Secondly, and more particularly, that living among good people, and seeing of their example both in life and worship, we find in Scripture to be a very efficacious means oftentimes to convince, sometimes to convert; and if you can find out this in Scripture, you may have abundance of comfort. It hath been a means oftentimes to convince, 1 Pet. 3.16. They shall be ashamed to speak evil of you, while they behold your conversation in Christ. When they shall see that you live-in Christ, and walk according to Christ, they shall be ashamed; ashamed of what they have done, and what they have spoken; it shall convince them. So 1 Pet. 2.15. And the Apostle when he speaks of the orderly and regular managing the worship of God, 1 Cor. 14.23.25. If there comes an unbeliever among you, and he sees your order (saith he) he shall fall down in the midst of you, he shall be convinced, and shall say, ⟨p. 98⟩Of a truth God is among you. Seeing this, (saith the Apostle) godly men holy in their lives, and holy in their worship, though he be an unbeliever, he shall fall down and say, Of a truth God is among you: that is, by way of conviction. Nay further, sometimes God doth bless the gracious lives, and blameless example of Christians to be a means to convert some, when the Gospel cannot do it; and you would think this very comfortable, could it be made good. I would commend but one Text of Scripture to you, to prove what a blessing it is to live in a good family, where either husband or wife, or any one in the family is godly, 1 Pet. 3.1. Wives be subject unto your husbands, what then? that your husbands that are not won by the Word, may be won without the Word, whilst they behold the conversation of their wives. A notable text, There were many wicked Husbands, that all the Sermons they heard would not convert them; yet the Apostle tells them, that if the wife did live a godly and holy life, their lives sometimes should be more efficacious to convert their Husbands, then the Word should be. And this, Beloved, doth clearly take off this first plea of yours, that because you were converted by example, and by living among good Christians, and seeing their walkings, this gained upon you; this is no cause of discouragement, because sometimes, (I say) the Lord doth bless examples of gracious lives, to make them win and gain upon men that are brought home to Jesus Christ.
Secondly, and more particularly, that living among good people, and seeing of their example both in life and worship, we finde in Scripture to be a very efficatious meanes oftentimes to convince, sometimes to convert; and if you can finde out this in Scripture, you may have abundance of comfort. It hath been a means oftentimes to convince, 1 Pet. 3.16. They shall be ashamed to speak evil of you, while they behold your conversation in Christ. When they shall see that you live-in Christ, and walk according to Christ, they shall be ashaemed; ashamed of what they have done, and what they have spoken; it shall convince them. So 1 Pet. 2.15. And the Apostle when he speaks of the orderly and regular managing the worship of God, 1 Cor. 14.23.25. If there comes an unbeliever among you, and he sees your order (saith he) he shall fall down in the midst of you, he shall be convinced, and shall say, ⟨p. 98⟩Of a truth God is among you. Seeing this, (saith the Apostle) godly men holy in their lives, and holy in their worship, though he be an unbeleiver, he shall fall down and say, Of a truth God is among you: that is, by way of conviction. Nay further, sometimes God doth blesse the gracious lives, and blamelesse example of Christians to be a means to convert some, when the Gospel cannot do it; and you would think this very comfortable, could it be made good. I would commend but one Text of Scripture to you, to prove what a blessing it is to live in a good family, where either husband or wife, or any one in the family is godly, 1 Pet. 3.1. Wives be subject unto your husbands, what then? that your husbands that are not wonne by the Word, may be wonne without the Word, whilest they behold the conversation of their wives. A notable text, There were many wicked Husbands, that all the Sermons they heard would not convert them; yet the Apostle tells them, that if the wife did live a godly and holy life, their lives sometimes should be more efficatious to convert their Husbands, then the Word should be. And this, Beloved, doth clearly take off this first plea of yours, that because you were converted by example, and by living among good Christians, and seeing their walkings, this gained upon you; this is no cause of discouragement, because sometimes, (I say) the Lord doth blesse examples of gracious lives, to make them winne and gain upon men that are brought home to Jesus Christ.
