perfect Rule see how they have agreed or disagreed Look your faces daily in the Glass of God's Word and then you shall see how many spots are upon them This very thing would make and keep us humble while we live and shew us the shortness of our own wayes and drive us to Jesus Christ who hath perfect Righteousness The Swan is a proud bird but when she looks at her black feet she mourns The reason why most are so self-conceited of their own goodness is because they look upon themselves in present abstinence from sin or in present good mood and never look back upon former sinâ—â—â— In a word Let your sins be ever before your eyes 4. Beware of earthly-mindedness Let it not be your only care to get the things of this life 1 John 2.15 16. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world VVe are prone by Nature to mind Earth and nothing else But consider that those that are earthly-minded are enemies to the Cross of Christ Phil. 3.18 19. There are many of whom I tell you weeping who are enemies to the Cross of God viz. those who mind earthly things Such persons frustrate Christ of the end of his dying He died to purchase an heavenly treasure for us he arose and went to Heaven that we should imitate him If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Col. 3.1 Earthly persons undervalue the death of Christ he died to purchase Heaven they care for Earth more than Heaven Again Earthly persons will have a sad end Their end is destruction Phil. 3.19 Seeing such men put away Salvation from them whilst on Earth at last they shall be put away from Salvation Again Things below are neither a suitable nor a satisfying portion Not suitable your souls being spiritual these earthly not satisfying your souls having infinite desires whereas these are finite your souls everlasting these fading 1 John 2.17 The World passeth away When we have got never so much it may leave us we must leave it Again Earthly-mindedness is Idolatry Col. 3.5 And Covetousness which is Idolatry That which men desire love and delight in most even so much as to make it their portion that is their God Now we know that no Idolater shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Be exhorted in the words of Christ John 6.17 Labour not so much or chiefly for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life Luke 10.41 42. Be not with Martha careful about many things so as in the mean time to neglect the one thing needful 5. Be convinced that God is the best portion and make him yours You are never in a safe condition till you can experimentally say Who is there in Heaven but God and who is there on Earth I can desire besides God Psal 73.25 26. Labour to say with the Psalmist Psal 31.14 I said thou art my God And with Thomas My Lord and my God To this end get an interest in Christ receive him by Faith He that hath the Son hath the Father also God promiseth it as a special priviledge to be the God of any person or People I will be their God Jer. 31.33 When God is yours Pardon of sin is yours I will remember your iniquities no more He wil accept and delight in your persons The Upright are his delight He will take pleasure in all your services Cant. 2.14 Let me see thy face and hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Your Prayers Praises Alms c. shall come up before God as Incense Acts 10.4 Phil. 4.18 He will alwayes be with you in every place in every condition When you are in your own and when in a strange Country when you are in prosperity when in adversity Moreover all the Promises are yours When God is yours the Covenant is yours of which the Promises are so many branches If you be troubled with the sence of sin he can pardon you if assaulted with corruptions he can strengthen you If you be sad he will comfort you if you be sick he will be your Physician if weak he can strengthen you If darkness be upon your steps he can cause the Light to shine upon your paths If you are in wants he can supply you his is the Earth and the Fulness thereof if in Prisons he will visit you and cause you to sing with Paul and Silas He is an omnipresent Good and an omniscient Good a willing and omnipotent and a sure good Men may take away your Friends or you from them but they cannot take away your God your Estates but not your God your liberty but not your God your lives but not your God God will be a satisfying Good whilst you live a comforting and supplying Good when you dye an Everlasting Good after Death Above all things then get a share and interest in this God for he is the best Good none like him and as the Wise Man saith of Wisdom so let me say of God Get God get Christ God is the principal thing therefore get him and withal thy gettings get an Interest in Christ 6. Get your hearts possessed with an awe dread of Gods all-seeing Eye Walk with a constant fear of God upon your souls Prov. 23.17 Be thou in the fear of the Lord all day long whatever you think speak or do consider God stands by and sees and hears all he knows what thou thinkest and actest even in thy bed-chamber This consideration wrought mightily upon Davids spirit which made him express himself in this manner Whither shall I go from thy Presence whither shall I flee from thy Spirit there is not a thought in thy heart nor a word in thy tongue but lo he knows it altogether Psal 139. Per totum Many would be the advantages of such a temper it would keep us from many a sin we run into Prov. 16.6 By the fear of the Lord â—â—en depart from iniquity yea this is prescribed as a Remedy against all sin in general Exod. 20.20 That his fear may be before your eyes that ye sin not The reason why men do commit secret sins is Because they think no eyes sees them When Satan tempts thee saying Thou art alone the door is lockt the windows shut then say Oh but God sees me the darkness and the Light are both alike to him To this end beg of God he would maintain in your soul more of an actual sence of his Presence plead that Promise in which he saith I will put my fear in them that they may not depart frrom me Jer. 32.40 Unless God renew the fence of his Holiness and Omnipresence we shall groâ—â— atheistical and very secure 7. Serve God according to his Mind and Will neither add nor diminish in God's Worship do what he bids us all he bids us and no more Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe to do it add not to it nor
one glimpse thereof in the Transfiguration put Peter in a trance Christ ascended to be glorified 3. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend Obj. O but how can these things be how much better had it been for us to have had Christs bodily presence still on Earth What a deal of good did he by his Life Doctrine Miracles Compassion on the Poor Blind Diseased that cryed for help for themselves children and servants Lord hadst thou been here my brother had not dyed said Martha So may poor desolate souls say Lord hadst thou been on Earth still this evil and that storm had not come upon the Church or particular members of it Expedient Christ go O leave us not Answ In general Saddest providences and most terrible things whereby God answereth his People often carry a great deal of sweetness and comfort in them which we through ignorance and unbelief hardly discern Christians often loose much by poring on present or imminent evils and not looking to the sweet Result and glorious issue thereof We walk too much by sence and too little eye by Faith the things that are not seen Thus the Disciples were loth to hear that Christ must be put to death When he was buryed We trusted say two of them Luke 24.21 it had been he that should have redeemed Israel Their Faith was low not considering that he came to give his Life a Ransome for many Such fools so slow of heart are we to believe Thus when Christ told the Disciples I go my way to him that sent me They asked him not whither goest thou and therefore sorrow filled their hearts John 16.5 6 7. they did not look to the sweet Fruit which they should reap of his Departure they would have found cause of joy had they seriously considered that Christ went to his Father and their Father to his God and their God But particularly You have Christ's Word for it which should silence all objections and questioning thoughts John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away There were four Expediencies of Christ's Ascension in respect of us 1. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend that he might in our nature as our Head and Surety take possession of Heaven for us Heb. 6.20 Whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus He had purchased the Inheritance and paid the price and he went to have seizen and possession for us John 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you 2. Christ's Ascension was expedient for us that he might intercede for us in Heaven and now appear in the Presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 and that we might have that consolation 1 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession We have a constant and skilful faithful Sollicitor in the Court of Heaven pleading our cause Is the Church militant oppressed Jesus the Angel of the Covenant pleadeth How long Lord wilt thou be angry Zech. 1.12 and he is answered with good and comfortable words I am returned with Mercies to Jerusalem as it follows ver 16. The Lord Christ standeth as with a golden Censer having much Incense which he offereth with the Prayers of Saints on the Golden Altar before the Throne the Smoak of which Incense with the Prayers of the Saints ascendeth before God out of the Angels Hand When his People pray on Earth He as their Sollicitor procureth a Grant in Heaven which he sometimes sendeth down by a swift Messenger So he did to Daniel and Cornelius So that now being ascended Believers may triumph Who shall condemn It is Christ that died is risen again is at the Right Hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 3. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend that he might send the Spirit the Comforter Joh. 16.7 If I go away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him to you The sending of the Spiriâ— to lead Believers into Truth to convince the World to help Believers Infirmities to quicken to comfort to stablish them and to abide with them to the end of the World is the fruit of Christs Ascension 4. Christ's Ascension was expedient to assure us that he hath fully satisfied Justice for the sins of his Elect and left nothing undone of the great Work which he undertook Heb. 9.12 By his own Blood he entred once into the holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us His sitting at the Right Hand of God is an evidence that he hath obtained for us Eternal Redemption In his Ascension he triumphed over all Enemies He had spoiled Principalities spoiled them of their Prey having rescued his Elect spoiled them of their Dominion and Power over his Sheep He had cast out the Prince of this World the Accuser of the Brethren and He made shew of them openly Col. 2.15 Christ having overcome Death and Hell declareth his Conquest in ascending as a Conqueror into Heaven Take the Application in four Particulars briefly 1. Christ is gone to Heaven Be not deceived by false christ's Such shall come Mat. 24.24 O remember he is not here but ascended as he told his Disciples Seek not then a bodily presence in the Sacrament The Heavens must contain him Acts 3.21 The Martyrs who burned at the Stake not for ceremonies c. as some would have it but for denying Transubstantiation or the bodily Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper however now-a-dayes some bespatter them had a sure Foundation to build on The Scripture makes it plain that Christ's Body is in Heaven 2. Christ is gone into Heaven Christians let your hearts be there Seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Col. 3.1 Why do ye grovel on Earth when Christ your best Friend is in Heaven What on Earth can satisfie or what is to be desired when Christ is gone Well may Believers desire with the Apostle Phil. 1â— 23 to be dissolved and be with Christ which is far better 3. Let us prepare for Christ's Coming from Heaven Phil. 3.20 Behold He cometh quickly in like manner as he ascended but more gloriously attended more manifest every eye shall see him Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find watching Luke 12.37 We are left to trade with talents our Lord will come and reckon with us Mat. 25.19 Be ready for the Son of Man cometh in an hour when ye think not Luke 12.40 O let us watch 4. Lastly Be comforted Christ our Fore-runner is in Heaven He is gone but he went about our business This providence of Christ's departing looketh with a bitter aspect it is doleful to consider Christ is Gone But as Jacob's Spirit revived when he knew Joseph was alive so it is exceeding comfortable for drooping distressed souls to consider Christ hath taken possession of a
is as the driving home of the nail That which one forgets another may remember Improve private conference and speak often one to another and when you meet together be more spiritual savory and profitable in your discourse than heretofore you have been and then especially when you may have fewer publick opportunities Time may come when this may be one of the best helps you may have It may be God may cut you short of many publick advantages to chasten you for your not using or improving private communion of Saints and to quicken you to use and improve holy conference and other private duties more and better 5. A fifth means to help you to remember what and how you have received and heard is Earnest and fervent prayer to God that He would strengthen your memories and give his Spirit to you according to his promise to bring all things to your remembrance Commit Truths to the Spirit 's keeping and trust not onely to your own memories Often plead that promise with God John 14.26 Christ would not trust his Disciples alone with his Sermons He knew their memories were slippery But He intrusts his Spirit to bring things to their remembrance and the Spirit can and will bring Truths to your remembrances in the most seasonable time And lastly Endeavour to practise the things you have received and heard and that will be a means to help you to remember them Labour to get good by the Word and Ordinances and you will not soon forget them He who daily writes after a Copy wil be better able to remember it long after Psal 119.93 I will never forget thy Precepts for by them thou hast quickned me Those Sermons Sacraments and other Ordinances in and by which God hath quickned and comforted you you will not forget So much for handling this Doctrine Might I have had liberty to preach to you as long as I hoped and the Law allowed I should have handled the two other Directions in the Text Hold fast and Repent But seeing I am like to preach to you no more I shall briefly touch upon them and leave them with you in a way of Exhortation A fourth Direction Christ gives to this Church in order to recovering of her from her deadness and formality is To hold fast what she had received The Doctrine is That it is the duty of Christians and a means to recover declining Churches and Christians to hold fast what they have received and heard And indeed without this you cannot be strengthned by it That which you have lost and let slip will do you but little good You must not onely remember but also hold fast I shall not handle this Doctrinally Time will not permit it And besides I have formerly insisted on this Doctrine and duty from the 13th and 25th verses of the second Chapter I shall therefore onely leave the Exohortation with you Hold fast what you have received and heard And here I shall briefly shew you first What you should hold fast 2ly Against what 3ly How you may do it First What you should hold fast 1. Hold fast the Doctrine of the Gospel you have received and heard Do not let go any Truth of God Buy the Truth but sell it not at any rate Prov. 23.23 You may meet with those that would pluck it from you but be sure you hold it fast 2 Tim. 1.13 14. 2. Hold fast the plain pure and powerful Ordinances of God Oh do not let these go at least not through your default Let them not go for want of prayers and tears to keep them But may some say How if they should be gone How if God for our sins should take them away Why however yet 3. Be sure you hold fast a high estimation of the Word and pure Ordinances of God If ever you should want them yet prize and esteem them as your treasure let the want of Spiritual Mercies teach you more to value the worth of them Though you should lose many of your mercies and opportunities yet be sure you do not lose your esteem of them 4. Be sure you hold fast your love to the Truths and Ordinances of God as wel in the want as in the enjoyment of them Love the Word and love the Ministers of Christ even then when you may be deprived of them 5. Hold fast your appetite and stomach to the Word Ordinances of God though you should lose some of your meat take heed you lose not your stomach with your meat If you have lesse food yet you should labour to have the better stomachs Oh beg of God that though he should suffer your food to fail yet that he would not take away your appetites but keep them fresh and lively In temporals it would be a mercy if men wanted meat to want a stomach but in Spirituals it will be a mercy though you should have little food yet to have a good stomach continued This will be a pledge of Gods returning and restoring wanted and desired mercies For God hath said He will satisfie the hungry soul with bread 6. Lastly be sure you hold fast the good you have got by the Word Prayer Sacraments the Ministers and Ordinances of Christ Though you should part with these things themselves yet be sure you retain and hold fast the good you have got by them and those impressions of God's Spirit that have bin made on your hearts through under them And all this you must hold fast which leads to the 2d Particular against 1. The fraud and deceit of Seducers and Deceivers who would go about to cheat and cozen you of the great and precious Truths of the Gospel and of the true instituted Worship of God The Apostle tells you that such will a rise that will privily bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. and the Apostle Paul speaks of the sleights and cunning craftiness of men their methods to deceive They will perhaps plead Antiquity Tradition the Authority of the Church the Suffrage of Ancient Fathers Custom Example yea seeming Reason for many Opinions and Practices But Christians be not cheated of your Religion but that which you have received of the Lord Christ and hath been delivered to you by the Apostles in the Word those Truths and instructions of Christ do you hold fast Secondly Hold fast the Truths and Ordinances of Christ as against the fraud of Deceivers so against the force and violence of Persecutors As you should not be fawned so neither should you be frighted out of any one Truth or Ordinance of God or out of your love to desires after or owning of them Thirdly And the means to enable you to hold fast what you have received are 1. Diligent attendance on the publick Ordinances and Worship of God if and when you can enjoy them in any measure according to Gods will though not altogether in that manner you desire and they should be administred in I hope that for those many praying
is the singular goodness of God to his People in blessing them where no hope is and his remarkable Judgement upon the Wicked their Oppressors in making void their great hopes and frustrating their wicked works by making his Church the true Palm-tree Quae sub pondere crescit The more load you lay on the less they feel it Nay instead of groaning under it they grow under it So that it seems that Promise made to the Church Mat. 16.18 The gates of Hell shall not prevail is a meiosis They shall not only not prevail against it but it shall even prevail against them That Promise in Mark 10.30 is not made good only to the Children of God in their comforts but even to the Church of God in its Children an hundred fold with persecution I know not what power there is in sufferings over the spirits of men but I believe it may be said of some Martyrs as of Sampson that he killed so that they have converted more at their death than in their lives The Book of Martyrs is not wanting in examples of that kind And as their sufferings work by way of affecting so their courage and constancy in suffering work by way of convincing convinces the very Adversary of the goodness and righteousness of their cause All men will wonder and judge it a strong delusion indeed if men should adventure to dye for Humour or Fancy However though the way how it comes to pass is not so clear yet the thing is undeniable And when we have done our best to find out the reasons of it yet the Hand the extraordinary Hand of God must be owned and confessed to be in it 2. That the afflictions that are upon a Believer do alwayes fall out to his advantage 1. To the advantage of his comforts Tribulation doth at some distance work Hope Rom. 5.3 4. Now Hope is accompanied with great Consolation Believers are bidden to rejoyce when they are made partakers of Christs sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 And to count it all joy when they fall into divers temptations Jam. 1.2 And sure I am the Children of God have found by experience that as God hath encreased their Afflictions so he hath sensibly multiplied their Comforts which sayes Dr. Preston somewherâ— is the meaning of that Promise Mark 10.30 they shall receive an hundred fold with Persecutions i. e. the more their Tryals abound the more their Comforts shall abound It is ordinary with our gracious God to make up outward and temporal losses with inward and spiritual supplies and to recompence outward trouble and affliction with inward refreshings and consolations He usually appeareth most to his People when the world and the good things thereof are least in sight Though he may seem to speak roughly to them many times by his providences as Joseph to his brethren yet at the same time he puts corn into their sacks comfort into their souls yea and that so much the more comfort too 2 Cor. 1.5 as the sufferings of Chrâ—st abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 2. To the advantage of their Graces These God exerciseth confirmeth and enlargeth by afflictions Tribulation worketh Patience Patience Experience Experience Hope Rom. 5.3 by this lust comes to be purged out Psa 116.67 Temptations resisted Sin prevented Duty performed Earth despised Heaven desired Self denied and Christ Exalted The enemies of God's People hack and hew them by oppression reproaches persecutions Why this doth but furbish their Graces square and fit them to be a spiritual building unto God The Devil tempts them to destroy and damn them And hereby they are brought nearer to God set upon the greater watchfulness gain the better experience and are brought into an higher esteem of the blood of Christ Afflictions do one way or other fall out to the advantage of a Believers Graces 3. To the advantage of their Glory Though God do not properly reward men for their suffering yet happily it may be said he will reward according to their sufferings If we suffer with Christ we shall reign with him saith the Scripture and it seems that according to degrees of sufferings God will give degrees of Glory What shall we have says Peter that have suffered such things that have forsaken all and followed thee verily says our Saviour every one that hath forsaken houses c. shall receive an hundred-fold and shall inherit everlasting life but ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Matt. 19.27 28 29. It will not repent thee Christian of thy low mean despised afflicted condition in the world when every affliction thou hast suffered for Christ shall be as a Sparkling-Jewel to give a luster to thy Crown of Glory Doubtless if there be degrees of Glory as we have reason to conclude there are Gods suffering Servants and amongst them especially his Martyrs shall sit down in the chiefest Mansions and the highest Rooms in the Kingdom 3. That the sufferings of Gods Ministers in the general do many times fall out to the furtherane of the Gospel Here are two things that I might speak to 1. Afflictions make them the better Christians It may be that through great intentness upon publick administrations and constant cares and pains in feeding the Flock the Shepherds may sometimes have neglected themselves and the state of their own souls It may be they may not have studyed their own hearts nor attended the particular concernments of their own souls so as they might have done as though one should say in Solomons words whether it be the direct meaning of them I do not say Cant. 1.6 They have made me keeper of the Vineyard but mine own Vineyard have I not kept And it may seem good to God by afflictions to bring them home to set them a task to do in their own hearts to quicken them to the study of their own souls 2. Affliction makes them the better Ministers And that will be for the advantage of the Gospel No such Ministers as they that are train'd up in the school of affliction It was meet says the Apostle that the Captain of our salvation should be made perfect through sufferings Heb. 2.10 And indeed to allude to that even these Captains in the Church-militant even our Ministers are much perfected and qualified for their work by sufferings How shall he be touched with a feeling of the infirmities of others who is not tempted as they are to allude to the Apostle Heb. 4.15 Spiritual afflictions conflicts temptation do excellently qualifie a Minister of the Gospel and enable him to comfort the afflicted succour the tempted strengthen the weak answer objections resolve doubts and to rescue from Satan those that are taken captive by him And troubles from without these do also through the blessing of God and the Spirit of God sanctifying them make the better Ministers too Who can instruct unto Faith and Patience and Hope better than they whose condition in the world hath
that preach'd Christ of envy and contention but he was glad however that Christ was preached Phil. 1.18 But above all it might have been expected that our Saviour Christ should have forbidden him that cast out Devils in his Name indeed but wâ—s not of his company he did a good thing indeed but he did it disorderly he followed not him The Apostles indeed would have had it so But Jesus said forbid him not Mark 9.38 39. But if any man will shew me any Scripture-instance of restraining the Ministers of the Gospel I doubt not but to shew him in it an instance of such restraint falling out to the furtheraâ—ce of the Gospel 2. Such ministerial Restraint doth fall out to the furtheraâ—ce of the Doctrine of the Gospel in that it gives the mâ—re occasion to and layes the greater necessity on Christians to reade the Scriptures and other good Books That 's evident Now by this means Professors come to have good Judgement as well as good Affections and knowledge to their former zeal I am loth to speak here lest I should be thought to offend against any of the generation of the Just But I pray God to sanctifie the reading of the Scriptures and other good Books to this end That as Preaching hath made forward Professors and drawn forth affections so reading may make them solid Christians and settle their Judgments in the Truth 3. It ought to open the mouths of private Christians to discourse the things of the Gospel to declare to their neighbours the things of God and instruct and edifie one another in Soul-concernments And if they by this means shall be brought to preach to their neighbours I mean not that they should usurp the Ministerial Function not called thereunto but by Godly Conversation and Communication As David preach'd in the 66. Psal ver 16. Come and hear and I will declare what God hath done for my soul If it shall be thus and that instead of one Ministerial Preacher there shall be many Charitative Preachers in a town then I doubt not but it may fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel And thus I beseech you Christian Friends let it be Declare the great things of the Gospel in the way in which you may do it now if ever But lest I should be thought to preach faction it 's good I think to shew my Authority It is that of the Apostle Heb. 10.25 Not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching 4. This Ministerial Restraint may fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel in giving occasion and opportunity to the persons so restrained to furnish themselves better for the work of the Ministry Who knows but that God may take some off from laying out that they may the better lay in lay in stock lay up store make provision and then call them forth again to the Churches greater advantage when they shall return far more richly leaden than before Nay who knows but that some constitutions almost wasted some spirits almost spent do require some cessation and God is pleased to give a nights rest to his labourers that they may hold out the longer and the better in his Service As the husbandman givs a fallow year to his Land not because he would not have Corn but that he may have so much the more So here that it may be to the furtherance of the Gospel They depart for a season that their People may receive them and enjoy them the longer 2. Ministerial Restraint or the suspension of the Ministers of the Gospel from their Ministry doth sometimes fall out and God can make it fall out to the furtherance of the interest of the Gospel and that by such wayes as these 1. In making the Gospel to be valued and more dearly esteemed by Professors who perhaps began to look upon it with too common an eye and to grow secure cold and wanton under it When the meat shall be taken away and the surfet cured and the stomack restored then Oh then welcome any wholsome meat The Word of the Lord will be precious in those dayes And not only in making the Gospel to be more valued by Professors but also desired by others that till then never knew the worth of it If God send a famine of hearing the Word it will make men run to and fro to seek it Amos 8.11 12. nay perhaps make them run that never found their legs before The very want of the means and ordinances of conversion may be a means ordained of God for the converting of some or at least for the preparing of them for Conversion I may add under this head too that it may fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel by making the Ministers of the Gospel more prized Their Restraint may well conduce to this end Virtutem incolumen odimus sublatam ex oculis quaerimus invidi good men grow precious cous by their absence It may be proper for a Minister of the Gospel bidding farewel to an unthankful and unkind People to speak in his Saviours words to Jerusalem Mat. 23.39 Ye shall not see me hence forth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. And if restraint of Ministers shall bring forth this fruit then certainly it will fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel for if the Messenger be prized the Message will be more likely to be received 2. This Restraint may be to the furtherance of the interest of the Gospel In making former Truths to be remembred repeated digested Alstedius used to say That all Learning consisted in that one word Repete Repeat And truly I had almost said all Religion too Certainly it is wonderfully to the advantage of Religion when Doctrins formerly delivered and received are frequently brought back to mind and memory The business of Professors in England hath been to hear new Truths and fresh Doctrines still but not to make good as far as they have gone This fault it may be God will mend by this means As the beast taken off his meat falls to chewing what he had eaten before Some have rightly observed that they that want their sight have commonly the strongest memories who knows but that God may bring it to pass that your eyes should not see your Teachers on purpose to help your memories in recording old Truths 3. It may fall out to the furtherance of the interest of the Gospel by quickning and stirring up Christians so much the more to private duties The Restraint of Ministers may make many Priests I mean Priests in their own families Methinks it should do thus Christians should labour to make up in their Families what is wanting in Congregations And if it do thus it will be to the furtherance of the Gospel if the loss of one Priest in a Town shall bring forth in every Family one Thus
given Him the Tongue of the Learned to speak a word in due season to him that is weary anointed Him to comfort them that mourn and he giveth his Disciples a Cordial to keep them from swooning and fainting something to allay their grief and bear up their hearts they could ill let him go except he bless them and He giveth them a rich Legacy My Peace I give unto you John 14.27 and here a Blessing which proved very effactual to turn their grief into Joy For it followeth in the next verse after my Text They returned to Jerusalem with great Joy 5. Jesus Christ would have all his People know That He will pour down Showrs of Blessing on his Church and People to the End of the World This Blessing at his parting shall prevail on all Ages to the strong Consolation of Believers The Efficacy of it abideth and shall be on the head of Joseph on the top of the heads of such as are chosen out of the world Christ's good Will was not only to his Disciples but also to all that shall believe through their word John 17.20 6. Jesus Christ ascended Blessing that he might arm his Disciples against Persecutions and Difficulties which they must afterwards encounter He knew they must meet with much Contradiction in preaching of the Gospel that they must seal his Truths with their Blood and drink of the Cup which he drank And to animate them he will have them eye-witnesses of his Ascension and as Elijah let his Mantle fall on Elisha he lets a Blessing alight upon them 7. The Lord Jesus would declare That he hath taken away the Curse from his People and hath Authority to bless Gal. 3.13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us that the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath turned the Curse into a Blessing blotting out the hand-writing against us and as Conquerours use to give gifts so He in his Ascension gave and pronounced Blessings among his People It was his Coronation Day the Day of the gladness of his heart he was entring into his Ivory-Palace with gladness where all the Host of Heaven must ascribe Glory to Him And He will have some of his Oyl of Gladness run down upon his Members here on Earth 8. Lastly Jesus Christ would well fill up all Relations in which he stood to his Disciples and be as good and better in point of Love and Faithfulness in such Offices and Relations than ever any was Four sorts of Offices and Relations used to bless especially at parting 1. Parents did bless their Children so did the godly Patriarchs and Job and David c. 2. Masters their Housholds and Servants Abraham blessed his Servant Gen. 24.7 3. Kings and Rulers blessed their People Moses Solomon Hezekiah and Esther prayed for their People Melchisedec King of Salem blessed Abraham Gen. 14.18 Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God 4. Ecclesiastical Officers Priests and Levites and Prophets under the Law Melchisedec Priest of the Most High God blessed Abraham And Ministers extraordinary and ordinary under the Gospel bless People Now Jesus Christ stood in such Relations to his People He is their Father Isa 9.6 Heb 2.13 14. and puts the Blessing of a Father on them their Master and blesseth the Houshold of Faith Their King and fulfilled that Type of Melchisedec's Blessing Heb. 7.1 6. As Prophet and Priest yea Apostle and High Priest of our Profession at his entring into Heaven he with hands lift up imparteth a Blessing on his People I come now to make some use of this point And first Seeing the Lord Jesus went to Heaven blessing his Disciples let us all learn of him to bless and not curse yea to bless them that persecute us Rom. 12.14 Here you have an exact patern the best Teacher follow his steps Render not railing for railing but contrariwise Blessing for ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a Blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 Here is a fair Copy to write after a good Lesson well becoming true Christians When Christ was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not 1 Pet. 2.23 His last farewel was Blessing Alas Christians we know not what spirit we are of for trivial injuries ready to be calling for fire from Heaven and to have our tongues full of deadly poyson and set on fire of Hell Therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we man made after the similitude of God Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing My Brethren these things ought not so to be Jam. 3.8 9.10 O consider for the moderating of our spirits and tongues Jesus Christ suffered Contradiction of sinners was spit upon and had the highest injuries and greatest affronts offered him and though he could have commanded twelve Legions of Angels to have aided him yet he came as a Lamb to the slaughter and opened not his mouth nay he prayed Father forgive them Luke 23.34 His own Disciples shewed a great deal of unbelief and disobedience forsook him in the hour of darkness and had many ambitious thoughts and much selfiish discourse yet his Love covered a multitude of faults so as he blessed them at parting O let the same mind be in you that was in Christ be meek and lowly be courteous and pittiful forbearing one another and forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Let the Fruits of the Spirit Love and Peace and Meekness be found in you and abound 2. Use Christ going to Heaven solemnly blessing should teach us to expect all Blessings from Heaven only through Christ and that all the Blessings of the New-Covenant are dispensed by the hand of the Mediator only in him shall men be blessed Mens blessings are but blanks cyphers vain and of no value except Christ bless There is that blesseth himself in his wickedness saying I shall have peace Deut. 29.19 but in vain God's anger will smoke against that man There is no peace to the wicked The wicked flattereth himself Psal 26.2 but his iniquity will be found to be hatefull There are that bless the covetous but the Lord abhoreth them Psal 10.3 A sorry bargain to have mâ—n acquit and the Lord held guilty mans blessing will stand in little stead when the Lord shall say Depart ye cursed It is not in all the creatures to render him a blessed man whom Christ doth not bless To proceed There is no blessing to be had from God but only through Christ Christ is the Emmanuel through whom there is peace on Earth and goodwill towards men he is the true Mercy-Seat with the wings of the Cherubims spread over it whence the Lord will commune with his People He is the true Jacobs Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven from the top whereof the Lord declareth he is his Peoples God and will be with them in all places whithersoever
I leave you all in the Arms of Jesus Christ Shall I leave any of you wedded to your sins and lusts Shall I leave any of you glued to the world and not espoused to one Husband even Jesus Christ Shall my liberty to preach Christ to you cease before you can all say of him My Beloved is mine and I am his O that if it were the will of God it might not be so Brethren my hearts desire and prayer for you is that you may be saved My earnest request and suit to you this day is that you will come to Jesus Christ and be married to him for ever Have pity upon me cryeth sorrowful Job in another case Have pity upon me O ye my friends the Hand of the Lord hath touched me Have pity upon me O my People have pity upon your afflicted grieved dying Pastor And this is the pity I crave at your hands that you would none of you rest in a Christless condition but expect Blessings and Blessedness only through Christ that whether I come again to you or be absent I may hear of your affairs that ye prize and love Christ fervently that ye obey him sincerely constantly and universally having respect to all his Commandments that ye set a high estimation and stick close to his Truths that ye abhor Evil and account Gospel-administrations glorious that ye stand fast in the Faith and abound in every Grace Unum erat c. said Monica to her son Augustine It was one thing for which I desired to live a little longer that I might see thee a Christian ere I dye So say I to you this day whose cheeks I see bedewed with tears If my heart deceive me not I desire my Natural and Civil life a little longer that I might see you Israelites indeed and grown in Grace I seek not yours but you O my Flock I labour not to draw you after me but after Christ So far am I from murmuring at this sad providence exercising me this day that I bless God who bringeth good out of evil that hath given so many of his Ministers opportunity and hearts to confute those Scandals cast on them by unstable souls of being Hirelings Baals Priests greedy Dogs Balaams loving the wages of unrighteousness Diotrephes and loving preheminence preaching for filthy lucre supposing Gain to be Godliness c. from whom men ought to withdraw themselves Let such as are guilty answer as they can Let Baal plead for himself We are sure that the Judgment of God is according to Truth against them that commit such things That God who hath so far rouled away our Reproach can in his due time make our Righteousness shine forth as the noon day Only my Beloved let me not have cause to take up such sad complaints of you that I have bestowed on you labour in vain that I have piped and ye have not danced that I have mourned and ye have not lamented that ye have not believed my report that ye will not come to Christ that ye might have life that I come in my Fathers Name an Embassador in Christs stead and ye receive not my Message but if another come in his own name him ye will receive that ye are easily perverted marvelous soon shaken See Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. and your minds corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ to fall in love with will-worship and empty things of mans devising but will not be converted nor fall in love with Christ nor take his yoke upon you Good People add not thus to my affliction but let me have joy of you that I may say Ye are my Crown and Rejoycing Now I live seeing my Peoples souls are alive and prosper and have their hearts established with Grace so as they cleave with purpose of heart unto God escaping the temptations and pollutions of the world and running like the River Arethusa through the salt Sea yet keep their sweetness and the Word of God abideth richly in them Monica Leapid for joy at Augustine's conversion Cumulatius c. My God hath done abundantly for me that I see thee his Servant So let me have cause to rejoyce and say My God hath granted my desire letting me see you that were serving divers lusts serving the Lord Christ and you that were dead in sin spiritually alive and you that were Swearers fearing an Oath and you that were lost found And you that were haters of Holiness following Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Sirs think not that Angels or some from the dead should ever come to invite you to Christ and testifie these things neither may you expect Christ himself in bodily presence to preach to you when he was on earth He went about doing good calling sinners Come unto me Follow me If any man will be my Disciple let him follow me but now his work is in Heaven where he is about his Peoples Business pleading their Cause Nay you may not expect me to be preaching to you any longer but once more I am here tendering to you Jesus Christ I come a wooing in behalf of my Lord and Master who was dead and is alive and behold he liveth for evermore In his Name who was preaching of old by his Spirit in Noahs time to souls that by their obstinacy and disobedience are in prison in Hell 1 Pet. 3.19 I come to tell you that Except you Repent ye shall all likewise perish and except you believe ye shall be damn'd Mark 16.16 that unless you obey Christ ye will fall short of eternal Salvation and if ye have not the Son ye have not Life I come to tell you of your poverty and blindness of your nakedness misery without Christ that all your hope will perish unless it be built on Christ the Corner-stone and that you can obtain no Blessing but through Christ 'T is recorded that the dead that Sampson slew at his death were more than they whom he slew in his life To allude to it O that this my dying Sermon might shake the rotten pillars on which souls have built their hopes of Heaven short of Christ that more sins might be mortified and more souls quickened and converted than ever by any Sermon in the course of my Ministry that now at the end of the liberty of my publick Ministry you might all be the seals thereof being pricked to the heart and feeling the weapons of our warfare mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Joseph's Brethren thought evil against him but God meant it for good to save much People alive And O that this sad breach betwixt us this day might occasion some poor souls to say Periissem nisi periissem I had been undone if I had not been undone The smiting of the Shepherd and scattering of the Sheep was
not approve of But I must tell you that to mine and my Brethrens apprehensions they are forbidden in those general Prohibitions Deut. 12.32 Prov. 30.6 Col. 2.15 surely he that adds to the Worship adds by consequence to the Word of God If you say What hurt is in them I ask Have they not a tendency to draw men off the spiritual Part of God's Worship to rest in Formalities do they not bring us into more bondage than the Jewish Church since they had a stated number of Ceremonies and those of God's own Appointment but we as to the nature and number of ours are at mens arbitrement and must not cease obeying till they cease imposing Do they not prove a sad stumbling-block to the more tenderly consciencious Christians and to add no more they must needs do hurt in that they do no good I fear not to say that whatsoever doth no good I speak of mens inventions must needs be prejudicial and corrupting to God's Worship I hope then you will forbear to throw after us those rash and harsh Censures as if we wilfully ran our selves into sufferings I think it a Truth worth our bearing witness to by the greatest sufferings That men ought not to impose nor we submit to humane Inventions in God's Worship when introduced upon pretence of Edification or engaging men to their duty Since such things would reflect upon the Wisdom of God as if he had not known how to make his own Ordinances effectual But I forbear other Instances I might give and hasten to what remains Thirdly There is yet a third thing which may be an occasion of stumbling and sinning to the prophane and that is They will rejoyce at our sufferings because we have sometimes been Troublers of their Consciences They look upon us as pestilent Fellows movers of Soul-Sedition they could not swear or drink nor oppress c. but the Pulpit must ring of it they hate us because we never prophesied good concerning them and now they are glad not only to be rid of us but to see us suffer c. 1. But let me tell you It 's no good argument of Christianity to rejoyce in the sufferings of any though your worst enemies The Command is Rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep Rom. 12.15 remember them that are in bonds as if bound with them Heb. 13.3 How contrary is your spirit and practice to these and the like Precepts as for our troubling you we did it in faithfulness to your souls And for our present troubles suppose it were upon the account of an erroneous Conscience which is the worst that can rationally be supposed of us yet so long as it is upon the account of Conscience methinks it calls for your Pitty and Compâ—ssion But 2. Let me tell you There 's no such cause of rejoycing as you imagine if you sin more quietly when we are silenced Conscience will speak at last the flames of Hell at furtherst will awaken it and then you will wish that you had both enjoyed and improved your faithful Monitors who out of Love to your souls durst not but speak against your sins Besides our sufferings presage you no good 1 Pet. 4.17 If Judgement begin at the house of God the Cup may pass from us to you When God gives order to begin at his Sanctuary he intends utter desolation In Ezek. 12.3 4. the Prophet is commanded to remove his stuffe as one going into captivity for a type to the People You will see us ere long removing our stuffe what if this be a type to you sure I am it is a warning Let our sufferings be supposed never so just and righteous yet are there not among you even among you sins as heinous and provoking Luke 23.40 Do you not fear God since you are in the same condemnation Alas poor souls were you sensible it would be small joy to you to have your Ministers driven into Corners But so much to the first sort 2. I am now to turn my speech to you whom the Text directly concerns who look upon our removal as a Judgement who are burdened for the reproach of solemn Assemblies there is danger of your stumbling as the Text intimates and therefore let me caution you also Take heed you be not offended by or stumble at our sufferings many wayes you may miscarry it may possibly be a purling case with you how to reconcile our suffering in this case with God's Justice but remember with the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 12.1 to hold the conclusion however things go You may also meet with temptations to call in question the Truth of that Doctrine we have delivered to you or to doubt whether we have taught you the good and the right Way but that which is most ordinary and against which you need to be most cautioned is Lest your hands be weakned and your hearts discouraged in the Profession of the Truth lest the Shepherds being smitâ—en the Sheep be scattered lest by our Sufferings you be moved from the Hope of the Gospel To prevent which or the like miscarriages consider 1. Our Sufferings are not to weaken or discourage to confirm and encourage you you quite pervert the End of our Afflictions if you draw arguments of discouragement from them 2 Cor. 1.6 Whether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation We are put to lead that you may the more chearfully follow if called to it Phil. 1.14 Many of the Brethren in the Lord waxed confident by my bonds That was indeed a right Improvement of Paul's Sufferings I mean not that you should run your selves upon sufferings or do any thing unlawful or unwarrantable to pull Afflictions upon your own heads The Serpents wisdom is commendable when in conjunction with the Doves simplicity and innocency but if the Cup which ordinarily goes round be put into your hands our Example should be your Encouragement to drink it more cheerfully As for doing any thing or so much as speaking against Authority upon our account far be it from us to urge you to it nay we charge you to keep the way of Duty and Loyalty to Sovereign Authority The wrath of man works not the Righteousness of God but if you be call'd out to bear witness as we conceive we now are to the Truth of God or the Purity of his Worship and Ordinances then we say to you look on us and do likewise than chuse rather to suffer than sin We have preach'd the Truth and we now are called to seal it with the loss of our Livelihood and Liberty in some measure Let not our Sufferings weaken or dis-settle but rather strengthen your Faith and heighten your resolution our Afflictions should be your Encouragements 2. Nor should the bitter Scoffs and Reproaches which you may undergo for our sakes at all move you I doubt not you will have the scorn as well as the loss It will be said to you in way of derision as the Sons of
Sabbaths and yet in vain how many Sermons and yet in vain how many Threatnings Promises Entreaties and yet in vain how many strivings of the Spirit and yet in vain How hath God fed this Nation with the finest of the Flower and best of the VVheat and made the Rock to drop with Honey and yet how lean wonderfully lean are the souls of these Nations like Pharoah's lean Kine in the enjoyment of thrice seven years of plenty of the Gospel how hath he made his Clouds to rain upon you even to the emptying and wasting of themselves and yet in vain Are you not Rocks and Mountains hard and barren now even as before how little Reformation in your Parish in your Families how little are Husbands and VVives how little are Parents and Children Masters and Servants reformed how little is Religion and God's VVorship set up in your Families how little do you endeavour to bring your VVives your Husbands your Children and Servants to a saving knowledge of God! how little do you catechise and instruct them and how little do you labour to see Christ formed in the hearts of your domestick relations How few old sins do you leave how few new duties do you take up and practise How little do you endeavour to perform duties in a more holy humble and servent manner than before May not his Ministers cry out in the language of the Prophet they have laboured in vain they have spent their strength in vain And judg I pray you Sirs is it not just with the Lord when our Nation our Parishes your Families remain unfruitful after such multiplied cost and pains and this for so many years is it not just with the Lord now to say England such Towns and Parishes such Families such Persons are given to barrenness let them alone I will command the Clouds they rain no Rain upon them 2. The Second ground and reason of a Ministers removal from a People is those persecutions and afflictions that befal them Sometimes the Persecution falls upon the Church in general upon People and Pastors and then Ministers cannot with that clearness and justifiableness leave their Flocks as when some Ministers only are aimed at God's Church is compared to a Lilly among Thorns to a flock of Sheep amongst Wolves and Noahs Ark upon the deluge tossed to and fro with storms and tempests upon the Sea of this troublesome world There is an irreconcileable enmity betwixt the interest of Christ and the interest of Satan and therefore no wonder if the gates of Hell the policy and power of infernal darkness are united and combined against the Church of Christ The Devil is called a Red Dragon Rev. 12. A Dragon denoting his hurtful poisonous and destructive nature and a red Dragon denoting his cruelty that he is delighted in and becoloured with the blood of God's People and all the storms and persecutions that have befallen the Church he hath raised them He labours with might and main with rage and fury by imprisonments by banishments by fire and faggot to eradicate and totally to destroy Christ's Kingdom and Interest out of the world either by falling upon the Church in general or upon her Lights Guides and Watch-men in particular Remove the Watchmen and the Garison is easily surprized and taken put out the Lights and you are surrounded with darkness take away the Guide and the Travellor is eaeasily seduced and therefore Satan sometimes in his persecutions aimes chiefly at pious learned painful and zealous Ministers because they most of all like burning and shining Lights squander and dispel the darkness of his kingdom discover and manifest his hellish and subtile stratagems and methods of deceiving poor souls and lead them from them into the wayes of Piety and Salvation because they are as God's Boanarges's and Barnabasses battering down the walls of his kingdom presumption security and dispaire by awakening men and women out of their spiritual lethargy and letting them see their danger and misery that they may escape it and on the other hand by comforting raising up such as are dejected and under temptations to despaire and on both hands lessen and weaken his interest in the world and therefore the Devil to secure his own interest and to oppose to hinder and to destroy the Interest of Christ will have them burnt or banished silenced their mouths stopped that no more lightning and thunder no more Cordials and Comforts come from them or by violent on-set of hot Persecution make them run and fly for it When they persecute you in one City flee ye into another And as the interest of Satan is one ground of Persecution so the irreconcilable enmity betwixt the Interest of Christ and the sinful corrupt interests of ungodly men is another ground of Persecution upon the Church of banishing imprisoning and silencing Ministers to be a friend to the one is to be an enemy to the other The friendship of the world saith James is enmity with God and whosoever will be a friend of the world is a enemy of God Jam. 5.4 If Ministers dare and will comply with the sinful interests of great men and become Court-flatterers and Parasites to Kings either to preach up or not to preach down their State-Corruptions and Wickedness they shall have peace and protection If you were of the world saith our Saviour to his Disciples that is of the principles customes fashions of the world the world would love you for she loves her own Joh. 15.19 And this was the reason why Antichristian false doctrines were so much imbraced in the dayes of John because they were doctrines of the world doctrines pleasing flesh and blood and sutable to the principles customes and interests of sinful men They are of the world therefore they speak of the world and the world heareth them 1 John 4.5 Never was there any Interest of Great men so sinful and corrupt nor any Religion owned countenanced and established by Authority so superstitious idolatrous and abominable as to want Defenders and Promoters some for favour some for fear some for secular advantages to preserve and keep what they have or to gain honours preferments and riches by it others from their choice and election loving and delighting in that way The way and means that Jeroboam and his Council contrived to withdraw and keep the People from going to Jerusalem to sacrifice and to secure the ten revolted Tribes to him his posterity was abominable idolatry against which they had many caviates and cautions from God for which their fore-fathers had been severely punished Exod. 32. Judg. 2.10 11 12 13. 3.5 6 7 8. yea for this their famous King Solomon lately deceased was threatned with the renting of part of his Kingdom from his Posterity and verified in this revolt 1 Kings 11. Yet notwithstanding all this the sinful contrivance of Jeroboam wanted not owners and promoters for besides the Courtiers and the common People the lowest of whom he consecreated
and demolish the strong-holds of Satan The conscientious Physitian when he seeth thâ— health and life of the Patient committed to him how diligent is he in watching with and attending his Patient how curious exact in observing the pulse the symptomes workings nature and strength of the disease how careful and diligent to apply proper Remedies and Physick sometimes Corrosives sometimes Cordials and all to restore health and prolong life to his Patient How much more diligent should Ministers Physicians of souls be in observing the several Maladies and Soul-diseases of their People and to apply proper Remedies so many persons so many patients so many sins so many diseases some are brutish and unteachable some are weak others dull some perverse and many ungrateful How should they endeavour to make the brutish to understand to confirm the weak and make them strong to quicken the dull and make them zealous and fervent to allure the perverse and and make them tractable to win the ungrateful and make them kind what is the body to the soul or life temporal in a troublesome world to Life Eternal in unspeakable Happiness the Excellency of the object should heighten our esteem and double our diligence Pretious pretious Souls lie at the Stake One Soul is of more value than ten thousand worlds Jesus Christ shed his pretious Blood for the Redemption of souls but not for the honours dignitys riches of the world Now either Heaven or Hell And how should the joyes of the one and the torments of the other and the eternity of both add indefatigableness to our labours unwearied vigilancy to our perspective care invincibleness to our courage irrefragableness to our arguments â—â—d steep our perswasions in tears and all to keep you from lodging your selves in everlasting burnings and bring you to an Enjoyment of the beatifical Vision of the blessed God! In this decriped age of the world the Devils seem to be possessed with some spirits worse than themselves they turn every stone they improve the dregs of their malice the height of their power if by any means by secret perswasions by hostile invasions by strange delusions turning themselves into Angels of Light that they may drag one soul to Hell and shall not Ministers take much more pains to bring them to Heaven Paul was unwearied in his doing invincible in his suffering How many Cities and Countries did he enlighten with the Gospel Jerusalem Illyricum Damascus Arabia Antioch Arhaja Cilicia Cyprus Epirus Galatia Mysia Lycaonia Pamphilia Physidia Phrygia Selutia Syria Troas Ministers should make the Salvation of Souls their study their care their imployment their practice their whole business We must wait on our Ministry Rom. 12.7 give our selvs continually to it Acts 6.4 We must fulfill our Ministry Col. 4.7 The soundness fatness fruitfulness of the Flock is an honour to the Shepherd The recovered health strength life of a sick weak dying patient is an honour to the Physician It is the glory of Kings according to the rules of the great States-man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ease and heal their Cities and Kingdoms of those miseries and calamities they groan and languish under to secure their present peace and prosperity to enlarge their bounds and of small to make them great If the Roman Emperour gloried when he said of Rome Lateritiam inveni marmoream reliqui I found it built with Brick but left it built with Marble So it is a great honour for Ministers to do much good to their People to strengthen the diseased to heal the sick to bind up the broken to bring back that which was driven away and seek that which was lost Ezek. 34.16 When of Lead Brass Iron and Tin they make them Gold and Jewels for God when of Lyons they make them Lambs of Rebels they make them loyal Subjects beating their spears into pruning hooks and swords into plowshares when of a barren Wilderness they make them a fruitful Vineyard How exceeding great will that Glory be which God will give at the last day unto his faithful Ministers when they shall stand forth before God his Angels and all men Andrew bringing with him his Achaians whom by his Ministry he hath gained unto Christ John with his Asians Thomas with his Indians Peter with his Jews and Paul with his Gentiles and all the pious and faithful Ministers of Christ with all the Children God hath given them in their respective Ages and Generations and these shall be to them a Crown of Glorifying in the presence of Jesus Christ at his coming 1 Thes 2.19 and the time for the accomplishing of all this at the longest is very short Death if no other providence may sooner than they are aware of throw them into an incapacity of doing any more good unto their People how should they labour to do much in a little while the grand importance of the work the numerous and potent enemies that oppose and hinder it the uncertainty and shortness of time to do it in should make us wonderfully diligent say and do with Paul We seek not yours but you accounting the winning of souls to Christ our greatest gain and glory Sed heu Quantum distamus ab illo how many say in their practice We seek not you but yours seek the fleece and neglect the flock How do Ministers run and ride cap and cringe to get Ecclesiastical Dignities and Preferments to multiply to themselves Church-revenues heaping Steeple upon Steeple as the Gyants of old Pelion upon Ossa and upon both these Olympus to fill their Coffers to maintain their Pomp their full Tables to provide portions for their Children or which is worse to administer more abilities of greater sinning against God and this great and necessary work undone the diseased not strengthened the sick not healed the broken not bound up that which was driven away not brought back that not sought which was lost Wâ— to such Shepherds of Israel of England and of all Christian Kingdoms in the world that feed themselves that eat the fat and cloath themselves with the wooll but feed not the Flock but with force and cruelty rule over them Ezek. 34.2 3 4. How desperate and dreadful is that Charge God layeth upon the Priests of Judah his Watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumb Dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down and loving to slumber yea they are greedy Dogs that can never have enough they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own way every one for gain from his own quarter Come say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa 56.10 11 12. Time will not suffer me to open and enlarge upon these words I leave them to your meditations and observations pardon my trespassing upon your patience the pains is mine the profit is yours 2. If Ministers are not certain of a continued
Refidence amongst their People be you then exhorted to make good use and improvement of present Gospel-Enjoyments you are not sure of a constant enjoyment of pious able and painful Ministers and the uncertainty of the future should make us lay in store of provision at the present lest by neglecting present opportunities we run our selves upon the damage of a future necessity The Jews were togather twice so much Manna on the sixth day as on other dayes because on the Seventh there was none to be found The Mariner hoiseth Sails to the present seasonable and right Gales of Wind. The Husbandman layeth hold on the present seasonable weather for the reaping and gathering in of the Fruits of the Earth And all of you in Summer lay in Provision for Winter Present Opportunities neglected may not in the future be enjoyed No Manna could be found on the Seventh-day the Wind turns and stands contrary the Summer is ended no harvest no reaping in Winter A People that enjoy a faithful and painful Ministry have the Manna of God's Word falling round about them they have the pleasant Gales of God's Spirit to waft them nearer to Heaven they have an harvest day of and pleasant seasons to make provision for Glory but if you neglect present Seasons you run desperate hazzards and adventure your precious souls upon great uncertainties He that sends his Embassadours to day may call them back to morrow God hath threatned his Spirit shall not alwayes strive with men The tongue that is speaking to you this day will be tyed up and silenced before the next Sabbath How miserable would it have been with Egypt in the seven years of Famine if there had not been vast provisions and innumerable store laid up in the seven years of plenty How miserable would they be pintched with hunger and cold in winter who have not laid in full and sutable provisions in Summer How miserable will they be in a famine of God's Word who have made no provision in times of plenty To be without Ministry and Ministers without World and Ordinances is the most miserable and destructive want in the world Where there is no Vision the People perish A People without a Pastour are without a Watchman to warn and awaken them without Lights to enlighten them without Guides to direct and lead them without Salt to season them without Physicians to heal them without Shepherds to watch over them to feed and defend them and the condition of such must needs be a miserable condition And to have such are as spoken of in Isa 56.10 11 12. blind and dumb covetous and greedy and drunkards or such as are mentioned in Ezek. 34. that are dispersers of the Flock not dispensers of the Word and Ordinances with force and cruelty to rule over you will be your cross not your comfort The actions of publick persons are very influentiall as is the Praetor such are the Citizens as is the Pedagogue such are the Children as is the Pastor such are the People like People and like Priest and how can there chuse but be Whoredom in Ephraim and Defilement in Israel when the Priests commit lewdness Am. 6.9 10. No wonder if that people be made a prey and brought to nought whose Watchmen are blind whose Preachers are dumb whose Champions are lame whose Physicians are sick whose Salt is unsavory whose Teachers are untaught whose Guides are ignorant of the Way whose Pastours are Impostors whose Pillars are Pollars fleecing but not feeding the Flock Doth not hence spring the ruine of the Church the contempt of the Ministry and all Church Orders and Ordinances the corruption of manners a sinck of sin and deluge of prophaness the starving of Charity the debasement of Religion the hazarding of your Graces the endangering of your soules for ever And for a Christian now to order his conversation aright it requires that God's Word should dwell richly in him in all Wisdom and to be preserved safe and found in infecting times it is expedient and necessary that he be fraught with the impregnable Cordials and Plague-expelling Antidotes of God's most holy Word This was the Preservative and Security of that good King Psal 119.11 I have hid thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against thee Therefore my Brethren for the glory of God for the honour of Christ the credit and ornament of your Profession the rejoycing of your dying Minister and your own Salvation See that you walk in the strength of that Doctrine and Word I have almost for the space of these four years delivered unto you as the Prophet Elijah in the strength of the Cake until you come unto the Mount of God 1 Kings 19.8 That whether I come again unto you or be absent yet I may hear of your affairs that your conversation be as becomes the Gospel that ye stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel Now I have done with the Sore A Ministers Departure from his Poople I should now shew you the Plaister and apply it But of this by and by SERMON XIV Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified These words I have told you are part of Pauls Valediction to his Beloved Ephesians the Parts and Arguments whereof I have briefly shewed you In the words you have a twofold Remedy in opposition to a twofold Malady The first Malady was Affliction and Persecution mentioned in ver 29. for which the Apostle prescribeth God as the Sovereign Cure and Remedy And now I commend you to God The second Malady is Infection and Heresie mentioned ver 30. for which the Apostle prescribeth God's Word as the best Preservative and Remedy And now I commend you to God and the Word which Remedy is further implified by the title given to it Grace the Word of his Grace 2dly From the precious effects and benefits of the Word first Edification secondly Life Eternal in these words which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified Then the relative name Paul gives to the Ministers of Ephesus Brethren from which word you may remember I gave you this Observation Doct. That true and real Christians are Brethren It is not only true in respect of Ministers but of all Christians Pastors and People I have demonstrated it briefly and briefly improved it by way of Application But then secondly from the Provision of Security and Comfort that Paul commendeth his Ephesians to at his departure you had this Doctrine Doct. That God and the Word of his Grace is the best Security and Comfort a departing Minister can commit his People unto You may remember I took this Doctrine in two and gave you this Note or Doctrine Doct. That Ministers cannot alwayes expect a continued and uninterrupted Residence amongst their
People This I shewed you before and applied it Now in the last place and my last opportunity I come to the Grand Cure and Sovereign Remedy for the above named Maladies God and the Word of his Grace The Doctrine is this That God and the Word of his Grace are the best Security and Comfort a departing Minister can commend his People unto The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath divers significations in the New Testament but in this place and some others it properly signifies Fidei alicutus depositum servandam trado committo we commit something to the care and fidelity of another for security and preservation Thus our blessed Saviour when he dyed on the Cross 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Luke 23.46 And the Apostle Peter exhorting the Christians not to be dispondeâ— and dejected under the Sufferings they met with for Christ's sake but in the midst of their sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls unto him as to a Faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4.19 Thus the Apostle commits these Ephesian Ministers and all the Christians in Ephesus their souls their bodies and all the affairs and concernments of that Church both under Persecution and in the midst of contagious Heresies and Doctrines to the defence and protection of God and to the direction light and preservation of his holy Word So that if you please to give a name to my Text let it be this The departing Pastor's Security and Comfort for his left People c. When the Father of a family lies upon his death-bed and ready to take his ultimum vale of the world commends his Wife and Children to the care counsel and direction to the defence and protection of his most trusly faithful and assured Friends saying I am now going the way of all flesh and my deare Wife will become a discousolate Widow and my tender Children will be fatherless and I shall no more return to perform the duties of an Husband and Father to them no more to counsel and direct them no more to manage and order their affairs for them No more to provide for and maintain them no more to succour and comfort them No more to defend them from injuries and oppressions No more to right them in their wrongs And therefore I leave and commend them to you to be as a Husband to my Widow and a Father to my Fatherless I leave them to your love to pity them I commend them to your wisdome and prudence to counsel and direct them To your care and faithfulness to manage their affairs for them I commend them to your justice to right them in wrongs and defend them from injuries Even thus this blessed Apostle going to Jerusalem these Ephesians should see his face no more No more he should fight with beasts after the manner of men at Ephesus He should confute the Erroneous and Hereticks no more No more should he be with them to appease their dissentions reconcile their divisions he should maintain the Doctrine of Free-Grace the purity and simplicity of Gospel-Worship no more No more to vindicate the Resurrection of the dead No more to perform amongst them the duties of a vigilent Watch-man and faithful Minister to rebuke the Obstinate and such as walk disorderly to comfort the Mourners to strengthen the Weak to reduce the Wanderer to raise and recover them that are fallen And therefore seeing I shall be no more with you to do any of these things for you I leave and commend you to God and the Word of his Grace the best security from and comfort under both Persecution and infectious and seducing Doctrine He is a Watchman and Shepherd instead of all Shepherds and Watchmen He is a Teacher instead of all Teachers And for a people to be left with such Guardians when their Minister must depart from them is good security and comfort for them And this I shall shew first in respect of God 2dly in regard of his Word First To commit you to God is to commit you to him who is furnished with every thing necessary for Security and Comfort 1. It is to commit you to the greatest Love And Love is a strong Security To be committed to the defence of an enemy that hates us with deadly hatred there can be no comfort no security but a fearful and trembling expectation that our defence should prove our destruction But Love addeth strength and security to mud-walls when hatred makes stone-walls full of danger Hatred seeks the destruction of the object hated when Love seeks the welfare and protection of the object beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Birds build their nests on high in close obscure places and spare their own crâ—ws to secure and fill their young ones The most timerous creatures grow most resolute and expose themselves to danger and death in combating to preserve their young ones and all from that storgie and affection Nature hath implanted in them What will not Parents do and venture to preserve their tender babes in danger they 'l venture upon pikes and swords upon wild beasts they 'l venture through fire and water to save them And if there be such love in the creature surely there is much more in the Creator their greatest plenitude is but a drop to his immeasurable Ocean Love in the creature is a concrete finite and imperfect but in God it is an abstract infinite and Perfection it self God saith John is Love 1 Joh. 4.8 and this Love of God to his People is an all-conquering Love this stirrs up God to stand as a skreen between his People and danger and primum mobile of their protection What is the reason that all the policies and power of infernal spirits all the stratagems of the Devil's Agents all the black cursings and bloody execrations of ungodly men all the Popish Fulminations and thundrings of Anathema's against God's People take no more effect what is the reason that there is no Inchantment against Jacob nor Divination against Israel It is God's Love that shields off all Balaam you know following the wages of unrighteousness attempted to have cursed Israel but this Love of God opposed it and turned the Curse into a Blessing Deut. 23.5 The Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam but the Lord thy God turned the Curse into a Blessing because he loved thee Hence it is God opposeth the opposers of his People and destroyeth their destroyers saying Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm The most glorious Potentates prosperous Kingdoms have become contemptible and heaps of ruine for their opposing oppressing and persecuting God's Church God's Love puts an higher estimate upon the poorest Saint than upon all the Sinful though sceptred crowned adorned and adored Monarchs of the world Why did he smite the first-born in Egypt both of man and beast why did he send his
Son Is he a pleasant Child Since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him and I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. And this tender compassion is not a bare pitty but an helping relieving succouring Pitty Many have compassion but want ability to help and succour others have ability to help but want compassion but God hath both Mercy to pitty and Ability to help and save his People and therefore we have frequently an Act of Deliverance joyned with an Act of Mercy When Hazael King of Syria oppressed Israel all the dayes of Jehoahaz the Lord was gracious unto them and had compassion on them and would not destroy them 2 Kings 13.22 23. And the reason why God did not destroy the Jews in the Wilderness was because of his Mercy But he being full of Compassion for gave their Iniquity destroyed them not Psal 78.38 Mercy steps in and pleades prevailingly against Justice for the preservation of a People And this Compassion of God God's People have pleaded with him for deliverance Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory Where is thy Zeal and thy Strength the sounding of thy Bowels and Mercies towards me are they restrained O Lord thou art our Father and our Redeemer Isa 63.15 16. This Mercy is a sin-pardoning-Mercy And this will be a refuge to fly unto when ye are pursued by an accusing condemning Conscience for sin committed this is a Cordial of greater comfort than sin a cause of sorrow a Plaister of a larger proportion than the wounds of sin upon your Conscience it as far excells thy Scarlet-dyed sins as the distance is betwixt East and West As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us Psal 103.12 compared to the height of heaven above the earth As the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is Mercy to them that fear Him Psal 103.11 And again My thoughts are not your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes for as the Heaven is higher than the Earth so are my Wayes higher than your wayes and my Thoughts than your thoughts and therefore he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 8 9. Compared to a Sea that can swallow and cover Mountains as well as mole-hills Mic. 7.19 This Sea of Mercy covered Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Davids Adultery and Murder Mary Magdalens Whoredom Peters Denial of Christ and Pauls Persecution and covers the mountains and multitudes of sins of all God's People in all ages of the world and will be a Refuge for your security against the guilt of sin if you flee unto it this is a Refuge to secure you against the violence of the proud Psal 86.14 15 16. This is a Mercy so lasting that is everlasting In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting Kindness will I have Mercy on thee saith the Lord Isa 54.7 8 9 10. Christ is so merciful a Shepherd as in the dayes of his flesh he had compassion on the multitude because they were sheep without a Shepherd and now he sits upon the Throne of Glory he hath not laid this tenderness to his Church aside but will either provide fresh supplies or support and preserve his People under want of ordinary means by an extraordinary manner And to this Mercy I commend you that as a shield will defend you from the Curses Divinations Inchantments Anathema's of your enemies that will destroy your Persecutors pitty you under all your pressures redeem you from your miseries â—ecure you against the guilt of sin committed and provide for your want and relieve you by some ordinary or extraordinary way 3. This is to commit you to the greatest fidelity They that will defend and secure others must be faithful as well as merciful Faithless defenders are worse than open pursuers they rob us of the safety we expected and expose us to the danger we least feared Jaels peace was Sisera's death And how often did faithless Dalilah attempt to betray Sampson to the Philistines Judg. 16. And David must not lodge in Keilah because the Inhabitants would deliver him up 1. Sam. 23.11 12. Ahabs Children lost their heads by the unfaithfulness of their Guardians 2 King 10. How many famous and strong Castles well-fenced Towns and formidable Armies have been destroyed by the treachery of faithless Guards Commanders Open fields have more security with Faithfulness than the strongest walls with Treachery Nothing safe committed to the custody of faithless persons Orphans wronged and defrauded your Estates imbezeled your Persons betrayed your Lives exceedingly endangered and what comfort or security can there be in such Guardians or Protectors But to be committed to such Keepers whom Favour cannot win nor Preferments corrupt nor Rewards bribe nor Fear nor Threatening nor Dangers discourage but remain resolute and faithful against all is great Security and Comfort And such an one is God He is the faithful God faithful to make good his Promises faithful to preserve whatsoever is committed to him The Apostle would not have committed the Ministers the Affairs and Concernment of the Church of Ephesus to God if he had not been a faithful God Christ when he dyed said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And Peter exhorts the afflicted Christians in his dayes to commit their souls unto God as unto a faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4.19 And how many Martyrs when they have become whole offerings to God have given their souls in charge to God Father into thy Hands I commit my spirit whatsoever is laid up in the hands of God is safe and secure He cannot be bribed by Promises Rewards or any other way to surrender any thing that is committed to his custody He is faithful to the least Beast of our Herds to the least hair on your heads Luke 21.18 And if he be faithful in the least he will not be unfaithful in the greatest He is faithful to keep your persons in dangers not to give you up to the rage and ruine of your enemies The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his Enemies Psal 41.2 And David prayes that God would secure him against false Accusers Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me Psal 27.12 He is faithful to preserve you from Temptation He binds up Satan that he cannot tempt you when he would and when he gives Satan leave to tempt yet God will be your refuge in the temptation God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but with the temptation will find out a way for your deliverance 1 Cor. 10.13 Thus he prayed that Peters faith failed not Luke 22.31 his Grace was sufficient for Paul 2 Cor. 12.7 he is
that are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Though you be in Prisons in Dungeons in Banishments though the wool be scratcht off and the skin tore by Persecutions yet he knows you even you who are given him of the Father in his eternal Election John 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me Such of you as have his Image upon your souls and his Fathers Name wrote upon your foreheads Rev. 14.1 such of you as have the sprinkling of his Blood and are washed white in the Lambs Blood Rev. 7.14 Shepherds use to preserve their Flock David hazarded his Life to preserve the Flock from the roaring Lyon and revenous Bear 1 Sam. 17.34 Shepherds watch night day to preserve their Flocks as Jacob Gen. 31.40 and the Shepherds to whom Christ's Birth was preached Luke 2.8 Jesus Christ is that careful Shepherd who defends his from them that would destroy them the Devil was never yet able to get the least Lamb of his Flock Those that thou hast given me I have kept and none is lost but the Son of Perdition John 17.12 and never shall the Devil be able to get any of Christ's Sheep John 10.29 my Father is greater than all and none shall be able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand This Shepherd will heal you of all your spiritual Maladies and Diseases He is the great Physician of Souls in the dayes of his flesh he healed all that came or were brought to him He made the Blind to see the Deaf to hear the Lame to walk the Dumb to speak He cleansed Lepers raised the Dead and cast out the Devils Mat. 11.4 5. And He is the same for the soul no disease to great for him to cure He heals us of the Guilt of Sin by Pardon and Justification Thus He healed Noah of his Drunkenness Lot of his Incest David of his Adultery and Murder Solomon of his Idolatry Peter of his Denial Mary Magdalen of her Whoredoms Paul of his Persecution He heals us of the filth and dominion of Sin by Sanctification The God of Peace sanctifie you throughout in spirit body and soul He enlivens and raiseth them that are dead enlightens them that are blind softens them that are heard cleanseth the unclean making a dunghil of sin 〈◊〉 Temple of his Spirit and the souls that are 〈◊〉 stituâ—ed Adulteresses to Sin and Satan a Spouse to himself He is anointed to bind up the broken in heart to proclaim Liberty to the captives to open the Prison-doors to them that are bound He gives Beauty for Ashes and the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness Isa 61.1 2. This Shepherd will gather his Sheep together his Gentile Sheep scattered and Jewish Sheep dispersed both these he will gather The Gentiles John 10.16 the Jews also One end of the Ministry is to gather in all the Elect into a state of Grace out of the state of Nature and one end of the Ministry and Discipline is to gather in all that have strayed or been scattered since their conversion He will gather all that have been scattered by Storms and Dogs all that have been devoured all that have dyed in Prisons Dungeons Banishments in loathsome and unknown places the Sea shall give up her dead and the Grave give up her dead and shall separate them from the Goats and lead and conduct them safely into the Folds of Heaven and Glory 4. This is to commit you to the Father of the Church who hath begotten his People unto himself by the Immortal Seed of his Word Joh. 1.11 12 Jam. 1.18 who loves delights in pitties provides for and defends his People even as a Father loves delights in pitties and provides for and defends his Children 5. This is to commit you to God the Husband of his Church and People who hath chosen them out of the mass of mankind and espoused them unto himself Hos 2.19 20. and made one with them according to the antient Law of Marriage And they two shall be one â—â—esh Ephes 5.30 31. and dwells with his People in every place and condition Heb. 13. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee He partakes of our humane nature and makes his People partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 As your Husband he sympathiseth with you in all your sufferings accounting your afflictions his Isa 63.9 As your Husband he derives upon him all your sins Isa 53.5 2 Cor. 5. ult The wife is not suiable at Law but the husband Jesus Christ is the Husband of you that are Believers he answers and non-suits all Bills of Indictments put up against you There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 And as he takes your sins upon himself so he communicates to you the Riches and Priviledges Purchases of his Grace and Sufferings here The Glory that thou hast given me I have given them Joh. 17.22 The Kings Dunghter is all glorious within Psal 45. And he will communicate to you the Greatness of his Glory and Blessedness hereafter Joh. 17.22 Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be where I am that they may behold the Glory thou hast given me Here Christ doth win and contract his People by his Ambassadours but at the great Day of his glorious Royalty when he shall be attended upon with a glorious Retinue of blessed Angels he will publickly solemnize the Marriage betwixt himself and his People Here they are in a Pilgrimage then they shall be brought into the Brides Chamber here you have a Crown of Grace then he will put upon you a Crown of Glory Now if you faithfully consider that God to whom I commit you is the Fulness Sweetness of all these Relations to you that are his People the most potent politick victorious Captain the most powerful wife and rich King the most diligent and skilful Shepherd the tenderest Father and most loving Husband to his Church and People it must needs be ground of Security and Comfort in this your left and desolate condition Eighthly This is to commit you to that God who works wonderous things for the deliverance of his Church and People Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods Who is like unto thee glorious in Holiness fearfull in Praises doing Wonders 1. He is wonderful in disappointing the great plots and desperate counsels of his Churches enemies He bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the People of none effect Psal 33.10 Syria and Ephraim had combined and plotted together to take Jerusalem and set up a King for themselves but God said It shall not stand neither shall it come to pass Isa 7.4 5 6 7. How wonderful was he in disappointing Hamans bloody design when the Order for the destruction of the Jews was procured signed and sent by Posts in the Provinces of the King and the day appointed for slaughter drew nigh and the Jews a weak unarmed captivated People had no Power
little before his death made his last Will and Testament and amongst other things he solemnly commended the tuition of his Seep to his Fathers care intreating him by all the dearness betwixt them that he would preserve them from the Devil and all his evil designs against them John 17.11 15. he had received them from the Father upon his commendation ver 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and he had kept them safe while he was with them Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them lost but the Son of Perdition ver 12. And being now to go out of the world intreats the Father that as he had kept them upon his commendation so he would upon his recommendation undertake the protection and tuition of them I Pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil ver 15. and again Holy Father keep through thine own Name those thou hast given me that they may be one as we are one ver 11. And now at my departure according to these great Patterns worthy of imitation I commend you to God When without my seeking for I had the unanimous Invitation and general cheerful Reception of the whole Parish I looked upon it as a demonstration that God intended to intrust me with your souls And according to that small Talent the Lord hath lent me I have been willing and ready to spend and be spent in the service of your souls and by soundness of Doctrine unblamableness of Conversation to win you to Christ and though I had no wheaten bread yet rather than your souls should starve according to the pattern of my great Lord and Master I gave you barley bread the nourishment and strength of which I leave to your experiences I did what I could while I was with you to keep you to fore-warn and fore-arm you and now having no more time to be with you I commend you and yours to the protection of the God of Grace and Peace Whatsoever there is in an infinite God that may make for your security and comfort I commend you unto it to his Mercy to pity and pardon all your sins to his Righteousness to plead for you to his Power to defend you to his Al-sufficiency to supply you to all the virtue of his Arm to all the affection of his Bowels to all the depths of his Wisdom and to whatever else in an infinite God that can make for your defence I commit you to it From Him I received you with him with his Love his Mercy his Faithfulness c. I leave you To Him 1. Because he is able to comfort you in all your sorrows who can and will shine upon you in the darkest nights and turn them into a bright day He is the Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort And as the Sufferings of Christ abound in you so your Consolation shall abound by Christ 2 Cor. 1.3 5. he will give you an assured and impregnable Peace within when you have Troubles and War without This was Christ's Legacy for his People Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you not as the world gives give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled let it not be afraid John 14.27 Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you John 16.22 This peace shall so keep and defend your hearts that all the beleaguering sufferings and afflictions shall not take nor vanquish them Phil. 4.7 And the Peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall keep your hearts as in a strong well-fortified impregnable Garison 2. To Him I commend you who is able to support under your greatest burdens Satan that great Leviathan would alwayes have more liberty to lay load upon load upon your backs he would load you with temptations and persecutions without he would have loads of corruptions and dissertions within to be heaped upon you he desires to winnow you and try your strength he would break you backs dash your hopes your comforts your joy and peace by accumulated miseries But this God can and will make his Grace sufficient for you and glorifie his Power in your weakness 2 Cor. 12. When you are weakest in your selves the Lord will shew himself strongest to you and for you and make those burdens easie which before appeared formidable and insupportable to you Rom. 8.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will take up one end of the staff and the heaviest part of the burden upon himself 3. To him I commend you who is able to establish you in the most shaking times Christians must not be as reeds bow with every wind of Doctrine nor moved away with every storm of Persecution but they must be like those two brazen Pillars in Solomons Temple called Jachin and Boas Stability and Strength You must be strong stedfast in the purity of the Doctrine in the simplicity of the Worship of the Gospel of Christ Now you are not able to stand by your own strength against storms and winds but God will stablish and strengthen you and make you like an house built upon the Rock that all the waves and floods of Persecution shall not be able to move you The God of all Grace after that you have suffered a while will make you perfect and strengthen and settle you 1 Pet. 5.10 You that are Christians indeed are built upon such a foundation Jesus Christ as conveyes life strength and stability to the superstructure As broken bones once knit are the stronger as trees shaken by the winds take deeper root So God by all shakings and stormy winds will make you more stable and setled It is your Security and my Comfort and stand not by your own strength but by the Power of God 4. To Him I commend you because he is able to provide strong and suitable supplies for you Should I commit you to men they would seek their own profits but never bestow their pains they would feed upon you but not feed you reap the fruit but never watch nor water nor manure the Vineyard But this God is the great the good and faithfyl Shepherd who when he removes one Instrument can raise another When he takes away one Minister he can provide you another that can send you an Elisha after Elijah one to whom he hath given a double portion of his Spirit 2 Kings 2.9 a man of greater parts learning and abilities of greater experiences and skill in the great things of Christ in the great concernments of your souls both a Boanarges and a Barnabas 5. To Him I commend you who is able to bless the smallest means and make them equally profitable and beneficial as the best Though in regard of men you may doubt of the former yet in God you may be confident of the latter All means are in God's hand Paul may plant and Apollos water but it is
diminish from it we may not close with added substantial parts of worship Whatever power a Church hath about natural Circumstances they have none about the substance of worship either to add or take away by putting in or putting out To add new Ordinances or parts of Worship is a breach of the second Commandment The Pharisees ered on this hand Mat. 15.19 teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men they pressed Gods Commandments as indifferent and mens Traditions as necessary God commanded to Honour Father and Mother they teach contrary to this ver 4. this was a diminishing They teach that the washing of hands before meat the cleansing of cups c. as necessary to Salvation this was to err by addition See Rev. 22.18 To add in God's Worship is to make our selves wiser than God and to accuse Christ of unfaithfulness in God's House Moses was a faithful Minister in God's House much more was he who was Mose's Master Well be sâ—re in all your worship that it be according to the Parâ—â—â— shewed in the Mount viz. according to â—he â—â—â—script and Standard of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 very dangerous to offer strange fiâ—â— such as God commands not Levit. 10.2 Give not God cause to say to any of us Who hath required this at your hands 8. Be spiritual and zealous in God's Service Take not God's Name in vain either by vain praying hearing or reading Bring your hearts to and keep them at prayer I will pray with my spirit Psal 25.1 Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Prayer consists more in the elevation of the understanding and desires than in the lifting up of the eyes and hands and so bring your hearts to the preaching and hearing of the Word Rom. 1.9 Paul served God with his spirit in preaching and we should serve God with our spirits in hearing When Paul preached Lydia's heart was opened that she attended to the things spoken by him Acts 16.14 When God's Embassadours deliver their Embassy imploy your understandings to discern your memories to retain your wills to choose your affections to love and delight in your consciences to apply what you hear And so sing Psalms with your heart as well as with your voice Col. 3.16 Singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord. God complains of those who bring their bodies before him but leave their hearts behind them Isa 29.13 They draw near me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but their heart is removed far from me this is a mocking of God Therefore be fervent in spirit when you serve the Lord rest not in bare enjoymment of the Means but get Grace by the Means Labour to enjoy the God of Ordinances in the Ordinances of God God is much displeased with eareless heartless and superficial worship If we offer ignorant heartless and distracted prayers will he accept them Cursed be the Deceiver that hath in his flock a Male and voweth and facrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.13 14. Well then rest not in a formal customary way of serving God serve him out of Conscience and give him your heart in every duty 9. Maintain an high esteem and make great Conscience of the Lords-Day Keep the whole day holy morning and evening It 's not said remember to keep part of the Sabbath Day But keep the Sabbath viz. the whole Sabbath holy sanctifie it in private as well as in publick in your own houses as well as in Gods House in your Closets as well as in your Families do not only keep a Rest but sanctifie that Rest How By Meditation meditate on the Sabbath of that Sabbatism that remains for the People of God Heb. 4.9 Muse upon the Joys of Heaven which are pure spiritual constant and perpetual Think of the sweet Company you shall have even Angels and Saints besides God and Christ whose Presence makes Heaven Dwell upon your Immunities and Freedom from Sin Temptations of Satan and the World from troubles as Sickness Poverty Crosses and every thing that makes your life uncomfortable Imitate the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ by raising your hearts from Earth and ascending into Heaven by spiritual Comtemplations Moreover continue the day by reading and singing of Psalms attend upon God in publick also let not private duties hinder you from publick neither strive to attend so much upon publick Ordinances as to abridge your selves of private secret Opportunities I think those Christians do much wrong themselvs who spend all the day in attending upon publick prayers and hearing I would not have you strive to hear four or five Sermons a day unless you can take so much time besides as is necessary to meditate of and apply what you hear so order the day that secret Communion with God may fit you for publick and publick Ordinances fit you again for private and secret converse with God It is not much eating but eating moderately and digesting what we eat that encreaseth strength Two or three Sermons seriously heard and ruminated upon in secret do more good than ten Sermons heard without meditation Brethren what shall we think do those sanctifie a Sabbath to the Lord who hear a Sermon and a few prayers and then go to the Alehouse they who drink sleep sport walk or work away the Sabbath all these are forbidden Isa 58.13 Thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight not finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words nor doing thine own works Again Christ and his Disciples did not spend this Day partly in religious Exercises and partly in Recreations or Workings John 20.18 and Acts 20.7 we find there that Christ came amongst the Disciples on the First day and that Paul and the Christians used to spend this Day in Prayer preaching and receiving of Sacraments Moreover God will bless us inwardly and outwardly if we conscienciously observe it Isa 58.14 He will curse us inwardly and outwardly in soul and body if we prophane it See Jer. 17.27 Well then my Brethren do not prefer a Holy-day before the Lords-Day It s sad to think that hundreds should more scruple to work on a Saints-day which is of humane institution than on the Sabbath which is of God's Sirs you of this place have got shall I say an undeserved name of more than ordinary piety but I assure you that if you fall to neglect and prophane the Sabbath as some of our neighbours do you shall lose your very Name I should be very sorry to hear when I am gone that you should prove a Sabbath-breaking-People 10. Make great Conscience of Prayer family and secret Let your houses be Houses of Prayer Those families are called Heathenish Families that call not upon God Psal 79.6 Power out thy Fury upon the Heathen the Families that call not on thy Name Let God have a morning and an evening Sacrifice from you Under the Law God called for the first Fruits and there was a Feast of Ingathering or of the Last Fruits
be broken they will not bend Rough Trees must be hewn with Axes so old Sinners must find rough dealing at conversion If you would come home to God comfortably come quickly and early The sooner you begin the more sweetness you will find All God's Wayes afford Pleasantness and in all his Paths there is Peace 2. Having delivered the Counsels that concern you all in general let me now direct my speech to the Regenerate in particular To you whom the Word of God hath been the Power of God to Salvation I would commed these things that they may be kept in remembrance II. COUNSEL 1. Be very thankful for any good which God hath wrought in you by the means of Grace God is takeing away in some measure the pure and powerful dispensation of his Ordinances and this is matter of sorrow O but God hath made them advantagious to your souls already and this is matter of praise 1 Thess 1.3 5. Give thanks to God seeing the Gospel hath come to you not in word only but in the power of the holy Ghost You then that can experience a new Light in your minds Conviction in your conscience a change in your wills and holiness in your affections and union with Christ give God the praise It had been a misery indeed if God had taken us away from Ministers or Ministers from us before we had got any good by them Those amongst you that are ignorant hard-hearted unbelieving sinners have reason to be grieved at the very heart The Sun of the Gospel is eclipsing and you are not yet enlightened by it the fire is putting out before your souls be warmed It is a sad sign those are in the number of the sons of perdition from whom the clear Gospel is hid 2 Cor. 4.3 If the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost The Child unborn cannot midwife it self into the world when the Mother is dead but there is hopes that an Infant that is born may be nourished up even unto a perfect man Why Brethren unconverted persons are unborn and if Faithful Ministers and Ordinances should be altogether taken from you both Father and Mother dye and then who shall make you partakers of the new Birth But now you that are born again you will be able in some measure to feed your selves the meat is before you in the Scriptures and the holy Ghost will help you to feed on it If there should not be a succession of Pastors amongst you your condition may be sad but it is safe if you should dye without the continuance of Ordinances having a part in the Resurrection from sin to a new Nature and holiness of life the second Death shall have no dominion over you If you live longer you have former Experiences former Truths former Promises old Store to live on You have the granary of Experiences and of the Scriptures to maintain you in spiritual Life if there should come a Famine of publick Ordinances God hath not dealt with every soul as with yours Two or three of you have lived under the same Ministry have sit and heard together in the same Seats yea one of you is taken the other is left Say then with a thankful heart as Christ Why hast thou revealed thy self to me and not to others Even so Father because it seems good in thy sight Mat. 11.25 2. Walk humbly before God in a sence of your insufficency to good and proness to evil Mic. 6.8 walk humbly with thy God Never walk securely ever be jealous of your deceitful hearts Take heed of falling into sin though at present you stand Ever live under the sence of that truth that the heart is deceitful above all things and madly wicked What Master that knows the deceitfulness of a Servant would trust him too far and so who that hath had frequent experience of the falsness of his heart would put too much confidence in it for the future Ever keep low thoughts of your selves live continually in dependance upon God for strength to perform duties to subdue corruptions resist temptations and to bear afflictions Paul prayed thrice i. e. often when he had a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet him 3. Beware of every sin have and express godly sorrow for it break off every iniquity by repentance Beware especially of and keep your selves from your iniquities Psal 18.23 Cut off your right hand and pluck out your right-eye-sins Mat. 5.29 God hates it Jer. 44.4 it grieves him They rebelled and vexed his Spirit it will grieve you also 1 Pet. 2.11 and wars against the soul i. e. against the Peace and Tranquilty of your minds every sin contracts guilt and guilt creats trouble It 's impossible a Christian should walk comfortably whilst he showes any liking to any sin Sin doth especially prejudice us as to Prayer both before in and after Prayer it shuts our eyes that we dare not lift them up to Heaven O my God I blush and am ashamed to look up Ezra 9.6 It stops our mouths that we cannot speak and manacles our hands and contracts our hearts that we cannot lift them up to God If we would lift up hearts and hands in Prayer without doubting we must lift up holy hands 1 Tim. 2.8 Sin makes a Christian act like an enemy towards God and to think God is justly turned to be his enemy and who can with any heart ask any favour from an enemy If we would draw near to God in full assurance of Faith we must come with an heart sprinkled from a guilty and defiled conscience and our lives washed with pure water Heb. 10.22 Again the least sin smiled upon puts us back in our Christian course it weakens Faith takes away our Courage disheartens us from doing our very duty How canst thou reprove another with courage saith conscience when thou thy self knowest thou standest in need of reproof well than exercise daily repentance for daily failings sue out a pardon every day and get one Seal more added to your Pardon daily you have as much need to pray for daily forgiveness as for daily bread 4. Grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 Make progress in holiness take heed of decaying beware lest God's Ministers lose the things they have wrought upon and amongst you 2 Ep. John ver 8. Increase your knowledge Follow on to know the Lord let your repentings for sin be kindled go from one degree of Faith to another let your love to God abound more and more The more Grace you have the more you will glorify God the fitter you will be to do him service the more able to bear affliction a little Grace is not enough to bear great Trials and the more Grace the fitter for Glory yea and very probably the more Glory To this end continue in the use of those means that uphold and encrease Grace Ex eisdem nutrimus ex quibus constamus Feed upon the Milk of God's Word and the
Godliness as you ought to know If you know any thing of your selves you know that you are insufficient of your selves to every good word and work and that all your your sufficency is of God Every true Believer hath experience of nothing more than of this that without the Grace of Christ communicated to him he is a meer empty nothing But in Christ is all fulness of Grace Grace without measure not for himselfe only but also for all those that beleive in him Go therefore to God through Christ for the communications of Grace and Wisdom as may suffice to enable thee to walk by Line and Rule even the Word of God Which is able to make the man of God perfect and wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. 3. You must often compare your selves with the Rule An exact Carpenter will hardly fit the least piece of Timber into hi◠building without the use of his Rule and Square and yet his building is but for a few years at furthest and shall not we much more especially if we desire to be exact make use of our Rules who are building for Eternity A Rule is not to look upon but to use and God hath not given us his Word to reade only but to apply also Now this a Christian doth cheifly by meditation and self-examination Be much therefore in the exercise of these great Christian Duties Worldings and Hypocrites mind them not practise them not It shall be an argument of your sincerity and the reality of your desires to walk exactly if you practise these duties frequently and faithfully You have a Rule for your thoughts shewing you that they must not be vain Jer. 4.14 nor unclean Job 31.1 nor blasphemous Mat. 9.4 nor idolatrous Acts 17.29 nor proud Rom. 12.3 nor unmerciful and coveteous Deut. 15.9 these and all other evil thoughts are to be forsaken Isa 55.7 and your thoughts must be sober and humble Rom. 12.3 and exercised about those things that are true honest just pure lovely and of good report Phil. 4.8 in a word every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ This you see is the Rule for your thoughts You have a Rule likewise for your words Eph. 4.15 1 Pet. 2.1 Jam. 2.12 Jam. 4.11 Mat. 5.37 Col. 3.8 Col. 4.6 the sum whereof is this That putting aside all filthy false vain and evil communication your speech be alway with Grace seasoned with Salt You have a Rule too for all your actions whether Natural Civil or Religious comprized in that one verse 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the Glory of God Consider now either in the very act while you are thinking speaking or doing any thing or at least in your after reflections upon them whether they have been according to these Rules or not and this is comparing your selves with the Rule wherein you shall find a wonderful advantage in order to circumspect and exact walking 4. Converse with those that order their conversations with the afore-mentioned exactness It was Solomons observation Pro. 13.10 that He that walketh with wise men shall be wise And indeed it is very wonderful to observe the strange effects that are produced by converse and society for the assimilating mens minds and manners to each other either in good or evil Hereupon the Apostle compares converse to Leaven a little whereof only by a kind of society will leaven the whole lump 1 Cor. 5.6 For this cause it was that God cōmanded the Israelites to destroy all the old Idolatrous Inhabitants out of the Land of Canaan and strictly forbad all intermarriages with them lest the Israelites by converse and society with them should learn any of their Heathenish and Idolatrous manners Is it not for the same cause also that the Apostle forbids the yoaking of Beleivers with unbelievers 2 Cor. 6.14 Certainly our own every-dayes experience and observation will tell us that for the most part men are such as they with whom they most frequently and familiarly converse and therefore we see that what Art soever any man desires to be skilled in he will endeavour as much as may be to acquaint himself and converse with such as have the best insight into that Art Now let us make a spiritual improvement of this observation and we shall make no little advantage of it God who in his unmeasurable Wisdom knows best how to advance his own Ends is not satisfied with the single services of any or all the single Persons in the world and hath therefore ordained that his Worshippers shall worship him in Societies and Congregations And why Not because it is greater profit to him Psal 16.2 Job 22.2 3. Single persons can adde nothing no perfection to God no nor the greatest Societies in the world no more than single persons but mark God hath inseparably twisted his own Glory and the Holiness and Salvation of his Creatures together So that he hath ordained and appointed to his Creatures the use of no means for advancing of his Glory but such as tend no less to advancing of their holiness and salvation So that it is apparent from hence that the end of God's ordaining his Servants Worshippers to associate themselves together is that by their converse and mutual example those Sparks of Grace which he hath by his Spirit kindled in their hearts might be blown up into a Flame and that dead hearts might be kindled by their company So we see that a little fire in many small sticks laid singly by themselves is apt to go out but if laid together the fire increaseth and inflames also those which had no fire upon them I know you that are Christians indeed have abundant experience of what I say Many a time anothers ardency in prayer affectionateness in discourse fervency in preaching c. hath put life and spirit into you when you have been as dull as stocks and as sensless as stones of your selves and might so have continued had it not been for that help Anothers holy Example his heavenly Discourse his sober Carriage his Watchfulness over his tongue the Uprightness of his dealing c. hath won you to an holy Imitation and Emulation Oh! therefore if you have any desire to order your conversations with that Exactness which the Apostle here calls for neglect not the assembling and associating of your selves together with such as exercise themselves in the practise of this Duty It is a choice means and so upon proof and tryal you will find it to be Use 3. Let us now in the third place improve what hath been spoken by way of caution that you may take heed of being prejudiced against circumspect walking or exactness of life and conversation 1. Have a care of your affections in the first place that they be not drawn away with the enticements of the flesh nor over-swayed with the opinion or reproaches of the world Looseness and Prophaneness commonly creep
glorious House incorruptible Inheritance and a biding Kingdom for us We have an Advocate with the Father our Redeemer liveth and we shall see him All his Enemies shall be made his footstool Christ is glorified his Members however vilified on earth shall be like Him and abide with Him and He will be admired in his Saints He is gone to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us John 14.3 And thus much briefly for this first branch Christ Ascended The second is Christ blessed his Disciples at his Ascension But may some one say How did Christ bless them I answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To bless is to speak well So Christ alwayes spake well Never man spake like Him Grace was poured in his lips and gracious Words proceeded out of his mouth But it hath a more special Importance 1. To bless is to acknowledge the Blessedness and Perfection of another So the greater is blessed of the less So with the tongue we bless God even the Father and our Souls bless the Lord. 2. To bless is sometimes to pray for a Blessing So Isaac blessed Jacob when he prayed God give thee of the Dew of Heaven Gen. 27.27 And God Almighty bless thee Gen. 28. The 1st and 3d. Thus Jacob blessed Josephs Sons when he prayed The Angel that redeemed me from all evil bless the lads Gen. 48.9 16. 3. To bless is to pronounce a blessing and that either in the way of an ordinary Ministry Thus Aaron and his Sons were to bless the People saying The Lord bless thee and keep thee c. Numb 6.23 So Simeon Levi and Judah Issachar Joseph and Benjamin were appointed to stand upon Gerizzim to bless the People Deut. 27.12 Or else by an extraordinary Spirit of prophesie So Jacob blessed his Sons when he told them what should befal them in the last dayes Gen. 49. And Balaam prophesying the prosperity of Israel is said to have blessed them altogether Numb 24.10 4. To Bless is to make blessed to give as well as speak a blessing So Israel was blessed effectually Numb 22.12 Curse them not for they are blessed Thus there are Blessings spiritual and Blessings temporal Blessings of basket and store c. 5. To bless is to set apart from a common to a holy and spiritual use So Christ blessed the Bread when he set it apart to signifie his Body Mat. 26.26 Now when Christ blessed his Disciples the four last of these acceptions of Blessing may very well be comprized and intended The gesture used in blessing them lifting up his hands may well suit with pronouncing of a Blessing in way of prayer The Gifts and Graces poured on them soon after his Ascension speak the efficacy of his Blessing and that it was not empty words but Spirit and Life And it is evident that at his Ascension he set them apart and gave them a Commission to go and preach the Gospel Other Texts might be cited proving that Christ's Ascending did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak well to his Disciples as Mark 16.17 18 19. and Acts 1.8 9. But the Text so fully assureth us that Christ lifted up his hands and blessed just at his Parting and Ascension that we need no other Confirmation To come then to the Reasons why Christ Ascended blessing The two main springs whence his Blessing slowed are his Love and his Faithfulness which two were the reasons of his Humiliation and Transactions He loved his Elect and He was faithful to him that appointed him Heb. 3.2 Out of Free-grace and Faithfulness He laid down his Life a Ransome for many He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Rev. 1.5 His Father had appointed Him and promised Him to bless and he faithfully performed it He came to bless and went to Heaven blessing There are eight special Reasons or Ends which Christ had in his eye in blessing his Disciples so solemnly when he was leaving Earth to go to his Father 1. He would assure his Disciples that his affection to them was the same now at parting as they had found it from his first choosing them they might have thought it strangeness had he gone and not left a Blessing behind him after all his kindness and compassion And this is one end to which are directed all those gracious and comfortable Expressions recorded in the 12 13 14 15 16th Chapters of John with that pathetical Prayer John 17. shewing him as tender-hearted towards them at last as ever He displayeth his Banner of Love over them in this gracious Valediction going to Heaven Blessing 2. Jesus Christ would have his Disciples and all that should believe in his Name to know that he carried the same Heart to Heaven with him that he had on Earth so that though his bodily presence was removed yet his Love continued and he would be as mindful of them in his Kingdom as ever he had been on Earth And this is another End of his gracious Expressions at and a little before his Ascension He knew how ready they might be through weakness and temptation to question his care and doubt of his Love as the Israelites about Moses Exod. 32. As for this Moses we wot not what is become of him He would not have them think Now Jesus Christ is gone and his Mercy is at an end he hath forgotten to be gracious and so sink in despairing thoughts No He assureth them John 16.26 I say unto you I will pray the Father for you rest satisfied question not but I will remember you and set you as a seal upon my Heart as a seal upon mine Arm I will carry your names engraven on my Brest-plate and make intercession for you and here he would assure them of lasting Love in parting from them with the most notable expression of it He solemnly blessed them 3. Jesus Christ would have his People assured that he is the Messiah the promised Seed in whom all Nations shall be blessed Gen. 18.18 The Apostle mentioneth this Covenant with Abraham Acts 3.25 26. and sheweth that Christ came to bless in pursuit of that Covenant and to fulfil Scripture It was prophesied of Christ Psal 72.17 Men shall be blessed in Him And Blessing was his beginning and conclusion in his Ministry upon Earth the beginning of his first Sermon and the close of his Last 4. He blessed them that he might not leave them overwhelmed with grief nor swallowed up of sorrow at his departure John 14.1 18 27. I will not leave you comfortless let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid He knew the loss of his Presence might strike cold to their hearts The Children of the Bridechamber might mourn alas the Bridegroom is taken away they might cry after so good a Teacher and Master My Father my Father the Horsemen of Israel and Chariots thereof and sorrow most of all that they must see his face on Earth no more Well The Lord God had