you will ferve, whether the gods which your fathers ferved, that were on the other fide of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whofe land ye dwell; but as for me, and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord." (4.) In Nehemiah; chap. v. 15. "But the former governors that had been before me, were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, befide forty thekels of filver; yea, even their fervants bare rule over the people: but fo did not I, because of the fear of God." (5.) In David; Pfal. xxvi. 4, 5. "I have not fat with vain perfons; neither will I go in with diffemblers; I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not fit with the wicked."

The Lord would have his children to act flat contrary to the world, and not be like other men. That part of the Pharifee's prayer, Luke xviii, 11. wherein he thanks God, that he was not like other men, was not amifs for the substance of it, if it had not come from a vain-glorious, proud, and lying ipirit; for he thought that he was better than others, whereas he was worfe than all others to whom he preferred himfelf: but yet every one fhould labour to be that truly, for which he gave thanks falfly; even not to be like others, Others neglect prayer, whether fecret, family, or focial: others neglect Christ, and despise his ward and inftitutions; yea, many others, they drink, and fwear, and whore, and cheat, and defraud, and opprefs, and lye, and break the Sabbath, and give way to all manner of impieties and immoralities. Either they are not fubject to his law, and fo walk in all manner of wickednefs; or they are not fubject to his gofpel, and fo will not fubmit themfelves to his righteoufnefs, to be faved by grace thro' Jefus Chrift. Therefore we must not be like others. Others are without; and without are dogs. And, indeed, we find others, and without, are equivolent terms in fcripture, Mark iv. 11. To you it is given to know the myfteries of the king. dom; but to them that are without, all is in parables.' And compared with Luke viii. 10. "To you it is given to know the myfteries of the kingdom; but to others in parables." Mark hath it, To them that are without; and Luke hath it, To others.

Others then,

I fay, are without, and belong not to God. It is dangerous, therefore, being with others; for they are withOut, and fhall be without; it is better to be within alone, than without with others. So much for clearing and confirming the truth of the doctrine. We must not be like the world.

II. The fecond general head was, To enquire what it is in the world that we are not to be conformed to. In fhort then, we must not be conformed to the things. of the world, the fafhions, worfhip, principles, nor trade of the world.

1. We must not be conformed to the things of the world; for they are mutable, and the fathion of them pafleth away. What are the things of the world that we must not be conformed to? The apoftle gives us a fum of these things; "All that is in the world, the lufts of the flesh, the lufts of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; and the world. paffeth away, and the lufts thereof," 1 John ii. 16, 17. We are fo far to avoid being conformed to the finful things of the world, that, in our feveral places and ftations, we ought to witness against them; nay, even in the indifferent things of the world, which are not in themfelves finful, we muft fo far not conform ourselves to the manner of the world therein, as not to act by the world's dictates, as our rule; nor to aim at the world's favour, as our end. True Chriftianity confifts much in a fober fingularity. Here we might fhew a variety of things in the world that we ought not to be conformed unto,. or thirst after; fuch as the profits, the honours, preferments, pleafures, and applaufe of the world; but we infist not.

2. We must not be conformed to the fashions and cuftoms of the world; Not fashioning ourselves according to the former lufts, as the apostle Peter speaks, 1 Pet. i. 14. There is a novelty of difpofition prevails, that makes multitudes fall in with every new, vain fashion. There are vain fashions of gefture,, ways. of carrying, that dif cover nothing but levity, and. exprefly condemned in fcripture, Ifa. iii. 16. There are vain fashions of apparel, inconfitent with, and unfuitable to the rules of modefty,

Hh 4

SERM. XVII. modefty, that many affect; contrary to the word of God, Ifa. iii. 18,-23. 1 Tim. ii. 9. 1 Pet. iii. 3. This is the epidemical disease of both fexes: and even too much affected by those who ought to be exemplary to others, of modefty and fobriety. There are vain and foolish customs, even in matters of religion; and many are fond of what is fashionable, though it be never fuch an ill fafhion. Hence,

3. We must not be conformed to the worship of the world; for the world worthip they know not what; they worship an unknown God: they worship God in a carnal, hypocritical, and fuperftitious way. But we are to worfhip him in spirit, and in truth; and in the way and manner that he hath appointed in his word, that we may not be puzzled with that queftion, "Who hath required these things at your hand?" but may have it to fay, "He "by whofe authority I do these things, is neither pope, "nor prelate, nor civil potentate; but there is my war"rant in the word of God." Hence,

4. We must not be conformed to the traditions and rudiments of the world; "Beware, left any man spoil you through philosophy, and vain deceit, after the invention of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Chrift," Col. ii. 8. See alfo, ver. 20, 21, 22, where God teacheth us our freedom from all abolished ceremonies, and ritual obfervances; and that fubjection to ordinances of human invention and appointment, in the worship of God, is highly blameable, and contrary to the freedom and liberty of the gofpel; and an invading the authority of Chrift, the Head of the church; on which account we are exhorted to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Chrift hath made us free; and not to be entangled again into the yoke of bondage. But I muft here pafs many things, which would natively fall in, for want of time.

5. We must not be conformed to the principles of the world. There are many doctrinal principles that we are not to be conformed to, which would lead to a large field to fpeak of: but to confine myfelf to this point, namely,

The Reader, if he pleafes, may fee fome of these Doctrinal Principles, by confulting Vol. III. Serm. XZXVIII. under the ufe of Reproof; and Vol. II. p. 212, 213.

namely, What are the principles of the unregenerate world? Why, they are even naturally of devilish and hellish principles. By nature we are all Arminians, Pelagians, Socinians, yea, and Atheifts, without God in the world; and therefore fufpect the principle that is most natural, and that is most eafy for you to fall in with. Every principle that favours corrupt and depraved reason is fufpicions; for the gofpel is a mystery that vitiated nature cannot fathom.There are political principles that the world is filled with. Many, for example, are of that principle, That it is better to fin than to fuffer; better to make fuch and fuch compliances, than expofe ourselves to the fury of men, or the lofs of fome worldly fubftance better an uneafy confcience, than an empty purse. Many are of that principle, better a bird in hand than two in the bufh, as we ufe to speak: better a palace in Paris, a portion in this world, which we fee and have among our hands, than a palace in Paradife and hence many fay," Who will fhew us any good?" and few, "Lord, lift upon us the light of thy countenance," Pfal. iv. 6. We must not be conformed to the world herein.

6. We must not be conformed to the practice, courfe, and way of the world: "Wherein in time paft ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the fpirit that worketh in the children of difobedience," Eph. ii. 2. God would have his people cross the world in their life and converfation. This was pointed out by his forbidding Ifrael to eat and touch fome things, which other nations did eat and touch; and his allowing them to eat what other nations did not. For example; the Egyptians did eat, for the most part, fish, and fome few kinds of birds: but of the flesh of beasts they ate no other but only fwines flesh; and this one kind of flesh is directly forbidden the Jews, Lev. xi. 7, 8. By this was pointed out, that God would have a kind of contrariety between the world, and such as make a profeffion of his name; and that his children must be as far from the manners of the world as may be. The way of the world is downward; he will have his people to walk upward: the course of this world is hellward; he will have his people's courfe to be heaven

ward:

ward: the world walk in the broad way; he will have his people walk in the narrow way.

In a word, we are not to be conformed to the world in their thoughts, words, actions, defires, delights, love, joys, affections, or paffions. But on all the fe we cannot infiit at the time; and must therefore proceed,

III. To the third thing propofed, which was, To fhew what this difconformity to the world imports. Not to multiply particulars, it fairly imports the four following things.

1. It imports more than a contrariety to the world. What is laid of the flesh, may be faid of the world, with refpect to the believer. As the fleth lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit againft the flesh; and these two are contrary one to another: fo, the world fights against the believer, and the believer fights against the world; and thefe two are contrary one to the other: and this is the victory whereby he overcometh the world, even his faith.

2. This difconformity to the world imports a defpifing of the world. They that are not conformed to the world, are not in love with the world; they are not taken up with the gaudy vanities thereof. They that are faints. indeed, have got a fight that makes the world appear nothing. The natural fun fhines upon this world, and enlightens it but the fun of righteoufnefs, when he fhines upon the foul, darkens this earth, and all the excellencies thereof, and makes them all appear but lofs and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift. Hence the believer doth not admire the world: it is not filver and gold that he calls true riches; it is not worldly advancement that he calls honour; it is not carnal delight that he reckons pleafure and happiness; it is not human learning that he efteems folid wisdom: he can be rich, honourable, happy, and all without them; and all in Chrift. He values worldly and earthly things no more than a picture drawn in the fand, which the leaft wave will wash away.

3. This difconformity to the world imports a forfaking of the world; "Forget alfo thine own people, and thy

father's