appear before God, and then what an honour will it be for us, that we have witnessed for God in this world ! that we have stood for God and f^ood causes in the midst of the world, and ' shined as lights in the midst of a crooked generation' ! Philip, ii. 15. That we have managed the cause of God, and stood for religion, and held our own in the midst of pajsists and atheists, and profane persons, and witnessed for the best things in spite of all, when we have been called to it. We are not to thrust our- selves into unnecessary troubles, no, not for the best things, unless we be called to it ; but when we are called, and can witness for the best things, what an honour will it be for us !
And on the contrary, saith Christ, ' He that denies me, and is ashamed of me before men, of him will I be ashamed before my heavenly Father,' Mark viii. 38. Wliat a fearful thing is this ! Let us look to God in simplicity and sincerity, and God will keep us that the world shall not hurt us.
Obj. What will become of us ? will some say, this trouble we shall come into, and that persecution will befall us.
Ans. It is not so. Christ was opposed when he was here upon earth ; but till his hour was come they could not do anything. Every man hath his hour, every man hath his time allotted to serve God in here. God hath measured out his life ; and till his hour be come, that God will take him out of the world, God will bind up the endeavours of men. Their plots shall be to no purpose, God will keep them, and watch over them that are downright. ' Because thou hast kept my word, I will keep thee,' Rev. iii. 8-10, saith God. Let us keep the word of God in evil times, and God will keep us ; let us stand for God, and he will stand for us.
It is no plea to say, I shall run into this danger, and that danger. ' God will be thy buckler and thy shield,' Ps. xci. 4, if thou stand for him. And that which brings danger is too much correspondence with the world. When men forsake their sincerity in the world, when men will be on both sides, they carry things unhappily, and unsuccessfully. A downright atheist will carry things with better success than a halting Christian. For his policy and subtlety will carry him to actions inconvenient ; l)ut then comes his conscience after, when he is in the midst of them, and damps him that he cannot go forward nor backward. Therefore the only way is to resolve to live in the world in simplicity and sincerity. If we do so, we may carry holy businesses strongly. God will assist us therein. He will increase our light, and make our way plain and clear to us.
But if a man be not sincere, but double, and carnal, and pretend love of religion, and yet take courses and do actions that are not suitable to re- ligion, it will not succeed well. God will curse it. He will strike him with amazement. He will strike his brain with errors in judgment, &c. There is no pretence therefore to make us live falsely, and doubly in the world ; but we ought to live as St Paul did, let the world be as bad as it will, or as it can be, ' in simplicity and sincerity.' God will shew himself strong for those that walk uprightly. He will be wisdom to such. But if w^e walk doubly, and falsely, and make religion our pretence, God will shew himself our enemy.
Where be your neuters then ? Where be your politicians in religion, that will keep their religion to themselves ? St Paul conversed in the world, wheresoever he was, in sincerity. He made show what he was. He walked not according to carnal wisdom, as he saith afterwards. Where be
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yowY NuJIifidians'^ then, that are of all beliefs, and yet are of no belief? that fashion themselves to all religions? And if they be of the true religion, yet it is their wisdom to conceal it. St Paul did not so. But I shall have occasion to touch that in the negative part afterward, ' not in fleshly wis- dom,' &c.
Again, where he saith, * My conversation hath been thus in the world,' he means, in this life my conversation hero hath l)cen sincere. I will give you a touch on that. Though it l)e not the main aim here, yet notwith- standing it may well be touched, that,
Obs. We viust, irhile ire live Jicre in tJiis rvorhl, converse in simjjlicity and sincerity.
We must not turn it off to live as we list, subtlely, politicly, and carnally, and then think to die well. No ; we must live ' soberly, righteously, and justly in this present world,' Tit. ii. 12. Do you think to begin to live well when you are gone hence ? No ; that is a time of reward, and not a time of work. This world is God's workhouse ; here j^ou must work. This is God's field ; here you must labour. This is God's sea ; here we must sail. Here we must take pains. We must sweat at it. Here we must plough and sow, if ever we will reap.