Use 3. Advice to the people of God.
1. Be not amazed at it if you meet with trouble and opposition from wicked men, even for goodness' sake : 1 John iii. 13, ' Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.' So it hath ever been, and so it will be. We are surprised and perplexed at it, as men use to be at some- thing that is strange. The wonder is on the other side ; if there be any remission of this enmity, it were a shrewd suspicion that we were of their stamp, or complied too much with their humours, and did symbolise with them in carnal practices: Luke vi. 26, ' Cursed are you when all men speak well of you ; for so they did to the false prophets.'
2. To walk holily and watchfully, so to live that their religion may be their only crime, and to keep up the repute of godliness, that they may not be hated as evil-doers, but as saints : 1 Peter iv, 15, ' Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.' It is a sad thing to l)e a martyr to passion, interest, vainglory, and private conceits and opinions, to suffer for your own shame. The world doth but watch for such an advantage: their conscience telleth them you do not deserve their
VeK. 14.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 381
hatred, and therefore they seek other pretences. Do not suffer for pride, indiscreet zeal, and unnecessary intermeddling. It is the glory of the christian religion always to have holy martyrs and infamous persecutors ; that they should have nothing against them but in the matter of their God.
3. Let not this discourage you ; the ]-)0wer of godliness, as it is a provoking, so it is a daunting thing. The wicked hate you and fear jou : Mark vi. 20, ' Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man, and an holy, and observed him ; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.' He feared him, not only as a zealous preacher, but as a strict man. A man would think that John had more cause to fear Herod. And God will respect it ; it is his quarrel, though you have the management of it ; you have good com- pany ; Christ suflereth with you : 1 Peter iv. 13, ' Eejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings.' You do not only suffer for him, but with him ; in such a case ye are not only looked upon as his, but him. They cannot hate you as much as they do Christ ; you are the world's eyesore, but God's delight ; you have glorious assistance, glorious hopes, ' The Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you,' 1 Peter iv. 14.
4. ' Walk wisely towards them that are without,' Col. iv. 5. How is that ? Not to swerve from the course of a godly life, or neglect our service to God, or to cool and slack in our zeal for his glory, or to con- form ourselves to any of their wicked practices; but to forbear to provoke them without cause, ' To live peaceably with all men as much as is possible,' Piom. xii. 18 ; 'To overcome evil with good,' ver. 21. This was that which Christ hath prescribed: Mat. v. 44, ' Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.'
Third point. A christian should live in the world as one that is not of the world. There is not a total separation from the men of the world. Live in the world he doth ; here is his corporal presence and conversation, but not his heart. And live in the world he must ; here is his station and place of service : 1 Cor. v. 10, ' Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters ; for then must w^e needs go out of the world.' As the soul is in the body, but not of the body. "Oi/cei fj^ev iv rS) a-ca^arc V '^^X^^ ^^'^ ^°"^''' ^^ "^0^ (Tco/u,aTo<i — Just. Mart. So a christian is in the world, but not of the world. Use the world we may without offence ; when a christian is sanctified he is not glorified, and doth not divest himself of the innocent interests and concernments of flesh and blood ; they have bodies as others have, and must eat, drink, sleep, and put on apparel as others do : 1 Cor. vii. 31, ' And those that use the world as not abusing it' The use is allowed, the abuse only is forbidden. We may use the world as a means to sweeten our pilgri- mage, but not to weaken our hopes. A man may use the comforts of this life to draw good out of them, to employ them for God, as encouragements to piety, and instruments of mercy and bounty.
But how then positively are they not to be of this world ? Not of the world's gang and faction, nor acted by the same principles, to the same ends.