The crown and glory of a Christian consisting in a sound conversion and well ordered conversation.

4ly, Of your Conversation respecting both others and your self.

1. In respect of others, both those without and within.

1. To those without.

1. You must walk wise∣ly to them, and honestly with them, Col. 4. 5. Nei∣ther giving offence care∣lesly, nor taking offence causelesly, 1 Cor. 10. 32, Giving no offence to any, ei∣ther Greek or Jew, but walk∣ing handsomely, (as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies) 1 Thes. 4. 12. That by your well-doing you may not only

put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, stopping their mouths from speaking evil of you, 1 Pet. 2. 15. But also by your convincing-life cause them to open their mouths in commending you, that all which see you, may acknowledg you, that you are a seed which the Lord hath blessed, Isa. 61. 9.

2. You may not be con∣formed to the corrupt cu∣stoms and courses of this present evil world, Rom. 12. 2; especially those that are set down, Rom. 13. 13. Eph. 4. 18, 19, 20. 1 Pet. 4, 3. Plain Jacob can never be comely in the rough gar∣ments

of prophane Esau: but you must be transfor∣med (or metamorphos'd as the word signifies) by the renewing of your heart and life, the old frame must be dissolved, and a new one acquired, that you may prove (by your pra∣ctice) what is good, that perfect and acceptable will of God, and shew to all men that [Ego non sum E∣go] I am not the same man I was, (as the Convert did to the Harlot solliciting him again to leudness) that all may behold an heart-changing, and a life-changing work wrought effectually in you.

3. Be careful that the world outstrip you not in any moral action; you may not do less than others, when your Lord com∣mands you to do more than others, Mat. 5 47; as Christ hath done singular things for you (in shewing you singular grace and mercy) so he both expects and re∣quires singular things from you; you must be eminent in good works, Tit. 2. 14. and get above others, having your feet where other mens heads are; The way of the righteous is above to the wise, Prov. 15. 24. He goes an higher way to work, than the ordinary

frame of the world; he knows, that more than the common stint is required of him, he must do that which the world will never do, and that is, he must walk [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,] accurately, en∣deavouring to get up to the very top of godliness, as the word in the original signifies, Eph. 5. 15.

4. Let your righteous∣ness and innocency be as a breast-plate and brazen∣wall to you against all re∣proaches; knowing assured∣ly, that there will be a Re∣surrection of Names as well as of bodies at the last, Psal. 37. 6, God will bring forth your righteousness as the

morning-light; though the earth be covered with darkness while night lasts, yet the morning drives it away; while your life gives your reproaches the lye, God will clear up your wronged innocency; dirt may stick upon a mud∣wall, but it will not do so upon Marble.

5. Evermore account it better for you to suffer an hundred injuries, rather than to offer one; the lat∣ter will bring guilt on you, but the former comfort. Had David shed the blood of Nabal, &c. (from which he was prevented by Abi∣gals prudence) it would un∣doubtedly

have been grea∣ter grief and offence of heart to him (as she told him, 1 Sam. 25. 31.) than all his sorrows and suffer∣ings from bloody Saul. Abigail argued thus with him, As thou never took revenge heretofore, so thou may not now; and David blesses God for preventing him, v. 32.

6. Beware the society of such persons, from which you cannot come off with∣out either guilt or grief, and amongst whom you must either countenance sin, or contract sin. While Peter was warming his hands (amongst the ene∣mies

of Christ in the Hall, Luk. 22. 55, 56, &c. alas, his heart froze into a stupe∣faction, which melted not till a look of love from the Sun of Righteousness kind∣ly thawed it again, v. 61. as the Sun of the Firma∣ment doth when it looks upon a bank of snow. Evil company is contagious, and sin is more catching than the plague; Peter out of curiosity (to see the issue of Christs Captivity) sat with the servants of Christ-murderers, and so tempts Satan to tempt him; no doubt but the damosel was set on by the devil to occasion Peters denying Christ.

7. Be not too talkative amongst those where pro∣vidence casts you. Consi∣der, God hath given you two ears, and but one tongue, yea, and that shut up with a double door, the one of flesh, and the other of bone, to wit, your lips and your teeth; this should teach you to speak sparing∣ly, and to hear twice as much as you speak; and when you speak let your speech be favory, seasoned with salt (of a gracious spi∣rit) Col. 4. 6; the salt of grace must preserve your common communication from putrefaction and rot∣tenness; leave you the

favour of Grace in all com∣panies where you come.

2dly, Your Conversation to those that are within.

1. As you may not be blind in charity, so neither must you be rash in cen∣sure; 'tis better to be o∣ver credulous than over suspicious, and over censo∣rious. God puts a charita∣ble construction upon the case of the betrothed Da∣mosel, Deut. 22.27, as there was none to save her, so there was none to hear her; yet 'tis taken for granted there, that in such a case, she cried out, therefore she

shall not die: this shews us, that always in doubtful cases, we should put on the best construction.

2. Be sure you see grace, where sin is; as well as sin, where grace is: Keep warm your love to those that truly fear God, because of those graces that shine forth in them; and take heed of lessening your love to them, because of those Infirmities that do attend them; 'tis pity the worst part should be seen, and the best part either not seen, or (at least) not ac∣knowledged; the Lord (himself) would not see ini∣quity in Jacob, nor sorcery

in Israel, Numb. 23. 21. When there was (non pec∣catum flammans) no fla∣ming sin at that time among them in his eye, and there∣fore Balaam counselled their enemies to entice them to fornication, which would be a flaming God-provoking sin; enormities indeed cannot, but infir∣mities may and ought to be covered with a mantle of love; God is a good copy to write after.

3. Take heed of imita∣ting the greatest favourite heaven in any of his fail∣ings; you are (indeed) compassed about with a great cloud of Witnesses

in the sacred Scriptures; Heb. 12.1. yet know, that this cloud like that cloud in the Wilderness) hath a black side as well as a bright; to wit, their in∣firmities are recorded, as well as their graces; you may not imitate Joseph in his swearing, but you must in his chastity; you may not follow Job in his passi∣on and impatiency, but you must in his patience and piety; and so of the rest. The frailties of those emi∣nent Saints are registred in holy writ, just as danger∣ous Rocks are marked out at Sea, not to run upon them, but to shun them:

they are penned down as examples of caution, but not of imitation. You must know, that they which fol∣low'd the dark side of the cloud (in the Red-sea) were Egyptians, and were drow∣ned; but they that follow'd the bright side of it were Israelites, and passed safe, not only over the Red-sea, but into Canaan.

4. Have not the faith of Christ with respect of persons, but be careful to love grace in rags, as well as in robes: Grace may (indeed) commend Gold, but Gold can never com∣mend Grace; the lesser must be blest of the grea∣ter:

'tis true, that Gold may beautifie the Temple, but 'tis still the Temple that sanctifies the Gold. Per∣sons (though never so rich, or never so richly arrayed) are at the best but silken dust, and they may be no better than golden dam∣nation.

The second part of your Conversation is that which respects your self, &c.

1. Be not quick-sighted abroad, and blind at home; this is to be a Benzoma, as the Hebrews phrase it, to be extravagant, or seldom at home, (as the Harlot,

Prov. 7. 11.) seldom com∣muning with your own heart; you must hate sin in others, but especially in your self; know that your heart is full of Harlotry; and if you seek your self too much abroad, you will (at last) find your self but lost at home; but if you be much at home (as indeed the greatest part of the work of a Christian lies within doors▪ then sin will not dare to haunt your house or heart; or how∣ever neither sins little or great can then live peacea∣bly within you.

2. Be sure you give not place to little sins, for they

will wear away the tender∣ness of your Conscience, and like little thieves (cree∣ping in at the windows) they will open the door for great ones; little wedges do make way for the grea∣ter, and so your soul may be cloven asunder thereby: every sin (be it small or great) should be a stranger to you, and not an home-dweller in you. Thus Da∣vids sin was but a traveller, that came only to visit him, but not to take up any con∣tinuing lodgings with him. Thus 'tis said in Nathans Parable, there came a tra∣veller unto the rich man, 2 Sam. 12. 4. It is Christ

(and not sin) that must lye all night between the Spou∣ses breasts, Cant. 1. 13; she will have no home-dweller but Christ.

3. Live not at random, but square your life by the rule of Righteousness, (to wit, the word of God) in thought, word, and deed; and account every trans∣gression of that rule to be your sin; at night call your faithless heart to a faithful account how oft, and how much you have come short of that rule the day past; a sensible frame of spirit will easily find out, that Gods Com∣mandments are exceeding

broad, Psal. 119. 96, but your obedience is exceed∣ing narrow, and that your sins are more in number than the hairs upon your head, Psal. 40. 12: so in∣numerable, that you can∣not reckon them, (who can tell the errors of his life? Psal. 19. 12,) and if you cannot reckon them, sure I am, you can never be able to reckon for them, that must be the work of your blessed Surety, our dear Lord Jesus.

4. Let not any one trans∣gression of that divine rule, live peaceably in you, not so much as a vain thought must take up lodgings in

your heart, Jer. 4. 14; as water that is sprung into a ship, is presently pumpt out again in leaky Vessels for fear of sinking. So when any soul-sinking sin springs in upon you which certain∣ly will come faster in than water into a Vessel at Sea), then be sure you ply the pump of Prayer and Repentance, and never give over pumping, till your Vessel be cleansed, and till you have some sense that your sin is pardoned; you will not go to bed with a bone out of joint, but it must be set right with ex∣pedition; 'tis pity that the soul (disjointed with

sin) should be so long neg∣lected.

5. 'Tis a blessed frame of spirit to nourish in you both the sense of your own sin, and the fear of Gods wrath for your sin: The heavier that your sins are to you, the lighter will your afflictons be on you; 'tis wind and rain coming both together, that makes the storm upon our bodies. So 'tis sin and affliction joining both together, that makes the storm in our souls; when your sin is your burden, 'tis then re∣pented of, and so pardon∣ed; this will make your af∣fliction a far lighter bur∣den.

6. Take heed of putting holiness upon you as a loose garment, to cast off or on at pleasure (according to your differing companies and occasions), but be sure that you gird it close to you with the golden girdle of truth, Ephes. 6. 14, that in all places you may be what you seem to be; that you be to God, what you seem to be to man; and that you be to God at all times, what you seem to be to man at any time.

7. Take heed of grie∣ving the good Spirit of God, wherewith you are sealed to the day of Redem∣ption, Ephes. 4. 30; and

which is a delicate thing (as some reads, Psal. 143. 10,) res delicata est spiritus tu∣us; and therefore loves to live in a clean house, in a clean heart. 'Tis a foul fault to grieve an earthly father; but 'tis far greater to grieve this holy Spirit: If you grieve the Holy Ghost, how can you ex∣pect that he should com∣fort you? When you are grieved, you cannot do your work as you are wont, and neither can the Holy Spirit do his work in and for you: a guest that is grieved, may leave the house that grieves him; so this delicate thing (the

Spirit of God) may leave your house desolate, when grieved with your sins, Mat, 23. 38; and then wo to you if God and his good spirit depart from you, Hos. 9. 12.

8. But above all, take heed of quenching the spirit, 1 Thes. 5. 19, to wit, in his motions and graces: If God have kindled from heaven the holy fire upon the altar of your heart, be careful that it be kept bur∣ning there continually (in your love to Christ, and zeal for him) it must never go out, Lev. 6. 12, 13. You must stir up this fire (as the Apostle counselleth, 2 Tim.

1.6, and not despise Pro∣phecying; for the Priests lips blows it up into a flame; it may be quenched either by withdrawing of fuel, to wit, neglect of Or∣dinances; or by casting on water, to wit, by falling into foul courses: you must beware of both.

9. Be not ashamed to become a fool for Christ, 1 Cor. 3. 18. Self-conceit, self-will, and self-love, (like Noahs three Sons) hath spread themselves over the whole World; you must deny your own self-con∣ceit and carnal wisdom: you must account your self more brutish than any

man, (with Agur, Prov. 30. 2, 3,) when you come to Ithiel and Ʋcal (which is Christ, both goodness and power) to be instructed in Christs school, Act. 4. 13. Remember it was the De∣vil that spoke in the subtile Serpent, Gen. 3. 4; and it was God that spake in the silly Ass, Numb. 22. 28. Remember also, how it was an Ass that carried Christ to Jerusalem, Mat. 21.5.

10. Yet, though you must be as silly as Doves, you must also be as wise as Serpents, Mat. 10. 16. You must have the silliness and the meekness of wisdom, Jam. 3. 13. As you must

be wise to salvation, so you may be wise to safety in Gods way, and not cast your self upon needless dangers; Christianity al∣lows you as much of the Serpent as of the Dove; the Dove without the Ser▪ is easily entangled, and the Serpent without the Dove is venomously hurtful; the head of the Serpent, and the heart of the Dove makes up the best and the most blessed composition; piety without policy is too simple to be safe; and po∣licy without piety is too subtile to be good.

11. You must chuse any suffering rather than the

east sinning; you must not chuse iniquity rather than affliction, Job 36. 21, for there is more evil in the least sin, than in the grea∣test suffering, in as much as Moral evil is far worse and greater than that which is meerly Natural: Quas non ergo oportet mor∣tes praeeligere, saith Zu∣inglius; therefore what deaths ought not a man rather to make choice of, what torments not rather undergo, yea into what deepest gulf of Hell (it self) not rather enter, than wittingly and willingly to sin the least sin against God? The ancient Martyrs

would not accept of deli∣verance upon ignoble and the sinful terms, Hebrews 11. 35. They would not throw so much as one grain of frankincense to the Idol, though it would have saved their own lives; hence Daniel chose rather to be cast to the Lions, than to violate his Conscience, and so to have a lion roaring in his bosome; he knew that in an angry Conscience he might feel the unbearable strokes of an angry God; and a man had better anger all the Witches in the world, yea and all the De∣vils in hell, than anger God.

12. You may not do the least evil, no, not for the procuring of the greatest good, Rom. 3. 8; do no e∣vil, that good may come. If a lie would save your life, you may not tell it: Gods people are children that will not lie, (as their father is a God that can∣not lie), Isa. 63. 8; they will rather die than lie. Non ideo negare volo, ne peream; sed ideo mentiri nolo, ne peocem: I will not therefore deny, least I pe∣rish; but therefore will I not lie, least I sin, said the good woman upon the Rack: of whom St. Jerome writeth. And Austin saith,

That a man ought not to tell a lie, though he might save the whole World from Hell thereby; for there is more evil in one lie, than there is good (saith he) in the salvation of all the World: and he would chuse Hell rather than sin, if set before him for choice. Thus the Primitive Chri∣stians cried, [Ad Leones potius quam ad Lenones,] Throw us to your Lions, rather than to your Har∣lotry; though this would save our lives, yet would it destroy our souls. The Ar∣menian Mouse will die (some write) rather than be defiled with filth: in∣somuch

that if her hole be besmeared with dirt, she rather chuses to be taken than polluted. Such ought all the servants of God to be.

13. Examine your call from God for every action you undertake; be oft cry∣ing [Quo warranto?] what warrant have I for this or that from the Lord, whom I ought to obey in all things: and for this end, mind those four voices; 1. Of Providence, how it calls you: 2. Of Consci∣ence, what satisfaction you find there both concerning the lawfulness and the ex∣pediency of the action:

3. Of the word, which ought to warrant all our actions, as it is the rule of all Righteousness: and 4ly, of the Spirit, which gives its testimony to all the aforesaid (the fruits of the Spirit is in all, good∣ness, and righteousness, and truth, Eph. 5. 9.) and wit∣nesses with our spirits that we are in Gods way, and in our own duty: The voice of Providence alone may deceive you, as it might have done David, had Abishai's apprehensi∣ons prevailed with him (as 1 Sam. 26. 8. God hath de∣livered thine enemy (Saul) into thine hand this day,)

he would not have David to tempt God any longer by letting slip this so fair an opportunity; but holy David had the three other voices to hearken unto, as well as that voice of Provi∣dence, ver. 9, 10, 11, nei∣ther the Word would war∣rant him, nor his own spi∣rit, nor the spirit of God; which last hinder'd Paul and Silas from going into Asia and Bithynia, Act. 16. 6, 7.

14. In things wherein self may sway, it is safest for you to be passive; in such cases you will be strongly tempted (both by a subtil devil, and by a de∣ceitful

heart) to out-run God both in his Promises, and in his Providences; as Israel in Numb. 14.40, We will go up unto the place which the Lord hath pro∣mised: they must needs go up that very morning, for self swayed their hearts that way, though the pil∣lar of Providence (which was their guide by night, and by day) did not go before them; and though they plead Gods promise, yet they did not consider, Gods promises are fealed, but they are not dated: You must wait therefore (in such cases of self) Gods time; your time will be

always ready, when Gods time is not yet, Joh. 7. 6. You would have your wa∣ter of affliction turned in∣to the wine of consolation at your time: but Christ saith to you as he said to his Mother, What have I to do with thee, woman? mine hour is not yet come, Joh. 2.4; the day you set down in your Kalendar, is not the same that God sets down in his; we are all exceeding prone to post-date the divine threat∣nings, and to antidate the divine promises: we all put the evil day far from us, Amos 6. 3. Ezek. 12. 27. When God comes

in his threatnings, we think he hath leaden feet, and is slow in pace, 2 Pet. 3.4, 9, but when we expect him to come in his promises, then we look upon him as a Roe and as a young hind in the mountains of Bether.