bosome you shall sit in her lap you shall be accounted her Darlings when others shall be but her Out-casts you shall be high in the world's esteem the men of the world will speak well of you living and perhaps well of you when you are dead They will speak what a loss they have what an honest man is gone This is the most for ought I see a man gains by a conformity to this world To have the men of the world's good-will and good-word whereby a man enjoys some outward peace and quietness and freedom from trouble that as the Psalmist speaks he comes not in trouble like other men And besides all this it may be he is made partaker of some of the world's Promotions and Preferments This is the sum of vvhat a man gains by being a Conformist to this world 2. Consider What a man loseth by a Conformity to this world So consider what that loss amounts to 1. A loss of inward peace That man can have no true peace in his own spirit that walks by a Rule that is destructive to his own soul Isa 57. 27. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked And if no peace to the wicked then what peace can there be to those that conform to this world Conformity to the world may give a man some outward peace but it can never give a man that peace that is true peace which is peace within which is the peace of God and not of the world a peace passing understanding 2. Such as conform to the world lose the favour of God He that makes himself a Favourite of the world makes himself one whom God looks upon as an Enemy Jam. 4. 4. The friendship of the world is enmity with God He that is a friend to the sinful courses fashions manners and ways of the world is a professed enemy to God and God professeth himself an enemy to him How shall God love and affect favour and delight in that man who forsakes those rules and ways that he hath prescribed him to walk in and to conform to those patterns and examples which he hath proposed to him to imitate to close with those ways and to follow those examples which he hath flatly forbid us to walk in and to conform to So that every Conformist to the world is such a person as loseth the favour of God Now come and compare this gain and loss together 1. The gaining of outward and the loss of inward peace and tell me What shall it profit a man to gain worldly peace and lose inward and spiritual peace It 's peace in the soul and spirit that is the true peace Christ told his That in him they should have peace when yet in the world they should have affliction It is not peace from trouble but peace in trouble peace within when there is trouble without that is true peace A man's greatest trouble is trouble within when it is in his own spirit Prov. 18. 14. The spirit will sustain his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear There are the lending-parts and the borrowing-parts in the body If the lending-parts as the heart and brain c. be wounded the borrowing-parts viz. hand or foot cannot relieve them but if the borrowing-parts be wounded the lending-parts can relieve them A quiet and a peaceable Spirit and Conscience relieves against all outward troubles and helps a man to sustain all his outward infirmities But if there be trouble in the spirit outward peace and prosperity cannot relieve that Let the Winds be never so high and blustring yet they cannot make an Earth-quake but it 's wind gotten into the inwards and bowels of the earth that causeth that It is not trouble without that can trouble us while there is peace within no more than Hail-stones ratling on the Tiles of the House can hurt us while we are at a Feast in a dry and warm House Alas what is outward peace without inward Peace without when there is trouble within can give no peace to the spirit it reacheth not the leading-part The Earth may as soon give light to the Sun and a Tempest give rest to the Sea as outward and worldly peace can give rest to a wounded spirit What comfort is there in a man's being assured of freedom from the World's persecutions and to be under the apprehension of the pursuits of Eternal Wrath Now compare these two together the loss of worldly and inward peace and then consider what you gain by having peace without and losing peace within 2. Compare together the gaining of the world's favour and the losing of the favour of God and see what it will profit to be the world's Favourite and God's Enemy To have the world speak well of you and to have the Lord speak against you To have the world well pleased with us and to lye uuder the displeasure of an Almighty God To be the World's Darlings and God's Out-casts To be the World 's chosen ones and to be God's Reprobates To have the world commend us and God condemn us Surely those that have a kindness for the World's Favours do little know or consider what the Favour of God is which they lose by gaining that They little think that in his favour is life and that his favour is better than life That it is his 〈…〉 that makes Heaven and his Wrath and Displeasure that makes Hell Now compare this gain of the World's Favour with the loss of the Favour of God and see what reason you have to conform to the World 2. Consider what you lose and what you gain by not conforming to this world and compare those two together and see which doth preponderate 1. Consider what is the loss of not conforming to the world I have spoken something to this before and shall be brief in it here All the loss amounts but to something that is only outward and temporal viz. Credit a good report from the world a good repute with the world worldly peace freedom from the world's troubles and persecutions the World's Favour and its Preferments The highest it can amount to is but loss of Estate loss of Liberty loss of Life This is the sum of what a man loseth by not complying with and not conforming to the world 2. Next consider what a man shall gain by not conforming to the world This is the great thing every one is apt to enquire after If I do so what shall I get by it As Peter said Master we have left all and followed thee What shall we have So if any shall say We indeed hear that it is our duty to be Nonconformists to the World and we know such a Nonconformity is attended with many disadvantages and we would gladly know what advantages do attend such a Nonconformity and whether they over-weigh the disadvantages To satisfie such consider what such a one gains who is a Nonconformist to the World 1. He gains the love and esteem and good
of all things is at hand The World to come is an enduring-world which will to all Eternity continue when this World will be no more Christians remember you are made for Eternity and if upon this account you compare both World 's together you cannot but conclude it s the Eternal world you are to be Conformists to 2. The World to come is an Vnchangeable World its firm and fixed a Kingdom that cannot be shaken Heb. 12. 28. But this World is a changeable World and all the things of this World are changeable things All the men in the World are changeable Creatures they are all children of Change Here one Generation goeth and another cometh There is no fixedness setledness stability here Like the Moon this World hath her changes But the World to come is the World that is unchangeable As with the God of Heaven there is no variableness so it is with Heaven it self Now compare the two Worlds upon this account and see which is most worthy of your Conformity 3. The World to come is a Glorious World It is the place where Glory dwells Heaven is the House of Glory it s called the Kingdom of Glory all that inhabit it are glorious There is the place where the glorious God who inhabiteth Eternity doth and will to all Eternity make the manifestations of his Glory When we look upon the visible Heavens which are but the outside of that House and see them so glorious How glorious then are the Mansions within As for this World it is the place where Misery and Baseness dwells Now if you compare the two worlds upon this account then judg which world is most worthy of your conformity 4. The Heavenly World is a Holy World where no sin dwells It 's called the Holy Heavens Psal 20. 5. There dwells righteousness 2 Pet. 3. 13. We look for new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwells righteousness No unclean thing shall or can enter there The Apostate Angels for their sin and disobedience were cast out thence and shall know their place there no more to all eternity The Heavenly Jerusalem is described to be a City paved with Gold to shew among other things its purity Now this world is an unholy world Gal. 1. 4. it 's there called this present evil world It 's an evil world both in respect of Misery and in respect of Sin But in that world which is to come as there will be no suffering so no sinning The Inhabitants of that world will to all Eternity be above both Now if you compare the two worlds upon this account then judg which world is to be conformed to 5. The world to come is a Quiet and Peaceable World It 's the world of rest where there are no stirrs no troubles no disturbances no disquietments It 's the place where rest only is to be found All Christians while they are in this world must say Here is not our rest Rev. 15. 2. the world is resembled to a Sea of Glass mingled with fire A Sea of Glass to shew its brittleness and slipperiness and mingled with fire i.e. with the fire of afflictions troubles persecutions This world indeed is a Christian's Hell Now compare the two worlds together upon this account and see which is worthy of your conformity 6. The world to come is the world for which man was chiefly made Christians remember you are made for another world This world is to be but only as an Inn in which you are to lodg as strangers and travellers in your way and passage to another world Christians must say of it That here they have no abiding City but seek one that is to come and that is the world to come Man is a Creature made capable of Immortality he hath an immortal Soul and this shews he was made for another world The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 15. 19 If in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable Christians if you had been made only for this life and had your hopes only in this world and did not expect and hope for the great things of another life and world that is to come you were of all men most miserable Remember you were made for this End To glorifie God and to enjoy him to all Eternity And this shews that then you must be made for another world VVhere can you serve him for ever and enjoy him for ever but in another world To sing praises and Hallelujahs to God will be the work of Saints in the Heavenly world There they shall praise God to all Eternity and shew what eternal debtors they are to Mercy and Free-grace And then for the other chief End of man which is The enjoyment of God for ever where can that be but in another world The eternal fruition of God and Christ must be in a world that is Eternal which is that world that is to come Now Christians consider what you do here in relation to serving of God is but the beginning of that work we have to do in Heaven and what you enjoy of God here is but only a taste of that we shall enjoy of him in another world Now upon this account consider Christians what world is worthy of your conformity 7. The world to come is the world drawing near to us and the world present is the world going from us Christ when he began to preach said The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand where by the Kingdom of Heaven is meant the Heavenly Cospel which open'd and made way to that world that is to come So let me tell you The world to come is at hand the world to come is the world to be this present world ere long will not be It is near parting with us and vve should be so vvith it Eternity is at hand and vve live upon the borders of it This vvorld hath not long to be nor vve long to be in it vvhen ye go out of it ye enter upon Eternity you go to an Eternal VVorld vvhere you must have an Eternal Being Now compare these tvvo vvorlds together upon all these accounts and judg rationally which is most vvorthy of your conformity Thus for the first Direction 2. Direction That you may be Nonconformists to this vvorld compare together the consequences of a Conformity and a Nonconformity to the vvorld Compare together the conveniences and inconveniences the advantages and disadvantages the gain and the loss that you have by conforming and not conforming to this vvorld So here are two things to be done 1. To consider VVhat you vvill gain by being Conformists to the vvorld 2. What you will lose by not conforming to the vvorld 1. Consider vvhat you vvilt gain by conforming to the world All you gain amounts but to this The World's good-will and the World's good-word If you-be a Conformist to the world you shall have the love and favour and affection of the world you shall be hugg'd in her
loss of Not-conforming to the world compared 78 What a Nonconformist to the world gains 1 A good report from godly men 79 2 A good report from God himself 80 That those VVorthies mentioned Heb. 1◠lived and dyed Nonconformists to the world 81 3 Compare together the Rules and Examples of the World and of the World 82 Vpon comparing them three things considered 1 Which most worthy of our conformity 83 2 To which we are most engaged to conform ib. 3 By conforming to which they will be most advantaged ib. 1 Which are most worthy of our conformity An examination of the world's Rules for Judging Practice found to be Corrupt Naught 83 An examination of the world's Patterns and Examples and they found to be such 84 An examination of the Rules of the Word and they found to be holy and pure ib. Rules for Judging Three 85 Rules for Practice Five 86 An examination of the Patterns and Examples of the Word 87 An Objection against Scripture-Examples answered in two things 91 The result of this Comparison and the Rules and Examples of the World found to b 1 More high 88 2 More holy 89 3 Having better and higher approbation than those of the world 93 Quest By whom they are approved ib. By God himself ib. By those that are godly 94 One day by all both good and bad ib. 4 Most safe for Eternity 95 5 Most becoming a Christian 's Calling Profession Spirit 96 6 Most Consolative 97 7 A conformity to them a Christian's wisdom 100 2 To which we are most obliged to conform God or the VVorld 101 Qu. VVhich hath done most for you 102 VVhich can do most for you 103 3 By conforming to which we shall be most advantaged ib. Two things enquired into VVhich promiseth most VVhich threatneth most 104 The Motives wrapped up in the Directions 106 Eleven particular Directions that Christians may be Nonconformists to this world 106 to the end A NON-CONFORMITY Commanded and Commended Rom. 12. v. 2. And be not conformed to this world THE words considered in themselves are either words of Counsel issuing from the Apostle's Wisdom or words of Caution issuing from the Apostle's Care and Love or words of Command issuing from the Apostle's Authority Be not conformed to this world We will consider them as a prohibitive Precept wherein we have 1. The Act forbidden and that is Conformity 2. The Object to which it hath relation and that is to this world And mark it 's said to this World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to the world but to this world The Greek word taken strictly signifies the present Age of the world so as if the Apostle should say Be not conformed to this Age intimating that it was an Age wherein Sin and Corruption did more abound But we shall take it more largely so this World as distinguished from another World There is the World that now is and the World that is to come It 's said of Demas That he embraced this present world So the thing forbidden is not being in the world nor using of the world nor all converse with the men of this world but it is conformity to this world that is forbid There are two great things the Scripture forbids us in relation to the world 1. Affecting of it Love not the world 2. Imitating of it and conforming to it so here Be not conformed to this world Doct. It is the duty of Christians to be Non-conformists to this world In handling of it we shall speak to four things 1. The Explication 2. The Confirmation 3. The Vindication 4. The Application 1. For Explication so two things come to be opened I. What is meant by the world to which Christians are not to conform II. What is meant by being a Non-Conformist to this world I. What is meant by the world that Christians are not to conform to To let pass the several acceptions of the world in Scripture It may be understood either of the Frame or Family of the World 1. For the Frame so for what the world consists of so for the Heavens and Earth and the things contained in them Heb. 1. 2. By whom also he made the world So it is not here understood 2. The Family of the world so the world is taken for the persons that inhabit this lower world the Earth and so in Scripture for the wicked of the world 1 Joh. 5. 19. The world lieth in wickedness Where by the world is not understood the Frame but the Family and men of the world who by a special appellation in Scripture are stiled the men of the world Psal 17. 14. and the children of this world Luke 16. 8. And the reasons why they are called the world are these 1. The worst are the most of the world they take up most room in the world the Godly are a little Flock Who can number the dust of Atheists Swearers Drunkards Sabbath-breakers Covetous Prophane How few are those that fear an Oath to those that swear How few are those that sanctisie a Sabbath to those that prophane it How few are those that call upon the Name of the Lord to those that blaspheme his Name How few are those that fear God to those that fear him not 2. The worst are for the most part the greatest of the world they are the most flourishing part of and people in the world and they are the world's ownlings whom the world loves as our Saviour saith The world will love its own They are the Diamonds of the world and the godly are but the Pebbles They are the persons in esteem when the godly are accounted the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 off-scowring of the world They are the men that have most worldly wisdom most worldly wealth most worldly honour and therefore called the world 3. The worst are called the world in regard of affection they love the world and the things of the world They savour the things of the world and savour of the world they smell of the world as Esau's garments did of the Field The saying is Vnum quodque illud est quod amat every thing is that it loves Affections work a change especially that of love which in a manner changes one into the person or thing loved Hence it is the worst are called the world 4. The worst are called the world in respect of Conversation they are carnali conversatione Mundo dediti as an Expositor saith they are wholly addicted to and given up to the world the world is the Principle from which and the End for which they act they rise no higher in their conversation than the world their conversation is not in Heaven they do all carnally so they eat and so they drink so they live and so they dye and therefore called the world 5. The worst are called the world Because they are all for the world for the Riches and Pleasures and Profits and Vanities of this present world If they can have
but those things they care for no more They make the world their rest they must have the things of the world or else they dye Give them the things of the world and it sufficeth The things of another world they mind not they desire not they seek not after What they look after and covet lies below As the Duke of Alva when he was asked by the King of France Whether he had seen a great Eclipse that was of the Sun Replied That he had so much to do on Earth that he could not have while to look up to Heaven So it is with these a Portion in this life and in this world is the highest in their esteem as that prophane Duke of Burbon said He preferr'd his part in Paris before his part in Paradice And upon this account the worst are called the world and this is that world that is chiefly meant to which Christians are to be Non-conformists So much for the first II. Consider What it is to be a Nonformist to the world so in handling that we shall do two things 1. Shew you wherein Conformity to the world stands 2. Wherein Nonconformity stands and so shall shew you what it is to be a Conformist and a Nonconformist to this world The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza renders the Configuremini Be not configured to the world Some render them and so the Vulgar Nolite conformari Be not conformed as here in the Text. The words may be rendered Be not figured or fashioned according to this world 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not fashioning your selves c. where the word is the same in the Original with that in the Text. Having done this I now come to shew wherein 1. Conformity to the world stands Conformity supposeth and implies a pattern to which one doth conform What is Conformity but a walking or working by a Rule or Pattern out of a study and desire to imitate it So conformity to Christ stands in the imitating and following the Pattern that Christ hath left us and writing after the Copy he hath given us treading in his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. Leaving us an example that we should follow his steps So conformity to the world stands in treading in the world's steps writing after the world's Copy following the world's example The world hath its Tables which it hangs forth for a pattern of Conformity to others It hath its Samplers wherein is a description of its actions for the imitation of others There is a Scheme and Figure of the world according to which it wonld have all to fashion themselves It knows that man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Creature that is apt to imitate who will be working according to some Pattern or other and therefore hath its Patterns of all sorts which it hangs forth to gain his Conformity So then there are two things that make up conformity to the world and that make a man a Conformist to the world 1. Approbation 2. Imitation 1. Approbation when a man in his judgment approves of the world's Principles and Practises concluding that best that the most of the world say and do That the world's way of worshipping God is the best way That the world's way to Heaven is the easiest way and therefore to be chosen 2. Imitation This follows upon Approbation He likes the Copy and therefore resolves to write after it He likes the Pattern and resolves to imitate it As it is in writing we first look on it and like the Hand-writing and then there is a taking of Pen in hand to write like it In a word Conforming to the World stands in this When a man is inwardly and outwardly not what God but the world would have him to be When a man judgeth as the world judgeth thinks as the world thinks speaks as the world speaks acts as the world acts loveth as the world loveth delights as the world delights hates as the world hates When a man's carriage and disposition is the the same with the men of the world when a man maketh the rule of his life to be the sinful Manners Customs and Examples of the world and salves all with worldly distinctions and limitations II. What Nonconformity to the World is and what it is to be a Nonconformist to the World Nonconformity to the World consists of these things 1. A Nonconformity to the World in Judgment He that is a Nonconformist to the world must judg of things otherways than the world doth The world calls evil good and good evil the world puts darkness for light and light for darkness the world thinks the ways of God unequal the service of God burthensome the Servants of God fools the Ministers of God illiterate Dunces Religion it self irrational It thinks Holiness singularity and strictness and preciseness in the ways of God to be foolish scrupulosities It thinks great sins little ones and little sins to be none at all It thinks Repentance and Salvation to be the easiest things in the world and that the way to Heaven is not so hard as the Scripture makes it What a low opinion hath the world of sin judging is not to be so evil as it is What a low opinion hath the world of Grace thinking it not to be so excellent as it is What a low opinion hath the World of Christ thinking him not to be so necessary amiable and desirable as he is What a low opinion hath the world of Heavenly things and the great things of Eternity thinking them not to be of that everlasting concernment as they are What a low opinion have they of the Saints of God thinking them not to be so excellent and useful as they are What a low opinion have they of Religious Duties and Ordinances thinking them not to be so necessary sweet and heavenly as they are So this is the first thing Wherein a Christian is to be a Nonconformist to this World In point of Judgment He must judg of things otherways than the World judgeth 2. A Christian must be a Nonconformist to the World in respect of Affection He must have his Affections set upon higher objects than those things the affections of worldly men are set upon he must be unlike the world in his love desires and delight The World loves nothing but what is like it self none but those in whom it espieth its own conditions and dispositions he must be unlike the world in his sorrow grief and mourning which is for worldly crosses not for sin it mourns more for the Effect than the Cause The Affections of the World run with a byass towards the World they are all edged and pointed downwards they always face some Worldly Object And in this particular a Christian is to be a Nonconformist to the World 3. A Christian must be a Nonconformist to the World in respect of Practice A Christian must not do as the World doth he must not conform to the World in respect
to the World What comfort will the thoughts of your conforming to a sinful wicked World give you when you come to lye on your last and dying-beds What comfort will a conformity to the World reflect Oh that men would consider what will give them peace at the last Consider this you covetous Tradesmen that use false Measures and Ballances and that deal in false Wares the saying is Leight Gains make an heavy Purse but take heed they make not an heavy and accusing Conscience in the end It is the way of the World to get gain any way but never consider what the issue will be whether it will be comfort and peace at last It was the saying of a worthy Judg of this Nation to his Son when he was a dying Son I leave you but a small Estate but it was well gotten Oh that men could say so of their Estates whether great or small That they were well gotten Let the cunning covetous worldly Tradesman know That he may as well rob a man in his Shop with a mete-Yard and a pair of Ballances in his hand as a Thief doth with Sword and Pistol on the Road and although they are not alike arraigned at the Barr of Man's Tribunal yet they will be alike at the Barr of God's Tribunal And as for you prophane ones What comfort will the thoughts of your sinful pleasures delights and vanities reflect when you come to dye What pleasure will it then be to you to remember the sinful jollities and debaucheries of a fore-passed life Know this that one hour spent in communion with God will yeeld a man more solid comfort than all the days a man hath spent in the Tents of wickedness He said it that had proved it Psal 84. 10. A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand c. And let me tell you A day spent in serving God and conforming to his Will and Word doing what is well-pleasing in his sight will yeeld more comfort than a thousand spent in complying with and conforming to the sinful fashions pleasures and examples of the World Nay What sad reflections will the thoughts of such a compliance cause That proud Cardinal Wolsey when he was cast out of the favour of his Prince and was under the apprehension of approaching death said If I had been as careful of serving and pleasing God as I have been to serve and please my King he had not now forsaken me in this my misery And ere long men will wish they had been as careful in conforming to the will of God revealed in his Word as they have been to the wills of men and ways of the World and repent of it when it s too late 7. Upon comparing these together you will find That a conformity to the Rules and Examples of the Word is a Christian's Wisdom and that all Conformists to the World will at the last be found but fools as the Prophet Jer. 17. 11 saith He that getteth riches and not by right at his end shall be a fool Consider who in the end will be the veriest fools Conformists or Nonconformists to the World Deut. 4. When Moses had told the men of Israel of the Statutes of God this is one Motive he makes use of to press them to an observation of them v. 6. This will be your wisdom in the sight of the Nations Let me tell you A Conformity to the Word and a Nonconformity to the World is a Christian's Wisdom There is a day coming when those who now for not conforming to the world are accounted fools will not only be pronounced wife by the testimony of God and Christ and Angels but also by those that now esteem and call them Fools Let me tell you What is the judgment and opinion of wicked men now concerning Holiness and Holy ones will not always be their judgment they will one day be of another mind Now indeed the wisdom of God is foolishness with the world when indeed it is the wisdom of the world that is foolishness with God In the Word of God and the laws and rules which it prescribes is seen the Wisdom of God And those must needs be the wisest who conform to those Rules Conforming to the World's Rules is conforming to the World's Wisdom which indeed is conforming to the World's Wickedness and the wisest of such Conformist except they repent will ere long call themselves Fools to all Eternity Now having compared all these together tell me Whether the Rules and Examples of the Word or of the World are most worthy of your conformity Thus much for the First Secondly We come next to enquire To which you are most obliged and engaged to conform To the Word of God or to the World And here I shall put this Question to you viz. To whom you owe most whether to God or the world So I must ask you two things 1. Which hath done most for you 2. Which can do most for you 1. Which hath done most for you God or the VVorld To whom owe you your Beings VVho created you God or the world Then tell me to whom you owe your conformity To whom owe you your Redemption Who sent a Saviour into the world to dye for you and by that death to purchase pardon and peace and reconciliation and eternal salvation To whom do you owe your lives Who endued your souls with life and hath hitherto held your souls in life Or whose Mercies is it that you have not ere this been consumed Is it of the Lord's Mercy or of the World's From whom have you had protection and deliverance from dangers Whose Angels are it that have pitch'd their Tents about you God's or the World's From whom do you receive all your blessings of health wealth food raiment Is it from God or the World See by this to which you owe your conformity 2. Consider which can do most for you What can the world do for you Doth it or can it bid more for your conformity than God doth As Saul said to his Courtiers when he saw they were addicted to David's Party Can the Son of Jesse give you Vineyards or Olive-yards c. So let me ask you Can the world give you what God can All that the world can do for you doth but amount to what is temporal But can it give you that which is eternal Let me tell you It is so far from doing that that though it can give a man Honour and Riches yet it cannot give a man Contentment with them much less can it give inward comfort and peace and assurance of Eternal Glory and Happiness All this God bids for your conformity to him And now see to which you most owe your conformity Thirdly VVe are next to enquire By which you will be most advantaged whether by a conformity to God or the world To this I have spoken largely before when I shew'd you the Gain and Loss of Conformity and Nonconformity to the world
I shall only here put you upon the consideration of two things 1. Which promiseth most 2. Which threatneth most 1. Which promiseth most the Word or the World Look over the promises of the Word and tell me whether the World can promise what God in his Word doth Can it promise you That by conforming to its Statutes and Laws it shall be well with you and your children for ever The world cannot promise you a long and happy life here much less can it promise you eternal life and happiness hereafter 2. Consider which threatneth most whose threatnings are most dreadful and terrible those of the Word or of the World It 's true the world can thunder out threatnings against those that conform not to her But tell me Is that Thunder like in terror to that thunder we hear in the word and the threatnings of it against those that conform to a wicked world The world can threaten with Bonds and Imprisonments with Fire and Faggot But God threatens with Hell and everlasting burnings As the Martyr told the Persecutor that threatned him with imprisonment Tu Carcerem ille Gehennam Thou threatnest me with a Prison but God threatens me with Hell Remember the counsel of our Saviour Matt. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell And now you have heard all this consider seriously of it and tell me whether the world is worthy your conformity or whether you are at all engaged to conform to the world or whether it will be any advantage to you to conform to the world and not rather an infinite disadvantage And thus much for the Directions in general and in these Directions are wrap'd up the Motives to move us to be Nonconformists to this world I shall now close all with giving you some particular Directions as further Means and Helps against Conformity to this world and that briefly 1. Consider your natural inclinations and remember there is by nature in us a strong propensity to a conformity to the world The world is a tempting alluring bewitching thing apt to steal away our hearts as Absalom did the hearts of the men of Israel It will court invite and tempt it will flatter and fawn to gain a conformity it hath tempting rules tempting examples tempting proffers and much more to draw men into a conformity to her Now Christians you had need be watchful in this case upon considering in what danger you are to be deluded by the world and that upon two accounts 1. You live among those that are of the world and therefore apt to be infected by them as Joseph was by living in Pharoah's Court and Peter by being in the High-Priest's Hall Rivers partake of the nature of the soil through which they run and it is a difficult thing to live in the world and not to have a taste of the sins and corruptions of it 2. Remember you have even the best the remainders of corruption in you There are the remainders of self and so a love of worldly Credity of outward Ease of worldly Enjoyments and these will be as a Byas to the Bowl which will encline you toward the world and a conformity to it 2. That you may be Nonconformists to this world Grow and encrease in love to Jesus Christ The more we love Jesus Christ the less we shall love the world Any sinful compliance with the world argues either no love or litle love to Jesus Christ Love is the great worker of imitation as Hatred is of aversation Those that love Jesus Christ will live to Jesus Christ and will be such to whom the world is crucifi'd and they unto the world Such will say as St. Paul did To us to live is Christ Jesus Christ will be the All of their lives all the Rule and all the End of their living 3. That you may be Nonconformists to the world Meditate much of Christ's love to you by that you will come to know you owe all your conformity to Him Right thoughts of this will cause the world to be crucified to you and you to the world that neither the world shall care for you not you for it 4. Remember where Christ is He is no more in this world in respect of his corporal Presence he is ascended into Heaven he is there preparing Mansions for his he hath left you steps on earth in which you are to tread and in which you are to follow him if you desire to be where he is So that this considered a conformity to the world can never consist with a Christian's aims of being with Christ hereafter and to behold his glory He now being in Heaven is drawing the hearts and affections of those up to him who are to be for ever with him 5. Be much in searching the Scriptures where you may view as the Rules you are to walk by so the examples you are to imitate you will there have Glasses by which you are to dress your selves you will there find the pure example of him who was holy undefiled without spot and blemish viz. Jesus Christ You will there find the Examples of holy men who were Nonconformists to the men of their generation 6. Be much in prayer That God would deliver you from this present evil world That you may not be led into temptation but may be delivered from the evil of it Pray that God would carry you above the world and over all the good and evil of it without being infected or hurt by it 7. Remember what your condition in this world is If you profess your selves Christians then you profess your selves to be strangers and pilgrims in the world and a conformity to this world cannot consist with such a profession What have strangers to do with a conformity to that place through which they pass only as travellers and where they lodg only as pilgrims 8. Remember you are for Eternity and that you live upon the borders of it Think not so much where at present you are as where you shortly must be In every Conformist to this world there is a forgetfulness of Eternity How can those that think of an Eternal world that is drawing near to them and they to it give up themselves to a conformity to a world that is passing away Remember Eternity now calls on you and will shortly call for you 9. Encrease in Self-denyal It is the self-denying Christian that is the Nonconforming Christian to the world Such a Christian will regard neither the world's favours nor the world's frowns Such a Christian will say as Luther did I despise both the world's favour and the world's fury The self-denying Christian is one whom the world may both flatter and frown on but he stands like an immovable Rock not shaken by either 10. Encrease in the mortification of your worldly lusts Not mortifying these hath reduced some to a conformity to the world who seemed to have escaped the pollutions of it This was the undoing of Demas who forsook both his Ministry and the fellowship of St. Paul to embrace this present world and as some are of opinion became an Idol-Priest at Thessalonica upon the account of filthy lucre and worldly gain 11. Strengthen Faith whereby you will be strengthened to overcome this present evil world The Apostle tells us 1 John 5. 4. This is the victory whereby we overcome this world even our faith It will make us couragious to out-face a sinful world It is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. and will work in us a contempt of the things that are seen It will be the eye by which with Moses we shall see him that is Invisible and therby keep us from a conforming to a visible world upon greatest temptations though they be the pleasures and promotions of a Pharoah's Court. The more faith the less fear and it is base fear and cowardise that often betrays to a sinful compliance with and conformity to the world The more believing Christians are the less conforming they are to this world To close all let me mind you of what the Lord speaks to Jeremiah and that I say to all Christians concerning complying with and conforming to the world Jer. 15. 19. Therefore thus saith the Lord If thou return then will I bring thee again and thou shalt stand before me And if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth Let them return unto thee but return not thou unto them FINIS
report of those that are godly and that are really so Christ hath some chosen precious ones in the World redeemed from the World that are not of the world whose Names are written in Heaven who are Virgins i.e. who are not defiled nor spotted with the World's corruptions and pollutions you have a description of them Rev. 14. 4 c. such as vvalk in the steps of Christ here and shall vvalk vvith Christ in vvhite hereafter Novv consider Your not conforming to the World vvill gain the good report of these What the Apostle saith Heb. 11. 2. By faith the Elders obtained a good report may I say By this Nonconformity you vvill obtain a good report from those that are truly and sincerely good Novv compare this gain vvith the fore-mentioned loss What is it to lose the good vvord of a Drunkard a Swearer a filthy wicked prophane person and to be vvell reported of by those that are holy and pious Let me tell you Next to God's Approbation the Approbation of those that are godly is most desirable What comfort vvill this give a man upon his dying-bed that all the Drunkards and Prophane persons in the Countrey commend him and speak vvell of him Our Saviour said Wo to you when all men shall speak well of you and surely then Wo to that man of vvhom none can speak vvell but only such as are vvicked 2. By not conforming to the World you vvill not only gain a good report from godly men but also from God himself let me tell you They are such as God makes high account of whom Jesus Christ highly priseth and vvhom the Angels in Heaven rejoice over Look but into Scripture and see hovv highly God commends those vvho are Nonconformists to the men of their generation The Apostle in Heb. 11. speaks of the Faith of the holy men of old as Enoch of vvhom it 's said he walked with God and of Noah who by building the Ark upon the vvarning he had from God condemned the World Let me tell you vvhat the Apostle speaks of all them there in relation to their Faith we may speak of them in relation to their Nonconformity to the world that as the Apostle saith v. 2 by Faith they obtained a good report so by their Nonconformity to the world What was Enoch but a Nonconformist What was Noah but a Nonconformist to the men of his generation What were Abraham and Isaac and Jacob but Nonconformists to the world when it is expresly said of them v. 13. that they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth that they did look after a better Countrey i.e. a heavenly one What was Moses but a Nonconformist to this World who refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter who chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season who esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt This is an eminent and high demonstration of his Nonconformity to the World And so I might speak of the rest who were all persons of whom the world was not worthy who obtained a good report from God and of whom we may say as the Apostle doth Heb. 11. 13. All these dyed in faith So all these lived and dyed Nonconformists to the World How highly and honourably doth the Lord in Scripture speak of these Nonconformists Non doubt but the men of their generation looked upon them as men singular factious humorous as such that delighted to be unlike their Neighbours But the Lord speaks of them as excellent and precious and such of whom the World was not worthy Now compare these together and see whether is better To be well reported of by the World or to be well reported of by God What though the World account such precise Fools if the Lord call such the only wise in the world It is not whom the World commends but whom God commends that are praise-worthy indeed Moses in the blessing of Joseph Deut. 33. 16. he wisheth to him the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush To have the good-will and the good-word of God is that that is most desirable in this life 3. That you may be Nonconformists to this World Be much in comparing together Rules and Patterns Those of the Word and those of the World Take a view of both and then consider these three things First Which are most worthy your conformity Secondly To which you are most obliged and engaged to conform Thirdly By your conformity to which you shall most benefit and advantage your selves First Consider whether the Rules and Examples of the Word or of the World be most worthy of your conformity So consider 1. What the World's Rules and Commands and Prescriptions are You will find them to be all corrupt erroneous base unclean unholy And you will find its Examples such likewise The Rules it hath by which it doth and acts things and by which it judgeth of things are all naught Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean saith Job And how can a filthy and unclean World prescribe Rules that are otherwise Take a survey of its Rules 1. For judging of things It makes this one of its great Rules by which it judgeth of things Whether they be Good or Evil by the suitableness or unsuitableness there is in them to sinful flesh and corrupt nature I might name many other Rules of the like nature but for brevity's sake I omit them 2. For its Rules for practice they are sinful and corrupt too I shall name you some viz. To do as the most do is one Rule To do as the greatest do is another Rule To do as our Ancestors and Fore-fathers did who lived in dark and corrupt times is another Rule To do what respects our outward ease and credit and quiet in this world that we may sleep in a whole skin is another Rule In a word To do what is good in our own eyes and to do what tends to the pleasing and gratifying of our lusts is another Rule I might name more but let these suffice Next for the World's Patterns and Examples take a view of them You will find them all corrupt and naught If you look with a right eye upon them you will find they all have ugly base sinful inscriptions on them as of Prophaneness Drunkenness Swearing Covetousness Pride Luxury Uncleanness and of all Ungodliness Atheism Indifferency in Religion Lukewarmness Denying the power of Godliness c. Such are the World's Examples And so I have shew'd you what the World's Rules for judging and practice are and what its Patterns and Examples are All naught 2. Now I shall come to shew you what the Rules and Examples of the Word are that so upon comparing them together you may see which are most worthy of your conformity As for the Rules of the Word they are holy they are pure they are perfect so are all