Gospel-conversation

Application.

Only (saith the Apostle) let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ. Have a care of this above all things, Oh you would fain get more knowledge, and be accounted somebody in the place where you live, and be an eminent professor ⟨p. 16⟩where you live; Well, whatsoever you would fain be accounted of, let it be your only care, that your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ. Oh! this point speaks bitter things, and sharply rebukes the carelessness of the professors of the Gospel in point of their Conversation.

Only (saith the Apostle) let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ. Have a care of this above all things, Oh you would fain get more knowledg, and be accounted somebody in the place where you live, and be an eminent professor ⟨p. 16⟩where you live; Well, whatsoever you would fain be accounted of, let it be your only care, that your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ. Oh! this point speaks bitter things, and sharply rebukes the carelesness of the professors of the Gospel in point of their Conversation.

Oh Lord, how have we cause to bewail the looseness of the professors of the Gospel at this day! and I fear, that some may be present whose consciences may tell them that they are very loose in the point of their Conversations. Thou professest thou knowest Jesus Christ, that the Lord hath made known the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel to thee; What is thy life? Canst thou say as in the presence of God, that thy Conversation is answerable? I beseech you as in the presence of God, examine but this, see whether thou art able to say, Lord, thou knowest according to what light thou hast given me in the Gospel, it hath been my care to look to my Conversation, Oh that I might live to thy honour, and be a witness to thy truth; that I might hold forth thy image and further thy designs, and make up the dishonour that thou hast from others in the world; and that I might convince wicked men, and stop the mouths of those that are opposite; and that I might be a means to convert those that I live with, or otherwise to judge them; Oh that I might rejoice the hearts of the Saints, that they might lift up their heads with boldness because of me, that they may, and so I might be stablished and edified! Go along in the rest of the heads. Can thy conscience tell thee that thou hast done so? No, but its quite contrary in some. The Lord speaks now to the consciences of those that this point concerns, that have been negligent in the point of their Conversation, thou art the man or woman that God hath as great dishonour from as from most in the world, yea certainly, there is no men upon the face of the earth that darkens the glory of the blessed God so much, as professors of Religion who live loosely, all the profane ones, all your drunkards that reel up and down in the streets, and your blasphemers, yea name what sinners you will, there is non that do darken the glory of God so much as thou doest, who art loose in thy Conversation, and yet a professor of the Gospel, thou castest dirt upon the blessed Image of God, thou doest