New Jerufalem, Heb. iv. 9, 11. They are come out of Egypt, but they are not yet come to Canaan; but they are on their wilderness march, minded to hold on, while apoftates are for returning to Egypt again.

Thirdly, They are nonconformifts to the world, Rom. xii. 2. They do not conform themselves to the courfe of the world, Eph. ii. 2. Hence they are indeed the world's wonder, and at length the object of their reproach and spite, 1 Pet. iv. 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the fame excefs of riot, fpeaking evil of you. They dare not do what the world makes no bones of; they hate the courfes that the world is fond of; and take pleasure in thofe things that are taftelefs and faplefs to the world. Being of God, it must be fo; for,

1. They are of another country than the world, being heavenly men, born from above. They are pilgrims and ftrangers here; how then can they mifs not to be conformed to the natives? Indeed if they were to fettle among them, and to be naturalized, forgetting the heavenly country, they would fall in with their ways and courfes, as apoftates do. But they are only travelling through the world, and there fore it is not ftrange they quite differ in their lan guage, habit, and manners, from the natives of this world.

2. They are of another nature than the men of the world, being partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. Some men differ in their natural conftitutions fo, that what is one man's meat is another's poifon. But the new nature in the regenerate differs farther from the old corrupt nature in the world. Grace gives the hearts of men a new fet, hangs a new bias on them, fo that they dearly love what themfelves before hated, and hate what before they loved. The new nature and the old courfe are inconfiftent. One muft quit the latter, or all pretence to the former.

This nonconformity lies not only in not doing what the world does, but in doing another way than

the world does in that which they both do. So in those things which they both do, there is still a nonconformity to the world, which is feen in these three things.

1. In natural actions, as eating and drinking, C. They that are of God muft do these as well as they that are of the world; yet the former do not conform to the latter in the way of doing them. The way of the world in these things is merely felfish and carnal, to gratify a luft or appetite, without any eye to God in them, to his command, his glory, or to the fitting of them to ferve God in their ftation, Zech. vii. 6. "When ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did ye not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourfelves?" (Matth. xxiv. 38.) Hence confcience has with them nothing to do in the getting, or in the ufing of these things.

But they that are of God will take their religion to their bed and to their board, and regulate them. felves therein according to the dictates, not of carnality, but confcience, I Cor. x. 31. The fatisfying the neceffities of the body, will not be to them the ends of their living, but the means of living, their end being to live to God; and therefore these things will be cut and carved as they may best contribute to that end, I Theff. iv. 4, 5.

2. In'civil actions, as working, bargaining, guiding a family, ferving, &c. The way of the world in these things, is to have no respect to the command or honour of God in them, to fhuffle out the directions in their Bible from them, as a thing having no concern in these matters, Luke xvii. 28.; to have no fingle eye to feek the good of those they have to do with, but to please themselves; or at best to be menpleafers, not God pleafers in these things: to count exact truth and uprightnefs needlefs nicety.

But those that are of God dare not, will not, nay abhor to conform themselves to that way of the world. They will carry their religion into their callings,

worldly

worldly bufinefs, and relations, 1 Cor. vii. 23, 24. They will look on God as the principle, whoever is the less principle party they have to do with, Prov. iii. 6. The end of regeneration is the restoring of finners to conformity unto the rule of righteousness, whereof the fum is love to God and our neighbour, fhewing itself in fincere endeavours to honour God, and to be beneficial to mankind, 1 John iii. 10. In this the children of God are manifeft, and the children of the devil; whofoever doth not righteousness, is not of God, neither he that loveth not-his brother."

3. In religious actions. It is not bare praying, hearing, &c. that will diftinguish one from the world lying in wickedness; for all that religion is found among them too. But they have a way of their own in it, holding with the form, but denying the power, 2 Tim. iii. 5. contenting themselves with bodily exercife, while strangers to the fpirituality of duties, Matth. xv. 8. feeking themselves in them, not God, Matth. vi. 2. making a fhelter of them wherein to fin more at ease, Prov. vii. 14, 15.; and putting them in Chrift's room, by confidence in them, Rom. x. 3.

But thofe that are of God conform not to that way of religion. For to the regenerate it is not a piece of art, but of new nature; religion is a thing that their new nature leads them to. And what is natural people will ftill aim at the perfection of, and fo they will ftudy the power of godlinefs. And being of God, they will natively feek the enjoyment of God, as the infant feeks to fuck the breafts of the mother that bare it; and they will feek the deftruction of fin by their religion, as being a contrary principle thereto; and it will natively carry them out of themfelves to Chrift for all, fince he is the life of the new creature. See their character, Phil. iii. 3. "We are the circumcifion, which worship God in the fpirit, and rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in the flesh."

Fourthly, They are in a state of oppofition to the

world

world lying in wickednefs. This is plain from Gen. iii. 15." And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed." Jam. iv. 4. The two parties are like the company of two armies engaged against one another. When by regenerating grace one comes out from among them, he is not only feparated from them, but set in oppofition to them. This fays negatively,

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1. Those that are of God are not the friends of the world, taking part with them against thofe that are of God. There are fome not without pretences to religion, but as to matters of practice they are ftill upon the loose fide; they will plead for Baal, and give fquint ftrokes at tender holy walking. They will declaim against hypocrify, being tongue tacked against profanenefs; they have a vail to throw over the grofs abominations of the licentious, but they will rip up the infirmities of the weak; they have a tongue foft as wool for the credit of the fcandalous and profane, but piercing like a fword into the ferious. Let these read the fentence of the Spirit of God, excommunicating them out of the communion of faints, James iv. 4. Ye adulterers and adultereffes, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God; whofoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God.

2. They are not neuters in the quarrel with the world lying in wickednefs. There are fome who think that they do very well, if they do nothing against the cause of religion; but to act against the cause of wickedness in the world, is none of their business, it belongs not to them, not confidering what Solomon fays, Prov. xxviii. 4. "They that forfake the law, praise the wicked; but fuch as keep the law, contend with them." They think to keep peace with God, and with the world lying in wickedness too; but they are mistaken, it will not do. Whoever they be that are not content to lift themselves under Chrift's banner, to oppose and act against the world lying in wicked

ness,

nefs, Chrift denounces them enemies to him, Matth. xii. 30. "He that is not with me, is against me; and that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad."

How can it be but that those who are of God are in a state of oppofition to the world lying in wickednefs?

(1.) The object of their love is the object of the world's hatred, which cannot mifs to produce this, God in Chrift is the principal object of the love of the regenerate, and him the world hates, John xv. 18. and they fhew it in their hatred of his image, in his ordinances, his people, and especially in his law, because there it is moft lively expreffed. And can any thing be more natural, than for a fon to be in a state of oppofition to his Father's haters and enemies? Pf. cxxxix. 21. namely, to oppose them in their oppofition, that is, their fin, not their perfons.

(2.) They are under opposite heads, betwixt whom there is an irreconcileable war, Chrift and the devil, Michael and the dragon. This war was proclaimed in paradife, Gen. iii. 15. and will never end, but in the deftruction of the one party. Nobody can be neuters in fuch a cafe, but do make oppofition. The arms of the parties are indeed very different. The world acts against those that are of God, by perfecutions, reproaches, mockings, contempt and hatred of their perfons, loofeness of life, trampling on the laws and honour of God; the regenerate act against the world lying in wickednefs: by hatred of their ways, loving their perfons, teftifying against them, endeavouring to reclaim them, rowing against the ftream in a tender walk, mourning and praying for them. They that are not fo engaged against the world, are not of God.

(3.) The intereft of the two focieties is downright oppofite; fo oppofite that the one cannot be advanced but on the ruin of the other. The spreading of holinefs is the intereft that the one is purfuing, the promoting of fin is the intereft purfued by the other;

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