Now, if this that hath been said be not sufficient to evince a neces- sity of our obedience, we must suppose ourselves to speak \vith a sort of men who regard neither the sovereignty, nor love, nor glory of God, Father, Son, or Holy Ghost. Let men say what they please, though our obedience should be all lost, and never regarded (which is impos- sible, for God is not unjust, to forget our labour of love), yet here is a sufficient bottom, ground, and reason of yielding more obedience unto God than ever we shall do whilst we live in this world. I speak also only of gospel grounds of obedience, and not of those that ai"e natural and legal, which are indispensable to all mankind.
(2dly.) The end in respect of ourselves immediately is threefold : — \\st.\ Honour, [idly.^ Peace. \^Sdly.^ Usefulness.
[Is^.] Honour. It is by holiness that Ave are made like unto God, and his image is renewed again in us. This was our honour at our creation, this exalted us above all our fellow-creatures here below,— we were made in the image of God. This we lost by sin, and became like the beasts that perish. To this honour, of conformity to God, of bearing his image, are we exalted again by holiness alone. " Be ye holy," says God, " for I am holy," 1 Pet. i. 16; and, " Be ye perfect" (that is, in doing good), "even as your Father which is in heaven is per- fect," Matt. v. 48, — ^in a likeness and conformity to him. And herein is the image of God renewed ; Eph. iv. 23, 24, therein we " put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness of truth." This was that Avhich originally was attended Avith power and dominion; — is still all that is beautiful or comely in the worlil. How it makes men honourable and precious in the sight of God, of angels, of men; how alone it is that which is not despised, which is of price before the Lord ; what contempt and scorn he hath of them in whom it is not, — in what abomination he hath them autl all their ways, — might easily be evinced.
\2dly^\ Peace. By it we have communion with God, wherein peace alone is to be enjoyed. " The wicked are like the troubled sea, that cannot rest;" and, " There is no peace" to them, " saith my God," Isa.
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IviL 20, 21. There is no peace, rest, or quietness, in a distance, sepa- ration, or alienation from God. He is the rest of our souls. In the light of his countenance is life and peace. Now, " if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another," 1 John i. 7; " and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Chi'ist," verse 3. He that walks in the light of new obedience, he hath communion with God, and in his presence is fulness of joy for ever; without it, there is nothing but darkness, and wandering, and confusion.
[3c^/y.] Usefulness. A man without holiness is good for nothing. " Ephraim," says the prophet, " is an empty vine, that brings forth fruit to itself" And what is such a vine ^ood for ? Nothinsf. Saith another prophet, " A man cannot make so much as a pin of it, to hang a vessel on." A bari'en tree is good for nothing, but to be cut down for the fire. Notwithstanding the seeming usefulness of men who serve the providence of God in their generations, I could easily manifest that the world and the church might want them, and that, indeed, in themselves they are good for nothing. Only the holy man is commune bonum.
(Sdly.) The end of it in respect of others in the world is mani- fold :—
[1st.] It serves to the conviction and stopping the mouths of some of the enemies of God, both here and hereafter: — 1. Here. 1 Pet. iii. 16, " Having a good conscience; that, wherein they speak evil of you, as of evil-doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ." By our keeping of a good conscience men will be made ashamed of their false accusations; that whereas their malice and hatred of the ways of God hath provoked them to speak all manner of evil of the profession of them, by the holiness and right- eousness of the saints, they are convinced and made ashamed, as a thief is when he is taken, and be driven to acknowledge that God is amongst them, and that they are wicked themselves, John xvii. 23. 2. Hereafter. It is said that the saints shall judge the world. It is on this, as well as upon other considerations: — their good works, their righteousness, their holiness, shall be brought forth, and mani- fested to all the world ; and the righteousness of God's judgments agamst wicked men be thence evinced. " See," says Christ, " these are they that I own, whom you so despised and abhorred ; and see their works following them : this and that they have done, when you wallowed in your abominations," Matt. xxv. 42, 43.