Davids Dying Charge, Sermon
An Election SERMON.
I. Chron. XXVIII. 8.
Now therefore in the ſight of all Iſrael, the Congregation of the Lord, and in the Audience of our God, keep & ſeek for all the Commandments of the Lord your God: that you may poſſeſs this good land, and leave it for an Inheritance to your Children after you, for ever.
THESE are ſome of the laſt Words of David, the King of Iſrael, the LORD's Prophet, and the Father of his People. He ſpake them to an aſſembly of the Princes of the Tribes of Iſrael, their Captains & Officers, whom he had ſummon'd together to receive his laſt Will and Charge. The Subject whereon he now diſcours'd them, was as became a dying King & Saint, the Worſhip & Houſe of GOD among them; that this might be their Care after his deceaſe, and that with Religion the Favour and Bleſſing of God might be entail'd upon them, and on their Children after them.
THE Aged King had been very weak and like to die before this, but ſeems to have ſome little revival, ſome return of vital warmth and heat, and thus he improv'd it; he would once more ſee his Nobles and Officers about him, and give them his laſt Char… and Bleſſing, and take his laſt leave of them. So it became the King of Iſrael to die.
WHEN this illuſtrious Aſſembly preſented themſelves before him, the King ſtood up upon his feet, ver. 2. God ſtrengthen'd him for this laſt and noble Act of his life He had a Meſſage from God to deliver to them, and it became him to ſhew this reverence. He alſo honour'd as well as lov'd the noble Perſons whom he ſpake to; and they were worthy of this reſpect from their King: the Princes of the people of the God of Abraham; his Brethren and the People of his God.
ACCORDINGLY he beſpeaks them with affection and reſpect, Hear me my Brethren and my people. Humility becomes and adorns even Kings themſelves. It is a truly royal Robe wherewith they ſhould be cloth'd. Nor ſhould it be put on only as a grave-cloth when they come to die, and muſt be laid in the duſt.
THE King inform…d his Nobles here of his own good will and deſire to have built the Temple of God; an houſe of Reſt for the Ark of his Covenant, and for the Honour of his Name; but that God had forbid him and had reſerv'd that great and good Work for his Son after him. He informs them however how he had prepared and made ready for the building; that God had choſen Solomon for his Succeſſor in the Kingdom, and had promis'd concerning him that he ſhould build his Houſe; had promis'd to be his Father, & to eſtabliſh his Kingdom for ever, if with a filial piety he continued in obedience to him. This is the ſhort and ſummary of the King's Speech, to the Words of my Text—Now therefore in the ſight of all Iſrael, the Congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God; keep & ſeek for all the Commandments of the Lord your God; that …e may poſſeſs this g…o… Land, and leave it for an Inheritance to your Children after you, for ever.
THESE Words are a very grave and ſolemn Charge, whereof we may conſider, 1. The matter of it; that they ſhou'd keep & ſeek for all the Commandments of the Lord their God. The knowledge and obſervance of God's Commandments is the ſumm of God's Charge and Will left with his People. They muſt ſet themſelves to keep his Commandments even all of them; and in order … this they muſt ſeek for them all, to know the whole of their duty, "What they knew they muſt be ſure, to keep, & they muſt ſeek for what they knew not.
2. This Charge is deliver'd with much Solemnity. In the ſight of all Iſrael, the Congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God. What could be ſaid more ſolemn?
1. Sayes the King, I charge you in the ſight of all Iſrael. As if they were all here preſent, and witneſſes of what I ſay: that Iſrael whoſe Princes & Officers you are, and as whoſe Repreſentatives you here ſtand; as in the ſight and hearing of all Iſrael, to whom the Words which I now ſpeak will ſoon come.
Moreover, 2. Conſider ye that this people is the Lord's Congregation. The greater therefore was the truſt and charge of theſe Princes, the Heads of this Congregation of the Lord; who would be the greater Witneſſes for or againſt their Princes, if they ſhould ſeek and keep the Commandments of God or not do it. But if it were awful to be charg'd as in their ſight,
How much more was it for them to conſider, 3. That it was in the audience of God Himſelf that they were now ſpoken to. In the ſight of all Iſrael, and in the audience of our God. HE is preſent with us, ſaid the dying King; I ſpeak to you in His Name; HE ſees and hears us; He is a witneſs, and ſo are his Congregation of what I ſay to you; and as you fear Him or tender his favour, regard what I ſay unto you.—To all this Solemnity in the Words, we muſt yet further obſerve in 'em,
3. An Argument referr'd unto, and a Motive added.
1. Here is a great Argument, Reaſon or Motive referr'd unto. Now therefore; ſo begins my text. It refers to the preceeding diſcourſe of David's: q. d. Since I have by the direction and favour of God, made ſuch proviſion for the building a Houſe to his Name and Worſhip, and ſince God has choſen Solomon to build it, and promiſed to be with him in it; and to eſtabliſh his Kingdom for ever-if he and you be conſtant in his Commandments▪ Now ther…fore I require & charge you in the ſight of all Iſrael and in the audience of our God that ye keep and ſeek for all the Commandments of the Lord your God, &c. As you regard God and his Worſhip, value his favour, or fear his anger; and as you would have Church and State remain in a flouriſhing condition; ſee that you be obſervant of the Lord's Commands even all of them. The Houſe of God in Iſrael, and the Kingdom in the Houſe of David depended on it.
2. There is a Motive added in the cloſe of the Text: That ye may poſſeſs this good land, and leave it for an Inheritance for your Children after you, for ever. Before they were mov'd from the Honour & Glory to the Name of GOD; here they are mov'd from their own and their Children's temporal welfare. They were poſſeſs'd of a good land; they held it by the promiſe of GOD upon their Obedience to Him; they would deſire to keep the poſſeſſion they had of it, and that their Children ſhould inherit it after them; But then they muſt needs ſeek for and keep the Commandments of the Lord their God, if they would have a peaceable & quiet poſſeſſion of their pleaſant land ſecured to them, or to their Children after them.
THESE are the Arguments and Motives with which the duty required in the text is inforced.
I ſhall now name ſome Doctrinal Obſervations.
I. THAT the People of God in general, the Rulers of a people in particular, and every ſingle perſon belonging to the Congregation of the Lord, are under the ſtrict charge of GOD to ſeek & keep all His Commandments.
II. THAT as every Superior in the ſtate or in the Church, is under this Charge himſelf, ſo it is his duty to lay it upon all that are under him, and to leave it as his dying Charge with them.
III. THAT we ſhould every one of us ſeriouſly conſider, that it is in the ſight of all the Lord's people, the Congregation of the Lord, and in the Audience of our GOD, that we are under this Charge.
IV. THAT the Church, Kingdom and Worſhip of CHRIST among us, the Houſe of our GOD, depends on our religious ſeeking & keeping of GOD's Commandments.
V. THAT this is the way to keep poſſeſſion of this good Land which the Lord our God has given us, and to leave it for an Inheritance unto our Children after us.
I. THAT the People of God in general, the Rulers of a people in particular, and every ſingle perſon among them, are under the ſtrict Charge of GOD to ſeek for & keep all His Commandments.
SO they are charged, and this is the Charge in our text. And here I ſhall ſay, 1 This is the Charge of the Lord our God. 2 We are all under it. 3. The Rulers of a People are ſo in an eſpecial manner.
1. THIS is the Charge of the Lord our God, that we keep and ſeek for all His Commandments▪ We have his Commandments in his Word. They are the Laws, Statutes, Teſtimonies, and Judgments of the Lord our God; and in ſhort His Covenant with his people. Moſes and the Prophets have han…ed them down to us; and CHRIST (the Eternal Son of GOD, and Lord of all the Holy Prophets) has confirm'd & ratify'd them. Moſes beſpeaks the Church for ever in the 4. Chapter of Deut. Behold, I have taught you ſtatutes & judgments, as the Lord my God commanded me: ye ſhall not add unto the Word which I command you, neither ſhall ye diminiſh ought from it: And what Nation is there ſo great, that hath ſtatutes & judgments ſo righteous, as all this Law which I ſet before you? Now, ſays the text.
1. WE muſt religiouſly keep the Commandments of the Lord our God. Laws are made, and Gods laws are written to us, to be obſerved & kept. A Commandment implies Obedience. We muſt needs be ſub…ect to the Power that is over us, to give laws and to judge us by the laws, both for wrath & for Conſcience ſake. The law is to rule & govern us▪ To keep the Commandment is to do it; to obſerve & obey it with our hearts and in our lives. We muſt keep it in our minds and hide it in our hearts, that we may not ſin againſt it, tranſgreſs and break it, in tho't word or deed. We muſt therefore keep our Souls diligently that we may keep God's word. The keeping it implies care, diligence, conſtancy & pleaſure. Faith, fear, love, reverence, eſteem of the word, and deſire to ple…ſe and glorify God, do all meet in every act of acceptable Obedience to God. Deut. 10 12. What doth the Lord thy God require of thee? but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to love him, and to ſerve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy ſoul; to keep the Commandments of the Lord, and his ſtatutes, which I command thee this day.
2. WE muſt keep all the Commandments. So the text requires. Our Obedience muſt be univerſal. What body of Laws is there but Obedience is equally required to them all. What ſingle Law was ever given, but to be obeyed? The ſame Authority enacts one & another of them. Every word of God is pure; all his Commands are holy, juſt & good. He that breaks one law is a tranſgreſſor, and liable to the Judgment. He that offends in one point is guilty of all, Jam. 2.18. He might as well offend in another point: He offers indignity to the Power that made the whole law. Obedience in ſome things will not excuſe diſobedience in others. Exod. 24.7. All that the Lord our God ſhall ſay to us, we will do and be obedient.
3. IN order to this we muſt ſeek for them all. Keep and ſeek for all the Commandments of the Lord your God. We muſt be careful & inquiſitive to know the Commands, if ever we would keep them. We muſt ſeek the knowledge of them with deſire and care and pains. We need not ſeek jar for the Commands; which we have in our hands and before our eyes: Deut. 30.11, 12. This Commandment which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off: but the word is very nigh to thee, in thy Mouth and in thy heart; that thou mayſt do it. Yet neither muſt we grudge any pains or labour that is neceſſary unto our getting the knowledge of God's will. It is highly worth the moſt diligent & laborious ſeeking. Prov. 2. beg. My ſon, incline thine ear to wiſdom, and apply thy heart to underſtanding; cry after knowledge & lift up thy voice for underſtanding; ſeek her as ſilver & ſearch for her as for hid treaſure; ſo ſhalt thou underſtand the fear of the Lord, &c. We muſt therefore ſearch the Scriptures which are written for our learning. We muſt read therein daily; read it in our Cloſets, read it in our Families. We muſt ſeek the law at the mouth of Gods Miniſters, whoſe lips muſt preſerve knowledge, Mal. 2.7. It was the honour and bleſſing of Levi, and a Bleſſing to Iſrael; Deut. 33.10. He ſhall teach Jacob God's judgments, & Iſrael his laws. We muſt be waiting daily at God's Gates, and at his doors. We muſt ſeek unto God by Prayer for his light & his truth; that he would teach us his ſtatutes & lead us into all truth; Pſal 119.34. Give me underſtanding and I ſhall keep thy law; yea, I ſhall obſerve it with my whole heart. Thus we muſt ſeek for, if we would keep the Commandments of God.
4. AND laſtly, This is the Charge of the Lord our God to us: Now therefore keep & ſeek for all the Commandments of the Lord your God. The Lord is our God, and it belongs to Him to charge us. He has made us, made us to obey him, made us to be rul'd & govern'd by law: He has given us his Charge, as our King & Lord, and as our Father in heaven. His Commands are his charge to us, and then he has charg…d us to keep, obſerve and do them. Agreably to what we read, Eccl. 8.2. I charge … thou keep the Kings Comman…ment. The Lord is our King, our Saviour and our Judge, … we are under his charge His Charge to us is like that, 1 Tim. 6.13. I cha…ge thee before God —that thou keep my Commandments without ſpot; unrebukable. It is m…ſt good for us to be ſo charged; m…ſt kind and good in God, that he has laid ſo ſtrict a Charge upon us to mind our duty and purſue our happineſs. But it ſhould be alſo exceeding awful to us to be ſo required and commanded by God; and we muſt diligently and obſequiouſly ſet our ſelves to know and do what the Lord our God requires. 1 Kings 2.3. Keep the Charge of the Lord thy God; to walk in his ways, as it is written in his law.
BUT this for the 1ſt thing; that this is the Charge of the Lord our God that we keep his laws.
2. ALL the people of God together, and every ſingle perſon by himſelf, are under this charge of God. So is the text directed, and ſo are all the Commandments of the Holy Word.
1. TO all of us together, as a people of God, and as the Lord's Congregation. Hear O my people and I will ſpeak! Hear this all ye people, both high and low, rich & poor together. 2. To each Individual; to every ſingle perſon; who are as much meant and ſpoken to as if they were named. For every one is equally known to God, obſerved by him, and will be bro't into Judgment. So the Covenant of the Lord was with the Children of Iſrael, with all together, and with every ſingle perſon apart: Deut. 29.10,—20. Ye ſtand this day all of you before the Lord your God, your Captains, Elders, Officers and all the Men of Iſrael; your little ones, your wives, and the ſtranger that is in thy Camp; from the hewer of thy wood unto the d…awer of thy water; that thou ſhouldeſt enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath, and that he may eſtabliſh thee to day for a people unto himſelf, and to be unto thee a GOD: Neither with you only do I make this Covenant & this Oath; but with him alſo that is not here with us this day; leſt there ſhould be among you Man or Woman or Family or Tribe, whoſe heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God; and it come to paſs when he heareth the Words of this Curſe that he bleſs himſelf, ſaying, I ſhall have peace:— the Lord will not ſpare him, but the anger of the Lord and his jealouſy ſhall ſmoke againſt that man, and the Lord ſhall ſeparate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Iſrael, & all the Curſes that are written in this Book ſhall come upon him. Thus awfully is a whole place or people, and every particular perſon under the Commandment and Charge of God·
3. THE Rulers of a people are in a particular and peculiar manner, under this Charge of God to keep and ſeek for all his Commandments. To them David ſpeaks in the text, and by them to all Iſrael: And unto them Moſes deliver'd the Charge and Covenant of God, that they ſhould ſee it kept by all under them. As the leaſt and loweſt in the Congregation are not overlook'd by God, ſo the higheſt and the greateſt are eſpecially obſerved and commanded by him.
SO is the King upon the throne, and the Law to him is, Deut. 17.19. That he have a Copy of God's Law with him, and that he read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep all the words of his Law.
HOW much more then are all Miniſters of State, Governours, Judges & Officers commiſſioned by the King, under the Law and Charge of God; to obſerve his Word themſelves, and ſee it reverenc'd and obſerv'd by thoſe that are under them. They are to go before their people, leading them by their Example, influencing by their Reputation & intereſt, and conſtraining by their Authority and power, to a reverend obſervance of the Will and Worſhip of God. To this end Moſes gave Joſhua a Charge before he died, and commanded the Levites; and ſent out his Summons, Deut. 31.28. Gather unto me all the E…ders of your Tribes and your Officers, that I may ſpeak all theſe words in their ears, & call beaven & earth to record againſt them. So Joſhua called for the Heads & Elders of Iſrael to Shechem, & they preſented themſelves before the Lord, and he ſet them a Statute & an Ordinance. So Solomon ſpake to every Governour in all Iſrael, the chief of the fathers. And to name no more, So Jehoſhaphat commanded the Levites and Judges in his day; —Let the fear of the Lord be upon you, (ſaid he) with whom there is no Iniquity nor reſpect of perſons; and he charged them, …ying, Thus ſhall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a perfect heart; leſt wrath come upon you & on your Brethren: deal c…uragi…uſly and the Lord ſhall be with the good.— Theſe are the Commandment & Charges of God which Magiſtrates and Miniſters are yet under, according to the glorious Goſpel of the bleſſed God, made known unto all Nations for their Obedience.
LET our Rulers therefore ſuffer the Word of Exhortation, and the Admonition from God to them, that They eminently among the People of God are under his Commandment and his Charge to ſeek for and keep his holy Commandments. And it is fit that they ſhould be ſo charged by God for his Glory, whoſe Miniſters and Servants they are, and for the Good of Mankind, whereunto they muſt Miniſter according to his Will. It is the peculiar Honour of God to command them, and to be obeyed by them, as alſo to judge and puniſh them; and it is a peculiar Honour to them to be Examples of Obedience to God. Pſalm. 97.7. Worſhip him all ye Gods. The Principalities and Powers above do ſo, and how much more ſhould thoſe on Earth? Eccleſ. 5.8. He that is higher than the higheſt regardeth, and there be higher than they.
BUT as a perſonal Subjection and Obedience to all the Commandments of God is the duty of Rulers, ſo are they obliged alſo, both in their Legiſlative, and alſo in their Executive capacity and truſt to ſeek for all the Commandments of the Lord; That they be all of them made known to the people under their care, and enjoyned on them, and that none be ſuffer'd in the Violation of any of them This is the Duty of their place, and they ſhould voluntarily but with Solemnity come under this Bond upon their Souls; as the Rulers of Iſrael did, Neh. 9. ult. We make a ſure Covenant & write it; and our Princes, Levites & Prieſts ſeal to it.
BUT I come to the Second Obſervation:
II. THAT as every Superior in the State or in the Church is under this Charge of God himſelf, ſo it is their duty to charge it upon all that are under them, yea & to leave it with them as their dying charge.
SO David did in my text; and the record of it leaves him as a ſtanding and teaching Example; whether we conſider him as a Father, as a Prince, or as a Prophet, or as one full of Dayes, and dying.
SO Parents and Governours of Familys ſhould charge their Children and houſhold after them to ſeek and keep the Commandments of God. So did Abraham; of whom God ſaid, I know him that he will command his Children & his houſhold after him, and they ſhall keep the way of the Lord. So did Joſhua; who declared before all Iſrael, As for me & my houſe we will ſerve the Lord. And the 101ſt Pſalm ſtands an everlaſting record of David's Rule & Government of his own houſe: I will walk in my houſe with a perfect heart; my eyes ſhall be upon the faithful of the Land that they may dwell with me; he that walketh in a perfect way he ſhall ſerve me.
I have ſaid before, and have exhibited ſeveral illuſtrious Examples, how Rulers ſhould require and conſtrain their Subjects to keep the word of God. For this they are inveſted with their Legiſlative and Executive powers; and are Ordained of God; to be terrors to evil doers and a praiſe to them that do well; to defend the Name, the Word, the Day, the Worſhip and Ordinanc…s of God from profanation; and that all under t…m may lead a peaceable & quiet life, in godlineſs and honeſty.
BUT if we conſider David as a Prophet his Example is a law & rule alſo unto the Miniſters of Religion. And none are more obliged than they to lay the Commands & Charge of God before others; and to require all in his name, even the higheſt with the loweſt; to charge them that are rich in the world and them that are poor together, in His Name who is the Maker of them both; to ſpeak, rebuke & exhort with all Authority, & without partiality. Wherefore in Obedience to my text I magnify my Office this day; and being called by the Rulers of my People to ſpeak unto Themſelves in the Name of the Great GOD, by Whom they rule; I do in His fear & from His Word lay before Them their Duty, to God & this People; both that they keep the Commandments of God themſelves, and charge theirs after them to do ſo too; yea, and as far as in them lies, to bind their Succeſſors to a faithful adherence to the Cauſe of God. And herein you muſt needs obey your Miniſters as thoſe that have this Rule; and ſubmit your ſelves, as unto them that watch for your Souls, and muſt give account unto God.
BUT then laſtly it is to be conſider'd, That whoever we are, Rulers, Miniſters, Parents, Maſters; within a little time we ſhall have ſerved our Generation, and the time will come that we muſt die; And if while we live we lay the Charges of God upon them that are under us, and who are like to ſurvive us; ſo when we are Old & gray-headed, if God ſpare us to old age; or when the Day of our Death comes on, as it ſurely will in a ſhort time; Then let us like Jacob & Joſeph, like Moſes and Joſhua, like Samuel & David (by the Grace of God) leave our dying Teſtimony to the good ways of God, our dying Prayers for the Church & Kingdom of Chriſt in the midſt of us, and our dying Commandment to our Children & Families, that after our Deceaſe they ſtill ſeek for & keep all the Commandments of the Lord our God.
NOTHING can be either more humane or more pious than this Care for Poſterity; Nothing more worthy of us either as Men or as Chriſtians, than this deſire to perpetuate the Religion of God, his Worſhip & Obedience to Him, in ſucceeding Generations. God has therefore moſt ſtrictly enjoyned this upon his profeſſing People: Witneſs that famous place of Scripture, Deut. 6.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Hear O Iſrael, The LORD our God is One LORD. And thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy might. And theſe Words which I command thee this day ſhall be in thy heart: And thou ſhalt teach them diligently unto thy Children; and ſhalt talk of them when thou ſitteſt in thine houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way, and when thou lieſt down, and when thou riſ…ſt up: And thou ſhalt bind them for a ſign upon thy h…nd, and they ſhall be as frontlets between thy eyes: And thou ſhalt write them upon the poſts of thy houſe, and on thy gates.
YOU ſee here that the Care of God is for his own Glory, as in the preſent ſo alſo in the Coming Generation; and that he therefore commits them to us as our ſpecial Truſt, and charges us with them; that as the Prophet ſpeaks, Iſai. 59.21. His Word which is in our mouth may not depart out of the mouth of our ſeed, nor out of the mouth of our ſeeds ſeed, even for ever.
SO David died, and theſe were his luſt Words, who was the Anointed of the God of Jacob, and the ſweet Pſa…miſt of Iſrael! The Spirit of God ſpake by Him, and the Word of the LORD was in his tongue; and He expir'd ſpeaking the Words which Iſraels Rock and GOD had ſpoke to him. He breath'd out his Soul in that Prayer to God for his People and for his Son, 1 Chron. 29.18, 19. O GOD of Abraham, Iſaac & Iſrael our Fathers, keep this for ever in the Imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee! And give unto Solomon my ſon a perfect heart, to keep thy Commandments, thy Teſtimonies and thy Statutes.
NOW as this has been the noble, generous and enlarged View of Patriarchs & Prophets, for the glory of God and the good of Souls in all times to come; ſo let me obſerve to You (and give the Praiſe to God) that the Fathers of this Country did eminently inherit this great & good Spirit, and herein approv'd Themſelves like Judah, ruling with God & faithful with the Saints. They govern'd their Houſes ſtrictly, they taught their Children diligently, they endeavoured earneſtly to inſtill early into them the higheſt Reverence of Gods Name, his Word, his Day, his Ordinances, and his Worſhipers; They ſet up Schools, they founded a College, for a ſucceſſion of Paſtors in the Churches and to ſeek a godly Seed for Chriſt in this place of their Sepulchres, as long as the Sun and Moon ſhould endure. So they approv'd themſelves the Children of faithful Abraham, the Friend of God, whoſe Everlaſting praiſe is in the Churches, that He commanded his Children & Houſhold after h…m, that they ſhould keep the Way of the Lord.
I go on to the third Doctrinal Obſervation.
III. THAT we ought every one of us ſeriouſly to conſider; that it is in the ſight of all the Lord…s people, and in the Audience of our God that we are ſo charged, taught and warned, to keep & ſeek for all his Commandments.
THESE are two weighty Motives and powerful Arguments to quicken and excite us unto the diſcharge of the duty incumbent on us. They ſhould ſink deep into our hearts, and yet ly uppermoſt too in them, and be ever in our memory, that in the ſight of all Iſrael, and in the audience of our God, we are bound, and have bound our ſelves, to ſeek and keep all God's Commandments.
1. IN the ſight of all the Lord's people we are ſo bound, are ſo charged and have ſo promiſed. All the people of God are witneſſes for and againſt one another, that this charge of the Lord is laid and lying upon every Order, and upon every Perſon among us. So Magiſtrates are Sworn, in the ſight of all the Lords people, even as Moſes gave Joſhua a charge before all Iſrael, when he was plac'd at the head of the Congregation of the Lord: Numb. 27.23. And as Jehojada gave to Jehoaſh the Teſtimony when he put the Crown upon his head, 2 King. 11.12 So our Kings are under a Coronation Oath, to ſeek and keep the Commandments of the LORD and to govern by his Word. And all our Rulers are ſworn to obſerve it and rule by it. And they ſhould always remember it, that all the People are witneſſes of the Oath of God which they are under. It was a Solemnity that not only put honour upon Joſhua before all Iſrael, but which alſo was to impreſs him with an awful and reverend ſenſe of his Duty to God and his people. Said God to M…ſes, Take thee Joſhua and ſet him before Eleazer the prieſt and before all the Congregation, and give him a charge in their ſight, He was charged with the People of the Lord; they were put into his hand, as ſheep into the hand of a ſhepherd; and therefore it was done in their ſight and preſence: As to expreſs their own Conſent and Subjection to the Government, ſo to be witneſſes of his Sacred Promiſe & Engagement to rule them in God's fear and by his word.
IN like manner Miniſters are Ordained publickly, and ſolemnly charged before the Congregation of the Lord, 1 Tim. 6.11, 12. Thou O man of God, follow after Righteouſneſs, Godlineſs, Faith, Love, Patience, Meekneſs; fight the good fight, lay hold on Eternal life; whereunto thou art called, and haſt profeſſed a good profeſſion before many witneſſes. Men ought to regard the preſence, the knowledge, the teſtimony and witneſs of Men. The more Witneſſes we promiſe any thing before, the more we bind our ſelves to do it. Therefore our ſolemn & religious Engagements are required and given in the ſight of all the people, in the Congregation and Aſſembly; who are the Lord's witneſſes now, and will be ſo hereafter.
AND ſo it is with all private Chriſtians. Whatever Charges from God, or Vows to him you come under, you do it publickly and before many Witneſſes. You worſhip God in Aſſemblies, you confeſs Chriſt before Men, You are preach'd to in the great Congregation, and with them you join in prayer; you Covenant with God publickly; the Aſſembly ſaw your Baptiſmal Conſecration to God, and they have heard your good Profeſſions and Engagements to him: The Solemnities of Zion are all open and in the face of the world. The leaſt perſon in the Congregation, that is come under the Covenant of God, ſtands bound and engaged in the ſight of all Iſrael, the Congregation of the Lord and his witneſſes: for we are all Witneſſes againſt our ſelves, and for one another, That we have choſen the Lord to ſerve him, Joſh. 24.22.
But then,
2. IT is in the Audience of our GOD himſelf; which is more than the ſight of all Iſrael, that we are charged to keep and ſeek for his Commandments, and have bound our ſelves to do it. Have men ſeen and heard, much more has GOD, Gen. 16.13. Thou Lord ſeeſt me. He is always and every where preſent; eſpecially is he ſo in religious Aſſemblies and in the more ſolemn Aſſemblies of …. We are charged before HIM, whoſe eyes run to & fro' thro' the earth, beholding the evil & the good; before Him whoſe eyes behold, his ey-lids try the Children of men. We are charged before HIM who filleth Heaven & Earth with his preſence, & from whoſe preſence and Spirit the…e is no flying: before Him who ſearches the heart & trys the reins, & will make all the Churches to know that he does ſo; and will bring every work into judgment with every ſecret thing. So we read in the words after my text—, for the Lord ſearcheth all hearts, and underſtandeth all the Imaginations of the tho'…s.
O how awful ſhould this conſideration be to us? according to what we read, Pſal. 139. beg O Lord, thou haſt ſearched me & known me. Thou knoweſt my down ſitting, and my up-riſing; Thou underſtandeſt my thoughts afar off. Thou compaſſeſt my path & my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a Word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knoweſt it altogether. Thou haſt beſet me behind & before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is High & I cannot attain unto it. Whither ſhall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither ſhall I flee from thy preſence? If I aſcend up into Heaven thou art there! if I make my bed in Hell, behold thou art there!—
HOW awful ſhould it be to Magistrates, to conſider, that they are ſworn before & by the great GOD! and that He ſtandeth in the Congregation of the mighty; be judgeth among the Gods; and that he will ariſe to judge the Earth, for he ſhall inherit all Nations, Pſal. 82.
HOW awful ſhould it be to Miniſters to remember their Charge from God, and in his Name and Preſence. 1 Tim. 5.21. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the Elect Angels, 2 Tim. 4.1. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall judge the quick & the dead at his appearing and Kingdom.
HOW awful ſhould it be to the Lord's People to remember the Words we uſe in receiving their Covenant Engagements and Profeſſion; — You do as in the preſence of the Great GOD profeſs and promiſe —. If we receive the witneſs of men, the witneſs of GOD is greater: So if the preſence of many witneſſes on earth is great, how much greater is the ſingle eye and notice of God? Joſh. 22.22. The Lord God of Gods, the Lord God of Gods He knoweth; and Iſrael he ſhall know. But how ſmall a thing is Iſraels knowledge, in compariſon of His who is Iſraels GOD?
IF it were only a Stone that ſtood by, that has neither eye nor ear nor tongue, yet it were eno' in the preſence of GOD. As Joſhua took a great Stone and ſet it up by the Sanctuary of the Lord, and ſaid unto all the people, This ſtone ſhall be a witneſs to us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord which he hath ſpoken to us; it ſhall be for a witneſs unto you lest you deny your God. There needs no witneſs before Him; the very Stones ſhall be witneſſes and bear witneſs for him; if he pleaſe theſe ſhall cry out; and ſo ſhall theſe Walls and theſe Seats; and ſo ſhall the Council Board, the Seats of Legiſlation and thoſe of Judicature, for they have heard all our Words to God, and his to us.
NOW let theſe Motives ſink down into our hearts; It is in the ſight of all the Congregation of the Lord, and in the Audience of your God, that you are charged and that you promiſe and profeſs to keep and ſeek for all his Commandments.
NOW Vow and Pay unto the Lord your God: He cuts off t…e … of Princes and is terrible unto the Kings of the Earth. With Him is terrible Majeſty. Let his Dread fall on the Greateſt and on the leaſt. May the Fathers of the Congregation ever cleave to the Lord, and this People religiouſly cleave to Them: According to what we read, Neh. 10.29. They clave to their Brethren, the Nobl…s; and enter'd into a Curſe and into a… Oath to walk in God's law; and to obſerve to do all his Commandments, his ſtatutes and his judgments.
I ſhall conclude this Head with two very different Reflections; the one more pleaſant to make, the other more melancholy.
ON the one hand it ought to be the Joy of the Province, and a matter of ſpecial Thanksgiving to GOD in our Churches, that we ſee your HONOUR, (The Commander in Chief at this day) ſtedfaſtly abiding in the Communion of theſe Churches. God make you always a true Son and a kind Father to them. It is Your Happineſs and Ours, that You ſerve and We enjoy a KING the Equal and righteous Protector of his Kingdoms and Provinces in their different legal Eſtabliſhments, for religious Order, Worſhip and Diſcipline. This Liberty of Conſcience our Fathers ſought, and ask…d and had a Royal Charter to aſſure them of, and to ſecure it unto their Children after them. The GOVERNOUR, who is now abſent from us, honoured and endear'd Himſelf to many of us, and very juſtly, by his zealous Declarations at all times and in all places, for the Preſervation of our Liberties both Civil and Religious. And it is yet our Happineſs to ſee almoſt all our Councellors and Judges willingly under the Bonds of GOD in our Churches ▪ May He always inſpire them with a wiſe and ſincere Zeal for His Name & Truths, as they are profeſſed in them. Thanks be to GOD we yet ſee ſo much our Councellors as at the firſt, and our Judges as at the beginning.
BUT then to paſs another, moſt juſt but more melancholy Reflection:—What fear & trembling may well fall upon us, and what ſhame & confuſion of face cover us, collectively or perſonally conſidered, that we have no more obſerved & kept, that we have perfidiouſly and preſumptuouſly broken & tranſgreſſ…d, the Commandments of the Lord our God! What ſhall we ſay after this? that we have forſaken the Lord's Commandments? after that we have been ſo bound in his Audience, and in the ſight of all his People! Therefore might he be juſtly angry with us and conſume us! therefore ſhall he be juſt…fied when he ſpeaks & clear be when he judges! Therefore do the Confeſſions and Supplications of Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah belong to us! O my God I am aſhamed, and bluſh to lift up my eyes unto thee my God! O Lord, the Great & dreadful God, keeping the Covenant & Mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his Commandments! We have ſinned and have comm…tted Iniquity and have done wickedly, and have rebell…d; even in departing from thy Precepts and from thy Judgments! Neither have we hearkned to thy ſervants the Prophets, which ſpake in thy Name to our Kings, our Princes and our Fathers, and to all the People of the Land! O Lord, Righteouſneſs belongeth unto thee, but unto us Confuſion of faces, as at this Day! —
I go on to the Fourth Obſervation:
IV. THAT the Kingdom of Chriſt, his Church and his Worſhip among us depends upon our religious keeping and ſeeking for all his Commandments.
Now therefore, ſays my text; i. e. that the Temple of God may be built, and his Worſhip ſetled▪ and the Throne in the Houſe of David be continued among you; that the Kingdom may have peace and that the Houſe of God may be more glorious than ever; that Iſrael may be bleſſed by its God both in Church and State, both in it's Temporal and Spiritual Intereſts; keep and ſeek for the Commandments of the Lord your God. There can be no Religion among a People, nor any Peace to them, without this. This matter firſt belongs to Miniſters and Magiſtrates, and then to all the people. As they ſaid to Ezra, We alſo will be with thee. Every Order, Rank & Degree among a people muſt unite and agree, be one in this thing; every one acting in his place; and we all need one another in it. High and low, rich and poor together. What can inferiour people do, if the Superior will not lead in the fear of God and obedience to him? If the Foundations are out of courſe, what can the righteous do? and what can Rulers do without the people? the Head walks and works by the hands and feet. In a Building all hands muſt ſet to work: eſpecially if the building be a Temple of God, or if it be the repairing it, or cleanſing it, or reſtoring it, it needs many hands, it deſerves every hand. Let not the Religion and Worſhip of God, his Kingdom and Intereſt fall thro us, or in our hands. All lies at ſtake, in our Religion. Wherefore let us riſe and act together, with a united force; as Joab ſaid bravely to the Men of Iſrael in a day of danger; when the Battle was againſt him before & behind; 2 Sam. 10.12. Be of good Courage and let us play the men for our people, and for the Cities of our God. God calls us to beſtir our ſelves in our reſpective places, according to our different talents, powers, intereſts, to miniſter for his Service and Glory; for the defence, for the reviving, for the propagating and perpetuating of Religion and his Worſhip among this People; and he ſays to us in our places, as David did to Solomon in his high ſtation, in the 10th and 20th Verſes of our Con…ext; Take heed now, for the Lord calls thee to build his Houſe; be ſtrong and do it: fear not nor be diſmayed, for the Lord God, even thy God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee nor forſake thee; and behold the Courſes of the prieſts and Levites even they ſhall be with thee.
TRULY the Lord our God is with us if we are with him; as the Prophet of the Lord once ſaid to Aſa and to all Judah. If he give us a heart and ſpirit to ſtand by his Truths and Wayes, his Cauſe and Intereſts among us, he will ſtand by us in the ſupport and defence of them; but if we forſake him and theſe he will forſake us. So has he covenanted and threatned. Wherefore let us beg of Him above every thing, a united heart to fear his Name, to love his Ways, and to cleave together in them. Let us ſhow a zealous adherence to the Word and Worſhip of God. There we muſt ſeek for the Laws of the Kingdom of Chriſt, and the Ordinances of his Houſe. There our Fathers ſought them, and have left them to us to keep; have left us to the Law and to the Teſtimony.
BUT it is time I come to the fifth and laſt Doctrine, which is the other and concluding Mot…ve:
V. THIS is the way to keep poſſ…ſſion of this good Land which the Lord our God has given us, and to leave it for an Inheritance unto our Children after us.
SO ſays my text; Now therefore in the ſight of all Iſrael, the Congregation of the Lord, and in the Audience of our God; keep and ſeek for all the Commandments of the Lord your God; that ye may poſſeſs this good Land and leave it for an Inheritance for your Children after you, even for ever. I will only under this Head conſider and compare the State of Iſrael in Canaan, and ours in New-England; and improve the Dealings and Promiſes of God to them for our warning.
1. CANAAN was a good Land, and ſo is ours. This Epithet good is the common one wherein God was won't to ſpeak of Canaan. I ſuppoſe there was not at that time a more pleaſant and fruitful ſpot in the whole World. It is deſcribed as a Land flowing with milk and honey: A land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, ſpringing not only from the Vallies but alſo from the Hills: A Land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig-trees & pomegranates, a land of O…-olive and honey; a land whe…ein bread w…s eat without ſcarceneſs, and there was no lack of any thing; a land the ſtones whereof were Iron and out of whoſe Hills they dug braſs, Deut. 8.7, 8, 9. Again, It was a land that drank w…ter of the rai…s of heaven; a land which the Lord himſelf cared for, to water it from above; which his eyes were always upon, from the beginning, &c. 11, 12 Finally, part of it lay on the Sea, and it had its lakes; and it ſuck'd of the abundance of the ſea, it's riches by trade; and of the treaſures hi… in the ſand, the fiſh which they drew from the bottom, Deut. 33.19. And now you may be ready to think that I have been deſcribing our own Country; which is as likely to be as rich and opulent one as ever the Land of Canaan was, if our Sins do not hinder it.
2. GOD gave Canaan to the Children of Iſrael, and the ſame God gave this good Land which we now poſſeſs un…o our Fathers. The God of Iſrael is the One living and true God, and there is no other but He. He the God of Abraham is our God. The knowledge of Him, his Covenant and his Worſhip is come to us by his Word. He gave the Land of Canaan by promiſe unto Abraham for his natural Seed by Iſaac; and with a mighty hand and an out ſtretched arm he bro't them into it. They got not the land in poſſeſſion by their own arm, neither did their own how ſave them; but his right Hand & his Arm, Pſal. 44. Init▪ He divided the Sea before them, he led his people thro' the Wilderneſs, he ſmote great Kings and ſlew famous Kings, and gave their land for an Heritage, &c. And altho' God has never done the like ſince, or aſſayed to go and take him a Nation from the midſt of another nation, by temptations and ſigns and wonders, by a ſtretched out arm and great terrors, as he did for the Children of Iſrael; yet the preſence of God with our Fathers, (a poor ſcattered and perſecuted people, and but a handful that ſought reſt and a quiet enjoyment of the Goſpel) was very remarkable in bringing them into this Land, making room before them, and driving out the Nations that before poſſeſs'd it; whoſe Good and no hurt to 'em our Fathers ſought. Indeed we cannot ſay, that God gave them a ſubdued and improved Land for which they did not labour, neither Cities and houſes to dwell in ready built for them, nor Fields & Orchards to eat of which they planted not: But God it was that gave them Wiſdom and Courage and Strength, a heart to ſubdue a waſte Wilderneſs, and to fill it with Towns & Villages as it is this Day. They built for God with one hand, and held the Weapons of War in the other, and did bravely, and proſper'd, for God was with them and fought for them; and gave them reſt.
3. WE enjoy all the ſpiritual-Priviledges & Advantages of the Church of God in Canaan; his Houſe, Worſhip & Ordinances; for which it was that God ſever'd Canaan from the reſt of the World, & for which it was that our Fathers ſought & ſetled this land. It was that they might ſeek and keep all the Commandments and teſtimonies of the Lord, and enjoy the pure Worſhip and Ordinances of the Goſpel without moleſtation, and leave the quiet poſſeſſion of them to their Children after them. This was their Errand hither, and this their Enjoyment here, and this their Legacy to us. This was the Re…t they ſo't, and this made it a Canaan to them; tho' otherwiſe a dreadful Wilderneſs. For this they left their pleaſant Native Land, and paſs'd the wide and dangerous Se…s, and planted theſe Churches of our Lord Jeſus; wherein the God of Abraham and Iſrael is worſhip'd in ſpirit & in truth. So that I may ſay to you as Moſes did to Iſrael; What people is there that has God nearer to them, or more among them, than this people of New-England? or what Nation have ſtatutes and judgments more righteous, or the Ordinances of God more pure, and a more ſpiritual Worſhip than this people? What people have the Lord's Sabbath ▪ & Covenant more ſhewn to them? or the good knowledge of the Lord more and better taught among them? We have the Ark and Sanctuary of God with us as much as ever it was in Canaan. Wherefore bleſſed of the Lord is our Land, not only for the precious dews of Heaven over …, and for the deep that coucheth beneath; but more eſpecially for the knowledge and Good will of him that dwelt in the Buſh: He gave his word to Jacob, his Statutes and Judgments to Iſrael, he has not done ſo by every People.
4. IT is & ſhould be our care to keep poſſeſſion of this good Land, and of theſe ſpiritual & invaluable Privi…eges which the Lord our …o… has given us. Nature & Grace do both teach it.
1. AS to the Soil & Land it ſelf. GOD has given it to our Fathers and we ought valiantly, and diligently to defend it from Enemies. Our fathers got it in poſſeſſion by the ſpecial Providence of God: Not by their own arm & …, that could not have ſav'd them from the ſurrounding Salvages; but it was God's right hand did it, becauſe he had a favour to them; and a purpoſe of glory to his Name in theſe Churches, in theſe ends of the earth. Now as Jephthay ſaid unto the Meſſengers of the King of the Children of Ammon, when he ſent to challenge a part of the Land of Iſrael; Judges, 11.23, 24. Now the Lord God of Iſrael hath diſpoſſeſſed the Amorites from before his people, ſhouldeſt thou poſſeſs it? — Whomſoever the Lord our G…d ſhall drive out before us them will we poſſeſs. The French all along behind us do ſo; and I wiſh there were not reaſon to call them, as there is, the Natural Enemies of our Provinces and of our Religion. Our Salvages to the Eaſt are poiſon'd by them, and us'd by them as bloody Inſtruments of War upon us. They would drive us, if they could off the Land, into the Sea. They diſtreſs and ſtraiten, weaken and diminiſh us in our Borders; as the Remnants of the Canaanites did ſinful Iſrael from time to time; and they are like to be a dreadful Scourge unto our Children after us. We muſt therefore fight the Lord's Battles, by his help, and defend the Soil; and in fighting for that we alſo do for the Church and Altar of God among us.— For,
2. WE have our Civil & Religious Liberties alſo which are the glory of the Land, to defend & ſecure as far as we are able. I am ſorry there ſhould be any among us, I would hope there can be none of us, who bear with grief or ill-will our ſpiritual or Charter Privileges. Our Fathers dearly deſerv'd & purchas'd them, by their Eſtates and by their Lives ſpent in this Service to Chriſt and to their King; the ſubduing this Wilderneſs and the planting theſe Churches at their own coſt. The Government that then was, the King & his Wiſe Council, juſtly tho't ſo, and gave the humble Privileges which they modeſtly asked for. None therefore ought to envy to their Poſterity what they enjoy and value; without any breach upon the Rights & Liberties of others. They that chuſe to come and live among us for their own worldly advantage, ought willingly to leave us in the quiet Poſſeſſion of the dear Purchaſe of our Fathers, or of the Royal Favour & Bounty to them. At leaſt we owe this Duty to God, to our Families and to our Children after us, to endeavour by all juſt and righteous ways to keep poſſeſſion of our Priviledges, both ſpiritual & religious—.
I add therefore,
5. IT ſhould be our earneſt deſire & prayer, our diligent care and endeavour, to leave this good Land, under it's preſent priviledges Civil & Religious, unto our Children after us, for an Inheritance, even for ever. We can poſſeſs it but for a little while. Our Fathers, where are are they? and our Miniſters that were before us? They are gone and we are going after them to the grave! O might it be to Heaven the Celeſtial Canaan, where many of them are! We are enter'd into their labours: They wro't for us: We muſt work for our Poſterity, and the Glory of God among them. Our Priviledges were dear to our Fathers; theſe they left us; and counted that they left us a goodly heritage. This let us leave to and deſire to ſee entailed on our Children after us. Let this be our deſire, that theſe Churches and the Worſhip of God in them may be enjoy'd by poſterity; and that the riſing Generation may know & fear, and ſerve the Lord God of their Fathers; may ſeek and keep all his Commandments.
For,
1. GOD only can defend and ſecure to us our Land, our Churches; our civil & religious Rights He gave them to us; in whoſe hand the hearts▪ of Kings are. As Nehemiah teaches us to give God the glory; Neh. 2.8. The king granted me Letters according to the good hand of God upon me. In his hand too are the hearts of Enemies, and he can turn them; and can chain them up, and defeat their Counſels. We may and we ſhould look to the God of Heaven as Nehemiah did, and pray to him and truſt in him: Neh. 1.10, 11. Now theſe are thy ſervants & thy people; O Lord I beſeech thee let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy ſervants, that deſire to fear thy name; & proſper and grant them mercy. Some may laugh us to ſcorn for theſe words, as ſome did them, Neh 2.19. But would we ſeek now and keep the Commandments of the Lord our God as Nehemiah did, we might anſwer with his words, —The God of heaven he will pr…ſper us, therefore we his ſervants will ariſe & build.
2. LET it be ſeriouſly remembred, conſidered, realized & believed by us, that God has promis'd his people to defend them in the poſſeſſion of their Land and of their Religion, and to leave it unto their Children after them; if they will keep the Charge of the Lord, and ſeek for and keep all his Commandments. The ſafety of God's people is in his Name & Promiſe; and this has been his Promiſe. Deut. 4.1, 40. Now therefore hearken to the Statutes & Judgments of God to do them, that you may live and poſſeſs the Land; and that it may go well with thee and with thy Children after thee; and that you may prolong your dayes. This Promiſe, or if you will this Motive to Obedience, is often repeated and urged by the Holy Ghoſt; Deut. 12.28. Obſerve & hear all theſe Words, which I command thee, that it may go well with thee and with thy Children after thee for ever; when thou doeſt that which is good & right in the ſight of the Lord thy God. To give the utmoſt force unto this Promiſe God has confirm'd it to his people with an Oath; Deut. 28.1, 9. If thou ſhalt diligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to obſerve & do all his Commandments, —then the Lord ſhall eſtabliſh thee an holy People unto himſelf as he hath SWORN unto thee. Again, the Promiſe is, Lev. 26.11, 12. If ye walk in my ſtatutes and keep my Commandments, I will ſet up my Tabernacle among you, and my ſoul ſhall not abhor you; and I will walk among you & be your God, and ye ſhall be my people. Theſe are the Prom…ſes of God to his People, and his Covenant with their Children after them, if they will ſeek and keep his Commandments. And theſe Promiſes are true & faithful; He keepeth Covenant & Mercy with his ſervants that walk before him with all their heart: He will ſave Zion, and will buil… the Cities of Judah, that they may dwell there & have it in poſſeſſion: the ſeed of his ſervants ſhall inherit it, and they that love his Name ſhall dwell therein, Pſalm 69 35, 36.
3. ON the contrary, God threatned his People of old, if they were diſobedient & impenitent, if they would not ſeek & keep his Commandments, and his ſtatutes, that they and their poſterity ſhould periſh quickly from the good land which he gave unto them. The promiſe and the threatning agree and do mutually confirm one the other. They are put together in the Word of God and we muſt not ſeparate them. Deut. 30.15, —20. See I have ſet before you this day, life & good, death & evil, In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, &c. that thou mayeſt live & multiply, and the Lord thy God ſhall bleſs thee—: But if thine heart turn away, ſo that thou will not hear, — I denounce unto you this day that ye ſhall ſurely periſh; ye ſhall not prolong your dayes upon the Land. The like Threatning we have, Deut. 4.26. I call Heaven & Earth to witneſs, that ye ſhall utterly periſh from off the Land; ye ſhall not prolong your dayes upon it, but ſhall utterly be deſtroyed; and the Lord ſhall ſcatter you among the Heathen. Heaven & Earth have ſeen theſe Threatnings fulfilled on the People of God; particularly on the Jewiſh Nation. And theſe things h…pned to … Enſ…mples, and are written for our Admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Read the Fulfi…ment of the T…reatning on them, and the Improvement which we ſhould make of it. Deut. 29.25, — 29. They forſook the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers,— and the anger of the Lord was kindled againſt their Land, to bring upon it all the Curſes that are wri…ten in his Book: And the Lord r…oted them out in Anger, and in Wrath, and in great Indignation, and caſt them into another Land, as it is this Day. The ſecret things belong unto the Lord our God; but thoſe things which are revealed unto us, and to our Children for ever; that we may do all the words of this Law.
AS therefore we value our Earthly Inheritance, & would leave it to our Children after us; or as we value our Spiritual Priviledges & deſire that theſe may continue with them; & yet moſt of all, as we would be ſeeking a better Country, that is the Heavenly Canaan, for our ſelves and Ours; let us receive the Exhortation now bro't to us in the Name of GOD, — O ſeek for & keep all the Commandments of the Lord your GOD.
LET me plead with you from the Love we owe to GOD, our Selves, our Children, & our Country. If we have any Concern for His glory from us & ours; if we regard our own and their Welfare, Temporal, Spiritual & Eternal; if we ſeek the Good of others, as well thoſe that are living with us, as theirs who ſhall come after us; Let us be obſervant of the Divine Will and Law, made known to us for our Good; and teach it diligently to our Children.
DO this in Obedience, Gratitude, Fidelity to GOD, that your Children may know & love and ſerve Him, & be to Him for a Name a praiſe & a glory. Deut. 4.9. Only take heed to thy ſelf, and keep thy ſoul diligently, leſt thou forget the things which thine eyes have ſeen, & leſt they depart from thy heart all the dayes of thy life, but teach them thy ſons & thy ſons ſons. Deut. 31.13. And that your Children, which have not known any thing, may hear & learn to fear the Lord your God. After our ſelves, our Children are the beſt and greateſt things which we have to render unto God: They are living & ſpiritual Sacrifices like our own ſouls; a reaſonab… Service, holy & acceptable thro Chriſt. They belong to GOD by Covenant as well as we, & we muſt ſhew them his Covenant, and do our beſt to Eſtabliſh them in it; that we may leave them as well under the Bleſſings, as the Bonds of it.
LET us do our part (& ſurely we have a part to do, one & other of us in our places) that Religion may not die with us or rather before us; but that it may ſurvive with ours after us, & outlive them, & flouriſh more yet in their times who are not yet born. Like David let us be ſerving our OWN Generation by the Will of God, & like him let us alſo provide for that to come. This was his Conſolation & Joy as he fell aſleep & was gathered to his Fathers, that he had prepared with all his might for the Houſe of God which his Son ſhould build. He had the happy proſpect of this; that the Name of God in Iſrael was like to be ſtill greater, and the Worſhip of God more Solemn & glorious in his Sons days than it had been in his. This abiding and increaſing Glory of God, in the Church, thro' his means, after his Deceaſe, was David's Crown in Death; and a brighter Diadem it ſet before him than that earthly one which he was laying down.
YOU know not what Services you are doing to God and men, while you are Educating your Children religiouſly. They will (you hope) teach their Children, and they theirs, the Word of God, down to many Generations. This is the Spirit of all the Faithful, Pſal. 78.4. We will not hide them from their Children, ſhewing to the Generation to come the Praiſes of the Lord, and his Strength, and his wonderful Works that he hath done; That the Generation to come may know them, even the Children that ſhall be born, who ſhall ariſe & declare them to their Children.
YOUR Children alſo may come into thoſe places of Truſt, and publick Service, which you little think of, and be of great uſe in the World; for which you ſhould be now furniſhing them, according to the Grace of God given to you. One inſtructed Child may be an accompliſh'd Inſtrument of unknown Good to many, whether he ſerve in the State or in the Church. So Jacob taught Joſeph the fear of God, and God carry'd him to the Government of Aegypt, to ſave all the Countries round about and the Church that was in his Fathers houſe. So the Parents of Moſes privately taught him the Religion of God, & laid the foundation of all the great Services which he did for God and his People. He is a Benefactor to the World, who educates his Children laudably We can't leave the World a better Legacy than well diſciplin'd Children.
BUT if we neglect our Children, we not only rob God & his Church of them▪ but as it were Sacrifice them to Moloch. So impious are we to God, & barbarous to them. Beſides the preſent Injury to the world from us, the Miſery will be to our ſelves & ours in the Day of Judgment. We ſhall be found as guilty in that day, as if we had literally built the High places of Tophet, in the vally of the ſon of Hinnon, to burn our ſons and daughters in the fire, Jer. 7.31. We ſhall ly open to that dreadful Charge, Ezek. 16.20, 21. Thou haſt taken thy ſons and thy daughters which thou haſt born unto me, and theſe haſt thou ſacrificed to be devoured: Is this of thy Whoredoms a ſmall matter? that thou haſt ſlain my Children — I leave it to your Bowels to make anſwer unto ſuch a Challenge.
MIND how Ezra's love to God wro't? and the love of the pious Jews with him to their Poſterity; Ezra 8.21. Then I proclaimed a Faſt to afflict our ſelves before our God, and to ſeek of him a right Way for us & for our little ones: So we faſted & beſought our God for this, and he was entreated of us. This was as thoſe that lov'd God and their Country, deſirous that their Children ſhould be happy in the knowledge of God and of his wayes. God ſeeks this godly ſeed too and their Proſperity: Deut. 5.29. O that there were ſuch an heart in them, that they would fear me and keep my Commandments always; that it might be well with them and with their Children for ever.
Finally, LET the Children & Poſterity of New-England be admoniſhed & charged from all that I have now ſaid, in the Audience of the God of their Fathers, and in the ſight of all his People, to adhere unto theſe good wayes of the Lord, & to that Way of his Worſhip, in which they have been Inſtituted from the Word of God in theſe Churches. If you can find the WORD of God more kept to, in Worſhip ▪ in Practice, in another Communion, I am well content that you prefer it. But if you are not likely to find more of the ſincere Word & pure Inſtitutions of Chriſt in any other Communion, then abide were you are; and hold your ſelves bound in Conſcience to do ſo. This is a juſt and true Principle of the Proteſtant Religion, and the very Baſis of the Reformation from Popery; and it will ſtand for ever; As the Word of the Lord endures the ſame, (the only Rule of Faith & Practice, Worſhip and Manners) while one Generation goeth and another cometh.
YOUR Fathers ſought, and found Grace to keep the Commandments of God. Practical Piety was their Glory in the ſight of God & Man. And being Dead they yet ſpeak to us, and charge us as David did his S…n; Kn…w thou the God of thy Fathers▪ and ſerve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; If thou ſeek him he will be found of thee, but if thou forſake him he will caſt thee off for ever. The Grand Legacy of the Fathers of this Country to their Poſterity is the Bible. It is the beſt and rich…ſt that they could leave us. Let us pr…ſe it and keep to it, and it will keep us.
LET none ſeduce you from that. However zealouſly any may ſeem to affect you, it cannot be well, if they would draw you from this One Principle of theſe Churches. On this Rock Chriſt has built his Church; and on it ſtands …ll pure Religion and undefiled before God, our Father.
ONLY let your Hearts be right with him, according to his Word. If ye be willing & obedient ye ſhall eat the Good of the land. It will avail us nothing to be right in Principles of Order, & Worſhip, nor yet in Doctrines of Faith, if we are not gracious in heart & holy in life before him. Our Fathers walked with GOD, and truſted in Him, & were not confounded. And he will be the ſame to us, if we are ſuch toward him. Only his free & ſpecial Grace can make us ſo. Seek this of him; and wait on him for it in his appointed ways. You ſhall not ſeek this in vain. He will give the holy ſpirit unto them that ask him. The Promiſe is ſure unto all the ſeed. They are a praying Seed, and inſtead of the Fathers ſhall be the Children.
I will only add, and leave with you, that Word of Promiſe, Iſai. 44 1,—5 (which may it pleaſe God to ſpeak to us; and fulfil on ours after us) Yet now hear▪ O Jacob my ſervant, and Iſrael whom I have choſen! Thus ſaith the Lord that made thee, & formed thee from the womb, which will help thee: Fear not, —For I will pour water upon him that is thirſty & floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my ſpirit upon thy ſeed, and my Bleſſing upon thine Off…pring: And they ſhall ſpring up as among the graſs, as w…llows by the water. Courſes: One ſhall ſay I am the LORD's; and another ſhall call himſelf by the Name of Jacob; and another ſhall ſubſcribe with his hand to the Lord, and ſurname himſelf by the Name of Iſrael. Amen and Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Benjamin Colman, Davids Dying Charge (1723)