A WORD IN SEASON.  
OR Three Great Duties of Christians in the worst of Times: Viz.  
Abiding in Christ, Thirsting after his Institutions, and Submission to his Providences.  
The first opened, from 1 John 2.28. The second from Psal. 42.1, 2. The third from Jer. 14.19.  
By a Servant of Christ's in the Work of his Gospel.  
To which is added, by way of Appendix, the Advice of some Ministers to their People for the reviving the Power and Practice of Godliness in their Families.  Gal. 1.8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel, than that which we have preached, let him be accursed. Ver. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other Gospel unto you, than that you have received, let him be accursed. 
London, Printed, 1668.   

To all CHRISTIAN READERS; More especially such Who either occasionally or more fixedly have at any time sat under the Author's Ministry.  
AND by it being dead yet speaketh, (saith the blessed Apostle of Abel) either by his faith, by which he offered up to God a more excellent Sacrifice, or by the witness which he obtained that he was righteous, God testifying to his gifts; or by both. By the first he spoke unto all Believers, to instruct them in their duty; by the latter he spoke unto them, instructing them in the success of duty: by both he speaks unto us to go and do likewise. There are this day many eminent servants of God that must be reckoned amongst the dead, (the greater the lamentation) and not in the Gospel sense, (as the Apostle saith the woman that lives in pleasures is dead while she lives; no, they are persons known to you not to have lived in Alehouses, in rioting and luxury, but in a daily keeping under of their bodies, that they might be in subjection to their spirits: that whiles they preached to others, themselves might not become reprobates, (according to the Apostles rate of living, 2 Cor. 9.27.) But they are legally dead, dead as to you, though alive to God, alive to the world, or rather in the world. Most of these being dead yet speak: their former pains amongst you, their holy conversation while they went in and out before you, speak. Their lives, their labours, their present patience, speaketh. It speaketh what they were, what they are, what you should be. Yea, and some of their written Books yet speak to you, (you have some milk from the bottle, though not from the breast.) The Author of the following sheets is one of those thus dead, your importunity hath made him thus to speak. Something you would have him say. And when you had brought him to a resolution in this to listen to you, he knew not better what to say than, Brethren, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed at his coming. You are his witnesses, that when you heard him in the Pulpit, he used not to say to you, Come to me, to my opinion or party; but only, Come unto Christ that you may have life: He pleaded then for his Master, and insisted upon the one thing necessary, having a latitude of charity, (though not an indifferency as to his own practice) for any parties of any persuasion, whom he saw walking in the path of Justification by the righteousness of Christ alone, and in paths of holiness suited to that faith. He thought railing and smiting of little value to the soul, that neither hears the one, nor feels the other; and judge the Scottish Horning, and the English Significavit of equal value for the reformation of mistakes in the understandings of Christians. And that the rational soul forfeited its name that day, that it should be thus conquered. This made him (though he could have wished all as he was, excepting the obloquy which men of his persuasion were subjected to, from those who speak evil of the things that they know not, yet in his preaching to pursue a nobler design, and to call you to come to him, who without respect of persons receiveth men of all persuasions, (holding the foundation.) In him, he trusteth, he hath left many of your souls set upon the Rock that is higher than he is, having your faith not standing in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God, builded upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone. He being now dead yet speaketh, and speaketh the same language, (after the beloved Apostle) abide in him. He desires this of you, that if the way of worship wherein you (together with him) formerly walked appear less according to the pattern of the mount, the rule of holy Scripture, than some other, you would forsake it, and adhere to what you see most conformable to the rule of Scripture, the example of Christ and his Apostles. He assures you he would himself do it, and if in any thing he differs from you, this is the reason, He sees, or thinks he sees, what he embraceth most according to the will of God revealed in Scripture. He would in this point say more to you, if he did not think the holy Scriptures perfect as to a rule of Worship, and as able in that as in matter of Doctrine, to make the man of God wise to salvation, and were not afraid of making himself wiser than his Master, one piece of whose errand to earth was to reveal his Fathers will. This hath made him repeat to you the Apostles words, Abide in him, thinking it the only thing necessary for you, and a seasonable word, whiles so many tempters envy you that happy station.  
As a means in order to this, he hath also fubjoyned something to preserve and quicken your appetite to Gospel-institutions. He knows that Union is maintained by Communion; and that communion with God is much in and by those appointments of Worship which Christ hath instituted. This is the substance of the following sheets.  
Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.   

1 Joh. 2.28. And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 
THE first words of my Text speak the Penman to be some aged spiritual Father, whose years and authority might justify him in so relative and familiar a compellation. So indeed he was, not Paul, but John the aged; the beloved Disciple, 
1 Joh. 1.1.  who had seen and heard what he declared: and this Epistle is judged to have been wrote by him in his extreme old age at Ephesus. The true Shepherds this treat their Master's Lambs. The world can find no nicknames harsh, and infamous enough for Saints: the beloved Disciple calls them Little children. The words of an aged dying Disciple, and one who leaned upon our Saviour's breast, are to be regarded: but a greater than the beloved Disciple is here. John speaks in his Master's name, and you know it was his Master's language, Whosoever shall offend any of these little ones. And again, Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's will to give you a Kingdom. The Scribes and Pharisees of that age gave them other names, Schismatics to the Jewish Church, perverters and seducers of the people, (they never died upon the cross for them, they never traveled in birth for them, till Christ was form in them. Strangers call those rogues, whom Parents call little children.) But what says this spiritual Father to these little children? Abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. When our blessed Lord was taken up into heaven, and the men of Galilee stood gazing up to heaven, two men stood by them in white, 
Acts 1.11.  saying, Why gaze you? That same Jesus which is taken up into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him ascending into heaven. [So] as to his Person. God-Man, as he ascended; but not so as to his retinue, for we are elsewhere told, that he shall come with ten thousands of his Saints. And again, 
Judas 14.  That he shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire. That he shall descend from heaven with a shout, 
2 Thess. 1.7. 1 Thess. 4.16.  with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God. And this is the coming and appearing mentioned in the Text, which lets us know that Christ is he that is spoken of in this Text, and no other.  
Christ never makes an errand into the world for nothing. When he came before, it was to work out man's redemption, his next coming will be of another nature. The Apostle tells you, That God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world. A truth that solveth that great riddle of Providence, which made so many wise Heathens deny a Deity, and hath made so many good Christians sometimes doubt it Why the way of the wicked prospers, and the rod of the wicked lieth upon the back of the righteous. If it were not that we believe that harvest, we should stumble at the long furrows which the plowers make upon the backs of the righteous. But this salves all: yet a little while, and the children of God shall be delivered from their prisons, and dens, and furnaces of affliction, and their accuser and persecutors shall supply their places; ah! happy were they if it were no worse) but flaming fire is much sadder, especially aggravated with the adjunct of eternity) For behold he cometh, yea he cometh to judge the earth; with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. Would you know who this He is? The Apostle tells you, it is the man Christ Jesus, he whom the Jews crucified, he whose Gospel men so much despise, and against whom all imaginable despite is done; he that must not be preached unto people that they may be saved. It is he that cometh. men's different affections to Christ, read in all their faces and deportments, sufficiently evince, that at this day of his coming there will be differing complexions of men's faces: With what faces will they behold this dreadful Judge, who have despised his Blood, obstructed his Gospel, haled his true Disciples into prisons, abused his Ministers, concerning whom he hath said, I will be with you to the end of the world; and, He that despiseth you despiseth me. And again, of his Saints in general, If any shall offend any of these little ones, it were better that a millstone were hung about heir neck, and they thrown into the sea. On the contrary, the righteous will lift up their head when the day of their redemption comes nigh. They have not been shamed of Christ, no not of his Cross, and will have no cause to be ashamed ●t his appearance. This is that confidence, and not being ashamed, of which ●he Text speaketh, unless it be to be ●nderstood with a particular reference ●o the Ministers of Christ, for it is in ●he first person. That we may have confidence. Isaiah triumphed in the faithful ●ischarge of his Ministry in this, That ●ough Israel was not gathered, yet he should be glorified. And St. Paul, that h● should be a sweet savour to God, both with respect to them that were saved, and to those that perish. If the Prophet hath warned the sinner, 
Ezek. 3.  if he die in his sins, yet the blood lieth on his own head, the soul of the Minister is free. The case is otherwise if they be not warned, (God have mercy on those, that out of greediness of lucre take so many of these little children into their care, that the● are enforced to put them out to Nurse that have no breasts, where they a●● starved.) But yet as the painful Master that hath taken an idle child under h●● care, who through his own negligence profiteth nothing, yet cannot without some shame, and lothness to hear i● stand to hear his nonproficiency brought to a test: so the painful Minister of Christ will not without some blushing and reluctancy at the great day stand and see the many souls under his charge adjudged to eternal burying. Therefore saith the Apostle That we may have confidence, and not ashamed. But what should be done h● Gospel-professors, that both they ar● their Teachers, at the day of Christ's appearing, may have confidence, and not be ashamed? This is summed up in a few words, Abide in him. But I must not pass over those little particles in the front of the Text. [But now] It is generally agreed that St. John wrote this Epistle in a time wherein Professors to Religion had made great Apostasy, both in matter of faith and holiness. Eusebius and Augustine reckon up nine or ten most erroneous and impure Sects, which troubled the Church in his time. And as it was a time of great defection, so it was a time of most bitter persecution. John himself was banished into the Isle of Patmos, where Christ bore him so much company, and dictated to him the Revelations. This Historical Circumstance addeth a great Emphasis to those particles in the front of the Text, But now. Now when the love of so many waxeth cold, now when the world is so much in arms against Christ and his Gospel, now when the Doctrine of Christ ●s so much deserted and despised, when ●he ways of the Gospel are so much defamed, when all manner of uncleanness and lewdness so much aboundeth. Now, little children, abide in him.  
In the Text is observable, 

1. A familiar Compellation, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, little children.  
2. A seasonable Exhortation, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, abide in him.  
3. An Argument enforcing this Exhortation, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, etc.    
This Text affords several Propositions of Doctrine, some more implied, others more expressed.  
That Christ will appear. 
1. Prop.  Though at present he be personally absent, and disappeareth to his people, yet he will come again, he will appear.  
That at the day of his appearance, 
2. Prop.  some will have boldness and confidence, others will blush and be ashamed.  
That it is the great concernment of Christians to abide in Christ, 
3. Prop.  and that especially in evil times.  
4. 
4. Prop.  That a people's abiding in Christ will add to a godly Ministers boldness and confidence, when Jesus Christ shall appear in Judgement.  
The third being the main Doctrine of the Text, is that which I shall only insist upon.  
1. Prop. It is the great concernment of the children of God, the Disciples of Christ especially in evil times, to abide in Christ.  
The foundation of this Proposition in the Text is evident: But now, little children, abide in him. Now that the times are thus evil, by the corruption of men on the one hand, by the rage of men on the other hand. 
Jo. 1.2.18, 19, 26.  Now that there are many Antichrists, by which we know this is the last time, verse 18. Now that many are gone out from us, who were not of us. Now that there are many that seduce you, verse 19, 26. Now abide in him. But for a fuller discourse upon this subject, it will be necessary that I should open to you, 

1. The meaning of this term, Abide in him, that you may know the full import of it.  
2. That I should show you, wherein this appeareth to be the great concernment of Christians; 1. In all times: 2. More especially in evil times.  
3. Then I shall bring it home to you in a more close and particular application.    
1. Quest. What is the meaning of this Exhortation, Abide in him? What is this to abide in Christ?  
1. Abide] is a term of continuance, and signifies a continuing or persevering in some place, or station, in which a person is, being here applied to Christ, it must signify a perseverance or continuance in union with Christ, or in some station or relation referring to him. There are three ways by which a man may be said to have a relation to Christ.  

1. Sacramentally. We are said in Scripture to be baptised into Christ, 
Rom. 6.3. Gal. 3 26.  Rom. 6.3. Gal. 3.26. not that the person baptised is forthwith justified or regenerated, (none can maintain that without asserting an intercession of the state of justification, and total and final apostasy) but by Baptism we are made members of that mystical body, whereof Christ is the head, (I mean the Church) thus in the strictest sense, those that are baptised are baptised into Christ mystical. Christ as the Head of the Church, though not as the Head of the Elect. From this relation to Christ there is no starting, but by renouncing or denying our Baptism. Besides, We are baptised into Christ, as the soldier, by taking his pay, or taking his oath, is listed into an Army, that is, under an engagement to profess Christ, and to be his servants.  
2. Putatively, or Visibly. It is a figurative, but very usual expression in Scripture, for men to be said to be, what they judge themselves to be, or what they outwardly own and profess to be; thus the seemingly righteous man is called righteous. And in this sense you read of some that deny the Lord that bought them, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is) and we are bid not with our meat to destroy our Brother, for whom Christ died.  
Thirdly, More spiritually and really by an union of faith. Thus that man is in Christ, who actually believeth, faith is that grace which makes the true and perfect union betwixt Christ and the soul: I mean that faith which the Apostle calls, the faith of Gods elect: the faith that worketh by love purifieth the heart, gives the soul victory over the world, etc. Which faith is not an idle, and inactive quality, but working and powerful justifying itself. 1. By a profession owning of, and adhering to the truths of the Gospel. 2. By a suitably holy life and conversation. With reference to this, I take the Exhortation.   
2. But Secondly, This Exhortation doth not suppose, that it is possible, that the union once thus made betwixt Christ and the soul can be dissolved. He that is the Author, is also the finisher of our faith. The Seed of God (saith our Apostle) abideth in the believing soul. It is a great mistake of some to conclude, from such kind of Exhortations as these, the possibility of a Christians falling from a state of Grace.  
3. But Lastly, Though a Christian once truly implanted into Christ, and by faith engrafted, cannot but abide in him, being kept by the power of God, and upheld by an everlasting arm. Yet, 

1. This union on our part must be preserved, by the use of such means as he hath appointed.  
2. A man may fall away gradually from his profession, and may abate of his practice in holiness: Now with reference to one or both these, is this Exhortation, and many others of like nature in Scripture which signify these two things.    

1. Live in a diligent use of all those Sacred Institutions and Means which God hath appointed you in order to your preservation in that state of grace into which the Lord hath brought you, and will by his power, but (through faith on your part) preserve you to salvation.  
2. And take heed that you abate not in degrees of faith and love. This now is the meaning of this short Exhortation, abide in him, which we shall the better understand by considering other Scriptures, in words, or in sense parallel to this.   
It is a phrase we rarely meet with in holy Writings, but only in the Gospel, and Epistles of this blessed Apostle. It was Christ's Exhortation, John 15.4. Abide in me, 
Joh. 15.4, 7, 10.  expounded ver. 7. If any man, abide in me, and my words abide in him. ver. 10. 
1 Joh. 2.6.24.17.10. 1 Joh. 3.6.  Abide in my love. 1 John 2.24. it is a little altered, if you abide in that which you have heard. 1 John 2.26. He that saith he abideth in him, ought so to walk as he also walked, ver. 10. it is called an abiding in light: 1 John 3.6. Who so abideth in him sinneth not. So then when we are exhorted to abide in him, we are called upon, To take heed of sin, to do the will of God, to walk in the light of truth and holiness, to continue in the owning, and profession of the truths of God which we have heard, to take care that the words of Christ may abide in us. Two things we are called to for: two things we are admonished to take heed of.  

1. We are called to, for a steadfast owning of, and adhering to such propositions, as we before by faith have embraced, and been persuaded of from the Evidence of the word of God: and admonished to take heed of disowning, or denying any of them.  
2. We are called to, for a conversation close to the revealed will of God, and conformable to that of Christ, and to take heed of any looseness, or remissness in the practice of holiness, whether referring to our more religious homage to God in acts of Worship: or to our more ordinary conversation in our behaviour towards men. This is that abiding in Christ, which I say, is a duty of so high a concernment to Christians, and that especially in evil times.   
I shall First, Evince it of general concernment to Christians.  
Secondly, I shall show the special conconcernment of it in evil times.  
First, I say, it is of general concernment to profession in all times. This will appear to us, if we consider it as an End, as a Means, or as a Condition, or as an Evidence.  
1. As an End. I mean as a duty of itself falling under a multitude of Divine Precepts. Obedience to God in the great business of our lives. In these two words. Believe and Obey is summed up the whole duty of man. Obedience is our duty to God, as our Sovereign Lord, should not the Servant obey his Master? As the fountain of our Life and Motion and Preservation? Should not the Child obey his Father, though he be but in the hand of God a Second Cause of Being and Life, and maintenance to him? Obedience unto Christ is yet our further duty upon the account of redemption, and manumission, as he who hath bought us, and that by no mean price out of the hand of our greatest Enemy, and hath brought us into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. It is he that hath said to us, Abide in me: and again, v. 10. Abide in my love. I might multiply many Texts speaking, though not in those words, yet to that sense all those precepts that oblige to perseverance, to a further progress and continuance in the ways of God: or that caution us against final, or gradual Apostasy, speak all to the same sense. So as if it be any thing the concernment o● Christians to fulfil the Will of their Lord, who hath purchased them unto his service with his blood: It is their concernment to abide in Christ.  
2. But Secondly, Let us consider it as a means. Many things which are not i● themselves desirable, are yet valuable with reference to their end. Finis da● amabilitatem mediis: this is desirable a● an end, and as a means also. I will open this in a few particulars.  
1. It is a necessary means in order to the Christians bringing forth fruit. If he abides in Christ, he shall bring forth fruit: if he abideth not in him, he shall not bring forth fruit. You have both these Propositions from the mouth of him that could not lie, and both brought us an argument to enforce this duty, John 15.4, 5. Abide in me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bring forth fruit, except it abide in the Vine, so no more can you, except you abide in me. V 6. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit. It is highly the concernment of Christians to bring forth fruit, the fruits of the Spirit, the fruit of righteousness unto life: It is necessary in order to the glory of God. Herein (saith our Saviour) is my Father glorified if you bring forth much fruit.  
It is necessary in order to their own salvation. But without their abiding in Christ, they cannot bring forth much fruit: nay, they can bring forth no fruit; you have this in the words of our Saviour, John 15.5. Without me you can do nothing. Nothing spiritually and formally good, nothing that will bring God any glory, or do us any good. It is 〈◊〉 very emphatical Text, he doth not say● Without me you cannot do any great thing 〈◊〉 but without me you can do nothing. Not, without me you can do little, but without me you can do nothing. Yea, and in the Greek are two Negatives, which in their Idiom make a more vehement negation● as much as if he said, you cannot, you cannot do any thing. But if we had not so direct a Scripture reason standing upon a Scripture foundation would conclude it.  

1. It is a Principle in Natural Philosophy, Operari sequitur esse, and evident to every Vulgar eye, that where there i● no life, there can be no motion or operation proper to that life: All life lies in some union: Natural life in the union betwixt the soul and body, spiritual life in the union betwixt the soul and Christ. So as till there be such an union, there can be no spiritual operation, nor can it be any longer than that union holdeth.  
2. Nay further, Operation depends not only upon union, but upon communion. Suppose a man to be alive, the union betwixt the soul and body not dissolved: if any thing hinders the souls communion with any part) as in the dead palfie, etc.) it moves, it acts nothing: So it is with the soul, suppose the union with Christ not dissolved, (that once made cannot be dissolved) yet if there be not a communion, if the soul receives not from Christ, it brings forth no fruit. Yea, and according to the degree that it receiveth influence from him, so will its fruit be.  
3. Again, it appeareth by the similitude used by our Saviour, John 15.4. Saith he, I am the Vine, you are the branches. Cut off the branch from the Vine, it brings forth no fruit: nay, let it abide in the Vine, if any thing hinder it, that it receiveth no influence from it, it brings forth no fruit: let it receive but a little influence, it keeps alive, but it brings forth but little fruit: let it on the other side receive much influence from the Vine, than it brings forth much fruit. It is the high concernment of the soul, to bring forth fruit, and to bring forth much fruit. Hereby God hath a great deal of glory, and the glorifying of God is the great end of our lives: hereby a Christian hath much comfort, and Peace and satisfaction in his own soul: The fruit of righteousness is peace and assurance for ever: and the End of it will be much glory: he that brings forth much fruit, shall sit upon a Throne. This is my first Demonstration, from the duty considered, as a means.   
Secondly, Saith our Saviour, John 15.6. If a man abide not in me, he i● cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and are burned. All in a parable, but the sense is easy. Abiding in Christ is the means, and only means for 〈◊〉 Professor to keep up his beauty and glory, and vigour, and to keep him out of He fire. This is the sense in short of this Parabolical expression. A branch separated from the Vine, is cast aside as an useless thing, not suffered to lie near th● Vine, being thus separated and cast out, it withereth, wanting the sap and juice of the Vine, by virtue of which it brought forth leaves, and was green and flourishing: being thus withered, Husbandmen use to appoint their Servants to gather them up and burn them.  
1. He that hath made a profession to Religion, a purer way of worshipping God, and a stricter conversation before him, if he maketh a defection from it, he is cast forth. Cast forth by the Church, if that be in a calm and Pacate State, and not in such a crowd of disturbances from the world, that it cannot draw out its spiritual Sword, and ●et me tell you Christians, that is a dreadful thing, to be orderly excommunicated by a Gospel Church. The Apostle calls it a delivering up to Satan, ●he separation of the Israelites from the Tents of Corah, Dathan and Abiram was 〈◊〉 forerunner of God's dreadful Vengeance on them, the Church's separation from an apostatised Professor for his Apostasy, is not to be slighted. Provided this be done by a true Church, ●nd for a just cause it is formidable enough, for other Bruta fulmina, they signify little according to that of Job, How forcible are right words, but your ●rguings what do they reprove? But this ●s not always, I told you, the Church ●s not always in a condition, to execute this Vengeance upon Traitors. However they are cast out by the Providence of God. A notorious sinner may be cast out in the sight of God, when h● is not so in foro Eccles●ae in the view 〈◊〉 men: and there is no branch not abiding in Christ, but in this sense is cast forth. God casts him forth, he never had any true union with Christ, he shall no● now have any appearing relation, God will not own him, his Saints shall not● he shall be none of them that God will care for with that special care which God extendeth to all those that are visible members of his visible Church, h● hath made a defection from the City of God, and hath removed himself into the suburbs of Hell, he shall no● now have the privileges of common Citizens. Thus men use to do. Tu●● saith, it was never known, that those who made defection, and proved false to the City of Rome, jura civium tenuerunt, enjoyed the privileges of Citizens. God will let it be seen, that those who are false to his City shall not retain the privileges of the City of God.  
Secondly, As the branch casts out, with thereth. So it ordinarily is with professors, they lose their beauty and glory, whether it lay in their quick and excellent parts, these oft times abate, their gifts dwindle, and come to nothing: or whether it lay in the repute and credit they had in the Church of God; they are looked upon as Fugitives and Renegadoes by the sincerer professors of Religion. Nay, for the most part, this is not all, they lose also their hopes for repute and credit with the world. Who regard them as little as the Pharisee did Judas when he had betrayed his Master. The wise God so ordereth it, that the world shall not trust those that his Church cannot trust. A fugitive from his Profession, showeth too little of a Christian to be valued by the Church, and too little of a man to be much valued by the world, who ordinarily love the Treason, but hate the Traitor; they like it well enough, to see one professing to Christ spitting in his face, to hear him jeer and mock at the ways of God in which he once walked, but in the mean time they hate the traitor; abhorring the levity and inconstancy of this weathercock in Religion, that turns in obsequiousness to every wind. Thus he withers every way. That which he hath is taken from him: his gifts and parts, his credit and reputation, he becomes a man of no value to every one. But there is worse yet that follows.  
Thirdly, (Saith our Saviour) Men gather them, and they are cast into the fire and burned. Thus men deal with the withered branches of Vines, once separated from the Vine. Thus will God do with Professors that abide not in him. They shall be gathered up it the great day of Judgement. Our Saviour tells us who shall gather them, the Angels. 
Mat. 13.  They shall be burned with unquenchable fire. The Apostle saith, There remaineth nothing for them, 
Heb. 12.  but a certain dreadful looking for of fiery indignation. Now our abiding in Christ, in the truths of Christ which we have formerly owned: in the ways of Christ to which we have formerly professed, and in which we have formerly walked, is by our Saviour himself prescribed, as the only means to avoid this unspeakable evil otherwise hanging over our heads.  
Thirdly, Our abode with Christ, is the excellent means to keep his presence with us. 
Joh. 15 4.  Abide in me (saith our Saour) and I in you: So John 14.23. If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. What is this for Christ to abide with the soul? I answer, as it is one thing for a soul to be in Christ, another thing for a soul to abide in Christ. So it is one thing for Christ to be in the soul, another thing for him to abide in the soul. The abiding of Christ with a soul, I think implieth;  

1. His manifestation of himself to the soul; John 14.21. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and be that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself unto him. The Lord may be in the soul, and yet be hid, so as the soul may go about trying, Where is my God become? The soul may walk in the dark, and see no sight. Christ is then said to abide in the soul, when he appeareth to it, and that in some constancy, that he is not (to use the Prophet's expression, Jer. 14.8.) as a wayfaring man who tarrieth but for a night. And,  
2. God's sensible manifestations to a soul, may be in the influences of comforting, quickening, or strengthening Grace. Take a soul under the greatest desertion, and cloud of Divine light, there is yet, as an Union, so some communion betwixt God and it, as the soul doth in some degree communicate itself unto God, under the greatest apostasy it can be guilty of (if it truly belongs to him) its backsliding is but gradual) so God doth in some degrees communicate himself to the soul under the greatest desertion, the Union abiding, some communion is necessary. But now the Lords abiding with the soul, argueth more than this, it argues thus much, that the soul who thus abides in Christ, shall be under some sensible influences of Divine Love, and that not only for its consolation cheering and refreshing it under dark issues of Providence, but for its strength and liveliness in the way of God, it shall grow stronger and stronger, every day more fresh, and lively, and active in the ways of God. Without this, how heavily doth a soul walk? crying out with David, Lord, When wilt thou comfort me? How hardly and heavily doth it come off with any spiritual duties? How weakly doth it perform them? When these locks are shaved off, in which its great strength lies, it becometh as another soul. And this evinceth it, to be a great point of a Christians Wisdom to abide in Christ. You meet with a Promise in the Old Testament to this purpose. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them; 
Jer. 32.40.  that I will not turn from them to do them good: but I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall never departed from me. Mark how God twists these both together: the same Covenant that ensures us Gods abode with us, to do us good: engageth us also not to departed from him. Thus far now I have evinced this as a piece of a Christians wisdom to abide in Christ; by considering it, as an End, 2. As a Means. A Means in order to our keeping Christ's abode with us. 2. In order to our bringing forth fruit, and much fruit. 3. In order to the preservation of ourselves, from the greatest evils of being cast forth, withering and burning.  
3. Let us consider it as a condition to which indeed all the Promises of the Gospel are annexed. You may observe all the promises annexed to a continuance in the words of Christ; to overcoming, to an holding on to the end; which expressions, and many more of like import, signify the same thing as abiding in Christ. It is a question amongst Divines, whether the Covenant of Grace, be absolute or conditional. If we understand by the Covenant of Grace, that Eternal Paction which was betwixt God the Father, and his Eternal Son (as the head of the Elect) it is no question absolute, and nothing is required of the Elect, in order to their Salvation, but what God in some other branch of that sacred Stipulation, hath engaged to do for them, give unto them, or work in them: but because in what we are to perform, our own endeavour is required, and we are workers together with God (to use the Apostles expression in another cause) therefore in all Exhibitions and Declarations of this Everlasting Covenant unto men (which were gradual, according to the different periods of the world, and as God was pleased more or less, darklier or more clearly to reveal his mysteries) it is propounded conditionally: And this is the Condition annexed to all the great Promises of the Covenant, that we should abide, hold fast, persevere, continue to the end, not draw back, etc. I shall only particularise in one, and that is no mean one, John 15.7. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask of me what you will, and I will give it you. For poor worms to have a liberty to go to God, to ask of him, to ask of him what we will; and this under an assurance from the only Son of God that we shall have it: Is it nothing to us? Seemeth it to you (Sirs) a small thing to have this liberty of access to the Throne of Grace? this is promised by him that cannot lie, and the condition annexed is your abiding in him. If you abide in me, you shall ask what you will Certainly, I shall need say no more to evince this Abiding in Christ, the great concernment of Christians.  
4. But once more, let us consider it as an Evidence. An Evidence of the truth of our Union with him. An Evidence to ourselves: An Evidence unto others.   
1. We can no other way evidence to ourselves, that we ever had any true union with Christ, than by our abode and continuance with him. There is a real difference betwixt a seeming and a real and sincere Professor, but not discernible (other than to him that searcheth the heart and trieth the reins) any way but by a steady and constant abode in our profession. God hath said, if the righteous man forsake his righteousness, and commit iniquity, his righteousness shall never be remembered. And again, If any one draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  
Whiles those, and such like Texts abide, this assertion must be true. The Apostle speaking of some that wert gone out from the Church, says, They were not of us; if they had been of us, they had continued with us. That day a Christian steps back, he loseth all his hope, all his joy, peace, comfort & satisfaction.  
2. It is our only Evidence unto others. Put case a Christian hath a truth of Grace, and be really united to Christ, by an union which sin shall not dissolve, and this Christian apostatizeth from his profession (though it shall not be totally and finally) gradually. What ever he be, other Christians (during his Apostasy before his return) cannot judge him a Christian indeed, but must look upon him as a temporary Professor till they see him renewing himself, by repentance, for De secretis non judicat Ecclesia. The Church of God can judge only from what appeareth, and interpret his heart by the Comment which his actions make of it. The sum now of all is this. If a Christian be concerned, to keep the manifestative, and influential presence of Christ with him, to bring forth the fruit of holiness to the glory of God, and much fruit to maintain his communion with Christ, and his Church, his vigour, credit and glory with the Church of God, to keep himself out of Hell fire, to maintain his unspeakable privilege, o● going to God, & ask of God what he pleaseth, with assurance of receiving from Christ what he asketh, if he be concerned, to preserve unto himself, and to have, to give unto others an Evidence, that he hath not mocked God, & deceived men in his profession, & acted an odious dissembler, & counterfeit in Religion. It is then his wisdom and high concernment to abide in Christ. I added further, that it is his more especial concernment to look that he abide in Christ in evil times. Let me evince that a little, and it will appear to you; if you consider with me these things.  
1. That in such times it is most difficult to do it. It is a known saying, Difficilia quae pulchra; No brave thing is easy. It is an easy thing, when the Jews prosper, to lay hold on the skirt of a Jew, and say, we will be called by thy name, to swim with the stream alas, in such a day, there are bladders enough to hold us up from sinking; besides the force of the stream alone will do it, but an evil time is the time of trial. Peter himself found it easier to abide with Christ, when all the world ran after him, than when all his Disciples ●rsook him and fled. Evil times ordinarily afford three disadvantages which make an abode in our profession more difficult to Professors.  
1. The first is, from the loosening the ●kin to wickedness. There is this characteristical difference betwixt a good and evil time in a spiritual sense. In 〈◊〉 good time, a man may be as good as he will, but he may not be as lose and pro●ne as he will; he may pray and hear, and wait upon God in Ordinances, pub●ckly and privately as much as he will: ●e may not drink, and swear, and be ●thy, and reproach the holy name of God as much as he will; the Magistrate remembers his Office to be a terror 〈◊〉 them that do evil; and will let him ●now that, to that end he beareth not ●e Sword in vain. In an evil time men ●ay be as lose, and lewd, and profane as ●ey will, but they may not be so pure, and ●ly, and religious as they will. They ●ay drink, and swear, and meet to re●l, and dishonour God what they will, but they may not be so holy they may not pray hear Go● word, etc. as much as they will. A● give me leave to tell you this is a very evil time when it is thus, that goodliness and profession is almost the on● crime. And through the naughtine of our hearts, whose native bias stan● to evil, this makes it very difficult 〈◊〉 abide with Christ; to hold fast our profession at such a time, when we 〈◊〉 that we may give the lose to our lu● without fear of danger from Earth It is true the man that hath a true ro● of grace hates sin, and loves goodn● from a more inward principle, but y● in regard of the corruption of o● hearts, an outward hedge does w● and contributes much to keep the b● within their true compass.  
2. A second thing which in su● times makes it difficult, is the tempta● on of outward advantages, which su● times usually afford Renegadoes in profession. When the Devil was got on th● pinnacle, he showeth Christ all the glo● of the world, and promiseth hi● (more than he had to dispose of) 〈◊〉 ●●ss than all, if he would fall down and worship him. Infinite are the instances 〈◊〉 story of the large proffers in times ●f backsliding have been made to Professors upon condition of Apostasy, ●hough for the most part the performance hath (through God's righteous ●udgement) been very slow. The Devil for the most part serving his servants of this nature, as the Popish Persecutors have used to serve their Prosecutes, first debauched them, then burnt ●hem: or as Amnon served his Sister chamar, first obtained their lust of them, ●hen thrown them down stairs. But ●emptations from profits, honours, credit, places, are no light things, especially where they meet with hearts, whose peculiar lust is ambition, or covetousness, or any thing of that nature; ●nd this is a second thing, which makes abiding with Christ at such a time difficult; especially for men, whose ●irth, breeding, acquired or natural ●arts and accomplishments are such as ●ender them capable subjects for such ●hings.  
3. A third thing which creates the difficulty, is, the temptations which s● times afford on the other hand. Wh● the Devil had our Saviour on the pinnacle, he had not only the advantage 〈◊〉 a prospect to give him a view of th● world: but of a Precipice too, to threat● him with into a compliance. Evil tim● afford not only places of profit, a● honour, applause and encouragements tempt Christians to a drawing back● but also Gaols and fetters, nickname and reproaches, instruments of death a● cruelty, to fright Professors out of th● good ways of the Lord: and th● best of Christians have so much 〈◊〉 sense in them, so much of carnal an● slavish fear, as these prove no we● Engines oft times to debauch the● Now this difficulty of standing o● ground at such a charge, let's us know we are concerned to look to our sp●rits at such a time especially, if it b●● considered connexively with what 〈◊〉 shall further add: for although difficulty, abstractly and barely considered, discourageth undertakers in an● work: yet if the work be honourable and necessary, and of high advantage ●it whetteth the spirits, instead of abating ●our courage.  
2. Secondly therefore let us consider the honour and advantage we shall have by ●ur abode with, and in Christ at such a ●ime, and the danger and disadvantage of ●ur forsaking him. It is a great honour to a Church, and to a particular Christian, ●o abide in Christ with an evil time. This ●as the honour of the Church of Per●amus, Rev. 2.13. I know thy works, ●nd where thou dwellest, even where Sa●ns seat is, and thou holdest fast my ●ame, and hast not denied my faith, even 〈◊〉 those days wherein Antipas was my pithful Martyr, who was slain amongst ●u where Satan dwelleth. The commendation of this excellent Church is amplified here from two observable ●rcumstances. 1. They dwelled where Sa●ns seat was, and yet they kept the ●ith, and held fast the name of Christ. ●he Devil hath a fugitive being in ●ost places, but in some places he hath ●seat, where an uncontrolled proneness, and debauchery aboundeth, ●ere's Satan's Seat. It is an hard thing 〈◊〉 dwell near his Seat, and yet to hold fast the name of Christ: but it is a grea● honour to a Christian, to dare to b● strict, and holy, and walk with Go● under the eye and frown of the Devil● Secondly, They were faithful in those day● when Antipas was slain. To abide i● Christ when multitudes run after him 〈◊〉 this is no great honour, but when th● Devil is making havoc amongst Christians, throwing some into Gaols others into their graves, then to ho●● fast the Lords name, this is a great honour to Professors. You are those (sait● our Saviour in an emphatical praise o● his Apostles) who have abode with me i● my temptations. It is an honour to 〈◊〉 Soldier to stand by his Captain, whe● the battle goeth against him, whe● some of his companions are fled, other are slain, and he is almost left alon● Such honour hath the child of God i● such a case.  
Nor is it merely matter of honour but of real advantage too. Such o● may be assured, 
Mar. 8.38. Luk. 9.36.  that the Lord will not 〈◊〉 ashamed of him in the great and terri● day. Observe the Text: it is at le● implied in it; Whosoever therefore shall 〈◊〉 ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he ●ometh in the glory of his Father with his ●oly Angels. When is the time, when there is any fear of Professors, that they should be ashamed of Christ, and of his words? Is it in the Sunshine of the Gospel? No fear of that, profession then crowns its friends, and is a reward to its self. The fear is in an evil ●ime, when a man cannot own God ●nd his ways, but he must be made 〈◊〉 byword, purchase to himself reproach and a nickname, be pointed at ●s he walks in the Street, when he cannot departed from iniquity, but he becomes the scorn of fools, and makes himself a prey; this is the proper time when Professors are apt to be ashamed ●f Christ and his words, and if they ●ave any thing to do with Christians, ●t is secretly, coming by night (as Nico●emus to Christ) But saith this Text, ●f any be ashamed of me and my ●ords, of him Shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of ●is Father. The contrary is implied also, if there be any that an evil time cannot make ashamed of Christ, and the ways of Christ, but he will dare to own them, in the face of the world, when most peevish and angry: that is the man, whom the Lord when he comes to judge the world will not be ashamed to own. Oh! what an honour will this be to a poor worm, when all the world shall be gathered together before the Judgement Seat of the great God, and a poor creature shall stand amongst them, of whom it may be while he lived, his friends were ashamed, great persons durst not own him, if they met him, they were ashamed to speak to him, because he was looked upon as a Puritan, and the Eternal Son of God at that day shall not be ashamed to own him as hi● Child, his Servant. Nay, honour is no● all in the business: Our eternal happiness dependeth upon our Lords owning us, or being ashamed of us at tha● day. Christ will be ashamed of non● at that day, to whom he will not say● Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting burn. For Christ at that day not t●● ●e ashamed of us is the same thing as ●o give us the Kingdom which he hath prepared for them that love him. But ●et a little further in demonstration of ●his, see that Text, Luke 22.28, 29. 
Luke 22.28, 29.  You are they which have continued with ●e in my temptations. And I appoint ●nto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me. Christ's temptations (there mentioned) were his trials, and ●buses from men which he met with ●uring his labour in the accomplishment of our Redemption.  
Christ hath his temptations still, not personally, but mystically; not in the body ●f his flesh, but in his body which is the church. His precious members have yet ●he trial of cruel scoffs and mockings, o● ●aols and imprisonments. The Gospel is ●bjected to the same persecutions, to ●hich the Lord of the Gospel subjected himself. Now some there are that abide ●ith Christ in his temptations, whilst others turn their back, professing they ●nnot burn: What shall these men ●ave? I appoint (saith our Saviour) 〈◊〉 you a Kingdom. A Kingdom! what 〈◊〉 reward is this? What will not vain men venture, what will not they suffer that they may but usurp a Kingdom 〈◊〉 When they have it, what have they more than a gilded Crown of rea● thorns upon their heads? But what i● this Kingdom? not earthly, but heavenly; not a Kingdom for care, trouble solicitude and domination, but for pleasure, joy and happiness unspeakable. 〈◊〉 Kingdom without a care, a Kingdom without an enemy, a State having a● the sweetness, happiness and conten● but nothing of the trouble and burden of an earthly Principality. Nay; he add● As my Father hath appointed me. Th● particle [as] may either refer to th● Kingdom before spoken of, than it 〈◊〉 nota similitudinis, non equalitatis, not 〈◊〉 note of equality, but of similitude. Go● abiding servants shall not have an equ●● degree of glory, but the same specific● glory with Christ. Or else the parti●● may denote the title and assurance: 〈◊〉 certainly as the Father hath appointed me a Kingdom, and I shall have it, certainly shall you have your Kingdoms On the other side, not to abide w●● Christ and in Christ in an evil time, 〈◊〉 a matter of great dishonour, and highest disadvantage to us. It will be of great dishonour to us, both in this life, and at the great day of the Lord. In this life first, and that with all sorts of men. Constancy to principles and profession ●s a virtue which commends itself to the worst of men: for the contrary argues either a want of judgement in our first embracing principles, and undertaking profession; or a levity of mind and want ●f conscience, both which are high disparagements to our reputation and ●onour. For a man to engage in Religion, not understanding, or not having ●uly weighed the principles of it in the ●allance of the Sanctuary, is no better ●han to erect an Athenian Altar, To the ●nknown God: if he hath weighed them, ●nd approved them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ●e most excellent things, to desert ●hem argues such a want of conscience, ●s fitteth none but those who make a ●heap reckoning of eternity, and will ●ell their souls and highest concernments for a morsel of bread. Hence it 〈◊〉 that an Apostate never is in credit ●ith the men of the world, or that faction in it to which he hath made defection, who cannot but look upo● him as wanting either judgement o● conscience. Did he first engage in 〈◊〉 course and practice of Religion, with out any enquiry into the principles 〈◊〉 it, or examining the truth of the●● What could be a greater levity or vanity? Did he understand the principle● and compare them with other pretended spiritual things, and judge these 〈◊〉 which he hath walked the most rational, the most agreeable to the will 〈◊〉 God? Why hath he now rejects them? why is he departed from them● Is the will of God altered? Is the Yea and Nay with him? Is the 〈◊〉 the same, the will of God the same, an● his judgement altered and practi●● turned? What lightness is this? Ho● unworthy of a man, much more of Christian? God therefore calls after h● ancient people the Jews, turned Renegadoes from him, 
Jer. 2.10, 11.  Jer. 2.10, 11. P● over to the Isles of Chittim, and send u●● Kedar, and consider diligently, and set there be such a thing. Hath a Nati●● changed their gods, which yet are 〈◊〉 gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.  
Object. Some will say to me, Is then every change of a Christians mind in the practise of Religion infamous or unlawful?  
Sol. I answer, No. There is a Religion which men have ex traduce, a religious course which they have taken up merely from the example or instinct of their parents, without any exercise of their own judgement, (and I am afraid this is the Religion of the most in the world:) They can give no other account why they worship God this or that way, but because this was the way their forefathers worshipped God, and they hope they are gone to heaven; and should they be wiser than their fathers? This was the Religion of the Woman of Samaria before she was converted, Joh. 4.20. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you teach that in Jerusalem we ought to worship. This is that which the Heathens generally said for their superstitious worships, and which they urged to Christians from time to time. There is no true reproach ariseth to any, from changing his practice in Religion taken up upon this score: the reason is, because every o●● ought to live by his own faith. And Go● expecteth, that when we are arrived to years of discretion, that we can use 〈◊〉 own reason, we should Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good. Yet the● world accounts this a reproach to 〈◊〉 man.  
2. There is another blind Religion which men may be engaged in, from Tradition, and the course of the Church wherein they have lived. The only account they can give why they thus or thus worship God, is, because this hath been the course of their Country, the custom of that Church in which they have been educated. God expecteth of us, that we should, especially in the great matters of our souls, not take up any thing upon trust. But it being certain, that God hath left an infallible rule in his Word, and given unto man a reason and judgement, he expecteth men should exercise it, and live (as I said before) by their own faith. For a blind Papist therefore, that hath been muffled in his Religion, and taught to believe and do, as that which a pack of men, calling themselves the Church, hath taught him, having his own understanding awakened, and his reason manumised to use it, and judging that hitherto he hath worshipped God ignorantly, and contrary to what the rule directeth; to turn his feet into the way of God's testimonies, is no real reproach.  
Thirdly, Suppose a Christian hath undertaken a way and practice of Religion, upon enquiry into the will of God, conscientiously believing, and walking according to his own judgement upon the will of God revealed in Scriptures: The judgement of man growing by degrees to perfection, and not being infallible, it is not impossible but in some things he may alter his judgement and practice, upon the further illumination of his mind, and information of his judgement: and it may be no just cause of reproach to him. But then his alteration must be apparently for the better: that is, for such 〈◊〉 course as is apparently more conformable to the Scripture, and the holy will of God revealed in them and consequently is more pure● strict and holy. And if it be so amongst the men of the world, (wh● will not understand this) it will be reproach to him. But where a ma● changeth for what is apparently a lose way of serving God, and which brin● God less glory, and gives a grea● liberty to the flesh: this is a reproach not to be wiped off. But the good 〈◊〉 bad word of the world is not high● considerable, (indeed only to th●● who make a defection to it) To h●●● a praise in the Churches of Christ, is wh● is most truly valuable. How little 〈◊〉 this can those expect who have ●●proached the Gospel, and the holy a●● right ways of God? Such men become the shame and grief of all tho● who were formerly their companion in the things of God.  
But alas, what is the dishonour 〈◊〉 this life, to the shame they will me● with at the great and terrible da● when, as I shown you before, the So●● of God, coming to judge the quick 〈◊〉 the dead, with his glorious Angels, sh●● be ashamed of them. Oh the dishonour of that day! How shall all Apostates, with those mentioned Rev. 6. at that day cry to the mountains to fall upon them, and to the rocks to cover them, that they may not see the face of that Christ, whom they deserted in the hour of temptation, whose ways and ordinances they forsook, because of the reproach and threats of men. But this is not all: That day will not only be a day of shame, but also of wrath, yea of great wrath. And certainly there's none will have a greater share in the dreadful wrath of that day, than those who have forsaken the right ways of the Lord. Degrees of wrath will be dispensed according to degrees of sinning. Now there are none who have to an higher degree dishonoured God, and made his name to be ill spoken of, than such as have apostatised from the ways of God. But this I have before hinted, I shall therefore add no more to the confirmation of this point. I now come to the application of it, and that I shall bring under one general Head of Exhortation, which I shall divide into two more general branches: 1. The● first respecting, Such as yet keep their station in the ways of God, to confirm them, and engage them not to stir their ground. 2. The second respecting such as have made a defection, (if possible) to engage them to return.  
In the first place give me leave to speak to you, 
Exhort. 1. Br.  my Brethren, who ye● are in the ways of God, what you were to you let me repeat my Text, An● now, little children, abide in him. It is reported concerning the blessed Apostle who was the Author of this Epistle, that abiding at Ephesus, when he was very old, so as he could not go to the place where his Disciples met to worship God, but as he was carried, no● was able to speak much, he was wont at their several meetings one after another to say nothing but this, 
Hieron. in 6 cap. ep. ad Gal.  Little children, love one another. His Disciples at last tell him of it, and wondered that they never heard more from him than one sentence, and that so often repeated. He answers them, It is the precept of the Lord, and if that alone be done it susficeth. If, my beloved friends, it were my case, and I could speak but seven words unto you in this evil time, these should be the words, And now, little children, abide in Christ. If you should ask me, why I so often inculcated those words, I would make you the same answer, It is the precept of our Lord, and if this be done, it is enough. I would not say unto yo● Abide in me, or in my words; nor, Abide in the words which the faithful servants of Christ have formerly taught you. This may be your duty, but not because they taught it you; they were fallible men. Search the Scriptures. Abide in Christ. God forbidden any Minister of Christ should require more of you. I would not say to you, Abide in any principle you have learned, nor in my practice you have walked in. This may be your duty, but not unless those principles and practices have been what our great Lord and Master hath required of you, Abide in Christ, Hoc solum sufficit, this alone is enough. But that you may understand the full scope of the Exhortation, I shall open it in three things, and so divide this Exhortation into three branches.  

1. 
1. Br.  Abide in the faith of Christ: I mean, the fixed persuasion of the truth of Gospel propositions. Truths which Christ in his Gospel hath revealed to you.  
2. 
2. Br.  Abide in your faith in Christ; where I shall not take faith strictly for adherence, but as comprehending that, and hope, and patience.  
3. 
3. Br.  Abide in your obedience to Christ; walking in your uprightness in an exact obedience to his blessed will, both in matters of Worship and Homage towards God; and in matters of Holiness, Justice, equity, and Mercy towards men.   
1. 
1. Br.  Abide in the faith of Christ, that is in a firm and fixed persuasion of the truth of those propositions of truth, which Christ hath in his Gospel revealed. This is the least of a Christian, and that which distinguisheth him from a Jew, wh●● believeth the Old Testament but not th● New; and from a Pagan, who believeth neither. A man may go to he● who hath it, (for the devils also believe and tremble, they could say, Thou an● Christ the Son of the living God) but n● man can go to heaven without it. It is ●he foundation of justifying faith, it hath an influence upon all our practice. How shall men call on him on whom they ●ave not believed. Therefore the Apostle ●eaking of some Apostates, joins both ●hese phrases together, Having made ●ipwrack of faith and of a good conscience. Without reliance on Christ, none can ●e saved; who will trust and rely, and adhere to a Saviour, who doth not ●now him, or is not persuaded of him ●● his circumstances of sufficiency. Think not therefore light of this. The propositions of the Gospel are various, the Scriptures are as full of them ●s the Heavens are of Stars; but as one ●ar differeth from another in glory, ●● it is with these Propositions. All are ●ot of equal weight, glory, and influence. Divines have usually distinguished ●hem into Fundamentals, and such as ●e no Fundamentals. But what are Fundamentals is not yet agreed, nor I think ●er will. I shall not undertake to de●●de the controversy. But in short,  
I think Propositions of truth may be illed Fundamental, 1. With reference to others. So those truths are Fundamental, which are the bases and foundations of all others, from whence the● flow by way of just consequence o● inference.  
2. With reference to our salvation and so those are fundamental upon which our salvation depends. And 〈◊〉 these, 

1. There are some that must be explicitly known and assented to, or we can not be saved. I think truly the number of these is not great, though I durst n●● undertake to define them.  
2. Others there are, of which 〈◊〉 cannot say, that an explicit disting knowledge of them is necessary to salvation, but some knowledge of the● and assent to them is necessary, especially to persons living under the light of the Gospel. I shall not pretend ●●give you a strict account of all that f●● under either notion, but some I shall more especially commend to you.    

1. That the holy Scriptures are 〈◊〉 Word of God, and the only rule of fai●● and life. This is the principle of 〈◊〉 Christian Religion, and the proof of from Scripture is not to be expected. Take heed you fail not in this, yea, and take heed upon what argument you receive the Scripture as such. The Socinian will tell you there are arguments enough from reason, (but the greater is not blessed by the less.) The Papists will tell you, the Tradition of the Church is enough. If you take the Scriptures upon either of these evidences as sufficient, the devil hath a fair advantage to tell you, That both these are but humane testimonies, and humane testimony can beget but an humane faith, and if an humane faith be sufficient for the Scriptures in general. It is sufficient for every proposition of faith revealed in them. Our Saviour ●lessed Peter for believing what flesh and ●loud revealed not to him. The old Doctrine of Protestants was, That nothing ●ut the impression of the holy Spirit, work●●g by and with reason, and the self-evidence of those holy books, can be enough. ●old there, or you lose all. Do the papists bid you, Prove the Spirit you pre●nd to persuade to? Bid them prove their Church, whose traditions they obtrude upon you, and you are even with them. They must certainly prove it by the Scriptures, or not all; and i● so, I hope the Scriptures may as we●● be allowed to shine in their own light as in the light of the Church, which hath no light but what it must borrow from the Scriptures.  
2. That the Lord Jesus Christ, th● Eternal Son of God, prophesied and prefigured of old, in the fullness of time, assume our nature, and as God-Man died ●● our sins, and risen again for our justification being our only Saviour, Mediator, and Intercessor; and he whom God hath appointed to judge the world. The Socinian or unitarians (as they call themselves deny the eternal existence of the Son God, and so call you to believe in a insufficient Saviour, they deny his M●rits, or the Satisfaction of them. The Papists tell you of other Mediators and Intercessors, (hence their invocation 〈◊〉 Saints) they teach you to trust in you● own merits, take heed of these, the shake the foundations. The Apost calls Christ, God over all, blessed for ev●● It tells you, 
Rom. 9 5.4.25.  Rom. 4.25. He was ●● livered for our offences, 
1 Tim. 2.5.  and risen again for our justification. It tells you that there is but one Mediator between God and man, even Christ. That he liveth to make intercession for us, Heb. 9 
Acts 4.12.  That there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved, neither is there salvation in any other. Let this be a second.  
3. That there is none righteous, no not one. No Infant. 
Rom. 3.10.5.15, 17, 18, 19  The Scripture tells you, Ephes. 2.3. We are all by nature children of wrath. Psal. 51.4. That our mother hath conceived us in sin. That by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. No grown person either legally righteous. 1 King. 8.46. For there is none who liveth and sinneth not. Jam. 3.2. Ja. 2.10. Eccles. 7.20. There is not a just man that liveth, and sinneth not. Nor yet Evangelically righteous from any righteousness of his own. But of this more by and by.  
4. That the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. And without righteousness no man can stand before God, but will certainly be accursed to all eternity. The Psalmist tells you, The righteous Lord louth righteousness. The Law is, 
Gal. 3.10.  Cursed be he that continueth not in every little of the Law to do it. The Gospel dispenseth not with that curse, it only allows of our Sureties fulfilling the Law for us, and our fulfilling of it in him, according to that of the Apostle, In him you a●● complete.  
5. That there is no righteousness, when in any poor creature in the great day 〈◊〉 the Lord can stand before a righteous God but the alone righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, his active and pass●● obedienee imputed and made over unto ●● Nor is there any deliverance from wrath but by this righteousness of Christ imputed. This point is the very hinge of the Gospel, Luther called it, The Article of banding or falling Church, it is the Article of a standing or falling soul. How this, and you will not easily be seduced in other points. The Scripture tells you, 
P. cts 4.12.  There is no other name give under heaven by which men can be save● Neither is there salvation in any other. It is the whole business of St. Paul almo●● throughout the Epistle to the Roman and that to the Galathians, to pro●● his. St. Paul desires to be found ●● Christ alone, 
Phil. 3.9, 10.  not having his own righteousness which is of the Law, but the righteousness of God, the righteousness of faith. Hence Christ is called, The Lord our righteousness. And he is said to have been made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him; And to be made of God for us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption.  
6. That every soul thus justified is effectually called. He is not only (as many are called.) called out of the Pagan world to believe and receive the Doctrine of the Gospel, but by the Spirit of God powerfully joining with the Word, he is made to see and be sensible of his lost condition out of Christ, and enabled by a true and lively faith to receive, and lay hold upon and trust in Christ's righteousness, he is also regenerated, that is, made a new man, by a thange wrought by God's Spirit in his heart, affections, whole man. And without this none is justified, none can be saved. Joh. ●. 5. Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he can never enter into the Kingdom of God. Ro. 8.13. If you live after the flesh, you shall die. Ro. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. If a man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And in many other Texts.  
Let men talk what they please of Baptismal Regeneration, who so lives to years of discretion, and hath no more, shall never see the face of God. I know the most learned assertors of it conclude it of little value, ponentibus obicem, as they say, that is, if men after Baptism wilfully sin against God, (who lives and doth not?) So as that limitation makes their novel Doctrine but a security to baptised persons dying in infancy. They have a fancy to merit the name of Blandi instead of Duripatres infantum, (as Augustine was called). All that is to be feared of the imbibing in that new Doctrine is, lest people should be lulled asleep with that notion of being justified in Baptism, and think that i● afterward they run to all excess of riot they need only to wash their feet, by a● slighty repentance, and never look after a true sight of sin, or an actual believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.  
7. That Christ's Righteousness is not imputed to any soul, without the exercise of faith, eyeing, receiving, resting upon Christ, and Christ alone for salvation. Nor can any true act of sanctification flow from any other principle. So as one who never in the fight of his sin and lost condition fled to Christ, and laid hold upon his righteousness, be he under what other circumstances of birth, breeding, Church-membership, moral righteousness, formal and constant performance of religious duties is in a state of damnation: and so dying perisheth for ever, John 3.18. 
Joh. 3.18.  He that believeth on him, is not condemned; but he that believeth not; is condemned already: because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Ver. 36. He that believeth on the Son, bath everlasting life: he that believeth not, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Rom. 5.1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. And again, Without faith it is impossible to please God.  
8. That regeneration and faith, and every other habit that is truly spiritual cometh from the special distinguishing grace of God, and is wrought in the soul, by his alone power, and by him drawn out into exercise, and we have no power of ourselves so much as to think one good thought. Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit, 
Joh. 3.5.  John 3.5. Born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of man, but of God. 
Phil. 1.29.  Phil. 1.29. It is given you on the behalf of Christ to believe. Faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephes. 2.8. 
Eph. 2.8.  Every good and perfect gift cometh from above, 
Jam. 1.17.  James 1.17. Without me you can do nothing, 
John 15.  John 15. We have no sufficiency of ourselves to think one good thought, 
2 Cor. 3.5.  2 Cor. 3.5, Abide in this (Christians,) Christ doth not say, Without me you can do no great things, nor without me you can do little, but without me you can do just nothing.  
9 That whosoever is thus justified and regenerated, sinneth often, but yet in some sense sinneth not: Not as others do, not making a trade, nor taking a pleasure in sinning, not with plenary acts, and consent of his will. He cannot be an habitual, constant Drunkard, Unclean person, Swearer, Curser, Liar, Blasphemer, Profaner of Sabbaths, or the ho●y Name of God; he cannot live in a known course of cheating and defrauding: but though he falls seven times a day, yet it is by sins of infirmity; and if he be overcome by temptations to greater sins, as Noah, Abraham, Job, Peter, David, etc. yet he lies ●ot in them, but with Peter weeps bitterly.  
10. That although a child of God may ●n many things be ignorant of his duty, and wherein he knows it, may sometimes ●ant strength to perform it: and he who ●oth most is not perfect: yet no true child of God will live in the wilful and instant omission of any known duty, ●or in the wilful ignorance of any part ●f his duty; but striveth to grow in ●race and knowledge: and for what he knoweth. To will is present with him, though he hath no strength to perform: and as to his inward man, he will delight in the Law of God: and though he ●e not perfect, yet he striveth after peraction, Phil. 3.12. 
Phil. 3.12.  He followeth after, that he may apprehend that for which he is also apprehended of Jesus Christ, counteth not himself to have app●● hended. But doth this one thing, forgting those things which are behind, reacheth forth to those things that are fore, and presseth toward the mark for● price of the high calling of God Christ.  
11. That in order to this, he who ●● would see the face of God, must make Word of God his rule, 
Isa. 8.20. Mat. 15.9. Joh. 4.23. Deut. 12.32.  both of faith 〈◊〉 life. Believing no Divine Truth but upon credit of the revelation of it in the Scriptures (indeed otherwise it can be●● Divine faith) taking his Rule for W●●ip from the Scriptures, 
Col. 2.23. Psal. 119.109.  both for 〈◊〉 Acts, and for the manner, and direct●● all the actions of his life, in his g●●tal calling, in his particular relation, cording to the general and particular Rules of the Holy Word of God, ●● turning aside from them.  
12. That as we shall all die; there shall be a resurrection from the di●● and a day of Judgement. When Christ shall judge the quick and the dead, i● cording to his Gospel. When the fe●ful, the unbelieving, 
Rev. 11.8.  the abominable, m●● dere's, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, all those that trouble the ●rvants of God, that know not God, that they not his Gospel; all thiefs, 
2 Thes. 1.7, 8.  covetous persons, drunkards, revilers, 
1 Cor. 6.9, 10.  extortioners, etc. shall be adjudged to the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone, to have their portion in fire and brimstone, in everlasting burn, with the Devil and his Angels. On the contrary, Those who by believing and obeying the truth, and by patiented continuance in well doing, 
Rom. 2.  Evidence, That they are such whom God from Eternity hath chosen to life, on the behalf of whom, Christ made an Eternal Covenant with his Father: for whom he died: To whom he hath given his Spirit in a way of a special and distinguishing grace, shall have a joyful resurrection, and hear that blessed sentence pronounced to them: 
Matth. 25.  Come you blessed of the Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you. These are some of those Gospel Propofitions, which you have been taught, Abide in them. Search the Scriptures, see if they agree not with them: if they do, take heed how you change your persuasions as to them, for any new system of Doctrines leadi● you to salvation: This faith will le●● you unto holiness and strictness of life: will not give you that liberty to th● flesh, which other doth. It will ma●● you live in the daily view of the truth. Strait is the way, and nanr● is the gate that leadeth to eternal li●● and few there be that find it. Which will remain true, when all the wor●● shall be found liars. I pass to the ●●●ond branch of the Exhortation.   
Abide in your faith in Christ. 
2. Br.  I shall not her take faith in so strict and abstract a notion, as it is sometimes take in Scripture, but as it comprehendeth 1. Adherence to, and reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and him alone for salvation. 2. Hoping in him. 3. Patien waiting for him. The two latter are the daughters of faith strictly taken but they have so much of their Mother that in Scripture they are often taken for it, and called by here name.  
1. Abide in your steadfast adherence to and reliance upon the Lord Josus Christ and him alone for salvation. There are some that despise salvation, some that neglect it, some that vainly seek it, some have no hope, some have no true foundation for their hope; Some never think of another life, so neither hope for it, nor despair of it, but live like Beasts in the world, crying, Let his eat and drink, for to morrow we shall ●lye: and so call out their souls to no ●ct of faith, or adherence to any ●hing at all in order to it. I hope I peak to such as believe they have souls, and that their souls are not given them merely pro sale, to keep their bodies from putrefaction, but that they are immortal beings, capable of, and ordained to an Eternal existence, which must be either in eternal life, ●r in eternal misery, and who live in the waking conviction of this, and so are concerned to think what they should trust to for eternal salvation: Some are thus far awakened, but like Browning men, lay hold on every twig and bulrush, never considering whether ●t will bear their weight or no. One man thinks, if he be baptised, he shall be saved. Another if he keeps his Church, and pays every man his own he shall be saved. Another if he give his goods to the poor, builds Churchy Hospitals. This is all to say we have our life in our hands. You have been otherwise taught, viz. To do all that you can in obedience to the commandments God, and when you have done all, to s●● you are unprofitable servants; to say the is not my Righteousness. 
Isa. 64.6.  to say after the Church; We are as an unclean thing and all our righteousness as a filthy rag● to cry out, None but Christ, None b●● Christ. Hold there Christians, live in daily view of eternity, in a daily exercise of faith, adherence to, and reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ, as he h● whom alone you can be brought to blessed Eternity. Let the Papist if h● will, trust to his own merits. Trust you to the merits of Christ alone Their Learned Cardinal when he came to die, could cry out, It is the safest do so; 
— Video melior a proboque  
Deteriora sequor.   
Let them if they will trust to the superlative merits of other Saints, it may be they were no Saints; if they were, they must be better supplied ●an the Wise Virgins if they have oil mough for themselves and you too: if they had, there is no way of conveyance to you ordained by God: but very man hath use enough of his own righteousness: and at the great say, it will be found, that those have ●een mistaken, who have dreamt, that ●ny but Christ have had any to spare, or ●ny that could be imputed to another. ●● trust in Jesus Christ, and in him ●one.  
2. Abide in your lively hope. In ●our hope of a glorious resurrection: In ●ur hope of a day, when God shall judge be world by our Lord Jesus Christ: In, our hope of eternal life. This very age will tell you, that if such as fear God, and strictly walk in his ways, Following the severer paths of Worship and holiness, had hope in this life only, they were indeed of all men most miserable. These are the world's reproach, these almost are the only transgressors accounted; Drinking, Swearing, Blaspheming, Cursing, Uncleanness, these are but venial tolerable sins: Close walking with God, fearing to offend him ● matters of Worship, praying, meeting together to fast and pray: these are the Capital Offences, for which Prisons, o● are prepared. But Christians, the● will be a Resurrection of the body, the● will be a day of Judgement: There will a revelation of eternal life. The body of God's people may be abused, waste in Prisons, and consumed there, but they shall live again. Men now judge the world, it stands them in hand consider, whether they make righteo● Laws, and decree righteous judgement ●● on them: For there is another day Judgement appointed, when all Law and Acts of Judgement upon them, wi● be examined again by the Divine Law and by the Standard of Heaven tried. The issue will be then tried, whether Drunkards, Swearers, Cursers,  Persons, such as wallow in all manner ● filthiness; or such as live according to the strict rule of God's Word, and desire no more than that they may quietly live so, according to the just dictates and apprehensions of their own consciences, be the troublers of Israel, be the persons more or less approved and accepted of God: I say the issue will be tried again upon appeal, at the tribunal of Christ. Live therefore in this hope, and let not the deferings of your hope, make your heart sick. He that shall come, will come, and shall not tarry. The blessed Apostles sixteen hundred years since saw him preparing his Chariot, and making ready, and in the view of it endured cruel mocking courging, imprisonments, fiery trials, the loss of all, and counted all but dung, that they might in that day be found in him. Your salvation is nearer now, ●ea, it is nearer than when you first believed. Maintain this blessed, lively, glorious hope. Maintain it, and it will maintain you. It is a grace, will not be your debtor. Without it your heart will break under it, it cannot break. But remember, Hope which is seen is no hope: You may for aught I know endure many a cold night, in derisions, reproaches, etc. in Prisons, in other Lands. Whiles you keep that faith and good conscience, which your Master hath given you in charge, before the days of your servitude be expired; yea, the long night of death may come, and your flesh may rest in hope some years. But still maintain your hope: Rachel will come at last, eternity is coming. A joyful resurrection, a day of Judgement is coming, you have done your work, and are doing of it, serving God with faithfulness: others must d● theirs too, in filling up the measure of their iniquity, persecuting him in his members, whose person they cannot reach (unless by their profane Oaths) God will judge both you and them according to your works. The men ● this world it may be pierce your heart as with a sword, when they say, When is your Christ become? Where is the Promise of his coming? It is not more than sixteen hundred years, and all things remain as they were. But you shall see him Christians: you shall see, and they shall see that Christ riding in triumph, with all his Angels, and ten thousands of his Saints, whom you have desired to serve faithfully with your spirits, whose Kingdom you have desired to advance; and they shall see him, whose Name they have profaned, whose Gospel they have obstructed, whose Kingdom they have opposed, whose Ministers, whose Members and Servants they have abused, imprisoned. I say they shall see him, 
Revel. 6.15, 16.  and endeavour to hid themselves in Dens and Rocks of Mountains, and say to the Mountains, and to the Rocks fall on us and hid us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to abide it. Abide in this hope.  
3. Abide in your patiented waitings for God. Adherence to Christ secureth the soul, it setteth it on the Rock that is higher than it, and secureth it as to Eternity: It puts the soul into a certain state of Salvation, and keeps it so. Hope keeps it alive, and full of vigour, and cheerfulness, and strength in that state, so as it fainteth not under all the delays of Providence. Patience stayeth the soul, and maketh it to stand still and wait for God's time, so that neither in its heart, nor in its actions it makeeth haste, but having chosen its ground, and found it to be such as will bear a soul, and such as a soul ought to stand upon, it standeth still, without weariness or murmuring or discontent; and notwithstanding all the Artifices of the World, Flesh and Devil, all the volleys of shot that are made against it, all the discouragements that it hath, yet it standeth, and waiteth still, and will not stir from the ground which it hath chosen: but says, This way, this course I have chosen in expectation of an happy issue, I yet see it not, but yet here I will stand, here I will abide; here will die; if I perish, I perish. The blessed Apostle tells the Hebrews, Heb. 10.36. 
Herald 10.36.  You have need of patience, th● after you have done the will of God m● inherit the promise. There is a pass●● patience, which lies in a quiet submitsion to, and a glorifying of God under the frowns of his Providence. Christians in suffering times have need ● this. 
Lu. 21.19.  In your patience (saith our Saviour) possess your souls. There is ●active patience, which is the souls quiet waiting for the promise, while it goes on doing his will. It is opposed to a souls making haste. Of the Believer it is said, He that believeth maketh not haste. Christians, I know many of you have had patience: Abide in your patience, those that can wait on the Lord, without limiting the Holy One to the uncertainties of years and months, in the end shall not be ashamed. You cannot abide in Christ, if you cannot abide in patience: God will be waited for; Les patience therefore have its perfect work. Say not to your Lord, Wilt thou at this or that time restore the Kingdom to Israel? It is not for you to know times or seasons. It is an ill principle, that hath hitherto kept thee in the ways of God if this be all, because by such a time thou expectedst sensible encouragements. What hast thou to do, but to perform thy duty, and to wait for the mercy, if thou hast hitherto thus or thus walked, because God required it of thee, and it was thy duty. The will of God is the same still, and consequently, thy engagement the same still. But I proceed to the third thing by which I opened this branch of Exhortation.  
3. Abide in thy Obedience. Faith, and patience, and hope are all parts of obedience: but I understand here by it, an ordering of thy conversation still in exactest conformity to the will of God. Duties of Obedience fall under a double head, as our conversation more immediately respecteth God or man.  
1. Therefore, Whatsoever acts, or ways of Worship, thou hast formerly performed, and walked in, in conscience to the command of God, those abide in. Men alter, God changeth not. What was the rule of his Worship is so still, if thy foot formerly swerved from it, thou hast reason to reduce it, if not, take heed how thou forsakest it. The Lion's Den did not scare Daniel from praying to the God of Heaven as he was accustomed. Acts of Worship are immediate homages to God, they are the souls approaches unto him. A Christian stands concerned, to be very curious and diligent as to them: I know nothing which formally distinguisheth true and false Worship, but the immediate command of God for the one, and the want of it for the other. Think it not a light matter how you worship God. If you any way fail as to the immediate, or mediate object; It is Idolatry (of all sins the highest) than which nothing so soon divorceth a soul from Christ, and therefore in Scripture it is compared to whoredom, the only just moral cause of a Divorce, and the highest offence in conjugal relation. Babes keep yourselves from Idols, (saith our blessed Apostle.) If the failer be in the external mode, it is Superstition, or what the Apostle, Col. 2.23. calls Will-Worship, no light transgression, Who hath required it at your hands? It is not enough for any to tell you the Acts of Worship are commanded, so were the Sacrifices which Jeroboam made Israel to transgress by. If the failer be in the inward manner of performance, than the sin is hypocrisy, take need of all. Abide in the Acts of Worship which Christ hath prescribed, an Angel from Heaven cannot be allowed you to dictate any thing new as to them. Abide in the manner of Worship for which you find a Divine Rule; n● fear of transgressing in sticking close t● the word there, I am sure the lea●● swerving is not without its danger. When I speak of the manner of worshipping, I exclude from it such circumstances, as are necessary to Acts o● Worship as they are humane acts without respect-to Religion. These are variable by men according to circumstances of prudence, but for other Variations I understand them not. Do not only abide in your acts of more public Worship, but o● more domestic and private Worship t● Be not ashamed to own the teaching o● Christ to your Children and Servant to own praying in your families, etc. to own public and private Sanctification of the Sabbath, have you practised these things. O abide in them.  
2. Abide in your Obedience to God in the just performance of your duties toward men. Abide in your holy an● just, in your meek and humble conversation. Christ expounds our abiding in him, by our continuing in his words, and his words abiding in us, 
Joh. 15.7.  John 15.7. Holiness and godliness of conversation is never the worse for the discouragement it meets with in the world. O abide in it: No abiding in Christ without an abiding in universal holiness. Thus far I have opened the Exhortation: Shall I need add any Arguments to enforce it? Surely, I have said enough, in the confirmation of the Proposition. But I shall sum that up here, and add a word or two.  
1. Do it with respect unto God. It is the will of God concerning you: It is the way to glorify God. I have spoke to both these.  
2. Do it with reference to yourselves. That you may have the presence of Christ with you, John 15.4. Abide in me, and I in you. That you may preserve your union. That you may bring forth fruit, and much fruit, John 15.4, 5. That you may not be branches cut off, cast forth, withered, to be gathered up, for everlasting burn. That you may evidence yourselves to yourselves, and to others also, to have had, and have a true and real union. That you may be entitled to all the privileges of the Gospel, especial to this, John 15.7. T● ask what you will of God, and you shall receive it. These I have opened, and more. That you may show your selver to have that constancy which becometh men, That fortitude which becometh Christians, the want of which is the highest reproach, both in the world and in the Church of Christ. That Christ may not be ashamed of you, when he shall come in the glory of his Father, and with his holy Angels: But further yet. Consider yourselves as you are in the Text represented, 1. As children. 2. As little children.  
1. As children, that's a relative term, and the next question is, who is your Father? Our Saviour hath answered it when he bid his Disciples, Call no man Father on Earth, for one was their Father in Heaven, Mat. 23.9. And again, when he taught his Disciples to pray, saying Our Father. Where should the child abide, but in his Father's will, in his Father's love, in his Father's house: because you own God as your Father, therefore abide in him.  
2. We are the children of the Apotles and Prophets, they are no fountains of being or good to us, but from them under Christ we derive our faith: therefore the Apostle faith, We are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets: and the Apostle tells the Corinthians, though they had many Instructers, yet not many Fathers. Look back upon those first and greatest Disciples, and see what they did, you shall not find an Apostate amongst them. Peter indeed in an extremity of temptation, for an hour was ashamed of his Master; but he went out you know and wept bitterly. Yet their temptations were greater than yours; you have not ●t resisted to blood sighting against sin. You that are the children of so great Fathers; the followers of so great examples: Abide in him.  
2. Consider yourselves as little children. Little is a term of weakness and ufirmity. It speaks you, 1. Unable to absist in yourselves. Take the Vine from the wall, it dieth; take the branch from the Vine, it much sooner dieth: You are little branches that cannot live in your own sap, cannot stand in your own strength. 2. It speaketh you unable to resist any opposition. In the work (saith our Saviour, John 16.) you shall have trouble. That you may grapple with this opposition, that you may not fal● in a day of trial, abide in him. In m● (saith he) you shall have peace: be ● good comfort, I have overcome the world. He it is that must be your peace, your strength, your support. When the Assyrian comes into the Land, when the World, the Flesh, the Devil all set themselves in utmost opposition to your souls. This is the way for little children to be strong, and to quit themselves like, men in the day of trouble. Abide therefore is him out of love to yourselves.  
3. Ahide in him out of some respect to us, who have been the Minister's o● Jesus Christ to you: I should not have instanced in this, had it not been before me in the Text, That when he shall oppear, we may have confidence, and not ● ashamed, before him at his coming. God hath secured unto his faithful Servant in the work of the Gospel, their happiness under all the frowardness, rebellion and backslidings of the people committed to their charge. 
Ezek. 3.18, 19  If they live them warning, they have delivered their own souls. 
2 Cor. 2.16.  We are a sweet sapour to God, both as to those that are saved, and as to those that perish. Isaiah comforted himself in this, 
Isa. 49.5.  Though Israel be not gathered, yet I shall be glorified.— My judgement is with the Lord, and my work with my God. This now would be enough to an hireling. Yea, the Lord knows far less than this satissieth many Ministers, such as are called so. They are not ashamed almost to speak it. Let us have but their Tithes, and let the Devil take their souls. Whether they speak it or no, their miserable starving some at nurse, others it their own dry breasts, their carelessness to feed the flock of Christ, the stones which they give them instead of bread, the Scorpions they feed them with instead of fish, speak it plain enough. But this is not enough to a godly Minister. My little children (saith the Apostle) with whom I travel in birth, till Christ be form in you. Paul laboured to present his people a pure and ch● Virgin to Christ: and saith that he come wish himself accursed, and separated fr●● Christ for his brethren's sake. The godly Minister is touched with a zeal ● the glory of God, with a true ●● for the people of God committed to l● charge, and desires they might be approved, though himself should be approbate; he blusheth, and is ashand for the hardness of heart, the St● borness, Rebellion, and Apostasy of his people. How (saith he) shall I lo● God in the face another day as to the soul? He hath an ambition in the gr● day to speak after his Lord and Mester. Of all those whom thou hast give me, I have lost none. Now brethe If you love them that love you (saith our Saviour) what reward have you How inexcusable will you be, if you love not them who love you. But if you have any love for the Ministers Christ, who have spent themselves the service of your souls. If any kindness for us, if you would be our ● and crown, and glory, not our trouble and grief, and shame in the great d● when our Lord shall appear. Abide in him. Now abide in him, that you may have a Crown for your own heads, and help a Crown on to our heads; that when Christ shall appear you may have confidence, and not be ashamed to look the Captain of our salvation in the face, as all renegadoes will; and that we may have confidence, and come forth cheerfully when the Lord shall ●all us out in the day of judgement, and be able to say, Lord, here are we, and those whom thou hast given us. Thine they were, trusted to us; and they have kept thy word.  
I will add but one word more to his branch of Exhortation.  
4. Whether should you go? This Peter considered, when our Saviour said to him, Will ye also go away? Lord, (saith he) whether should we go? thou hast the words of everlasting life. God complained of his people, Jer. 2. that they committed ●oo horrible evils, forsaking the fountain sliving waters, and digging up to themslves cisterns, broken cisterns that would hold no water. This must be the case of every Christian, not abiding in Christ. But to speak more distinctly.  
1. What faith will you embrace There's nothing so dissonant to the rational nature of man, than to believe a lie. Whatsoever pretends to a divine truth, and is not bottomed on Scripture, is no other.  
2. Where will you fix your hope and confidence? Christ is the hope, and the alone hope of his people, whoso pureth hope or confidence in any thine else, trusteth to a bruised reed and a broken staff.  
3. To what course of life will you turn. Will you again go back to the onion and garlic of Egypt? Will you lick ● your former vomit, and verify the proverb, The swine returns to the walloning in the mire again? Let me speak you as the Apostle to the Romans, Who fruit had ye of those things of which you have been ashamed? Have you mourned for your former courses in vain? with you repent of your repentance? with you (because your Lord delayeth h● coming) eat with the gluttons, and drew with the drunkards, and fall to smiti● your fellow-servants? Take that of o● Saviour concerning such servants, Matth. 24.49, 50. 
Matth. 24.49, 50, 51.  The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not try are of, and (verse 51.) shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Once more, Whether will you go? to what society will you addere? Take the company of professors with all their faults, they are the best society in the world, I mean not the best with reference to a Christians spiritual nature and temper, but the best is men. None more than they, none so much as they live up to the principles of humane nature and reason. The drunkard, the unclean person, the covetous worldling, the profane curser, and swearer, and blasphemer of the holy name of God, the unjust man that defrauds and cheateth his neighbour, the fawning flatterer, the godless atheist, are so far from living like Christians, that they live not like men. Leave the flocks of Christ's companions, of the stricter sort of professors, and find an assembly (if you can) not full of these spots, there may be a severe Cato, a just Aristides, a composed Seneca amongst them: but Oh! how rare are they! Would you be glad. Sirs, to stand amongst these at the day of judgement? would you be willing to have your portion with them? If you would not, let not your soul enter here into their secrets, to their assemblies let us your honour be united. But enough is spoken to this first Branch of Exhortation to them who through mercy yet is their first works.  
I shall finish this discourse with one branch of Exhortation more, 
2. Exhor.  To those that have not abode in Christ, pleading with them that they would return. Here let me first show you the persons to whom I speak. Then I shall plead my Master's cause with them with a few arguments. In the opening the point shown you that men and women may have a threefold state in Christ.  
1. The first Sacramental, having been listed in the Lord's Army, given up their names unto him, the Apostle saith, we are baptised into Christ.  
2. The second Professional, as members of the Church which is his body, having walked with some Church of Christ in the Ordinances of the Gospel, and made an outward show of living within the Gospel compass.  
3. The third real, and more inward and spiritual, as having been by the grace of God the distinguishing grace of God, taken out of the wild Olive of a natural estate and condition, and engrafted into Christ, who is the true Olive, and made true partakers of his grace. From the first and second state there may be a toral and final apostasy, from the last, a sad and gradual apostasy, but neither total nor final.  
First then, so many as have been baptised into Christ, and since their baptism have lived in the service of the world, of sinful lusts and pleasures, instead of the service of God: I say, so many have not abode in Christ. Oh! that they would remember the Covenant of their youth, that by the smart punishments which they see earthly Princes inflicting on them, that take their Oaths of Allegiance, and then turn Traitors; that take their press-mony, and then refuse to fight for them, nay, instead of it openly fight against them: they would collect what dreadful vengeance they must expect, who in Baptism have engaged themselves to Christ; and (as it were) taken an Oath of Allegiance to him, and after this are found so far from serving Christ, that they are in the thickest of his enemies. Is there such a thing as treason and rebellion against earthly Powers and Princes, and is there none against the God of heaven? Shall an earthly Prince be judged just in tormenting to death a traitor to his Crown and Dignity, and shall not the Lord of Lords, and the Ruler of Princes be judged just in taking exemplary vengeance upon those that are traitors to his Majesty? Is it an odious thing to be a traitor to a man, and is there no odiousness in being traitors to the glorious God? Every person that hath been baptised into Christ, and after this lives in drunkenness, uncleanness, profane and open sinning, defying God and his Word, is such a traitor. Do these men abide in Christ, these that do not abide so much as in moral virtue? these that have not yet attained to the perfections of a good Heathen? Oh remember your vows, (Christians) remember your baptismal vows to the great God, remember his Name into which you were baptised: Were you baptised into the name of the devil, or into the name of the world, or were you baptised into Christ? You that abhor the names of traitors and rebels to your Prince, abhor also the name and thing of treason and re●lion to the glorious Son of God.  
Secondly, So many as have made a more explicit profession of Religion, not only entering their names into Christ's Musterroll, (as every baptised person doth) but who have showed themselves in his Artillery-ground, worn his colours, actually put themselves under ●he conduct of his Officers in his Church, and walked with the Church of God; and after this have gone out from them, not to another company whose profession was more strict and exact, but to associate themselves with ●he children of the world, for whose ●ecks the yoke of Christ is too straight. ●hese are some of those who do not abide in him. And is there any time that doth not afford either a Demas, that forsakes the ways of God to embrace the present world; or some Di●trephes, that loves the pre-eminence. Some or other, who either from impatience of dishonour and reproach, or a desire of honour, places of trust, repute, etc. or fear of a prison and danger, or out of a principle of covetonsness for a piece of bread, or for the gaining of a great estate, will not the sert the holy and right ways o● God.  
Thirdly, Such as have indeed tasted 〈◊〉 the distinguishing goodness of God, having not yet perfectly put off the old man, 〈◊〉 labouring under a body of death, may 〈◊〉 the law of their members be brought in some captivity to the law of sin for a tim● 'Tis true, their union with Chri●● abideth indissoluble, but in an hour o● temptation they may (possibly) fa● away, not totally, not finally, but foully abating of their commumon with God waxing cold in their love and zeal for the glory of God. Now to all these 〈◊〉 would direct the close of my discour● speaking to them in the language of the Prophet, Jer. 3.13. Turn unt● me, you back-sliding children, saith the Lord. Turn, turn, why will you die, O you sons of men! I shall mostly for arguments (to enforce this Exhortation) confine myself to that excellent Prophet, in the second and third chapters of his Prophecy, to which I shall desire you to turn your eyes.  
1. Consider in the first place, What God hath done for you. Thus the Lord impleaded the Israelites, Jer. 2.31. give me leave to alter the words a little, Was the Lord ever unto you a wilderness, or a land of darkness? Is it not he that hath made you? that hath preserved you ever since you hung upon your mother's breasts? Hath he not sent his Son to die the accursed death of the cross for you? Is it nothing to you that he hath admitted you to be baptised into his Name? to live within the pale of his Church, under the constant droppings of the fountain of life? Hath not he for some of your souls done greater things, in plucking you as brands out of hell fire? in making a particular application of the blood o● Christ to your souls? And can you forsake such a God as this? Hath not ●e who died upon the Cross for you deserved so much at your hands, as to watch with him in one hour of temptation? Have you thus requited the Rock of your salvation, O you unthankful souls? Are you afraid of a nick name, or a prison for him, who was not afraid of a Cross for you?  
Hath the Lord brought you under the light of his Gospel, showing you the right way of the Lord, when the● Pagan world, where are ten thousand● under more valuable circumstances (〈◊〉 to humane estimation) than you, lie in darkness, worshipping devils and stocks instead of God? Nay, hath he brought you into the purest light, to live in the Reformed Church, when a great part of the Christian world lies in the darkness of Popish idolatry and superstition? Yet further, Hath the Lord illuminated any of you with the common light (at least) of his Spirit, so as you have tasted of the heavenly gift, 
Heb. 6.5, 6.  and been made partakers of the holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come? And after this are you gone away? What will you answer the God of your mercies another day? But yet further. If any have tasted the distinguishing grace of God, and been made partakers of his saving grace, which is communicated but to one of a City, or two of a Tribe, to a few, a very few, if you should abate in your strictness, if you should not abide in the closest communion with the Lord Christ; How will you ever behold the face of Christ with confidence? O let the reflection upon the former kindness of ●od to you prevail with you, to repent and do your first works.  
Secondly, What iniquity have you ●ound in God, that you could not abide 〈◊〉 him? This argument the Prophet useth to back-sliding Israel, in Jer. 2.5. I here make an appeal to the consciences of those who have formerly walked with the Saints of God in visible communion, and themselves made a profession of those ways, from which they have turned aside, and which, it may be, they now persecute. What in●● quity did ever you find in the ways of Go●● I know what the world saith of th● courses of pure Religion, and of th● professors of it. 
Acts 24.5.  Tertullus (the Rom● Lawyer) charged Paul with being 〈◊〉 mover of sedition, a pestilent fellow, 〈◊〉 that profaned the Temple. The me●● the world speak the same language still. But I appeal to you, did you e● find any such thing in the principle● practice of severer piety, and p●● communion with God? This, th● thing makes my heart to tremble 〈◊〉 many professors, who are turned out the right ways of God. The cla●●● of an ill-tongued world are so lov● that I am so charitable as to many, 〈◊〉 to believe, that in the midst of the● rage they are thus far justifiable, 〈◊〉 lieving that they ought to do many this against those whom they hear so ●●ported of. These are nearer pardon great deal, than the Apostate is. He h●● known the way of righteousness, he ha● walked in it, his conscience tells h●● that those whom he thus deserte● and possibly persecuteth, are more righteous than he; that they are such as desire nothing but herein to exercise himself to keep a good conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men. That there is nothing to be found against them, but in the matters of God. That their ways are more ●oly, more righteous, than the ways of others: and that nothing but the lust 〈◊〉 his own heart hath enticed him out of them, or can entice any from them, who hath any thing of the reason of a man, or Religion of a Christian, yet he abideth not in them, but embraceth a present world in defiance of his known duty. What shall the end of this man be?  
3. Consider how tenacious others are of their sinful and vain courses. Jer. 2.10, 11. Pass you over (saith God by the Prophet) the Isles of Chittim, and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Give me leave to allude to it. Pass ye over to the Mahometans, whose Idol is a sordid person, whose course and so●● of Religion is a bundle of nonsense an● blasphemy; yet will not they forsa●● their profession. Send to the blind ●●pists, who have nothing to say for they superstitions but, They believe as 〈◊〉 Church believeth; yet how rarely is o●● of them proselyted? Look up among the blinder sort of Proteltants, w● have got some forms of Religion, 〈◊〉 they can neither give themselves 〈◊〉 others a rational account of what they believe or practise, yet how true is the generality of them to their blind devotion? Shall the knowing Protestant only be the reed which every wi●● will shake? Did not the very foundation of your Religion allow you 〈◊〉 judgement of discretion, a liberty to prov● all things, requiring you only to ho●● fast that which was good? Were you like others forced into your practice, or did you upon deliberation, and weighing of principles and practices, choose the way wherein you chose to walk, as that which was most conformable to the will of God? Have you a better evidence for the contrary now? Bring forth your strong arguments. Have you one but what is drawn from your impatience of suffering, your ambition, our covetousness of filthy lucrè, & c? See amongst the Heathen there be such thing to be found. Oh, let it not be 〈◊〉 that those who worship they know 〈◊〉 what, are yet more sure to their possession, than you who know what 〈◊〉 do, and that salvation is in that ●●y wherein you have walked.  
Fourthly, Consider what it is that you 〈◊〉 done. The Prophet tells you, 〈◊〉. 2.13. You forsake the fountain of ●ing waters, and dig up to yourselves ●ken cisterns that will hold no water. ●od is the Fountain of living waters, the creatures are cisterns that will ●●d no water. The pure Ordinances God are fountains of living water. ●●d is the Spring, Ordinances are the ●●ntains, which this Spring filleth. ●he waters are the Graces of God's ●irit, communicated to the souls of ●s people in and by his Ordinances. ●he Ordinances are the wells of sal●●tion, out of which our souls draw ●●e water of life. If these wells be kept pure, the souls of God's people are treshed by them, and grow fat in 〈◊〉 use of them; Going on from strength strength, till they appear before God Zion. If they be corrupted, according the tincture they have received, the are more or less dangerous. There is fountain, you know, that is kept clear how pleasant, how wholesome are streams of it? There are fountains 〈◊〉 which men have thrown mire and 〈◊〉 how unwholesome are their water how unpleasant are they to the 〈◊〉 how unsavoury to the taste? Have you forsaken God to embrace the wo●● in the credit, honours, profits of 〈◊〉 You have forsaken the fountain of ●●●ing waters. (He must needs be so, 〈◊〉 the fountain of all good, he in whom live, move, and have our being) have digged up to yourselves cisterns, ●●ken cisterns that will hold no water. You will find it so when ever the providence of God brings you to be a third if ever your conscience aches, if ever you have a thought rise up in arms against you, if eyer you come to be within view of the grave; (and that you 〈◊〉 do one day) if ever you come to have a prospect of hell, you will find all the treasure but a cistern, a broken cistern that will hold no water. I have heard of an Emperor brought to that digress, that he cried out, A Kingdom for ●● cup of water. O take heed that you ●e not another day heard crying out, will give all my credit, all my honours, all my places of trust and profit, 〈◊〉 an hours peace of conscience, for ●ne smile from my angry God, for one ●rop of water to cool my tongue. You ●aye forsaken the pure Ordinances of ●●od for the inventions of men; you have forsaken the fountain of living wa●●s, you have digged up cisterns that ●ill hold no water. Here's the name ●● the means of grace, but where's the ●ung? What presence of God do you ●●d in them? What strength do you trive from them? What sweetness do ●●a taste in them? Where's your for●er spiritual joy, peace, satisfaction? 〈◊〉 it not an Image in your bed in●●ad of an Husband, a dream in your ●●uls, from which when you rise up ●ou are still an hungry, in stead of a feast fat things?  
Fifthly, O that you would consider 〈◊〉 it hath been with your souls since you 〈◊〉 your defection. To this God calleth 〈◊〉 back-sliding people, Jer. 2.14, 〈◊〉 16, 17. Is Israel a servant? Is he 〈◊〉 home-born stave? Why is he spoiled? 〈◊〉 young Lions roared upon him, and yelled they laid his land waste; his city's 〈◊〉 burnth without an inhabitant. Also 〈◊〉 children of Noph and Tahapanes 〈◊〉 broken thy head. Hast thou not proc●●● this unto thyself, in that thou hast 〈◊〉 saken the Lord thy God when he led the by thee way. It may be worth the 〈◊〉 flection for you to consider, how G●● hath dealt with you, as to what you have most proposed to yourself mean, the getting of the world, whether in the profits, or honours, or 〈◊〉 dit and reputation of it. If the ba●slider gets not this, he gets nothing and let me tell you, it is not ordinary 〈◊〉 the providence of God to suffer him the far to prosper. Hath God since that ti●● blest you in your estate, in your children in your trade, & c? Or hath he blas●● you? If the latter, Have you not 〈◊〉 cured this unto yourselves, in that ye 〈◊〉 forsaken the Lord your God when he led you by the way. But it may be you cannot yet see divine vengeance thus pursuing you, there is a time when poenalis nutritur impunitas, God fatteth up some with the Mayst of the world to the great day of slaughter, (though ordinarily these be such as never made any profession: Judas that had been a Disciple, quickly disgorged his thirty piece, you know) That which I would have you principally inquire, is, how it hath been with your inward man, as to your spiritual concerns. St. John in his Epistle to his Host Gaius, wisheth above all things, that he might prosper, and be in health, even as his soul prospereth. If there should be a Doeg, that hath got anything by his treachery to Christ, and the interest of his Gospel; I would ●eg of him to consider, whether his ●oul also prospereth, and be in health as his outward man is. You have pretended formerly to know what belongs to an inward serenity of mind, to peace of conscience, etc. Have you at any time since your change found leisure to speak ●o your own souls, and say, Is it peace? If you have not, you have been very careless of Eternity; If you have, what hath it answered? Have you gone to bed with as much satisfaction in your spirit, after a day spent at a play, or aprofane meeting; as you did heretofore after a day spent in a religious meeting, or at a fast? Have you had no more melancholic thoughts, no more sad reflections, no more terrors than before? Hath not the evil spirit sometimes so troubled you, that you have been forced to send for a Minstrel to play it off? Have not the images of those righteous servants of God whom you have been reviling, whom you have been accusers of, and instruments to hale into prisons, ruin, and as much as in you lay to make an end of, sometimes appeared to you in your dreams, and disquieted you in your sleep? Have you not heard, though not a voice from heaven, (God will not so much honour you, who have so much spit in his face) yet a voice from your own conscience, Soul, soul, why persecutest thou Christ? What evil hast thou formerly seen in that way wherein thyself did walk worthy of this death, or these barbarous bonds? Do you see what servants, what home-born slaves you have made yourselves? How the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken your head? O return into the right ways of the Lord, return to your first Husband, speak sincerely, Was it not then every way better with you than now?  
6. Consider seriously with yourselves, if a day of trouble should come, (as certainly thou art not the only person exempted from the incurnt, ances and accidents to which mortality is exposed and subjected) would any of those things or persons help you, to which you are turned, and whom you have gratified in your departing from the right ways of God. The Professor not abiding in Christ, usually makes choice: 1. Of New Principles: 2. New Practices in his conversation: 3. New Friends, and a New Society.  
1. New Principles; he must have a seared conscience, that upon strict Principles, can build a lose practice, and retain the truths of God in unrighteousness. Therefore the Backslider hath ordinarily an Almanac faith, calculated for the Meridian of his present practice. For example, it was the old faith of Professors, that all men and Women are by nature children of wrath, Ephes. 2.3. That they remain in this state of wrath, till by the hearing of the word (the holy Spirit working with it) faith be wrought in them, and they be brought to Receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and to believe in him, John 3.18.36. Till they be regenerated, and born again by the Spirit of God, John 3.3, 5. that is, till old things be passed away, and all things become n●w with them, for he that is in Christ is a new creature. That true faith where ever it is, purifieth the heart, worketh by love, to God, to his people; in a strict, universal obedience to all the commandments of God. As to which, they must have a presence to will, though they may (in many things) want strength to perform. That who so thus believeth, and is thus regenerated, is justified by the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and being justified, sinneth not, wilfully and presumptuously, or doth not lie and abide in sin; but though he sometimes falleth by sin, yet he by and by purifieth himself, and riseth again by repentance. And it is the business of his life in all things, to make the word of God a light to his feet, and a lantern to his paths. Thou hast possibly collected another system of practical principles. That every one who is baptised is justified and regenerated. That to believe, is nothing else, but to be persuaded of the truth of the Scriptures. That indeed a man may fall away from his justified estate in Baptism, by actual sins, but a slighty acknowledgement of his sins, in a formal confession, or when he comes to die, will make up all again. And if a man lives in Obedience to what he calls the Church, making the dictates of men the rule of his practice, without any particular enquiry whether they be according to the Scriptures or no, he shall not need fear salvation. I confess this showeth an easy way to Heaven, if it were as sure. But suppose a day of trouble now to thy soul; suppose now thy conscience awakened, either whiles thou art in thy full career, in thy prosperity, or when thou comest to die, and some such Texts as these fall into thy thoughts at that day, John 3.18. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and be that believeth not, is condemned already; because he hath not believed on the Name of the only begotten Son of God. Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, wh● walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, v. 5. They that are after the flesh 〈◊〉 mind the things of the flesh, they that 〈◊〉 after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit. ver. 6. To be carnally minded i● death. ver. 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. ver. 13. If you live after the flesh you shall die. Neither ●●cumcision availeth any thing, ●●uncircumcision, but a new creature. Suppose these, or other such like Scriptures, should stick fast to thy thoughts in an evil day, what should relieve thee? Will it relieve thee when tho● comest to die, to remember tho● were't baptised in thy infancy? Will no● thy thoughts reflect: There are thousands that were baptised will be damoned. Simon Magus was baptised, ye●● the gall of bitterness and in the bands of iniquity. Judas in all probability was baptised, yet a Son of perdition? Will it relieve thee to think thou hast believed the Scriptures to be the Word of God, and Christ to be the Son of God, so do the Devils believe and tremble? Will it relieve thee to think that thou hast been obedient to the orders of the Church? Dost thou not see, that those are most universal in that Obedience which is so called, whose lives proclaim the greatest opposition to the plain letter of Scripture in almost all the moral precepts of it? Shall they also have peace?  
2. For thy new Practices. Heretofore thou were't wont to pray in thy family, and to instruct them in the things of God; to spend thy time in reading the holy Scripture, to spend days in fasting, prayer, communion with the Saints of God, (Believing thy obligation from a moral Precept, to keep the Lords Day holy) thou were't wont in it to exercise thyself in reading the word, hearing of it, in prayer, instructing thy children. Now thou hast forgotten thy family duties, thy chamber practice in Religion, thy religious care of thy children and servants, and all thy Devotion is turned into a little Formality, of which thou makest no great conscience neither; Thy Sabbaths are spent in vain and idle discourses, and in a vain conversation; and if any acts of devotion still continue, possibly they are such as to which God will say to thee, Who hath required these things at your hands? Where did I ever speak a word to you or your Fathers of such homage to be performed to me, nor did it ever come into my heart. The time on other days which thou were't wont to spend in fasting, is now spent in feasting; what was wont to be spared for hearing Sermons, is now spent in hearing Plays! Hark my friend, shalt thou not one day thinkest thou be sick unto death (as Hezekiah was Isa. 38.1.) will the Providence of God thinkest thou never speak to thee, saying, Set thy house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Wilt thou upon these practices be able to say, as Hezekiah, ver. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee, how l●● have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which was good in thy sight. Doth thy conscience tell thee these things are good in the sight of the Lord. Such an absurd verdict may possibly be given in by the conscience of one muffled up in ignorance, but thou hast known, thou hast proved better things, thy conscience must tell thee, the courses which I formerly took, were better than these. Thou after thou hast escaped the pollution of the world, 
2 Pet. 2.20.  through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, art again entangled therein and overcome. Thy latter end is worse than thy beginning: It had been better for you never to have known the way of righteousness, then having known it, to turn from ●he holy commandment delivered unto you.  
3. For thy new Company. Thou heretofore were't a companion to those that ●eared the Lord. The Excellent on the Earth were those in whom thou didst delight, or at least, pretend to do so. Ministers of the Gospel, who had (beside their habit) something else to approve them such, powerful, constant Preachers of the word, that knew h●● to speak a word in season to the weary, how to satisfy a doubt, resolve case of conscience, give to every o● their portion, etc. People who math a conscience of their ways; a● though they had possibly their error and failings, yet they were not such, 〈◊〉 the very light of nature and reason shown abominable, such as cursing a● swearing, blaspheming the God who● they served, reviling persons an things, that had aught of his Im●● and Superscription upon them: Th● art now become a companion of soel such I mean as the Scripture calls 〈◊〉 lewd, profane persons, Sons of B●● that live without any yoke, either Scripture, or Moral Principles: th● catest with the Glutton, and sittest with the Drunkard, and thy Chair is set 〈◊〉 them who sit in the seat of the scorn'st and whiles they are smiting thy on● fellow servants, if thy hand be not w● them, yet thy heart is; if thy ● throwest no stones at the Lord's S●phen's, yet thou holdest the  them that do it. Will thy day of v●tation (thinkest thou) never come? Send in that day for those that have sat at the Tavern with thee, and see ●f they be able to speak a word to thy ●oul weary of life. Remember Saul who had rejected Samuel enough, when he was in distress, he goes to a Witch, and who must she raise up but Samuel? What satisfaction wilt thou have ●n an evil day, in a dying day, from ●hose whom living thou hast preferred to be thy companions, before such as have feared the Lord. I shall shut up this Head with minding you, that by this Argument, God by his Prophet Jeremiah endeavoured to reduce backsliding Israel, Jeremiah 2.28. 
Jer. 2.28.  But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise if they can save thee in the day of trouble. I will only add one thing for thy termor. It is like enough that in the day of trouble, God may leave thee to fetch thy relief from these empty cisterns. When Judas' conscience smote him, God left him to his Masters the Scribes and Pharisees alone to comfort him, (how cold a cup of consolation they afforded him, the Gospel; tells you When the Jews had apostatised, and the Philistines and Ammonites oppose● them, and they cried unto the Lord they met with a rough answer,— ver. 13. 
Judas 10.11, 12, 13, 14.  I will deliver you no m●● Go and cry unt● the Gods whom you ha● chosen, and let them deliver you in the day of your tribulation. Take heed th● the Providence of God speaks not that language to your souls in the day o● their tribulation. Go and fetch their comfort from the principles, practice and company which you have chosen.  
7. I will add but one Argument more. That shall be from the mercy 〈◊〉 God which he hath for backsliding children, making timely returns unto him This is an Argument which the Prophet Jeremy largely insisted upon, Chap. 3. v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 22. First, He sheweth them, that this is above the mercy of men. If a m● putteth away his Wife, shall he take b● again? etc. It is very observable, that the Jews defection chief insisted upon by the Prophet, was in matters of Divine Worship, where the sin charged upon them, was the highest in genere suo, ido●try, which is a failer in the object of Worship, either more immediate, or mediate: and therefore expressed in Scripture by the sin of whoredom (which is the highest error in conjugal relations.) There's no sin so separates a people or person from God as this sin. Superstition which is failer in the more external manner and rites of Worship, is a great sin, but something lower than this. Now God comparing the case betwixt him and them, to the case betwixt a Man and his Wife, that had dealt falsely with him, tells him, that in case of a divorce, a man doth not use to be reconciled to his Wife: yet Jerem 3.1. Return again unto me (saith the Lord) ver. 5. Will he reserve his anger for ever? Will he keep it to the end? Again, v. 12. Go and proclaim these words to the North, and say, Return thou back sliding Israel, ●ith the Lord, and I will not cause mine ●nger to fall on you, for I am merciful, ●aith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to strangers, under every green tr●● and you have not obeyed my Voice, saith t●● Lord, Turn O back sliding children, sa●●● the Lord, for I am married unto you, a●● I will take you, one of a City, and two 〈◊〉 a Tribe, and bring you to Zion. An● again, ver. 22. Return you backsliding children, and I will heal your back sliding Oh that I could hear you saying as i● the next words of that Text; Beh●●● we come unto thee, for thou art the L●●● our God. Truly in vain is Salvatin hoped for from the hills, and from 〈◊〉 multitude of Mountains, truly in the L●●● our God is the salvation of Israel. 〈◊〉 vain is salvation hoped for, from course of profaneness, formality, or superstitie or from any righteousness of your own In vain is peace of conscience, in va●● is any good thing hoped for from them; in vain is any blessing of Go● in this life hoped for from them. 〈◊〉 the Lord is the salvation of people: 〈◊〉 the faith of Christ; In the Love 〈◊〉 Christ; In a strict obedience to th● Gospel of Christ; In a close walki●● with God. In these things is the hop● the salvation of people, the true pea●● and tranquillity of conscience. Return ●hen with the Prophet's words in your ●outh, with which I shall conclude, We lie down in our shame, 
Jer. 3.25.  and our con●sion covereth us, for we have sinned 'gainst the Lord our God, and have not ●eyed the voice of the Lord our God.  
FINIS.   
Psalm 42.1, 2. 
As the Hart panteth after the water brooks: so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  
My soul thirsteth for God, for the 〈◊〉ving God, when shall I come, and appear before God?  
THE Title of this Psalm is, To the chief Musiti● for the Sons of Corah. 〈◊〉 remember Justine Martyr answering the Jewish Question; Why w● use not Music in our Gospel Service as the Jews did; says it was, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for the Church in her infantil estate, 
Just. Mart. Quest. Resp. 107.  though singing be not so, an● therefore still continued. However that Music was in David's time (though since ceased) a Divine Institution, not merely introduced, by the discretion of the chief Magistrate, we are assured by 1 Chron. 28.11.19. which speaks it no precedent for Humane Inventions, in Acts, or Modes of Divine Worship. Korah was a Levite, he perished in his gainsaying against Moses, as you read, Num. 16. But his children died not. 
Nu. 16.1.  To these it seems by holy David, according to the Pattern, he had from the Spirit of God, 1 Chron. 28.12.13. The charge of the Music was committed, 1 Chron. 6.37. Who was the Author of this Psalm some question: judging it one of the Sons of Corah, and so interpreting it by the Genitive Case, 
V de Muci ad loc.  a Psalm of Instruction, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, thinking it composed in the time of the Captivity of Babylon. But the Spirit that breatheth in it is so like the Spirit breathing, psalm 63. and Psalm 84. That I rather judge holy David the Author of it: 
V Mollerum ad loc. etc.  and that it was composed by him in the time when Saul hunted him out of Judea, so as he could not (as formerly) enjoy the Institutions of God, which is the great business he lamenteth in this Psalm, expressing his earnest long for them, and raising up hi● soul to an hope and confidence i● God, that he would one day change his estate. It is termed Maschil, a Psalm of Instruction, and may generally serve to instruct us in the frame of a gracious Spirit what it will be, and our duty what we ought to do under such a dispensation, when either by any natural or moral causes we are hindered from a communion with God, in hi● public Institutions for Worship: for of such, it is apparent David speaketh both from ver. 2. When shall I come and appear before God? and ver. 4. where with sadness he remembers, how he 〈◊〉 wont to go to the House of God with th● multitude.  
The Proposition I shall insist on, i● this.  
Prop. Under the severest dispensation of God to gracious souls, Doctrine there will 〈◊〉 found in them a singular thirst after G●● in his Institutions of public Worship.  
Who ever was the Author of this Psalm, the Language of it speaks a godly gracious heart: if it was not the man, it was certainly a man according to God's heart. The dispensation he was under, was sad enough, if he were in the captivity of Babylon (as the Muci and others think:) or if it was David separated from the Tabernacle, by the Violence of Saul. The dispensation was every way sad enough. Yet under these circumstances, see the temper of this gracious person: he cannot enjoy public Institutions, but he can look after them, and long, he can with Daniel, open his window towards Jerusalem, and pray. He cannot drink but of the Wells of Salvation, but he can thirst for the waters of them, he cannot appear before God, but he can say unto God, When shall I come and appear? In fine, his Enemies have taken away his food, but they have not taken away his stomach; In the prosecution of this point. I shall, 

1. Open the Metaphor of thirsting, panting, breathing.  
2. Show you the singularity of the gracious souls thirst.  
3. Thirdly, give you the causes of if and prove the point.  
4. Lastly, Make some short appliction.    
1. Thirst is a natural affection: caused through the want of some liqu●● thing to cool and refresh our natur●● parts always attended with a de●●● of the thing thirsted for: so it implieth, 

1. An apprehended suitableness 〈◊〉 some object, to the creature wants, that is thus affected to i●.  
2. A sensible want of it, we thi●● not for drink, when our 〈◊〉 mach and mouth is fille● with it.  
3. A desire and endeavour after i●    

1. Every gracious soul apprehendeth 〈◊〉 suitableness in God's Institutions to 〈◊〉 wants. That there is such a suitableness, I shall demonstrate anon, this 〈◊〉 not apprehended by every soul, but 〈◊〉 every gracious soul it is, which precedeth from his spiritual illumination and sense of his condition, to which 〈◊〉 unregenerate soul is a stranger.  
2. It may possibly be, that a gracious 〈◊〉 may want thissuitable spiritual food: ●e may be hindered by natural causes, likeness, etc. by moral causes, he may be ●s David in the Land of the Philistines, ●s the children of Israel in Babylon. He may be at home, but the wells may be ●●pped, through the violence of men, ●e pits may be dry, through the heat ●f persecution, they may be so poisoned with Idolatry and Superstition, (as 〈◊〉 the Popish Countries) so fouled with the dust of humane inventions, ●nwholsomely mixed with some little ●f Divine Institutions, that he may ●ant the Institutions of God, and he will be sensible of the want.  
3. His soul will be enlarged in desires after, what he doth not, or it may be cannot at present enjoy. This I shall sufficiently evidence in showing you:   
2. What singularity there is in the thirst of a gracious soul after Divine Institutions.  
1. Observe the Metaphor in the Text. ●s the Hart panteth or brayeth; The word translated Hart, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  properly signifieth the Female. The word translated brayeth or panteth properly signifies the sound that those creatures make. The Hart of all other creatures, is observed by Naturalists, to be more exceeding thirsty than others: for which I find three Reasons assigned.  

1. They for the most part feed i● montanous, 
V De M●ci Mollerium ad loc.  dry, desert places, which more want moisture.  
2. They say they ordinarily swallow Serpents: whose heat of poison inwadly more inflameth them.  
3. When they have been hunted they 〈◊〉 they cannot rest till they have found o● some waters in which to refresh themselves. The Metaphor you see import some singularity in thirst. Now th● singularity of a gracious souls thi●● will appear in three things.   
1. In the object and end of it. Th● you have in the Text. So panteth 〈◊〉 soul for thee O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.  

1. In the ultimate object. The ultimate object of a gracious souls thi●● is not the Institution or Ordinance, b● the God of that Ordinance. Thus here in the Text. So Psalm 63.1. My soul thirsteth for thee: my flesh longeth for thee. ver. 2. To see thy power, and thy glory. An institution of God, is like another thing to a gracious soul, if God be not in it. As Absolom said, What should I do at Jerusalem, if I may not see the King's face. So saith a spiritual heart, what shall I do at a Prayer, at a Sermon, at a Sacrament, if I meet with nothing of God there. A gracious soul desires an Ordinance, not as a man desires a picture to please his sense, but as he desires a perspective; that by the means of it he may see a Star, or the Moon, or an object a far off. And this is a singularity; an hypocrite if he desires to see the Veil, yet he desires not to look through the Veil, what communion with God, in a prayer, in hearing the Word, in a Sacrament means, he understands not, and Ignoti nulla cupido. He may desire an Ordinance; as thinking his attendance there, the road to Heaven, or the way to repute in the world, or a bit to stop the mouth of his Natural conscience, barking for some show of Religion; or as a pleasant Song, according to those in Ezechiel, Chap. 33.32. But what the presence of God in the Ordinance meaneth, this he understandeth not, nor doth he thirst after it. Hence a Formalist, if he hath been at Church, is satisfied, let the Prayer and Preaching be what it will (provided it hath tickled his sense) yet his stomach is stayed, and he wonders every one is not as content as he. The ultimate object of a gracious souls thirst is not his Father's House, but his Father's face in his House. If he hath not seen that he comes away a-thirst from the best wells.  
2. In the mediate object. The mediate object is the performance. An Hypocrite if he hath any desire to an Ordinance, yet he is very careless, as to the rites, and manner of the performance. It is not thus with a gracious soul. The reason lies partly in what I said before, that the ultimate object of his thirst is God: the presence of God in an Ordinance: he knows nothing of this can be expected, where God is not sanctified in the duty by a regular performance of it, and a strict observation of the rule, as to it, which God himself hath prescribed: he knows that in matters of Worship, God is more eminently jealous; that of all sins, none so provoke God, none so soon separate him from a people as errors in matter of Worship. This makes his regulare appetite languid, and weak as to religious performances, where God hath indeed appointed the thing in the general, but man only hath presumed to direct the manner, for which also was sufficient direction in God's word. His thirst is after peace, and unmixed Ordinances.  
3. As to the End: The gracious heart desires the sincere milk of the word, that he may grow thereby, 1 Pet. 2.2. 
1 Pet. 2.2.  that he may profit by it; he thirsts after public prayer, that he might pour out his soul before God, and receive an answer of peace; he thirsts after a Sacrament, that in it he may have a communion with Christ, that he might in it receive the communications of the virtue of the blood of Christ to his soul, further strengthening, quickening, or comforting him. The hypocritical formalist thirsts after these things, only that he might stop the mouth of natural conscience, or that he might appear to men to have something of Religion, or for some such low and unworthy end. Thus the thirst of a gracious heart hath a singularity in it, as to the object and end.   
Secondly, It is singular as to the degree and strength of it. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, saith the Psalmist. A formalist thus never thirsteth, he hath never such an appetite to an Ordinance, but he can either attend it or let it alone. When he is hottest, tell him of a Play, or a Market, and he can turn aside out of the Church-path thither: if he be seen at a Sermon, or a Prayer, 'tis rather out of wantonness than appetite: hence a little thing turns him aside, and a little serves his turn; four hours at a Comedy is too little, one at a Sermon, half of one in a Prayer, is too much. If he hath not a Sermon at his door, he is not thirsty enough to go a mile to hear one. The gracious soul goes from City to City, from strength to strength, passeth through Cities, and streets, and broad places. Psal. 119.20. 
Psal. 119.20.  My soul breaketh with the long it hath to thy judgements. Psal. 84.2. My soul longeth, yea, 
Psal. 84.2.  even fainteth for the courts of the Lord, my flesh crieth out for the living God.  
3. The thirst of a gracious soul is singular in the constancy of it, and its insatiableness. Psal. 119.20. My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements at all times. A formalist hath his fits of thirst, but they are but at some times, when the good mood comes upon him; and he is quickly satisfied, quickly cloyed. A gracious heart may have a greater thirst upon him at some times than at others, but the edge is never off his spiritual appetite, nor is he ever satisfied; he could (as to his spirit) his flesh indeed is weak) be always hearing lively and powerful Sermons, always praying; he is troubled to see the Glass so soon out, and the shadows of the evening so soon stretched upon the Lords days, and cries out to God, Blessed are they that are always before thee. He blesseth the Sparrows and Swallows. that can make nests at the Lords Altars.  
4. In fine, there is a singularity in this. The thirst of gracious souls is real and spiritual, the thirst of other souls is dissembled and carnal. An unregenerate man, whether profane and carnal, or formal and moral, may prefend a thirst after divine institutions, but he doth but pretend. What a stir did the generality of these make for Sacraments, when they have them with all the circumstances they desired, how little do they come at them? What longing did they pretend formerly to some forms of Devotion, which now they enjoy, how seldom are they at? how slightly do they attend? And as their thirst is pretended more than real, so it is carnal wherein it is real. There is a carnal part in Divine institutions. The Apostle tells us the Jews had carnal ordinances imposed on them; 
Heb. 9.10.  he saith they were but until the time of reformation, i. e. until the Gospel times. Such was their Music, their Levitical gay garments, their ceremonial rites, their worldly Sanctnary, which had the golden censer, the golden pot that had Manna, etc. Such institutions as pleased the outward senses, but did not inwardly affect the heart, nor had much influence upon that. In opposition to these, Job. 4.24. we are commanded to worship God in spirit and truth. Under the Gospel there is a carnal part also in Ordinances. In Prayer, in Preaching, the wit and neat composure or pronunciation of the Prayer or Sermon, they are but the carnal part. Now take an unsanctified heart, if it hath any thirst after any thing that hath the name, or looketh like a Divine institution, 'tis after the carnal part. You will see their copy, Ezech. 33.32. And lo thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument. Hence they mock at a Prayer that is not dressed up in fine language, and mock at Sermous that are not full of Sentences of Authors, pieces of wit, quibbles, and such like vanities, which (to use the term in the Prophet) are but like the souls bread mixed up with man's dung, which makes the gracious soul nauseate it. The hunger and thirst of a gracious soul is quite of another nature, 
Psal. 119.140.  Psal. 119.140. Thy word is pure; (saith David) therefore doth thy servant love it. The more plain, and spiritual, and scriptural, the more quick and powerful a Sermon is: the plainer and more spiritual the Prayer is, the more a truly gracious soul thirsteth after it, the more it allayeth his thirst and satisfieth his soul. Other preach and prayers, which are rather starched Orations, and exercises of wit, and ostentations of parts, he seethe so little of God in, so unlike the copies in holy Writ, so disproportioned to their end, that he will have nothing to do with them as long as he can enjoy any other, and feeds upon them as men do upon carrion and dung, only when they can come by no better food. This I have showed you the singularity of● gracious souls thirst after divine institutions.  
That there is such a thirst, such● singular thirst, is evident from this instance in the Text, and that of David expressed Psal. 63.1, 2.— my ●o● thirsteth for thee, 
Psal. 63.1, 2.  my flesh longeth for th●● in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. To see thy power and thy glory, as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 
Psal. 84.1, 2.  And again, Psal. 84.1, 2. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord, and my flesh crieth out for the living God. It is evident from the diligence of God's people in attending upon such institutions; it was prophesied of the Gospel times, that many should say, 
Isa. 2.3.  Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, 〈◊〉 the house of the God of Jaccob. He will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths. Though there were very many corruptions crept into the Jewish worship, yet our Saviour ordinarily went to their Synagogues, and aways to the Passover: and as to the last he saith, Luke 22.15. 
Luke 22.15.  With de●● have I desired to eat this passover with you. He thirsted not after their inventions and traditions, those he condemned, reproved, bore open and frequent testimony against; but he thirsted after his Father's institutions, though his Soul stood not in that need of them that we do. It is evident from the experience of every gracious heart, who finds this thirst within himself. But let us in the next place inquire the causer of this thirst, whence it is that in every gracious soul there is such a thirst, such a singular thirst after God's institutions. I shall assign a threefold cause.  

1. The strictness of the Divine Precept.  
2. The apprehension of the suitableness in them to the vacuities and wan● of the soul.  
3. A Christians experience of his former advantage from them.   
1. The strictness of the precept. Waiting upon God's institutions is a great piece of a Christians obedience. Of old, C●●enmcision, Sacrificing, the Passover, al● fell under a strict precept; for the mo● part with a commination, The soul th● did them not should be cut off from b● people. We do not find the like threatening under the new Testament, but● gracious heart feareth the analogy o● the one to the other, will evince it dangerous to neglect them. Whether 〈◊〉 doth or no, he is one that rejoiceth i● the Lords commandments above riches and cries out. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes. 
Psal. 119.14.  He is sensible that these are pieces of his homage to God, such pieces of homage as God eyeth in a special manner, and wherein his soul draweth nigh to God, this maketh him thirst of oer them. But this is not all.  
2. He so well understands the state of his own soul, and thenature of divine insitutions, that he apprehendeth in them an ●●esding suitableness to his souls wants. This highly increaseth his spiritual thirst. Let me here open a little this saitableness of divine institutions to the flate of the best souls on this side of heaven.  
1. The best of souls are growing, but ●●ver come to their full growth. Now the ●●titutions of God are the souls food and ●●ment; in order to this growth. The mark which is set in a Christians eye is, The fullness of the measure of stature which is in Christ. Perfection. Being holy as Christ is holy, perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. These are high marks; every good Christian levels at them, none hits them. St. Paul himself had not attained, but this one thing he did, forgetting what was behind, he pressed on to what was before. A good Christian never standeth still, but is always moving, adding to his faith, virtue; to virtue, temperance, etc. Growing in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ. Going on from strength to strength. Now the institutions of God are the means of growth, they are the souls food and nourishment 1 Pet. 2.2. As new born habes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. Psal. 119.130. The entram● of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple. They make wise the simple, enlighten the eyes. By them the servants of God are warned, etc. As well then can a growing child not hunger and thirst after food, the prop●● nourishment of its body; as soon m● a man not hunger and thirst for his m●● and drink, by which his soul is kept●● life, as a Christian not hunger and thir●● after the institutions of God, by which he groweth, and by which he is preserved in his spiritual state.  
2. Though the weakest of Gods childr● be in a better state than the best unreg●● rate man, yet none of their souls are in persect health. Now the Ordinances of God are their spiritual physic. The child of God, while he lives on this side heaven, is like a man or woman that hath a weak crazy constitution, he is not always alike ill disposed, nor always complains of the same distempers; but 'tis seldom that he is not complaining of one distemper or other. One while of an hard heart, another while of an heavy, ●ull, and dead spirit; one while of a sad and dejected spirit, another while of a di●racted vain spirit, etc. some ailment or other he always carries about with him, and will do, while his body of death abides in him, the fountain of all spiritual diseases. One while he is buffeted by platan, another while he is pressed with ●s own corruptions. Now the Ordinances of God are the leaves of the tree of life, appointed for the healing of the Nations. David was sadly distempered with a temptation from the prosperity of the wicked, while he was in adverfity, till he went into the sanctuary. 
Psal. 73.13.  Hannab was of a troubled spirit, till she went into the tabernacle to pray, than her countenance was no more sad. Psal. 119.81. My soul fainteth for thee, but I hope in thy word, verse 50. And so in many other Texts. As soon therefore may one labouring under daily pain, weakness, and distempers, not desire deliberately what shall heal him, as the child of God no● thirst after the institutions of God which are All-heal to his soul. The gre●● and easy means for his spiritual cure.  
Thirdly, The gracious soul is always looking after God, but never in this liffully seethe him. God's institutions are a● glasses to the soul, by which it hath a cleare● and fuller sight of God. The power and glory of God are seen in the Sanctuary Psal. 63.3. Next to the beholding o● God face to face it this beholding of him in duties of communion with him. O● what a communion with God doth the soul of a godly person ofttimes enjoy in a Prayer, in a Sacrament, in the hearing of the Word, and every sighted God is exceeding sweet. Thus I have opened to you the second thing, which is the cause of this singular spiritu● thirst.  
3. A third is, The Saints experiences God in Or dinances. There is no gracious soul, but at one time or other, in Prayer, in hearing the Word, in receiving the Sacrament, hath tasted and seen how good the Lord is. Now it is of our nature, having tasted that which we have found good and excellent, the more to long for it.  
But I shall add no more to the Doctrinal part of this discourse, I shall now come to the Application.  
In the first place we may learn what to judge of those, 
1. Use, In truct.  who either despise Gods institutions, or at least are very indifferent to them.  
1. There are too too many that despise them, they mock at Preaching, at Sacraments, at Prayer, they like a Play better, or see no need of them at all: some out of a principle of profaneness, fordid souls, that savour nothing of heaven and heavenly things, nothing of that noble end for which man is created, or to which he is obliged to direct his actions, whether they have souls or no they scarce understand: or if they have, whether they differ from the sensitive souls of Dogs or Swine's, they consider not. What the natural and animal life means they understand, but what the spiritual life meaneth they understand not. The drunkard thirsts after his cups of wine, or other liquor; the voluptuous man after his pleasures, the covetous man after wealth: but for those holy institutions of God, which are pabulum animae, those precious things by which men's souls live, they understand them not, they trample them under foot, and it may be rend them who bring them to them.  
Others there are that are not altogether thus bad, but yet are very indifferent as to these things; they can hear a Sermon, and they can let it alone, whether ever they be at one or no, whether ever they sit at the Lords Table or no, whether ever they pray or no, they are very mdifferent. O how unlike is the spirit of these men to the spirit of holy David? What would you say to a child that should be born, and never cry for food? would not you sit it had nothing in it of humane nature? or that it would not live long● You may as certainly conclude conceming such souls as these, that they have nothing in them of the Divine Nature, and they do not live at all the life of grace, nor ever will live the life of glory. There is no sadder sign, either of a dead soul, dead while it lives, dead in trespasses and sins; or of a decaying perishing soul, than the want of this spiritual appetite, this hungering and thirsting after the institutions of God.  
Hence (secondly) observe, 
2. Br.  How necessarily precious the true able faithful Ministers of the Gospel must be to gracious souls. They are the earthen vessels, which bring this heavenly treasure. It was said of old, Blessed is he that comes unto us in the name of the Lord. And Rom. 10.15. 
Rom. 10.15.  How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace. The Ordinance of the Ministry in this hath the pre-eminence of other institutions, because by it we come to the enjoyment of all other public Ordinances. How shall they hear without a preacher, (saith the Apostle) and how shall they preach except they be sent? Ordinances of public communion with God, being justly precious to gracious souls, the key to them, the hand which brings them must needs also be precious. I say, true, able and faithful Ministers.  
1. True Ministers. Every pretender is not so, there were Prophets of old, there are Ministers now in the world, whom Christ never sent. Under the Gospel there were false Apostles, that brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, high fine words. Those whom God hath sent are easily distinguished from others, not so much from the particular Church that sendeth them, which may disser in her external Rites and forms of mission, but from their ability and faithfulness, the two following things.  
2. Able Ministers. 
2 Cor. 3.6.  Able to what? To read a Prayer, or a Sermon, a little ability serveth for this. Able to teach, able to pour out his people's souls unto God in prayer, to speak a word in season to the weary, to instruct the ignorant, resolve the doubting, confirm the staggering. Through God's assistance to open the eyes of the blind, 
Acts 26.18.  to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Able to open the whole counsel of God unto people. To divide the word of God aright, showing themselves workmen that need not be ashamed.  
3. Faithful Ministers. A man may be able that is not faithful; that's faithful Minister that doth the Lords work faithfully, feeding the souls of people with food convenient for them, not with notions and language they understand not. A faithful Minister is one that considereth his end, to convert, build up, and perfect souls to eternity, and proportioneth due means, and applieth them faithfully to that end. He preacheth in season, out of season; rebuketh, exborteth, with all faithfulness, meekness, authority, gravity, etc. that he may save his own soul, and the souls of others. He administereth holy institutions, according to the rule his Master hath given him, and durst not err from it. Now I say it is impossible, but such as these should be exceeding precious to gracious souls; and for the same reason others must be as vile and abominable to them. As they are the cheats of immortal souls, and that in things of highest importance and concernment; such as instead of being means to convey the waters of life to them, are the means to keep them from them, and to deceive them with the puddle waters of men's fancies. But I shall not dwell longer on this.  
Thirdly, 
3. Br.  Observe from hence, That a good Christian is to be judged much from his affection to Ordinances. As in other pieces of his duty, so in this, he is not so much to be determined from his actions, as from his affections. St. Paul did the things which be would not, and could not do those things which he would, but yet he delighted in the Law of God as to the inward man. So it is here. Presence at God's Ordinance will not conclude a Christian indeed, formalists and hypocrites may be present; 
Isa 58.2.  Yet they seek me daily, (saith God.) A godly man may be absent, David is forcedly absent. Or it may be as 1 Sam. 2.17. 
1 Sam. 2.17.  The Priests were so vile, and their administrations so irregular, that God's people may (as they did there) abhor the offering of the Lord. But here's the difference, A wicked man, though he drinks, yet doth not thirst; his going to Ordinances is like the drunkards going to the alehouse, more to satisfy his lust than to quench any thirst; he hath a lust to appear to be something, when he is nothing, to give what credit he can to some particular person that administereth, or to some particular way of worship, or to run thwart to others. The godly man, though he cannot, though he dare not always drink, yet he always thirsts. A temptation may awe him from drinking at the purest and most wholesome waters of the Sanctuary. Or some mixture may make him afraid, but nothing can keep him from a due thirsting after God's holy and pure Institutions.  
In the next place therefore, Use 2 let us take an hint from hence to try whether the true Spirit of Christians breatheth in us yea or no. Grande est Christianum esse non dici. It is a small thing to be called Christians, it is a great thing to be a Christian indeed. If thou be'st so, thy soul will thirst after the institutions of God. As a newborn babe thou wilt desire the milk of the Word, that thou mayst grow thereby. And that thou mayst not deceive thyself, consider what thou hast heard.  
1. Thy thirst will be after God in the Ordinance. For thee, for the living God, saith David. If thy thirst be such as can be allayed without any thing of God, I mean, any influence of God upon thy soul through the conduit of the Ordinance, it is no more than a formal hypocrite may have. What sayest thou, Christian? Is this the temper of thy soul? Thou longest for an hour of prayer, to hear a good Sermon, and when thou hast had thy desire, art thou unsatisfied still, unless thou hast found God coming into thy soul in Prayer, and speaking to thee in the Sermon, this speaks a Christian indeed, if any thing less than this will satisfy thee, thou wilt fetch nothing of evidence from it, it is no more than hypocrites may do, who take these attendances for their righteousness, and have a kind of thirst to them, that they may have something to glory in before God.  
2. Thy thirst (secondly) will be after divine institutions in their purest and most powerful administrations. The end of a Christian in waiting upon God in holy institutions, being partly that he might pay an homage to God, i. e. do what God hath required of him as his duty, and partly that in them he may meet with God, and find his presence and power. His thirst must necessarily be thus circumstanced, for he argueth thus with himself, Hath God any where prescribed me this service or mode of Worship? If not, how can I think to please or do homage to him by an action which he never required of me, nor did it ever come into his heart to direct me any such thing? Again, Wherefore should I desire Ordinances, but that in them I may see the presence and power of God? Can I expect either the presence or power of God in humane iffventions? And as his thirst is after the most pure, so it is after the most quick and lively administrations; after such praying where the heart is most melted, and poured out like water before the Lord. Such preaching, where the Preacher comes closest to the soul, and does not play off in generals only, as if he were afraid to touch the sores of souls, or to tell people of their sins. For a judicious Christian, though he knows the efficacy of the Ordinance, doth not depend upon the purity or ability of the Administrator; yet he also knows, that in this period of time God useth not to work miracles, but to concur with probable means, means that have some rational tendency to the end; and suitably he observeth, that God in the dispensation of his grace, ordinarily co-operates with such Ministers as live their Doctrine, and speak the Oracles of God as the Oracles of God; with plainness, gravity, life and power. He knows the end of preaching is not scratching a peevish humour, nor tickling the ear, but affecting and changing the heart. 
Psal. 63.1.  David desired to see the power and glory of God in his Sanctuary.  
Thirdly, If we truly thirst after Divine institutions, we will not despise a plainer draught, provided it be wholesome. God distributeth his gifts even to his Ministers variously: to some he giveth more excellent abilities as to the same acts. Some are not only able to preach the wholesome Word of God, but as good Cooks, they are able to make the wholesome food of the Word appear more lovely by handsome language, apt similitudes, neat allusions. Others have not this ability, yet it may be open and apply the Word of God faithfully. I must confess, the best of Christians have cold, and feeble, and teachy stomaches, that they have need of all due art to commend their food to them: yea, and this excellency of gifts in some is the special privilege of some, with which God ordinarily blesseth them in order to some more ●●inent services for souls, than others ●●all be honoured to do. And therefore ●●cannot blame Christians, knowing the dulness and deadness of their hearts, ●● desire the best advantages they can give themselves, and (where choice is) ●o desire to sit under the ablest Ministry. Austin once wished to hear Paul ● the Pulpit. But yet the soul that truly thirsts after God's institutions, ●●ill not despise his spiritual food, hough it be not brought him in a Lordly dish; He considereth thus with himself, 'Tis the word that nourisheth my soul, not the wit, not the quai●● expressions are which it is served to me, the good of these is determined in my carnal part. I must love th● word, because it is pure, not because 〈◊〉 is wittily delivered, and the matte● neatly couched. A good stomach we say, needeth no sauce. Therefore though in a time of choice and plenty a gracious heart will prefer the able● Preachers, who can give the word mo●● advantage by their parts. Yet as eve● than he will not despise the performances of him who hath the meane●● gifts and abilities (provided that h● doth not handle the word of God deceitfully, or negligently) so in a tim● of scarcity he will much less do it.  
Fourthly, The soul that truly ●●●eth after Divine Institutions, will em●●●●● what he can, when he cannot enjoy wh●● he would. When I say, he will embrace what he can: I mean what 〈◊〉 is satisfied in his conscience that 〈◊〉 may enjoy without sin. Sin is such 〈◊〉 thing, as nothing can tempt a gracious soul to it, he knows that it is impossible he should please God by an action wherein he presumptuously sinneth against him, especially too in matters of worship, where he is more especially jealous, he knows participation of Ordinances is not absolutely necessary to salvation; if therefore he cannot hear a Sermon, or receive a Sacrament, but he must before or in it, defile his soul with sin, he rather chooseth to forbear the Ordinance, than run the guilt of the sin. But suppose circumstances such, that a good Christian cannot enjoy every institution, but some he may. I say, he that hath a true spiritual thirst, will enjoy what he can, when he cannot enjoy what he desireth. The Disciples would gladly have heard Paul 〈◊〉 the Synagogues as they had wont, 
Acts 19.8. 9, 10, 11.  ●●swading the things concerning the Kingdom of God. But when men come to be hardened, and to speak evil of the righteous ways of God before the multitude, so as Paul can speak no more openly: those that are true Disciples will hear him though in the school of Tyrannus. If Paul cannot Preach at midday, 
Acts 20.7.  and break bread, they will hear him till midnight. I do not speak here to plead for those coetus antelucani; which the Heathen so much scandalised Christians in origen's time for, but only to show you by these instances, that it is no new thing for Christians to make any shift to taste any thing of Christ in his Ordinances. The Ancients justified the Christians of those days for those meetings, though in times of liberty they had not been Eligible● If a Christian truly thirsts after Divine Institutions, if he cannot go with the multitude to the House of God, yet he will not omit the homage of two o● three gathered together in the Lord's name. 
Jo. 20.19.  The Disciples when they could not assemble openly, nor have door open for fear of the Jews, yet they assembled and shut the doors, and enjoyed the Institutions of God, and Jesus cam● and stood in the midst amongst then and said, Peace be unto you. It argue● not a thirsty and ingenuous, but a wanton and teachy soul, when it will make use of no means of Grace, because h● cannot enjoy all under such circum stances as he desireth.  
5. Fifthly, Who so hath the true Spirit of a Christian in this thing, will be content for the enjoyment of God's institutions to encounter some difficulties. We use to say, Hunger will break through 〈◊〉 stone wall. We see what those natural passion's will do in brute creatures, and 〈◊〉, reasonable creatures. The spiritual ●unger and thirst will do much more with a Christian, and in reason must, as the preservation of a spiritual life, and the prospect, and hope of that life which is Eternal, is more valuable than the preservation and enjoyment of a natural life.  
6. Lastly, A true Christian when he cannot enjoy Divine Institutions yet will 〈◊〉 crying after them. When shall I come ●●d appear before God, saith David: and again, Psalm 27.4. 
Psal. 27.4.  One thing have Ide●●nd of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his Temple. But by this time methinks I hear some good Christians say to me.  
Case. Is this indeed the temper of every true Christian, May I then conclude myself a true child of God, if I find such a thirst in my soul after God in his Ordinances, though I do not meet with those enjoyments of God in his Ordinances which I desire? Saith another, If this be true, I'm much afraid of myself, I do not find such a thirst as you have mentioned, or if any, yet not after all Ordinances. No● is it so even a temper as I desire. Sometimes I am passionately desirous of them, or of some of them: at other times me think I find too much of an indifferent Spirit in this point: I even force myself sometimes t● my duty, at other times I can attend them, but I do not find such a desire to them, as 〈◊〉 would do: but could almost be content to live without them● What shall I judge of myself i● this case?  
To this case which is complex, containing: the cases of different souls, I shall speak in some few Conclusions following.  
A Real, Spiritual, vehement thirst after God, in Divine Institutions, 
1. Concl.  will (I think unquestionably) speak a true Christian. I say a true thirst, not pretended and feigned, a spiritual thirst after the pure, divine, substantial part of the Institution, separated from the less significant circumstances of the administration after God in the Ordinance, when the enjoyment of the presence of God, and communion with him is made the ultimate object, and Ordinances are desired for that. This thirst I say will argue one to have tasted of the grace of God: For, 

1. We find no record in Scripture of any such thirst, but in truly honest and gracious souls.  
2. Whence can such a thirst proceed, but from the new nature, making choice of its spiritual food? Those that walk after the flesh, mind the things of the flesh, Those after the Spirit, do mind the things of the Spirit. 
Rom. 8.5.  In Ordinances, the carnal man can mind nothing but the carnal part: he is more pleased with the noise of the Music, than the matter of the Song; with the tone, and method, and behaviour, and phrase, and wit of the Preacher, than the spiritual convincing matter of the Sermon: more with the tone and language of him that prayeth, or ministereth in prayer, than with the pouring out of the soul in prayer; it argues a spiritual man in duties to mind the things of the Spirit. In them,  
3. Again, A Christian is not to be judged from his success in duty, nor from his action, but from his affection and temper to it. The success is from God, and is various, as it pleaseth him to deal with a poor soul. In his action he may be hindered of his will, by the encumbrance of the body of death, which cleaveth to the best of God's children, and bringeth the Law of his mind in captivity, to the Law of his members. So that were a Christian before me that could say no more than this, My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the Ordinances of God, I cannot say, that when I enjoy them, I find so much in them, of peace, or satisfaction as I desire, but yet my heart beateth for them, I could be content to be a dweller in the House of the Lord, always hearing his word, always at prayer, yet I cannot hear as I would, nor pray as I desire. I should not doubt to say, Be of good cheer, thy soul is in a good condition: Flesh and blood hath never revealed this to thee, this thirst, this passionate desire, cometh from him that hath called thee to be partaker of his distinguishing grace. There is no such thirst found in any unrenewed soul.    
Secondly, As it is with the natural body, the appetite may decay, 
2. Concl.  but the body cannot long subsist without some appetite: so it is with the soul; there may be some decay in the spiritual appetite; but the soul that hath a truth of spiritual life, cannot long subsist without some spiritual appetite to Divine Institutions. I say, there may in a gracious soul be some thatement of spiritual appetite to Divine Institutions, which may be caused, 

1. From a plenty of them: through our natural corruption: when we are full we wax wanton; when the Israelites had a fullness of Manna, 
Nu. 21.5.  Num. 21. 5●. They cried out, Our soul loatheth this light bread. 
1 Sa. 3.1.  1 Sam. 3.1. The word of God was precious in those days, there was no open vision: intimating, it was less precious, when it was more common. We have seen sad experiences of it. Have you seen persons delicately said with plenty of choicest meats, pingle at a good and wholesome dish before them, scarce knowing where to pick a bit to please them, or how to advantage their stomach with Sauce rare enough, and turning it away when there hath been but a little error of a Cook in roasting or garnishing it, o● in the cleanness or brightness of a dish it hath been served up in: When an hungry labouring man, hath presently sell greedily to it, though without any Sauce and in a plain dish: Such a sight you might lately have seen in the House of God amongst us, how nice and squeamish were Christians, how little cared they for an honest Sermon, if not delivered with such a grace, such an authority and gravity (as was the gift of God to some particular persons) with such neatness of method and phrase, as was not the portion of every faithful Minister to serve them with. This proceeded only from our corruptions in regard of our plenty of spiritual enjoyments.  
2. Secondly, Such an abatement of spiritual appetite may proceed from the predominancy of some particular lusts or corruptions. It is no wonder if the young man that eateth coals and dirt, or the man whose stomach is clogged with crudities and noxious humours, abates in his appetite to his due food. A child of God, though he doth not seed 〈◊〉 coals and dirt, lusts and corruptions, ●s his daily bread, as natural and unregenerate men do, yet he may sometimes have a vitiated  (a stranger ●ay come even to David's house) there may be a time when iniquities may ●●●ail against him, when the Sons of lerviah may be too hard for him, and 〈◊〉 such a day, there will be an abatement of the spiritual appetite to its ●oper food.  
3. Sometimes this abatement may be caused from some discouragement which the soul hath received at the Ordinance. It may, and it often doth so happen, that the soul of a Christian findeth not that satisfaction at Sermons, at Sacraments, in hours of prayer, which he expected; and hoped for; but it may be he returneth from the Ordinance more sad than he went, and this from day to day, and this discouragement abateth his appetite, he hungers, he thirsteth still, but not with such a degree, as he formerly found, under better encouragements.  
4. Lastly, It sometimes happeneth by his listening to some powerful Temptation▪ A melancholic fancy, or an ill report of our food from others will often spoil our natural stomach, and at least abate our appetite. We see it often in melancholic persons, either some odd fancy of their own, or some idle story of another persuading them the meat is not proper for them, will take them of their stomach, the same unhappy humour will do it as to our spiritual food, especially if advantaged by any suggestion of the Envious One, who knows our advantage from the institutions of God.    
Upon those accounts (amongst others) I say it is possible that the appetite of a good Christian may abate, or seem to abate, as to his proper spiritual food: but a soul that truly lives the spiritual life cannot long want an appetite, any more, than a body can long live without appetite to meat.  
Thirdly, It is very possible, that a jea●●s Christian may mis-judge himself as to his spiritual thirst: 
3. Concl.  and this 1. Either ●●dging he hath none, when he either hath not so much as he desireth, or not so much as he hath formerly had, or not so much to one Divine Institution as to another.  

1. When he hath not so much as he desireth. The truly gracious soul is exceeding covetous, as soon may the ●●ave, or the barren womb, or any of those things Solomon mentions as insatiable be satisfied; as the gracious soul ●●y, I have enough of any gracious disposition; now this a great error to conclude a total want of the thing, from a partial want only relating to a degree. Besides, a gracious soul is naturally exceeding jealous and suspicious; jealous of Christ's love to it; suspicious of its own love to Christ, and this indeed makes it take advantage to mis-judge itself, from the want of a desired degree of grace.  
2. Secondly, When it doth not find such a vehement thirst as it hath formerly had, either in the beginning of its Conversion, or it may be at some particular times since: though a gracious soul never wants an appetite to the institutions of Christ, yet there are times when its appetite is greater, and thirst stronger and more vehement: as First, 

1. In the beginning of its Conversion When the soul hath received the first powerful impressions of the word upon its conscience, and is first raised to a lively hope in the promise. Oh how sweet then is every opportunity of hearing, prayer, etc. It is the observation of Divines, that in this time affections are always strongest, passion for God always highest; the reason i● because the souls taste is then most imperfect; its sense of mercy quickest. The Woman loves her Husband as well afterward, as upon her first marriage: but not so passionately afterwards as at first.  
2. After some restraint from those enjoyments, whether from natural or moral causes. God in the Prophecy of Amos threatens a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. Then (saith he), they shall run from City to City, to seek one who shall speak to them in the name of the Lord.  
3. In the beginning of some spiritual desertion: Cant. 3.2. at this time the Spouse risen, and went about the City, in the streets, and in the broad ways seeking him whom her soul loved. I say in the beginning, for many times in the process of a desertion, temptations arise upon the soul from the discouragements which it meets with in performance of spiritual duties. Now it is an erroneous judgement to determine that we have no spiritual hunger and thirst, because we have it not in so great a degree.    
3. Thirdly, A soul may be afraid, o● at least not so fond of an Ordinance after discouragements met with in it, and yet may have a true thirst to it. A man eats, and is continually sick after h●● meat, it will make him not to be so fond of his meat; yet he may have mind enough to it; he sits down with a kind of fear to his meat, yet he hath an appetite to it.  
4. Fourthly, A temptation may prevail upon a soul. That he shall dish●●nour God, or increase his own damnation by waiting upon God in such or such an Ordinance, this makes him he dare not do it, yet his appetite to it may be good enough.   
It is very possible, 
4. Concl.  that a Christian may have a more singular, special appetite to one Ordinance than another. There is no reason for this in the Ordinance. All Ordinances have the same stamp of Divine Institution upon them; an attendance upon them, all falling under the same Authority of Divine Precept; all of them being under a like Ordination for the beginnings or perfectings of grace, yet there is a reason for this in our self-love; which inclineth every one most to desire and delight in those institutions, in which he hath ●et with more sensible manifestations 〈◊〉 the presence, power and goodness of ●od: hence you shall find some Chri●●●rs more delighted in prayer, others ●●re in hearing the word. Though 〈◊〉 fault of this be the corruption of ●r hearts, yet it is no more than is the ordinary weakness and infirmity of the 〈◊〉 precious souls; and therefore a Christian finding this hath no reason ●o mis-judge himself as totally wanting ●is spiritual appetite.  
The want of appetite to any institution 〈◊〉 Christ, 
5. Concl.  is what no gracious soul ought ●●llow himself in. I told you before, ●t they all have the Image and Super●●●ption of the Lord Jesus Christ upon 〈◊〉. They all fall under an equal ●●●ority of Divine Precept. Then 〈◊〉 saith holy David) shall I not be ashamed, when I shall have respect to all thy commandments. They are all (as I ●●d before) under an ordination for our 〈◊〉 advantage, and are the proper ●●d of Christians; and there can be no reason assigned for a partial respect to any institution of Christ's, but some selfishness in us. If therefore this be thy temper (Christian!) that thou an enamoured, and exceeding fond upon one Ordinance, of another not so Look upon it as thy infirmity, not condemning thyself for it as one not at a● thirsting after God in his institutions but as what thou oughtest not to allow thyself in, but to groan under, to search the cause of it, and not to leave thy soul until thou hast brought it in to a more even temper.  
Lastly, 
6. Concl.  As a total want of this spiritual thirst after Divine Institutions unquestionably speaketh a dead soul; one that hath nothing of the life of grace but is dead in trespasses and sins still, an● never tasted how good the Lord i● so a faint decaying appetite to them, argue a declining and a decaying soul. Let 〈◊〉 be upon what principle it will, whether of looseness, not being able to be●● the strict yoke of Christ, and to kee● thyself so close to duties: Or fro● a dream of a state of perfection, an● a life of God above Ordinances. The reason is plainly here. There is no such thing as absolute perfection here. Ordinances are the souls food: and while a soul lives on this side of Heaven, it cannot better live without them, than the natural body can live without water. Observe I pray you,  
1. Spiritual life lies in spiritual ●nion with Christ. All life consists in ●nion, the natural life in the union betwixt the soul and body. Eternal life 〈◊〉 nothing else but an union with God in glory: so spiritual life is nothing but the souls spiritual union with Christ.  
2. All Union is preserved by communion i● mutual communication: the natural union which is betwixt the soul and body is preserved, by the souls communication of its self to the body in various influences. Eternal life will be maintained by God's communications of himself to the souls of his people glotified, and their communications of themselves unto him: His shining upon them with glory, their beholding him with love and satisfaction. The spiritual union that also is maintained by Christ's communication of himself to the soul, and the souls reciprocal communications of itself to Christ; God upholds, strengthens, quickens, comforteth the soul; the soul eyeth God, adereth to him, trusteth and hopeth in him, and fetches down what is in Christ home to itself by these exercises of grace.  
3. All communion betwixt Christ and a soul is either by secret impressions, acts and influences, or else by Ordinances. By secret impressions, acts and influences, and these are more ordinarily on God's part, and more especially on our parts in and by Ordinances. It is true, the soul hath its soliloquies, and silent acts of communion with God; it may, and that out of an Ordinance, meditate on him exercise an act of faith, love, hope, etc. All which are acts of communion with God; but those are more eminently performed in duties of Worship, and infinitely helped and advantaged by them. It is true also, that God sometimes out of a more public and open act of Worship may communicate himself to a soul, and doubtless doth, it may be by night while it is upon his bed, while it sits alone in the house; but most eminently in Ordinances: David saw the Lords power and glory in his Sanctuary. It was his promise of old, Wheresoever I record my name to dwell, there will I meet my people and bless them. God of old you know was wont to appear betwixt the Cherubims; when Christ's Disciples were met together once and again after his resurrection, than Christ came in amongst them, and said, Peace be to you. The Promise under the New Testament is, Where two or three are gathered together in my name. I will be in the midst amongst them.  
Hence 4. The soul spiritually united 〈◊〉 Christ, must as naturally thirst after divine Institutions, as the body after the ●●ans of preserving the union betwixt ●●e soul and it.  
The decay of this thirst must needs ●●gue a decaying soul: for as Hezekiah ●●id Isa. 38. (either of Promises, or Affection's, I know it is variously interpreted) By these things men live. By ●●se things the union betwixt the soul 〈◊〉 Christ is maintained. And as the ●●t of appetite in the body to proper food argues the stomach filled, o● cloyed with noxious and pernicious humours; so the want of this Spiritual appetite, speaks a soul clogged with some pernicious lusts and corruptions. But I have insisted too long upon this branc● of Application.  
I shall finish this discourse with on● word of Exhortation. 
Exhort.  That you would keep alive this spiritual thirst after th● Institutions of God, and that under tho●● circumstances which you have heard. Yo● have heard (and I hope I need not repeat it to you) how great an evidence it is of a gracious heart, how much 〈◊〉 was the temper of the Saints of God who have lived before us; I need no● speak more by way of Argument in the case. I shall only prescribe some directions in order to it, and I have done.  

1. Keep alive in your souls the true notion of them. The true notion of them is this, They are appointments of Christ so● our salvation, and in the performance 〈◊〉 which he hath promised to meet the soul that seek him. So long as Ordinance are apprehended as Institutions of Christ they will be precious to all those 〈◊〉 whom Christ is precious. The soul fears concerning the Sacrament of the Supper, Do this in remembrance of me; and it is presently inflamed with a de●●re to the Ordinance. Should I not 〈◊〉 saith an honest soul) remember him that died upon the cross for me, I will remember his death until his coming again. Go preach the Gospel to every creature: He that believeth, and is baptised ●●ll be saved: And again, He that hear●● you, heareth me. The gracious soul fades this. Should I not hear Jesus Christ, saith the soul? Indeed if the ●●eacher instead of preaching Christ, ●●eacheth himself, or preacheth contra●● to what is apparently the revealed ●●th and will of Christ, the case is ●herwise: but it is impossible an Or●●ance should be administered according to the institution of Christ; but a ●acious soul retaining a true notion of ●●se institutions, must thirst after it: ●ecially, when he considers them as ●itutions for the good of a soul, 〈◊〉 in the performance of which, he 〈◊〉 promised to meet it. Indeed the 〈◊〉 is otherwise, if it once falls under a mistake in the due notion of Ordinances. If it once fancieth, that Preaching is nothing but making an● Oration, an exercise of parts or wit●● and therefore the quibbling Sermons are best. The soul of a gracious person doth not lie so near the air as to desire to be delighted in such pleasing sounds. If once a Christian comes to apprehend religious performances, but as politic constitutions, for keeping people in some awe, or under some such other mean notion; Its thirst after them is spoiled. Though it be something to an honest heart, that the Politic State under which it liveth hath need of them, to keep people from degenerating to Beasts: yet it is more to it to consider; It's immortal soul hath need of them, to keep it from everlasting burn, from trouble's o● conscience, etc. But,  
2. Secondly, Keep but a watchful ey●● upon your own hearts: Know yourselves your own wants and weaknesses, and you need no more (considering what I said under the former head) to bring you to an appetite, or to preserve in your souls a due appetite to Gospel Institutions; he that observeth the proneness of his heart to wax hard, will easily understand the need he hath of the word to soften it; he that considers his own forgetfulness of what his Lord hath done for him, will thirst after the Sacrament of the Supper that he may in it remember the Lords death until he come. Whoso observeth his own weakness to spiritual duties, to resist strong corruptions, will thirst for the Word and Sacraments to strengthen him, he that considers his daily need of Divine influences will thirst after an hour of prayer, that he may beg them from God. In short, there's no soul is indifferent to Ordinances, but he who never tasted how good the Lord is, who either knoweth nothing of God, or nothing as he ought to know it; study thyself, understand thy own state, that's enough.  
3. Keep yourselves under the purest and most lively administrations. I call those the purest administrations, where there is nothing, or least of man's mixture, where Ordinances are administered most exactly according to the Divine Rule. The Doctrine of the Perfection of the Scriptures, is a point we defend against the Papists. All Protestants grant it as to matters of Doctrine, why they should not also agree, that it is so, as to matters of Worship and Discipline, I can not tell. As to acts of Worship they all yield it too, as to circumstances of humane actions in Divine Worship, viz. such as no humane actions (as such) can want, none can deliberately contend for it. The Question is concerning Ceremonies, or if they will call them so, circumstances of Worship. In very deed it will be a nice distinction, and such as can abide no test, to distinguish betwixt an act of Worship, and a circumstance of Worship. I mean such a circumstance as is not appendent to the action, from its nature, and necessarily, but affixed to it by men without any necessity. But not to digress here into that dispute; The more strictly a Gospel Institution is administered according to the letter and examples of Christ and his Apostles in Holy Writ, the more there is of God in it, the more of Divine presence and influence is to be expected in it, and from it, The more plain and Scriptural a Sermon is, the more authority it comes down with upon the conscience. The honest heart saith to the acquaint and oratorial Preacher, to the quoter of Fathers and Schoolmen to justify what he saith. Paul I know, and Jesus I know. The Old Testament I know, and the New I know, but for Augustine, and Hierom, and Aquinas, who are they? Possibly worthy persons in their Ages: but it is the word of God, not their dictates which command the conscience. For your high phrased Preachers, they signify nothing to the conscience, the hearers, (as Luther was wont to say) intelligunt ●●bum arte super se compositum ideo nau●●nt: they loathe the word thus canopied up in the language of men puffed 〈◊〉 in the conceit of their own parts, and desirous to seem some thing; when indeed they are nothing but folly and vanity. There is abundance of ●reaching is good for nothing but to ●oil good Christians stomaches to hea●ing, and to make them loath their food, by reason of the fantastic sauce: if you would keep your appetite to Ordinances, keep the purest and most lively administrations of them.  
4. Fourthly, Remember the days of old, the years of former times. I doubt not but many of you, have heretofore tasted how good the Lord hath been, you have tasted it in a Sermon, convincing you of sin, working faith in you, bringing a word in season to your souls, that hath even ravished your souls with the joy of it. You have enjoyed much of God in a Sacrament, in a few hours of prayer. Oh, let not the memory of those good days to your souls, go out of your hearts; and if you remember them, you cannot but long for more of them.  
It is almost impossible to imagine that a soul, that ever in earnest tasted of God in Ordinances, should not cry out, Lord evermore give us that bread: those that grow weary of Divine Institutions, are such as never experienced the goodness and excellency of them.  
5. Watch against the prevailing of lusts and corruptions. It is ordinarily experienced in the natural body: A soul stomach hath no appetite, or very little and teachy: noxious humours in the stomach blunt the edge of it to its proper food. It is as true to the soul, suffer pride, vanity of Spirit, any spiritual, or sensual lust, to prevail upon you, you will soon lose your appetite to spiritual things. Keep your soul clean from these things, and your appetite will be sharp.  
6. If you would keep your appetite to Divine Institutions, improve them when you have them. Indigested meat corrupts the stomach, and takes off the edge of it. The reason for this is; This thirst after Ordinances, as it is first caused from an apprehended suitableness in them to the souls needs, so it is increased, by the souls experience of the truth of that apprehension. This it never hath without an improvement of the Institution: I mean such a ruminating upon it, such a digestion and application of it, as the soul may suck out the juice and virtue of it, and find that a Sermon is not to his soul, as a tale that is told, nor a Sacrament as a mere morsel of bread, and a draught of Wine. Would you keep alive your thirst after Divine institutions, when you have heard a Sermon, go sit alone, think of what you have heard, what truth you have been instructed in, and call to your souls to remember, and believe it, what sin you have been convinced of, and call again to your souls to consider it, and to avoid it. What duty you have been admonished of, and call to your souls to arise and do it.  
7. Lastly, Beg this great blessing of God. You beg, or should beg an appetite to your bodily bread, much more to your spiritual food. Christians, I doubt not, but in these times of spiritual scarcity, you beg Sermons of God, you beg Preachers of him who is the Lord of the Harvest. In this you do your duty, but let not this be all. Beg stomaches for yourselves, as well as mouths for us. I am afraid it was too great a decay of this spiritual thirst, that brought on God's dreadful voider, and brought the Wells of Salvation to so low a state, as you see them. If you could by begging of God recover your appetite again, I doubt not, but he who feedeth the young Ravens when they cry, would also hear and feed you: and in his Fatherly Providence so order it, that you should not have Scorpions instead of Fish, and Stones instead of Bread. Nor as the Spouse, be smitten and wounded, 
Can. 5.7.  and have your vail taken from you, by pretended Watchmen, whiles you are sick of love, and ask them in your distress, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth.   
FINIS.   
Jer. 14.19. Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? Hath thy soul loathed Zion? Why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, and there is no good, and for the time of healing, and behold trouble. s 
THE words I have read are agreed by all to be the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, he was one of those Prophets who prophesied last in Judah, before their carrying away into the seventy years' Captivity of Babylon, chap. 1.2. He prophesied in the days of Josiah, and in the days of Jehoiakim, and so to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, which was about forty years: He began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of Josiah, 
Jer. 1.2.  and prophesied eighteen years during the reign of Josiah, than three months during the ●●ign of Joachaz, or Jeconias; and eleven years during the reign of Je●iachim, a second son of Josiah, and three months more during the reign of ●●hoiachin; and eleven years during the ●●ign of Zedekiah. At what time he ●ophesied what we have in this cha●●er recorded is not expressed, probably before the death of Josiah. The ●●ticular judgement which God at his time had given him a prospect of, ●as a Dearth, as in verse 〈◊〉 dearth ●●rough want of rain, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  (as the Hebrew ●ord signifieth) and so the Text makuch it plain, verse 3. The Nobles sent their 〈◊〉 one's to the water, they came to the 〈◊〉 and found no water. verse 4. The 〈◊〉 was chapped, there was no rain on 〈◊〉 earth. ver. 7, 8, 9 The Prophet ●on the prospect of this-dreadful ●●dgment, puts up a fervent prayer to God. To which the Lord returns an angry answer, verse 10, 11, 12. 〈◊〉 short, he bids Jeremiah pray no more fo● them, for he would consume them by sword famine and pestilence. As there is an acceptable day, a day when the Lord will be found, so there is a time when his Spirit shall no longer strive with man, his patience shall no longer be tired though Noah, Daniel and Job pray they shall but deliver their own souls the decree is gone forth. Verse 13. Jerem tells the Lord, that there were a breed of Prophets sang another tune to this sinful people, and told them they should have peace, and neither see sword no● famine. Thus Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses. Such wretches have been in all ages, when the Devil gets 〈◊〉 commission to seduce a people to ruine● the instruments he useth to execute 〈◊〉 are profane, ignorant, lying Priests. Th●● was the way, you know, Satan to●● God he would seduce Ahab to go an fall at Ramoth-Gilead. I will go, (sait● he) and be a lying spirit in the mouth 〈◊〉 his Prophets.  
The Lord tells Jeremy, 
Verse 14.  these Prophets were not of his sending, they prophesied lies in his Name, false visions, divinations, things of naught, the deceit of their own hearts: yet without doubt these were the generality of the Jewish Ministers, men brought up in the Schools of the Prophets; and in the orders of their Church, and clothed with an external call to their works. Even under the Law God allowed his people a judgement of discretion, and did not oblige them to believe what their Priests said without any examination of it. It is possible regular Priests and Prophets may not be sent by God, nor ●ught people to look upon them so, when they find them speaking contrary ●o the Word of God. But Oh! it is a dangerous thing for the Ministers of truth to become the messengers of lies! for us to corrupt the Word of God. Dangerous it is to ourselves. 
Verse 15.  Tell these Prophets, (saith the Lord) By sword and ●●mine you shall be consumed. It is dangerous for the people, If the trumpet ●●ve an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? If the Ministers try, All is well, God is well pleased; do wickedly still, you do God good service in it. The interpretation be to the enemies of all good men. How easily are people hardened and encouraged in vile courses. 
Verse 16.  But shall their Priests words save them? No. The people (saith God) to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, because of the famine and the sword, and there shall be none to bury them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them. The lie of the Prophet never justifieth the credulity of the people. God expecteth that his people should search the Scriptures, and examine whether those things the Minister speaks be conformable to his Word or no; and yield no further assent to what they say, than what they find ground for there.  
After this, 
Verse 17.18.  God directeth the Prophet to act the person of a mourner before the people, upon a prospect of his judgements to come, as if they already were come. Oh! how loath the Lord is to destroy a people amongst whom he hath once had a Name! How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboiim? Jeremiah knowing he had to do with a gracious God, that sometimes repenteth himself of the evil he hath threatened, and brings it not upon a people, sets himself to prayer as the proper means (if any would do) to avert the vengeance of God.  
His prayer gins with the words of my Text, and holds on to the end of the Chapter. In which you have.  

1. A servant Expostulation, Hast thou utterly rejected Judah! hath thy soul loathed Zion! Why, etc.  
2. A sad representation of the state of the people.   

1. They were smitten, and there was no healing for them.  
2. Their expectation was frustrated, We looked for peace, and there is no good, and for the time of healing, and behold trouble.  
3. Here is an humble though more general confession, We acknowledge our iniquities, and the iniquities of our fathers, for we have sinned against thee.  
4. An earnest supplication, expressed in several terms, and backed with several arguments, closely couched. 
The Terms are, 


1. Do not abhor us.  
2. Do not disgrace th● throne of thy glory.  
3. Remember. Break no● thy Covenant with us.     
The Arguments are, 


1. For thy Names sake.  
2. We are the throne of thy glory.  
3. Thou hast made a Covenant with us.  
4. Thou art he alone can●● give showers, the vanities of the Gentiles cannot cause rain.      
5. Lastly, here is the Prophets declared resolution, to trust in God, and wait o● him, verse 22.   
My Text, as you see, contains only the two first general parts of this excellent Prayer of the Prophet.  
The first I called his fervent expostulation, Hast thou utterly rejected Judah 〈◊〉▪ Hath thy soul loathed Zion? Why ha●● thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us?  
Hast thou in rejecting rejected, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  in reprobating reprobated Judah! Those that are critical in the Hebrew, observe the word signifies to reject a thing with scorn and disdain, as vile and contemptible; it is used (as in many other places). Hos. 4.6. Because thou hast re●ected knowledge, I will also reject thee. 
Hos. 4.6.  Lam. 5.22. But thou hast utterly rejected 〈◊〉 Lord, saith the Prophet, 
Lam. 5.22.  hast thou ●●terly rejected Judah? what Judah, the remainder of the people, the seed of Abraham thy friend, which was so ●●ear to thee. Judah, of which it was ●aid, In Judah is God known: hast thou ●tterly rejected this Judah? Hath thy 〈◊〉 loathed Zion? 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The word used is much of the same signification with the other, only it signifieth something more of the affection set against an object: it is used, Ezech. 16.45. 
Ezecth. 16.45.  to ex●ress the alienation of a lewd woman's ●eart from her husband. It is also used, ●evit. 26.44. 
Levit. 26.44.  a place to which one would think the Prophet here hath home special respect: And yet for all that, when they be in the hand of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, etc. Very like the Prophet eyeing that promise in the Law, cries out, Hath thy soul loathed Zion? Zion, there's a great argument couched in that word. All the dwellings of Jacob were dear to the God of Jacob, but the Psalmist saith, God loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Zion was the name of a Mountain, at the foot of which Jerusalem, and in it the Temple stood; thence it is called the habitation of God's holiness, his dwelling place, and it is put for the Church of God. Lord, saith the Prophet, this is Judah, against which thine anger smokes: hast thou utterly rejected Judah? There are but two Tribes and an half left of that people, whom thou choosest to draw nigh unto thee; hast thou rejected them, utterly rejected them? In this Judah is Zion thy Temple, the place which out of all the earth thou choosest for thy habitation, and in which above all thou didst delight; hath thy soul abhorred Zion! She was as thy Spouse, and thou lovedst her; doth thy soul now loathe her? As to the form of the words, you see they are by way of Interrogation. Interrogations in Scripture sometimes add force to Affirmations and Negations. Hath the Lord as great a pleasure in sacrifices, as in obeying his commandments? that is, he hath not. And so some would have it here: then the sense is this, Lord, I know thou hast not utterly rejected Judah, thy soul hath not abhorred Zion; which is true as to the spiritual part of his people. Hath God cast off Israel? (saith the Apostle) God forbid: he hath not cast off the people whom he fore-knew. But all are not Israel that are of Israel. Then the words have in them the force of an argument: Lord, I know thou hast not utterly cast off thy people, thy soul hath not abhor●●● them; therefore spare them as to this judgement. So he pleads from God's certain spiritual love to a part of the people, formerly for the whole. But I must confess I think this not the sense. Interrogations sometimes are the language of persons enquiring for further certainty and satisfaction: so I take it here, as if the Prophet had said, Ah Lord! is the decree gone forth? is there no hope? art thou not to be spoken to for this people? hast thou utterly reprobated them? If not, etc. It follows,  
Why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing? These words have in them an Interrogation, and an Expostulation. No soundness (in the Hebrew) Hear the Prophet gins to represent unto God the state of the people. 1. They were smitten, already smitten with a dearth. 2. And in God's purpose smitten with an approaching sword, and captivity. He owns God as the primary efficient cause, Thou hast smitten; he adds, and there is no healing. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The word used in the Hebrew signifies health or soundness, and healing or cure. And so the complaint denotes two things. 1. 〈◊〉 universality of the judgement, they had no part sound, no foundness. 2. The desperateness of their distemper, they could find no cure, no remedy, no healing, their State Physicians were of no value, they had tried, but they could not help, no healing: he Expostulates with God, not enquiring the cause: Jeremiah was not signorant of cause enough in this people to justify God in the severity of this dispensation, but he speaks like a troubled man, who would gladly have had it otherwise with his people if God had pleased.  
2. He further represents the sadness of this people's case, in this, that their expectations were frustrated. We looked 〈◊〉 peace, and there is no good, and for the time of healing, and behold trouble. There is nothing difficult in the words, they only signify the disappointment which God had given them in their great expectations. The words may ●e understood either of the generality of the people, who might have presumptuous hopes, or of Gods own people, who upon that great reformation which Josiah had began, looked for peace: ●oth were deceived, no peace, no good came, but more trouble, more disturbance still: I intent not to speak to every Proposition might be drawn from these words. I shall only fix upon one, and that founded upon the words in the latter part of the Verse: We looked for peace, and no good came, for the time of healing, and behold trouble.  
Prop. It pleaseth God in the wisdom of his Providence, oft times to give people great disappointments, in their expectations of peace, and healing; as to their outward concerns.  
You may if you will take it in these two branches.  

1. People are very prone in evil times and disturbed times, to look for good, to look for healing.  
2. It pleaseth God oft times to give them great disappointments in their expeciations. Trouble instead of peace's wounds instead of healing. I say,   
1. It is natural to us in evil and disturbed times to look for good, and to loo● for an healing.  
It is true, this Proposition is not universally verified in the Sons of men, and the thing depends (though not wholly, yet in a great measure) upon the sutural disposition. There is much truth in that Maxim of Physicians and Philosophers, Mores. sequuntur humores. Where any persons are more inclined ●o melancholy, and that humour more prevails, persons so inclined are more disposed to fears, and jealousies, and suspicions. Where some other humour prevails in the body, the person is more inclined to hope, and presume so as you shall generally find men and women thus divided. Some are more naturally disposed to fear the worst, to be suspicious and jealous of every thing: others ●●e naturally inclined to hope the best, and to promise all good to themselves; and the most of people, either from this Natural cause, or some Moral ●ouses (for they also have some inscience on us) are very prone to look ●or good, for peace and healing: and this ●s not only ordinary to the more ignorant and sinful sort of men: but even ●o Gods own people. The wicked cry ●●ace, Peace, when there is no peace to ●●e wicked, saith the Lord. The Mother of Sisera looks out at the window (when her Son was dead with agnail struck through his temples) and cries, Why is his Chariot so long incoming? Have they not sped? Have they not divided the prey? The false Prophets daub with untempered mortar. Three hundred false Prophets spoke good to Ahab, and bid him go up to Ramoth-Gilead and prosper. Nor are the better and wiser sort, Gods own dear people exempted from this infirmity, Even David saith in his prosperity, I shall never be moved: nor are we only vain in prosperity to promise ourselves a stability in that state; but in a time of adversity, we are as ready to promise ourselves a quick deliverance and freedom from it. When the children of Israel were carried captives into Babylon, they would needs believe their deliverance should be speedy; So as Jeremiah on purpose writeth a letter to them to take them off this vain conceit, Jer. 29.5. Build you houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.— And seek the peace of the City whither I have caused you to be carried captive. The matter needs no proof from Scripture, we find it true in all our experiences; that we are very prone to nourish up false expectations in ourselves, and to promise ourselves good. The error is common, the causes not difficult to be assigned, which are partly Natural, partly Moral.  
1. For the natural cause I assigned it before. The most of people's natural temper, as disposing them to wish good to themselves, so inclining them rather to hope the best, than to fear the worst: Hence you will observe, that all Christians are not thus mistaken, you shall find some of more ●ad, melancholic tempers, as much erring on the other hand, crying out like the Infidel in the Book of Kings (if they hear any talk of good) If the Lord should make windows in Heaven, this could not be: like Thomas they will believe nothing which they most desire without a sensible demonstration. But the moral causes of this may be assigned variously: and they are different according as the soul is which is thus affected. In wicked men,  
2. The general moral causes are presumption, and looking at second causes.  
1. I say in the first place Presumption an unjust assurance they give themselves of God's favour toward them, and consequently, of his blessings upon then There is an Atheist that believes 〈◊〉 God at all, but thinks that all thing fall out by chance; and so he is n● concerned to regard a Deity; and it 〈◊〉 no wonder, if he promises himself well. But those that will with the mouths own a Supreme Being an● Moderator of all things, yet are to● ready to promise themselves his favour, and consequently the blessing that attend it: The Lord foresaw 〈◊〉 Generation, who when thy heard all th● Curses of his Law would bless themselves in their heart, and say, they shou● have peace, 
Deut 29.19.  though they walked according to the imaginations of their own heart adding drunkenness to thirst. Now th●● presumption in sinful men, either ariseth from Atheism, the persons n● believing there is a God, or that he 〈◊〉 not what he is; or Unbelief, not giving credit to the word of God; which saith There is no peace to the wicked. Or from Error, eyeing some particular sins, for which they will believe all the wrath of God is poured out upon them; or Eyeing some particular performances, which they think sufficient to reconcile God again to them, though before he was displeased with them: and when that sin which is all the guilt they can see is expiated or reform; 〈◊〉 those particular performances, which they lay all Religion upon are done, they ●ook for good, and healing, when it ●●ay be in truth, those things which ●●ey so eye, do rather provoke God ●●ther, than at all abate of the wrath which he hath begun to pour out, 〈◊〉 probability this was the cause at ●●is time in Judah. It is not expressed whether this Sermon of the Prophet ●as in Josiah's time, or in the time of 〈◊〉 Sons. Josiah was a good Prince, he stored the true Worship of God, dejoyed Idolatry, etc. His Sons restored 〈◊〉 There were unquestionably different complexions of this people. Some Josiah's time expected good, and healing from his reformation: others ('tis like) in his Son's time expected the same from their restauration of former Superstitions and Idolatry. Both presumed looking for peace, and there was no good, for healing, and behold trouble.  
2. The cause of Gods own people's error in this kind is partly Presumption, partly mistakes concerning his mind and promises, partly, eyeing 2. causes too much. I say partly Presumption. Even the best of God's people are ready to lay too much upon particular reformations, and particular duties. We are too ready to impute all punishments to some particular sins, and to lay all Religion upon some particular duties; and when those sins are reform and expiated, and those duties done, we are ready to conclude all will be well, and presently to look for peace and healing.  
2. Partly mistakes of God's mind and promises. Godliness hath the promise of this life, and that which is to come There are great promises, even of the good things of this life, made to the Church of God in the general, and to believing souls in particular; and God expecteth, that we should give credit to them, and wait in hope for them; but we are troubled with the Disciples curiosity, who came to our Saviour, and said, Master wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel? We are impatient, and know not how to wait, and thence are very prone to inform ourselves (if possible) of the time, and too credulous to take ungrounded informations, and build up our hopes upon them. Hence our prying into dark Prophecies, and making various conjectures upon them, our listening so readily to such as will pretend to a skill in them, or to extraordinary Revelations, Visions and Impressions, and building up too great expectations upon our own conceits, or others dreams. What a late example have we had as to the year 1666. That must be the year when the Jews should be converted; Rome ruined, etc. What expectations were raised in many of that ●ear, merely (as it appears) from a mitake of the mind and Promises of God. The year is past, no such thing is brought ●o pass; We looked for peace and healing, behold no good, but trouble still.  
3. Another cause is, Gods own people too much eyeing secundary causes. The unbeliever lays all upon them; the Child of God lays too much upon them. Hence if he seethe such a position of them, as to the eye of his reason appears probable to produce some good effects to the Church and people of God, he presently concludes, all will be well; not attending to the power of the first cause as he ought to do, nor considering (as he ought) the guilt of the people, or the person for whom he would hope well, which may provoke God to lay a bar before second causes, that they shall not work according to our expectations.  
But I have spoken enough to the first Branch; I come to the second, which is the Proposition as I laid down.  
God in the Wisdom of his Providence doth often give people great disappointments in their expectations as to outward peace and healing.  
I shall not need insist upon the proof of this, it is so plain in the Text; We looked (saith the Prophet) for peace, and behold no good, for healing, and behold trouble; and in our daily experience: To say nothing of vain persons, how often are the expectations of the most considerate sober sort of Christians frustrated concerning the public: concerning their own private concerns. Concerning the public; They look for reformation of disorders and abuses. Behold more corruption! They look for healing of breaches. Behold the Providence of God still follows them on with breach upon breach, and there is no healing. They looked for glorious times, they see sad and miserable times. That de facto this is true, cannot be denied; it will not be amiss for us to take a little pains, to inquire into the causes of it. These issues of Providence, having oft times but ill issues upon Christians faith and holiness.  

1. It must first be laid down for a Principle, That as no Evil, so not this Evil happeneth without Gods doing. God hath an hand in these frustrations of our expectations.  
2. It must also be acknowledged, that God hath said, 
Psal. 9.18. Prov. 10.28. Prov. 23.18.  The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. It is made as a curse upon the wicked, That their expectation shall perish; They shall be ashamed of their expectation; but the expectation of God's people shall not be cut off.   
For the clearing of this little difficulty, you must distinguish, 

1. Betwixt God's people's expectation for the fulfilling of the Promises of, and necessary to another life; and their expectation for the fulfilling of the Promises, relating to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or things which concern this life.  
2. Betwixt their warrantable and due expectation, and their irregular, and unwarranted expectation.  
3. Thirdly, Betwixt their expectation of those good things, and their expectation of them, now or then, at this or such a time. This being promised, the answer is easy.    

1. The Exoectations of the Saints, as to eternal life and salvation, shall not perish. This hope shall not make ashamed; no nor yet, as to such influences of grace, as are necessary in order unto it, they expect to be saved, and they shall be saved; to be sanctified yet more and more, and they shall be sanctified; to be preserved by the power of God through faith to salvation, and they shall be so preserved.  
2. The expectations of the Saints, as to other good things, may fail as to circumstances of degree or time, but they shall not utterly fail. The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever, saith the Psalmist. Hath God promised his Church a time of peace and tranquillity? It shall have it, though it may be not in that year we expect it. Hath God promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church? and do they expect the fulfilling of this promise? It shall be fulfilled, their expectation shall not perish for ever. But if they will expect, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against any part of his Church, or any person of it, or that deliverance shall come to his Church in such a way, in such a year, by such means; here they may fail.  
3. Finally, no regular expectation in God's people of any thing, which he hath promised shall fail. The reason is, 1. Because the Promise cannot fail: Heaven and earth may pass away, but not one jot or tittle of what God hath promised shall fail. 2. Because the expectation which God hath wrought in his people's hearts, is the work of the holy Spirit, which cannot lie, nor teach his people to expect a lie. So then, the reason of the disappointments of God's people in their expectations lieth in the error of their expectation. Now this error must be as to circumstances. For the Promises made to the Church, and the people of God in particular, being for all good things, they can be guilty of no error as to the thing expected; but with respect to circumstances, which may make things not in themselves simply and absolutely good, at this or that time to be evil.   
The chief circumstances considerable in this case, are those of  

Time.  
Place.  
Persons.  
Means.   

First, The error may be in the circumstance of time. That God who hath plainly revealed his will as to a time when it shall go well with his people, when be will restore the Kingdom to Israel, when the fullness of the Gentiles shall come, hath concealed the particular time when these things shall be. He that hath plainly said, The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the back of the righteous, hath not told us how long it ma● be on their backs. This hath opened a door for those who are too curious to be enquiring into the times and seasons which the Father hath reserved in his own power: and when they think they have found out something to guide them, they presently raise a great expectation upon it, and no wonder if they meet with a disappointment. The vision is yet for an appointed time, if they could have tarried, it would not have lied; but they could not wait for it, they made haste, and no wonder they have no good speed: no wonder they are disappointed, the promise is where it was, the word of God is not frustrated, only their mistimed expectations are disappointed. This was doubtless the cause of the great disappointment in the year 1666. the things people looked for in that year shall most undoubtedly have a being, and be in their season brought to pass: The Jews shall be called, Antichrist shall be destroyed, the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in, and (it is more than probable) that the Church and people of God before the end of the world shall have a year of Jubilee. Now many Christians, too too hasty and curious in search of secret things, desiring as the Disciples to know when these things should be; They search the Scripture, and finding a dark sentence, Rev. 13.18. that the number of the beast was 666, conclude the year 1666 the particular year when God would at least begin to do these things.  
2. A second error may be as to the circumstance of place. It is hard to fix promises to particular places. God of old had promised not utterly to reject his people Israel, (which the Apostle interprets as to Israel in a spiritual sense, the people whom he fore knew, Rom. 9) the people of Israel upon those promises expected, that the Tabernacle at Shiloh, and afterwards the Temple at Jerusalem, should never be razed, nor the City of Jerusalem, and the Nation of the Jews never forsaken. And without all doubt many that feared God in that Nation, had some such strange expectations, and therefore under all judgements would still expect an help at last; God disappointed their expectations, yet failed not in his promise. Under the Gospel, Christ by his word hath secured his Church, That the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; now for people to apply this promise to this or that small part of the Universal Church, and to conclude, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church of God in England, or in Scotland, or Holland, or the like, and to build an expectation suitably upon it, is unwarrantable. The ●●tes of hell, which shall not prevail upon the whole Church, may prevail against this or that part of it, whose sufferings may be sad enough, and yet the promise not fail.  
3. A third error may be as to Persons, and that, 1. As to persons that shall receive this mercy. 2. As to persons that shall be God's instruments, in bring 〈◊〉 about the desired mercy.   

1. As to persons that shall receive th● desired mercy. Promises, as to outward mercies, are more limited to the purity and holiness of a people, than those made as to spiritual and eternal good things God hath said, I will heal your back-slidings, and God will save his people eternally, (notwithstanding their back-slidings) but for outward prosperity and selicity, it is not where promised to a back-sliding and impure people. Supposing therefore a people that radically are good, and the Lords people, but a revolting back-sliding people, and continuing in their revoltings without dup repentance, if they build up expectations for the fulfilling of divine Promises as to outward prosperity and felicity, while their soum is not taken off, but bolleth into them, they will most probably be disappointed.  
2. As to persons who shall be God's instruments in bringing about the mercy desired. And here let me only observe two things to you.   
1. No great expectations can be builded upon profane persons. I do not say, no great things for the good of God's people may be done by them. I know Cyrus was God's servant, to proclaim liberty to the Jews: and ofttimes God hath made the wrath of men to praise him. Pharaoh shall keep the seed of Jacob alive, and provide for them in a time of famine.  
But I say, expectations cannot be raised on these foundations: If the Assyrian doth God's work, howbeit he meaneth not so, saith God. As the wife Falconer maketh use of the ravenous quality of the Hawk to serve his turn, and make it get that for him which the Bird got for itself; so the wise God will make use of an Assyrian, an Egyptian, a Cyrus, an utter enemy to his people, and make his selfish politic designs to serve his everlasting purpose; but here is no ground for God's people to build expectations.  
2. Nay, secondly, Be the persons never so holy that appear to us probable to do us good, no certain expectation can be raised upon them. Who would have thought that Moses and Aaron should not have been God's instruments to have carried his people over Jordan, and set their feet in Canaan; yet they, did not, they sinned at the waters of Meribah, and so died on mount Nebo: holy men may fail, and provoke God to cut them off. So that to build expectations upon any particular persons, is to lay a foundation for our disappointments.  
4. The fourth and last error may be as to particular means. It is true, God doth most of his works by means, but he wonderfully varies in the nature and kind of means he useth: sometimes he doth it by what we call fair means; sometimes by force, and what we call foul means. The people of Israel shall be delivered our of Egypt by the ruin o● Egypt, yet not by sword and battle, but by plagues and the Red-sea. They shall be (by the sword) delivered from the Canaanites, they shall by a Proclamation of Cyrus, without any plague or sword be delivered from Babylon. Mean which appear to us probable, possibly shall not do the work: what appear to us improbable, and likely to work quite contrary, that shall do it. Oh the depth of the ways and judgements of God how unsearchable are his judgements, how are his ways past finding out.  
Thus I have, as shortly as I could, opened the Proposition to you: I shall now come to the application of it.  
1. Is not this Scripture this day fulfilled in your ears? May not we in our addresses to God, say, O Lord, hast thou utterly rejected England? hath thy soul ●athed thy Church there? Why are we ●itten and there is no healing? We looked for peace, and there is no good; for healing, and behold trouble. That God dealeth with us as a people rejected and hathed, is apparent. Our Fathers are ●one, our Prophets, where are they? We see not our signs, nor is any Prophet to tell us how long? We have ●en the Sanctuary of the Lord polited, his Ordinances defiled; we have ●eard our Sabbaths mocked at: The Lord hath covered the Daughter of ●●r Zion with a cloud in his anger, ●nd not remembered his footstool in the day of his wrath. As to our Civi● concerns, How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people, how is she become a● a widow? She that was great amongst th● Nations, and Princess amongst the Provinces. May not we say, Why are w● smitten, and there is no healing? Are no● we smitten in our spiritual things? yea● and with a dreadful smiting too. Have we that preaching, those Sacraments that communion of Saints, which w● formerly had? Have we those convictions and conversions of souls unto God, those mournings under the Word of God, such affected hearts as formerly? I am sure I speak to those wh● know we have not. We see not th● Word of God go forth with that power and life, to rouse up secure souls, to convince and to change the heart's o● sinners; to strengthen, confirm an● comfort the wearied souls of God's people as formerly. We are full of dea●● sapless, dry, unprofitable discourses 〈◊〉 Pulpits; but where's the power of th● Lord in his Ordinances? where are th● weeping eyes, where are the trembling souls we have formerly known? where are the cries of them we have formerly heard, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved? This is a smiting, (brethren) and a dreadful smiting too: it is true, it is not in the most sensible part to the generality of people, (the Gadarenes you know came, and besought our Lord to go out of their Country) they have not now so many Sermons to disquiet them in their beds of lust, and make their heads to ache; but to them that fear God, and truly understand and judge of the interest of a Nation, it is, I say, a dreadful smiting, and that in the tenderest part, and possibly the cause of other smitings too. But are not we smitten in our persons? 〈◊〉 men will not believe they have souls, ●et they know they have bodies. Hath ●ot God smitten us with a dreadful Plague, not paralleled either in our days, 〈◊〉 the days of our forefathers? Hath ●●t God smitten us both in our persons ●●d estates with a consuming War, and ●●ce that with a dreadful Fire, hardly ●o be paralleled in any modern story? And is there yet any healing for us? again, May we not say, We looked for peace, and no good; for bealing, and behold trouble? Did not we in the year 1660 look for good, for peace, upon that miraculous revolution, but did any good come? instead of it all these dreadful judgements of God have succeeded. Did not we again the last year, upon the peace with our neighbours, look for good, did not we look for prosperity, freedom of trade? have we seen aught of it? or aught answering our expectations? What shall we say to these things? How hath God disappointed us in all our expectations? Nay rather, what shall we do in this day of perplexity? Let us, first, Examine, whether we be under such circumstances, as we can regularly and warrantably expect that God should smile upon us, and fulfil those promises for temporary good things which he hath made in his Word to his people. And, 2. accordingly as we find our state, let us be persuaded to apply ourselves to our duty.  
Under these two heads I shall bring whatsoever I shall speak by way of application of this Doctrine.  
First, Use 1 Let us examine whether our circumstances be such as we can warrantably expect any good, any peace, any healing. And here we must distinguish betwixt, 1. the generality of the Nation: and, 2. God's peculiar people in the Nation. As to the former I must confess my heart is sad, he that looks upon all orders of persons in the Nation, will find them wallowing in such guilt, as I fear it will be hard to produce an instance of any Nation under heaven that ever was under the rod, and let go, no better reform. What prodigious unheard of wickednesses have been, and are committed every day? what murders? what prodigious lusts? what horrible swearing and cursing? what Sabbath-breaking? what injustice, oppression do we hear of, and see every day? Never was the holy Name of God so prodigiously blasphemed, never such oaths, such curses as we hear in our streets; never did those that desire to walk godlily meet with more scoffs, derisions, hard speeches, and harder actions; never Religion made so much the scoff and jeer of those that understand it not. We may if we will (under these circumstances) look for peace, but if any good come; we may look for healing, but if we see not trouble, yea, and one trouble like one wave upon another; we are certainly mistaken in calling the Scriptures the word of God, Jer. 7.9. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, and swear falsely, etc. and come and stand before me, etc. Do men think all the day long to make the streets ring with the cries of oaths, curses, blasphemies, noises of drunkards, groans of widows and fatherless: and then make amends for all with an Anthem, and Lesson on the Organs, and hearing or reading prayers at Matins and Evensong. Oh horrible vanity! O prodigious ignorance of the nature and mind of God Will their eggshells wipe your filthy mouths clean enough think ye? No, no. Sirs, be not deceived, God is not mocked. God may bring us good and peace sometimes, poenalis nutritur impunitas, in further vengeance: he doth not punish the Israelitish daughters when they commit whoredom, nor their wives when they commit adultery. But it were strange for him, having his rod taken out, to lay it up again while we are no better. Sure I am, under these circumstances (what ever a gracious God may do) we can expect no good.  
What shall I say for the seven thousand in England, who have not bowed their knee to Baal, nor kissed him with their lips, those whom God hath kept from the pollutions of these evil times, and the general debaucheries of their neighbours. May they look for any good? may they expect any healing, and not suspect any disappointment? Truly as to them I know not well what to say; God hath kept them from being involved in the generality of the National guilt, and hath kept up their hearts for him and his Ordinances in a time of great defection and back-sliding. This speaketh well.  

But yet, 1. I cannot tell how far God may have been provoked with the former sins of Professors.  
2. Though they must be in a great measure acquitted from the idolatry and superstition, swearing, cursing, blaspheming Gods holy Name, impudent Sabbath-breaking, mocking and jeering at Religion, murders, thefts, unlawful lusts, oppressions, injustice, perjuries of the Nation: yet with them, even with them sins may be found against the Lord their God, which how long they may keep their wounds from healing I cannot tell. Let me propound a few questions to you that fear God, and would look for peace and healing.   

1. Have you peace one with another, and are the breaches amongst. yourselves healed? How should we expect the world should be at peace with us, who cannot be at peace with ourselves? What can we look for less than that the great Shepherd of the sheep should make use of dogs to worry us, and drive us together, while we can by't and devour one another? Are the world and you, think you, nearer a kin than you are to your brethren? Can you expect God should make his enemies to be at peace with you, when you cannot be at peace each with other? If the Lambs cannot lie down together, how can you expect the Lions should lie down with the Lambs? You know next to Christ's precept, Have salt in yourselves, was that, Have peace one with another. Certainly that distance in affection and communion which true Christians kept at one from another, was not the least of the provocations which hath made God angry with them all. I instance not differences in opinion; there must be such, there will be such, till we all see in a clearer light than this world affords: but I say, distances in affection first. I thank God I have learned, that difference in judgement in things not necessary to be believed in order to salvation, is no more justifiable cause to me for distance of affection from my brother, than the difference of his countenance from mine is. I say further, distance in communion. That the members of the same body, and under the same head, should refuse communion with other, is certainly a strange disorder. Do God's Ordinances belong to Christians with reference to their several forms, I wonder, or as they are all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly faith in Christ, evidenced by an holy life, intitleth any Christian to communion with those who profess the same faith, and live the same life. Christians, is this wound healed? I bless God I think it is in a great measure; but Oh that it did not bleed at all.  
2. Have you sufficiently mourned and been humbled for former wantonness under Ordinances. We have had times of great liberty for preaching and enjoyment of God's Ordinances; have you not forgotten how you played with your wholesome food in those days? how hardly it went down? if you fancied the least error in the Cookery, if the sauce was not more pleasing to you than your meat. One Minister was thought by some too Legal, another it may be judged by another partly too Evangelical. Are not you glad of the gifts and parts of those godly Ministers, which heretofore were despicable in your eyes? Have you mourned for this wantonness?  
3. Since the hand of God hath been against you, have you not been more ready to quarrel with God, or at least to rage against instruments, than to be angry with yourselves for the deserving cause of these judgements? If you have, God hath not yet attained his end upon you; the rottenness, the proud flesh is still in the wound, which must be eaten out before you can reasonably look for cure. It was well said of the Church in the Lamentations, Let us search and try our ways, 
Lam. 3.40.  and turn again unto the Lord. If Ephraim saith once, What have I done? God will quickly say, Is Ephraim my dear child? The end of Gods afflicting his people, is their turning, humbling themselves, and acknowledging of their offences.  
4. How have you walked with God in the time of your sufferings? Have you been a Law unto yourselves, whiles the rod of Discipline hath not been drawn out against you? have you walked orderly? Little could be seen as to your walking in communion, but how have you walked in your families? how have you kept up your private communion with God? what have you been in your houses, in your closerts? By the answer which your consciences (secretly examine) shall give to these Interrogatories, you may know much whether you may warrantably look for peace and good, yea or no.   
But, Use 2 secondly, If you may look for it, yet take heed how you look, that you may not meet with disappointment.  

1. Do not in your expectations prescribe to God, either as to time, or as to persons, or as to means. He that hath promised his people deliverance, hath not the certain time of it. The case was otherwise with the Jews. God had told them, they should be in captivity just seventy years. Mercy comes always best in its season: God knows times better than we, and hath reserved the knowledge of times to himself. Trusting in God upon the credit of his word, and waiting for him, are things highly acceptable unto him; but limiting of him is as much dishonourable to God. It is ten to one but he who thus limiteth the Lord, will be disappointed. God will convince us, that particular times is a secret we cannot find out: and it is a very ill influence which ordinarily disappointments of our expectation in this kind have upon us. That's a good Christian that steadfastly believeth the matter of the Promise, and patiently waiteth upon God for the fulfilling of it till his good time come. It is a sad effect that some men's giddy confidence upon the year 1666 hath produced. Some have acted since, as if, because God failed their expectation in that circumstance, he were henceforth to be believed and trusted to more. Take heed of such an error as this.  
2. Let not your expectations either kinder your prayers, or make you more unfit for a continuance of sufferings. None can build an infallible expectation of good in the outward concerns of this life, (I mean sonsible good) for any particular Church, nor for any particular person: Gods own people may have so finned, that as to temporal judgements he will not pardon them. The Nation (of which they are a small part) may have sinned to such a height. Indeed were we never so certain, yet our expectation should not hinder prayer: Holy Daniel taught us this, he never prayed more hearty than when he understood by books that the time of the captivity was just expiring. True faith never hinders prayer, (it is the Mid wife that helps the mercy unto light.) And take heed that your expectation doth not discompose you as to further sufferings: An ungrounded expectation of deliverance from an evil under which we groan, doth often make us very unfit to bear it longer than the expected time of delivery.  
3. If your expectation be frustrated blame yourselves, but take heed of accusing God. Let God be true, though every man be found a liar. It is most certain God deceiveth none, themselves deceive themselves. It is blasphemy in the heart to say, God can lie. There is no harm o● thy owning thyself mistaken.  
4. Expect nothing from vile persons, no● by vile means. It is true, God hath of● ten made use of Pagans, and profane men, and the sins and corruptions o● his people, and of others, as means t● bring forth his glorious works in th● world; but these are matters for ou● admiration, not objects for our expectation. The fulfilling of God's promise● can be regularly expected in none, bu● in God's way.  
5. Suspect all thy expectations, whiles thou findest in thy own heart, or in the hearts of others, whom thou lookest upon as dear to God, a prevalency of corruptions. I have before given you the reason of this, God may deliver a people that have revolted, but an instance cannot be given, nor a promise named for Gods delivering a people, justifying their revolting, and continuing in it.  
6. Expect not much in a course of probabilities. The reason of this lies in Gods usual deliverances of his people, which have been upon the greatest improbabilities; Out of Egypt and Babylon, when one would have thought there had been least likelihood. The cry of the Bridegrooms coming usually is at midnight. There's most ground of a spiritual believing hope, when there is visibly no hope. In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.  
7. Let thy expectation of outward good be proportioned to the promise of it, in which is always to be understood a reservation to God's wisdom. All is not good that we think so. Thy expectation cannot fail if it be commensurate to the promise; if it be not, it hath no foundation to stand upon, and can have no certainty. Remember that in all promises of this natures the judgement of the particular good, whether under present circumstances it be so or no, belongs unto God. Expect deliverance from evils of this nature, and the collation of good of this nature, if God in his wisdom seethe it good for thee, or that part of his Church wherein thou art. But a further expectation, it is more than I know if any promise will allow thee.    
FINIS.   

AN APPENDIX To the foregoing DISCOURSES.  
OR, An Addition of some necessary and seasonable Directions to Christians, in order to firmer perseverance in their profession, and better observance of Divine Institutions.  
By the same Author.  Gal. 6.16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Revel. 3.10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 
Printed in the Year 1668.   

The joint advice of some Ministers of the Gospel to their People, for the reviving the Power and Practice of Godliness, especially in Families, and the propagating the Knowledge and Fear of God in those Societies.  
Dear beloved Brethren,  
WE being Ministers of the Gospel, who have formerly received a charge of some of your souls, knowing how great the concernment of God's glory in the preservation of Religion, and the propagation of it in the power thereof is; and having observed some decays thereof in present Professors, from the life, zeal, and power thereof in our forefathers: and withal how many temptations are daily offered to the corruption which yet remaineth in the best, to divert them from the straight and narrow way which leadeth to the Kingdom of God. That through our negligence, the study and powerful practice of godliness (wherein England hath been famous above any other sort of Christian people) may not abate, and Religion evaporate into a mere formality; and the souls of you, our Brethren, might not be hindered of that joy and peace which usually attendeth a strict and close walking with God, have thought fit to propose our serious thoughts unto you, for the revival and preservation of Religion, wherein we shall rather give you a copy of the conversation of our fathers, who walked with God in their generation, than propound any new thing unto you.  
There are three things in Religion observed as the glory of England, wherein our Church hath exceeded other Reformed Churches.  

1. The diligent practice of Family-Worship.  
2. The strict sanctification of the Christian Sabbath.  
3. The severe personal strictness in the Conversation of Professors.   
And as these things have been the the beauty of England, so we doubt not but they have been the strength of it.  
We therefore as Ministers of Christ do beseech you (and so much the rather, by how much our condition in respect of public communion is more sad than in former times) that you would join with us in your particular places, so much as in you lies, to recover unto God an England, that ancient Revenue of his glory, which he hath formerly had from our fathers in these things.  
1. The first thing which we commend unto you is the promoving of Family Religion, and that both in reference to the weekday, and to the Lords day. Families are the lowest Societies, and such wherein we have further advantages to propagate Religion, than in any others, and that not only in respect of our daily converse in them, but of the authority with which God hath there clothed superiors. They are the Societies in which alone every private person (who is the Head of the family) is a King, Priest, and Prophet. And he that cannot rule his own house well, is by the Apostle determined unfit to rule the Church of God. In order to which we propound,  
1. That every one who is Head of a family would by a constant deportment to his or her children or servants, vindicate the honour which God in the Fifth Commandment hath reserved for him; neither by too much familiarity, divesting himself of his authority; nor by too much severity, estranging the hearts of his Relations from him; but by a wise gravity so deporting himself, that while his relations fear him, as being in the stead of God unto them: they may also love him for his tenderness to them, both in their temporal and eternal concernments. In order to which we desire Christians to consider, That he or she is rarely dishonoured by his child or servant, who have not by too low and unhandsome carriage dishonoured themselves before them; God ordinarily vindicating the honour of superiors, till themselves have unduly prostituted it; that they may read their sin in their punishment.  
2. That being clothed with this authority from God, you would make it your business to vindicate his glory, not enduring any in your families, who after due admonition, and the use of other means to reclaim him or her, shall live in the practice of any moral vice, or what shall have an evident appearance of it. If any therefore in your families shall be given to drinking, swearing, lying, profaning the holy Name of God, reviling of his people, any species of uncleanness, or any other scandalous sin, (if they be such as you can turn away) if they will not be reclaimed, remember the resolution of David, Psal. 101.6, 7. If they be such as either by natural obligation, or moral contract you are obliged to keep, let it be your business to endeavour all possible ways, by instruction, admonition, correction, begging the help of others to reclaim them, that their sins may not be laid to your charge. Consider with what face he can blame the Magistrate for not punishing these offences, who neglecteth it in his own family, where the body to be ruled is less, and his authority, as to some kind of punishment, far greater than the Civil Magistrates is. And as a means in order to this we desire,  
That giving your children and servants all due liberty of recreation, especially with such company as you shall commend to them, you would restrain them, as much as may be, from Plays, Fairs, Meetings for Dances and others Revels, and from Recreation at undue hours.  
3. That seeing an ability to read the Scriptures, and other good Books, is the foundation of all knowledge, you would not only see to the bringing up your children to this capacity; but if the providence of God casts any under your roof that cannot read, you would exhort, encourage, and by all means help them till they attain this faculty. What knoweth the Master, but he may thus be a means to save the soul of his servant, by bringing him to the knowledge of God? We urge this rather, because we observe divers well disposed persons grown up, miserably disadvantaged for the want of this.  
2. The family being thus ordered and disposed, is prepared for a joint communion with God. And surely, if there were no Scriptures evincing Worship, a family-duty, such as that of Joshua, resolving with his house to serve the lord Cornelius, fearing God with his whole house, and praying there about the ninth hour of the day. David's walking in his house in a perfect way. Abraham's instructing his household. The Prophet Jeremy's imprecation upon the families which call not on the name of the Lord. The mutual prayers of husband and wife, 
1 Pet. 3.7.  which the Apostle hinteth that he would not have hindered. daniel's praying in his house thrice a day, (which we cannot tell how it should have been proved against him, had he done it alone.) We say, that were there none of these evidences from holy Writ, yet every Christians reason can tell him, that the providence of God hath cast us into family societies, not merely for natural and civil ends, but for to be joint blessings each to other in those things which he hath commanded us first to seek.  
Now if any desire to be more particularly instructed concerning those duties which God expecteth from families, we answer,  
We know no act of divine Worship but may be performed in so small a society as that of a family, if a lawfully ordained Minister be the Head of it, or assumed, into it for that time. But we shall only speak to those duties which God expecteth of every family, without any respect to a Minister in it, etc. Those we conceive are reducible to four heads.  

1. Reading in the Book of the Lord.  
2. Prayer.  
3. Praise.  
4. Instruction.   

1. For reading the holy Scriptures. That this is a family-duty doth appear from that of Moses, Deut. 6.6, 9 where we are commanded to have the Law of God wrote upon our posts, and the gates of our house. From that of the Apostle, Col. 3.16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you; (a Metaphor drawn from members of Families which dwell together) For the further proof of this duty we commend you to an excellent Book, called Family Religion further revived, by Mr. Philip Goodwin, Printed at London, 1655. and to a Book of Mr. Whites, for the profitable reading of the Scriptures, Chap. 9  
2. For Prayer: We are commanded to pray always, and who so considereth that the Law of God requireth it of single persons; and of the first and least society, that of a man and his Wife, 1 Pet. 3.7. cannot think, 
1 Pet. 3.7.  that a man is excused from it with his children and servants. It is the blessing with which the Superiors in families ought to bless their infeririours.  
3. For Praise; by singing of Psalms. As praising of God is a natural duty; so the doing of it by Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs (which are the three titles of the Psalms of David) is commanded by the Apostle. In the same place where God saith, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, 
Col. 3.16.  and they shall be my people, Jer. 31.1, 2. he also, ver. 7. saith O shout with joy, and sing amongst the Nations.  
4. Instruction is a general duty. God commendeth Abraham for it, Gen. 18.17. For the matter of it; in our present discourse it is In the things of God. Now this may be done several ways; 

1. By Catechising; which is by experience found the most plain and familiar way of teaching, and that by which the Papists confess, the Protestant Religion hath been highly advantaged in the world. We therefore urge this in a more especial manner upon all the heads of families, as the nearest way to bring those under their roof to the knowledge of God; and the establishing of them against the errors of the sinful times wherein they live.  
2. By repeating of Sermons to them; an ancient and profitable duty, wherein every Christian is a fellow-worker with, and a preparer of the work of the Holy Spirit of God, 
Joh. 14.26.  whose work it is (saith our Saviour) To bring to remembrance the things we have heard of God; By opening the word of God read unto our families, (which though it be not a work to which every private Christian is fit, yet may be profitably performed, if any Christian will but take the pains to spend a little time before duty in fitting himself for it) by reading the Annotations upon the Chapter, or any of those profitable Notes wrote by Mr. Ainsworth on the five Books of Moses: Mr. Jackson upon all the Historical Books of Scripture: Mr. Dickson upon the Psalms: Mr. Calvin on Job, and Deuteronomy, and Daniel: Dr. Willet on Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus: Mr. Hutchinson on the small Prophets: Mr. Dickson on Matthew: Mr. Hutchinson on John: Mr. Fergusson on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and many others.     
4. By occasional discourses of Religion, and applying Scripture unto our relations, according to the Precept, Deut. 6.6, 7, 8, 9  
5. By examining their children and servants what they remember, upon hearing Chapters read, or Sermons preached, or repeated.  
2. Particularly we commend unto Christians, A more extraordinary care to inform their families, concerning the true Nature of Worship in general, concerning the several acts of Gospel Worship, and the right way and method of performing of them, as well the external, as internal manner, by which means they will not only be armed against temptations to Superstition and Will-Worship which is abomination to the Lord; but also kept from a formal, and perfunctory, slighty service of the great, and living God. And the better to enable Christians to do this, we do by the blessing of God intent to contribute our pains to the utmost in some exercises of this nature.  
3. If any one ask us, how often these duties are to be performed? We answer, that we have in this no stated rule: but as we are sure, they cannot be too often; and reason teacheth, that they should be so often, as to reach their ends. So the Scripture doth not obscurely hint some kind of Instruction and Prayer to be used Morning and Evening, Deut. 6. We are commanded to talk to our children of the Law of the Lord, when we lie down, and when we rise up: God of old required a Morning and Evening Sacrifice. David, Psal. 55.17. and Daniel, Chap. 6. v. 10. prayed thrice a day which possibly may hint to us, that those who have more leisure from the world than others, ought to spend more time than others in this worship: But we should press upon our Brethren,  
1. That none of them would omit praying and reading the Scriptures, or some other way of instructing their families, twice each day, viz. in the morning and evening. The morning is an excellent time; 

1. Because no excuse can be for the omitting it; It may be done, and is fittest to be done, before the world calleth us off.  
2. It is the time when our spirits are most refreshed and fit for duty, when worldly occasions have not seized on our thoughts.  
3. We are bid to say, Prosper thou the works of our hands upon us, and that is the time when the works of our hands begin.  
4. It is commended to us by many Scriptures, Psal. 5.3. Psal. 59.16. Psal. 88.13. Psal. 92.2. Psal. 119.147.    
The Evening is also a proper time.  

1. To beg pardon for the sins of the day, and to give thanks for the mercies of the day, and to beg the Protection and sleep of the night.  
2. The work of our hands is done, and it is reasonable to beg God's blessing upon it.  
3. Our sleep is the image of death, and many never rise from their beds, it is reasonable we should therefore commend our spirits, and the spirits our of relations to the Lord.  
4. It is commended in Scripture, Psal. 141.2. Psal. 55.17.   
2. That if possible these constant duties may be performed, before we be disadvantaged for them. Either, 1. By intermeddling with the world; or, 2. By inclinations to rest and sleep; which usually make the performance of religious duty late at night, or after supper, a very slightly perfunctory serving of God.  
3. We commend the Reading of the Scripture, repeating a Sermon, or singing of a Psalm before prayer; not only as duties in themselves, but as excellent means, to call home the thoughts, prepare the heart, and fix the mind to a more steady contemplation of God, and devotion toward him in prayer.  
4. We commend to our brethren, the repeating of Sermons, and Catechising to be at lest once performed every week, besides on the Lords Day.  
5. For singing of Psalms; It is proper for the Sabbath, but never out of season; we leave that and occasional instruction of families out of the Scripture to private Christians, as God shall give them opportunities, and an heart thereunto. Only commending them as duties fit to be sometimes done, and not wholly omitted by any.  
2. Having thus far offered you our thoughts for the Family-Worship of every day; We come in the next place, to commend to you the special sanctification of the Lords day: where we shall not speak to the more public solemn sanctification of it, but keep ourselves within the bounds of the private house.  
We know our Brethren understand, that by the fourth Commandment God hath reserved a seventh part of our Time to himself: That what should be the seventh part, under the old dispensation of the Covenant to the Jews, was determined by God to be the seventh day from the Creation: That our seventh part is determined by the practice of the Apostles, who were wont to meet and sanctie the first day of the Week, counting the seventh from our redemption, when the world was as it was created anew.  
That we are tied to the sanctification of this day by the fourth Commandment, none can doubt; but he must question whether there be ten Commandments, or no; or whether the fourth be a Moral Law. Nor can any sound reason be given, why the fourth Commandment should not concern Christians, as much as any of the other nine.  
Hence it is plain, that it must be kept as a day of holy rest from labour and recreations, at other times lawful: and to spiritual services public and private.  
These being the confessed general duties of Christians, as to the sanctification of the Sabbath, we shall only offer some Propositions for particular practice, in reference to these general ends.  

1. That all heads of families take care, that no kind of civil labour necessary to be done, which can be done before, be left to be done in any part of the Sabbath: For no work can be justified on the Sabbath, as a work of Necessity, which though necessary to be done, might yet have been done before that day cometh.  
2. That all Christians would endeavour, but those especially whose callings in the world, do not so much hinder them; the Evening before the Sabbath, to direct their family-duty as much as they can, both as to Instruction and Prayer, to prepare the several persons of their family, for the Sabbath.  
3. That all heads of families would take care, that on the Morning of the Sabbath, they, their children and servants rise up from their beds, either as soon as on other days, or at least so soon, that the necessary business of the family may be dispatched, and family duties performed before they go to the public service.  
4. That those of their families who are not employed in any necessary work of the family, whiles all the rest be ready, employ their time (being once ready) in reading the Scriptures, or other good Books.  
5. That the heads of families so order the rising of their families that morning, that they may have full time to do their household necessary business, and also to attend family duties. In which we conceive it is the duty of Christians that day, to spend some more time than on other days; because it is a day wholly dedicated to the Lord.  
6. We commend to our brethren, as part of their family duty, that morning to instruct their families in the Nature of Worship, the several acts of it. The true manner, both of the outward and inward performance. The morality of the Sabbath, the true way of sanctifying of it. To which purpose we recommend to them Mr. Shepherd's Treatise of the Sabbath, clearing the morality, and Mr. Bernard's threefold Treatise of the Sabbath.  
6. After the public service in the morning, and dinner (which we think that day should be moderate) we recommend to our brethren (if they have time) the calling of their family together, repeating the Sermon heard to them, or examining them about it, and prayer, and the like we again recommend to them after Evening Sermon, and before Supper.  
7. We commend singing of Psalms to our Brethren as a special duty of the Sabbath, we find that David composed Psalm 92. on purpose for the Sabbath. We desire that our Brethren would not omit it, at least to do it once every Lord's Day.  
8. Finally, We beseech our Brethren, that they take especial care of all within their gates on the Lord's Day; that they profane not the Sabbath by unnecessary work, sleep, or recreations. It is a day of rest, but of holy rest: A day of rest, and therefore profaned by labour that is worldly and unnecessary. An holy rest, and therefore profaned by excessive sleeping (which is natural rest) idleness or recreations, which are but a Civil rest.   
3. Having thus far offered to our Brethren our thoughts in reference to their families, we conclude with a word or two in reference to their personal conversation.  
1. We suppose our Brethren conscientious in matters of Justice, to remember to do (in their callings) to all, as they would be done to; to take heed of all gross, and scandalous evils, and shall only mind them of some things which God requireth of them, wherein they are to do more than others, as having received more from God, and being under a more special Covenant and Obligations, as also of some duties specially to be practised, with reference to these times, wherein (if ever) Christians are by the Providence of God called out to a more winning conversation, and to a more prudent conversation, fulfilling that of our Saviour, Be you wise as Serpents, and innocent as Doves.  
1. In reference to the first, We seriously commend to our brethren,  
1. Private prayer in their closerts according to our Saviour's precept, Mat. 6.6. (at least to be performed once every day.)  
2. Private reading the Scriptures: the example of the Eunuch, Acts 8. shows how much God hath owned it, and is pleased with it.  
3. Private self-examination, 2 Cor. 13.5. Psal. 4.4.  
4. Private Meditation commended, Gen. 24.63. Josh. 1.8. Psal. 1.2. Psal. 63.6. Psal. 119.15, 23, 48, 78, 148. Psal. 104.34. Psal. 119.97. If Christians would be particularly instructed in this duty, we commend them to Mr. Joseph symmond's; Three excellent Treatises Printed at London, 1653. one of which is upon this subject.  
2. As to the prudent conversation of Christians, and something of their farther duty in these times; we recommend to our Brethren,  
1. As much as in them lies, to avoid all meetings of people at feasts, or otherwise: Where they foresee they may probably be engaged in discourses, which will either tempt them to any thing that is sinful, or to discover their opposition to such courses of others, in a place where probably their speaking will but make them odious.  
2. As it is their duty at all times to do good to all (though) more especially to those of the household of faith. And to love their enemies, to do good to them that hate them, etc. So more especially to be careful of it in these times. That whereas men speak evil of them, 
1 Pet. 3.16.  as evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse their good conversation in Christ: 
1 Pet. 2.12.  yea, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.  
3. That above all, even to the worst men, They render their deuce, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour, owing no man any thing, but to love one another; and remembering, that Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; according to that of the Apostle, Rom. 13.7, 8.  
4. That they do not give holy things to Dogs, nor cast pearls before Swine, but wisely watch all advantages, where they may meekly, and acceptably, and seasonably apply any word to their neighbour, to convince him of any sin; or duty, forbearing it where they see any in any madness of passion, or the like.  
5. That if God calleth them to suffer any thing in the doing of his will, they remember to do it, with meekness and patience; and also with Christian courage and boldness, committing themselves to him that created them, and who will judge righteously.  
6. That they Remember their Brethren who are in bonds; as if they were bound with them; considering that themselves also are in the body, Heb. 13.3. Hebrews 10.34. Coloss. 4.18. Phil. 1.7.  
7. That if they discern any of their Brethren overtaken in a fault, they would endeavour to restore such a one in the Spirit of meekness, considering themselves also lest they be tempted; according to that, Gal. 6.1. and if need be, they further acquaint some godly Ministers with it.  
8. That (especially at such a time as this is) they cover and conceal the weaknesses of each others; and avoid all manner of exceptions one against another, or reproaches of each other for any particular differences of persuasion in the things of Religion, as to such who are agreed in the two main things. 1. The Doctrine of faith: 2. A joint study to promove practical Godliness.  
9 That they take especial heed, that no particular provocations from any of their brethren upon civil accounts, be a temptation to them to turn Persecutors of them: i.e. to seek a revenge upon them for matters concerning their God, it being certain that none can deserve a persecution from his Neighbour.  
These things (our dearly beloved Brethren) are all which at present we shall commend to you. The nature, and reasonableness of them is such as we are assured they have an evidence to all your consciences, either as necessary, or highly useful, only as we are prone to make excuses in any duty; and especially where the revival of it may seem to condemn our former neglect; so we are afraid lest (as to that part which relates to the order and worship of families) we should hear some excusing themselves. Either, 

1. From want of time: or,  
2. From want of fit matter in their families: or,  
3. From want of parts and abilities; or,  
4. From the want in the world of servants that will be brought under such discipline.    
1. As to the first, we know there is a great difference of men as to leisure, and therefore (as we said before) we believe more of this nature is required from a Daniel, or a David, than from a private person: but,  
1. This cannot be pleaded as to Sabbath Day's Service.  
2. It cannot be pleaded as to Morning duties, there the time may, and aught if need be, be redeemed from sleep.  
3. So that all the dispute is about one half hour at night: and we leave it to every Christian that is serious and conscientious to think, whether this plea will not argue a greater want of a good heart. Besides if this duty be necessary, we hope that our brethren, who, let their trade and business be what it will, will find a time to dine and sup, because they are naturally necessary; will also find a time for these duties which are spiritually necessary.  
2. As to those who complain that their families neither do, nor can consist of fit matter for these duties. It only reacheth to Catechism, and that too only, as to servants; for surely Parents can command their children. As to them we say, Servants are either Apprentices, or hired by the year, or by the day; for the latter sort, they are not properly members of our families. For the former, doubtless, Masters have a great power over them; and though if they be stubborn, they cannot directly force them to this, yet they may keep them to such a strictness in labour, that they will be glad to purchase some relaxation there by a complying in this with the desires and endeavours of Governors for the good of their souls. For yearly servants, it is true they are but transient members of our family, but for their hired time, Governors have the same power over them, as over Apprentices; and there is no question, but better may be provided, if they will not comply. Besides, Servants that shall thus refuse, must be 1. Either such as have some particular different Persuasion in religion, who it may be understand much of the Principles of Religion: or, 2. Such stubborn refractory person's, as will be kept under no better Civil Government than Religious, and so unfit to be continued in our houses. But we are verily persuaded that they are very few, who by fair and gentle treating with them might not be brought to this order: however, as to children the duties may proceed.  
3. For those who complain for want of parts to discharge this work: The plea only holds as to prayer, and set discourses on Scripture. We should therefore commend to Christians.  
1. That no heads of families be patiented till they have learned to read, the want of this being a most inexcusable sin in these days, wherein are so many means for it.  
2. That as many as possible would learn to write, and practice writing; and as many as can would learn to write Characters, writing by Characters being of infinite use in this work.  
3. Though we cannot commend Christians tying themselves to forms of prayers made by others; Yet rather than not pray at all, that Christians would read a Prayer Morning and Evening to their families out of some good Book, such as the Practice of Piety, etc. at least at first setting up such a Reformation.  
4. That no Christian would rest here, but being assured, that the gift of prayer is attainable by any Christian, that will take pains, that they would use all means to attain unto it, and to that end, we shall not only be ready ourselves to give such as come to us Directions; but we earnestly commend unto them, the reading and study of Dr. Wilkin's Book concerning the gift of prayer.  
5. As to opening the Scriptures, and from them speaking to people. Though we could wish that as many as have time and leisure, would apply themselves to get such knowledge as might enable themselves by study to find out the sense of a Text. Yet in regard that all cannot do that, we have before commended to our Brethren some such English Books, as may in this be helpful to them: And in regard every one hath not an ability to purchase such Books, we shall only offer it to our Brethren; whether four or five might not join together in buying such an English Library as they shall be advised to, each sharing in it, that so the whole number may be amongst them all, and ready to be mutually Aent: and if they please, they may so agree, as when any one dyeth, the others may purchase his share at a certain rate.  
The most of these things Brethren (especially which concern the Worship of God in their families, and the private Sanctification of the Sabbath) though we believe them to be in a great measure the practice of many of you, and from your Parents you have been instructed in the practice of them: yet considering the great moment the reviving of Religion in families is of, at such a time as this, and the great neglect in many families, occasioned possibly, for that some had not such good examples, in the families of their education, we have thought good to use the Apostle Peter's expression, 2 Pet. 3.1. To stir up your minds by way of remembrance.  
Thus we conceive God may be glorified, our own souls, and the souls of all under our charges highly advantaged, Religion would be revived, preserved and propagated, and much of the glory of the Professors of England recovered; and the Adversaries of Religion and Godliness would gnash their teeth, to see every family become a Church, and the Nursery of that Religion, and lively practice of Godliness, which by so much profane scoffing, they endeavour to discourage, and by so much activity they labour wholly to extirpate.  
FINIS.