10. But however it go, you are secured of the main; that which you expected or covenanted for with God, you shall be sure of. If you have the Thing, you may easily bear the want of the name. Hath the Spirit of God renewed and sanctified you? are you made the living members of Christ, and the Sons of God, and the heirs of Heaven? I hope you may well spare then the applause of men, and easily bear it, if you be reputed to be destitute of what you have. If you are in health, it will not much trouble you if it be reported that you are sick: And if you are alive, you can bear it if the report go that you are dead: For as long as you have the thing you can spare the name: And if you have Christ, and Grace, and Pardon, and Justification, and Title to eternal life, cannot you endure to have men think that you are without them? How basely do you undervalue th•se inestimable ⟨p. 317⟩things, when the thoughts of a mans mind, or the words of a mans mouth can blast the comforts of them all? As if you said to the world, It is not Christ, and Grace, and Pardon, and Salvation, that will serve me, without the applause of men! How basely think you of God, and how highly of men, if this be your mind! It is more excusable for a Haman to say of all his honour and wealth that they satisfy him not, or do him no good, as long as he wants but Mordecai's obeisance, than for a Christian to say of God, of Christ, of Glory, All this will not serve my turn as long as men take me for an hypocrite or ungodly. For there is not a satisfying sufficiency in Honours and wealth, as there is in God and glory. As long as you have the precious treasure, methinks you may give losers leave to talk. It was not for the good words of men that you became Christians, and Covenanted with God, but for pardon and salvation: and these you shall have: God will perform his Covenant to you, and give you both his Kingdom, and so much of worldly things as overplus, as is truly good for you; and what would you have more? You shall have the Inheritance and Crown of blessedness; and will not that serve your turn without a few good words from silly man! I hope you would be loth to change Rewards with the Hypocrite! Why then do you so much desire his Reward, and so much undervalue your own!
10. But however it go, you are secured of the main; that which you expected or covenanted for with God, you shall be sure of. If you have the Thing, you may easily bear the want of the name. Hath the Spirit of God renewed and sanctified you? are you made the living members of Christ, and the Sons of God, and the heirs of Heaven? I hope you may well spare then the applause of men, and easily bear it, if you be reputed to be destitute of what you have. If you are in health, it will not much trouble you if it be reported that you are sick: And if you are alive, you can bear it if the report go that you are dead: For as long as you have the thing you can spare the name: And if you have Christ, and Grace, and Pardon, and Justification, and Title to eternal life, cannot you endure to have men think that you are without them? How basely do you undervalue th•se inestimable ⟨p. 317⟩things, when the thoughts of a mans mind, or the words of a mans mouth can blast the comforts of them all? As if you said to the world, It is not Christ, and Grace, and Pardon, and Salvation, that will serve me, without the applause of men! How basely think you of God, and how highly of men, if this be your mind! It is more excusable for a Haman to say of all his honour and wealth that they satisfie him not, or do him no good, as long as he wants but Mordecai's obeysance, than for a Christian to say of God, of Christ, of Glory, All this will not serve my turn as long as men take me for an hypocrite or ungodly. For there is not a satisfying sufficiency in Honors and wealth, as there is in God and glory. As long as you have the precious treasure, methinks you may give losers leave to talk. It was not for the good words of men that you became Christians, and Covenanted with God, but for pardon and salvation: and these you shall have: God will perform his Covenant to you, and give you both his Kingdom, and so much of worldly things as overplus, as is truly good for you; and what would you have more? You shall have the Inheritance and Crown of blessedness; and will not that serve your turn without a few good words from silly man! I hope you would be loth to change Rewards with the Hypocrite! Why then do you so much desire his Reward, and so much undervalue your own!
