The Excellency of a Public Spirit, Sermon (2 of 2)

The Excellency of a Public Spirit · Sermon (2 of 2)

p. 752. If you are guilty, be ashamed and grieved.

His Heart is Obdurate, if not Atheistical, that owneth his unprofitableness without shame, seeing it's a thing so indecent and unbecoming; or without afflicting Sorrow, it being a thing so sinful in its self, so unjust towards God, so injurious to others, and hurtful to your own Souls: Give way to some thoughts that ought to strike your secure unconcerned Minds.

1. God keeps a Register of his Gifts committed to you, and of your Neglects and Abuses in the employing of them: He knows what thou hast done, and what thou mightest have done; what you have laid out by his Rules, and what under the Conduct of your own Lusts; nothing of either did escape his view, or slip his memory; the Account of both are as full and exact as if Entred in a Book, Rev. 20 12. and shortly the whole will be read by thy self, in a light which cannot be refused, yea, transcribed on thy very Conscience, so as not to be blotted out. Anticipate p. 76this by serious reflexions, and sure it must fill you with shame and sorrow, to see so much received, and so little restored, by applying it to the appointed Uses, yea, so much employed to very contrary purposes; so great an Estate, with little or nothing to promote the Gospel, or relieve the Poor, but a very great Sum wasted on thy Lusts, or hoarded to look upon. Will it not affect to find your Names among Magistrates or Ministers, capable for, and called to the respective Duties of such Offices, for a common Good? And over-against your Names thus written, This Magistrate was no terror to Evil doers, no praise to such as did well? Nay, instead of reforming others, he corrupted them by his countenance and example; instead of relieving the injured, he oppressed the Poor, perverted Justice, and persecuted my Servants.

This Minister did not reprove Sin impartially and boldly, especially if the offenders were such as he expected benefit by; he declared not my whole Counsel, but minced and chose what was safest to himself, and most pleasing to others; he accommodated not his labours to the real benefit of all, but to the humours of some; disdaining plain Speech, affecting levity, frothy or amusing discourses: He was more solicitous to know how he was praised, than how others did profit. He let Truth p. 77sink, and Errours gain ground, when he found his Name or Incomes should suffer by opposing the last, or abetting the first; such a time he dealt treacherously with such & such Souls, he obstructed a publick good, for his private advantage; he excused himself from preaching, pleading, or speaking, tho' he saw my Insterest and the real benefit of others required it. How formal and cold in his performances, prayerless and slothful in his preparations! Partial and careless in Discipline, and unexemplary in walking. Notions he took up for Truths, without search or other enquiry, then, is this the Opinion of a Man eminent with the Party I hope to live by? and will it suit with the Fancies of these Men? I might proceed herein, and annex the particular Cases of others. But this may suffice to mind you what a blush should it raise, what an anguish should it cause to see your Names thus underwritten in the Records of Heaven; and know, the Devil keeps also an account, as full as he can, that he may become your Accuser.

2. You can make no Apology for your unusefulness, but what's fit to aggravate your shame and sorrow. A vain Mind, and a feared Conscience, will suggest Excuses, and take up with them; however false and frivolous they be: But Enquiries p. 78there will be, which will pierce into the Nature and Truth of things, and minister such an awakening Light, as shall render the most careless and confident person speechless, Matth. 22.12. It were our mercy that we allowed nothing as a sufficient Plea now, but what will be approved of at the Judgment Bar. Examine therefore the true Reasons why you have not served your Generation as well as others.

Obj.

You'll pretend your utter incapacity for service.

Ans.

1. That is a good Apology if true, for God expects not to reap where he hath not sown, he is no such hard Master, Matth. 25.26. None shall have ground to affix that Character to him. But is this Excuse true? can your Consciences, as drowsie as they are, offer this Plea, and abide by it? viz. The only Reason why we were not Publick Blessings, was, because we had no gift, no opportunity, estate or power to be so. If Conscience upon a serious pause dare not stick to this Excuse, but condemns thee, how much more will God condemn thee, who is greater, and knoweth all things? 2 Iohn 3.30. But if still you verily believe that the Objection states your Case;

Ans.

2. Let me ask you, Have you really p. 79pitied the Distressed whom you could not relieve? Have you avoided being hurtful to others, tho' you could not profit them? Have you earnestly prayed for the Church of God, and the good of the Miserable World, bewailing the sorrows of the first, and the misery of the last? Do you rejoyce in, and bless God for those who are useful, without envying the most eminent? When you desire an Estate or Gift, and bewail the want of them, is the later mostly because you cannot be useful, and the former that you may be so? Do you take all due pains, and use all good thrift that you may have somewhat to enable you to be profitable? And if you are poor, and have the help of others, do you make conscience not to ask it till you need; nor ask or take more than you need, that the Relief of the more necessitous may not be hindred? If your hearts cannot honestly say, these things answer my case, it's thus with me; then you have not a temper of mind to be useful if you had Abilities; and it's most probable you are more able to do good, than you have been faithful to do it.

But if indeed your Consciences do justly witness, that you can so answer to the above Questions, as that incapacity is the very Reason your Generation is not more served by you than by your prayers and p. 80good example; then you are not the persons to whom my Reproof is directed, so that you do that little you can.

Ans.

3. But such of you as are able to serve their Generation, and neglect it, should be more ashamed and grieved when you consider the true Causes of your unprofitableness.

Your Hinderances to service are from your selves; your Lusts have the great hand in assigning the governing Reason: Look at the baulks you have made, and the opportunities you have past unusefully over; and ask thy Conscience, whence was it that I neglected this? can you be unaffected when you receive this Answer? my Covetousness, my Pride, my Sloth, my Fear, my Unbelief, or my Unconcernedness for God's Honour, and the Publick Good did hinder me, these made me unwilling and averse, these diverted my Abilities to another Chanel, and would not suffer me to be useful and faithful in my Trust; were not you governed by one or other of these whenever you shut you Ears to the Cry of an afflicted Church, of starved Ministers, of a sinking Nation, of diseased Souls, and the distressed Poor.

If it be so, as indeed it will be found, you have cause to be ashamed and mourn. Doth it become Men to be under the Conduct of such base Guides? In this respect p. 81God hath called you to shew your selves Men, Isa. 46.8. But much more unbecoming is this, to you that wear the Name of Christians; you are called and Redeemed to be zealous of good works, Titus 2.14. Is this to be so? Is this to imitate or obey Christ whom you own for your Lord, and whose Livery you have put on? Follow the Chanel to the Fountain head; be led by your actings to the posture and frame of your hearts; and judge what vile spirits act you, what a dominion have these Lusts in your Soul, that thus command your Talents, and determine the scope of your Lives in opposition to the loudest Calls. Oh blush and weep, that with all thy Light and Helps, under all thy Christian Profession and Hopes, thy heart is so earthly and carnal, so sensual and devilish; so full of hatred to God and Man, as the Authority of these Lusts import; and thy unusefulness doth testifie in the clearest Light, the Holy Spirit hath made no saving change if you are altogether useless; the change at most is very imperfect, whiles your usefulness is so much hindred by these unsubdued Lusts: The very unprofitable must be made other Men, Matt. 12.33. and the less profitable are not very good Men. You have those dry leaves and those dead branches which may well put you to the p. 82blush, and fill you with fear, Iohn 15.2, the unfruitful branch will be cast out.

3. Your unusefulness expresseth that treachery, ingratitude and injustice towards God, which must cause shame and sorrow in every thinking person.

The least acquaintance with the Infinite God, as our Owner, Ruler and Benefactor, would strike an amazement and terror in our minds, that this sort of demeanour towards him, should be justly ascribed to any of us; yet as far as publick unusefulness is our Crime, all this base Treatment of God is chargeable upon us.

1. It's Treachery towards God, as it's contrary to out Profession, a breach of our Vows, and betraying our Trust. Let's consider this in three parts.

1. When you profess your selves the Servants of God, the followers of Christ, inspired by his Spirit, satisfied with his Covenant Blessings as your Portion, Expectants of his heavenly Rewards, and acknowledgers of him as your Ultimate End. Do not you hereby profess that you are employed about his work, and serving his purposes in the World, that this is your Trade, and the business of your Life. You who profess your selves Christians, profess p. 83no less than what I have above described; but pray see how empty a profession it is; how far otherwise you do than you pretend, and what other sort of People you are than you would seem to be; when all this while you neglect God's work, and follow your own; you overlook his designs, and serve your own turn: May not God say, They profess to serve me, but in works they deny me, Titus 1.16. With their meuth they shew much kindness, but their heart goeth after their Covetousness, Ezek. 33.31. and after their Pride, and after their selfish Designs.

Do you think God will be mocked, or that you can impose on him? it cannot be; blush then at your own falshood; whiles your heads are so seldom projecting how shall we best honour our God, and form his Interests, if you are satisfied with an empty noise, or theatrical shew; fear lest Christ apply himself to you as to Iudas, Betrayest thou me with a kiss? Luke 23.48. Do you profess all this, that you may be exempted from promoting my concerns in the World; yea, that you may dis-serve me the more in betraying my Cause by your connivance and neglects? Oh let us mourn that our very profession testifies against us!

2. Unusefulness is a breach of your Vows, made to the Living God.

p. 84Your Baptismal Vow includes a solemn dedication of your selves and all you have to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, with an engagement of living to God, and not to his Rivals, be they the World, Flesh or Devil. Consider your unusefulness, and see, is that a performance of this Engagement, or consistent with it? Sure by your behaviour you think it was an errour that you made this Vow, Eccles. 5.6. but know, they are no Christians who consent not to it; and having engaged, you cannot think that meer making this Vow was principally designed in Christ's Institution; no, it was ordained to be made, that you might be more sensibly obliged to execute it, especially in so principal a part of it. How ever light you make of your great and wilful unserviceableness in your day, you are therein no less than perfidious and perjured in breaking your Oaths, and those oft renewed before the Lord at his Table, oft it may be in Sickness; besides the Oaths you have taken as Magistrates or Ministers.

To your Perfidiousness you have added Sacriledge against your Self-dedication, of which hereafter. Ought not our Souls bleed to think, I gave up my self and my all to God, to serve and honour him, to plead Christ's Cause, and advance his Interests, to live for him, and not for my self; Yea, I have signed his Covenant to p. 85do this, and vowed it upon the Memorials of his Death, and in several Extremities when Conscience represented my dangerous neglects; and yet notwithstanding all, I employ my Estate, my Time, my Gifts, my Power, as if at full liberty to use them as I please; as if Christ had no Interest to be served by me, or I were under no obligation to spend or adventure any thing for his service.

3. You have betrayed that Trust which God committed to you.

Whoever is a Minister of Christ, is a Steward to whom the Truths and Institutions of Christ are entrusted, to maintain, dispence and defend, 1 Cor. 4.1, 2. He is a Pastor, to whose care the Flock of Christ is committed, 1 Pet. 5.2. In becoming Ministers, we undertake this Trust. The Life of Souls is very much committed to us as Watch-men, Ezek. 33.8. It cannot be denied then that a careless selfish unfaithful Minister betrays his Trust; he dischargeth not what he hath undertaken, but deals falsly and treacherously with our faithful Lord.

Magistrates are entrusted with God's Sword, and Subjects committed to their care to the degree of power which they have over them; doth not that Magistrate then deal treacherously with God in betraying p. 86this Trust, when he preserveth not the Innocent, but defends the Guilty, &c. Yea, all the Talents any Man hath, is put into his hands to lay out as God directs for a common Good; and every one whom we ought to benefit by that Talent, is committed to our Trust as far as his Welfare depends upon that supply.

Yea, Christ hath intrusted every Christian with his Honour, with his Interests, and with the advancement of his Kindom in this World. We are intrusted as his Witnesses, his Soldiers, &c. But, let us blush and mourn, that as far as we neglected to serve our Generation, we have betrayed all his publick Concerns in this World; all that he hath put into our hands. Ah! had none been more faithful than we, his Gospel, his Ministry, his Members had been in a condition more deplorable than they be. O that my Eyes were Waters! Treachery is a vile blot; Treachery towards God is the worst sort: And yet this have you been guilty of; yea, in saddest Instances, viz. belying your Profession, breaking your Vows, and betraying your Trust. May it not well fill you with confusion?

2. By your Unusefulness you have dealt ungratefully with God.

p. 87Ingratitude is a monstrous Crime, and becomes more so, as he deserveth well at our hands against whom we are ungrateful. Where there is any Ingenuity there will be relentings, to think how God hath deserved our utmost Service, and what a base requital we have made by our great neglects. He hath not spared his own Son, but gave him to be a Sacrifice for us when Enemies; and we have grudged a few pounds, murmured at a little labour, or hazard, in serving him, who is our best Friend, and daily Benefactor. It is more blessed to give than to receive, Act. 20. 35. God hath made us able to give, and others in need to receive, when he might have put them in our case and us in theirs; yet we basely refuse to obey him, in giving out of our abundance to such as want it. How unthankful are we to the giver of all our Gifts? That we refuse to Honour him, by instructing the Ignorant, and reclaiming Transgressors, when he could as easily have qualified them to Instruct us, and left us in a greater need of their assistance than they are of ours. Whatever we are, have, or hope for, are the Fruits of his meer Bounty, and distinguishing Favour to us; that we are capable to do him any service, or others any good, are Endowments he dispenced to us by Name, and that these shall not be used at all for him, is high Ingratitude. p. 88In Mercy he hath long tried us, he hath spared us again and again, after that our Barrenness hath provoked him to cut us off, as well as others whom he hath cast out, Luk. 13.8. and still we abuse his patience, and persist to cumber the ground, and be little profitable to any. By great Rewards he invites us, by great Assistances he encourageth us to that which he might bind us to, at our peril, by his meer Command, yet, as base Wretches, we loyter, yea, refuse his Work; we wave what's hard, and think too much of what is easiest; we cast off all that we can tolerably rid our selves of.

Ought not it to be for a Lamentation, and the more so, if you can but discern the malignity and contempt you have expressed towards God in your unthankful returns? What's the Language of your refusing to serve your Generation hitherto? No kinder, no more expressive of Gratitude, for all his favours, than this; God deserves not my Pains, my Estate would be foolishly laid out for him; what is he to me, that I should disturb my Ease, hazard my Name, displease my Friends, or suffer any thing for a common Good? For my part, so that all will be of my Mind, let Christ the Redeemer have none to Honour him, let Satan carry away the whole Spoil, let the Gospel of Christ have no p. 89place, let his Ministers and Members perish as well as need, let Heaven have no Tribute from this World but Blasphemies, let God be reproached, by entrusting such a one as I am, with what might benefit the Community, let this Earth of the Lords be a Hell for Misery and Sin; so let all be, rather than I'll run any danger, sustain any labour, or be at any expence or trouble. Yet this hath been the Language of your unprofitable Behaviour, as far as you have allowed it, and God doth so interpret it, however partial you are towards your selves.

Is not this horrid Ingratitude to our Blessed Lord? And do dry Eyes, or a Face lifted up, agree hereto? We may deservedly take up those words, we are ashamed and confounded, because we bear the reproach of our past times, Ier. 31.19. it's time to blush, when all his special favours do thus reproach us, and our returns have breathed such gross Ingratitude.

3. Your Unusefulness hath been the highest Injustice against God.

Whiles you have refused to be profitable according to your Ability, you have denied to render to God that which is his own; you have defrauded, and sacrilegiously with-held and mis-applied that which was his and not yours. Whose are p. 90you your selves? Whose are all your Gifts and Estates which you have thus grudged? They are the Lords; of every Talent he may justly say, its my own, Mat. 25.27. The Cattle upon a thousand Hills are mine, Psal. 50.1. The Earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof, Psal. 24.1. Hence he fastens injury on Idolatrous Israel, Ezek. 16.17, 18, 19. Thou didst take thy Iewels of my Gold and my Silver, and thou hast set my Oil and my Incense before thy Idols, and my Meat, &c. But especially, bethink your selves how many ways you, even you, unuseful ones, are his. You are the Work of his Hands, he gave you a Being, or you had never existed; he gave you to be what you are, even rational Creatures, which he was no more necessitated to make you than crawling Toads, Iob 33.6.

He sustains you in Being and in your Ca… for service: In him we live, and … have our being, Acts 17.28. By his … are you provided for; and by his watchful Eye preserved every Moment, Gen. 48.15, 16.

You were Redeemed by the Blood of Christ, he bought you into a capacity for service, when you were fetter'd in Prison in order to eternal Vengeance, Zech. 9.11. Luke 1.74.

You have solemnly owned the claim of God in Christ to you, by offering up your p. 91selves, and all you possess, to this Glorious One; answerably to Rom. 12.1. whereby thou art his also by self-dedication. Seeing then his claims to you are thus various and universal, how much have you wronged him, in denying him the use of his own, and done your utmost to defeat him in the End for which he created and redeemed you? Did not he create all things for himself? To bring him Glory, and do him Service, to the degree whereof they were capable, Prov. 16.4. Col. 1.16. Christ died and rose, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living; Rom. 14.9. Was not this that he might rule all, dispose of all, and be served by all? How unrighteous then have you been, as far as unusefulness is your Fault, you have carried it as if he could not do with his own as he pleased. You his Creatures have refused to go on his Errand; or, work in his Vineyard, Matth. 21.29, 30. You his purchased Ones have not agreed to serve him with your Bodies and Spirits, which are his, 1 Cor. 6.20. His Money you have refused to give as he directs. His Office, & Power you have neglected to apply to the Ends and by the Rules which he prescribes. His Gifts have been sacrilegiously taken away from the service to which he allotted them.

Have not your Ways been in all this unequal? And can you own it without p. 92Blushings, and renting your very Hearts? Our unusefulness ought not to be lightly esteemed by us, when it's so full of Treachery, Ingratitude, and Injustice, towards the Lord our God. Paul knew Service went with God's Title, That God whose I am, and whom I serve, Act. 27.23.

4. You should be ashamed and grieved for your Unusefulness, because it hath been very injurious to all Persons whom you have neglected to be profitable to.

They have a joint charge of Wrong against you, in that you have defrauded them of what was theirs in Right, tho' you detained it. We are Debtors to as many as God hath appointed us to be useful, Rom. 1.14.

God directed to them, by you, whatever help or benefit he requires you to confer on them, and therefore you have acted the part of a fraudulent Messenger in disowning their claim, and with-holding what's their due.

The Church of God may complain, This was he who owed me great Service, but he never rendred it to me in my Ministers, or my Members; he did nothing for my Defence, Enlargement, or Improvement.

Your Country may exclaim, This Man enjoy'd my Defence, Plenty, and Conveniencies, p. 93and was capable, by his Prayers, Votes, Purse and Gifts, to have contributed to my Welfare, but he hath wickedly sought himself, and served himself of me, but I am no way benefited by him in my Reformation, Safety, or Liberty, &c.

Your Families have a Right to Godly Education, as well as other Benefits; but they do testifie against you as injurious, in not instructing, perswading, and striving with them, to rescue them from the power of the Devil, and to become devoted to the Lord.

The Poors cryes go up to Heaven against you, for keeping back their Portion of your Substance, and denying that Advice and Help whereby you might have made them useful and comfortable.

Such just Complaints may well touch their Hearts against whom they are directed; perhaps you would hate to defraud any Man in what the Laws of the Land declare unjust, but is not the Law of Nature, and the positive Laws of God, as sufficient to determine what's Just or Unjust, as Humane Laws can be? And these do accuse you to be injurious to Men in your wilful unprofitableness.

But besides all this, it may be many are exclaiming against you among the Damned already, as accessary to their Miseries, by p. 94your neglects as well as otherwise. They are dead in their sin for want of thy reproof, and thy slackness in pulling them out as Brands out of the burnings. If our Hearts have any tenderness under a sence of so many and manifest injuries, we must feel this Wickedness much embittered to us.

5. You should blush at, and bewail your Unusefulness as it is a great hurt to your selves.

Unprofitable persons govern themselves by a great mistake, in that they fall into mischief the way they think to escape it; to avoid Self-hurt, they refrain being useful to others, but you'll find that thereby you incur a far greater damage. For fear of loss, you kept from others what you ought to have laid out for their Relief, and you think it's so much saved for your own benefit, but God will so order matters, that all such riches were kept to your own hurt, Eccl. 5.13. Whenever power is mis-applied, or not exerted for common Benefit, that's the time wherein a Man ruleth over another to his own hurt, Eccl. 8.9.

Folly, when detected, is cause of shame: Mischief, when perceived, forceth sorrow in him on whom it falleth; it's your Blindness and Infidelity, that you now find not, in your great Unusefulness, the plainest p. 95evidence of both, but what Unbelief will not now discern, Experience shortly will force the securest of you to acknowledge, and that to the filling of you with shame and grief. Oh that you would consider your latter end, Deut. 32.29. i. e. that you would consider what this (selfish barren) course will come to, what it will end in. I can by good warrant assure you, it will not be either so comfortable, nor gainful, as to justifie your Neglects. You, perhaps, will say, With what I save by not relieving the Poor, or promoting any good Design, I shall get an Inheritance the more hastily by so much. Is it so? Take God's Word for an Answer, But the end thereof shall not be Blessed, Prov. 20.21. Write that as a Prophecy upon whatever of your Estates God hath forbidden you to lay up, by his Call to lay it out. The same is applicable to all that Strength, Safety, Credit, or Interest, you think you secure, by neglecting to serve your Generation; the end thereof shall not be blessed.

To Evidence this, and thereby further Convince you that Unusefulness yields reason of shame and sorrow; of shame, by your folly in it, of sorrow by the mischief of it. Consider,

1. You can keep nothing with a Blessing which you have gotten or saved by Unusefulness; p. 96very oft God even disappoints Men of getting what they propose to get, by their unfaithfulness to him, and unusefulness to others; with Balaam they miss of what they so greedily desire, and some way or other God signally defeats them in the danger they thought to prevent, and the benefit they expected; so that they are forced to say, even at present, I have neither saved, nor gotten any thing, by refusing to serve my Generation; I am as poor as if I had laid out for God what I covetously with held, Prov. 11.24. I am as much reproached, and as little esteemed, by these Men, for fear of whose Tongues, or Dislike. I betrayed the Truth, as if I had faithfully adher'd to it.

But upon supposition you have made some present Advantage, yet you may not long keep it, God may soon blast it to the terror of others. Iudas soon parted with the Silver he got by betraying Christ, Matth. 27.34. some have been burnt in their House, by God's Hand, who refused to burn for the Truths sake.

Ananias soon lost the use of what he reserved from publick Service, and his Life to the Bargain, Act. 5. cap. Oh! how many remarkable Instances are upon Record, of the ruined Families of such as acquir'd Estates by unfaithfulness to God, and uncharitableness to Men? Their Children p. 97could not keep what their Parents perfidiously heaped. Nay, Examples are very many, that did not keep, for their own time, the Wealth or Reputation which they secured at the price of a common Harm, but became Beggarly and Infamous.

God hath made many Men's Parts to wither, and their Health to decay, whose Sloth made their Gifts and Strength unuseful to the Publick; such a Method God took with Israel, when they disregarded God's House, and over-regarded their own, Hag. 1.4, 9, 11. Ye looked for much, and it came to little; and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it. Why, saith the Lord of Hostes; Because of mine House that lies waste, and ye run every Man into his own House. What advantage they got was small, and that soon turned to no Account, because of God's Blast; it was presently reduced to nothing.

But supposing God, for wise Ends, suffer you to keep what you have gotten or saved, yet I am sure you cannot keep it with a Blessing. If you are Ungodly it's your Snare, which is the worst of Curses: If you have serious Spirits, you must uneasily enjoy it, and use it with bitter reflections, as what you hold not with God's Good-will; a desecrated accursed thing, that hazardeth and curseth the rest, which, p. 98without this, might have been possess'd comfortably and safely; yea, and have been employed to blessed Uses, whereas now God disdains to accept, or succeed the residue to his Service, but he embittereth it to your disquiet, as well as emptieth it to your dissatisfaction.

2. You shall be great losers by your unusefulness, notwithstanding all you can get or save thereby.

No profit, by deceitfulness towards God, will countervail the loss you will sustain: Bethink you whether you have not lost already more than that amounts to: Do you enjoy that peace you once had? Have you that free access into his presence as sometimes you found? Doth he afford you that communion with himself, and tokens of his favour, in which you were accustomed to relish the highest delight? Have you not less composure, and fixedness of Heart, when dangers threaten you? Do you expect the same returns of Prayer, or use you to meet with them as formerly? Are not you more left to your selves in Duties and Temptations too? Have you not less Supports when Afflictions befal you? Have not your Graces abated in their Strength and Exercise? Have not you less of God in every Ordinance, and less success in your Performances? In such things thou p. 99dost more than vomit up the Morsel thou hast eaten, and lose thy sweet words, as Prov. 23. v. 8.

But if thy gross Neglects be impenitently persisted in, thy Losses will be far greater, not only in further degrees of what's above-mentioned, but thou shalt lose all the good thou hast seemed to do. Iohn 2. 8. All shall be taken from thee which thou appearest to have, yea, or really hast, Matth. 25. 28, 29. Thou shalt lose all thy Hopes, however great or confident; thou shalt lose that Life which thou didst so over-fondly love, Iohn 12. 25. Thou shalt lose thy own Soul, which the gain of the whole World cannot not recompence, Luke 9. 24. You shall not find the Good promised to the Merciful and Righteous, which is no less than Life, Righteousness, and Honour, Prov. 21. 21. You shall forfeit all the higher Degrees of Glory promised to the eminently Useful; yea, and the lesser Degrees promised to the faithfully Useful, tho' not so Eminent. You shall neither be Ruler of ten Cities nor of five; no entrance into the Ioy of your Lord shall be admitted you, Luke 19. Matth. 25. 21. The Rivers of God's Pleasure you shall never taste; that beatifick Vision you shall never experience; the Crown of Glory you shall not wear; for these God hath confined to the faithful Labourer. Can you p. 100that never attempted, or soon fainted in serving God in your Generation, hope to reap as they who fainted not in well-doing? Gal. 6. 9. Shall you who laid up nothing in store, no Treasure in Heaven, expect to be Rich there as they who did? Luke 12. 33. 1 Tim. 6. 19. It's in vain, and sorest disappointment will attend it. For the utterly Unfruitful will have no Interest in any of that Glory; the less Useful will miss of the higher Degrees of it. O compute your Gain and Loss! And what Idiot could have made a weaker Choice, or taken a more foolish Course than you have done? Folly will put you to the Blush, to see how vainly you refused to be rich towards God by publick Service, that you might get a Treasure for your self by your layings up, in a neglect of common Usefulness, Luke 12.18, 19, 21. He was branded as a Fool in bestowing all his Goods in his Barns, and laying out nothing that he might be rich towards God. And so will all be mark'd, who imitate him.

3. You shall endure great Punishments for your Unusefulness.

Besides a privation of Good, God will sensibly imbitter this Sin: He oft doth testifie against it in the Posterity of the Unprofitable, who, by being so, trouble their own House, Prov. 11.29. There are many p. 101Curves lying on the Head of such as withhold Relief from the Poor, assist not in a common Danger, and contribute not to publick Good when capacitated for it, Prov. 11.26. Iudg. 5.23. all which you stand exposed to by your Unusefulness. Have not you already met with some remembrances, that God dislikes your selfish Ways and narrow Spirits? Hath not he emptied your Mercies, embittered your Comforts, filled your Souls with Terrors, and encountred you with a frowning Countenance? Hath not he let Satan loose upon you or yours?

But these are but the beginnings of Sorrows, and presages of greater Woes, unless you repent; he will cut thee down as a barren Fig-Tree for thy great Leaves without Fruit, for thy cumbring the ground where thou mightest be useful, Luk. 13.5, 6. how full of terrors will Death present it self, when God will force thy Conscience to reflect on thy many Neglects, with a clear view of the hateful Causes of them, and the miserable Effects thereof? With anguish thou will then bemoan thy self, and vainly with for the past opportunities of Service, and that thou hadst a Heart to have improv'd them better.

Death, thus full of Stings, will lodge thee in the unseen State; but, alas! how unprovided and ill prepared? The Face of p. 102thy Judge will be terrible, when he shall demand an Account of thy Stewardship, Luke 16.2. and reckon with thee about his Talents, and thy occupation of them, Mat. 25.19. it will be in vain to deny or diminish your Trust, and what Answer can you find that can satisfie him, or please your selves? If you hope his Merits may be pleadable by you, he'll answer, they are not applied but according to my Promises. You may as well expect they shall be imputed without Faith, as to a dead Faith, a Faith that did not invigorate to holy fruitfulness and fidelity in my Service, was a dead Faith, and so no Faith in Gospel estimate, and therefore cannot save, Iam. 2. v. 14, 20.

To plead your Idleness, Fear or Covetousness, will be to proclaim the provoking causes of your approaching Ruine. What a heart-cutting charge will you find drawn against you, with a Sentence pursuant thereto: Thou wert ashamed of me before Men, now I am ashamed of thee before my Father, Mark 8.38. Thou didst deny me in the other World, now I deny thee in this World, Mat. 10.33. When I was an hungry thou didst not feed me, when I was in Prison thou didst not visit me; Depart therefore from me thou cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, chap 25, 41. Thou didst hide my Talent, p. 103(yea Talents) therefore cast this unprofitable Servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mat. 25.30. What mind can conceive the misery included in a condition made up of all the Woes these several expressions import? Were they believed throughly, what we may now conceive of them would overwhelm a Man that but seems in danger of enduring this misery; and being that these several places describe the Sentence pronounced against the unprofitable, who have neglected a common good (as well as their own Souls) and betrayed the Publick Interests of Christ in their day, it follows that whatever in each place aggravates their misery, must be put together to give us a just account thereof. Can your heart endure but the supposing your self the person whom Christ singleth out in the View of Angels and Men; and thus speaks to from his Tribunal, Thou selfish, false and useless Wretch, so vile, that without reproach to my Perfections, to my Holy Word and Glory, I can shew no favour to thee (which is Christ's being ashamed of him) I do here reject all thy pretensions to my Image, Merits, Covenant and Service; and do declare thou art no living Member, Follower, Servant or Witness of mine, nor is my Honour, Truth or Fulness concerned at all in thy being happy (which p. 104is Christ's denying him.) Thou art now fallen into my hands, and the time of my Vengeance is come, I pronounce thee guilty of persidiousness to my Name and Interests, and unprofitable to others and thy self, in not rightly employing my Talents for common benefit, as well as thine own; for this I now effectually and irrevocably adjudge thee to the Loss of all Felicity, Glory, Grace and Joy, which my presence doth afford, and this without any future Hopes from any further strivings with thee, or offers to thee, and be thou now sealed and separated to the height of Misery (that is, Depart from me you cursed) a Misery in its nature and degree so great, as what's fitted to torment those capital Enemies of mine, the Devil and his Angels, who shall be thy Companions because they were thy Rulers; so painful to thy Body as the hottest fire, and not less to thy Soul, else it were not fitted to torment the Devils, who are Spirits; so full of horrour as Darkness is, yea a Darkness as remote and free from Light as can be, (that is outer Darkness) and all so resented, felt and afflictive, as to cause the extremest sorrow, anguish and fretting against God, thy Companions, and thy self (there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.) And as for Duration; it's everlasting fire, it's for ever that this Sentence shall take hold of, and be p. 105executed upon thee; which is confirmed by another place that declareth the continuance of the Misery of unuseful Men, under the Emblem of Chaff, as opposed to useful Wheat; the Chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire, Luke 3. 17. which is the same with those words, their Worm dieth not, and their Fire is not quenched, Mark 9. v. 46. There's no hopes of an alteration of their Estate, unless words cannot express the Eternity of Hell Torments; yea, unless Sinners may be reclaimed when expelled from all the gracious Influences of the Divine Presence (implied in depart from me) Yea, unless there be a more Valuable Sacrifice for Sinners than the Son of God was; for this will not relieve them, Heb. 9. 26. Yea, if there be not an Administration for reducing Sinners after, and fitter than the Kingdom of Christ; for this will be delivered up upon that time that this Sentence passeth the first time on Sinners found then alive, solemnly upon the departed and living, and executed upon Devils, who till then are Prisoners, 1 Cor. 15. 23, 24, 26, 28. 2 Pet. 2. 4. compared with Matth. 8. 29. Ought not you to tremble at this prospect of Eternal Misery? Yet if you are these unfaithful and unprofitable Sinners during Life, you will be thus found guilty and sentenced when you Die. Consider again and again what p. 106thou must hear, feel and endure, for thy unprofitableness; add this to the great things thou losest by it, and also that what now thou seemest to get or save through unusefulness, cannot at present be kept with a Blessing; when thou hast done thus in a serious manner, I will appeal to thy self, whether thy folly is not gross enough to make thee ashamed, and thy Misery great enough to fill thee with terrour, that unusefulness in thy Age hath been allowed by thee? Yea, I dare give you leave to put all the loss, charge, labour and danger of Publick Service, with all the ease, safety and benefit of unserviceableness; and set them all against the fore-mentioned Mischiefs which attend the unprofitable; and if thou believest the certainty of these, be then affected at thy barrenness, as the cause appears to thy self; nay, were there but a probability, nay, but a possibility that these fruits of unprofitableness were true, it were sufficient to make thee ashamed and grieved for it.

Obj.

Tho' I must agree that it's folly to become liable to these Mischiefs, yet are all who are unuseful subject to endure them? for if so, who shall escape? Supposing a capacity to service; I shall briefly answer.

Ans.

There is, 1. A degree of unusefulness, p. 107which through weakness and temptation may oft befal a godly Man, which indeed shall not bring Eternal Misery upon him; tho' God usually testifies his displeasure against it in this Life.

2. There is an unusefulness which will infallibly bring Eternal Misery upon whoever is guilty of it. If it be not so, you must question the plainest discoveries of the Gospel of Truth.

Obj.

2. How shall I know the kind and degree of that unusefulness that will certainly bring Eternal Misery, from that which a godly Man may be guilty of thro' weakness and temptation?

Ans.

A full Answer to this and the other Objections may be gathered from what is largely insisted on in the former heads. But because some may not so easily apply that to such particular cases; I shall therefore give you these short hints.

1. The Unusefulness of any good Man is such as doth consist with an unfeigned dedication and habitual devotedness of himself and all he hath to God in Christ, and this is persevered in.

He is no Believer or good Christian that is not thus devoted to God; and such unusefulness as is consistent with this, is not a Mark of Hell.

p. 108But that unusefulness which is not consistent with unfeigned dedication, and habitual devotedness to God in Christ, is an infallible Mark of Eternal Misery if persisted in.

2. He that shall escape Eternal Misery, is not unuseful in the prevailing scope of his life; but every Son of Perdition is so; the course of his life is unprofitable, and thence he is denominated unfruitful in his best State; the stated bent of his Soul is to do more hurt than good.

3. What good he doth who shall escape Hell, he usually doth it in uprightness, from love and obedience to God, with a believing respect to God in Christ; but the Child of Wrath, in whatever seeming good he doth, hath a greater regard to carnal considerations, and acteth not from Faith, Love, and obediential regard to God.

4. The good Man repents of, and bewails his unusefulness, when convinced of it, and heartily desires to know wherein he is culpably unuseful, that he may reform, as well as by Faith in Christ sue out his Pardon upon repenting of it. But the ungodly is hardened in his unusefulness, unwilling to know it, set against reforming, if not insensible of his need of Pardon, p. 109yea oft justifies himself in his selfish unprofitable course.

5. The true Christian is truly glad and thankful when God doth most encline and enlarge his heart to overcome his selfishness, and to act in the most useful serviceable manner, tho' no carnal respects of his own be served thereby; yea, tho' loss, reproach and suffering attend it, so God be but honoured, and a common good subserved. But the carnal Man, if he hath been over-ruled to any thing which proves useful, yet if his own Credit or wordly Benefit be not advantaged, and much more if he comes to suffer by it; he is grieved, and repenteth of what he hath done, whatever honour God receives, or benefit others get thereby. By these things you may know whether you are such unuseful persons as shall be pardoned and saved, or such unuseful persons as shall endure Eternal Misery, if you persistin this state.

Obj.

3. But tho' I continue unuseful in that manner as the Word of God declareth Eternal Misery will follow upon it; yet I shall be safe if I believe in Christ for the pardon of it, and that I'll do, and yet not reform my course.

Ans.

Deceive not thy self with vain words, what thou sowest, that thou shalt reap, Mat. 6. v. 19. And be it known to thee, that no p. 110Faith in Christ will be available to thy pardon, which is not effectual to turn thee from that unusefulness, and which doth not include in it a dedication and prevailing habitual devotedness of thy self to Christ and his service in a common good. A living Faith worketh by love, Gal. 5. 6. and a dead Faith will never justifie; yea, it self is condemned as a false Faith if it want good works, when opportunity for them is afforded. And that Man must impose upon himself, who can imagine that the Faith which is necessary to pardon must work by Love, and yet not work in Love towards our Neighbours at all; but if you grant it must work in Love towards our Neighbour, I ask, must it not work towards all that are designed by the word Neighbour, whom we are to love? if so, it includes all Men whatever within the reach of my ability to do good to; and if it be by Love to All them that it will work, it must express it self in those works that instance the sincerity of our Love to them for their benefit; and so true Faith will work towards all as far as Love is due to them, and do all that sincere Love to them will prompt to, which is no less than serving our Generation, or that publick Usefulness which you neglect. Can the Tempter still delude you to think, that you will have a pardon of your Unusefulness p. 111by such a Faith as doth not make you resolve to be Useful? Yea, or doth not effectually produce this Usefulness as you are called thereto? Alas! you contradict, yea, nullifie a Justifying Faith, when you say, I will not reform my useless Life, and yet I will believe in Christ for a pardon of it; the English of which is, I will believe in Christ for Pardon with such a Faith as Christ never promised pardon to, and upon which he will never pardon me. This, instead of mitigating thy Folly in being unuseful, doth greatly augment and proclaim it; it sets thee no safer from endless Misery, but by encouraging thee in the course that certainly leads to it; it makes thy enduring that Misery the surer.

2 Exh. Resolve henceforward to be Useful in your Generation; yea, eminently Useful, if capable thereof.

All I have hitherto insisted on tends to this, That you may resolve at last to engage in this Work. For this end I have explained this Duty, and commended the Performance thereof; for this I have said so much, to discover the Neglects of it, and to convince of the Folly and Danger of those Neglects: All which will be lost, if you go hence unresolved to be Publick Blessings in your Day.

p. 112What avail all Arguments, if they incline not our backward Hearts to Usefulness? They will no more than discover our Obstinateness, and aggravate our Condemnation; but in hope of a better Effect, I shall Address my self to each of you.

The more remiss you have been hitherto, the more incumbent on you it is, now to engage your Souls in this Work; from this time, do what you can to serve the Will of God in your Generation; devise great and liberal things, Isa. 32.8. Let nothing set bounds to your Usefulness, but a Natural or Moral incapacity; i. e. somewhat impossible, or something unlawful. What's impossible God requires not; and to do, or speak wickedly, or deceitfully for God, he will not accept, Job 13.7. But what's Lawful, and within your Power, omit not; the greater it is, the more will God be Honoured, others Benefited, and thy own Divine temper expressed.

Be pleased with the largest opportunities of Service, and faithfully answer each; trifle not, but be in earnest; move not slowly, but run the ways of God's Commandments, as one whose Heart is enlarged by him, Psal. 119. Beat not the Air, as if uncertain of the nature or tendency of thy Work, it's for God, it will end in Glory, 1 Cor. 9 26. Let us each, in our places, say with Nehemiah, cap. 2.20. The Lord p. 113will prosper us, therefore we, his Servants, will arise and build.

That I may more usefully urge this General Exhortation, I shall direct it according to some different circumstances, which you may be in, and answerably direct and plead with you.

1. To such as are still unwilling to serve their Generation.

Either you are convinced that this is your Duty, or you are not; if you are perswaded it's your Duty, what peace or hope can you possess whiles you live in the neglect of it? If you think it is not your Duty, what sence can you put upon so many plain Scriptures that command it? That promise such Rewards to, and Assistances in it? That threaten such sore Miseries to the Neglecters of it? That so approve of, and praise the Practice and Practisers of it, and brand the Name of such as Accursed who refused to do so? If these things suffice not to prove a Duty, nothing can; and I am sure God hath not excepted your Names, from the Obligation to obey it any more than others. But whether convinced that this is your Duty, or unconvinced, pray consider, as you are M…n, you are not Born for your selves, but for your Country too: Nature dictates this, Heathens assert it, your own Hearts commend it in others, and disapprove the contrary; yea, p. 114many Brutes reproach you, when they'll hazard themselves to defend their Young, and secure each other against a Common Enemy or Mischief.

As you are Men created by the living God, you are accountable to him; you ought to answer the ends for which he made you, which were to serve his Purposes, and bring him Glory.

He was too Wise and Holy to make you Lawless as to himself, or to the Community of which you are Members; nor is he so remiss a Governor, as not severely to animadvert Offences so publickly mischievous.

As you are called Christians, bethink your selves the Lord Jesus redeemed you, that you might return to a state of Subjection and Service, and under that Law you are to him, Rom. 14.9. It's no small Mercy that he calls you to this, considering you were condemned Rebels, and that he is ready to accept it, and assist you in it. What Ingratitude is it to live to your selves, and not to him who paid so dear for your Ransom? 1 Cor. 6.20.

Further, consider the before-described Miseries which you wilfully chuse, and the glorious Blessings you certainly forfeit by your unprofitableness; herein you are cruel to your selves, when you fondly think it's self-indulgence; you destroy your p. 115selves, and yet weakly pretend to selfadvantage. Reflections upon your madness herein, will be a great part of your torment.

Perhaps you have not thought what you expect from others, tho' they must be unobliged to you, upon the same Reasons as you can give for your being free from the Duty of Usefulness to them; to say nothing of what you expect from the blessed God, and what every Moment you receive, tho' you so ill requite him. Did not you expect your Parents Care, the Magistrates Defence, your Ministers Labours, your Neighbours Favour and Help? How would you be dealt by, if you were in the case of the Poor or Distressed, and they in yours? Would you think it well done in all, or any of these, to be as unconcerned, selfish, oppressive, cruel, or useless, as you resolve to be to them, in what-ever Capacity or Relation you stand. Our Lord's Rule was approved by Pagans, tho' condemned by you, Matth. 7.12. What would become of the Interest of Christ, the Welfare of the Nation, the Good of Societies, Religious or Civil, if every Man were as selfish and unconcerned for a common Good as you resolve to be? All Safety, Harmony, Liberties, Order and Comfort, would be expelled, and their contraries alone take place: But, if this p. 116state of Things be thy abhorrence, ask thy self, Why should not all others be as selfish as I am, if it be justifiable in me? Or, why should not I be as publick Spirited as they, if it be praise-worthy and useful in them? Are you an ill Magistrate, why should any others be better? Are you an unfaithful Minister, why should any others be more faithful? Are you careless of the common Liberties of your Country or City, why should any other, in your station, be more concerned? Are you straithanded to the Poor, wherefore should others of your Estate be more liberal? Are you indifferent about the Truth, Interest, and Gospel of Christ, why should any other in your circumstances more expose themselves? You must consent that all these may as justly excuse themselves from benefiting others as you can; or else you are most basely spirited, to think others should serve a Common Good that you may share therein, but that you must be excepted from contributing to that Service, that so you may pursue your own private Interest the more.

Directions. Weigh these things often, and deliberately judge of thy Resolves not to serve thy Generation. Go and humble thy self before God, and earnestly pray to him, in Christ's Name, to change thy Heart, subdue thy Lusts, and give thee p. 117another Spirit: Enter into Covenant with Christ, to deny thy self, to take up thy Cross and follow him. From this time▪ firmly engage in Christ's strength, that thou wilt not consult thy flesh in thy undertakings, but keep thy self from under the influence of a narrow Spirit, and base Lusts, as being very ill Advisers in thy course of Life, and as unfit Disposers of thy Estate, Gifts or Power. Set upon doing publick Good presently, tho' it be with great reluctancy at first; the less good thou hast hitherto done, now attempt to do the more: And the later you begin, redeem the remainder of your days by the greater Projects, and more vigorous Endeavours. Pray earnestly, and attend Gospel Means for sincere love to God and Man, and for a believing sight of invisible Things; and keep your Consciences under a tender, lively sence of God's Authority, and the Day of Judgment.

2. To such as are unfeignedly willing to serve their Generation, account it a greater Mercy than the greatest Estates or Abilities with a narrow Soul, which thereby would be a Snare. Abhor a suggestion as if God dealt hardly by you, in making service your Duty, or inclining you to it; for, in the first, God's Wisdom and Goodness in the Government of this World appears. In the last, he hath honoured p. 118and benefited you, in anointing you his Instruments. Our Lord Jesus was wont to say, It is more blessed to give, than to receive, Acts 20.35. Which the Apostle useth as a Motive to Mens labouring, that they might support the weak, relieve the needy, &c. We imitate God as far as we are beneficent, for he is the Fountain whence all Wants are supplied, tho' he is benefited by none; and yet, for our Encouragement in doing Good, he is pleased to account himself a Borrower, Prov. 19. v. 17. He that hath pity on the Poor, lendeth to the Lord. Not that you can give what is not his already, but that he is as sure to re-pay, as if you lent it to him.

But this Head being too general to admit so distinct an Application, as the several Sorts and Conditions of such be who are truly willing to serve their Generation requires; I shall address my self to them in these several Instances, which distinguish their Cases, and give suitable Directions.

1. To such as are capable of no very great service to their Generation; as being of small Estates, low Parts, and the like.

Serve you your Generation as you can in your lower Place: To which end, beg God's Direction, that you may not mistake your Place or Work; nor be left to your p. 119self in the meanest Service. Go not out of your own Calling, for God will neither accept nor bless Encroachments on other Mens Work nor your usurpation of Power of your own Heads; no, nor at their pleasure who are not authorized to give it, 1 Cor. 7.20. Levit. 10. 1. Do not presumptuously attempt what is above your ability, for that's not your Duty, and it may turn to publick detriment. Take care that you pretend not publick Usefulness as a Cover to an idle neglect of your Callings, or pragmatical Business in what belongs not to you: For this discovers your corruption, and will end in hurt and scandal. Be sure that what you give to Good Uses be your own, and not what is another Man's: For this is Fraud, and not Charity; and instead of being liberal you will be unjust. And yet be conscientiously ready and vigorous to do all the good you can; your lesser Ability must be as faithfully used as if it were greater; nor will your having no more, excuse your unprofitableness with what you have. Instruct your Family, tho' you are not Preachers; pray for and be affected with the state of the Church of God and the Nation, if you can do no more. Vote for good Men into Office, encourage faithful Ministers as you are able, give to what Poor you can, and acquaint others with the case p. 120of such you cannot relieve your selves. What little Good you can do, let it be done chearfully, and from love. See that you use Diligence, and avoid all Waste in your Persons and Families, that you may be capable of doing the greater good. Be favoury in Discourse, exemplary in Life, and ready to help those who know less than your selves. And lastly, Do not envy others, nor murmur that you are in no higher station than you are, for God knew what place of service you were fittest for; if you be faithful in that, he will accept and reward it, and if fit he will capacitate you for higher Work. Nay, you may prove of far greater use in this station than you can now perceive; who knows what success God may give to thy Advice, or other Endeavours? To thy Children, Servants, &c. and how Eminent they may prove?

2. To such as are capable of eminent Service to their Generation, and willing to it, keep a humble sence of your unworthiness, that God should make you able and willing to do him greater service than others, and answerably praise him for it as the Sovereign Bestower both of ability and willingness; also be watchful over your hearts, that your Ends be upright in whatever service you perform, and abhor an Opinion of meriting from God by the most p. 121you do; in all which you have David for a lively Example, 1 Chron. 29. 10. to the 17. We thank thee, and bless thy glorious Name: But who am I, and what is my People, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee; all this store cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness, &c. Do not judge it enough that you perform as great Services as others, when you are capable of, and called to more; nor let the less useful (however many) of your station prescribe to you, for they will not justifie your neglects. Let not meer difficulty, danger, nor expence, cause you to conclude, yea or to suspect you are not called to this or that eminent Service, for your call must be adjusted by other Rules (of which bebefore) where opportunity for great things offer, delay not, lest that being lost, it may not be recalled, or more hinderances intervene. Judge of Unusefulness and incumbent Service by what your Consciences suggest in great dangers (as on a SickBed) and in the liveliest frame by fullest communion with God (as after the Lord's Supper, &c.) for these are Seasons to make the truest Judgment in what concerneth eminent Usefulness. Never make your abilities or activeness serve a Faction as distinguished from, much less as opposed p. 122to a publick Interest; for hereby you act selfishly, and not as Christians, and will be more hurtful to the publick concernments of Christ, than if you did nothing at all; and be the more guarded against this, because the Heads of Factions will sollicit such as you, and Satan will set in with your misguided Zeal, as knowing he can make no other use of you; now that you are honestly willing to be serviceable. If you are persons eminently useful, do not hastily govern your Activity by the Opinion of others; if weak Men misinterpret your well-adjusted Attempts, be you resolved; should many good Men blame you never so much for your performance, adhere to, and still pursue it whiles you have good ground to believe it's the fittest means to prevent a publick Mischief, or produce a general Benefit. The Reasons of this Direction are these; the Opinion and Censures of most Men are very weak and misguided; Satan hath access to the Imagination of good Men, and oft employs such to obstruct great Designs, Mat. 16. 23. And Men entirely devoted to God in the Service of their Generation, after some ti…e of faithful acquitting themselves th…rein, they stand more in God's secret, and by experience are fitter to judge of publick good and hurt than other good Men be.

p. 123Whatever offers as your present work do, not thinking lesser things needless, when you have not greater things at present to undertake; for you know not what great good a seemingly small endeavour may do (as Advice to a Child) this is your present work, the most of your time is not filled with opportunities of very great Services, these lesser Attemps being very frequent, as taking up so much of our time, will amount together to great Service, a very great part of our lives will be unprofitably spent, if we neglect these lower endeavours, and most Mens unusefulness is greatly owing to a disregard to these. But yet see the greatest Services be still preferred to lesser when in compitition. Keep a jealous watch over your selves, that no Lusts prescribe your work, be admitted into it, or nourished by it; to which end see that you do nothing through strife or vain-glory, Phil. 2. 3. or for covetous ends. Despise not others who cannot equal your Service, or do need it; think not your great Services give you an allowance in any way of sin, or that they are a compensation for it, or will be accepted in commutation for the opposite duties, &c. I give this direction, because Satan's Wiles are deep, and his Attempts on the eminently useful are many, various and unwearied; the remains of corruption are great in the p. 124best, Lusts are deceitful, and signal Service is an apt occasion to be improved.

Look to Christ for strength and fervour, for fresh Anointings, and continual Conduct that you may omit nothing which God assigneth you to do in your Generation; nor take up with any excuse which he will not approve of when he comes to judge the secrets of all hearts; because of our selves we can do nothing; by his strength we can do all, Phil. 4. 13. We need new supplies in every new business, and the more as its importance is; and by dependance we shall and must receive it.

3. To Useful persons under discouragements in their Service.

Still persist in your work; for the greater opposition you meet with in it, the more likely it is to be subservient to Christ's present Designs, and to produce the greater Effects in a common good, since Satan is so active to obstruct thee. Gird up the loins of your mind, and hope to the end, 1 Pet. 1. 13. Whatever is a plain duty, will bring with it sufficient fitness, and not want success in due time; no, rightly directed labour in the work Christ hath upon the Wheel will be lost, tho' success may be delayed, and the work seem dead for a season, that so the World may be prepared to submit to it, and Christ's Victory may appear the greater as it baffleth p. 125the Confidence of Satan and his Instruments. When ready to faint, tell thy Soul, I must not be weary in well doing, for I shall reap if I faint not. You have God as eminently concerned for you, and in you, as you can be engaged for him; his Perfections will uphold you in all that which his Authority sets you upon; and he allows you to place to his Account the losses, reproaches and hardships you sustain in his Cause, neither shall you lose thereby, Mark 10. 29. 30. Search lest there be any sin unrepented of which interrupt his supporting Comforts, or that you have too much confided in your own Abilities, or ascribed the honour of past successes or performances to your selves. Pour out your complaints, and your apprehensions of your own weakness before the Lord, who is full of pity and faithful, and whose strength is manifest in our weakness, 2 Cor. 12. 8, 9. Be much in the contemplations of Heaven; review your own experiences of seasonable sufficient supports when your fears were as great as at present, and attentively think it's but a little while and my work is over; He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry, and all the promises of perseverance were made to Souls in Eminent Service by doing and suffering, which you may safely apply to your selves, expecting those greater Consolations and p. 126Supplies which God will not disappoint you in.

4. To useful Persons inclining to Remisness in the Service of their Generation.

The greatest part of this Discourse being so much directed to your Case, I shall only advise you to renew your Covenant with God in Christ. Reflect on your selves, what you found when vigorously useful, and what you feel now in this declining Frame: Enquire what forfeitures you have made of the Spirits quickening influences, or what lust begins to invade your Souls, or what Carnal thing is setting up for an Idol. Pray earnestly for exciting Grace, and be much in such Soliloquies as these, Am not I a Redeemed Sinner? and shall I neglect the interests of my Redeemer? Shall I disregard the end of my Being, break my Vows, be false to my trust? Is it not in well-doing that I grow weary? Are my Talents less accountable for, than they were, or have I now more reason to think that my Abilities were not given for Publick use? Where shall I stop if I recover not? What shall I be doing the residue of my time, if I cease to be useful? What may I meet with to awaken me out of this slothful Sleep? Do others less need my help, or have I the leave of God to be remisser? Can I think Christ a worse Master than before; p. 127or Heaven less worthy of my pains? Dare I commend the unprofitable part of Mankind that I am thus about to justify; or condemn the eminently useful, whom now I seem resolved to censure? Must not I shortly on a Death-bed reflect on what a barren life I am going to live, and the blessed Courses I put a stop too? Have I done more already than Christ deserves at my hands, who died for me? or would I be content he should now more remissly intercede in my behalf? Plead such things closely and frequently with your Hearts, and force a deliberate answer, that all may issue in fresh resolves, to be more vigorous than ever, and in shame and grief that you could be inclinable to remisness in Publick Service.

I shall conclude the whole with three cautions, to all who are willing to serve their Generation.

1. Equal nothing with the Publick which is short thereof, especially your selves. Let every thing have its due regard, and no more. Our esteem of things should be according to their value, and our concern is irregular if dissonant from our just Esteem. Moses words, Exod. 32.32. If not, blot me out of thy Book and St. Paul, Rom 9.3. For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ, for my Brethren were not Absolute Desires, but the regular indications of a p. 128Publick Spirit adjusting things as compared together: A Common good is above a Particular, and the more common, still the more Estimable. The very Reason why Divine Worship is proper to God is, because he is Author of all, above all, and infinitely more than the whole Creation; yea, and we cannot but most intend his Glory in our undertakings, as our regards are most extensive; and make every thing a selfish Idol, as we Postpone what's more Publick to it. Nevertheless, the true Order is generally inverted: Most Men do not account a Mischief or Benefit to be greater or less, as they affect the Publick, but as they affect themselves; we begin and end at the wrong Point, and Erect a false Standard when our main concern is, how will such Publick Affairs Profit or Damage First, My own Person, then my own Family, then my own Party, then my own Nation (if at all it will reach so far) be warned against this preposterous course; look at your selves but as small parts of the whole, and to signifie no more than as the Publick is advantaged by you. Acknowledge the interest all have in you according to their True Order and your Capacity, and obligation to be serviceable to each. Be uniform in your Course, and let God in a Common good (as such) be your Governing end: Fill up each Place p. 129and relation you stand in; let each have a due regard, and no more: Your own Families, the particular Church you belong to and the Catholick Church above that; also your own City and Nation, and the World; let all these have their due, and this in just order and proportion, not exclusively of each other. Your Prayers must reach the World, your Mental Communion the Catholick Church, Occasional Communion to others then that wherein you are stated Members (tho' in many things they differ from you). In short, confine not your Care, Estate, or Advice, below, or otherwise than that Mind will dictate, which accounts the Body more valuable than a Member, and a common Good than a particular. If you are Ministers, abhor a thought that your Office obligeth you to mind no more Souls than your own Flocks.

2. Neglect not your selves whiles you mind the Publick.

Do not disregard your own Soul, no nor Body neither; keep the last in a fitness for Service, and be ever watchful that the first be in a meetness for Glory, and improving for it: Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. 2.13. Receive your selves the Christ, and Mercy you offer to others; look not so Abroad as to forget you have a Home; yea, labour to p. 130affect and profit your own Souls, by all your endeavours to profit others; to walk in the light you give, and to grow in Grace by doing all the good you can. If you are Ministers, oft think of 1 Cor. 9.27. I keep under my Body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I my self should be a cast away.

3. Disregard not the first or least declinings, in those Graces that are the springs of publick Service, but be intent to get their vigorous Exercise restored as soon as you perceive abatement.

Very imperfect Actings will follow decaying Graces, and strengthening the last is the way to perfect the first, Rev. 3.2. As Ephesus decayed in her first love, she abated her first works, Rev. 2.4, 5. which were Labours and Sufferings for publick use, v. 3. Unbelief, enmity to God and Man, and a narrow Spirit, grow as Faith, Love, and a publick Spirit weaken; and those will as much obstruct your Usefulness, as these contribute to it: they will pervert your Judgment, abate your Delight, aggravate your Difficulties, frame Excuses, find Diversions, enervate Motives, and many other ways lessen your Service; and as they grow, they tend to still further Abatements in the opposite Graces. Oh! where will these declensions stop, if you allow them? And every Day you will be less p. 131able and disposed to recover your former strength; and consequently, be less sure and fit to serve your Generation.

2 Obs. The usefullest persons die.

David fell asleep. Shall I represent this as a Warning, or as an Encouragement to Service? It hath something of both, and in each respect it's a strong Motive to serve our Generation.

1. It's a Warning to be useful whiles you live; for Work, or Loyter you, Death is daily making its Approaches, and when it seizeth, it will be in vain to wish to be spared for greater use, or resolve to do what you hitherto neglected: Death sets a period to our Endeavours to benefit the Church or Nation, our Friends or Relations; they can expect no further advantage by us. Therefore in a sence of your own frailty, and the certainty of dying within a short while, resolve with our blessed Saviour, Ioh. 9.4. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day, the night cometh when no Man can work. It's a Mercy to have nothing undone which God gave us Life for, and to be finishing it when the Arrest of Death is felt.

2. It's an Encouragement to such as faithfully serve their Generation. The usefullest fall asleep; not, indeed, if it were such a sleep as rendred the separated Soul unactive, for continued Service here p. 132would be more pleasing and profitable to them than such a sleep as that; but it's a rest from Labour, tho' not from Work; from Pain, but not from Pleasure to the departed Soul, which will be with Christ; and tho' separated for a while, is sure to be re-united to the Body at the Resurrection. It's a Woe to the unprofited World, that eminently useful Men are Dead, for you can hope for no further help, nor expect any benefit by them; they left you barren and miserable after all their Labours, and must be terrible Witnesses against you. It's a loss to the Church and Nation, that such eminently useful Men must die; the Defence, Glory, and Blessing of a People are removed; what an open breach is made? The Earth's endangered by removal of such Pillars. These are the Chariots of Israel, and the Horse-men thereof, 2 King. 13. 14. There be but few such among the multitude of Christians, and their loss is not easily made up; but to the faithful eminently useful Saint, it's a privilege he shall die, (being all such are not to be translated) he would not live always, Job 7.16. for by Death he goes into better company; he'll be freed from a weight that clogg'd him tho' he moved so fast; the Sin and Sorrow he felt he is to feel no more; he shall enjoy Christ in another manner, relish Pleasures in a p. 133higher way, and possess what he hoped and waited for. Death must be his great Advantage, to whom faithful and publick Service is his very Business and Trade whiles he liveth: To me to live is Christ, and to die is Gain, Phil. 1.21, 22.

Instead of the Application of this Doctrine, I shall turn my Discourse to the Occasion of our present Meeting, the Death of your Pastor Dr. Samuel Annesley, in whom we have the whole Text exemplified; he served his Generation, and he is fallen asleep.

In the last part, a just cause of Mourning is presented, with respect to many more than our selves; in the former, a lively Example is proposed for our imitation; as to both, here's a convincing instance. We see it's possible for Men in our Age to serve their Generation, and yet the greatest Usefulness prevents not Death; for he, who was so eminently Useful, lies now Dead. He began early, he continued long, and never ceas'd to serve his Generation, until by Death he was allowed to rest from his Labours.

He was born of very godly Parents, at Kellingworth near Warwick, Anno 1620. and their only Child. The Name Samuel was appointed for him by his eminently Pious Grand-mother, who died before his Birth, and gave this reason for her desire that he p. 134should be so called, I can say I have asked him of God. His Infancy was as strangely impressed with the thoughts of being a Minister, (to which his Parents dedicated him from the Womb) which so transported him from 5 or 6 years old, as to engage him to unusual Industry in what improv'd him in order to it; then it was he took up a custom which he always observed, viz. Reading 20 Chapters in the Bible every Day. Our God, to whom the end is known from the beginning, was as provident in forming him for great Service, as he was forward in those indications that he should be employed therein; this appeared in the hale and hardy constitution of his Body, which was such, as to endure the coldest Weather, without Hat, Gloves or Fire. For many years, he seldom drank any thing besides Water; his Sight so strong, that to his Death he read the smallest Print without Spectacles, and in a Life lengthened to his 77th Year. He was rarely sick; his Natural capacity was good, and his temper vigorous and warm, which his Grace over-ruled (mostly) to undertake those excessive Labours, and sustain the Difficulties, which, without a Body and Mind so fashioned, had been impossible, in so long a course of Service. And this vigour he so retained to his very Death, as if God would give an instance, That the p. 135servour of some Mens Souls in his Work, were either independent on the Body, or their Bodies (with Moses) were still repaired even to Old Age, when he designeth extraordinary Services by them.

But which was more, he was (not only thus separated) but also sanctified from the Womb; oft since declaring, He never knew the time he was not Converted.

About 15 Years of Age he went to Oxford, where he gave such Instances of his Piety and Diligence, as would engage a Recital, if I resolved not to omit these, with all other things, (tho' very laudable) except his Usefulness; his ripe Fruits, which fed so many, my regard is to.

A Heart so naturally bent for God's Glory, and the good of Souls, cou'd admit no longer delays from Work, than what a due fitness for it, and a regular call unto it, made necessary; yet so long Conscience obliged him to desist, he well knowing that the strongest desires of Ministerial Work, in the unqualified and uncalled, will not justifie their usurpation of the Office, nor prevent Disorders and Damage to the Church and themselves, by their publick performances.

He began to cast his Net as Chaplain to the Earl of Warwick, (then Admiral) and thence removed to Cliff in Kent, where he met with a Storm more tempestuous p. 136than at Sea; for the people of that Place being fond of their ejected Minister, as greatly pleasing them by his Company at their Dancing, Drinking, and Merriments on the Lord's-Day, they were so prejudic'd against this his Successor, as to rise against him with Spits, Forks and Stones, threatning his Death at his first coming; a hard Province for a Divine not much above 22 Years of Age! But here God gave him room for his intense Zeal, fit Objects to direct and engage his Ministry to Conversion Work and an early Specimen of his own resolvedness in God's Work, as well as Experience of the good God designed by him, and care he had of him. For having some prospect of doing good among that People, (who, tho' Ignorant and Prophane, yet not hardned by resisting Gospel Light) he told them, Let them use him how they would, he was resolved to continue with them, till God had fitted them by his Ministry to entertain a better, who should succeed him; but yet solemnly declared, that when they became so prepared, he would leave that place. Here his Labours were unwearied, and such efficacy accompanied the Word preached, and his winning behaviour, that in a few years the people were greatly Reformed, their Enmity changed into a passionate kindness, which appear'd, as in many other instances, so in their loud cries p. 137and many tears, when he let them know he judged himself obliged to remove, according to his former Declaration. (not to decide whether such a promise was Obligatory or no) his tender concern lest any seeming lightness of his might prove a scandal to his young Converts, so governed him, that left this place with 400 l. per Annum; but Divine Providence had great purposes to serve hereby.

Cliff was not a Stage large enough for the Uses God designed by this active Soul, nor a Hill high enough for the notice of one so Exemplary. Having procured a Successor fit to build on the Foundation, so prosperously laid by him, he resigns himself to Divine disposal, to be employed where-ever his Call should point with the clearest Evidence. A very signal Providence directed him to a settlement in London, Anno 1652. by the unanimous Choice of the Inhabitants of Iohn the Apostle; soon after he is made Lecturer at Paul's. And in 58 Cripplegate was made happy by his settlement there: In this Place he continued a most labourious faithful Preacher (tho' removed from his Lecture in the Year 60.) till that twice unhappy Barthomew-Day, 1662. the first by the Parisian Massacre, this last by the silencing of about 2000 faithful Ministers in this Kingdom, where their Labours were far more necessary p. 138than the Ends pretended for their Ejection were valuable. His abode hath been ever since in this City, where he finished his course, December 31. Anno 1696.

Having briefly represented the Sphere wherein he moved with respect to his Office and Places of abode, &c. it remaineth that I give some hints of the nature and manner of his motion therein. Where shall I begin, when so many Things present themselves? It's hard reducing them into order, when such a variety of great Things meet; it's not easie to judge which most contributed to his just Character, viz. An eminently useful Man in his Generation. In most Things he was a Pattern worthy to be imitated. In many Things it will be difficult for most I know to resemble him. And in what few Things he came short of some, yet his Integrity Zeal, and publick Spirit, rendred him in extensive Usefulness more than equal. In Ministerial Labours he was abundant; where was a more constant Preacher? Very oft, before his silencing, thr'ce a day; in the late Troubles almost every day; since this Liberty twice every Lord's-Day, (too long) even to his last Sickness; being dissuaded from the last Sermon, because of his Illness after the Mornings, he was unpersuadable, saying, I must work whiles it's Day. Who ever p. 139knew him, from his very Youth, refuse to preach in any Place when asked? Few, if any, so ready to assist in Fasts and Lectures. The sick were sure of assistance if they sent to him; doubting Souls never were denied access, or found discouragement, harshness, or treachery, when they made their Cases known. Did his many Labours abate their substance and tendency to common Good? No, he so redeemed Time, that his Sermons were not raw, but well studied and substantial; his Utterance not remiss, but earnest, as one concerned to profit others; being himself affected, and having something that very peculiarly expressed his heartiness in all he said. By his very often reading over the Scriptures from his Childhood, he became a great Textuary; and by aptly produced Texts, he oft surprised eminent Ministers; as his solution of Cases of Conscience (which his Sermons much consisted of) did instruct and satisfie them.

His Care and Toil extended to every Place where he might be profitable: Of whom in an equal station can it be so truly said? On him was the care of all the Churches. When any Place wanted a Minister, he set himself to get them one. When any Minister was oppressed by Poverty, he soon employed himself for his Relief. O, how many Places had sate in p. 140darkness, how many Ministers had been starved, if Dr. Annesley had died 34 Years since! The Gospel he even forced into several ignorant Places; and was the chief (oft the sole) Instrument in the Education, as well as Subsistence, of several Ministers.

The Morning Lecture (so profitable to many) he alone supported; I wish it die not with him: For what one Man hath Zeal and Interest enough (with leisure) to keep it up? It was by him the Meetings of Ministers, before this Liberty, were kept up; and since the Union, in his Place and to his Expence, they have been continued. What a multitude of all sorts were supplied by his Care! Bibles, Catechisms, and all profitable Books, dispersed far and near. The Sick, the Widows, the Orphans were innumerable, whom he relieved and settled. By the Poor he was crouded as a Common Father. You may well ask how could all this be done by him. I Answer: Of all Gifts, Salary, and Incomes, he always laid aside the Tenths for Charity, even before any were spent by him, which is the greater instance of his bountiful Mind, considering his numerous Family, many Losses, and great Straights: Thus his Light directed; and then he would be faithful to it, what-ever Expence or Hardship followed. And being p. 141satisfied it was just to do so, his servent Love to God and Man prevented all repinings, and made him a most chearful Giver. But this, since he was silenced, bearing no proportion to the great Things he constantly undertook; to supply it he was the faithful Almoner of many; and so importunate a Petitioner for Charitable uses, that few could escape or deny him; and most of his own People he had instilled his own Charitable Disposition into (who are apt to be of the same Spirit with their admired Pastors.)

These assiduous Labours, and extensive Beneficence, were accompanied with several Excellencies which sustained them, and tended to make him a successful Blessing, or his Heart and Hands had failed.

He was a Man of great uprightness, he squared not his Profession by his Secular Interest, tho' he had a large Family; yet he quitted a full Maintenance, rather than sin against God by Conformity. Before then he was turned out of his Lecture, and kept out a while, because he could not comply with some Extravagancies of the late Times; and since hath he suffered, because he must witness for the Old Truth against Antinomianism. His Integrity made him a Stranger to all Tricks, and sometimes his Charity betrayed him to be impos'd on by such as use them.

p. 142His Humility was signal, he seemed to have the meanest Opinion of his own Gifts and Labours, highly esteeming others, and envying none; no, not the acceptance of our promising young Ministers. He might say, with David, I prayer; as if made up of that. Every Day he prayed twice in his Family, to the last moment that he was capable. His usual way was to pray 3 or 4 times a day in his Study. Upon every extraordinary Occurrence in his House he kept a Fast. Under every Affliction, before he would speak of it, or pitch on means to redress it, he spread it still before God in Prayer; which brought him, tho' a most affectionate Husband, to bear the News of his Wives death with that composure, as calmly to say, The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the Name of the Lord. And after the greatest Losses, he was used to speak of them with an unconcernedness, as if anothers, not his own. In Prayer he was mighty, and the returns remarkable and frequent. He could trust God with all, and was still resigned to his Will. His solicitous concern was, that God might not be dishonoured. When he lay Sick, this was oft repeated Oh! that I may not dishonour God in my last moments, whom, in my poor manner, I made it the business of my Life to honour. Oh! that I may not dishonour my God by my p. 143impatience. Being one Night under exceeding torture, he called his Daughter, then present, and charged her not to entertain one hard thought of God, by any thing he felt, but be assured he is infinitely Merciful, and none are happy but those that serve him; he gives peace of Conscience, that's beyond all the World can give, none can die cheerfully but a Christian; he shines on my Soul through Christ. God and Heaven were so habituated to him, that in some disorder in his Head, by his Distemper fixing there, he still kept the same Savour, breathed the same Spirit, and spake of Divine Matters most consistently. His Head was not free of those Projects for God, which in Health it was ever full of. I'll end this with Mr. Baxter's (who knew not how to flatter or fear any Man) Account of him; Dr. Annesley is a most Sincere, Godly, Humble Man, totally devoted to God. (Mr. B's. Life.)

Having hinted some things that respect the Excellency of this Person, some may whisper, but what Tokens of God's Favour had this useful Man more than others, he had many Troubles and Exercises? God testified his Favour to him in Instances which he most esteemed, and pursued above all things; yea, dispised and renounced all compared therewith; which is enough to testifie him a happy Man, p. 144what ever he endured or wanted; God kept him faithful in his Work to the last; for which he thus thanked God on his Death-Bed; Blessed be God, I can say, I have been faithful in the Work of the Ministry above 55 Years. He had great success in his Work; many called him Father, as the Instrument of their Conversion; the worthy Mr. Brand was one; many called him Comforter.

In all his sufferings he found supports which kept him as chearful as his Office and Age allowed under all; yea, 17 weeks pain without a discontended Word or Thought. Signal returns of Prayer he frequently had; and very close Communion with God in Christ. His Charity and Care wanted not comfortable Effects. How many whom he contributed to the Education of are useful Ministers? In how many Places doth Religion flourish by his means? God gave him a great Interest in the Hearts of most Ministers and serious People. How oft and long did they pray for his Life, as a publick Blessing? And how generally is his Death lamented? He thankfully owned God in all. He signally witnessed for him in his Judgments on several of his Persecutors. One died signing a Warrant to apprehend him. Many might be instanced, but it's fit we cover such in acknowledgment of present Quiet.

p. 145He had uninterrupted peace and assurance of God's Covenant-Love for above 30 years last past. It's true, he walked in Darkness for several years before that, which is common to those who are converted in Childhood, their change not being remarkable, and so apter to be questioned; and they oft make up, in a long time, by frequent returns, the sad hours that others have pressing in at once. But God had a further design, viz. The fitting and enclining him to relieve wounded Consciences by his Ministry and Discourse, wherein he was so Eminent, that most troubled Souls resorted to him: He used to say, that this made him unable to preach a Sermon without some Word to them.

This Assurance had not one Cloud in all his Disease: He oft said, I've no doubt, nor shadow of doubt, all's clear between God and my Soul; he Chains up Satan, he cannot trouble me.

To conclude all, He had an abundant entrance into God's Kingdom. He was reconciled to Death; yea, so desirous of it, as hardly induced him to have his Life prayed for. But hearing some Ministers had been servently praying for his Life, he replied, I'm then more reconciled to Life than ever, for I'm confident God will not give a Life so eminently, in answer of Prayer, p. 146as mine must be, if he would not use it to greater purposes than ever before.

Yet some little time before his change, his desires of Death appear'd strong, and his Soul filled with the foretasts of Glory; oft saying, Come my dearest Jesus, the nearer the more precious, the more welcome. Another time his joy was so great, that in an extasie he cried out, I cannot contain it, what manner of Love is this to a poor Worm? I can't express the thousandth part of what praise is due to thee; we know not what we do when we offer at praising God for his Mercies; it's but little I can give, but Lord help me to give thee my All. I'll die praising thee, and rejoice that there's others can praise thee better. I shall be satisfied with thy likeness; satisfied, satisfied! Oh my dearest Jesus I come.

Now do not you think Christ is worth the faithfullest Service which ends in this manner? To you of this Congregation, (for whose Salvation he was so concerned) shall I say, bewail the loss of him, when you are so sensible? Yet that's but Just. Bless God for your enjoying his faithful Labours so long; see that none of you perish, after such pains to save you; be established in the Truths you have heard, which you see governed his Life to such great purposes, and helped him to die with p. 147sure Triumph: Shew your regard to his Memory by kindness to his Family, and by not breaking off from this Church, that he may not be reflected on by your giddiness, as if he Taught you no better, or Established you no more, than to be deluded to serve a Carnal Turn, in pretence of greater Purity. You, his Children, live your Fathers Advice and Example, or what a Witness will he be against you? Let us all go hence with a due sence of it: The World hath lost a Blessing, the Church hath lost a Pillar; the Nation hath lost a Wrestler with God; the Poor have lost a Benefactor. You, his People, have lost a Faithful Pastor; his Children, a Tender Father; we, in the Ministry, an Exemplary Fellow Labourer.

FINIS.