First,1 To whom do you yield your obedience? His Subjects and servants ye are to whom ye obey. Rom. 6.16. It's but a mockery to give Christ the empty titles of Lord and King, whilst ye give your real service to sin, and Satan. What is this ⟨p. 204⟩but like the Jews to bow the knee to him, and say hail Master and crucify him? Then are ye his disciples, if ye do whatsoever he commands you. Joh. 15.14. He that is Christs servant in jest, shall be damned in earnest. Christ doth not complement with you. His Pardons, Promises, Salvations are real; O let your obedience be so too. Let it be sincere, and universal obedience; this will evidence your unfeigned subjection to Christ. Do not dare to enterprise any thing, till you know Christs pleasure and Will. Rom. 12.2. Enquire of Christ, as David did of the Lord, 1 Sam. 23.9, 10, 11. Lord may I do this, or that, or shall I forbear? I beseech thee tell thy Servant.
Secondly, Have you the power of godliness, or a form of it only? There be many that do but trifle in Religion, and play about the skirts and borders of it: spending their time about jejune and barren controversies; but as to the power of Religion and life of Godliness, which consists in communion with God in duties and ordinances, which promotes holiness; and mortifies their Lusts, they concern not themselves about these things. But surely, the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 1 Cor. 4.20. It is not meat and drink, (that is, dry disputes about meats and drinks) but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy-Ghost, for he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God; and approved of men. Rom. 14.17, 18. O I am afraid when the great Host of Professors shall be tried by these rules, th•y will shrink up into a little handful; as Gideons Host did.
Thirdly, Have ye the special saving knowledge of Christ? All his Subjects are translated out of the Kingdom of darkness. 1 Col. 13. The Devil that ruleth over you in the days of your ignorance, is called the Ruler of the darkness of this world. His Subjects are all blind: else he could never rule them. As soon as their eyes be opened, they run out of his Kingdom. And there is no retaining them in subjection to him any longer. O enquire then, whether you are brought out of darkness, into his marvellous light. Do ye see your condition how sad, miserable, wretched i• is by nature?
First,1 To whom do you yield your obedience? His Subjects and servants ye are to whom ye obey. Rom. 6.16. It's but a mockery to give Christ the empty titles of Lord and King, whilst ye give your real service to sin, and Satan. What is this ⟨p. 204⟩but like the Jews to bow the knee to him, and say hail Master and crucifie him? Then are ye his disciples, if ye do whatsoever he commands you. Joh. 15.14. He that is Christs servant in jest, shall be damned in earnest. Christ doth not complement with you. His Pardons, Promises, Salvations are real; O let your obedience be so too. Let it be sincere, and universal obedience; this will evidence your unfeigned subjection to Christ. Do not dare to enterprize any thing, till you know Christs pleasure and Will. Rom. 12.2. Enquire of Christ, as David did of the Lord, 1 Sam. 23.9, 10, 11. Lord may I do this, or that, or shall I forbear? I beseech thee tell thy Servant.
Secondly, Have you the power of godliness, or a form of it only? There be many that do but trifle in Religion, and play about the skirts and borders of it: spending their time about jejune and barren controversies; but as to the power of Religion and life of Godliness, which consists in communion with God in duties and ordinances, which promotes holiness; and mortifies their Lusts, they concern not themselves about these things. But surely, the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 1 Cor. 4.20. It is not meat and drink, (that is, dry disputes about meats and drinks) but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy-Ghost, for he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God; and approved of men. Rom. 14.17, 18. O I am affraid when the great Host of Professors shall be tried by these rules, th•y will shrink up into a little handful; as Gideons Host did.
Thirdly, Have ye the special saving knowledge of Christ? All his Subjects are translated out of the Kingdom of darkness. 1 Col. 13. The Devil that ruleth over you in the daies of your ignorance, is called the Ruler of the darkness of this world. His Subjects are all blind: else he could never rule them. Assoon as their eyes be opened, they run out of his Kingdom. And there is no retaining them in subjection to him any longer. O enquire then, whether you are brought out of darkness, into his marvelous light. Do ye see your condition how sad, miserable, wretched i is by nature?
- 1O how many of us would have Christ divided in two halves, that we might take the half of him only, and take his office, Jesus, and Salvation; but Lord is a cumbersome word, and to obey, and work out our own Salvation, and perfect holiness, is the cumbersome, and stormy northside of Christ, and that we eschew and shift off.O how many of us would have Christ divided in two halves, that we might take the half of him only, and take his office, Jesus, and Salvation; but Lord is a cumbersom word, and to obey, and work out our own Salvation, and perfect holiness, is the cumbersom, and stormy northside of Christ, and that we eschew and shift off.
