(2.) Again, pass* 7iot for the censures of ivorldli/ jn-oiid j^eop'le, that think that theij are joWj Christians, when they are but in truth damned persons. God may recover them, but yet they are in damnable ways. Who caresf for the sentence of a damned person, till he have gotten his pardon ? Such are all profane persons, that have not the work of grace wrought in their hearts in an effectual manner ; they are yet in the state of damnation. Why should we pass for their censures ? There are a company of weak persons, who reason as weakly. If I do this, the world will say thus and thus. What is the world? The world is a generation of unregenerate wretched people, that must be damned. Who would regard the censure of a damned person ? and indeed who would follow the guise of damned per- sons ? And yet of late such is the madness of people, that they take up the fashions, though they be condemned fashions. They]: do not con- sider the vanity of it, so to .take up 'the fashions of damned persons. § The world is a condemned generation ; therefore take not up the guise and fashion of the world. || The world's fashion is the worst iiishion of all. I speak not of correspondency with the world in civil actions in the passages of our life. We must ' come out of the world,' as Christ saith, ' if we will not be correspondent in outward things,' 2 Cor, vi. 17 ; and here should be a redeeming of om- peace with the world in yielding in lesser matters. But I speak of those things which concern our inward comfort and peace, and that concern the practice of holy duties ; let us not stand in it, what the world judgeth or allows, but practise holy duties, though the world censure them ; and abstain from wicked courses, though the world applaud them. So we shall have a seal that we are taken out of the world.
Use (2.) Let us make another use of trial, and examine whether ice be taken out of the world or no. In brief, therefore, let us ask^ our aims, our ends. For, those that are taken out of the world have aims beyond the world ; they frame their courses to supernatural ends, to eternity ; and labour so to guide themselves in this, that they may be saved in another world. We should steer and guide our actions suitable to our peace here- after. We should have further ends than the world hath. He that is n worldling confines his thoughts within the compass of the world ; he hath no further aim. Sometimes he hath by-thoughts of heaven and happiness. But he makes it not his aim, it is not his scope to which he directs hia course. In the second place, answerable to our aims, let us examine what our affections are. Our affections will tell us of what city we are, whether of Jerusalem, or of Babylon, as one of the ancients saith well.**
* Tliat is, = lieed not. — G. || ' Tlierefore take not up their guise' in B, C. — G
t Tliat irf, ' who would wish.' — G. *[f ' Observe' in B, C. — G.
X ' And do not' in B, C— G. ** Augustine.— Cf. ** p. 09, an'e.—G.
\ ' So to take . . . persons' not in B, G. — G.
102 judgment's keason.
Ask thy love, "^liither dost thou weigh down in thy lovo ? Doth earthly love as a weight press thee to things below ? or is it a sanctified love, that carries thee to Christ, and to the things of God ? Examine thy affections of love,* of joy and delight, of what city thou art. Mere earthly actions are hypocritical ; therefore the inward allcctions are the best discoverers of the estate of our soul, where our joy and delight is.f And ask likewise in the third place, our relish. What do we savour most ? Come to a carnal man ; put him to a course of vanity ; he hath learned the language of the times, all your complimental phrases ; he hath them exactly; all the lan- guage of the time he can speak. But come to him in matters of religion ; he is out of his theme there ; he savours not those things. Those that are of the world speak of the world. Talk to them of vanity, of this and that, and you put them to their proper theme ; but tell them of other things, they are mere strangers ; and they speak as if they had never learned any- thing in that element. And so those that are of the world, the}' converse with those that are of the same bent ; doves flock to doves, and delight in those that are like themselves. Many such arguments of trial we may have, but especially think what I have said before. J Look to your aims, to your afft'ctioits, and to your imcard rclisJi and lent of soul, which way your and conversation is bent,§ and how it relisheth ; and these will discover to us our state, as in Rev. xiii. 11, seq., and other places: there antichiist is called the beast that riseth out of the earth ; because Romish religion is taken out of the earth, that is, it hath earthly aims, earthly grounds and principles. It is all for the world ; it is a fallacy indeed, popery and not reli- gion ; and thereupon the pope is called the beast rising out of the earth. All the considerations that feed popery are out of the earth. Oh ! a glorious monarch of the church, to have glory ; and in the church to have all that may feed the senses, and that may please the outward man. Every thing, I say, is to please the outward man, to get riches, &c. They are called Gentiles ; ' the outward court shall be cast to the Gentiles.' He speaks there, that antichrist with his crew that follows him, they should trouble, vex, and persecute the church, and cast it out to the Gentiles. The followers of antichrist are called Gentiles. But I speak not of them. We are earth and Gentiles, if our aims, projects, and affections be towards the earth, as the Scripture useth to speak. || Therefore,^ let us examine ourselves by what I have said. I beseech you, let us consider that the world must be condemned. And before I leave it, do but think what damnation is. I beseech you,** have no slight thoughts of it. The Scripture saith, * We shall not be condemned with the world.'