A30579:271
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.
Obj. But you will say, We keep days of fasting, and thanksgiving.
Obj. But you will say, We keep daies of fasting, and thanksgiving.
Ans. But there's a great deal of difference between them and these times that here the Apostle speaks of.
Now the keeping of holy days is this: We account the time holy, and the very duty is more acceptable because it is performed at that time; as now on the Sabbath day, there may be a Sermon on the week day, but certainly it's a more holy worship of God to hear upon the Sabbath, than on the week day, and we sanctify Gods Name more on the Sabbath than on the week; why? Because the time doth sanctify the duty, being set apart by God: As in the Temple, the duty was more acceptable than in any other place, why? because it was set apart by God; but we cannot make any place holy, and so no time holy: so that our days of fasting & thanksgiving are only thus, that we will spend that time in holy duties, to humble our selves, or to bless God, but not to make this time holy, so that the duty should be holy because it's on this day rather than on another day; that's the superstition of it, when a duty should be holy rather on this day than on another; as now, some they think it's a more holy thing to receive the Lords Supper on an Ester day than on another day; this is superstition, to think ⟨p. 100⟩the duty is more holy by any holiness that men put upon a thing, that's unbeseeming the Gospel; and we are redeemed from such vain Conversations by the blood of Christ; and while men stick upon these things, and say, let them do what they will me thinks these things are good and right, it's very evil. Thus it was with the Galatians, they had more seeming reason to think that those things that they stuck upon were according to God than you, yet saith the Apostle, I am afraid of you lest I have spent all my labour in vain, lest I have been a burning and shining lamp to no purpose: and truly there's no people of which there can be less hope that the Ministry of the Word should work savingly upon, than those people that are set upon old customs in the worship of God, as wines upon their lees: and till the Lord be pleased to take off your hearts from old customs in the service and worship of God, there's a plain demonstration that the preaching of the Gospel hath not prevailed with your hearts, for you do not live as becomes the Gospel: That which becomes the Gospel it is worshipping God only in a spiritual way, the consecrating of your souls and bodies.