[3.] How severe God is upon his scandalous children. Though he may pardon their faults as to eternal punishment, yet they smart for it in the world : 1 Sam. xii. 14, ' Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme.' That sin cost David dear, because he had made others judge ill of the ways of God. His child died, his daughter was ravished, his son Amnon slain in his drunkenness ; Absalom drive th him from his palace royal ; his subjects deserted him ; his wives and concubines were ravished ; he forced to go weeping up and down, and forced to shift for his life. He was foretold these should be the effects of his sin, 2 Sam. xii. 10-12. There is no dallying with God ; though our eternal estate should be secured, our pilgrimage may be made very uncomfortable.
[4.] The office God hath imposed upon his people ; they are to show forth his praises, or his virtues, to the world, 1 Peter ii. 9, chosen out from the rest of mankind for that purpose, to be a. mirror of divine virtues, or to be his image and representation to the world, that he is good, wise, and powerful ; and therefore we are to take heed what representations we make of God. By our sinfulness we blaspheme his goodness ; by our folly, his wisdom ; by our weakness, his power. So again, we are called his 'witnesses;' Isa. xliii. 10, ' Ye are my wit- nesses, saith the Lord.' They are to witness for God to the world, as having experience of his providence and of fulfilling of promises. We are to give a testimony for God to the prejudiced world of the reality of our hopes, and the excellency of our religion, and that purity and strictness which is necessary to everlasting happiness. If we discredit Christ and his profession, we are not witnesses for him, but against him: Isa. xliv. 8, 'Ye are my witnesses; is there any god besides me?' Now, how do you convince, reprove, and convert the world? The best testimony given for God is by deeds rather than words ; by
118 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SER. XII.
holy example, and keeping his commandments, than by a loose pro- fession, and empty com pi i mental respect.
[5.] It is a greater honour for us to be examples and precedents unto others, than to take example from others and be followers of them: 1 Thes. i. 7, ' Ye became examples to all that believed in Mace- donia and Achaia.' To be a ringleader in evil is more damnable and evil than to be a follower; so to be the first beginner of any good is most commendable and beneficial : Eph. i. 12, ' That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ.' Difference of heavenly rewards are propounded for the same purpose. The disciple hath a disciple's reward, and a prophet a prophet's reward. The least measure of sound grace is saving ; but he that is allowedly content with a little grace hath none at all.
2. If you would prove a motive and encouragement to others, let us take good example.
[1.] It is a shame to come short of those who are upon the same level with us, have the same rule that we have, the same hopes, the same spirit of Christ with we, to heal, and cure, and strengthen them. 4 1 profited,' saith the apostle, 'above many of my equals in the Jewish religion,' Gal. i. 14. And should we not do so in the christian ? Surely what we do in religion we should not do negligently and lazily, but should advance and grow in religion, both as to knowledge and prac- tice, and labour to be so far from coming short of our equals for time, age, and means, that we should rather outstrip them. Still our busi- ness is to excel.
[2.] There is none but may learn somewhat from others ; for every child of God hath his distinct excellency, either as to knowledge, or judgment, or government of passions, or affections, or holy conference, for they have their peculiar gift to the use of edifying. Now rbeir graces are ours, and ours are theirs, and thereby excite and quicken one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, 1 Prior iv. 12. All gifts or graces we have not as absolute owners, but as dis- pensers and stewards, that these various graces may make us helpful one to another, and we may learn from one another.
[3.] You lose the benefit of God's dispensation, who hath given us good examples, and set them before our eyes for this very end, that we may do as they do ; and we are accountable for examples, ns well as for other helps and means of grace. For examples of evil and punish- ment: Dan. v. 22, 'And thou, 0 Belshazzir, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knowest all this,' viz., God's punishment on his father for his pride So examples of good : Mat. xii. 42. ' The queen of the south shall rise in judgment against this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold a greater than Solomon is here.' The examples of such as have taken pains to get knowledge shall be made use of to aggravate their sins to deeper judgment, who do not make use of it to increase their faith and diligence. So also Dionysius and Damaiis aggravated the unbelief of the Athenians, Acts xvii. 34. There want not self-denying christians in every age to condemn i he laziness of the rest : Heb. xi. 7, ' By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen, prepared an ark, by which he condemned the world.