2. By the holiness of your conversations. Every christian should walk so as remembering that Christ's honour lieth at stake. It is not a moral life that I persuade you to, but a christian life, such a life wherein Christ may be specially honoured.
[1.] For the manner ; your practice should be elevated according to the height of your privileges in Christ. A christian should do more than a man: 1 Cor. iii, 3, 'Are ye not carnal, and walk as men?' We expect that he should go faster that rides on horseback than he that goeth on foot. In Christianity, duties are elevated to a greater proportion ; the laws are the same, but we have higher engagements. Wherein do ye difi'er from others ? There should be a singularity of holy life. There should be something more in your lives than if ye
264 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeK. XIII.
came out of Ibo scliool of a jiliilosoplier, or Jews, or Turks, or moral heathens, that know not Christ.
[2.] For the principle ; Christ must be honoured. You must make him the principle of your ohedience to God. You must make use of Christ not only in point of acceptance hut assistance : Phil. iv. 13, ' I can do all thin,i;s through Christ, that strengtheneth me ;' G-al. ii. 20,
* Nevertheless I live, yet not I, hut Christ liveth in me, and the life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' He will be honoured by depend- ence, as the cause of all our spiritual being. Whatever we have, life, sense, and motion, it is derived from him our head, to us his members. You rob him of his chief glory if you do not depend upon him, and make him the principle and head of every vital influence.
[3.] For the end ; you must make his interest the great end of your lives : Phil. i. 21, 'E/jlol to ^>jv, XpLaro<;, ' For me to live is Christ.' He would not have life for any other end but to advance Christ ; all is done with a pure eye to him : Eom. xiv. 7, 8, ' For no man liveth to himself, and no man dietli to himself : for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether therefore we live or die, we are the Lord's.' A regenerate man must not live as his own man, but as the Lord's, as one that is wdiolly given up to Christ, not wedded to his own interest, but altogether for Christ's glory.
[4.] The motive must be gratitude to Christ ; all must be done for Christ's sake : 2 Cor. v. 14, ' For the love of Christ constraineth me.' God's love in Christ should be the great swaying motive. Shall I not do something for him that died for me ? Christ is exceedingly hon- oured when there are such kind of arguings and workings in the heart.
3. We must glorify Christ in our enjoyments. When we think of our title to anything, think, This I have by gift, be it justification, sanctification, glorification, comfort of the creatures. Whatever privi- lege we look upon as ours, w^e must see Christ in it : 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23,
* All are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' All mercies swim to us in his blood ; he purchased them of God, and conveyed them to us, that we might be sensible that we have all in and by Christ. He did not only purchase them, but began to us in every privilege: Christ first had them and then we; he was elected, justi- fied, sanctified, rose again by covenant, ascended, and was glorified ; in all these things, Christ would show himself to be the heir of all things. He was the elder brother, and had the pre-eminence as the heir ; he would possess, and then make the testament. It is true, in the comforts of the world, Christ possessed little, but he had a right and title, which he hath made over to us. To declare his right, the creatures, one time or another, did him homage ; the angels ministered to him, the devils confessed him, the winds and seas were at his beck, a fish paid him tribute. Well, tlien, look upon Christ in every enjoy- ment ; he was the purchaser, and he was the first heir and possessor.
4. We glorify Christ by doing and suff'eriug for the advancement of his interest and kingdom. Never were there such a zealous parcel of men as in the first days of the gospel ; they seemed to some as if they were even mad for Christ : 2 Cor. v. 13, * For whether we be be- sides ourselves, it is to God ; ' much in spirit, much in labours, much
VeR. 10.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 265
in afflictions. Primitive zeal is much decayed. Many are like the carbuncle ; if you look upon it afar off, you would think it all on fire ; but touch it, and it is key-cold. Religion is turned into a mere prattle and talk; few mind the interest of Christ. A christian should be always devising how he may lay forth himself for Christ, for the advancement of his ordinances, enlargement of his kingdom ; and to this end we should neither spare body nor estate, nor life itself. You should honour him with your substance: Prov. iii. 9, 'Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thy increase ;' it is but a tribute to the King of the church. Now miracles are ceased, God will 23ropagate the gospel by the bounty of those that have tasted the sweetness of it ; if the Lord hath need of it, why should we stick at anything ? Honour him with your relation. As a magistrate ; magistrates must improve the interest of Christ by discountenancing error ; they who reign by Christ must reign for him ; see if God doth not reckon with Gallios. As a merchant, honour him with thy traffic, to ji remote religion by trade : Lent, xxxiii. 18, 10, ' And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out ; and Issachar in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain, there shall they offer sacrifices of righteousness : for they shall suck of tlie abundance of the seas, and of treasure hid in the land.' Every affair should be cast into the mould of religion, or we do not act as christians. Jesuits and papists will rise up in judgment against us. So in your private sphere, do something for Jesus Christ in your families. A christian should not have any relation but he should make some advantage of it for the honour of Christ. So for suffering, Christ is glorified in the courage of those that bear forth his name to the world. Let it not be grievous to us ; it is much to be active for God, but it is more to be passive. Let glory to Christ be written, though it be with our blood ; only with these cautions : —