Gospel-conversation

the Heathens saw this, and wondered at it, and it was by this that they found out who were Christians, if they saw any people beginning to have a spirit of love more than before, they would think surely these have heard of this Christian Religion, and they begin to be Christian; this was the glory of Christian Religion in those times, that there was such entire love and union of hearts amongst them. The Apostle John would have such love as that Christians should be willing to die one for another, and they did so in the primitive times, Oh this were becoming the Gospel indeed: But Oh how far, how far are we from such a Conversation in such times as we live in now! as if so be that the Gospel were gone from us, we speak of the Gospel as if it were revealed more now than ever, and much concerning free grace in the Gospel, but look upon the Conversations of men, they were never more unsuitable to the Gospel, and in this particular, in respect of the sincere love in the hearts of Christians: My brethren, malicious dispositions are extremely unbecoming the ⟨p. 59⟩Gospel, hateful and malicious dispositions, What doth a beastly, brutish, savageness do, the fierceness of beasts do in the breast of a Christian? Oh it is infinitely unbeseeming a Christian to have an unloving disposition, a hateful disposition, to be hating one another, and to have a spirit of opposition and contradiction, and frowardness one against another, there is nothing more unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ than this. I remember I have read even of one of the Heathen Emperors, that being convinced somewhat about Christ, and hearing much of him, saw two that professed the name of Christians to fall out bitterly one with another, which as soon as he perceived he calls them to him, and gives a straight command that they should never afterward, presume to call themselves by the name of Christians; No (saith he) you do not do according to your Master that you profess, your life is unsuitable to your Master, even one that was but a Heathen himself speak this. Oh if we profess our selves Christians let our Conversations be as becomes the Gospel in point of love, and make that to be the argument of love, the love of God revealed in the Gospel;

the Heathens saw this, and wondred at it, and it was by this that they found out who were Christians, if they saw any people beginning to have a spirit of love more than before, they would think surely these have heard of this Christian Religion, and they begin to be Christian; this was the glory of Christian Religion in those times, that there was such intire love and union of hearts amongst them. The Apostle John would have such love as that Christians should be willing to die one for another, and they did so in the primitive times, Oh this were becoming the Gospel indeed: But Oh how far, how far are we from such a Conversation in such times as we live in now! as if so be that the Gospel were gone from us, we speak of the Gospel as if it were reveal'd more now than ever, and much concerning free grace in the Gospel, but look upon the Conversations of men, they were never more unsutable to the Gospel, and in this particular, in respect of the sincere love in the hearts of Christians: My brethren, malitious dispositions are extreamly unbecoming the