544 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, Christ ; " Rom. viii. 35-37. They obtain a nobler conquest than that which is obtained by the sword. 2. But the weak Christian, having less patience, and more self- ishness and passion, is more easily tempted to breakhis bounds, and with Peter run to his unauthorized sword, when he should submit to suffering ; Matt. xxvi. 51,'52. And his interest and sufferings cause his passions to have too great a power on his judgment, so that he is more easily tempted to believe that to be lawful, which he thinks to be necessary to his own preservation ; and to think that the gospel and the church are falling, when the power of men is turned against them ; and therefore he must, with Uzzah, put forth his hand to save the ark of God from falling. He is more troubled at men's injustice and cruelty, and maketh a wonder of it to find the enemies of Christ and godliness to be unreasonably im- pudent and bloody as if be expected reason and righteousness in the malicious world. His sufferings fill him more with discontent, and desires ofrevenge from God ; Luke ix. 54. and his prosperi- ty too much lifts him up ; 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. And in the litigious titles of pretenders to supremacy, he is off too hasty to interest him- self in their contentions, as ifhe understood not that whoever is the conqueror will count those rebels that were on the other side; and that theenemies ofChrist will cast all the odium upon Christianity and piety, when the controversy is only among the statesmen and lawyers, and belongs not to religion at all. 3. The seeming Christian will seem to excel all others in loyal- ty and obedience, when it maketh for his camal ends : he will flat- ter rulers for honors and preferment, and always be on . the rising . side, unless whenhis pride engageth him in murmurings and rebel- lions. He bath a great advantage above true Christians and honest men, to seem the most obedient subject; because he hath a stretch- ing conscience, that can do any thing for his safety or. his worldly ends. If he be among the Papists, he can be a Papist ; if among Protestants, he is a Protestant ; and ifhe were amongTurks, it is likely he would rather turn a Mahometan than be undone. No prince or power can command him any thing which he cannot yield to, ifhis worldly interest require it. If there be a law for wor- shiping the golden image, it is the conscionable servants of God, and not the time -servers, that refuse to obey it ; Dan. iii. If there be a law against praying, (Dan. vi.) it is Daniel, and not the ungodly multitude, that disobeyit. . If therebe a command against preaching, (Acts iv. 17, 1S.) it is the holy apostles and best Christians that plead the commandof God against it, and refuse obedience to it ; ver. 20. 29. The self - seeking, temporizing hypocrite can do any thing; and yet he obeyeth not, while he seemeth to obey ; for it is not for the authority,of the commander
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