The excellency of a publick spirit set forth in a sermon preach'd (since much enlarged) at the funeral of that late reverend divine Dr. Samuel Annesley, who departed this life Dec. 31, 1696 in the 77th year of his age : with a brief account of his life and death / by Daniel Williams. Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716. 1697 Approx. 196 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 77 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A66346 Wing W2648 ESTC R26373 09440529 ocm 09440529 43120 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66346) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 43120) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1320:21) The excellency of a publick spirit set forth in a sermon preach'd (since much enlarged) at the funeral of that late reverend divine Dr. Samuel Annesley, who departed this life Dec. 31, 1696 in the 77th year of his age : with a brief account of his life and death / by Daniel Williams. Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716. [2], 147 p. Printed for John Dunton, London : 1697. Reproduction of original in the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Campus). Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696. Bible. -- N.T. -- Acts XIII, 36 -- Sermons. Funeral sermons. 2003-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-02 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-03 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2004-03 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE EXCELLENCY OF A Publick Spirit : Set forth in a SERMON Preach'd ( since much enlarged ) at the FUNERAL Of that late Reverend Divine Dr. SAMVEL ANNESLEY : Who departed this Life Dec 31. 1696. In the 77th Year of his Age. With a Brief Account of His LIFE and DEATH . By Daniel Williams , Minister of the Gospel . LONDON , Printed for Iohn Dunton , at the Raven in Iewen street , 1697. To that Flock of Christ , over which the Reverend Dr. Annesley was lately Pastor . Much honoured and esteemed , THis presents you with a Discourse ( for substance ) preached and printed at your desire . I faintly hope its acceptance with many , when Iustice is become a stranger , and a meer honest Man a glorius Title . Publick Usefulness must scarce escape with the Brand of Folly with those , whole Trade is turned into tricking , or account publick Employs no more than a decent opportunity to cheat the People . But Truth may profit them , unless a Zeal for their Disease will not allow their reading what is directed for their recovery . To you , and some others , this Subject must appear too plainly instamp'd with God's Image and Authority , and a tendency to Common Weal , to admit the Censure of a Narrow Spirit ( however disguised ) to be it's Standard . Especially , when this is what commended your late Pastor to such unusual Affection , as you expressed to him living , dying , yea , when dead . Yet this might be expected , seeing his very Spirit is transfused into his People ; by whose Bounty ( in good part ) he performed such great Things for a common Good. Few Ministers , had such cause of glorying in so many Publick Spirited Hearers , as yours , Mr. Denham , Mr. Hartley , Mr. Cockerill , with many now at rest , might be named ; the living I scarce forbear . The Sermon is much enlarged , and the Method somewhat changed , that it may more contribute to common Serviceableness . What 's more desirable than to Vseful in making others so ? Hence the eminent Services of Mr. Brand , so revived the Dr. And hereby we most extend and pertuate publick Benefits ; yea , oft above our own Ability , and beyond our Life . Promote you that Design in this barren Age , by putting this Tract into Hands who need it , and by your own vigorous Example and Prayer's ; that it may be seen the Spring of your Charity and Christian Activeness , is more lasting than the Exemplary Life or Labours of your deceased Guide . May you find , in Spirituals and Externals , there is that scattereth and yet increaseth : The liberal Soul shall be made fat ; and he that watereth , shall be watered also himself And all of us be excited to more holy Fervour , by the Death of two such as Dr. Annesley and fervent Mr. Oldfield in one Day , and worthy Mr. James soon after . I am , Your Servant in the Gospel , Daniel Williams . THE EXCELLENCY OF A Publick Spirit . ACTS XIII . Ver. 36. For David , after he had served his own Generation , by the Will of God , fell on sleep . YOUR Request bringing me hither upon this sad Occasion , ( your Venerable Pastor's Death ) I have made choice of this Text as proper to inforce an Important Duty , which , tho' so little regarded by most in our Age , yet the deceased was faithful in the practice of ; yea , so Eminent , that I hope he will be a moving Example to others in this , wherein the signal Excellency of his own Life consisted . The words read are part of St. Paul's Sermon to the Iews at Antioch , in which , after a fit Introduction . 1. He proves Jesus to be the Christ from ver . 23. to 38. an Article which ( supposing the knowledge of God ) hath the greatest influence into all our Religious Hopes and Duties ; and therefore a firm assent thereto ought to be more endeavoured than I fear is usual with many , who boast of a Christian Name . This point he argues from these Topicks : Jesus was of David's Seed which the Christ was to be , 23 , 24. Jesus was he whom Iohn ( in such esteem with them ) did bear Testimony to , that he was the Christ , 24 , 25. In the unjust condemnation and barbarous killing of this Jesus , the Iews had unwittingly fulfilled , in every circumstance , all the Prophecies , which foretold the unjust and cruel usuages the Christ should meet with , 27 , 28 , 29. This Jesus God had certainly raised from the Dead , according as it was in several places Prophesied of the Christ , and promised to him ; which Resurrection , was God's Testimony concerning him , that he was his Eternal Son Incarnate . But lest any might object that that Text , Ps. 16. 10. was fulfilled in David , the Apostle obviates this , by shewing that David lay in his Grave so long as to putrifie , which the Christ was not to do , neither did our Jesus ; and by this occasion the words of my Text are introduced , as David's Praise , which the Apostle would not omit , tho' his Argument lies in that part of the Verse which I have not read , viz. He saw Corruption . And the following v. 38 , 39. are both Arguments for Jesus being the Christ , in that forgiveness of sin ( to which the Mosaick Ceremonies and Sacrifices were altogether unavailable but as Types and Shadows respecting what Jesus did and suffered ) was preached through this Iesus . 2. And also a serious offer of forgiveness to all of them , made in the Name and Authority of our Saviour Christ. 3. He inforceth this with an awakening caution , viz. That they prevent not their own Salvation , yea , aggravate not their Misery by rejecting this Jesus , the Christ , the Lord ; q. d. the Lord Jesus , fulfilling all that 's foretold of his Death and Resurrection ; his being the Crucified and Risen Saviour ; yea , the offer of that blessed forgiveness he purchased , will not suffice to your Salvation , unless you also trust and receive him . Nay , if you receive him not , and accept not Salvation in the way he proposeth , your punishment will be sorer than if forgiveness had been never offered ; yea , than if there were no Saviour , v. 40 , 41. for the profitable matter , not the meer connexion , having thus far diverted , I assume the Text , which gives us account , 1. Of David's Publick Usefulness while living ; he served his own Generation by the Will of God. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , being alike governed by the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , causeth another reading to be as Grammatical , viz. After he had served the Will of God in his own Generation ; ( that of Erasmus being too remote to deserve much regard , viz. That he fell asleep by the Will of God ) yet the sence of both readings alike secures the great Duty of Publick Usefulness to be David's Praise ; for if you prefer the latter , his Service is determined to the Publick Weal in his own Generation , tho' it may more expresly include also his care for his own Soul by his obedience to God's Will , as prescribing the Rule by which we must be saved ; ( which was the Gospel Law then as truly as it 's now ) of which , a faithful improvement of our Talents is no small part . But the order of the words most favours our own Translation , which it 's a fault needlesly to recede from . The former part , viz. Serving his Generation , will be so inlarged on as the scope of my discourse , that at present I need say no more than to note , that the word Serve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is metaphorical , and denotes both the publick influence of David's Labours , and his great Subjection ; it alludes to a Man's Rowing in a Vessel under the conduct of a superior Pilot. The Royal Prophet was but an Under Rower , i. e. as much under Divine Authority , and as dependant , as if the meanest Man : He served in the Vessel , viz. the Church and State , the safe Passage whereof he consulted , and subserved , as his principal business . By the Will of God. God did not only serve his purposes by him , which the most regardless and obstinate cannot prevent , but this Blessed Man did designedly and faithfully serve those purposes God intended in his Age and Place ; he obeyed God's Will as he had notice of it , and what ever labour , expence or danger attended it . This Will of God he still consulted , as to the matter and manner of his performances . If you read the History of David's Life , and the Book of Psalms , you 'll find the laudable Character in my Text evidenc'd in almost an uninterrupted Series of publick and profitable Actions , from his very Youth to his Death : By him God saved Israel from greatest Dangers , he secured their Peace , enlarged their Borders ; he fought their Battels , united the Tribes , brought the Ark to Zion , established the Publick Worship , encouraged and propagated real Piety , exemplified the Divine Law in the course of his Practice ; few are the instances wherein he came short of the Common Good as the scope : yea , his Heart was so enlarged , as to resolve greater things than God thought fit to permit his Execution of , as building the Temple , ( for which , nevertheless , he prepared the Materials ) How solicitous was he that his indispos'd Age it self might not fail to be useful to God's Honour in his own , yea , future Generations ? Ps. 71. 17 , 18. O God , thou hast taught me from my youth , and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works . Now also , when I am old and gray headed , O God forsake me not until I have shewed thy strength to this generation , and thy power to every one that is to come . A Life so eminently useful might well warrant his saying , I bear up the pillars of the Earth , Ps. 73.5 . deserve the peoples acknowledgment , 2 Sam. 18.3 . Thou art worth ten thousands of us , and answer the Testimony the Omniscient God gave before-hand concerning him . Act. 13.22 . I have found David a man after my own heart , who will fulfil all my will. 2. David's Death : He fell asleep , after , not before he had faithfully served a common good , nor later than he was capable to do so . Every Man is Immortal , be his danger never so great , till he hath accomplished the service God designeth by him ; and there is scarce a good Man ( that knows himself such ) but would live till his course in service be finished , or would chuse to live longer than he can be serviceable : but when we are unfit to be Instruments of good to others , and are wrought to a meetness for Glory , it 's fit time others have our place whom Providence hath suited to God's further Designs , by somewhat peculiarly fitted to the rising Generation . The word by which David's Death is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he lay him down to sleep , which notes Death to be no terror to him , and that Resurrection would certainly ensue . The former part of the Text is what I shall principally insist on ; therein David is commended , and they who imitate his life partake of the like Honour . Two Observations the words easily afford . I Obs. It 's an excellent Character of a deceased Person , that by Faithfulness and Diligence in his place , he hath been eminently useful in his Generation . To render this intelligible and useful , I shall , 1. Explain this Character . 2. Give an account of some things requisite to render a Man eminently useful in his Generation , who is capable to be so by his Gifts , Estate , Office , &c. 3. Evidence the Excellency of this described Character . For the Explication of this Character , I shall propose the following Heads , which I think will render that Duty plain , which I would this Day call you to the performance of . 1. God so disposeth of Men in their respective Generations , that they are capable of being benefited by each other . The parts of a Political Body can no more say to each other , I have no need of thee , than those of the Natural , 1 Cor. 12.21 . which disposition of things is the foundation of all Societies ; Men need each other , and are receptive of mutual Advantages : Conversation , Friendship , Families , Trades , Common Safety , ( and what not ) are provided for hereby , and without it would be defeated and cease , but the All-wise God hath placed Men in that posture towards each other , that no one is Self-sufficient . Some need Health , others Knowledge , others Defence , others Food and Raiment , others Counsel , others Reproof and Spiritual Instruction , others Comfort , and the like ; in each of these respects , those words of our Saviour may be applied , Ioh. 12.8 . The poor you have always with you : some that need your help , many in a great degree , most in one sort or other , so that none can pretend want of Objects , or Occasions , as a Plea why they are not useful , they are daily at hand , and adapted to the Nature and Proportion of your Talents ; infinite Wisdom hath contrived the several wants of Mankind to give opportunity for employing that common Stock he hath distributed ; and as wonderful is it , that those very wants be the great Means that the several Possessors of that Common Stock receive benefit by the shares thereof which they respectively do enjoy ; for it 's visible , that whatever any one Man enjoys would leave him distressed , unless by exchanging that with another , he were relieved by what that other Man possesseth and himself wants . Nay , that no Man may reflect on God as unkind to the World , because the Poor are so many , it 's worthy our admiration that Poverty it self is very conducive to the Publick Good ; not only as it prevents much sin , but as it 's the greatest Spur to Diligence , Callings , Inventions and Services , which the Common Benefit depends upon ; yea , were none poor , every Man would be next to miserable , by wanting all those conveniencies which they now obtain by any other persons Want , or desire of Wealth . Who would be Servants , private Soldiers , Seamen , Handicrafts-men , &c. if none were poor ? If some would study Law , Physick , &c. it 's from few of them that their Neighbours could expect the advantage of their Arts. They who would sail to other Countries , and bring back any thing of their peculiar growth , how few , if any besides themselves , should be the better for them ? I wish I might not say we should have fewer Preachers , and not many so eager of Places in the Government . But I digress too far in justifying Providence in such necessities among Men , as render them capable of being benefited , and consequently in giving scope to others usefulness . 2. Every Man may be more or less useful to others ; and every good Man is so . Each may influence for benefit , tho' in different Kinds , and unequal Spheres . He that hath not Pounds , hath his Mites ; and , tho' he cannot profit Multitudes , may benefit some few . If you cannot instruct the Ignorant , you can relieve the Poor , and encourage the Ministry : Are you so indigent that you have nothing to give , yet you may pray for many , and be Examples of Meekness and Patience . Some are unfit to serve the Publick , in an Office , who yet are capable to Vote for a Man that 's fit to serve . Divine Bounty hath provided a supply among Men for those Necessities to which Mankind is subject . But a great part of the Misery of the World is owing to some Mens inordinate craving more than they need , and to others not duly laying out what they are intrusted with for others : Whereas , what God hath distributed among Men , is a Common Stock to benefit the Body ; and of the several parts and sorts thereof I may say as of those Spiritual Gifts , 1 Cor. 12.7 . They are all given to profit others with our selves . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . God allows not a Man in the Lord's Prayer so much as to ask daily Bread for himself alone . Totally to neglect the benefit of others , argues such Unfaithfulness to God , and Injustice , yea Cruelty , to Men ; that I repent not of saying , every good Man is useful to others . To be good and not to do good , is a contradiction ; as it is to do good , and not to do that which is beneficial , Psalm 112.5 . A good Man sheweth favour , and lendeth . A be thou warmed , is equally an argument of a bad Heart , and of a dead Faith , Iam. 2.16 . That Religion which lieth in meer Words , tho' noisie ; and in meer Hopes , tho' confident , will be found vain in its self , and useless to its Owners ; it will not be saving to our selves , if it be not profitable to others . 3. God hath rendred some Men capable of greater and more publick service than others . It 's true of the publick Store of Talents , as of our common Mother the Earth , Eccles . 5.9 . The profit of it is for all ; nevertheless , some Parts are a richer Soil than others . So some Men are far more capable of common Usefulness than their Neighbours be : And this by God's disposal , what ever be the just means of acquirement ; yea , his permissive ordering hath place , tho' the means be unjust . Capacities for service are various , according to Mens Offices , Gifts , Estates , Interest , Opportunities , and what ever else would render a Man publickly Useful , were the Possessor thereof but faithful and diligent . The Degrees of each of them determine to what measure a Man is capable to be a common Blessing ; whether he be actually so or not . Vain it were for any Man to pretend himself less capable to do good than in truth he is , for God keeps a just account of the Place every Man stands in , and the Talents each Man possesseth ; and he hath affixed a Charge of Service to the extent of every Man's Ability . A Magistrate or Minister may do more good than a private Person , a rich Man than a poor , one of great Parts than one of lesser : A Magistrate in higher Place than another in a lower , a Minister eminently qualified , than one less so . It 's sad that no Man fails to expect regard according to his utmost preheminence , and yet few reckon themselves hereby under any greater Capacy for service : They have no respect to that , tho' it be what God did most intend in the inequality of his Gifts . 4. Men are obliged to usefulness in proportion to their respective Capacities for it , and Call unto it . Were it not so , God would not appear to intend any Glory to himself , or Good to Men , by any thing wherein the greatest excels the vulgar . The instinct in all Men ( yea Brutes ) which sets the good of the Community above ones private , would be a vain impression , tho' the basest secretly commend it in another . But this is written with so bright a Beam , that none can doubt it , without a great reproach to God , the Governor of this World. What must you conceive him to be , that appoints Magistracy , and yet leave the Magistrate at liberty to suffer the innocent Subject to be exposed and injured , the People unreformed and unpreserved ? That he should institute the Office of the Ministry , and yet allows the Minister to neglect teaching the Ignorant , awakening the Secure , reproving the Scandalous , opposing the Heretick ; comforting the Humble , and edifying the Weak ; especially when it 's so evident , that performing those several Acts , as the End of these Offices , are so necessary to the benefit of Mankind , ( which sufficiently proves the Offices themselves to be so ) . And it 's no less evident that God hath appointed these Offices to those very ends , and annexed his Injunctions that they be so applied and executed , Rom. 13.3 . Eph. 4.11 , 12. can then the Officers be unobliged to exert that Authority which the Office conveighs , for the good of that people over whom they thereby have power , yea , and claim an honour from ? Men fond of such Trusts , will find they were not conferred as Feathers for their Caps , or gratifications to their Lusts ; Heaven's Stamp was not designed to be set on poor Clay , to indulge our Pride , Covetousness , love of Dominion , or undue Liberty , but for a Common Good. As in Offices , so in other vouchsafements God hath a regard to Service ; and therefore with a Charge of suitable usefulness it is , that he dispenseth Riches and Gifts , each degree whereof is committed to the Possessors as Stewards , to lay them out to the Uses he assigned , nor is it long before you will all be summoned to give an Account of your Stewardship , Luk. 16.2 . then you shall be convinced you were not absolute Proprietors , to reserve , or use at pleasure , one pound of your Estates , nor any degree of your Interest or Gifts , but that a demand of Service increased proportionably to what you did possess . You may remember I mentioned a Call to Service as well as a Capacity for it , wherein I had respect to what 's more peculiar to the Offices of Magistrates and Ministers ; and hereby I would prevent a mistake , as if meer Gifts , which fit us for an Office , if we were called to it , did oblige us to do those things which are peculiar to that Office whereto we are not called , which is an Usurpation , whatever usefulness Men pretend . That there be Magistrates God hath injoined ; how they should be Qualified , and their power Executed , he doth also appoint . But which particular Persons shall be Magistrates , and the extent of their Power he hath left to Rules adjusted by the Community whereto they belong ; in which respect , the Magistrate is called a Humane Creature , 1 Pet. 2.13 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . In like manner , Christ hath Enacted that there be Ministers of the Gospel ; their Qualifications , Authority and Work , he hath also described , which he permits not Men to alter or limit . But he hath made other Ministers Judges , whether this or that proposed Man be so Qualified , and being found so to Ordain him ; and among them so approved , he hath made Members of the Church the ordinary Electors who shall be their more particular Minister , 1 Tim. c. 3. & 4.14 , &c. Nothing but confusion proceeds from Men's running before they are sent ; and ordinarily , as a proud conceit of their own Gifts , puts them out of their own place , where alone God accepts their Service , and they might have been truly useful to the utmost of their Gifts : so a mischief to the Publick , and prejudice to their own Spiritual State , proves at long-run the effect of their Usurpation . Is it needful to add , that a fit opportunity for real Service is a Call both to accept of an Office tendered , and to every one Invested in an Office , to do those Acts which belong thereto ? As also , that a fit opportunity is a Call to every Man , to employ for publick benefit , his Riches , Gifts and Interest , according to the place he is in ; yea , and very common Danger and Benefit binds us to more Expence and Activity than would be allowable in an ordinary juncture , as Act. 4.34 . They sold all , when saving any thing would expose the Christian Cause in its tender beginnings ; and this the Civil Weal of a Nation may render as necessary . 5. The tendency of each Man's Actings to usefulness , in his Generation , lies in doing the Work of his Day , for the benefit of others , suitably to the place God hath set him in . The last Heads stated the degree of Men's Capacities for Service , and Obligation to improve them according to their Call thereto ; this head is designed to regulate all Men's Endeavours , so as that a common Good may be subserved thereby . We have an Example , which , if imitated by every Man , would result in the general benefit , Nehem. c. 3. Each Man built and repaired the Walls of Ierusalem , to his proportion , in his place and order , whereby the whole Work was done for the common Defence , and every Man 's particular Labour contributed to that Publick Good , and was found therein . Comformably whereto , a National Good must be promoted , if the Magistrate would attend to the Civil Government , Ministers of the Gospel to Doctrine and the Administration of Worship , and Discipline without corporal Punishments . The Rich , to distribute to publick and private Necessities ; the Prudent , to give Advice ; Men of Power , to execute well-advised Things ; and high and low employed according to their Station , that the common Good suffer not by any of their Neglects or Usurpations . Then indeed the sad Chasmes in the Publick would be made up ; new Heavens and a new Earth in a great degree commence . Ambition on the one hand , and Envy on the other , would be much allay'd ; For who would exorbitantly seek that which he fore knows he must use for others rather than enjoy himself ? What place for Envy , when I see my self and others better served by every thing wherein another is advanced above me ? Alas , how easie is it to commend this , and own its conduciveness to universal Benefit ! But the World groaneth under the contrary ; every Man throws off the Care , Labour and Charge the Publick is to be served by , and intends little besides Honour and Profit upon the publick Spoil . Every Man seeks his own things , Phil. 2.21 . And this to such a degree , that the blindest cannot doubt a Providence , in that the common Good is served even so far as it is ; when it is so little designed by most of Men in any station ; and that this must be by God's over-ruling the general selfishness to that Good , which in its own Nature ( were it not for a Superior Hand ) tends to the ruine of the Publick , as such ; especially when we find the generality of Men of greatest influence most culpable in that respect , and the residue so unconcerned . O that God would awaken a more Publick Spirit in this Age , when love to God , to his Church , yea to our Country , is so extinguished by carnal selfishness ; then every thing whereby each Man is fitted for eminent Service , would be as signally laid out , as the publick Welfare did require . And few Mens Capacities for general Benefit are contracted to one Particular , but multiplied according to the variety of their Talents , Relations , and Opportunities : It follows therefore , that a Man's place for service is commensurate to that variety , and not confined to one , however Eminent it be . To conclude , a tendency to publick service is then greatest when there is a regular Application of every Man 's several Office , Relation , and Talent , to the common Good : Yet all this must be done with a special Regard to that which is the peculiar work of our Day ; even that which is principally designed by Providence to be contributed to by our various Abilities . This must not be omitted on the account of any thing more ordinary or easie ; for the peculiar work of every Age and Place , hath the highest Consequences to that Age and Place depending on it ; by that every Man's Fidelity is most tried ; and a mistake in that renders Men most publickly hurtful , as the promoting thereof makes a Man the most beneficial in his Generation . Of this hereafter . 6. He is faithful in his Age , who , uprightly designing to serve God , and his Generation , diligently employs his Talents to promote a common Good , in the greatest Instances of which he is capable . This is a provision against the Discouragements to which persons , of a low Figure , with honest Minds , are subject : However , let such know , they may be Faithful , tho' not eminently Useful . If what little they can do be uprightly designed , and with a willing Heart performed , it findeth more acceptance with God , than greater things done , from carnal Designs , tho' , perhaps , over ruled by God to further use than they intended . If want of Ability be the only restraint , God will Judge us by our large Minds , and not our narrow Power , 2 Cor. 8.12 . A gift of two Mites , when our All , is esteemed to be more than greater gifts , when disproportionable to a larger Stock reserved . But then you must be sure , not to look at your own things , but also at the things of others , Phil. 2.4 . and cordially employ your little , being you have no more ; for he is unfaithful , who , by sloth , or other carnal respects , omits to be useful to his utmost ; because he cannot equal the more Eminent ; greater Abilities would but more discover the falseness of such a Man. Under the Law , one Lamb was admitted instead of two , but it was when the Leper was poor , and could not get so much , Lev. 14. v. 21. but this one Lamb must be brought ; so something , yea , the best we can must be performed for God's glory , and a common benefit , or we vainly pretend to Faithfulness ; and as vainly , if Idleness or Waste , be the things we indulge to make us capable of doing but so very little . Unusefulness , by incapacity of our own causing , is as culpable as unusefulness when we are capable ; nor , deserves he the Name of a good Man , whose Laziness prevents , or Lusts devour , what would qualifie him for eminent service , altho' he do give and act according to what remisser Labours have gotten , or his Excesses have left still in his hand . Painfulness , and decent Thrift , to enable us to do great things , are most laudable , notwithstanding the silly World's reflections ; and he hath the greatest Soul , who despiseth these from a Mind intent on greatest service . 7. The eminently useful Man , in his Generation , is he whose great capacity , for service , is vigorously , constantly and wisely employed , to do that good which is signally profitable , in the importance , difficulty , and extensiveness thereof , in his Day . With the Light afforded in the former Heads , this gives you the whole of the Character I proposed to explain . Here I suppose a Man greatly capable of Service , by Power or Parts , or Estate , with any such other Advantages for usefulness ; there remain two things constitutive of this Character , as principally respecting the Eminency of this Man's usefulness . 1. The Nature of the Work to which he applieth his Abilities . 2. The manner how he employs his Abilities , in prosecuting what is signally profitable . 1. The Nature of the Work to which an eminently useful Person employs his Abilities , which this head gives you under various Epithites . It 's that which is a good Work , and not sinful ; it 's a profitable Work , not hurtful , or meerly innocent , which is the highest that even the Civiler part of Men do aim at , no , it 's what benefits Men. It 's signally profitable ; not in mean , low , and remiss degrees . 1. The signal profitableness thereof is in the importance of the good subserved , not what is trivial or inconsiderable , but such as the salvation of Souls , preserving Mens Lives , securing publick Liberties and Peace , supporting the Esteem of useful Persons , vindicating the Oppressed , defending the Truth , and opposing destructive Errors ; putting a stop to the attempts of Church Dividers , propagating a Gospel Ministry , breeding and qualifying Men for eminent Service in Church or State , as young Scholars ; and voting for , and procuring the fittest Persons for Offices in Church and State , Employing and Relieving the Poor , &c. And as it 's signal in the importance of the Work , So , 2. in the difficulty of it ; when it 's not easie , but hard , not cheap , but expensive , not safe , but dangerous ; when , as oft it falls out , a Man , in the doing of it , is exposed to great Expences , deep Studies , hard Labour , displeasure of Friends , vilest Reproaches , loss of Estate , Persecution to Imprisonment . Bodily Torments , yea . Death it self . When such things attend our Service , and a good Work cannot be prosecuted with an exemption from such Calamities , it proclaims Endeavours great , and the Man eminently useful ; and the rather , because the good end , prosecuted at so dear a rate , will be undertaken by very few , and yet these difficulties manifest it 's of greatest concernment that it be pursued , for otherwise Satan , and the corrupt part of Men , would not so oppose . The Apostle's Work was signally useful in this respect , see 1 Cor. 9.11 . Such with all the other Martyrs were eminently useful , in that they endured so much for Witnessing to the Truths , and Instructing and Reforming the World in their Day : Of whom it's justly said , The World was not worthy , Heb. 11.38 . 3. But with the difficulty , the extensiveness of this good is greatly to be regarded , as what denotes it important . This extensiveness regards variety of Benefits , and reacheth to the greater number of Objects . It 's not in a few things , nor to a few persons , that eminent usefulness extends ; most useful is he who can do most good to most persons ( especially influencing ones ) . He who benefiteth the greatest number of People in whatever may be truly profitable to them , as a means of their Happiness in their Soul , Peace , Health , Plenty , Freedom , Credit , Comfort , and the like , principally in what makes them Happy for ever , next in what contributes to make them safe , easie , and useful in time . And , if besides being profitable to multitudes while we live , we can also serve succeeding Ages , it heightens the Character , Psal. 79.13 . We will shew forth thy praise to all Generations . 2. The manner how the Eminently Useful employ their capacities in prosecuting what 's signally profitable . It 's not lazily , or remisly , but with vigour ; with all his might . Diligence must be great , and the Heart intently engaged in it ; as our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , our Business , not Diversion ; to spend and to be spent therein , 2 Cor. 12.15 . the Rule is great , Rom. 12.7 , 8 , 11. neither must it be seldom , or by fits and starts ; not late attempted , or soon deserted , but constantly : Happy is he who begins early , lasts long , and never ceaseth to serve his Generation till God calls him off the Stage . Blessed is he , whom his Master , when he cometh , finds so doing , Mat. 24 46. nor is it to be forgotten that it must be managed wisely , otherwise the useful tendency of great endeavours , well designed , may be lessened , if not defeated . Prudent application of fit and just means , is needful to accomplish so highly a valuable end ; of which hereafter . 8. The meer want , of proportionable success abates not a Man 's eminent usefulness , as to his own Excellency or Benefit , tho' success be greatly desirable , and gratefully to be acknowledged . Is. 49.45 . I have laboured in vain , and spent my strength for nought , yet is my work with the Lord ; and tho' Israel be not gathered , yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord. This may be applied by every useful Minister . Events are not in our hands , and therefore it 's not : by them we shall be Judged or Rewarded ; the faithful Labourer is as well pleasing to God , in the pains he took with them that perish , as them who are saved , 2 Cor. 2.15 , 16. If you have done great things to recover Men , you 'll be no loser , tho' Sinners be hardened , or Errors prevail . What tho' Men abuse the Money you bestow , and prove hurtful by the encouragement you have given ; what tho' contrary events have followed your just Endeavours ; Confusion for Order , Disquiet for Peace , &c. this will lie at the Door of such who were the culpable Causes of such preposterous Effects , and you 'll no more be blamed than the Heavens that dropped Dew on that Earth which brought forth Briars and Thorns , Heb. 6.8 . 2. I shall now give an Account of some things requisite to render a Man eminently useful in his Generation , who is capable by his Office , Gifts , or Estate , to be so ; wherein I shall have especial regard to Ministers , tho' not only them . I shall distribute them under three Heads . 1. Such things as are needful to incline them to become intently willing to employ themselves in serving a Common Good. Ability , without a readiness of mind to , and solicitousness for the Honour of God and good of Men , will never make us serviceable . To ingage your Hearts herein , it 's necessary . 1. That you have a believing view of invisible things . Of God , as he who hath a full Authority over you , to command you to this Work ; as he who hath an absolute Propriety in you and yours , and therefore may dispose of you , and all you have , to what Service he pleases ; to refuse which is Sacriledge in you , who have dedicated your selves to him . Believe a Judgment-Day , when you must Account for all ; keep sight of Christ , who bought Souls with his Blood , and whom it cost so much to Redeem you for his Service ; be at a certainty about the worth of Souls , your own and others . And of the dreadful Misery of such who die unconverted , or unfruitful ; realize sinners woful state , when they cry , Come and help us , Acts 16.9 . and thy own if thou refusest . Beg Faith of Christ , who is the Author and the Finisher of it : This is that by which unseen things are evident , Heb. 11.1 . without which Evidence we lose what must affect and move us in our service to Souls . Knowing the terror of the Lord , we persuade Men , 2 Cor. 5.11 . Every Man's unbelief is equal to his unserviceableness ; and as our Faith is , will our usefulness be . 2. Love to God and Man is needful to excite us to Usefulness . This constrains us to express our gratitude to God , who hath done so much for us when miserable ; and to be beneficial to Men , whose Misery we believe and pity . Strong Love will answer all those Excuses which have their rise in Enmity to God and Men ; the remains whereof govern the best Man as far as he is unprofitable . By this Divine Passion poor Endeavours will be disdained , and the most expensive be no cause of regret ; yea , a pleasure riseth with the height of the performance ; and God's inclining us to do so much , becomes the very Matter of our Praises to him ; as 1 Chron. 29.14 , 15. Keep then this holy Fire blazing , it will always point you work , and find you strength to do it . Nay , it will put you to pain , whiles unemployed , and make you solicitous that it be to purpose . This , this was it put Paul in travel , till Christ was formed in those , Gal. 4.19 . 3. A Publick Spirit is also needful to the same End. This is the immediate effect of Love ; it 's the Heart dilated by it . This is the next Spring that sets all the Wheels in motion , which otherwise stand still within the Precincts of narrow self . How became David such a publick Blessing he tells you , Psalm 137.6 . If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief Ioy , let my right-hand forget her cunning . The vastest Stock is productive of little in that Man's Hand who is all for himself ; whether self in his own Person , or self in his Family , yea , or self in his own Party and Faction . But a Publick Spirit will be contriving and aiming at a common Benefit above his own , in this will such a one delight , and this he must pursue , because it moves as a common Soul related to , and concerned in all Men , well knowing God hath an interest in each , and ones self to be but a small part of the whole , and therefore to be less regarded than that wherein God's glory is infinitely more displayed , and from which a so far greater Tribute of Honour and Service will redound . Therefore be earnest with God to enlarge thy Heart , and bring it more under the power of that Relation wherein thou standest to the Catholick Church , yea , to all Men , otherwise thou wilt be apt , with Cain , to say of thy very Brother , Am I his Keeper ? Gen. 4.9 . Own thy self , with St. Paul , a Debtor both to the Greeks and to the Jews , to the Wise , and to the Unwise , Rom. 1.14 . A narrow Spirit is a common Plague , abhor and deprecate it as Unchristian and Inhumane ; while it prevails , I can hardly hope thou canst get to Heaven , but all may freely say , it 's no matter how soon it be that thou wert there . Look at Christ , who made himself Poor that he might make many Rich , 2 Cor. 8. 9. and blush that thou wearest his Name , whiles thy Money Rusts , and so many Poor do starve . But happy is that Publick Spirit , that can scarce relish his own Felicity , when he sees so many Miserable , but is bound with them that are in bonds , Heb. 13.3 . by this Spirit a Man is bent for God , and a Publick Good , and without it all beyond self , ( in that cursed self ) is as nothing to him , a meer Galio , caring for neither God , nor Souls , Church nor State. You see , that to encline you to Eminent Usefulness , you must get , improve , and exercise Faith and Love with a Publick Spirit ; these will employ your Abilities for service . 2. If you would be eminently Useful , you must get such things as will fix and relieve you against those Difficulties which attend eminent Usefulness . Good Inclinations and Resolves will be tried in a course of publick Service ; and as the Trials will be different , our Preservatives and Supports should be as various . Indeed , Faith , Love , and a publick Spirit , which excite a Man to great Attempts for a publick Good , do also yield Relief against discouragement in the prosecution of them . Yea , Faith derives supporting Strength from Christ , as he is our Head of Influence as well as Conduct . But , besides these . 1. Be truly humble . The proud Heart will scorn to stoop to many things which Publick Service requires ; nor endure the Debasements which it will expose to , and so the Work will be half done at first , and forsaken at last , as too grating on a proud Spirit , which formeth Projects more agreeable to an aspiring Mind . But , if you are cloathed with Humility , you 'll be fitted to stoop cheerfully to what ever your Work calls you to condescend , and with easiness of Mind to endure the Contempt which you 'll meet with from such you design to be useful to . Can you , without great Humility , use such plain Words as the Ignorant understand , inculcate the same thing often , admit a familiar Freedom to the Poor and Mean , go into nasty Cottages , hear much Weakness and Nonsence , without discouraging the Silly from saying any more ? Can you , and not be humble , become all things to all Men , that you may win some , and be a Servant to all that you may gain the more ? 1 Cor. 9.19 , 21. Yea , you may meet with Affronts and Scorns , with Slanders and Reproach , from the very poor whom you endeavour to benefit in Soul and Body too ; Pride will soon disdain all such Work , but so must not you , unless you cease to be a Publick Blessing . Be humble , i. e. look at your selves , vile Dust and Ashes , as bad by Nature as the most wicked you would Reform , and worthy to be as poor as the most Indigent you 〈◊〉 and not too good to be employed 〈…〉 in the meanest Services , 〈◊〉 really honoured to be used in such as this 〈…〉 irs , and this seems har 〈…〉 s too debasing , ask , may not that 〈◊〉 better fit me , which was in Christ Iesus my Lord , who made himself of no reputation , Phil. 2.5 . 2. Be weaned from the World , mortified to all in it , and well content with what God hath reserved in Heaven for you ; what you make your Portion , that will prescribe your Work. If your Happiness is confined to Flesh and Time , you 'll soon quit what seldom contributes to it , and is daily exposing it to hazard , yea , oft to ruine . Even Publick Spirited Men , for their Country , venture all in common Danger , yet , after Success , they get the least ; it 's oft more than so with Men who are engaged for the Testimony of Christ , and good of Souls : Worldly Affections can never drive this Trade ; Covetousness , Effeminateness , fondness of Relations , excessive love of Life , Ease and Pleasure , will obstruct you , when the Expences , Losses , Pains and Dangers of Eminent Undertakings , present themselves . Therefore be Crucified to the World , if ever you would be Useful in it ; and let it be a dead Carkass in your Account , if you would not be hindred by it in your best Designs . Cherish Heavenly Affections , and with pleasure oft view your chosen Portion , otherwise an irregular Appetite will press too hard , to let you be much of long engaged in a Work that 's so far from gratifying it . This way Moses became so profitable to his People , Heb. 11.25 , 26. and Paul to Iews and Gentiles , 2 Cor. 5.12 , 15 , 18. 3. Get true Christian Fortitude : And this will unite , fix and steel the Heart against all Onsets which try your Patience , Courage and Resolutions , Rev. 2. 3. A pusillanimous Man will refuse what 's difficult , and forsake what 's dangerous ; or , so demean himself under it , as to frustrate a good Effect . The truest Courage will be put to a stand , for Satan singleth out the eminently Useful , to level all his Darts against ; his own Votaries he 'll employ to persecute them ; whatever in civil Men is to be made use of shall conspire to make your Work difficult , and you unhappy and uneasie ; nothing shall be wanting to terrifie or bribe you , to tire or distress you , Rev. 2.102.3 2. Envy also still accompanieth signal usefulness , which oft renders your Friends more grievous to you than your professed Enemies . In every Age it 's found , the spirit within us lusteth to envy , Jam. 4.5 . I wish all good Men , yea , we Ministers , could also find with the Apostle ; but God giveth more grace : Yet as unreasonable and devilish as Envy is , you must expect it , and be prepared to endure the Effects thereof , but still with a Mind no more averse from your Work , or indifferent to it ; other than avoid all Oftentation , to conceal what of your Work you can , and to but omit none , unless you can get it done by another hand . 3. If you are called to serve your Generation , by opposing the Errors , or Church-dividing Practices , of any considerable Sects , pretending to Zeal for Truth , ( tho' never so falsly ) and to a purer Form of Administration , ( tho' in all that highly Superstitious ) you 'll find those violent and base Methods to asperse and sink you , which very Pagans would abhor to use ; yet this must not abate your Testimony , nor incline you in the least to betray the Truth , or to seem to approve of their Unchristian Attempts against the Common Good ; neither suffer your Spirit to be infected and debased , to a resemblance of theirs , in Malice , Rancour , Wrath , Rage , or Revengefulness , which is so contrary to the Spirit of Christ , as to make you justly suspect you were no appointed Advocate for his Truth and Interest . And alike careful must you be , that the highest provocations prevail not with you , to vindicate your self by ways that ( all things duly considered ) appear a greater damage to the Publick Good , than the single Interest of your Person can countervail . I have given you some hints of the Exercise which you ought to provide against , lest a surprize cause you to quit , or disserve the Blessed Work you are called to . 4. Yet , it 's true , it may prove more creditable , safe and easie , if it be only beneficial to Men's Bodies or Estates , for against that sort , Satan and the World make less resistance , unless it affect the Publick in somewhat wherein Factions are concerned . Yea , it may be less hazardous and grievous , if it profit Mens Souls , if it be only in points which Christ hath gained a reputation to , and that you have many to assist you in the Defence of , especially if your motion be but equal with those many , because such things are familiarized , or have obtained a greater interest in the Consciences of Men , and the remaining Stream of Opposition is divided . 5. But the most eminent Usefulness is much determined to those points which are difficult as still deciding , and wherein the Interest of Christ , in your Day and Place , is the subject of a present Contest between Christ with his Instruments on the one side , and Satan with his on the other . In such cases there will be great opposition , as far as Satan can influence any , either by their Ignorance , Malignity worldly Considerations , Pride , or Custom , &c. And generally the Contenders on Christ's part are at first but few , especially the more eminent ones ; and therefore it necessarily follows that such must be exposed . It were easie to instance all this in the case of introducing the Gospel where it was not before , in the reformation of Worship or Discipline , where they have been corrupted , in opposing and detecting false Doctrines which many have imbibed , and long entertained ; in reclaiming a degenerate People from evil practises much indulged ; in resisting incroaching Errors and Disorders , abetted by a considerable Number of great Zealots , especially if they have some plausible Pretensions , suited to the disposition of sober ignorant People ; and that some more than common Spirit and Fervour do attend the Seducers , which is very usual . But this is less needful , having cautioned you as to the Snares , and fore-warned you of the Danger . 6. Therefore may not I with reason ask you ? Can a feble Mind , or unfortified Heart , persist in great Endeavours , and in the face of such Dufficulties steadily pursue his glorious End ? No ; he must succumb , and will quit the plainest and most important Truth or Duty . The Interest of Christ will say of these as in Paul's case ; No Man stood with me , all ( these ) Men forsook me , 2 Tim. 4.16 . Therefore watch against all declinings in holy Christian Courage ( meerly natural will not serve , tho' it 's a good preparative , ) pray with hope for renewed Vigour , that you may find , as Psalm 69.32 . your Heart shall live that seek God ; and that he is the strength of your Heart , when all else fails you , Psalm 73.26 . When the Onset is vigorous , and begins to impress , be then strong in the Lord , and in the power of his might , Eph. 6.10 . To that End , remember whose Cause you plead , and who employs you : Read oft your Commission , where you will find a promise fit to revive your very fainting Spirit , Matth. 28.20 . Lo , I am with you to the end of the World. One less faithful and compassionate than our Saviour is ( if possessed of Power ) would not suffer any Servant he employed to sink , in a Business wherein himself hath the greatest concernment . If your Hearts be upright , and you have God's Work in hand the more eminently you are employed the greater Supports you 'll find ; and in the most difficult Enterprize he is careful to give the greatest assurance , Ier. 1. 7 , 8 , 18. Ezek. 3. 8 , 9. One promise he can so spirit and fill with Power , that it shall set thy Soul above all Fears ; and cause Strength to advance to thy own feeling in very extremity , above what it appeared in the easiest of thy ways : Trust then in him with thy whole Heart . And because what repels our Fears tends to encourage us , it 's not improper oft seriously to think what far greater mischiefs we escape , by not drawing back , or doing the work of the Lord deceitfully , than what can attend a faithful discharge of our work , which hath so great a reward when finished , Heb. 10.38 . Rev. 3.5 . Herewith I have finished an Account of what 's necessary to support us under the Difficulties attending publick Usefulness , viz. Humility , mortifiedness to the World , and Christian Fortitude . 3. Several things are needful as tending to secure , or at least facilitate the success of your Work persisted in . Herein we should be solicitous that , as much as in us lies , the End we propose may not be defeated , but that those receive that profit , which we sincerely conduce to , by our Endeavours ; whereby we may eventually prove Blessings to them . To this End , 1. You must duly address your selves to God , to engage his Help . Be much in Prayer to , and dependance on God through Christ our Mediator . Look to him for Direction , that you may not mistake your Work , nor the best way to perform it : Seek to him for abundant Anointings , that you may not be unqualified in proportion to your Undertaking . His constant Assistance and Blessing must be fervently implored , Neh. 1.11 . without which your most probable Attempts will be vain , yea turn to your reproach and shame . And that you may be in the likelier posture for a gracious Return , keep all clear between God and your own Consciences ; regard to iniquity in your heart , Psal. 66.18 . Rely on Christ's Merits and Intercession ; and be always ready to ascribe to God the entire Glory of all your serviceableness and success ; for he is a jealous God , and generally blasteth that wherein he is not acknowledged ; we must make God all in all , if we would signifie any thing . 2. Be careful of your own Behaviour before those to whom you endeavour to be profitable ; that it conduce to , and do not hinder your Usefulness . Prevent all Prejudices , gain their Affection and Esteem ; possess them with a sence of your Kindness to them , good Designs towards them , and your own Belief of , and earnestness of Soul for the matters you call them to entertain and submit to ; exercise great Patience , Meekness and Tenderness ; and see that your whole Behaviour be circumspect , and your Life exemplary , 1 Pet. 5.3 . that they may find no just Exception against your Doctrine or Endeavours . If they take occasion unjustly , or that by wicked persons you are falsly slandered , you may better hope , God will prevent the unprofitableness of your Labours , or at least accept them : Neither is it unfit to be cautious how you dispute with them concerning Secular Interests ; avoid also fondness of External Respect ; and yet be as jealous that you forfeit not an Internal Reverence , nor prostitute your Authority , as you are Christ's Embassadours , Rom. 11. 13 , 14. 3. Labour to attain and use true Wisdom in the ordering of your Endeavours , that they may be apt to real Publick Usefulness . 1. I call it true Wisdom , not only to oppose it to Folly and Indiscretion , but also to all Knavish Craftiness . God's Cause needs no base Tricks ; upright Men abhor the use of them : Christ seldom prospereth such to serve his Interest , but if he over-rule them to any common Good , as sometimes he doth other pieces of Wickedness , yet he will never justifie or accept such Methods , but condemn those ways , and them who use them . But indeed , as base Tricks consist not with sincere Designs of a Publick Good , so they are never used with that intention . No , no , let Men's pretences be never so sacred , it 's to serve a carnal selfish turn , to propagate or uphold some private Faction , in opposition to the true Extensive Interests of Christ in the World. The eminently Useful could not die in peace , if they must not say with the Apostle ; Our rejoycing is this , the Testimony of our Conscience , that in simplicity and godly sincerity , not with fleshly Wisdom , but by the Grace of God , we have had our Conversation in the World , 2 Cor. 1.12 . They were wiser than to think , that will be accounted a service to Christ in life , for which , without Repentance , he will cast them into Hell at their death . This Text may assure us , that Paul's Guile with which he caught these very People , 2 Cor. 12.16 . was not any thing contrary to godly Sincerity which in this Epistle the fore-cited place he had with more than usual care instanced towards them ; it was therefore no other than honest Wisdom , or godly Prudence ; even that which I have said is so needful to advantage the Success of your well designed Labour ; it was an instance of his Self-denial , not his Self seeking : He used his sparing their Purses as a help to save their Souls , upon finding their Temper such , that the Gospel was like to be less profitable to them , if he subsisted by it . This was far enough from any misrepresenting , and undermining , cheating , dividing , imposing , ensnaring , and intangling Arts or Methods ; ways so abominable in the most ordinary Affairs between Man and Man , that you should tremble at a thought of using them in matters enstamped with the Name of God ; yea , tho' it were but in defending a Publick Good , and your self from the dangerous attempts of such as practise them . 2. Yet true Wisdom and Prudence be very needful , to direct your just Endeavours in the greatest aptness to succeed with all those whom you design to benefit . A true Judgment of Persons and Seasons , with a direct regard to the End , and an exquisite understanding of the nature of the various lawful Means , will qualifie you to chuse the fittest Means to that End with those Persons . God's Word , Prayer , Consideration and Experience must be your helps to arrive to Wisdom , and be sure to exercise and apply to all your Endeavours the utmost Wisdom God vouchsafes you , a neglect whereof will aggravate your disappointment , as well as conduce thereto . But my chief design under this Head is , to convince you of the necessity of Wisdom in the whole course of Publick Usefulness , that so you may become more earnest with God for this , & careful to excie your Souls to the constant exercise of it . Without Wisdom you cannot rightly judge of the work of your Generation ; a mistake wherein is dangerous to your great End ; it 's so , tho' it should be no other mistake than to overlook one of the more principal parts of it , and take up with what is next to it , as plainer , easier or safer ; yea , if it lies in several things , and you neglect but the least . How needful is Wisdom to discern which is our present Duty , and what the greatest Good , when several appear in competition ? yea often there 's need of exquisite Skill in an Affair of Publick consequence to determine but what will do more good than hurt . He hath not well observed , that thinks it always easie to judge what 's the most proper Duty in each Company , and wherein they need most to be benefited , especially the fittest Seasons , Opportunities and Methods to apply suitable Means to effect that Good which they severally stand in greatest need of , and are most capable of receiving . It 's hard to accommodate your selves to the various tempers and circumstances of your very Acquaintance , and know whom , when , and how to Reprove , Encourage , Examine , Exhort or Relieve , so as to be most beneficial to each within the limits of your power , and according to your different obligations , tho' to the extent of it . Great discretion is necessary to judge of Obstacles , and to demean your selves under them , as may most conduce to your Publick Usefulness ; to know when , and how to strive to remove or oppose them , when it 's best to connive and be silent . How to avoid the Imputation of Rashness and foolish Zeal in the former , and of Lukewarmness and Cowardize in the latter ; for Publick Usefulness will be affected by both . In like manner there is use of Wisdom towards such as drive on the same good design with you , as well as towards them who oppose ; if you are younger , that the elder may not by Envy or Suspicion , be tempted to divert you from your work , or give you disquiet in it : To avoid which serve with them in humility , as Sons with a Father , Phil. 2. 22. If you be elder , that the younger's rashness , unfixedness , and less experience give not Satan an advantage ; to prevent which , do not discourage or despise , but assist and countenance them . But be they inferiors , equals or superiors , who do contribute to a common good : He that will be eminently useful , and give up himself to it , had need of greatest Wisdom to govern himself towards each ; for , a little acquaintance with the World , will discover in most men so much of either humour , pride , envy , selfishness , covetousness , suspition , cowardliness , unconcernedness for the Publick , unfixedness , sloth , ignorance , credulousness , or aptness to be imposed on by designing men ; as will force the observing to fix this Conclusion , and govern themselves by it . They that will be most useful in their Generation , must spend , do , adventure and suffer most , and yet must resolve to allow , intreat , connive , yield , thank , forbear , forgive , deny themselves , and endure most , whatever persons they have to deal with ; and thus make the best use of all for a common good . Who is sufficient for these things ? but with thee , O Lord ( who employest whom thou wilt ) nothing is impossible . A stammering Moses , a suspitious Gideon , a childish Ieremiah , did succeed in that whereto thou didst appoint them . Surely by all this you are induced to seek earnestly for Wisdom . Ask it daily of God through Christ , who giveth liberally ( for direction to do as well as suffer ) and upbraideth not , Iames 1. 5. dependingly hope ; He will guide me by his Counsel , and afterwards bring me to Glory , Psal. 73. 24. I have finished the second general Head , viz. an account of what 's needful to bring a man to eminent Usefulness , who is capable of it ; under which you have heard , that his Soul must be excited to undertake it by Faith , Love , and a Publick Spirit . 2. Be relieved against the Difficulties attending it , which is by Humility , Mortifiedness to the World , and Christian Fortitude . 3. He must facilitate his Success by Prayer to God , a due behaviour before Men , and true Wisdom in the management of all his Endeavours . 3. I shall evidence the Excellency of this Character . To be an eminently Useful Man , is no empty Title without real worth . God approves of it , Angels and good Men highly esteem it ; yea , there 's that in every man , which now secretly , and in time will publickly allow this man to be the best , the wisest , and the greatest . Eminent Usefulness greatly differeth from its Counterfeits . This is no pragmatical business in other men's matters ; but a faithful discharge of our Obligations to God and our fellow Creatures . Neither is it a Pharisaical Proseliting to a Sect , which doth narrow and weaken Christ's Interest ( proving oft as fatal to the Church , yea to Men's selves , as their walking at large in the World would be ) no , it 's an intentness to promote mere Christianity , and unaffected Godliness , which reforms the World , edifies the Church , and saves the Souls of Sinners in proportion to its success . It 's what advanceth Men above the Rank of ordinary Christians , who are Babes to these grown Men , Shrubs to these Cedars , very cyphers ( if not blemishes and burthens ) compared with these Men of Name , these common Blessings , these Witnesses to a Divine Life , and Ornaments of Religion , who bear up the Pillars of the Church , yea of the Earth ; to each of whom we Weaklings may say as they to David , Thou art worth 10000 of us . This will appear , if you consider , 1. It 's an extraordinary honour to be singled out by God eminently to serve our Generation . What can be more glorious than to be singled out , as David , from among his Brethren , to effect God's benign purposes to multitudes , when most Men are useless , yea hurtful ; their Names are registred among the Worthies of Israel , and famous in Bethlehem , Ruth 4. 11. This is that Moses , Acts 7. 37. Being publick Blessings , they with Iabez , are more honourable than their Brethren , I Chron. 4. 9. No Office reflects honour but with respect to that usefulness to which it obligeth , and or which it capacitates . 2. It argues a most God-like and Excellent Spirit ; He is good , and doth good , Psal. 119 68. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which was visibly instanced in our Lord Jesus ; He went about doing good , Acts 10. 38. to Souls and Bodies ; in whom is this so exemplified as in the signally useful ? whose activity , fixedness , labours , designs and beneficence correspond to Christ's , allowing for our contracted Capacities . In such a Man many Graces and Virtues are associated , nay which can be wanting , yea or weak in the Constitution of this Person ? he also must be greatly cleansed from those dregs , which debase , divert and deaden the less useful . He seems to breath in another Air , to be of another make , and governed by contrary Inclinations and Rules than most of Mankind be ( I had like to have said Christians ) hence he is too often branded as less prudent , because he walks by Rules so much above what poor and narrow Souls embrace ; and postponeth those things beyond which a vulgar spirit cannot derive a Motive . Let us remark a few Scripture Instances , lest all appears a meer speculation ; behold Queen Esther taking her Life in her hand to save her People ; did not she then love her People above her Life ? Esth. 4. 16. Moses neglected God's Offer to advance his Family , and intercedeth for the Nations safety , as if he had hated his own house , Numb . 14. 12 , 17. What Dominion over Covetousness , Selfishness and Cowardice did Nehemiah manifest , whiles by acting their contraries he repaired Ierusalem , established God's Worship among the Captives restored by his means : Without ostentation he might say , Should such a one as I flie ? Neh. 6. 11. Mordecais mind was well ballasted , that under such Advancement retained such Goodness , and Meekness , as still to seek the Weal of his People , and speak Peace to all his Seed , Esth. 10. 3. How could Caleb and Ioshua refuse to frame their Account to the Humour of the Multitudes , but that that they had a more Excellent Spirit than the other Spies ? Numb . 14. 24. Oh the magnanimity , zeal for God , love to Souls , contempt of the World , and unwearied vigour and largeness of heart which governed Paul to his extensive Usefulness ! which might be instanced in the other Apostles and Martyrs ; yea those illustriously shine in every eminently useful Christian : It 's the excellency of their Spirit which forms such vast Designs , and enables to the unwearied pursuits thereof : Divine Influence inspires them , and keeps their Minds above what 's mean and selfish , beyond what 's narrow and sordid , yea so widens and enflames them , that their Spheres prescribe the only Limit to their Attempts ; how far would they relieve , reform and improve the Church , the Nation , yea the World , were it but in their power ? Judge the Spirit by the use others make of the same Abilities , how useless , how hurtful ? 3. The eminently Useful have more manifest grounds for a comfortable Death than others can expect . Death makes a great discovery of the true Value of things ; whatever renders this safe and easie , we ought highly to esteem , as Men assured it 's our Passage into Eternity , and puts a period to our Preparations for it . In the grave there 's no work nor device to change our State , or improve our Meetness for an unseen World , Eccles. 9. 10. Therefore whatever is the best Evidence of our Title to Eternal Life , and the greatest Meetness for it , that must afford ground of highest Comfort , when Self-love , and the nearness of Eternity gives Death an awakening power . 1. I shall prefix a Caution . 2. Prove what I assert . 1. For Caution . The Mistakes of weakly designing Men , necessitate me to acquaint you , it 's Christ only who procured a safe and comfortable Death , by meriting our Pardon , and a Right to Eternal Glory , with a happy Resurrection . It 's by Faith only , that a Regenerate Penitent looks to rely on , and receives Christ as our Atoning Saviour for Pardon and Life , according to his Promises in the Gospel , which Promises , with the included Benefits , are purchased only by Christ's Obedience , and applied as an Effect thereof , whenever they are applied . The Qualifications which the Gospel appoints in him whom the Promises invest in its Benefits , are no causes of those Benefits , nor any part of the Righteousness which procured them . But Christ using his Gospel as an Instrument in the Governing and Saving of Sinners , and pleading with them his purchased Benefits for Motives to their Obedience to the Gospel , as a Rule of Judgment . It 's not sufficient to our comfortable Death , that we believe that Christ obeyed and died to procure Pardon , and a Right to Salvation for Penitent Believers ; but it must appear to us , that we are partakers of that Pardon and Right to Life , which must be by the Evidence of our Regeneration , Repentance and Faith ; not one without the other ; nor either ( when we come to die ) without their genuine necessary Effects , and each persevered in . Vain hopes if we totally want whatever the Gospel Promises make indispensably needful to our obtaining Eternal Glory ; and the contrary whereto the Gospel threatneth with an Exclusion from Heaven , Iohn 3. 3 , 36. Luke 13. 3. Heb. 12. 14. cap. 10. 38. He is fool hardy , that dares die , not knowing but that his Faith was the Faith of an unregenerate impenitent heart ; yea , or satisfies himself with having thought he once at first had such a true Faith ; but is not sure that he persevereth therein , that regards not any conformity to Christ. Universal Obedience , sincere Holiness , and Fidelity to God , and Improvements of his Talents , all which the Gospel so insists on , as being fitter to give evidence , than things more obscure or remote can be Mat. 10 33. and 25. 30. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Ephes. 5. 6. 2. I shall prove that the eminently Useful , have more manifest grounds for a comfortable Death than others can expect ; for which end , it will be sufficient that I evidence . This eminent faithful usefulness is a most plain and infalible Evidence of our Title to Eternal Life , and it also argueth a very great meetness for Heaven ; whence it will follow , that the eminently faithful useful Man , hath more manifest grounds for a comfortable Death than others can expect , and consequently , his Character is Excellent . It tends to a comfortable Death ; as , 1. It is a most plain and infallible Evidence of our Title to Eternal Life . Faithful eminent usefulness , is not only an evidence considered abstractedly , but it gives evidence to the sincerity of all , or most other Graces ; yea , and receives it from them , for by the in-being and activity of such Graces it subsisted , and in it each of them expressed their vital power and sincerity , and that not darkly , but clearly , not doubtfully , but to full conviction ; so that the eminently useful Man , hath the concurrent Testimony of every Grace , in a light to which each contributes . And it answers any just challenge that can be made to his having those several Graces , and that in reality ; so that if Faith , Repentance , love to God , a new Birth , or Perseverance , have Life promised to them , and the sincerity thereof being evident to a Man , must yield strong consolation : then the eminently useful Man hath very abundant reasons of Comfort , as to his interest in Eternal Life . I shall evidence this by three things 1. Can he doubt the Truth of his several Graces ? Not of his Faith , because he hath been thus signally excited by his assent , to what Christ , as Prophet , hath revealed : and encouraged , by trusting in his Saviours Merits , Strength , & Testament : and governed by the commands of Christ his received Lord , and that in so faithful an Execution of his own Covenant Consent and Vows ? yea , his Union to Christ , is attested as well as his Faith by which he is united , for his truly devoted fruitful life , could proceed from , and subsist by nothing lower , than those Vital influences and supplies which came from Christ his Head and Root , Gal. 2. 20. Phil. 1. 19 , 20 , 21. His Repentance also is unsuspected , when he beholds his Lusts so subdued as not to hinder his living to God entirely as his end ; his Heart so altered in its purposes , resolves and relishes , that he could not live to carnal self , but a common good , wherein he delighted and spent himself . He knows his former evil course is duly bewailed when so directly changed , and that sin was truly hateful , being he hath not only endeavoured the utter Mortification of it in himself , but greatly laboured to rescue all others from the dominion and effects thereof . He is sure of his new Birth , when he reflects that nothing less could make my aims , my temper , and course , to be so far conformed to Christ's , as my devotedness to God's glory , and to the benefit of Saints and Sinners doth attest , 1 Ioh. 4. 17. Yea , more a lower Principle than what was formed in Regeneration , would never have lasted thus long , and carried me thus far , Ioh. 4. 14. 2. This eminently useful Man's stated course and contrivances , repel a Jealousie , that his love to God or Man or appearing Zeal , was a painted Fire ; his Faith , Hope , or other Graces , a dead Image , because all these have vitally concurred , to direct fix , and strengthen his Labours , to lay out his Talents , drive a constant Trade , and spend his life for Christ , Ioh. 14. 21. 1 Ioh. 3. v. 16 , 17. Rom. 12. 11 , 12 , 13. And there is as little ground to question his Perseverance , when he knows he was not taken off from publick serviceableness , by his sloth , fear , weariness , selfishness , or change of purpose or designs ; yea , that now he feels his Soul solicitous for , and prepared unto a publick good , were he but capable to contribute to it . 3. Besides this Testimony , from the evidence , of such Graces as Life is promised to the useful Man , is in a way likelier for comfort than others , because the spirit of God doth not usually forbear to cast a light upon the Graces of such when they come to die , but ( and that not rarely ) he makes them to behold his face , and experience some foretasts of the approaching Glory ; so that with Moses they die at the Mouth of God , with Stephen , Act. 7. 57. as David , 2 Sam. 23. 5. Yea , besides this , the useful Man is encouraged by the great things that passed between God and his Soul , in bending him for , and carrying him through those Attempts and Employments wherein he hath served the Will of God in his Generation ; many Answers of Prayer , eminent Deliverances from Evil , Supports when Fainting , Revivings and Enlargements when tempted to Remissness , frequent views of Christ and Heaven for renewal of Strength , ( and the like ) which he hath oft experienced , have so familiarized God and Christ to him , and so fixed his Trust in his Goodness , Truth and Word , that he can quietly commit his Spirit to him . And so , from all put together , having now fought a good fight , finished his course , and kept the faith , he beholds that Crown of Righteousness hanging over his head , which he knows his God will give him , 2 Tim. 4. 8. and he hath an abundant entrance into God's Kingdom , 2 Pet. 1. 11. 2. This eminent Usefulness argues a meetness for Heaven . He can easily quit all worldly Enjoyments , who valued Life it self but as a means for service , and consecrated all he had as subservient to it . This Man is not called off before his Work be done , for his course is finished , and the end of his being on Earth so fully answered , Acts 13. 25. Heaven must be a real Rest to him after so much Labour , and very suitable in the nature of it , to one of so agreeable a disposition . What welcome Company are perfected happy Souls , when the contrary made the saving and healing of miserable Sinners to engage his Thoughts , and command his Strength whiles he lived on Earth . His Soul that was so enlarged by Grace for publick Use , will be very receptive of those fuller Streams of heavenly Joys . How will he be satisfied with more of God's likeness there , when it will be but the perfection of what he judged so lovely as to strive so much to propagate it here ? Psalm 17. 14 , 15. This Publick Spirit will be ravished in contemplating and adoring a blessed God , when he beholds how universal a Good he is ; yea , and ever hath been , by the Records of his Beneficence there published and explained ; whatever Employment Heaven allots ( for it 's no place of idleness ) he is greatly prepared for it ; who did heartily perform so much under the great disadvantages of this present state , which did arise both from his Works and himself , yea , and such as he had to deal with . So that this man is gathered when ripe ; he his even here a Vessel of Glory , being so meet for his Masters use , 2 Tim. 2. 21. Now how comfortable will Death be to a Man thus well assured of eternal Happiness , and prepared for that wherein it will consist ? It cannot endanger nor hurt him ; he must rather desire than abhor or fear it , when only a sense of present serviceableness ( where it is more needful ) hath reconciled useful Saints to a longer Life , Phil. 1. 23 , 24. To such useful ones as Paul it belonged to triumph over Death , rather than be afraid , and welcome its approaches , to enjoy that a regard whereto had made him so laborious , 1 Cor. 15. 57 , 58. Thus I have represented the Grounds on which a very useful Man may die comfomfortably . But , can there be the like for an unuseful Person ? I am sure , where a Life unprofitably spent ( through sloth , negligence , self-seeking , and unfaithfulness to God , ) doth stare a Man in the Face , it 's a just challenge to his Hopes , it justifies his Fears , and he vainly expects Advantage by Death , or Safety in dying . Yea , a Man who hath been Useful in lesser degrees , through remissness and narrowness of Heart , cannot but feel greater jealousie of his Condition than the eminently Useful ; yea , he must make bitter reflections upon his past Life , wherein he finds so many neglects and baulks . So little Work done in so long a time , and with so great a Stock ; and being self-conscious of the much greater Things he might have performed for a common Good ; sure he cannot , without grief , behold his season over , whiles the Blood of Souls , the Groans of a dying Church , or a sinking Nation , testifie against his departing Soul , that omitted relieving them to his Power . What work for Shame , and Sorrow , ay , and Fears too , will this make , compared with a vigorously useful Life ? 4. The future Rewards of an eminently useful Man will be greater than others : His Crown will weigh in proportion to his service : They that turn many , shall shine as the Stars in the Firmament , for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 . He that gained the ten Talents was made a Ruler over ten Cities ; he that gained two , was made Ruler but over five ▪ Luke 19.17 . These wider Vessels shall be filled as well as the lesser ; but , being larger , they contain the more . O , then happy he who was most abundant in Labours ; no degree whereof shall be in vain , 1 Cor. 15.58 . Gal. 6.9 , 10. Their Works shall follow them as a Retinue , adding to their Grandeur ; and Rivers shall be more acknowledged by our blessed God , when he will come to reward the very Drops . These Mens Place in the Body will be more Noble , their Thrones higher , perhaps their Services more Eminent in a heavenly Estate , as much in proportion as they had been on Earth . And tho' all faithful Ones shall be as Angels , Luke 20. v. 3. Yet among these there are Degrees , wherein there will be a correspondence as to those . Every generous Design , Tear , Labour , Hardship , Expence , Loss , and Hazard , will be found in a proportioned Glory : He that soweth bountifully , shall reap bountifully 2 Cor. 9.6 . Whence it 's easily inferred how excellent a Character of a Believer it is , that , he was an eminently useful Person in his Age ; it 's a Title will found in the very Heavens , and be honourably acknowledged by Christ upon his Throne , he will say , Well done , thou good and faithful Servant , enter thou into the Ioy of thy Lord , Mat. 25.21 . Which yet is no reflection on his own Merits ; for in the Vertue thereof the most useful Saints inherit those further additions , according to his Promise , as well as the less Useful possess the lesser degrees . True , it 's all his own , and he may do what he will with his own ; but , if he is pleased to foretell us how he 'll dispence this his own to Men , thereupon his Veracity commands our assured expectations ; and if he also use those higher Measures of Glory , as Motives to greater Labours , we , in being very Laborious , cannot be disappointed of those higher Measures any more than of the least ; yea , we frustrate his End in publishing such Promises ; if we are not excited to more abundant Labours by the Benefits promised , and upon such Labours expect those Benefits . I have offered what I hope will convince you of the Truth of the Third general Head , viz. That to be eminently Useful in ones Generation , is an excellent Character ; for to be so employed , is an Honour put upon that Man by the infinite God. The Spirit of such a Man is Excel-cellent and God-like , he hath the greatest Grounds for a comfortable Death , both from the evidence of his Title to eternal Life , and his meetness for it . And last , his future Glory will be greater than that of others . I shall proceed to the Application of this Doctrine by some Inferences . 1. Inference . To be a publick Plague , is a great reproach ; what can be said worse of a Man when dead ? That one did no Good in an eminent Station ; that he hid his Talent , which should have been employed in view , are infamous Scars ; but that any Man should influence to publick Mischief , this leaves his Memorial accursed ; better never have been born ; his Gifts , his Estate , Powers and Offices , are become a Snare to himself , and a Mischief to the Publick . The more active , the greater detriment ; the longer he lived , the more lasting Curse hath this Man been ; and the further hath he contributed to the Woe of others , as well as to his own Damnation . He will be signally marked in another World , for the harm he did in this ; receiving his Torments with remarkable notice , when they do groan to themselves , who sinned only against themselves . Will the Powers or Riches he had on Earth guard him against the sorest Vengeance for the hurt he did ? No , no : Of this abhorred sort are the Wasters of Countries , Tirannical Princes , Propagaters of Heresies , Perverters of Justice , great Oppressors of the Poor , Wasters of God's Vineyards ; Betrayers of their Countries , Silencers of useful Preachers , Enemies to the Ministry , and Calumniators of Ministers , and the like . Happy Multitudes , if such had never been ; and next , happy that they soon are taken away ; see Ier. 22.17 , 18. Such will wish they had been Idiots and Beggars , of any thing else , which could have more incapacitated them from doing Mischief . 2 Inf. This may convince us of the mischief of a narrow Sectarian Spirit , and consonant Principles , wherever they prevail . By such a narrow Spirit , I mean a Spirit that confineth Charity to a Sect distinguished from other Christians , by Customs or Opinions that are not Essential to true Godliness , and is embittered and enraged against all who differ from such Usages and Opinions . This is the Spirit of Popery ; ( which is a Sect , tho' a great one ) yea , it is the worst of Popery ; and where-ever it Rules , the most Diabolical part of Anti christianism is undestroy'd . All the Persecutions and Impositions of that Beast proceed from this very Spirit , and from Principles both Ministring to it , and formed by it ( for their influence is mutual . ) There 's scarce any thing more opposite to Publick Usefulness , or less consistent with the Precepts , Design , and true Spirit of Christianity ; the former is that which my Subject so calls me to demonstrate , and testifie against , that without doing so I cannot faithfully handle this Doctrine . But who can doubt the Destructiveness of this Spirit , to Publick Benefit and Service , if you observe the way and behaviour of all sorts of Persons who are acted by it ? For under its impulse it is , that 1. Men confine their Usefulness to their own Faction , as if they were indebted to seek the good of none beyond it ; nay , as if Conscience obliged them against all Attempts for Benefits more common and extensive . They judge all Men , out of their Herd , unworthy of their love , concern , or labour ; what 's the Publick to them , further than as things affect their own ? Let the Ship sink , so their Cabbin can be saved ; they 'll obstruct all Settlement in Church or State , if it be any other than a Provision for their Sect , or managed by any besides themselves , yea , scruple not to advance their Party upon the Ruins of the Publick , as Men see from Age to Age. 2. What is it to such Bigots , if true Christianity prevail with Men , or Converts be multiplied , unless they become their Proselites ? Alas ! they judge no Man Religious , or Good , out of their own Garb ; they surmize him Carnal , who cannot pronounce their Shibboleth , and do as good as say , they are all in a Damnable State who at all oppose them . Hence such people are far more industrious to bring Men to a compliance with their fond Peculiarities , than to a subjection to the great and most undoubted Precepts of the Gospel , Mat. 23.15 . which is a publick Mischief , as in other respects , so also in this : Men hereby waste that Time , Strength and Labour , upon an unprofitable , ( if not hurtful ) Trifle , which , by a publick Spirit , would be employed in Subserviency to what is really advantagious , viz. To make Men Holier and Safer for Eternity . Yet , 3. As if this Effect of such a Spirit were not harmful enough to the Publick , it further prompts Men to malign the most Useful , to obstruct the most prosperous Successes of the Gospel , to blast the most profitable Ministers , and overturn flourishing Churches , by dividing and defaming Methods , with Lies , Violence , and basest Artifice , as if they thought Justice , Kindness and Truth , were due only to Men of their own Opinion , and Cruelty , Tricking , and Falshood , were warranted , if not required , towards all who differ , Gal. 5.10 . & 6.10 , 12 , 15 , 16. Yea , it stops not here ; what Poverty , Silencings , Imprisonments , Tortures , and Bloodshed , both by Persecution and Wars , do Men , so spirited , greedily inflict , and bring upon Mankind ? Neighbour Nations , yea , our own proclaim . Such Actings indicate this narrow spirit to prevail ; such a spirit prevailing ; will produce all those Fruits if there be but power . It may obtain under very different forms , but is not the more innocent for any of them , tho' it reigns in some of most . The best Cause will not hallow such a frame ; the worst Cause generally hath most of it , and very oft it is a sign thereof . But where-ever it is Christ will not own it , his Interest , in a common Good , is sure to lose by it ; it springs from carnal selfishness , it 's acted and excited by the Devil , whatever is pretended for its Justification , and it tends to publick hurt of the highest kind . Surely it 's no part of , nor joined with that Wisdom which is from above , which is first pure , then peaceable , gentle , easie to be intreated , full of mercy and good fruits , without injuring , and without hypocrisie , Jam. 3. 15 , 17. no , it 's from what is Earthy , Sensual and Devilish . Let us all watch then against the Infection of such a temper , for it 's too natural to our unrenewed part to allow Security , yea , tho' our Opinions be most Orthodox : Satan will delude you to it under the Name of Zeal , for he knows that Zeal must degenerate into Hellish Fire when it blazeth , in the former instances ; yea , when it moves thereto . The quenching of such a Spirit , in others , is our Duty , or , at least , resisting it , that it prevail not to a publick Mischief ; nor is he worthy of the Name of a Man , publickly Useful , that dare not venture all to oppose it ; and the rather , because it 's as much worse than Brutish , as the Devil is worse than a Brute , and in many respects gives that wound to Religion , and a publick Good , which open Prophaness is not capable of giving . Nothing but a true publick Christian Spirit can expel it , and without that there will be no aptness to contribute to that progress of the Gospel in the World , which we daily pray for ; nor a possibility to maintain , or improve such a Mercy , by walking in Unity , Love and Peace , to common Edification . To all which , this narrow Spirit of a Party is so irreconcileable and destructive , that giving way thereto , will no more allay it than pouring Oil into a Fire . Happy Times , when Divine Light and Love will so abound , that Self-seekers can serve no turn by such a spirit , and the Honest-minded shall neither be endangered , nor infected by it ; then , and not till then , will a Publick Good be generally pursued . 3 Inf. We see one great reason why Self-denial is so proposed by Christ to all his Disciples . This is the first Article to which all his Followers are to submit , Mat. 16. 24. If any Man will be my Disciple , let him deny himself , take up his Cross , and follow me . The two last are impossible to such , as agree not to the first . But besides the necessity thereof to these , Self denial is absolutely requisite to those Services , which Christ designeth by his Disciples , to each other , and to the World ; as Salt they are to season a corrupt World , as Lights to enlighten a blind World , Mat. 5. 13 , 14. Wisdom is to be justified by them , Luk. 7. v. 35. The vertues of God to be published , 1 Pet. 2. 9. They are to propagate the Interests of our blessed Redeemer , &c. But which of these can we subserve , if Self be not denied ? All impediments to attempt such a Work , and most of our unfitness to accomplish it , do arise from carnal Selfishness ; where this is subdued , Men are ready and prepared to be common Blessings , as opportunity is afforded . Then Sloth will not delay , Fear shall not discourage , Ambitious or Covetous aims must not divert from any Labours that others may be benefited by ; whereas carnal Self must have our Ease indulged , our Humour gratified , and Safety , Credit , and Worldly Advantages , provided for , whatever becomes of Christ's Interests , or a Publick Weal . He that denieth himself most , will be most beneficial ; he that cannot do this at all , will rarely attempt , infallibly spoil , and easily quit any publick Service . A Self-seeking Man will not propose , or prosecute a common Good , farther than his own present Interests do invite . A Self-indulging Man will manage his Endeavours so , as that the Obstacles to his success , by his own Behaviour , will exceed the utmost he contributes to it . A Self-confident Man will over-look the good he might do , attempt what he is unfit for , and , as a just rebuke from God , discover his own weakness , instead of being prospered in what he doth foolishly Enterprize in his own Strength . Did you strictly examine your Hearts and Ways , it would appear most Men's unusefulness proceeds from their selfishness ; this locks your Coffers that you cannot give , this benums your Powers that you will not act ; this spieth the Lion in the way that you dare not go , this feels the Burden , counts the Charge , and resents the Inconveniencies of Service , as too great to be endured for it ; whereas , in all eminent Usefulness , we do neglect the Counsel , Counter-act the Projects , and offer violence to the Inclinations of Self , Gal. 1. 16. and therein we must act not only as such who are not their own , but as them who have no Will of their own to Obey , no selfish turn to Serve , nor humour to Gratifie . When therefore selfishness is so certain an obstructer of the Uses Christ designed his Members to , how fit was it to make our denial of it a prime part of true Christianity , and try his genuine Followers by their consent thereto , especially when all publick Mischiefs do as truly spring from Self indulg'd , as publick Benefits do from this denied ? Miserable Man , since his Lusts are become himself , and rational Self-love become a stranger . Happy Christian , who best consults his own true Interests , by trampling on his Lusts , restraining his irregular Desires , and rejecting an undue concern for Body , and Earthly Affairs , that he may live to Christ , and a common Good : This Man knows he shall find his truest self most gratified , secured , and provided for , in renouncing and opposing this his greatest Enemy . tho' called Self . I shall , in the next place , Exhort you and my self , according to the nature of this Truth which I have explained . 1. Let us be ashamed , and duly humbled , for our unusefulness in our Generation Who of us falls not under the charge of this fault ? And surely , blushings and grief , are very proper where the charge is true ; but knowing how loth we are to acknowledge our fault , and as backward to be affected with the sence of it , when it 's too plain to be denied . I shall endeavour , 1. To convince you of your unusefulness in your Generation , that so we may not plead we are ignorant , if we are guilty . 2. To excite you to shame and sorrow for your Unusefulness when under conviction of the Guilt . 1. For conviction of the Guilty . To this end review your Talents , and the improvements of them , for publick Good ; admit , yea , excite your Consciences , to compare your Distributions with your Stock , your Labour with your Strength , and your publick Services with your Time , Gifts , and Opportunities ; deal herein as in the sight of Christ , whose Eyes are as a flame of Fire , Rev. 1. 14 and be not unconcerned whether you find out your sin or not , for your Ignorance prevents not your Guilt , if the Charge be true , tho' it will hinder your Repentance , whereby your punishment becomes unavoidable . O then , let each of us ask our selves such Questions as these : Have I ever proposed to live to God's Honour , in the good of others , as the great end of Life ? Or have not I utterly disregarded it ? Have I done good to as many persons as I had a Call to , and opportunity for ? Or have not I wilfully exempted very many , to whom I stood obliged ? Hath the good that I have done in the World , been in proportion to my utmost Ability ? Or hath it been very little , and inconsiderable , compared with what I could have done ? Did I begin to be Useful as soon as I was capable , and do I continue so to this time , or was I not far in years before I began ? Or have I not deserted it , after I made some hopeful beginnings ? Am I seriously concerned to see so many Sinners posting to Hell ? Doth my Heart bleed at the miserable condition of the poor and distressed ? Am I very solicitous for the Churches wellfare and the Nations happiness , so as to set my self to redress Evil and help the Good of each in my place ? And this to the extent of my Power ? Or , am not I one that slight the wickedness the World lies in , want Bowels to the distressed ? If I abound , seldom think or care what becomes of the Church or Nation , so that I and my Friends be but safe and thrive ; and accordingly I employ and spare my Estate , Labour , Gifts , and Power . What Answer doth an awakened Conscience give to these Questions ? Doth it not accuse you ? Must it not present to you a sad account of great Omissions and many Neglects ? Have you no such secret misgivings as these ? I fear I have been a dry Tree , and barren Soil ; few have cause to bless God for my Life . Oh , the little Good I have ever as yet attempted to do to others ! What Fruit I have born hath been to my self , with unfruitful Ephraim , Hos. 10. 1. If any have been benefited by any thing I have given or done , it hath been by God's over-ruling it , and seldom with any design or good will of mine ; or , at best , I have less intended the Good of others thereby than my own private Advantage ; for my Heart tells me , I coldly attempted the most promising Enterprize from which I expected not Applause or Profit . And soon gave it over when I had a prospect of reproach , or loss thereby . Oh that you would be faithful to your own Souls , and acknowledge your Guilt ; especially , if it be notorious ! great Instances cannot be overlooked , unless you wilfully shut your Eyes . What Trade you have driven in the World must be known to you , tho' some Diversions may be forgotten . Hath publick Service for God been your business in any measure ? Or , have you made the very Worship of God and your most seeming Obedience to subserve Carnal Ends ? Have you spent your Estate on your Lusts , or on the Publick Interests , and poor Members of Christ , next to the supply of your own and Families true Necessities ? What Projects have had the chief Room in your Heads ? What Matters have sate closest to your Hearts ? Were they serving your Generation , and saving your own Soul ? Or , were they the perishing Affairs of Life ? Rest not till you make a true Answer ; nor till that , as past all doubt , be assented to ; that so if unusefulness is imputed to you by the All-seeing God , you may cry , I am guilty ; being convinced of all , and judged of all , 1 Cor. 14.24 . 2. If you are guilty , be ashamed and grieved . His Heart is Obdurate , if not Atheistical , that owneth his unprofitableness without shame , seeing it 's a thing so indecent and unbecoming ; or without afflicting Sorrow , it being a thing so sinful in its self , so unjust towards God , so injurious to others , and hurtful to your own Souls : Give way to some thoughts that ought to strike your secure unconcerned Minds . 1. God keeps a Register of his Gifts committed to you , and of your Neglects and Abuses in the employing of them : He knows what thou hast done , and what thou mightest have done ; what you have laid out by his Rules , and what under the Conduct of your own Lusts ; nothing of either did escape his view , or slip his memory ; the Account of both are as full and exact as if Entred in a Book , Rev. 20 12. and shortly the whole will be read by thy self , in a light which cannot be refused , yea , transcribed on thy very Conscience , so as not to be blotted out . Anticipate this by serious reflexions , and sure it must fill you with shame and sorrow , to see so much received , and so little restored , by applying it to the appointed Uses , yea , so much employed to very contrary purposes ; so great an Estate , with little or nothing to promote the Gospel , or relieve the Poor , but a very great Sum wasted on thy Lusts , or hoarded to look upon . Will it not affect to find your Names among Magistrates or Ministers , capable for , and called to the respective Duties of such Offices , for a common Good ? And over-against your Names thus written , This Magistrate was no terror to Evil doers , no praise to such as did well ? Nay , instead of reforming others , he corrupted them by his countenance and example ; instead of relieving the injured , he oppressed the Poor , perverted Justice , and persecuted my Servants . This Minister did not reprove Sin impartially and boldly , especially if the offenders were such as he expected benefit by ; he declared not my whole Counsel , but minced and chose what was safest to himself , and most pleasing to others ; he accommodated not his labours to the real benefit of all , but to the humours of some ; disdaining plain Speech , affecting levity , frothy or amusing discourses : He was more solicitous to know how he was praised , than how others did profit . He let Truth sink , and Errours gain ground , when he found his Name or Incomes should suffer by opposing the last , or abetting the first ; such a time he dealt treacherously with such & such Souls , he obstructed a publick good , for his private advantage ; he excused himself from preaching , pleading , or speaking , tho' he saw my Insterest and the real benefit of others required it . How formal and cold in his performances , prayerless and slothful in his preparations ! Partial and careless in Discipline , and unexemplary in walking . Notions he took up for Truths , without search or other enquiry , then , is this the Opinion of a Man eminent with the Party I hope to live by ? and will it suit with the Fancies of these Men ? I might proceed herein , and annex the particular Cases of others . But this may suffice to mind you what a blush should it raise , what an anguish should it cause to see your Names thus underwritten in the Records of Heaven ; and know , the Devil keeps also an account , as full as he can , that he may become your Accuser . 2. You can make no Apology for your unusefulness , but what 's fit to aggravate your shame and sorrow . A vain Mind , and a feared Conscience , will suggest Excuses , and take up with them ; however false and frivolous they be : But Enquiries there will be , which will pierce into the Nature and Truth of things , and minister such an awakening Light , as shall render the most careless and confident person speechless , Matth. 22.12 . It were our mercy that we allowed nothing as a sufficient Plea now , but what will be approved of at the Judgment Bar. Examine therefore the true Reasons why you have not served your Generation as well as others . Obj. You 'll pretend your utter incapacity for service . Ans. 1. That is a good Apology if true , for God expects not to reap where he hath not sown , he is no such hard Master , Matth. 25.26 . None shall have ground to affix that Character to him . But is this Excuse true ? can your Consciences , as drowsie as they are , offer this Plea , and abide by it ? viz. The only Reason why we were not Publick Blessings , was , because we had no gift , no opportunity , estate or power to be so . If Conscience upon a serious pause dare not stick to this Excuse , but condemns thee , how much more will God condemn thee , who is greater , and knoweth all things ? 2 Iohn 3.30 . But if still you verily believe that the Objection states your Case ; Ans. 2. Let me ask you , Have you really pitied the Distressed whom you could not relieve ? Have you avoided being hurtful to others , tho' you could not profit them ? Have you earnestly prayed for the Church of God , and the good of the Miserable World , bewailing the sorrows of the first , and the misery of the last ? Do you rejoyce in , and bless God for those who are useful , without envying the most eminent ? When you desire an Estate or Gift , and bewail the want of them , is the later mostly because you cannot be useful , and the former that you may be so ? Do you take all due pains , and use all good thrift that you may have somewhat to enable you to be profitable ? And if you are poor , and have the help of others , do you make conscience not to ask it till you need ; nor ask or take more than you need , that the Relief of the more necessitous may not be hindred ? If your hearts cannot honestly say , these things answer my case , it 's thus with me ; then you have not a temper of mind to be useful if you had Abilities ; and it 's most probable you are more able to do good , than you have been faithful to do it . But if indeed your Consciences do justly witness , that you can so answer to the above Questions , as that incapacity is the very Reason your Generation is not more served by you than by your prayers and good example ; then you are not the persons to whom my Reproof is directed , so that you do that little you can . Ans. 3. But such of you as are able to serve their Generation , and neglect it , should be more ashamed and grieved when you consider the true Causes of your unprofitableness . Your Hinderances to service are from your selves ; your Lusts have the great hand in assigning the governing Reason : Look at the baulks you have made , and the opportunities you have past unusefully over ; and ask thy Conscience , whence was it that I neglected this ? can you be unaffected when you receive this Answer ? my Covetousness , my Pride , my Sloth , my Fear , my Unbelief , or my Unconcernedness for God's Honour , and the Publick Good did hinder me , these made me unwilling and averse , these diverted my Abilities to another Chanel , and would not suffer me to be useful and faithful in my Trust ; were not you governed by one or other of these whenever you shut you Ears to the Cry of an afflicted Church , of starved Ministers , of a sinking Nation , of diseased Souls , and the distressed Poor . If it be so , as indeed it will be found , you have cause to be ashamed and mourn . Doth it become Men to be under the Conduct of such base Guides ? In this respect God hath called you to shew your selves Men , Isa. 46.8 . But much more unbecoming is this , to you that wear the Name of Christians ; you are called and Redeemed to be zealous of good works , Titus 2.14 . Is this to be so ? Is this to imitate or obey Christ whom you own for your Lord , and whose Livery you have put on ? Follow the Chanel to the Fountain head ; be led by your actings to the posture and frame of your hearts ; and judge what vile spirits act you , what a dominion have these Lusts in your Soul , that thus command your Talents , and determine the scope of your Lives in opposition to the loudest Calls . Oh blush and weep , that with all thy Light and Helps , under all thy Christian Profession and Hopes , thy heart is so earthly and carnal , so sensual and devilish ; so full of hatred to God and Man , as the Authority of these Lusts import ; and thy unusefulness doth testifie in the clearest Light , the Holy Spirit hath made no saving change if you are altogether useless ; the change at most is very imperfect , whiles your usefulness is so much hindred by these unsubdued Lusts : The very unprofitable must be made other Men , Matt. 12.33 . and the less profitable are not very good Men. You have those dry leaves and those dead branches which may well put you to the blush , and fill you with fear , Iohn 15.2 , the unfruitful branch will be cast out . 3. Your unusefulness expresseth that treachery , ingratitude and injustice towards God , which must cause shame and sorrow in every thinking person . The least acquaintance with the Infinite God , as our Owner , Ruler and Benefactor , would strike an amazement and terror in our minds , that this sort of demeanour towards him , should be justly ascribed to any of us ; yet as far as publick unusefulness is our Crime , all this base Treatment of God is chargeable upon us . 1. It 's Treachery towards God , as it 's contrary to out Profession , a breach of our Vows , and betraying our Trust. Let 's consider this in three parts . 1. When you profess your selves the Servants of God , the followers of Christ , inspired by his Spirit , satisfied with his Covenant Blessings as your Portion , Expectants of his heavenly Rewards , and acknowledgers of him as your Ultimate End. Do not you hereby profess that you are employed about his work , and serving his purposes in the World , that this is your Trade , and the business of your Life . You who profess your selves Christians , profess no less than what I have above described ; but pray see how empty a profession it is ; how far otherwise you do than you pretend , and what other sort of People you are than you would seem to be ; when all this while you neglect God's work , and follow your own ; you overlook his designs , and serve your own turn : May not God say , They profess to serve me , but in works they deny me , Titus 1.16 . With their meuth they shew much kindness , but their heart goeth after their Covetousness , Ezek. 33.31 . and after their Pride , and after their selfish Designs . Do you think God will be mocked , or that you can impose on him ? it cannot be ; blush then at your own falshood ; whiles your heads are so seldom projecting how shall we best honour our God , and form his Interests , if you are satisfied with an empty noise , or theatrical shew ; fear lest Christ apply himself to you as to Iudas , Betrayest thou me with a kiss ? Luke 23.48 . Do you profess all this , that you may be exempted from promoting my concerns in the World ; yea , that you may dis-serve me the more in betraying my Cause by your connivance and neglects ? Oh let us mourn that our very profession testifies against us ! 2. Unusefulness is a breach of your Vows , made to the Living God. Your Baptismal Vow includes a solemn dedication of your selves and all you have to Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , with an engagement of living to God , and not to his Rivals , be they the World , Flesh or Devil . Consider your unusefulness , and see , is that a performance of this Engagement , or consistent with it ? Sure by your behaviour you think it was an errour that you made this Vow , Eccles. 5.6 . but know , they are no Christians who consent not to it ; and having engaged , you cannot think that meer making this Vow was principally designed in Christ's Institution ; no , it was ordained to be made , that you might be more sensibly obliged to execute it , especially in so principal a part of it . How ever light you make of your great and wilful unserviceableness in your day , you are therein no less than perfidious and perjured in breaking your Oaths , and those oft renewed before the Lord at his Table , oft it may be in Sickness ; besides the Oaths you have taken as Magistrates or Ministers . To your Perfidiousness you have added Sacriledge against your Self-dedication , of which hereafter . Ought not our Souls bleed to think , I gave up my self and my all to God , to serve and honour him , to plead Christ's Cause , and advance his Interests , to live for him , and not for my self ; Yea , I have signed his Covenant to do this , and vowed it upon the Memorials of his Death , and in several Extremities when Conscience represented my dangerous neglects ; and yet notwithstanding all , I employ my Estate , my Time , my Gifts , my Power , as if at full liberty to use them as I please ; as if Christ had no Interest to be served by me , or I were under no obligation to spend or adventure any thing for his service . 3. You have betrayed that Trust which God committed to you . Whoever is a Minister of Christ , is a Steward to whom the Truths and Institutions of Christ are entrusted , to maintain , dispence and defend , 1 Cor. 4.1 , 2. He is a Pastor , to whose care the Flock of Christ is committed , 1 Pet. 5.2 . In becoming Ministers , we undertake this Trust. The Life of Souls is very much committed to us as Watch-men , Ezek. 33.8 . It cannot be denied then that a careless selfish unfaithful Minister betrays his Trust ; he dischargeth not what he hath undertaken , but deals falsly and treacherously with our faithful Lord. Magistrates are entrusted with God's Sword , and Subjects committed to their care to the degree of power which they have over them ; doth not that Magistrate then deal treacherously with God in betraying this Trust , when he preserveth not the Innocent , but defends the Guilty , &c. Yea , all the Talents any Man hath , is put into his hands to lay out as God directs for a common Good ; and every one whom we ought to benefit by that Talent , is committed to our Trust as far as his Welfare depends upon that supply . Yea , Christ hath intrusted every Christian with his Honour , with his Interests , and with the advancement of his Kindom in this World. We are intrusted as his Witnesses , his Soldiers , &c. But , let us blush and mourn , that as far as we neglected to serve our Generation , we have betrayed all his publick Concerns in this World ; all that he hath put into our hands . Ah! had none been more faithful than we , his Gospel , his Ministry , his Members had been in a condition more deplorable than they be . O that my Eyes were Waters ! Treachery is a vile blot ; Treachery towards God is the worst sort : And yet this have you been guilty of ; yea , in saddest Instances , viz. belying your Profession , breaking your Vows , and betraying your Trust. May it not well fill you with confusion ? 2. By your Unusefulness you have dealt ungratefully with God. Ingratitude is a monstrous Crime , and becomes more so , as he deserveth well at our hands against whom we are ungrateful . Where there is any Ingenuity there will be relentings , to think how God hath deserved our utmost Service , and what a base requital we have made by our great neglects . He hath not spared his own Son , but gave him to be a Sacrifice for us when Enemies ; and we have grudged a few pounds , murmured at a little labour , or hazard , in serving him , who is our best Friend , and daily Benefactor . It is more blessed to give than to receive , Act. 20. 35. God hath made us able to give , and others in need to receive , when he might have put them in our case and us in theirs ; yet we basely refuse to obey him , in giving out of our abundance to such as want it . How unthankful are we to the giver of all our Gifts ? That we refuse to Honour him , by instructing the Ignorant , and reclaiming Transgressors , when he could as easily have qualified them to Instruct us , and left us in a greater need of their assistance than they are of ours . Whatever we are , have , or hope for , are the Fruits of his meer Bounty , and distinguishing Favour to us ; that we are capable to do him any service , or others any good , are Endowments he dispenced to us by Name , and that these shall not be used at all for him , is high Ingratitude . In Mercy he hath long tried us , he hath spared us again and again , after that our Barrenness hath provoked him to cut us off , as well as others whom he hath cast out , Luk. 13.8 . and still we abuse his patience , and persist to cumber the ground , and be little profitable to any . By great Rewards he invites us , by great Assistances he encourageth us to that which he might bind us to , at our peril , by his meer Command , yet , as base Wretches , we loyter , yea , refuse his Work ; we wave what 's hard , and think too much of what is easiest ; we cast off all that we can tolerably rid our selves of . Ought not it to be for a Lamentation , and the more so , if you can but discern the malignity and contempt you have expressed towards God in your unthankful returns ? What 's the Language of your refusing to serve your Generation hitherto ? No kinder , no more expressive of Gratitude , for all his favours , than this ; God deserves not my Pains , my Estate would be foolishly laid out for him ; what is he to me , that I should disturb my Ease , hazard my Name , displease my Friends , or suffer any thing for a common Good ? For my part , so that all will be of my Mind , let Christ the Redeemer have none to Honour him , let Satan carry away the whole Spoil , let the Gospel of Christ have no place , let his Ministers and Members perish as well as need , let Heaven have no Tribute from this World but Blasphemies , let God be reproached , by entrusting such a one as I am , with what might benefit the Community , let this Earth of the Lords be a Hell for Misery and Sin ; so let all be , rather than I 'll run any danger , sustain any labour , or be at any expence or trouble . Yet this hath been the Language of your unprofitable Behaviour , as far as you have allowed it , and God doth so interpret it , however partial you are towards your selves . Is not this horrid Ingratitude to our Blessed Lord ? And do dry Eyes , or a Face lifted up , agree hereto ? We may deservedly take up those words , we are ashamed and confounded , because we bear the reproach of our past times , Ier. 31.19 . it 's time to blush , when all his special favours do thus reproach us , and our returns have breathed such gross Ingratitude . 3. Your Unusefulness hath been the highest Injustice against God. Whiles you have refused to be profitable according to your Ability , you have denied to render to God that which is his own ; you have defrauded , and sacrilegiously with-held and mis-applied that which was his and not yours . Whose are you your selves ? Whose are all your Gifts and Estates which you have thus grudged ? They are the Lords ; of every Talent he may justly say , it s my own , Mat. 25.27 . The Cattle upon a thousand Hills are mine , Psal. 50.1 . The Earth is the Lords , and the fulness thereof , Psal. 24.1 . Hence he fastens injury on Idolatrous Israel , Ezek. 16.17 , 18 , 19. Thou didst take thy Iewels of my Gold and my Silver , and thou hast set my Oil and my Incense before thy Idols , and my Meat , &c. But especially , bethink your selves how many ways you , even you , unuseful ones , are his . You are the Work of his Hands , he gave you a Being , or you had never existed ; he gave you to be what you are , even rational Creatures , which he was no more necessitated to make you than crawling Toads , Iob 33.6 . He sustains you in Being and in your Ca●●●● for service : In him we live , and 〈…〉 have our being , Acts 17.28 . By his 〈◊〉 are you provided for ; and by his watchful Eye preserved every Moment , Gen. 48.15 , 16. You were Redeemed by the Blood of Christ , he bought you into a capacity for service , when you were fetter'd in Prison in order to eternal Vengeance , Zech. 9.11 . Luke 1.74 . You have solemnly owned the claim of God in Christ to you , by offering up your selves , and all you possess , to this Glorious One ; answerably to Rom. 12.1 . whereby thou art his also by self-dedication . Seeing then his claims to you are thus various and universal , how much have you wronged him , in denying him the use of his own , and done your utmost to defeat him in the End for which he created and redeemed you ? Did not he create all things for himself ? To bring him Glory , and do him Service , to the degree whereof they were capable , Prov. 16.4 . Col. 1.16 . Christ died and rose , that he might be Lord both of the dead and living ; Rom. 14.9 . Was not this that he might rule all , dispose of all , and be served by all ? How unrighteous then have you been , as far as unusefulness is your Fault , you have carried it as if he could not do with his own as he pleased . You his Creatures have refused to go on his Errand ; or , work in his Vineyard , Matth. 21.29 , 30. You his purchased Ones have not agreed to serve him with your Bodies and Spirits , which are his , 1 Cor. 6.20 . His Money you have refused to give as he directs . His Office , & Power you have neglected to apply to the Ends and by the Rules which he prescribes . His Gifts have been sacrilegiously taken away from the service to which he allotted them . Have not your Ways been in all this unequal ? And can you own it without Blushings , and renting your very Hearts ? Our unusefulness ought not to be lightly esteemed by us , when it 's so full of Treachery , Ingratitude , and Injustice , towards the Lord our God. Paul knew Service went with God's Title , That God whose I am , and whom I serve , Act. 27.23 . 4. You should be ashamed and grieved for your Unusefulness , because it hath been very injurious to all Persons whom you have neglected to be profitable to . They have a joint charge of Wrong against you , in that you have defrauded them of what was theirs in Right , tho' you detained it . We are Debtors to as many as God hath appointed us to be useful , Rom. 1.14 . God directed to them , by you , whatever help or benefit he requires you to confer on them , and therefore you have acted the part of a fraudulent Messenger in disowning their claim , and with-holding what 's their due . The Church of God may complain , This was he who owed me great Service , but he never rendred it to me in my Ministers , or my Members ; he did nothing for my Defence , Enlargement , or Improvement . Your Country may exclaim , This Man enjoy'd my Defence , Plenty , and Conveniencies , and was capable , by his Prayers , Votes , Purse and Gifts , to have contributed to my Welfare , but he hath wickedly sought himself , and served himself of me , but I am no way benefited by him in my Reformation , Safety , or Liberty , &c. Your Families have a Right to Godly Education , as well as other Benefits ; but they do testifie against you as injurious , in not instructing , perswading , and striving with them , to rescue them from the power of the Devil , and to become devoted to the Lord. The Poors cryes go up to Heaven against you , for keeping back their Portion of your Substance , and denying that Advice and Help whereby you might have made them useful and comfortable . Such just Complaints may well touch their Hearts against whom they are directed ; perhaps you would hate to defraud any Man in what the Laws of the Land declare unjust , but is not the Law of Nature , and the positive Laws of God , as sufficient to determine what 's Just or Unjust , as Humane Laws can be ? And these do accuse you to be injurious to Men in your wilful unprofitableness . But besides all this , it may be many are exclaiming against you among the Damned already , as accessary to their Miseries , by your neglects as well as otherwise . They are dead in their sin for want of thy reproof , and thy slackness in pulling them out as Brands out of the burnings . If our Hearts have any tenderness under a sence of so many and manifest injuries , we must feel this Wickedness much embittered to us . 5. You should blush at , and bewail your Unusefulness as it is a great hurt to your selves . Unprofitable persons govern themselves by a great mistake , in that they fall into mischief the way they think to escape it ; to avoid Self-hurt , they refrain being useful to others , but you 'll find that thereby you incur a far greater damage . For fear of loss , you kept from others what you ought to have laid out for their Relief , and you think it 's so much saved for your own benefit , but God will so order matters , that all such riches were kept to your own hurt , Eccl. 5.13 . Whenever power is mis-applied , or not exerted for common Benefit , that 's the time wherein a Man ruleth over another to his own hurt , Eccl. 8.9 . Folly , when detected , is cause of shame : Mischief , when perceived , forceth sorrow in him on whom it falleth ; it 's your Blindness and Infidelity , that you now find not , in your great Unusefulness , the plainest evidence of both , but what Unbelief will not now discern , Experience shortly will force the securest of you to acknowledge , and that to the filling of you with shame and grief . Oh that you would consider your latter end , Deut. 32.29 . i. e. that you would consider what this ( selfish barren ) course will come to , what it will end in . I can by good warrant assure you , it will not be either so comfortable , nor gainful , as to justifie your Neglects . You , perhaps , will say , With what I save by not relieving the Poor , or promoting any good Design , I shall get an Inheritance the more hastily by so much . Is it so ? Take God's Word for an Answer , But the end thereof shall not be Blessed , Prov. 20.21 . Write that as a Prophecy upon whatever of your Estates God hath forbidden you to lay up , by his Call to lay it out . The same is applicable to all that Strength , Safety , Credit , or Interest , you think you secure , by neglecting to serve your Generation ; the end thereof shall not be blessed . To Evidence this , and thereby further Convince you that Unusefulness yields reason of shame and sorrow ; of shame , by your folly in it , of sorrow by the mischief of it . Consider , 1. You can keep nothing with a Blessing which you have gotten or saved by Unusefulness ; very oft God even disappoints Men of getting what they propose to get , by their unfaithfulness to him , and unusefulness to others ; with Balaam they miss of what they so greedily desire , and some way or other God signally defeats them in the danger they thought to prevent , and the benefit they expected ; so that they are forced to say , even at present , I have neither saved , nor gotten any thing , by refusing to serve my Generation ; I am as poor as if I had laid out for God what I covetously with held , Prov. 11.24 . I am as much reproached , and as little esteemed , by these Men , for fear of whose Tongues , or Dislike . I betrayed the Truth , as if I had faithfully adher'd to it . But upon supposition you have made some present Advantage , yet you may not long keep it , God may soon blast it to the terror of others . Iudas soon parted with the Silver he got by betraying Christ , Matth. 27.34 . some have been burnt in their House , by God's Hand , who refused to burn for the Truths sake . Ananias soon lost the use of what he reserved from publick Service , and his Life to the Bargain , Act. 5. cap. Oh! how many remarkable Instances are upon Record , of the ruined Families of such as acquir'd Estates by unfaithfulness to God , and uncharitableness to Men ? Their Children could not keep what their Parents perfidiously heaped . Nay , Examples are very many , that did not keep , for their own time , the Wealth or Reputation which they secured at the price of a common Harm , but became Beggarly and Infamous . God hath made many Men's Parts to wither , and their Health to decay , whose Sloth made their Gifts and Strength unuseful to the Publick ; such a Method God took with Israel , when they disregarded God's House , and over-regarded their own , Hag. 1.4 , 9 , 11. Ye looked for much , and it came to little ; and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it . Why , saith the Lord of Hostes ; Because of mine House that lies waste , and ye run every Man into his own House . What advantage they got was small , and that soon turned to no Account , because of God's Blast ; it was presently reduced to nothing . But supposing God , for wise Ends , suffer you to keep what you have gotten or saved , yet I am sure you cannot keep it with a Blessing . If you are Ungodly it 's your Snare , which is the worst of Curses : If you have serious Spirits , you must uneasily enjoy it , and use it with bitter reflections , as what you hold not with God's Good-will ; a desecrated accursed thing , that hazardeth and curseth the rest , which , without this , might have been possess'd comfortably and safely ; yea , and have been employed to blessed Uses , whereas now God disdains to accept , or succeed the residue to his Service , but he embittereth it to your disquiet , as well as emptieth it to your dissatisfaction . 2. You shall be great losers by your unusefulness , notwithstanding all you can get or save thereby . No profit , by deceitfulness towards God , will countervail the loss you will sustain : Bethink you whether you have not lost already more than that amounts to : Do you enjoy that peace you once had ? Have you that free access into his presence as sometimes you found ? Doth he afford you that communion with himself , and tokens of his favour , in which you were accustomed to relish the highest delight ? Have you not less composure , and fixedness of Heart , when dangers threaten you ? Do you expect the same returns of Prayer , or use you to meet with them as formerly ? Are not you more left to your selves in Duties and Temptations too ? Have you not less Supports when Afflictions befal you ? Have not your Graces abated in their Strength and Exercise ? Have not you less of God in every Ordinance , and less success in your Performances ? In such things thou dost more than vomit up the Morsel thou hast eaten , and lose thy sweet words , as Prov. 23. v. 8. But if thy gross Neglects be impenitently persisted in , thy Losses will be far greater , not only in further degrees of what 's above-mentioned , but thou shalt lose all the good thou hast seemed to do . Iohn 2. 8. All shall be taken from thee which thou appearest to have , yea , or really hast , Matth. 25. 28 , 29. Thou shalt lose all thy Hopes , however great or confident ; thou shalt lose that Life which thou didst so over-fondly love , Iohn 12. 25. Thou shalt lose thy own Soul , which the gain of the whole World cannot not recompence , Luke 9. 24. You shall not find the Good promised to the Merciful and Righteous , which is no less than Life , Righteousness , and Honour , Prov. 21. 21. You shall forfeit all the higher Degrees of Glory promised to the eminently Useful ; yea , and the lesser Degrees promised to the faithfully Useful , tho' not so Eminent . You shall neither be Ruler of ten Cities nor of five ; no entrance into the Ioy of your Lord shall be admitted you , Luke 19. Matth. 25. 21. The Rivers of God's Pleasure you shall never taste ; that beatifick Vision you shall never experience ; the Crown of Glory you shall not wear ; for these God hath confined to the faithful Labourer . Can you that never attempted , or soon fainted in serving God in your Generation , hope to reap as they who fainted not in well-doing ? Gal. 6. 9. Shall you who laid up nothing in store , no Treasure in Heaven , expect to be Rich there as they who did ? Luke 12. 33. 1 Tim. 6. 19. It 's in vain , and sorest disappointment will attend it . For the utterly Unfruitful will have no Interest in any of that Glory ; the less Useful will miss of the higher Degrees of it . O compute your Gain and Loss ! And what Idiot could have made a weaker Choice , or taken a more foolish Course than you have done ? Folly will put you to the Blush , to see how vainly you refused to be rich towards God by publick Service , that you might get a Treasure for your self by your layings up , in a neglect of common Usefulness , Luke 12.18 , 19 , 21. He was branded as a Fool in bestowing all his Goods in his Barns , and laying out nothing that he might be rich towards God. And so will all be mark'd , who imitate him . 3. You shall endure great Punishments for your Unusefulness . Besides a privation of Good , God will sensibly imbitter this Sin : He oft doth testifie against it in the Posterity of the Unprofitable , who , by being so , trouble their own House , Prov. 11.29 . There are many Curves lying on the Head of such as withhold Relief from the Poor , assist not in a common Danger , and contribute not to publick Good when capacitated for it , Prov. 11.26 . Iudg. 5.23 . all which you stand exposed to by your Unusefulness . Have not you already met with some remembrances , that God dislikes your selfish Ways and narrow Spirits ? Hath not he emptied your Mercies , embittered your Comforts , filled your Souls with Terrors , and encountred you with a frowning Countenance ? Hath not he let Satan loose upon you or yours ? But these are but the beginnings of Sorrows , and presages of greater Woes , unless you repent ; he will cut thee down as a barren Fig-Tree for thy great Leaves without Fruit , for thy cumbring the ground where thou mightest be useful , Luk. 13.5 , 6. how full of terrors will Death present it self , when God will force thy Conscience to reflect on thy many Neglects , with a clear view of the hateful Causes of them , and the miserable Effects thereof ? With anguish thou will then bemoan thy self , and vainly with for the past opportunities of Service , and that thou hadst a Heart to have improv'd them better . Death , thus full of Stings , will lodge thee in the unseen State ; but , alas ! how unprovided and ill prepared ? The Face of thy Judge will be terrible , when he shall demand an Account of thy Stewardship , Luke 16.2 . and reckon with thee about his Talents , and thy occupation of them , Mat. 25.19 . it will be in vain to deny or diminish your Trust , and what Answer can you find that can satisfie him , or please your selves ? If you hope his Merits may be pleadable by you , he 'll answer , they are not applied but according to my Promises . You may as well expect they shall be imputed without Faith , as to a dead Faith , a Faith that did not invigorate to holy fruitfulness and fidelity in my Service , was a dead Faith , and so no Faith in Gospel estimate , and therefore cannot save , Iam. 2. v. 14 , 20. To plead your Idleness , Fear or Covetousness , will be to proclaim the provoking causes of your approaching Ruine . What a heart-cutting charge will you find drawn against you , with a Sentence pursuant thereto : Thou wert ashamed of me before Men , now I am ashamed of thee before my Father , Mark 8.38 . Thou didst deny me in the other World , now I deny thee in this World , Mat. 10.33 . When I was an hungry thou didst not feed me , when I was in Prison thou didst not visit me ; Depart therefore from me thou cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the Devil and his Angels , chap 25 , 41. Thou didst hide my Talent , ( yea Talents ) therefore cast this unprofitable Servant into outer darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . Mat. 25.30 . What mind can conceive the misery included in a condition made up of all the Woes these several expressions import ? Were they believed throughly , what we may now conceive of them would overwhelm a Man that but seems in danger of enduring this misery ; and being that these several places describe the Sentence pronounced against the unprofitable , who have neglected a common good ( as well as their own Souls ) and betrayed the Publick Interests of Christ in their day , it follows that whatever in each place aggravates their misery , must be put together to give us a just account thereof . Can your heart endure but the supposing your self the person whom Christ singleth out in the View of Angels and Men ; and thus speaks to from his Tribunal , Thou selfish , false and useless Wretch , so vile , that without reproach to my Perfections , to my Holy Word and Glory , I can shew no favour to thee ( which is Christ's being ashamed of him ) I do here reject all thy pretensions to my Image , Merits , Covenant and Service ; and do declare thou art no living Member , Follower , Servant or Witness of mine , nor is my Honour , Truth or Fulness concerned at all in thy being happy ( which is Christ's denying him . ) Thou art now fallen into my hands , and the time of my Vengeance is come , I pronounce thee guilty of persidiousness to my Name and Interests , and unprofitable to others and thy self , in not rightly employing my Talents for common benefit , as well as thine own ; for this I now effectually and irrevocably adjudge thee to the Loss of all Felicity , Glory , Grace and Joy , which my presence doth afford , and this without any future Hopes from any further strivings with thee , or offers to thee , and be thou now sealed and separated to the height of Misery ( that is , Depart from me you cursed ) a Misery in its nature and degree so great , as what 's fitted to torment those capital Enemies of mine , the Devil and his Angels , who shall be thy Companions because they were thy Rulers ; so painful to thy Body as the hottest fire , and not less to thy Soul , else it were not fitted to torment the Devils , who are Spirits ; so full of horrour as Darkness is , yea a Darkness as remote and free from Light as can be , ( that is outer Darkness ) and all so resented , felt and afflictive , as to cause the extremest sorrow , anguish and fretting against God , thy Companions , and thy self ( there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . ) And as for Duration ; it 's everlasting fire , it 's for ever that this Sentence shall take hold of , and be executed upon thee ; which is confirmed by another place that declareth the continuance of the Misery of unuseful Men , under the Emblem of Chaff , as opposed to useful Wheat ; the Chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire , Luke 3. 17. which is the same with those words , their Worm dieth not , and their Fire is not quenched , Mark 9. v. 46. There 's no hopes of an alteration of their Estate , unless words cannot express the Eternity of Hell Torments ; yea , unless Sinners may be reclaimed when expelled from all the gracious Influences of the Divine Presence ( implied in depart from me ) Yea , unless there be a more Valuable Sacrifice for Sinners than the Son of God was ; for this will not relieve them , Heb. 9. 26. Yea , if there be not an Administration for reducing Sinners after , and fitter than the Kingdom of Christ ; for this will be delivered up upon that time that this Sentence passeth the first time on Sinners found then alive , solemnly upon the departed and living , and executed upon Devils , who till then are Prisoners , 1 Cor. 15. 23 , 24 , 26 , 28. 2 Pet. 2. 4. compared with Matth. 8. 29. Ought not you to tremble at this prospect of Eternal Misery ? Yet if you are these unfaithful and unprofitable Sinners during Life , you will be thus found guilty and sentenced when you Die. Consider again and again what thou must hear , feel and endure , for thy unprofitableness ; add this to the great things thou losest by it , and also that what now thou seemest to get or save through unusefulness , cannot at present be kept with a Blessing ; when thou hast done thus in a serious manner , I will appeal to thy self , whether thy folly is not gross enough to make thee ashamed , and thy Misery great enough to fill thee with terrour , that unusefulness in thy Age hath been allowed by thee ? Yea , I dare give you leave to put all the loss , charge , labour and danger of Publick Service , with all the ease , safety and benefit of unserviceableness ; and set them all against the fore-mentioned Mischiefs which attend the unprofitable ; and if thou believest the certainty of these , be then affected at thy barrenness , as the cause appears to thy self ; nay , were there but a probability , nay , but a possibility that these fruits of unprofitableness were true , it were sufficient to make thee ashamed and grieved for it . Obj. Tho' I must agree that it's folly to become liable to these Mischiefs , yet are all who are unuseful subject to endure them ? for if so , who shall escape ? Supposing a capacity to service ; I shall briefly answer . Ans. There is , 1. A degree of unusefulness , which through weakness and temptation may oft befal a godly Man , which indeed shall not bring Eternal Misery upon him ; tho' God usually testifies his displeasure against it in this Life . 2. There is an unusefulness which will infallibly bring Eternal Misery upon whoever is guilty of it . If it be not so , you must question the plainest discoveries of the Gospel of Truth . Obj. 2. How shall I know the kind and degree of that unusefulness that will certainly bring Eternal Misery , from that which a godly Man may be guilty of thro' weakness and temptation ? Ans. A full Answer to this and the other Objections may be gathered from what is largely insisted on in the former heads . But because some may not so easily apply that to such particular cases ; I shall therefore give you these short hints . 1. The Unusefulness of any good Man is such as doth consist with an unfeigned dedication and habitual devotedness of himself and all he hath to God in Christ , and this is persevered in . He is no Believer or good Christian that is not thus devoted to God ; and such unusefulness as is consistent with this , is not a Mark of Hell. But that unusefulness which is not consistent with unfeigned dedication , and habitual devotedness to God in Christ , is an infallible Mark of Eternal Misery if persisted in . 2. He that shall escape Eternal Misery , is not unuseful in the prevailing scope of his life ; but every Son of Perdition is so ; the course of his life is unprofitable , and thence he is denominated unfruitful in his best State ; the stated bent of his Soul is to do more hurt than good . 3. What good he doth who shall escape Hell , he usually doth it in uprightness , from love and obedience to God , with a believing respect to God in Christ ; but the Child of Wrath , in whatever seeming good he doth , hath a greater regard to carnal considerations , and acteth not from Faith , Love , and obediential regard to God. 4. The good Man repents of , and bewails his unusefulness , when convinced of it , and heartily desires to know wherein he is culpably unuseful , that he may reform , as well as by Faith in Christ sue out his Pardon upon repenting of it . But the ungodly is hardened in his unusefulness , unwilling to know it , set against reforming , if not insensible of his need of Pardon , yea oft justifies himself in his selfish unprofitable course . 5. The true Christian is truly glad and thankful when God doth most encline and enlarge his heart to overcome his selfishness , and to act in the most useful serviceable manner , tho' no carnal respects of his own be served thereby ; yea , tho' loss , reproach and suffering attend it , so God be but honoured , and a common good subserved . But the carnal Man , if he hath been over-ruled to any thing which proves useful , yet if his own Credit or wordly Benefit be not advantaged , and much more if he comes to suffer by it ; he is grieved , and repenteth of what he hath done , whatever honour God receives , or benefit others get thereby . By these things you may know whether you are such unuseful persons as shall be pardoned and saved , or such unuseful persons as shall endure Eternal Misery , if you persistin this state . Obj. 3. But tho' I continue unuseful in that manner as the Word of God declareth Eternal Misery will follow upon it ; yet I shall be safe if I believe in Christ for the pardon of it , and that I 'll do , and yet not reform my course . Ans. Deceive not thy self with vain words , what thou sowest , that thou shalt reap , Mat. 6. v. 19. And be it known to thee , that no Faith in Christ will be available to thy pardon , which is not effectual to turn thee from that unusefulness , and which doth not include in it a dedication and prevailing habitual devotedness of thy self to Christ and his service in a common good . A living Faith worketh by love , Gal. 5. 6. and a dead Faith will never justifie ; yea , it self is condemned as a false Faith if it want good works , when opportunity for them is afforded . And that Man must impose upon himself , who can imagine that the Faith which is necessary to pardon must work by Love , and yet not work in Love towards our Neighbours at all ; but if you grant it must work in Love towards our Neighbour , I ask , must it not work towards all that are designed by the word Neighbour , whom we are to love ? if so , it includes all Men whatever within the reach of my ability to do good to ; and if it be by Love to All them that it will work , it must express it self in those works that instance the sincerity of our Love to them for their benefit ; and so true Faith will work towards all as far as Love is due to them , and do all that sincere Love to them will prompt to , which is no less than serving our Generation , or that publick Usefulness which you neglect . Can the Tempter still delude you to think , that you will have a pardon of your Unusefulness by such a Faith as doth not make you resolve to be Useful ? Yea , or doth not effectually produce this Usefulness as you are called thereto ? Alas ! you contradict , yea , nullifie a Justifying Faith , when you say , I will not reform my useless Life , and yet I will believe in Christ for a pardon of it ; the English of which is , I will believe in Christ for Pardon with such a Faith as Christ never promised pardon to , and upon which he will never pardon me . This , instead of mitigating thy Folly in being unuseful , doth greatly augment and proclaim it ; it sets thee no safer from endless Misery , but by encouraging thee in the course that certainly leads to it ; it makes thy enduring that Misery the surer . 2 Exh. Resolve henceforward to be Useful in your Generation ; yea , eminently Useful , if capable thereof . All I have hitherto insisted on tends to this , That you may resolve at last to engage in this Work. For this end I have explained this Duty , and commended the Performance thereof ; for this I have said so much , to discover the Neglects of it , and to convince of the Folly and Danger of those Neglects : All which will be lost , if you go hence unresolved to be Publick Blessings in your Day . What avail all Arguments , if they incline not our backward Hearts to Usefulness ? They will no more than discover our Obstinateness , and aggravate our Condemnation ; but in hope of a better Effect , I shall Address my self to each of you . The more remiss you have been hitherto , the more incumbent on you it is , now to engage your Souls in this Work ; from this time , do what you can to serve the Will of God in your Generation ; devise great and liberal things , Isa. 32.8 . Let nothing set bounds to your Usefulness , but a Natural or Moral incapacity ; i. e. somewhat impossible , or something unlawful . What 's impossible God requires not ; and to do , or speak wickedly , or deceitfully for God , he will not accept , Job 13.7 . But what 's Lawful , and within your Power , omit not ; the greater it is , the more will God be Honoured , others Benefited , and thy own Divine temper expressed . Be pleased with the largest opportunities of Service , and faithfully answer each ; trifle not , but be in earnest ; move not slowly , but run the ways of God's Commandments , as one whose Heart is enlarged by him , Psal. 119. Beat not the Air , as if uncertain of the nature or tendency of thy Work , it 's for God , it will end in Glory , 1 Cor. 9 26. Let us each , in our places , say with Nehemiah , cap. 2.20 . The Lord will prosper us , therefore we , his Servants , will arise and build . That I may more usefully urge this General Exhortation , I shall direct it according to some different circumstances , which you may be in , and answerably direct and plead with you . 1. To such as are still unwilling to serve their Generation . Either you are convinced that this is your Duty , or you are not ; if you are perswaded it 's your Duty , what peace or hope can you possess whiles you live in the neglect of it ? If you think it is not your Duty , what sence can you put upon so many plain Scriptures that command it ? That promise such Rewards to , and Assistances in it ? That threaten such sore Miseries to the Neglecters of it ? That so approve of , and praise the Practice and Practisers of it , and brand the Name of such as Accursed who refused to do so ? If these things suffice not to prove a Duty , nothing can ; and I am sure God hath not excepted your Names , from the Obligation to obey it any more than others . But whether convinced that this is your Duty , or unconvinced , pray consider , as you are M●n , you are not Born for your selves , but for your Country too : Nature dictates this , Heathens assert it , your own Hearts commend it in others , and disapprove the contrary ; yea , many Brutes reproach you , when they 'll hazard themselves to defend their Young , and secure each other against a Common Enemy or Mischief . As you are Men created by the living God , you are accountable to him ; you ought to answer the ends for which he made you , which were to serve his Purposes , and bring him Glory . He was too Wise and Holy to make you Lawless as to himself , or to the Community of which you are Members ; nor is he so remiss a Governor , as not severely to animadvert Offences so publickly mischievous . As you are called Christians , bethink your selves the Lord Jesus redeemed you , that you might return to a state of Subjection and Service , and under that Law you are to him , Rom. 14.9 . It 's no small Mercy that he calls you to this , considering you were condemned Rebels , and that he is ready to accept it , and assist you in it . What Ingratitude is it to live to your selves , and not to him who paid so dear for your Ransom ? 1 Cor. 6.20 . Further , consider the before-described Miseries which you wilfully chuse , and the glorious Blessings you certainly forfeit by your unprofitableness ; herein you are cruel to your selves , when you fondly think it's self-indulgence ; you destroy your selves , and yet weakly pretend to self-advantage . Reflections upon your madness herein , will be a great part of your torment . Perhaps you have not thought what you expect from others , tho' they must be unobliged to you , upon the same Reasons as you can give for your being free from the Duty of Usefulness to them ; to say nothing of what you expect from the blessed God , and what every Moment you receive , tho' you so ill requite him . Did not you expect your Parents Care , the Magistrates Defence , your Ministers Labours , your Neighbours Favour and Help ? How would you be dealt by , if you were in the case of the Poor or Distressed , and they in yours ? Would you think it well done in all , or any of these , to be as unconcerned , selfish , oppressive , cruel , or useless , as you resolve to be to them , in what-ever Capacity or Relation you stand . Our Lord's Rule was approved by Pagans , tho' condemned by you , Matth. 7.12 . What would become of the Interest of Christ , the Welfare of the Nation , the Good of Societies , Religious or Civil , if every Man were as selfish and unconcerned for a common Good as you resolve to be ? All Safety , Harmony , Liberties , Order and Comfort , would be expelled , and their contraries alone take place : But , if this state of Things be thy abhorrence , ask thy self , Why should not all others be as selfish as I am , if it be justifiable in me ? Or , why should not I be as publick Spirited as they , if it be praise-worthy and useful in them ? Are you an ill Magistrate , why should any others be better ? Are you an unfaithful Minister , why should any others be more faithful ? Are you careless of the common Liberties of your Country or City , why should any other , in your station , be more concerned ? Are you strait-handed to the Poor , wherefore should others of your Estate be more liberal ? Are you indifferent about the Truth , Interest , and Gospel of Christ , why should any other in your circumstances more expose themselves ? You must consent that all these may as justly excuse themselves from benefiting others as you can ; or else you are most basely spirited , to think others should serve a Common Good that you may share therein , but that you must be excepted from contributing to that Service , that so you may pursue your own private Interest the more . Directions . Weigh these things often , and deliberately judge of thy Resolves not to serve thy Generation . Go and humble thy self before God , and earnestly pray to him , in Christ's Name , to change thy Heart , subdue thy Lusts , and give thee another Spirit : Enter into Covenant with Christ , to deny thy self , to take up thy Cross and follow him . From this time ▪ firmly engage in Christ's strength , that thou wilt not consult thy flesh in thy undertakings , but keep thy self from under the influence of a narrow Spirit , and base Lusts , as being very ill Advisers in thy course of Life , and as unfit Disposers of thy Estate , Gifts or Power . Set upon doing publick Good presently , tho' it be with great reluctancy at first ; the less good thou hast hitherto done , now attempt to do the more : And the later you begin , redeem the remainder of your days by the greater Projects , and more vigorous Endeavours . Pray earnestly , and attend Gospel Means for sincere love to God and Man , and for a believing sight of invisible Things ; and keep your Consciences under a tender , lively sence of God's Authority , and the Day of Judgment . 2. To such as are unfeignedly willing to serve their Generation , account it a greater Mercy than the greatest Estates or Abilities with a narrow Soul , which thereby would be a Snare . Abhor a suggestion as if God dealt hardly by you , in making service your Duty , or inclining you to it ; for , in the first , God's Wisdom and Goodness in the Government of this World appears . In the last , he hath honoured and benefited you , in anointing you his Instruments . Our Lord Jesus was wont to say , It is more blessed to give , than to receive , Acts 20.35 . Which the Apostle useth as a Motive to Mens labouring , that they might support the weak , relieve the needy , &c. We imitate God as far as we are beneficent , for he is the Fountain whence all Wants are supplied , tho' he is benefited by none ; and yet , for our Encouragement in doing Good , he is pleased to account himself a Borrower , Prov. 19. v. 17. He that hath pity on the Poor , lendeth to the Lord. Not that you can give what is not his already , but that he is as sure to re-pay , as if you lent it to him . But this Head being too general to admit so distinct an Application , as the several Sorts and Conditions of such be who are truly willing to serve their Generation requires ; I shall address my self to them in these several Instances , which distinguish their Cases , and give suitable Directions . 1. To such as are capable of no very great service to their Generation ; as being of small Estates , low Parts , and the like . Serve you your Generation as you can in your lower Place : To which end , beg God's Direction , that you may not mistake your Place or Work ; nor be left to your self in the meanest Service . Go not out of your own Calling , for God will neither accept nor bless Encroachments on other Mens Work nor your usurpation of Power of your own Heads ; no , nor at their pleasure who are not authorized to give it , 1 Cor. 7.20 . Levit. 10. 1. Do not presumptuously attempt what is above your ability , for that 's not your Duty , and it may turn to publick detriment . Take care that you pretend not publick Usefulness as a Cover to an idle neglect of your Callings , or pragmatical Business in what belongs not to you : For this discovers your corruption , and will end in hurt and scandal . Be sure that what you give to Good Uses be your own , and not what is another Man's : For this is Fraud , and not Charity ; and instead of being liberal you will be unjust . And yet be conscientiously ready and vigorous to do all the good you can ; your lesser Ability must be as faithfully used as if it were greater ; nor will your having no more , excuse your unprofitableness with what you have . Instruct your Family , tho' you are not Preachers ; pray for and be affected with the state of the Church of God and the Nation , if you can do no more . Vote for good Men into Office , encourage faithful Ministers as you are able , give to what Poor you can , and acquaint others with the case of such you cannot relieve your selves . What little Good you can do , let it be done chearfully , and from love . See that you use Diligence , and avoid all Waste in your Persons and Families , that you may be capable of doing the greater good . Be favoury in Discourse , exemplary in Life , and ready to help those who know less than your selves . And lastly , Do not envy others , nor murmur that you are in no higher station than you are , for God knew what place of service you were fittest for ; if you be faithful in that , he will accept and reward it , and if fit he will capacitate you for higher Work. Nay , you may prove of far greater use in this station than you can now perceive ; who knows what success God may give to thy Advice , or other Endeavours ? To thy Children , Servants , &c. and how Eminent they may prove ? 2. To such as are capable of eminent Service to their Generation , and willing to it , keep a humble sence of your unworthiness , that God should make you able and willing to do him greater service than others , and answerably praise him for it as the Sovereign Bestower both of ability and willingness ; also be watchful over your hearts , that your Ends be upright in whatever service you perform , and abhor an Opinion of meriting from God by the most you do ; in all which you have David for a lively Example , 1 Chron. 29. 10. to the 17. We thank thee , and bless thy glorious Name : But who am I , and what is my People , that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort ? for all things come of thee ; all this store cometh of thine hand , and is all thine own . I know also , my God , that thou triest the heart , and hast pleasure in uprightness , &c. Do not judge it enough that you perform as great Services as others , when you are capable of , and called to more ; nor let the less useful ( however many ) of your station prescribe to you , for they will not justifie your neglects . Let not meer difficulty , danger , nor expence , cause you to conclude , yea or to suspect you are not called to this or that eminent Service , for your call must be adjusted by other Rules ( of which be-before ) where opportunity for great things offer , delay not , lest that being lost , it may not be recalled , or more hinderances intervene . Judge of Unusefulness and incumbent Service by what your Consciences suggest in great dangers ( as on a Sick-Bed ) and in the liveliest frame by fullest communion with God ( as after the Lord's Supper , &c. ) for these are Seasons to make the truest Judgment in what concerneth eminent Usefulness . Never make your abilities or activeness serve a Faction as distinguished from , much less as opposed to a publick Interest ; for hereby you act selfishly , and not as Christians , and will be more hurtful to the publick concernments of Christ , than if you did nothing at all ; and be the more guarded against this , because the Heads of Factions will sollicit such as you , and Satan will set in with your misguided Zeal , as knowing he can make no other use of you ; now that you are honestly willing to be serviceable . If you are persons eminently useful , do not hastily govern your Activity by the Opinion of others ; if weak Men misinterpret your well-adjusted Attempts , be you resolved ; should many good Men blame you never so much for your performance , adhere to , and still pursue it whiles you have good ground to believe it 's the fittest means to prevent a publick Mischief , or produce a general Benefit . The Reasons of this Direction are these ; the Opinion and Censures of most Men are very weak and misguided ; Satan hath access to the Imagination of good Men , and oft employs such to obstruct great Designs , Mat. 16. 23. And Men entirely devoted to God in the Service of their Generation , after some ti●e of faithful acquitting themselves th●rein , they stand more in God's secret , and by experience are fitter to judge of publick good and hurt than other good Men be . Whatever offers as your present work do , not thinking lesser things needless , when you have not greater things at present to undertake ; for you know not what great good a seemingly small endeavour may do ( as Advice to a Child ) this is your present work , the most of your time is not filled with opportunities of very great Services , these lesser Attemps being very frequent , as taking up so much of our time , will amount together to great Service , a very great part of our lives will be unprofitably spent , if we neglect these lower endeavours , and most Mens unusefulness is greatly owing to a disregard to these . But yet see the greatest Services be still preferred to lesser when in compitition . Keep a jealous watch over your selves , that no Lusts prescribe your work , be admitted into it , or nourished by it ; to which end see that you do nothing through strife or vain-glory , Phil. 2. 3. or for covetous ends . Despise not others who cannot equal your Service , or do need it ; think not your great Services give you an allowance in any way of sin , or that they are a compensation for it , or will be accepted in commutation for the opposite duties , &c. I give this direction , because Satan's Wiles are deep , and his Attempts on the eminently useful are many , various and unwearied ; the remains of corruption are great in the best , Lusts are deceitful , and signal Service is an apt occasion to be improved . Look to Christ for strength and fervour , for fresh Anointings , and continual Conduct that you may omit nothing which God assigneth you to do in your Generation ; nor take up with any excuse which he will not approve of when he comes to judge the secrets of all hearts ; because of our selves we can do nothing ; by his strength we can do all , Phil. 4. 13. We need new supplies in every new business , and the more as its importance is ; and by dependance we shall and must receive it . 3. To Useful persons under discouragements in their Service . Still persist in your work ; for the greater opposition you meet with in it , the more likely it is to be subservient to Christ's present Designs , and to produce the greater Effects in a common good , since Satan is so active to obstruct thee . Gird up the loins of your mind , and hope to the end , 1 Pet. 1. 13. Whatever is a plain duty , will bring with it sufficient fitness , and not want success in due time ; no , rightly directed labour in the work Christ hath upon the Wheel will be lost , tho' success may be delayed , and the work seem dead for a season , that so the World may be prepared to submit to it , and Christ's Victory may appear the greater as it baffleth the Confidence of Satan and his Instruments . When ready to faint , tell thy Soul , I must not be weary in well doing , for I shall reap if I faint not . You have God as eminently concerned for you , and in you , as you can be engaged for him ; his Perfections will uphold you in all that which his Authority sets you upon ; and he allows you to place to his Account the losses , reproaches and hardships you sustain in his Cause , neither shall you lose thereby , Mark 10. 29. 30. Search lest there be any sin unrepented of which interrupt his supporting Comforts , or that you have too much confided in your own Abilities , or ascribed the honour of past successes or performances to your selves . Pour out your complaints , and your apprehensions of your own weakness before the Lord , who is full of pity and faithful , and whose strength is manifest in our weakness , 2 Cor. 12. 8 , 9. Be much in the contemplations of Heaven ; review your own experiences of seasonable sufficient supports when your fears were as great as at present , and attentively think it 's but a little while and my work is over ; He that shall come , will come , and will not tarry , and all the promises of perseverance were made to Souls in Eminent Service by doing and suffering , which you may safely apply to your selves , expecting those greater Consolations and Supplies which God will not disappoint you in . 4. To useful Persons inclining to Remisness in the Service of their Generation . The greatest part of this Discourse being so much directed to your Case , I shall only advise you to renew your Covenant with God in Christ. Reflect on your selves , what you found when vigorously useful , and what you feel now in this declining Frame : Enquire what forfeitures you have made of the Spirits quickening influences , or what lust begins to invade your Souls , or what Carnal thing is setting up for an Idol . Pray earnestly for exciting Grace , and be much in such Soliloquies as these , Am not I a Redeemed Sinner ? and shall I neglect the interests of my Redeemer ? Shall I disregard the end of my Being , break my Vows , be false to my trust ? Is it not in well-doing that I grow weary ? Are my Talents less accountable for , than they were , or have I now more reason to think that my Abilities were not given for Publick use ? Where shall I stop if I recover not ? What shall I be doing the residue of my time , if I cease to be useful ? What may I meet with to awaken me out of this slothful Sleep ? Do others less need my help , or have I the leave of God to be remisser ? Can I think Christ a worse Master than before ; or Heaven less worthy of my pains ? Dare I commend the unprofitable part of Mankind that I am thus about to justify ; or condemn the eminently useful , whom now I seem resolved to censure ? Must not I shortly on a Death-bed reflect on what a barren life I am going to live , and the blessed Courses I put a stop too ? Have I done more already than Christ deserves at my hands , who died for me ? or would I be content he should now more remissly intercede in my behalf ? Plead such things closely and frequently with your Hearts , and force a deliberate answer , that all may issue in fresh resolves , to be more vigorous than ever , and in shame and grief that you could be inclinable to remisness in Publick Service . I shall conclude the whole with three cautions , to all who are willing to serve their Generation . 1. Equal nothing with the Publick which is short thereof , especially your selves . Let every thing have its due regard , and no more . Our esteem of things should be according to their value , and our concern is irregular if dissonant from our just Esteem . Moses words , Exod. 32.32 . If not , blot me out of thy Book and St. Paul , Rom 9.3 . For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ , for my Brethren were not Absolute Desires , but the regular indications of a Publick Spirit adjusting things as compared together : A Common good is above a Particular , and the more common , still the more Estimable . The very Reason why Divine Worship is proper to God is , because he is Author of all , above all , and infinitely more than the whole Creation ; yea , and we cannot but most intend his Glory in our undertakings , as our regards are most extensive ; and make every thing a selfish Idol , as we Postpone what 's more Publick to it . Nevertheless , the true Order is generally inverted : Most Men do not account a Mischief or Benefit to be greater or less , as they affect the Publick , but as they affect themselves ; we begin and end at the wrong Point , and Erect a false Standard when our main concern is , how will such Publick Affairs Profit or Damage First , My own Person , then my own Family , then my own Party , then my own Nation ( if at all it will reach so far ) be warned against this preposterous course ; look at your selves but as small parts of the whole , and to signifie no more than as the Publick is advantaged by you . Acknowledge the interest all have in you according to their True Order and your Capacity , and obligation to be serviceable to each . Be uniform in your Course , and let God in a Common good ( as such ) be your Governing end : Fill up each Place and relation you stand in ; let each have a due regard , and no more : Your own Families , the particular Church you belong to and the Catholick Church above that ; also your own City and Nation , and the World ; let all these have their due , and this in just order and proportion , not exclusively of each other . Your Prayers must reach the World , your Mental Communion the Catholick Church , Occasional Communion to others then that wherein you are stated Members ( tho' in many things they differ from you ) . In short , confine not your Care , Estate , or Advice , below , or otherwise than that Mind will dictate , which accounts the Body more valuable than a Member , and a common Good than a particular . If you are Ministers , abhor a thought that your Office obligeth you to mind no more Souls than your own Flocks . 2. Neglect not your selves whiles you mind the Publick . Do not disregard your own Soul , no nor Body neither ; keep the last in a fitness for Service , and be ever watchful that the first be in a meetness for Glory , and improving for it : Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling , Phil. 2.13 . Receive your selves the Christ , and Mercy you offer to others ; look not so Abroad as to forget you have a Home ; yea , labour to affect and profit your own Souls , by all your endeavours to profit others ; to walk in the light you give , and to grow in Grace by doing all the good you can . If you are Ministers , oft think of 1 Cor. 9.27 . I keep under my Body , and bring it into subjection , lest that by any means , when I have preached to others , I my self should be a cast away . 3. Disregard not the first or least declinings , in those Graces that are the springs of publick Service , but be intent to get their vigorous Exercise restored as soon as you perceive abatement . Very imperfect Actings will follow decaying Graces , and strengthening the last is the way to perfect the first , Rev. 3.2 . As Ephesus decayed in her first love , she abated her first works , Rev. 2.4 , 5. which were Labours and Sufferings for publick use , v. 3. Unbelief , enmity to God and Man , and a narrow Spirit , grow as Faith , Love , and a publick Spirit weaken ; and those will as much obstruct your Usefulness , as these contribute to it : they will pervert your Judgment , abate your Delight , aggravate your Difficulties , frame Excuses , find Diversions , enervate Motives , and many other ways lessen your Service ; and as they grow , they tend to still further Abatements in the opposite Graces . Oh! where will these declensions stop , if you allow them ? And every Day you will be less able and disposed to recover your former strength ; and consequently , be less sure and fit to serve your Generation . 2 Obs. The usefullest persons die . David fell asleep . Shall I represent this as a Warning , or as an Encouragement to Service ? It hath something of both , and in each respect it 's a strong Motive to serve our Generation . 1. It 's a Warning to be useful whiles you live ; for Work , or Loyter you , Death is daily making its Approaches , and when it seizeth , it will be in vain to wish to be spared for greater use , or resolve to do what you hitherto neglected : Death sets a period to our Endeavours to benefit the Church or Nation , our Friends or Relations ; they can expect no further advantage by us . Therefore in a sence of your own frailty , and the certainty of dying within a short while , resolve with our blessed Saviour , Ioh. 9.4 . I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day , the night cometh when no Man can work . It 's a Mercy to have nothing undone which God gave us Life for , and to be finishing it when the Arrest of Death is felt . 2. It 's an Encouragement to such as faithfully serve their Generation . The usefullest fall asleep ; not , indeed , if it were such a sleep as rendred the separated Soul unactive , for continued Service here would be more pleasing and profitable to them than such a sleep as that ; but it 's a rest from Labour , tho' not from Work ; from Pain , but not from Pleasure to the departed Soul , which will be with Christ ; and tho' separated for a while , is sure to be re-united to the Body at the Resurrection . It 's a Woe to the unprofited World , that eminently useful Men are Dead , for you can hope for no further help , nor expect any benefit by them ; they left you barren and miserable after all their Labours , and must be terrible Witnesses against you . It 's a loss to the Church and Nation , that such eminently useful Men must die ; the Defence , Glory , and Blessing of a People are removed ; what an open breach is made ? The Earth's endangered by removal of such Pillars . These are the Chariots of Israel , and the Horse-men thereof , 2 King. 13. 14. There be but few such among the multitude of Christians , and their loss is not easily made up ; but to the faithful eminently useful Saint , it 's a privilege he shall die , ( being all such are not to be translated ) he would not live always , Job 7.16 . for by Death he goes into better company ; he 'll be freed from a weight that clogg'd him tho' he moved so fast ; the Sin and Sorrow he felt he is to feel no more ; he shall enjoy Christ in another manner , relish Pleasures in a higher way , and possess what he hoped and waited for . Death must be his great Advantage , to whom faithful and publick Service is his very Business and Trade whiles he liveth : To me to live is Christ , and to die is Gain , Phil. 1.21 , 22. Instead of the Application of this Doctrine , I shall turn my Discourse to the Occasion of our present Meeting , the Death of your Pastor Dr. Samuel Annesley , in whom we have the whole Text exemplified ; he served his Generation , and he is fallen asleep . In the last part , a just cause of Mourning is presented , with respect to many more than our selves ; in the former , a lively Example is proposed for our imitation ; as to both , here 's a convincing instance . We see it 's possible for Men in our Age to serve their Generation , and yet the greatest Usefulness prevents not Death ; for he , who was so eminently Useful , lies now Dead . He began early , he continued long , and never ceas'd to serve his Generation , until by Death he was allowed to rest from his Labours . He was born of very godly Parents , at Kellingworth near Warwick , Anno 1620. and their only Child . The Name Samuel was appointed for him by his eminently Pious Grand-mother , who died before his Birth , and gave this reason for her desire that he should be so called , I can say I have asked him of God. His Infancy was as strangely impressed with the thoughts of being a Minister , ( to which his Parents dedicated him from the Womb ) which so transported him from 5 or 6 years old , as to engage him to unusual Industry in what improv'd him in order to it ; then it was he took up a custom which he always observed , viz. Reading 20 Chapters in the Bible every Day . Our God , to whom the end is known from the beginning , was as provident in forming him for great Service , as he was forward in those indications that he should be employed therein ; this appeared in the hale and hardy constitution of his Body , which was such , as to endure the coldest Weather , without Hat , Gloves or Fire . For many years , he seldom drank any thing besides Water ; his Sight so strong , that to his Death he read the smallest Print without Spectacles , and in a Life lengthened to his 77th Year . He was rarely sick ; his Natural capacity was good , and his temper vigorous and warm , which his Grace over-ruled ( mostly ) to undertake those excessive Labours , and sustain the Difficulties , which , without a Body and Mind so fashioned , had been impossible , in so long a course of Service . And this vigour he so retained to his very Death , as if God would give an instance , That the servour of some Mens Souls in his Work , were either independent on the Body , or their Bodies ( with Moses ) were still repaired even to Old Age , when he designeth extraordinary Services by them . But which was more , he was ( not only thus separated ) but also sanctified from the Womb ; oft since declaring , He never knew the time he was not Converted . About 15 Years of Age he went to Oxford , where he gave such Instances of his Piety and Diligence , as would engage a Recital , if I resolved not to omit these , with all other things , ( tho' very laudable ) except his Usefulness ; his ripe Fruits , which fed so many , my regard is to . A Heart so naturally bent for God's Glory , and the good of Souls , cou'd admit no longer delays from Work , than what a due fitness for it , and a regular call unto it , made necessary ; yet so long Conscience obliged him to desist , he well knowing that the strongest desires of Ministerial Work , in the unqualified and uncalled , will not justifie their usurpation of the Office , nor prevent Disorders and Damage to the Church and themselves , by their publick performances . He began to cast his Net as Chaplain to the Earl of Warwick , ( then Admiral ) and thence removed to Cliff in Kent , where he met with a Storm more tempestuous than at Sea ; for the people of that Place being fond of their ejected Minister , as greatly pleasing them by his Company at their Dancing , Drinking , and Merriments on the Lord's-Day , they were so prejudic'd against this his Successor , as to rise against him with Spits , Forks and Stones , threatning his Death at his first coming ; a hard Province for a Divine not much above 22 Years of Age ! But here God gave him room for his intense Zeal , fit Objects to direct and engage his Ministry to Conversion Work and an early Specimen of his own resolvedness in God's Work , as well as Experience of the good God designed by him , and care he had of him . For having some prospect of doing good among that People , ( who , tho' Ignorant and Prophane , yet not hardned by resisting Gospel Light ) he told them , Let them use him how they would , he was resolved to continue with them , till God had fitted them by his Ministry to entertain a better , who should succeed him ; but yet solemnly declared , that when they became so prepared , he would leave that place . Here his Labours were unwearied , and such efficacy accompanied the Word preached , and his winning behaviour , that in a few years the people were greatly Reformed , their Enmity changed into a passionate kindness , which appear'd , as in many other instances , so in their loud cries and many tears , when he let them know he judged himself obliged to remove , according to his former Declaration . ( not to decide whether such a promise was Obligatory or no ) his tender concern lest any seeming lightness of his might prove a scandal to his young Converts , so governed him , that left this place with 400 l. per Annum ; but Divine Providence had great purposes to serve hereby . Cliff was not a Stage large enough for the Uses God designed by this active Soul , nor a Hill high enough for the notice of one so Exemplary . Having procured a Successor fit to build on the Foundation , so prosperously laid by him , he resigns himself to Divine disposal , to be employed where-ever his Call should point with the clearest Evidence . A very signal Providence directed him to a settlement in London , Anno 1652. by the unanimous Choice of the Inhabitants of Iohn the Apostle ; soon after he is made Lecturer at Paul's . And in 58 Cripplegate was made happy by his settlement there : In this Place he continued a most labourious faithful Preacher ( tho' removed from his Lecture in the Year 60. ) till that twice unhappy Barthomew-Day , 1662. the first by the Parisian Massacre , this last by the silencing of about 2000 faithful Ministers in this Kingdom , where their Labours were far more necessary than the Ends pretended for their Ejection were valuable . His abode hath been ever since in this City , where he finished his course , December 31. Anno 1696. Having briefly represented the Sphere wherein he moved with respect to his Office and Places of abode , &c. it remaineth that I give some hints of the nature and manner of his motion therein . Where shall I begin , when so many Things present themselves ? It 's hard reducing them into order , when such a variety of great Things meet ; it 's not easie to judge which most contributed to his just Character , viz. An eminently useful Man in his Generation . In most Things he was a Pattern worthy to be imitated . In many Things it will be difficult for most I know to resemble him . And in what few Things he came short of some , yet his Integrity Zeal , and publick Spirit , rendred him in extensive Usefulness more than equal . In Ministerial Labours he was abundant ; where was a more constant Preacher ? Very oft , before his silencing , thr'ce a day ; in the late Troubles almost every day ; since this Liberty twice every Lord's-Day , ( too long ) even to his last Sickness ; being dissuaded from the last Sermon , because of his Illness after the Mornings , he was unpersuadable , saying , I must work whiles it's Day . Who ever knew him , from his very Youth , refuse to preach in any Place when asked ? Few , if any , so ready to assist in Fasts and Lectures . The sick were sure of assistance if they sent to him ; doubting Souls never were denied access , or found discouragement , harshness , or treachery , when they made their Cases known . Did his many Labours abate their substance and tendency to common Good ? No , he so redeemed Time , that his Sermons were not raw , but well studied and substantial ; his Utterance not remiss , but earnest , as one concerned to profit others ; being himself affected , and having something that very peculiarly expressed his heartiness in all he said . By his very often reading over the Scriptures from his Childhood , he became a great Textuary ; and by aptly produced Texts , he oft surprised eminent Ministers ; as his solution of Cases of Conscience ( which his Sermons much consisted of ) did instruct and satisfie them . His Care and Toil extended to every Place where he might be profitable : Of whom in an equal station can it be so truly said ? On him was the care of all the Churches . When any Place wanted a Minister , he set himself to get them one . When any Minister was oppressed by Poverty , he soon employed himself for his Relief . O , how many Places had sate in darkness , how many Ministers had been starved , if Dr. Annesley had died 34 Years since ! The Gospel he even forced into several ignorant Places ; and was the chief ( oft the sole ) Instrument in the Education , as well as Subsistence , of several Ministers . The Morning Lecture ( so profitable to many ) he alone supported ; I wish it die not with him : For what one Man hath Zeal and Interest enough ( with leisure ) to keep it up ? It was by him the Meetings of Ministers , before this Liberty , were kept up ; and since the Union , in his Place and to his Expence , they have been continued . What a multitude of all sorts were supplied by his Care ! Bibles , Catechisms , and all profitable Books , dispersed far and near . The Sick , the Widows , the Orphans were innumerable , whom he relieved and settled . By the Poor he was crouded as a Common Father . You may well ask how could all this be done by him . I Answer : Of all Gifts , Salary , and Incomes , he always laid aside the Tenths for Charity , even before any were spent by him , which is the greater instance of his bountiful Mind , considering his numerous Family , many Losses , and great Straights : Thus his Light directed ; and then he would be faithful to it , what-ever Expence or Hardship followed . And being satisfied it was just to do so , his servent Love to God and Man prevented all repinings , and made him a most chearful Giver . But this , since he was silenced , bearing no proportion to the great Things he constantly undertook ; to supply it he was the faithful Almoner of many ; and so importunate a Petitioner for Charitable uses , that few could escape or deny him ; and most of his own People he had instilled his own Charitable Disposition into ( who are apt to be of the same Spirit with their admired Pastors . ) These assiduous Labours , and extensive Beneficence , were accompanied with several Excellencies which sustained them , and tended to make him a successful Blessing , or his Heart and Hands had failed . He was a Man of great uprightness , he squared not his Profession by his Secular Interest , tho' he had a large Family ; yet he quitted a full Maintenance , rather than sin against God by Conformity . Before then he was turned out of his Lecture , and kept out a while , because he could not comply with some Extravagancies of the late Times ; and since hath he suffered , because he must witness for the Old Truth against Antinomianism . His Integrity made him a Stranger to all Tricks , and sometimes his Charity betrayed him to be impos'd on by such as use them . His Humility was signal , he seemed to have the meanest Opinion of his own Gifts and Labours , highly esteeming others , and envying none ; no , not the acceptance of our promising young Ministers . He might say , with David , I prayer ; as if made up of that . Every Day he prayed twice in his Family , to the last moment that he was capable . His usual way was to pray 3 or 4 times a day in his Study . Upon every extraordinary Occurrence in his House he kept a Fast. Under every Affliction , before he would speak of it , or pitch on means to redress it , he spread it still before God in Prayer ; which brought him , tho' a most affectionate Husband , to bear the News of his Wives death with that composure , as calmly to say , The Lord gave , the Lord hath taken away , blessed be the Name of the Lord. And after the greatest Losses , he was used to speak of them with an unconcernedness , as if anothers , not his own . In Prayer he was mighty , and the returns remarkable and frequent . He could trust God with all , and was still resigned to his Will. His solicitous concern was , that God might not be dishonoured . When he lay Sick , this was oft repeated Oh! that I may not dishonour God in my last moments , whom , in my poor manner , I made it the business of my Life to honour . Oh! that I may not dishonour my God by my impatience . Being one Night under exceeding torture , he called his Daughter , then present , and charged her not to entertain one hard thought of God , by any thing he felt , but be assured he is infinitely Merciful , and none are happy but those that serve him ; he gives peace of Conscience , that 's beyond all the World can give , none can die cheerfully but a Christian ; he shines on my Soul through Christ. God and Heaven were so habituated to him , that in some disorder in his Head , by his Distemper fixing there , he still kept the same Savour , breathed the same Spirit , and spake of Divine Matters most consistently . His Head was not free of those Projects for God , which in Health it was ever full of . I 'll end this with Mr. Baxter's ( who knew not how to flatter or fear any Man ) Account of him ; Dr. Annesley is a most Sincere , Godly , Humble Man , totally devoted to God. ( Mr. B's . Life . ) Having hinted some things that respect the Excellency of this Person , some may whisper , but what Tokens of God's Favour had this useful Man more than others , he had many Troubles and Exercises ? God testified his Favour to him in Instances which he most esteemed , and pursued above all things ; yea , dispised and renounced all compared therewith ; which is enough to testifie him a happy Man , what ever he endured or wanted ; God kept him faithful in his Work to the last ; for which he thus thanked God on his Death-Bed ; Blessed be God , I can say , I have been faithful in the Work of the Ministry above 55 Years . He had great success in his Work ; many called him Father , as the Instrument of their Conversion ; the worthy Mr. Brand was one ; many called him Comforter . In all his sufferings he found supports which kept him as chearful as his Office and Age allowed under all ; yea , 17 weeks pain without a discontended Word or Thought . Signal returns of Prayer he frequently had ; and very close Communion with God in Christ. His Charity and Care wanted not comfortable Effects . How many whom he contributed to the Education of are useful Ministers ? In how many Places doth Religion flourish by his means ? God gave him a great Interest in the Hearts of most Ministers and serious People . How oft and long did they pray for his Life , as a publick Blessing ? And how generally is his Death lamented ? He thankfully owned God in all . He signally witnessed for him in his Judgments on several of his Persecutors . One died signing a Warrant to apprehend him . Many might be instanced , but it 's fit we cover such in acknowledgment of present Quiet . He had uninterrupted peace and assurance of God's Covenant-Love for above 30 years last past . It 's true , he walked in Darkness for several years before that , which is common to those who are converted in Childhood , their change not being remarkable , and so apter to be questioned ; and they oft make up , in a long time , by frequent returns , the sad hours that others have pressing in at once . But God had a further design , viz. The fitting and enclining him to relieve wounded Consciences by his Ministry and Discourse , wherein he was so Eminent , that most troubled Souls resorted to him : He used to say , that this made him unable to preach a Sermon without some Word to them . This Assurance had not one Cloud in all his Disease : He oft said , I 've no doubt , nor shadow of doubt , all 's clear between God and my Soul ; he Chains up Satan , he cannot trouble me . To conclude all , He had an abundant entrance into God's Kingdom . He was reconciled to Death ; yea , so desirous of it , as hardly induced him to have his Life prayed for . But hearing some Ministers had been servently praying for his Life , he replied , I 'm then more reconciled to Life than ever , for I 'm confident God will not give a Life so eminently , in answer of Prayer , as mine must be , if he would not use it to greater purposes than ever before . Yet some little time before his change , his desires of Death appear'd strong , and his Soul filled with the foretasts of Glory ; oft saying , Come my dearest Jesus , the nearer the more precious , the more welcome . Another time his joy was so great , that in an extasie he cried out , I cannot contain it , what manner of Love is this to a poor Worm ? I can't express the thousandth part of what praise is due to thee ; we know not what we do when we offer at praising God for his Mercies ; it 's but little I can give , but Lord help me to give thee my All. I 'll die praising thee , and rejoice that there 's others can praise thee better . I shall be satisfied with thy likeness ; satisfied , satisfied ! Oh my dearest Jesus I come . Now do not you think Christ is worth the faithfullest Service which ends in this manner ? To you of this Congregation , ( for whose Salvation he was so concerned ) shall I say , bewail the loss of him , when you are so sensible ? Yet that 's but Just. Bless God for your enjoying his faithful Labours so long ; see that none of you perish , after such pains to save you ; be established in the Truths you have heard , which you see governed his Life to such great purposes , and helped him to die with sure Triumph : Shew your regard to his Memory by kindness to his Family , and by not breaking off from this Church , that he may not be reflected on by your giddiness , as if he Taught you no better , or Established you no more , than to be deluded to serve a Carnal Turn , in pretence of greater Purity . You , his Children , live your Fathers Advice and Example , or what a Witness will he be against you ? Let us all go hence with a due sence of it : The World hath lost a Blessing , the Church hath lost a Pillar ; the Nation hath lost a Wrestler with God ; the Poor have lost a Benefactor . You , his People , have lost a Faithful Pastor ; his Children , a Tender Father ; we , in the Ministry , an Exemplary Fellow Labourer . FINIS . There is now in the Press , A COMPLEAT HISTORY of the most Remarkable Providences both of Iudgment and Mercy , which have happened in this present Age ; Extracted from the best Writers , the Authors own Observations , and the numerous Relations sent him from divers Parts of the Three Kingdoms . To which is added , whatever is Curious in the Works of Nature and Art. The whole digested into one Volume under proper Heads , being a Work set on foot 30 Years ago , by the Reverend Mr. Pool , Author of the Synopsis Criticorum , and since undertaken and finished by William Turner , M. A. Vicar of Walberton in Sussex Recommended as Useful to Ministers in furnishing Topicks of Reproof and Exhortation , and to private Christians , for their Closets and Families . Proposals and Specimens giving a fuller Account of it , are to be had of I. Dunton at the Raven in Iewen-street , and of Edward Richardson near the Poultry Church . There is newly Published , ⸫ The Character of Dr. Sam. Annesley , by way of Elegy , with a Preface written by one of his Hearers . Price 6 d. Sold by E. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall . ⸪ The whole Parable of Dives and Lazarus , Explain'd and Apply'd , in several Sermons preached in Cripplegate and Lothbury Churches , by Ioseph Stevens , Lecturer at both . Published at the Request of the Hearers , and recommended as proper to be given at Funerals . Price bound 2 s. Printed for I. Dunton . ⸪ The Secret History of White-Hall , from the Restoration of Charles II. down to the Abdication of the late King James . Writ at the Request of a Noble Lord , and conveyed to him in Letters , by — late Secretary-Interpreter to the Marquis of Louvois , who by that means had the perusal of all the private Minutes between England and France for many years . The whole consisting of Secret Memoirs , &c. Published from the Original Papers , by D. Iones , Gent. Sold by R. Baldwin in Warwick Lane. ⸪ The Dying Pastor's last Farewell . By Mr. Allyn . Printed for I. Dunton . Price 1 s.