Dost thou think to can-y thyself subtlely, to have thy own ends in every- thing here, and then when death comes, a ' Lord, have mercy upon me' shall serve for all ? No ; thou must converse as a Christian while thou livest here in this world, ' in simplicity and sincerity.' God must have honour here by thee. Thou must have a care of thy salvation here. Dost thou think to have that in another world which thou dost not care for here ? Dost thou think to have glory in another world, which thou didst not think of here ? Dost thou think to reap in another world that which thou didst not sow here ? Let vis in this world stand for the glory of God, openly and boldly, and for the example of others, for the exercise of our own graces. A true Christian hath his conversation in ' sincerity in this world;' the more blame to the world then to deprave their dealing! Why? Because they are lights in the world, and they serve the world to good pur- pose, if the world would take benefit by them. They shine in the world to lead them the way to heaven. But the world is willing to let them go to heaven alone if they will.
But if the carriage of God's children be like St Paul's, as it is trae, for they are ail of one disposition, they ' converse in simplicity and sincerity wheresoever they are,' wicked, slanderous, malicious, depra%ang persons are to blame, that lay to their charge hypocrisy, and this and that, when it is nothing so. They deserve well of the wicked unthankful world, and God upholds the world for their sakes. ' When the righteous are exalted, the city rejoiceth,' saith Solomon, Prov. xi. 10. Because wheresoever they live, they live not only in simplicity and sincerity, but they live fruitfully. The city, the whole community, all the people are the better. They make the times and the places the better wherein they live, because a good man is a public good. The Spirit of God, when it makes a good man, it puts him out of himself, and gives him a public afiection. It teacheth him to deny himself. It teacheth him to love others. It teacheth him to employ and improve all that is in him, that is good, for the service of God and of men ; to serve God in serving men in the place he lives in. Therefore malicious and devilish is the world to deprave such kind of men as live in the world in simplicity and sincerity, that serve God and the world by aU the means * That is, ' no-faith's.'— G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 12. 259
they can. ' Our conversation hath been in simplicity and sincerity in the world.'
' But more abundanthj to yon-ward.'' Wliy ? Was it in hj'pocrisy to others, and in sincerity to them only ? No ; that is not the meaning. But thus, that wheresoever he had lived in the world, in what estate soever he was, he carried himself in ' simplicity and sincerity ; ' but to you I have made it more evident than to any other. Why ? Because he had lived longer with them ; and they were such as he was a Father unto in Christ. Therefore, saith he, I have evidenced my ' simplicity and sincerity more abundantly to you than to any other.' Whence we may observe, that
(^hs. A sincere Christian is best where lie is best knonii.
It is a note of a truly good and sincere man to be best where he is best known, as I touched when I opened the words. It is otherwise with many. Their carriage abroad is very plausible ; but follow them home : what are they in their familes ? They are lions in their houses. What are they in their retired courses and carriage ? They do not answer the expectation that is raised of them abroad. They never pray to God, &c. Those that know them best will trust them least. It is not so with a Christian. My conversation in the world hath been good wheresoever it hath been. But among 3^ou, with whom I have conversed more familiarly,. who have seen my daily carriage and course of life, among you my conversation was best of all. It is a note of a man that is sincere, that the more he is seen into, the more he shines. The godly are substantially good, and therefore where they are best known, they are best approved.
For Christians they are not painted creatures, that a little discovery will search them to the bottom, and then shame them. They are not gilded, but gold ; and therefore the more you enter into them, the more metal you shall find still. They have a hidden treasury. The more you search them, the more stuli'you shall have still. Their tongues are as ' fined silver,' and their heart is a rich treasury within them. A Christian he labours for a broken heart still. He labours to get new grace, and new knowledge of the word of God still ; and the more you converse with him, the more you see him, the more you shall approve and love him, if you be good as he is. Therefore saith the apostle, I have carried myself well to all, but especially to you with whom I have lived longer.