which I guide and order all things for their eternal salvation but my Kingdom is not of this world yea and he saith likewise in John 8. 23. I am not of this world neither And John 15. 19. for John that beloved Disciple who lay in the bosom of Christ he knew much of the mind and heart of Christ and was much instructed in this mystery and indeed none of those that did converse with Christ knew more of the bosom of Christ than John did If ye were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world So that as Christ is not of the world so the Saints are not of the world in the 17. of John 14. I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world Mark as I am not of the world so they are not of the world thus Scripture is cleer that neither Christ nor his Kingdom is of this world and therefore beleevers are not of this world And hence then what Conversation becomes this Gospel of Christ even a Conversation sequestred
from the things of this world a Conversation that shall manifest the hearts being taken off and disingaged from sublunary comforts and accommodations a Conversation which proves that the soul seeks not great things for its-self here below but is fully content with a morsel of bread and a cup of cold water though others fare deliciously every day so beleevers should manifest in their Conversations that they do not much pass or care how things go in this world because Christ is not of this world and the Kingdom of Christ in which they make account their happiness to be involved that is not of the world yea they are men redeemed from this present world Gal. 1. 4. it is said That by Christ we came to be redeemed from this present evil world it 's a very remarkable Scripture who gave himself for our sins to what end That he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father I beseech you observe this text Christ gave Himself to deliver us from our sins that we might not perish eternally And was that all No That He might deliver us from this present evil world I do not know a more forcible text in all the Book of God to take off the hearts of those that profess the Gospel from the world so as they should not whine and murmur at the loss of every little thing in the world nor be solicitously careful for the things of this life nor be offended though the men of the world prevail in the world and have the upper hand and carry things in a worldly way let them go on in all their pagentry and greatness but if thou beest one that belongst to Christ know that Christ hath laid down his life to purchase this for thee to deliver thee from this world Now is Christ blood laid down to purchase this and yet wilt thou have thy heart glewed to the ground and wholly place thy contentment in the earth and seek for thy happiness here in the dust Oh get up thy heart then from all these things and make it appear by thy Conversation that thou art one that by the vertue of the death of Jesus Christ art delivered from this world and therefore though thou hast not such a portion in worldly goods as other men have never envy them for Christ hath ransomed you from the world there 's another kingdom that thou hast thy portion and interest in Christ hath made us Kings and Priests to his Father and hath made us heirs and co-heirs of that Kingdom that His Father hath given Him yea and that He Himself hath purchased and so you must in your Conversations make it appear that you do see another kingdom beyond this kingdom of the world that you are made partakers of wherein you shall reign with Christ for ever now this Conversation doth beseem the Gospel And therefore you shal find it in the 10 th of Matth. about the 37. vers Christ shews what kind of Conversation He would have in those that once come to beleeve in Him saith He He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me And he that taketh not up his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Here he shews what it is that would make the soul worthy of Christ in a Gospel sense If our hearts be taken off from father and mother and those comforts relations that are the dearest in the world brother or sister or son or daughter not to take off our natural affection but to take off our hearts so as they should not be hinderances of us in spiritual things that our main affections should flow forth after spiritual things then we come to be worthy of Christ then the other conversation is unworthy of Christ Didst thou ever know the Lord Jesus Christ and the way of His Kingdom Then why is thy heart set upon the world as the hearts of other men that are strangers to Jesus Christ In Eph. 5. 3. when the Apostle speaks of those things that most men in the world are greedy after But fornication and all uncleaness or covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints As if he should say Saints those that know Jesus Christ and the way of His Kingdom for them to have their hearts either set upon bodily lusts or covetousness the things of this world it doth not becom them it is not a Gospel Conversation becoming Saints a heart greedy of the things of this world and wallowing in the lusts of this world Oh 't is unbeseeming Saints those that do profess the Gospel of Christ that shews unto us that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world Again Another great point that the Gospel holds forth to us is this The great difference or the change that it makes in the estate of a man or woman when once it prevails with him then the great difference is made in him from what he was before and from other men this is held forth in the Gospel and no where else I say the wonderful change that the Gospel makes in men when once it comes to work upon their hearts in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and the great difference between their estates before and what now is and between them and other men I put these two together First The great change that the Gospel makes in the hearts of men from what there was before the Gospel came You know the Scripture in prophesying of the times of the Gospel saith That the Wolf shall eat with the Lamb and the Lyon with the Kid and the child shall play upon the very hole of the Asp the meaning is generally carried thus that when the Gospel comes it shall change the hearts of men so mightily that though they were wolvish before and cruel as if you should see a Wolf changed into a Lamb or as if you should see a Lyon changed into a Kid you would say this were a mighty change the Gospel makes such a change as this is they that are in Christ are new creatures it 's a new Creation suppose God should make a new world what a mighty thing were this or a new Sun should be created in the Firmament that never was before how would we stand and wonder Those that are in Christ are new creatures God puts forth a creating power upon them 2 Cor. 5. Old things are pass'd away all things are become new you know the Apostle saith and the change that is made it is called a new birth Except you be born again you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3. If there were a new soul put into one or if God should infuse a rational soul into a beast
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-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
on in the Gospel What is it Let me labor to serve it whatsoever in me lieth Now if you reade in the Gospel you shall find that the Design that God hath it is To purchase to Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works to promote holiness and godliness that we being redeemed from the hands of our enemies might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives This is the Design that God hath I see that Mankind is fallen from me and the people in the world are generally fallen into wickedness the whole world lieth in wickedness over head and ears in sin but I would have holiness advanced I would have my Image renewed I would have a peculiar people that might live for ever to serve and worship me Here 's the Design of God Oh let me now serve this design of God and labor to do all that I can to serve and honor and blesse and magnifie that God that hath wrought such glorious things for us as He hath wrought in the Gospel And as Christ saith in Mat. 3. when He came to be paptized of John It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness Now shall the Lord Jesus Christ Himself say thus It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness surely then it becomes you to fulfil al righteousness Would you walk as becomes the Gospel Give up your hearts strength and endeavors what possibly you can to fulfill all righteousness do not say Why should I do thus and why need we be so forward and strict Oh remember the text If any talk of too much strictness and too much forwardness then answer thus I heard in such a place such a Text opened and applied to me that my Conversation must be as it becomes the Gospel and certainly let me do what I can I cannot do so much but that the Gospel will require ten thousand times more than I can do and therfore I do endeavor to walk as becoms the Gospel And I hear that Christ Himself saith that it became Him to fulfil all righteousness And why should not I walk as Christ Himself walked O my life hath bin too vain heretofore my heart hath been dead and I have not been quickned up so as to walk worthy of the Gospel but for the time to come my care and endeavor above all things in the world shall be That I may honor this glorious GOSPEL of Jesus Christ from whom I do expect to have such glorious things hereafter Consider now what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in these things that you may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord JESUS CHRIST SERMON I. IF you please to reflect back upon the last daies Exercise when we finished that Scripture in the Philippians that teaches us to walk as becomes the Gospel in the prosecution of which we shewed what it was the Gospel principally did hold forh unto us and what Conversations ought to be in the Professors of it sutable unto those things the Gospel holds forth and among those this was one particular of great moment that we did then but hint out unto you in a word or two That the Kingdom of Christ was not of this world They are Christs own words Now because it is a consideration of very great use I would be loth the benefit of it should be lost therefore I have now pickt out that to speak to more largely and to open the meaning of it unto you from this Scripture JOHN 18. 36. Jesus answered and said My Kingdom is not of this world THE words are a part of the story of Christs arraignment before Pilat Behold here the King of Heaven and Earth stands arraigned at the Barr of a wicked man In this Arraignment we find a special Charge which his Adversaries bring against Him which was this THAT HE MADE HIMSELF THE KING OF THE JEWS He was an enemy to Government The usual charge that the world hath had against the Saints that they are enemies to Government They fare no worse here than Christ did Pilat requires of him to answer to the Charge whether it were so or no that He hath made Himself a King Now you shall find in the answer of Christ He doth not deny the thing but implicitly grants it neither doth he answer him fully to his mind but saith My Kingdom is not of this world My Kingdom As if he should say I acknowledg that I have a Kingdom as mean and low as I am brought now though I stand here before you as a despised man a Carpenters son yet I confess I have a Kingdom but it is not of this world Not of this world He doth not say not IN this world but saith it is not OF this world it is not a worldly Kingdom We have in the words these two things First That Christ hath a Kingdom Secondly What kind of Kingdom Christs is Not of this world I shall not here speak much unto the former and so to handle the common place of Christs Kingly Office but only hint it to you as it makes way to the latter there we shall stay a while Christ he hath a Kingdom He is anointed by the Father to be King as well as Priest and Prophet of His Church Psal 45. 6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter that Psalm is a Prophesie of Christ And in the 19. of Revel 16. Christ is there called The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ God-man is the King of Heaven and Earth Christ God-man is the King of Angels and over all the World and we must know Christ as a King and act our faith upon him as a King or else we know Him not aright we have not the true work of faith except I say our faith act upon Him as a King as well as a Savior In Acts 2. 36. God hath made Him saith the text both Lord and Christ Mark He it not only Christ but Lord and Christ though it is true that in the word Christ all His Offices are implyed which signifies anointed to them all but yet this is expressed by its self Lord and Christ for indeed properly He is Christ unto His Church but He is also Lord over all the World in some sense But then you will say How doth He say that His Kingdom is not of this world if He he Lord over all the world Now that I might come to that point that I have chosen the text for we are to know that Christ hath a double Kingdom First Together with the Father He hath a Providential Kingdom as I may so say for distinction sake Secondly He hath a Mediatory Kingdom as Divines call it First A Providential Kingdom together with the Father whereby He mannages all the affairs of the world I say God-man the second Person in Trinity doth mannage all the affairs of the world His Scepter ruleth over all as
God did make all things by Christ so He doth govern all things by Him if God had not deputed the second Person in Trinity God man the Mediator to have been the Governor of all things the holiness and justice of God according to the Covenant of works by which he had to deal with man would have destroyed the world upon mans sin had not the ordering and governing of the world been put into the hand of the second Person in Trinity God-man the Mediator for though he was not manifested in the flesh He had not actually taken our humane Nature upon Him yet He was look'd upon as God-man with the Father even before the foundation of the world was laid and so all things were committed to Him And hence the world notwithstanding the sin that hath been in it hath been preserved so as it hath been to this day Christ therefore hath a Providential Kingdom together with the Father and so he is King not over the Churches only the King of the Saints but He is over all the Heathen over all the world from the rising of the Sun to the setting thereof And the Civil Magistrate as I may so say is the Deputy of Christ in this his Providential Kingdom Gods Vicegerent upon Earth all Magistrates whatsoever are Officers subordinate under Him But now there 's another Kingdom of Christ that this Scripture speaks of My Kingdom is not of this world That is the Kingdom of the Mediator as Divines calls it that more properly concerns His Church in the execution of His Mediatory Office Now this Kingdom of Christ it was ever since there was a Church but it was very dark under clouds and curtains the glory of it was little till the second Person came to be manifested in the flesh then indeed this Mediatory Kingdom of Christ came to be revealed abundantly more cleerly than before and Christ exercised it more fully this is that which the Scripture so often in the Gospel cals the Kingdom of Heaven Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand 't is not of this world but it 's cal'd the Kingdom of Heaven the Mediatory Kingdom of Christ is not of this world there 's a great deal of difference between a worldly kingdom and this Kingdom of Christ And that 's the subject that I am now to open to you How Christs Kingdom is not of this world the vast difference between worldly kingdoms and Christs Kingdom which you will find to be a point of very great use First Christs Kingdom hath not that pomp and glory that bravery and galantry that the Kingdoms of the world have you know in the Kingdoms of the world there 's a great deal of outward pomp and glory Bernice and Agrippa they came in great pomp the text saith the Kings of the earth have glorious attendance Christ hath no such thing His attendance was a few poor Fisher-men Kings have great Courts and crouded with Courtiers His Court was but small only a few of such kind of men mean and contemptible taken from the hedges and out of the high waies They have sumptuous Pallaces Christ had not a place to hide His head here in this world He saith himself that the Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man hath not wherewithal to hide His head and yet a great King for all that Surely it was not of this world The Kings of the earth have all kind of delicates that this world can afford they carry things in great state It was not so with Christ Zech. 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly Oh Daughter of Zion shout Oh Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee He is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the foal of an Ass He comes lowly and mean the way of Christ in this His kindom is a way of humility and outward meanness and lowliness it is a way of outward contempt scorn and dirision this is the way of the kingdom of Christ by poverty and lowliness He would overcome the world not by bravery and magnificence nor by great pomp and glory He doth not dazle the eyes of men by such means but His glory consists in self-denial in emptying of Himself in becoming poor therfore His Kingdom is not of this world Luke 17. 20. The Kingdom of God saith the text there comes not with observation that 's the word the meaning of it is this It is not a thing that by any outward pompous Ceremonies can be observed Now Kings when they go from one place to another by their attendance and by a great many ceremonies that are used for the setting out of their pomp and glory they are taken notice of and observed you may know the King comes here say the people when they see such things But saith the text there The Kingdom of God comes not by observation there 's no such outward pomp and glory there 's nothing but outward meaness and baseness to the eye of the flesh in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ He that is in Himself the most glorious King and from whom all other Kings have their power yet He hath a Kingdom that is not of this world that hath nothing but meaness poverty and lowliness that doth appear in it to the eyes of men Secondly The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world in regard of His Subjects Look what subjects Christ hath they are such as are not of this world So Christ tels His Disciples as you may find in the 17. of John I am not of the world and you are not of the world Kings they have for their subjects Nobles Peers and great Personages especially those that are near about them but now the subjects that Christ hath for His Kingdom for the generality of them they are of the poor mean base contemptible men of the world such as are look'd upon as the off-scouring of all things these are His subjects as in the second of James 5. verse Hearken my beloved brethren Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom The poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom they are the great hears even the poor of this world You know what an offence it was unto the Jews say they Do any of the Rulers beleeve in him but this multitude which is accursed A company of poor women illiterat people they flock after Jesus Christ The subjects of Christ are men chosen out of this world he himself appeared not with the glory of the world And secondly His subjects are men chosen out of the world Thirdly The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world that is the rule that Christ hath in His subjects and over these His subjects in this His Kingdom it is not of this world the rule it is spiritual It is principally upon the hearts the wills the consciences of those that are
Christ they may be under penalties You think that those that are beleevers cannot be chastised for their sin as if there were no penalties in Christs kingdom I confess they are delivered from the penalties of the Law But Christs inflicts penalties as he is King there may be penalties in Christs kingdom And the right understanding of this would much help us in that point Whether Beleevers may be chastised for sin or no though they be Beleevers Oh they will say No. Why Because Christ hath satisfied the Lawfully and how can God require it in them I confess the Law cannot I but Jesus Christ in His administration as He is King not as He is the Judge of the Law but as He is the King over them He may inflict chastisements upon them they may in Christs kingdom have some chastisements they cannot be carried out of that kingdom to have the chastisements of the Law but in Christs kingdom Jesus Christ many times inflicts spiritual chastisements upon them by hiding his face from them for sin and by many spiritual discertions and such men as are but by outward profession under the kingdom of Christ and do seem to be His Subjects and are not so indeed the Lord inflicts spiritual judgments upon them as hardness of heart blindness of mind reprobate sences and I beseech you observe it The Lord Christ doth not so much observe the way of outward judgements upon wicked men that are in the bosom of the Church as He doth observe to inflict outward judgments upon the Heathens and others that are out of the bosom of the Church no Christ hath other manner of punishments for those that are in the Church though now and then Christ doth inflict outward judgments upon them but the main thing that Christ looks at in His Church is To reward with spiritual rewards as righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost and the like so He doth inflict spiritual punishments Those that are professors in the Church naught and vile it may be God may prosper them for a while as well as others outwardly Oh but the punishments of Christ in His kingdom they are spiritual your souls are bound over to eternal death your hearts are hardned your consciences are benum'd and that 's more dreadful wrath a great deal than if the Lord Christ should punish your bodies or take away your estates those are punishments in Christs providential Kingdom but the penalties as Christ is the King of the Church they are ever spiritual punishments which we should more fear and tremble at a great deal Thus the kingdom of Christ is not of this world Now I should have shewed you how this kingdom of Jesus Christ will certainly prevail in the world let the world do what they can In the 2 d Psal Yet have I set My King upon My holy Hill It will at length prevail over all the world and bring under all the kingdoms of the world to it but when it hath done so then there shall be a new world Certainly there is a time that Christ shall have the kingdoms of this world to reign over them in another manner than now He hath and that is at the end of the world I will give you a Scripture or two about that Revel 11. 15. The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign for ever and ever That is He shall subdue the kingdoms that were of this world and then He shall reign He shall reign for ever and ever Now they are the kingdoms of this world but when He reigns it is in this manner that is here spoken of it is in another world as appears in Heb. 2. 5. For unto the Angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak Here the Apostle shews that Christ is above the Angels for he hath not put in subjection the world to come unto the Angels therefore there is a world to come wherein Christ shall have a further dominion than yet he hath and Adam was a type of Jesus Christ in this Adam he had the command of this present world Now in this world Christ doth rule but in the midest of his Adversaries but there is a time coming that Christ shall have all under him as Adam in his innocency had the whol world under his feet And Christ doth promise unto his people in the 3. of Revel 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne Mark it seems there is a Throne of Christ yet that hath not been for here 's a promise that he will set them upon his Throne as he sits upon his Fathers Throne Now Christ rules together with his Father but saith he You that are my Saints and my Subjects now you shall sit upon my Throne I but you will say That is in Heaven in Heaven indeed the Saints shall reign Nay It connot be meant of a kingdom wherein the Saints shall sit eternally with Christ in Heaven I might give you many Scriptures for that but I will only give you one Scripture 1 Cor 15. 28. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him that God may be All in All. Here he tells us that there is a time that God shall be All in All both unto Christ and unto His Saints yea and you shall find in this chapter that Jesus Christ shall give up the kingdom unto the Father speaking of the time of the resurrection When all shall rise again and when that shall come the kingdom shall be delivered up unto the Father so that this is a time before the general resurrection that Christ shall sit upon the Throne there is yet a time between this and the Saints being in Heaven when the Saints shall sit upon Christs Throne as he upon his Fathers in another manner than now they do Therefore surely Christ shall have the kingdoms of this world subdued unto him in another manner than yet he hath and for the proof of it do but reade the 7 th chapter of the book of Daniel and you shall find abundant of proof there shall be abundant deal of glory in that kingdom of his there he shall have attendants to purpose thousand thousands administred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Christ and though there was a Judgment and the Books were brought yet its apparant afterwards that the Scripture speaks of a time that should be before the Saints should come to Heaven for he saith this That as concerning the rest of the Beasts they had their Dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season Therefore it is not meant at that time when the
the joy of the holy Ghost means till it comes under the kingdom of Jesus Christ it 's the priviledge of the kingdom of Christ to bring spiritual peace which passeth all understanding and joy in the holy Ghost Ninthly This is a priviledg in the kingdom of Christ That all that are in His Kingdom have right to all the gifts and graces of all the Saints in the world Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephus or Life or Death all is yours for you are Christs and Christ is Gods They have I say right to all all the gifts of all the Ministers of the world and the graces of all the Saints they work for good unto them Tenthly and lastly They are all Heirs of Christ with an immortal Crown of glory that is laid upon Heaven for them Thus Christs Kingdom is not of this world the priviledges of it are beyond the worlds which can only be seen by the eye of faith for they are spiritual and glorious priviledges Quest If you ask me why it is that God the Father would not have His Son to have his kingdom in this world Certainly God might have given to Christ all the Government of this world might have made Him the great Emperor to have rul'd in an external way and all His Subjects to have been in pomp and glory here below but God would not have the kingdom of His Son here in this world for these reasons Ans First Because that hereby He would confound the wisdom of the world and shew the vanity of all the things of this present world and the folly of the hearts of men that are set upon the things of this world we look upon these things as great things but God hath shewed that he doth not look upon them as great matters but as things that have little value and excellency in them and therfore He would not have His Son to have His kingdom here of this world surely if there were such excellent things here as men dream of then undoubtedly Christ should have had His Kingdom of this world but that God might confound all the glory and non-plus the wisdom of this world therefore he would go another way to work God would so order things that He would fetch about the glory of his Name and those great things that he did intend from all eternity He would fetch them about in a way that should be hidden from the eyes of the world in a way that should appear contemptible in the eyes of the world and he would by this rebuke and shame all the pride folly and vanity of the world there is no greater rebuke of the pride folly and vanity of the world than in my Text here that saith The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world Secondly Because the Lord delights so much in the exercise of the graces of His Spirit the spiritual workings of the hearts of His Saints there 's nothing that is ab extra from God that is more delightful to Him than the exercises of the graces of His Spirit in the hearts of His Saints excepting what is in the Person of Christ himself nothing more pleasing in all the works that ever God made in which He takes more pleasure than in the exercise of faith and of humility and of patience and the like and the holiness of His Saints Now the less the Kingdom of Christ is of the world the more bright and glorious do the graces of the Saints appear the more do they come to be exercised had the Saints a worldly glory and pomp here their graces would not shine forth so eminent there would not be such a spiritual lustre and shine upon them but now that God may exercise especially the grace of faith and humility and patience and self-denial and brotherly love which are so precious to Him therefore God hath so ordered things that the Kingdom of His Son should not be of this world but it should be spiritual it may be you think it a sad affliction that you have not those comforts that you see others have in the world you have not such estates and bravery as others have brave dwellings costly furnitures and fine cloaths as others have and you cannot provide for your children as they do I but is there the exercise of faith in God in the want of these things the exercise of humility self-denial of patience know that these are more glorious things than if thou didst sit upon a Throne with a Crown of gold upon thy head and a Scepter in thy hand and al the people prostrating themselves before thee this were all but a childish vanity in comparison of the exercise of the graces of Gods Spirit thou hast that that is more excellent in the eyes of God and of His Son and in the eyes of the blessed Angels far more excel lent than these outward pompous glorious glittering vanities that are here when thou findest by experience that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world Oh then think that surely God delights much in the exercise of the graces of His Spirit in His Saints And this is the reason why he would not have the kingdom of Christ to be of this world Thirdly and lastly Therefore He would not have it to be of this world that hereafter when the Lord shall come to fetch out all his glory from those things that seem to be the most contrary that his power and wisdom may be more glorious and appear more evidently that his glory may be more conspicuous as certainly it will hereafter at the great Day when the issue of all the great designs that God had in sending of Christ into the world when the issue of all shall come and be accomplisht then the Name of God will be so much the more honorable to all eternity because He hath wrought out such glorious things from that which did seem to the eye of flesh to be so mean and contemptible APPLICATION But by way of Application and that shall be built upon the consideration of the point more generally and upon the Reasons that are named why the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world From hence follow thus much in the first place That if the Kingdom of Christ be not of this world then there is a happiness beyond the things of this world to be had that we must certainly conclude and determin If we beleeve this point That Christ Kingdom is not of this world we must lay down this for a certain and infalible ground that we may build upon That there is a happiness to be attained unto that is beyond this world for surely there is a good in the of Christ there is somewhat beyond this world for the souls of the children of men to look after as their cheef good as their happiness that 's a confectory that follows from it The Kingdom of Christ whatsoever it be it 's a glorious Kingdom it is the Kingdom of
His dear Son as the Scripture speaks and therefore very glorious And all the glory of the kingdom of Solomon it was but to typifie out the glory of the Kingdom of Christ now that is not of this world therefore there is some glory beyond that of this world and it is a good sign of a spiritual eye and a spiritual heart to be able to see an excellency and glory that is beyond this world to be able to look higher and further than this world can We think that all the good things that God hath to communicate to the children of men should be here on earth but I beseech you consider of it Can we think in our consciences that all the good things that God hath to cōmunicate to such as He loves should be here in this world Certainly no. Consider therefore that all the good things that God intends for his people are not of this world First It 's called An evil world Truly it 's no great matter and we should not account much that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world if we consider these things First That this world it is an evil world Gal. 4. We are delivered from this evil world Secondly It 's a world that the Devil in Scripture is called the god of and the prince of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. Whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded Surely all the good things that God hath to communicate to His Saints are not of this world that is an evil world that is a world that the very Devil is god of it in scripture phrase Thirdly A world all whose bravery and pomp and glory it is not of the Father 1 John 2. 16. you have an epitomy there of what the excellency of the world is for saith he All that is in the world the lusts of the flesh lusts of the eyes and the pride of life Under these three heads are all things that the men of the world look upon as desirable either they are the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes or the pride of life But saith he All that is in the world is not of the Father but is of the world Surely the chief things that God hath to communicate to His Saints are not of the things of this world for all that is in the world is not of the Father And wouldest not thou have the riches of the Father 'T is true God is the Creator of all things and hath the dispose of all things but that that the men of the world look upon as the excellent things that are here they are not of the Father they are none of the good things that God the Father hath to bestow upon His children and therefore surely there is a happiness beyond the things of this world Oh my Brethren that I could but so take off the hearts of people by this point from the things of this world as to make them look after the Kingdom of Christ that is not of this world for you see that all that is here in the world the Scripture saith it is not of the Father Fourthly As all the excellent things are not of the Father so the truth is all the glory that is in the world it is but darkness it is a dungeon of darkness to a spiritual eye As the Bats can see in the night so the men of the world they think they see some glittering here in the world but in the language of Scripture and to spiritual hearts it is but darkness Hence the Apostle Eph. 6. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world Rulers of the darkness of this world are the unclean spirits spiritual wickednesses the Devils are the Rulers of the darkness of this world this world it hath a darkness in it and therefore surely the chief good things that God hath to bestow upon the Saints they are things that are beyond this world Fifthly The world knows not God John 17 25. The world is that that Christ saith doth not know the Father Oh righteous Father the world hath not known thee Take men that are the wisest of the world and have all the wisdom that this world can afford it will not help them to the knowledge of the Father the world knows not those excellent and glorious things that are of the Father Sixthly The world it lies in wickedness 1 John 5. 19. as sometimes I have opened that Scripture to you Just as you see in a common shore a carion a dead dog that lies over head and ears in the mire or mud in a common shore and in its own filthiness so the whole world lies in wickedness the wickedness of the world is like the common shore in w ch there is nothing but filth and dirt and the world as a dead carion lies in its own pollutions surely then there are other things that God hath to communicate to his Saints than the things of this world and we should not be offended though the Kingdom of Christ be not of this world Seventhly The world it passeth away with the lusts of it 1 John 2. 17. it is a notable Scripture for that And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever speaking before of what was the glory of the world and it passeth away with the lusts thereof Mark Not only the things of the world passeaway but the very lusts to those things passeth away As now men and women who have their healths and live bravely for a while Oh! how greedy are they for the contents of this world how do they long and desire that they might have such a merry meeting with such friends and such cheer and such commings in They make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof But now mark within a little while not only these comforts shall be taken from them but the very lusts of them shall passe away that is they shal have no mind in the world to them Take a poor man that was wont to long for these things when he lieth upon his sick bed at the point of death now he looks upon these things as those things that are dry leaves he hath no mind to them not so much as a phansie after these things all the varnish of the things of the world are gone in his eyes he tasts them no more than the white of an eg yea the desire of his heart is dead to them as now a man that lusted after drink when his desire is satisfied the very desire after it is gon and one that liv'd in gluttony when his body is a little distempered the very lusts therof passeth away surely there are other things that God hath for his people than the things of this world Eightly There must be somwhat else besides the things of this world for Christ Himself is not
soul this would be the answer of one that is chosen out of the world that hath a gracious heart and is brought under the Kingdom of Jesus Christ 2. A second note that I would give to know whether a man be a man of this world or no is this A man of this world is one that accounts the possessions of worldly comforts to be greater rices than any riches conteined in the promises that looks upon the comforts of this world as real things they have them in possession But looks upon the promise as that that hath but a notion in it as if there were no such reality and excellency in the things of the promise a man that dares not trust God upon his word upon his promise without seeing in a way of reason or sence how things may come in unto him for supply from the things of this world this is a man of the world he hath a promise but things go very ill with him in respect of his outward estate in respect of whatsoever by sence or reason he is able to discern he looks upon himself as miserable if indeed God would give him in the things of the world in real possession that would satisfie him but not the promise This is an evidence of a worldly heart that regards more the possession of the things of the world than the promise of God for provision for him as for promises he thinks that that man is but in a sad condition that hath nothing but bare promises to live upon here 's a worldly heart that hath low and mean thoughts of the promises But now one who is taken out of this world and translated into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ regards more to have a promise to live upon than to have possessions to live upon Promises in the word are greater and more real things to that soul than any Bills or Bonds from men can be he can live better upon a Promise than upon Bils or Bonds or Leases or any such things in the world Hast thou found such a principle within thee that canst close with the promise and canst bless thy self in the promises I have title to and an interest in many promises in the Book of God for life and godliness are more to me than all the treasures of Egypt and though I do not enjoy so much in the hand as others yet my heart hath enough because it is possest by Christ in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen that is sure and infallible God is faithful who hath promised this is an argument that thou art taken out of the world and taken into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ but otherwise thou that canst not trust God for thy outward estate body and soul upon a promise this is an evidence of one that hath his heart set on the world 3 A third sign of a man of this world is this A man of the world blesses those that are like himself looks upon and measures the happiness or misery of other men according to what they do enjoy or according to what they do enjoy in this world They call the proud happy I mean by this they measure the happiness of other men according to what they have of the world and think that the meer enjoying of worldly accommodations is enough to make men happy notwithstanding they see them to be very wicked and sinful yet so long as they flourish as a green bay tree yet rejoyce in them and with them yea get themselves in the midst of the guilt that is upon them when conscience as a woolf in their bosom flyes in their faces yet they can blesse themselves in the enjoyment of outward comforts and set that against any trouble of mind whatsoever as if so be it were enough to make up their comforts I have been at such a place and contracted such guiltiness upon my soul committed such sins Oh! what shall comfort me now well he comes home and sees all wel about him his house furnished his table spread means coming in as a floud and this quiets him here 's a worldly heart whereas were the heart taken off from the world the possession of al under Christ would never calm a conscience that hath any guilt upon it when I have contracted any guilt upon my soul although I see all well about me Oh! till I have an assurance from the Holy Ghost the Witness of the Spirit that the guilt of my sin is washt away in the blood of Jesus Christ what wil all these do me good I have these and these comforts Oh! but I have an unclean conscience a leprous soul Doest thou set the good things here to countervail the evil of sin Certainly thou art a man of the world thy name is written in the earth thou art but living dust and ashes at the best And the world is like to be the only portion of thy soul thou art a stranger to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ That 's a second Use Vse 3. The third Use should have been this Here we see the main thing that doth hinder people from the Kingdom of Jesus Christ What is that which keeps off men from coming under the Scepter of this King of Saints from subjecting themselves to His Kingdom Certainly this point shews it cleerly His Kingdom is not of this world were the Kingdom of Jesus Christ of this world then people would flock into it Who would not joyn in such a Kingdom and be a member therof where he could have worldly glory and pomp and riches and bravery but now because it is not of this world therefore they slight it As I remember we reade in the Gospel of Herod that when he heard of the great Miracles that Christ wrought Herod sent for Christ and he longed a great while to see Jesus Christ but when Christ came and he saw Him a poor mean contemptible man to the outward eye he thought to have seen him to have done such and such great things and to have been such a man as not the like upon the earth But Christ contemn'd Herod as much as Herod contemn'd Him and Christ would not shew his glory before Herod but appeared in his outward meaness and the text saith Herod set Him at naught he set Him at naught when he saw him so outward contemptible And so it is reported of the Roman Emperors that hearing that Christ should be the King of the Jews and that out of Davids stock there should come a King of the Jews they sought to destroy all of that family that they could find out and all the Tribe of Judah But afterward when they found out some that were of the Kindred of Jesus Christ and saw that they were poor laboring men that labored with their hands to eat their bread by the sweat of their brows they set them at naught and contemn'd them certainly this is the great offence to the world that the Kingdom of Christ is not of
gallows All the world was to him no otherwise was a thing crucified to him and he was crucified to the world the world cares not for me and I care not for the world I am quit with it that way and do as much slight and contemn the world and trample it under foot as the world slights and contemns me and tramples me under foot This should be the disposition of a Christian that is under the kingdom of Christ for now it is to converse with things of another nature And therefore you find that Christ He saith of those that are given to Him by the Father They are given unto Him out of the world John 17. 6. I have manifested thy Name to the men whom thou hast given me out of the world No men have Christ manifested unto them but those whom the Father doth give Him out of the world Saith the Father Here 's so many of the world And there are a select company that I wil take out of this rude heap and mass of man-kind and I 'le give them to thee Take them and manifest thy self unto them If this be so that those that come under Christ's Kingdom are given unto Him out of the world then though they live in the world they should not live as of the world Secondly They are chosen out of the world John 15. 19. And they are delivered from the world by Christ Gal. 1. 4. And they are opposed to the children of the world Luke 16. 8 speaking of divers sorts of people and makes the distinction between one and another The Lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light These two are opposed one to another the children of this world and the children of light are quite contrary one to another for indeed one is in the kingdom of darkness and the other in the Kingdom of light in the Kingdom of the dear Son of God you must be children of light others are children of the world it becomes a child of the world to follow after the things of the world but not the children of light You are chosen out of the world that you may be the light of the world So the Scripture speaks of the Saints That they should be the light of the world Philippians 2. 15. Now if they have as worldly hearts as others how can they be the lights of the world Oh! many that are Professors of Religion they are indeed but dark lanthorns they have a candle in them have some kind of knowledg but by their worldly Conversations they are made but as dark lanthorns that the light of knowledg and profession that they have is so darkned by it as none can see the beauty and excellency of Jesus Christ shining through them Thirdly Surely it is a very unbeseeming disposition in one that is under the Kingdom of Christ to be worldly for he is appointed to be one that shall judge the world another day In 1 Cor. 6. 2. The Saints shall judge the world Now there should be a great deal of difference between Judges and those that are judged by them if they be of the same disposition that the world is why should any be chosen out of the world to judge them Now all the Saints if they do beleeve themselves to be brought into the Kingdom of Christ they should look upon themselves as those that are appointed by God hereafter to judge the whol world and therefore they should not live so as the men of the world do but as Judges very precisely and strictly according to rule 4 ly It is required of them that they should hate their own lives in this world John 12. 15. Now if the Saints should be such as should see so much excellency in the Kingdom of Christ as to hate their very lives in this world then surely to look upon all things in this world as contemptible as hateful in comparison it is not meant Hate their lives that is Absolutely but in Comparison when any comfort or preservation of their lives in this world comes in the least competition with the furtherance of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ They should look upon the comforts of their lives as a hateful thing and look upon the very preservation of their lives as a hateful thing shall I make my life comfortable with any hindrance unto the Kingdom of Christ Oh 't is that that my soul should abhor and so should I preserve my life with doing any thing that may be any prejudice to the Kingdom of Christ I should look upon the very suggestion to such a thing as that that my very soul doth abhor And we find in Scripture that it 's made an argument of apostasie of one that 's falling off from the profession of Christ to imbrace the world as it is said of Demas in the 2 of Tim. 4. 10. Demas saith Paul hath forsaken me but what is it that hath made Demas to forsake me he hath imbraced this present world So look upon many of your Professors of Religion such vs have been very forward in former times and Oh nothing but Christ in their mouthes they afterward begin to decline and wax worser and worser but observe them they imbrace this present world it is because of some honors and esteem some comforts riches estates that they would have or live at ease in this present world they cannot endure the hatred of the world So it was with Demas when he began to hear Paul he perceived that it was a great excellency to be one of Pauls followers Paul he wrought miracles and Demas I say thought it an excellent thing to follow Paul but after he had followed Paul a while he found that he was persecuted and he saw there was no preferment came in by Pauls preaching nothing but blows and imprisonments and scorns and contempt then Demas begins to bethink himself better and thinks he was mistaken I had thought that this Paul would have been a great man in the world one day and that by my following of him I should get great matters to my self but when he saw that all men were set against Paul and nothing but persecution was like to betide him and his Disciples Demas begins to bethink himself And is it not better for me to keep my credit and esteem in this world so Demas leaves him to shift for himself and therefore saith the Apostle Demas hath forsaken me and imbraced this present world This may be written upon every Apostates grave Here lies an Apostate that hath forsaken Jesus Christ and hath imbraced this present world But observe it and look upon those that were forward in Religion and now are not and see whether they have not more worldly hearts than before and give themselves up to honors and pleasures and profits Therefore it 's exceeding unbeseeming the Saints to have worldly hearts they will
have neither the right of Justice to claim nor the right from your Creation nor the right from Promise What right then There is a Fourth right and that right I confess you have and that is 4. A right from Donation God is pleased to give to you but just thus You hold all your Honors and Estates that are ungodly men just thus Even as a man that is condemned to die and there being a little reprieving for two or three daies before his execution the Prince out of his indulgence gives order to have provision made for him according to his Quality that if he be a Gentleman he shal have such provision if a Knight a Nobleman a Peer of the Realm he shall have provision according to his Quality till his Execution now no man can say this man usurps though he hath forfeited all his right to his Land and Estate yet if the King will give him this refreshment he is no usurper but it is a poor right he hath it 's a right from Donation and thus God gives the ungodly men in this world they have a right to outward comforts you have your Portion but you see how you hold it That 's the Second thing I have but one or two things more to dispatch of this particular and two things further and I shall wind up all as briefly as I can I am told I may take some liberty at such a time as this is and seeing it is only the preaching oportunity we meddle withal give me leave a little the more to transgresse upon your patience in that I hope it will not be very much The next thing to be considered it is That this Portion here as it 's poor in regard of the mean things and the Tenure So Thirdly There is a great deal of Mixture here in this you have 1. There is a manifold Mixture of Cumber of Trouble and the truth is All the good things that wicked men enjoy in this world will scarce bear charges that is there is so much trouble they meet withal here in this world with their Portion that all they have will scarce bear charges And if a man goes a Voyage we use not to count any thing he spends by the way to be part of his Treasury Now all we have here in this world is but Spending-money to bear our Charges in regard God knows we shall be at a great deal of Charges and afflictions we shall meet with here But besides 2. There is a Mixture of Curse in every Portion of an Ungodly man If any of you think you get such a rich Match you get an Heir that is a very rich Match and you get her portion and there you go and fetch away the bags of God that are her portion but if it should prove that every bag of Gold you have of your Wives portion had the Plague in it it were but a poor portion Certainly it is thus with all ungodly ones in the world that all the while they live whatsoever they enjoy so long as continuing wicked they have a Curse of God that goes along with it and makes way unto Eternal misery for them As those that are godly have the blessing of God in outward things that makes way for their Eternal good So thou hast the Curse of the Lord mingled with all thy outward things that makes way for Eternal evil unto thee And then Consider 3. What portion thou losest thou hast gotten one but thou losest a great deal more If a man had been at the Exchange and made some bargain about some petty thing and afterwards when he comes home knows that by not buying such a thing he hath lost a bargain that would have made him and his posteritie he hath little cause of rejoycing in that bargain he hath made So though thou hast got a portion that may seem to satisfie thee somwhat know thou hast lost a portion of infinit worth and value and it 's impossible to shew you what this portion is for the Devil could shew Christ all the glory of the world in the twinkling of an eye but if I should come to shew you the glory of Heaven I had need have Eternity to shew you what the portion of the Saints is but though I cannot shew it you all I will only give you a hint or two that you may know somewhat what it is 1. It is such a portion as is fit for the Spouse of the Lamb as is fit for the Spouse of one that is to marry the Son of God the second Person in Trinity 2. It is such a portion which is fit and sutable to an Heir of Life and Glory an Heir of Heaven and Earth 3. It is such a portion as God doth give it unto them to this very end As to declare what the infinite Power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to the height of happiness What think you this must be that I say it must therefore be done that it might declare to Angels and all creatures what the infinit power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to happiness and glory This must be somewhat 4. It must be such a one as in which God must attain unto the great design that he had from all eternity in making the Heaven and Earth the special design that God had in making Heaven and Earth from all Eternity it was to magnifie the Riches of His Grace to a Company that He had set apart to glory it must be such a portion and guess you what this must needs be 5. It is such a portion as must require the infinite power of God to support a Creature to be able to bear the weight of that glory it 's such a portion And do you but think what kind of portion that must needs be 6. All this must needs be now to all Eternity I remember when Esau did but hear Isaac his father tel what a blessing he had given unto Jacob the Text saith that Esau fell a weeping Oh! that God would strike upon the hearts of men that have so little minded any thing but the present things of the world thou hearest but a few words of what the Lord hath reserved to all eternity for his Saints and compare but that with what is thy portion and what is like to be thy portion and thou hast cause to weep I but more cause you will have to weep if so be you consider the last thing Fifthly What is like to be thy End thy Portion is in this world if indeed thou couldst ruffle it out in this world and enjoy thy hearts desire and there an end it were somewhat Oh but there is somewhat else remains afterwards As first 1. Oh the perplexity of Spirit that any worldly man will have when Death comes when he shall see an end of all the comforts of this world now farewell house and lands and friends and acquaintance and all
as it were call you lord and there are two or three children shall call you father Is there not more excellency to have a couple of poor Orphants while you are alive in this world to call you father than to have so many bags of gold cal you master Oh therfore lay out your Portion Give a portion to six and to seven In 2 Cor. 9. 8. there the Apostle tels the Corinthians that God should make them abundant in all Grace fill you with Grace that you may abound in all sufficiency But what for In the 11. vers being enriched in every thing in all bountifulness and then verse 12. for the administration of this service that you may be enriched in all bountifulness Wherefore for the administration of this service Now the words in the Greek are for the administration of this Leturgie so the words are in the Greek that you may abound and have all grace to abound in the administration of this Leturgie My brethren Oh how happy were it if so be that men were plentiful in this Divine Service that I am speaking of and well verc'd in this Leturgie the Apostle cals bounty a leturgie the service of God that is Divine Service indeed that is a happy Leturgie to be well verc'd in and to be abundantly verc'd in this kind of Leturgie for so the words are in the Greek and then again If you would not be put off with this portion in the world 5. Be sure that all the services you perform to God be choice services If you expect choice mercies let you services be choice services be sure your works be supernatural works You 'l say How shall I know that If I had time I could make it out cleer to you but only thus A supernatural work is that which hath a supernatural Principle aims at a supernatural End and done in a supernatural manner A supernatural Principle that is grace that makes it sutable to my heart and not only that I do it out of conviction of conscience and a supernatural End that I aim at God and not at myself but the supernatural manner what is that I remember Seneca in giving of his rule how to know the affections when they are Natural and when not saith he you shall know a natural affection by this If it be kept within bounds it is natural if it be out of bounds it is not natural I 'le make use of it in another way When you come to the service of God if you think to limit God in His service this is but a natural service you will go so far and there stop but if it be supernatural service you will let out your hearts if it were possible infinitely to God you cannot be infinite that 's true but you will propound no bounds no limits to your service and this is indeed the truth of Grace when it hath the impression of Gods infinitness upon it Gods infinitness is that whereby He is without all limits So where God sets no limits there the soul is without all limits and bounds in the way of Grace that is desires to answer God if it were possible by an infinite way these are supernatural works And then Would you not have your Portion in this world 9. Be willing to cast away whatever of your portion you have got sinfully I in the Name of God charge this as a special thing to take home with you whatsoever man or woman in this place would not have his portion in this world but would have his portion in the world to come whatsoever of his portion he hath got in a sinful way cast it away presently never sleep with it lie not down one night with it That 's an old rule but a true one All the repentance you have in the world and all your sorrowing for your sin will never obtain pardon without restitution if you be able Unless you do what you are able to restore you can never have comfort or the pardon of that sin If you have goe it when you were young Apprentices first set up away with it else it will spoil all you will never have any other portion from God These hands of mine had once that given to them to be a means to convey to restore that which was got wrongfully fifty yeers before the wrong was done fifty yeers ago and after fifty yeers the Conscience of the man troubles him and he comes to bring to restore that wrong and desires it may be conveyed to such a place where he had done wrong know therefore that all the sweet morsels that any time you have so delightfully got down they must up again and therefore willingly let them go up resolve before you go out of this place whatsoever thou hast gotten wrongfully never keep it against thy will but do it willingly else thou canst not have any comfort in the portion thou hast nor have any portion in the world to come if there be any true Divinity in the world this is true Divinity and yet it is hard to convince any Covetous men that have got much this way and if there be any wrong those that have done wrong in things be trusted to them as those that are Masters of Hospitals be sure you keep not that for certainly you 'l curse the time you ever took it and therefore let the charge of God be strong upon you this day to cast out whatsoever you have got falsly I read in a story of one that upon a time hearing that place of Scripture in Isa 5. 8. read Wo to them that joyn house to house he bursts out into a loud cry If wo be to them that joyn house to house Then wo to me and to my children So upon this that you hear this day There are a company shal have their portion in this world and especially those that will keep any thing they have wrongfully got many may have cause to say Wo to us then and unto our children 7. Be willing to joyn with those that have suffered for God If you would have your portion in another life be willing to joyn with the sufferers for Christ So Moses did though he were in the way to preferment yet he did chuse rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season joyn rather with them than with jolly blades of the world It is safer to joyn with the sufferers than to joyn with those that are the jolly and brave spirits And so I have done only desiring that the Lord would settle all home upon your spirits If so be because something may not be so pleasing to the pallat of every one as some other but if for that you should reject what hath been said and go away and slight this Word of God know that this Text one day may prove to be as scalding lead in your Consciences and that that is said concerning Doeg in Psalm 57.