[2.] We learn by Christ's example to honour others for their common gifts. Some respect is due to them that have any good in them. We are bidden, 1 Peter ii. 17, ' To honour all men,' How so? All are par- takers of some excellency from God. How vile soever they be in other respects, they have something of the image of God, James iii. 9 ; some gift received from God, for which they deserve respect and honour ; therefore we ought to give them some signs of respect, that we may be in a better capacity of doing good to their souls. The gifts of God we ought to esteem wherever we find them.
[3.] Thus we may learn, children, young men, and others, all may know how to get Christ's love if they be tractable. If you are free from all intemperance and disobedience, and of honest conversation, then you are such as this young man whom Christ loved ; and though more be required of you, yet these things are pleasing to Christ, and want not their reward (what reward they have I will show by and by). Solomon tells us. Pro v. xxx. 29, ' Many seek the favour of the ruler.' Jesus Christ is the King of kings, the great ruler of the world ; is he
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only unworthy, that you should not seek his grace and favour ? He loves moral qualifications, therefore abound in these. On the other side, he hates those that are dissolute, intemperate, gluttons, drunkards, liars, wantons, and all those that are profane and wicked from their youth. By the rule of contraries, if he loves conformity to the law of God in externals, he hates those that walk contrary to his law ; and he will show his hatred by public acts of vengeance, though it be upon children. If children do not reverence their superiors, he hath judg- ments for them ; as the two she-bears out of the wood tore in pieces forty-two children, 2 Kings ii. 24. And then for grown men, God will have judgments for them. It is a sad time, and it calls for much weeping, lamentation, and grief, that we live in an age wherein moral wickedness abounds, drinking, whoring, swearing, murdering, stealing, and such like abominations. Take this observation ; God doth not usually punish in this world for unbelief and want of love to Christ ; he leaves it to the world to come ; but for breaches of the moral law he doth : Kom. i. 18, ' The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.' When the two tables are violated by ungodliness and unrighteousnsss, then the wrath of God breaks out by some notable judgment. So Heb. ii. 2, ' Every transgression and disobedience ' (of Moses) ' received a just recompense of reward ; ' and Hosea iv. 1, 2, ' The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land ; by swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.' There are sins against the moral law reckoned up, which provokes the Lord's anger. As in temporal favours God expres- seth love to those that are morally righteous, so in temporal judgments he hath expressed his hatred against immoralities. I confess, some gospel provocations God doth punish in this world, as, for instance, when men persecute the profession of the gospel, or when they grow weary of the gospel after they have long had it, then it concerns God as governor of the world to punish such, the good of the world being very much concerned. But chiefly his judgments are for sins against the moral law of God ; when these are broken in our streets, there ought to be much weeping and lamenting before the Lord in a sense of these things.
[4.] It condemns those that will pretend to the peculiar love of Christ, when they are not moral, but froward, unduitful in their rela- tions, unconscionable in their dealing, and have not learned to be sober, to possess their vessels in sanctification and honour. What ! do you talk of being christians when you are not so good as heathens? Never think of the higher mysteries of religion, of believing in Christ, and communion with God, when you live so contrary to the light of nature ; as the apostle speaks of the ' natural branches,' and the * branches contrary to nature,' Eom. xi. 24. It is in vain to think of grafting things that are contrary to nature, if the natural branches be not grafted in. There are certain who are doubly dear, ' both in the flesh, and in the Lord ; ' not only ' in the Lord,' upon the account of religion, but ' in the flesh, upon the account of nature, as Onesimus was dear to Philemon when converted, Philem. 16. There were many
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moral heathens of a sweet nature, that had great command over their passion. Many civil carnal men will rise np in judgment against high- flown christians, that pretend to great heights of faith and love to Christ, but are defective in morals. As it was said of the men of Kineveh and the queen of Sheba, that ' they shall rise up in judgment against this generation, and condemn it,' Mat. xii. 41, 42, so will these heathens, men morally just, exact, punctual in their dealings, rise up in judgment against many that pretend to believe in Christ. Si non prcEsfat Jides, quid prcestitit injidelitas? How should this put you to shame, when those that are graceless cannot be taken tardy in those things wherewith you are charged ? I say, if their moral principles and civil institutions bind them to the peace and good behaviour, and will not suffer them to do wrong, and all the laws of Christ will not confine you within your duty, how great will your condemnation be I See that you be not exceeded by them. I may represent it thus, when a schoolboy knows more and better of arts and sciences than a uni- versity man, is not this a great shame to him ? I remember it is said of Sarah, Gen. xx. 16, ' Abimelech said. Behold I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver ; behold he is to thee a covering of thine eyes unto all that are with thee, and to all other ; thus was she reproved.' Here is no word of reproof ; how was she reproved ? Why here a pagan king dismisseth her untouched, with gifts to her husband; he provides for her safety, and this was a reproof of Sarah's dissem- bling ; his morality was a reproof to her that was acquainted with the true God, and a professor of the true faith, and yet was found tardy. You are shamed, and Christ is put to shame in you.