A30579:184
Gospel-conversation
Gospel-conversation: wherein is showed, I. How the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature. II. Beyond those that lived under the law. III. And suitable to what truths the Gospel holds forth. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to Stepney and Cripplegate, London. Being the third book published by Thomas Goodwin, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simpson, Philip Nigh, William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.Gospel-conversation: wherein is shewed, I. How the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature. II. Beyond those that lived under the law. III. And suitable to what truths the Gospel holds forth. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to Stepney and Criplegate, London. Being the third book published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simpson, Philip Nye, William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1650
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, To show you how you should suit your Conversation to those things that are in the Gospel. And we shall abide upon this head somewhat long.
Secondly, To shew you how you should sute your Conversation to those things that are in the Gospel. And we shall abide upon this head somewhat long.
The first and principal thing in the Gospel, It is the holding forth unto us the infinite love of God to man-kind; this is the very end of the Gospel, that God might declare what an infinite love he hath unto the children of men, yea unto men rather than unto Angels; you know that Scripture in John, 3. •6. So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And indeed that one verse hath more of God in it than all Creatures in Heaven Earth; the whole frame of Heaven and Earth hath not so much of God in them as that one verse hath; So God loved the world that he sent forth his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life: It is as if God should say when he comes to reveal the Gospel, I will have a way wherein it shall appear to men and Angels for ever what the greatness of my love is unto these poor creatures, unto the children of men: And to that end I send my Son the second Person in Trinity to take their natures upon him, to come to be their Mediator; there will I manifest what my love is; that shall be the great fruit of love. It is the similitude of a learned Divine (saith he) the love of God in all other things in comparison of the love of God in Christ revealed in the Gospel, it is a little spark of fire in comparison of the heat in a furnace; when a furnace is heated red hot, it may be a few sparks of fire fly out, but what is one of those sparks of fire that fly out in comparison of all the heat that there is in the furnace, (so saith he) all the fruits of the love of God to man-kind in all ⟨p. 54⟩the works that ever God did do, are but as that one spark only; excepting this of Christ; and the love of God unto mankind in Christ is as it were the heat of the furnace, there's burning love indeed, the love of God in Christ, this is the great scope of the Gospel, the great aim of God, the great design that God had in the Gospel to make known the infiniteness of His love unto the children of men: Now then if so be that God in the Gospel doth reveal what there was in His heart from all eternity to man-kind (for so it is) that's the scope of the Gospel;