An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

Thirdly, Seeing the Lord hath thus laid the measures of the earth, and stretched forth the line upon it; seeing he hath made such an exact building for us, this earth: let us walk exactly and orderly upon this earth, which he hath made. As he hath laid his measures in framing the earth, so we should keep our measures in living upon the earth. He hath stretched out his ⟨p. 67⟩line upon it, and we should take heed that we do not exceed our line. God hath given a line, by which mans conversation should be squared as exactly as any building is or can be by line. As the work of God for us is beautiful, so should our works be. We (as to our spiritual state) are a Creation, a new noble Creation: And certainly, he who made the earth, this old outward Creation in such exactness, hath also made the new Creation, our spiritual heavenly state much more (if more may be) exactly; he hath made it by measure and by line. Let us therefore walk, and speak, yea, and think, by measure and by line; let us appear and approve our selves as the building of God, as the work of Gods holy Spirit, fair and beautiful. Many profess godliness; but do they appear as Gods Workmanship, as if God had stretched his line, and laid the measure of the New Spiritual Creation upon them? Believers are the Workmanship of God (Eph. 2.10.¹) and so they should appear as) created in Christ Jesus unto good works; which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them. The Apostle saith (Phil. 1.27.) Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ, whom ye believe in. The Gospel is an exact thing, ordered in all things as David spake of it (2 Sam. 23.5.) under the notion of the everlasting Covenant. Now, saith St. Paul, Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ; let it be an orderly conversation: I may say also, let your conversation be such as becometh the earth ye walk upon; that's an accurate frame, the Lord hath made it in measure, and stretched the line upon it: Let us take heed we be not found walking besides that line, those measures which he hath given us.