Use 4. Learn again here, what to judge of the spirits of such kind of men as are all in disrjracincj and defacing the poor church. Their table talk is of the infirmities of Christians. They light upon them as flies do upon sore places, and will see nothing that is good in them. Oh ! where is the Spirit of Chi'ist, or of the church of Christ, in them that thus bescratch the face of the church ? when yet ofttimes their hearts tell them these poor despised ones will be better than themselves one day, for grace shall have the upper hand of all excellences.
The church is fair and fairest. Grace is a transcendent good. All the excellency of ci\ality and morality is nothing to this. This denominates the church the fairest. She is not gilt, but pure gold ; not painted, but hath a true natm*al complexion. All other excellencies are but gilt, painted excellencies. ' The whore of Babylon,' she is wondrous fair ! But wherein doth her beauty consist ? In ornaments and ceremonies to abuse silly people that go no fm-ther than fancy. It is an excellency that comes not to the judgment, but the excellency of the church is otherwise. She is ' the fairest among women.' She hath a natural fairness. As gold is pure gold, so the church is of a pure composition, glorious within. It is for^the false, whorish chmxh to be glorious without onty, but the true churclTos glorious within. But that which we should especially observe is, that we should labour to ansicer this commendation ; not only to be fair, but the fairest ; to be transcendently, singularly good ; to do somewhat more than others can; to have somewhat more in us than others have.
For it is answerable to the state of a Christian. Is a Christian in an excellent rank above other men ? Let him shew it by a carriage more gi'a- cious, more fniitful and plentiful in good works. There is a kind of excel- lency affected in other things, much more should we desire to be excellent in that that is good, that we may not be fair only, but the fairest. This the apostle St Paul excellently presseth to Titus, his scholar, Tit. ii. 14,1 and to all of us in other places, that we should be ' a peculiar people, zealous of good works,' not only to do them, but to be zealous of them, and to go before others in them, standing as standard-bearers. Therefore those that think they may go too far in religion, that they may be too fruitful, are not worthy the name of the spouse of Christ ; for she is fair, yea, the fairest among women, ' The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour,' Prov. xii. 26. Thercfore we should excel in good works^ as the apostle
* That is, ' accusers ' or ' adversaries.'— G.
t ' Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all ini- quity, and purify unto himself a, peculiar people.'
132 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON XIU.
exhorts us, * to labour after things that are excellent,' 1 Cor. xii. 31 ; 2 Pet. i. 8, as if he should say, Is there anything better than other, labour for that. You have some so far from this disposition that they cry down the excellencies of others, lest the fairness of others might discover their black- ness. Thus we leave the compellation, and come to the question.
Qiiest. ' What is thy beloved more than another beloved ?' And they double it, ' What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou so chargest us ?'
Questions are of divers natures. We shall not stand upon them. This is not a question merely of ignorance, for they had some knowledge of Christ, though weak. Nor was it a curious nor a catching question, h'ke those of the scribes and pharisees unto Christ, to instance in that of Pilate, ' What is truth ?' John xviii. 38, when Christ had told him the truth. ' What is truth?' saith he, in a scornful, profane manner (Z), as indeed profane spirits cannot hear savoury words, but they turn them off with scorn, * What is truth ? ' This here in the text is not such, but a question tend- ing to further resolution and satisfaction, ' AVhat is thy beloved more than another beloved ? '
First of all, observe that these of the church here were stiiTed up by the examples of other members of the church to be inquisitive after Christ, so to be satisfied. Hence observe that there is a wondrous force in the examples of Christians to stir up one another. We see here, when the church was sick of love, the other part of the members began to think, what is the reason the church is so earnest to seek after Christ ? There is some ex- cellency sure in him. For wise men do not use great motions in little mat- ters. Great things are carried with great movings. We use not to stir up tragedies for trifles, to make mountains of mole-hiUs. The endeavours and cai'riages of great persons that be wise, judicious, and holy are answer- able to the nature of things. And indeed the chm-ch judgeth aright in this. Then see the force of good example. Any man that hath his wits about him, when he sees others serious, earnest, and careful about a thing, whereof for the present he can see no reason, especially if they have parts equal or superior to himself, will reason thus presently : —