Sapores in his minority. And this man for fear denied the Chris- tian faith, and complied with the idolatrous worship of the king. And one day (saith the historian) sitting at the court-gate, he saw Simon, the aged archbishop of Seleucia, drawn along to prison, for his constancy in the Christian faith ; and, though he durst not openly own the Christian faith he had so basely denied, and confess himself a Christian, yet he could not chuse but rise, and express his reverence to this holy man, in a respective and honourable salu- tation; but the zealous good man frowned upon him, and turned away his face from him, as thinking such an apostate unworthy of the least respect from him. This presently struck Ustazanes to the heart, and drew from him many tears and groans ; and thus he reasoned with himself: Simon will not own me, and can I think but that God will disclaim me, when I appear before his tribunal ? Simon will not speak unto me, will not so much as look upon me, and can I look for so much as a good word or look from Jesus Christ, whom I have so shamefully betrayed and denied ? Here- upon he threw off his rich courtly robes, and put on mourning ap- parel, and professed himself a Christian, and died a martyr. O it is a piercing thing to an honest heart, to be cast out of the favour of God's people. If you walk loosely, neither God nor his people will look kindly upon you.
Fourthly, and lastly, Your very enemies engage you to this pure and holy life upon a double ground. You are obliged by them two ways, viz. as they are your bold censurers, and your watchful obser- vers. They censure you as hypocrites, and will you give them ground and matter for such a charge ? They say, only your tongues are more holy than other men's, and shall thev prove it from your practice ? They also observe you diligently ; lie at catch, and are highly gratified by your mircarriages. If your lives be loose and defiled, you will not only be a shame to your friends, but the song of your enemies. You will make mirth in hell ; and gratify all the enemies of God. This is that they watch for. They are cu- rious observers of your goings. And that which makes them tri- umph at your falls and miscarriages, is not only that deep rooted enmity betwixt the two seeds, but because all your miscarriages and evils are so many absolutions to their consciences, and justifications (as they think) of their ways and practices. For look, as your strictness and holiness doth, as it were, cast and condemn them, as Noah, Heb. xi. 7. by his practice, condemned the world, their consciences fly in their faces, when thev see your holy and pure conversations. It lays a damp upon them. It works upon their consciences, and causes many smart reflections. So when you fall, you, as it were, absolve their consciences, loose the bonds of con-
THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 549
viction you had made fast upon them, and now there is matter of joy put before them.
Oil, say they, whatever these men talk, we see they are no bet- ter than we. They can do as we do. They can cozen and cheat for advantage. They can comply with any thing for their own ends ; it is not conscience, as we once thought, but mere stomach and humour, that made them so precise. And oh! what a sad thing is this ! hereby you shed soul-blood. You fasten the bonds of death upon their souls. You kill those convictions, which, for any thing you know, might have made way to their conversion When you "fall, you may rise again ; but they may fall at your ex- ample, and never rise more. Never have a good opinion of the ways of God, or of his people any more. Upon this consideration, David begs of God, Psal. v. 8. " Lead me, O Lord, in thy righte- " ousness, because of mine enemies ;" (or, as the Hebrew) my ob- servers, make thy way straight before my face. And thus you see how your very enemies oblige you to this holy and pure conversa- tion also.
Now put all this together, and see to what these particulars will amount. You have heard how God the Father hath engaged you to this purity of conversation, by his designment of your salvation ; rewarded your obedience ; his pleasure in it ; his promises to it ; and his great confidence in you, that you will thus walk before him. The Lord Jesus hath also engaged you thereunto by his death and sufferings, whereby you were redeemed from your vain conversations. The Spirit hath engaged you, by telling you plain- ly how much you will grieve and wrong him, resist and quench him, if you do not keep yourselves pure. Yea, you are obliged further, by yourselves ; your clear illumination ; your high pro- fession ; your many prayers and confessions ; your many censures and reprehensions of others ; do all strengthen your obligation to holiness. Yea, you are obliged further to this holy life, by the shame, grief, and trouble your loose walking will bring upon your friends ; and the mirth it will make for, and mischief it will do to your enemies ; who, thereby, may be made utterly to fall, where, it may be, you only have stumbled : who are justified and ab- solved', (as before you heard), by your miscarriages. And now, what think you of all this ? Are you obliged or not, to this purity of life ? Are all these bonds so tied, that you can get loose, and free yourselves at pleasure from them ? If all these things are of no force with you, if none of these bonds can hold you, may it not be questioned, (notwithstanding your profession), whether any spiritual principle, any fear of God, or love to Christ, be in your souls or no ? O, you could not play fast and loose with God ? if so, you could not, as Samson, snap these bonds asunder at your pleasure.
550 nii: fountain of life. serm. xlii.
Consul. 2. Secondly, As you are more obliged to keep the issues of life pure than others are, so God hath given you greater assist- ances and advantages for it than others have. God hath not been wanting to any in helps and means. Even the Heathen, who are without the gospel, will be yet speechless and inexcusable before God ; but how much more will you be so ? Who, besides the light of nature, and the general light of the gospel, have, First, Such a principle put within you. Secondly, Such patterns set before you. Thirdly, Such an assistant ready to help you. Fourthly, So many rods to quicken you and prevent your wandering : if notwithstand- ing all these helps, your life be still unholy.