A30579:267
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.
PHIL. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ.
THE Ninth thing that the Gospel holds forth is this, That our Conversation should be suitable to spiritual worship, the spiritual worshipping of God. The worship that there was in the time of the Law, it was carnal in comparison of what there is in the time of the Gospel: And therefore a great part of the worship of God is called, a carnal commandment, and rudiments of the world, and beggarly things; If you read the 2d of Colossians, there you have strange expressions about that which was even the worship of God: and so in the Hebrews divers times. But now you know what Christ saith in John 4. to the woman of Samaria, The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this Mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father: But the hour cometh, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for such the Father seeks to worship him. We must not think to worship God in such carnal ways as before. I beseech you consider this one thing, Certainly God will have as much worship in the time of the Gospel, as ever He had: But where we have one external thing to worship God in now, in the time of the Law there was an hundred, an hundred to one of external things: yet now this worship of God must be made up some way; we are not called to those outward worshippings, offerings, sacrifices, and costly things as they were in the time of the Law; now, how should this be made up, but in spiritual sacrifices, in presenting our bodies and ⟨p. 97⟩souls to God as a living sacrifice, therefore such men and women as altogether are for the out-side of things in the worship of God, and because God hath appointed but a few things in his worship; we have use of no other creature in the worshipping of God, but merely the Bread and Wine, and Water, only these elements; and the Man to speak to us, to be either Gods mouth to us, or our mouth to God; there's all we have appointed in the Gospel for the worship of God; therefore it is expected if we would have our Conversation be as becomes the Gospel, to be very spiritual in our worship, and therefore to take heed of thinking to make up Gods worship with external things of our own, that's exceedingly unbeseeming the Gospel: Many thought in former times, they did honour God much by adding to His Worship ceremonies, external things; and peoples hearts are set most upon them, because they are from man, they are humane: