Your affectionate friend and servant in Christ Jesus – Thomas Parker

ECCLES. 12:13

I Am this day to take my leave, not only of you (my good people) but of the Pulpit also; To bid farewell to that High Calling, the great Harvest of Heaven, wherein I have for these eighteen years, painfully and faithfully, and I bless my God, fruitfully laboured. I do not herein strive to justifie my self, God knoweth my heart; if there be any glo∣ry, it is the Lords, I know the Apostles Rule very well; Not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord com∣mendeth: 2 Cor. 10:18.

I know not well upon what account to commend this Ser∣mon this day whether as a Farewel to you, or a Funeral to my self; for so indeed it is: To impede the execution of that Cal∣ling wherein we are employed, and whereby we should do God that service for which he hath Commissionated us; To force the rusting of the Talents, which our great Master hath com∣manded us to put to usury: To stop our mouths, and put out our eyes, when our hands are at the Plough: What is it, but to bury a man alive, or to leave him like that wounded Pilgrim in the Gospel, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉? Luk. 10:30. How bitter would this Cup be, if the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ had not sweetned it? What an excellent saying that is? The servant is not great∣er then his Lord, nor the Disciple above his Master; If they have persecuted me; they will also persecute you, &c. And lest they should forget so necessary and useful a Doctrine, he puts a special Memento upon it, Joh. 15:20. Remember the words that I have said to you, &c. What ever shall befall me, or any of my fellow Labourers, We shall ever pray that God may bless his Church; and I doubt not but he will in his good time restore her to her Purity, and her Peace.

Old Mercies, thankfully received, are strong ingagements for new: Your spirit will witnesse with me this day, what cause I have to blesse God, as much, I think, as any man that ever laboured in his Vaneyard. First for my persecutions; It is an excellent saying of St. Paul, 2 Cor. 12:10. I take pleasure in persecutions;* the words is a Gospel Expression, and signi∣fies a willing, pleasing Approbation, not without much inward contentment: The most precious thing that good Apostle ever desired to receive, he expresseth by this word, namely, to be present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5:8. And the most precious thing that ever he desired to give, he expresseth by the same words, namely, The Gospel of Christ, and his own soul, 1. Thes. 2:8. and here he makes use of it to shew how well he was pleased, and how much he did approve of himself and his Doctrine, be∣cause of these persecutions, as being undoubted evidences of the truth of Christ. I should for my own part have suspected my self, yea, and my Doctrine too, if both had not been per∣secuted; I look upon my persecutions as love Tokens from Heaven, Pledges of Gods love, and Badges of my own Son∣ship: Let me tell you (my good people) there is no condition in the world, so highly desireable, as that of suffering for, and with Christ, *〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, this was Divini∣ty in St. James his days; Was it not the minute of his suffer∣ings, wherein Steven saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at his right hand? Shall we think our selves worthy to be stiled the Disciples of Christ, and run away, or deny him, when he comes to the Crucifying? When she who is the Mother of us all is abused, branded, and struggles under pangs and agonies, with the most hellish and unthankful children, that ever Mo∣ther bare; shall we therefore forget to be Sons, or be asham∣ed or afraid to suffer? I mean, the Church of England, which every knowing and moderate Spirit, not biassed, with factions or self-interest, must needs acknowledg to be the brightest, and most glorious resemblance of Primitive purity, that ancient and holy faith, which for these twelve hundred years, any man ever had the honour of contending or suffering for: Tell me, have not I great cause to look upon it as a blessing, or have you any cause to be ashamed of my troubles? What my persecutions have been, and of what nature, in relation not to my person only, but my Doctrine also; (the proper work of Hell) with what bit∣terness, violence and injustice they have been carried on, your own eyes and ears can sufficiently witness; I blesse God this day for the innocency of my own heart, and shall have another day more cause to rejoyce in my sufferings, * then my Persecutors in their victory; Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience.

The second Mercy I desire we may take notice of, is the sup∣port and constant supplies of the Spirit of grace, in and under all these sufferings; a high and unexpressible Mercy! * When my soul was over-whelmed, he laid my hands upon a Rock, a Rock that was higher then I. The more my persecutions grew, the more did the hand of the Lord appear, in, with, and for me: when the wickedness of my Persecutors grew so high, and their sin so shameless, that they durst appear like those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, those Noon-day-Divels, and declare their sin as Sodom: when they durst come into Bethel it self, a House of Prayer, a place set a part for divine Worship; and there with faces harder then flint, out-dare the God and Master of that House, and being Whores, to out face Angels, the Attendants of that Place; when neither the sacrednesse, nor dreadfulness of the place, nor my own performance of publique Duties, could safe-guard me from their hellish practises, (whose only capacity is like Machiavels undertakers, to be wicked enough) even then the Angel of the Covenant, whose I am, and whom I serve, stood by me; Then was the grace of the Lord with me, to uphold and support me; What shall I render to my God for these his mercies? I will take the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord:

The third Mercy to be remembred by us, is the continuance of mutual love, betwixt Minister and People; a Divine love doubtless, because lasting unto the end: The reproaches and scandals dayly heaped upon me, could never alienate the heart of any one of my hearers, so far, as to a desertion of me: Must we not needs say, this was the work of God? Love built upon human foundation, is as the foundation it self, changeable. But here was more then the work of man, God himself herein owning my in∣tegrity, and approving my Doctrine: I look upon all this, as a fruit of that Sacramental love, wherein our foundation was laid at my first coming to you: I cannot, as I have desired, longer serve you in my Preaching yet my Prayers shall never be want∣ing for you, to that God, who is love; that for those Bowels of love wherewith you have refreshed me, you may finde mercy in that day when you shall most stand in need of it.

But I must to my Text: My first entrance to you was in love, and the main end of my undertaking here, was this; That among this great people, I might be an Instrument of gaining some poor souls to God, (God is my Record, I lye not:) I cannot say but there were some other Considerations went along with it, but they were all subservient to this: How far I was from that sin of Covetousness, wherewith the people too much brand the Clergy, and sometimes deservedly; I appeal to your selves, I ne∣ver made any Compact or Covenant with you, upon that ac∣count; your offerings have been of free will, and God hath blessed them: What my Conversation, and Deportment hath been amongst you, notwithstanding the many provocations I have had, I refer to you all; I have not made the Pulpit (where the glory of God, and the riches of Christ, and the salvation of poor souls is concerned) a Stage or Theater to act my own parts and passions in: I have endeavoured to walk inoffensive∣ly towards God, and towards man: This also was the Lords work.

Such was my Entrance, and such hath my progress been, your Tears do abundantly witness this day, the sad parting of a Mini∣ster and his people, God forgive them (if at least it be lawful to pray for them) who have robbed us one of another, where there was so much love, and so much delight in each other, that we have found God delighting in us all, to do us good: We are now come to the Conclusion, and to that purpose I have made choice of a plain Text, and I shall speak to it with as much plain∣ness. You have it

THat Solomon the Son of David, was the Penman of this Book, I think, is without dispute; the Style is his, and there was no other Son of David, King in Jerusalem, but he: The dispute is of the Title Choheleth, which the Lxx. render 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: We, the Preacher: and concerning that, there is a double Query. First, Why it is used in the Feminine Gender; some say the word Nephesh is to be understood, and so it must signifie a Preaching soul: but how that can hold (it being a proper name, and never used but in this Book, as Drusius observes upon the place) I see not; Others tell us it is usual with the Hebrews to put Feminines names upon men; so the Gospel Preachers are called Mebaseroth, Psal. 68:11. The Lord spake the words, great was the company of Preachers or Publishers; Annunciatricum; But whether they did this to set forth the purity of the Preachers of Christ, Prov. 9:3. Where they are called Wisdomes Maids; or those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to which the Apostle relates, Gal. 4:19. thereby making out, not only the great Throws, but the tender and motherly af∣fection of a faithful Preacher to his people: I shall not now stand to enquire.

But the second and main Query is, why it is called Sepher Cho∣heleth, a Book of Gatherings or Congregations: Some will have it to be one of the names of Solomon; as Jedidiah, or Lemuel: Some say, because it was publiquely delivered by Solomon himself to the Congregation; and so it is in his Fathers stile, giving God the glory in the great Congregation, Psal. 40:10. We read of his blessings, prayers and sacrifices, 1 Reg. 8. here of his preaching; * and thus Schindler seems to expound it, of a gathering of men; Others will have it so called, from Solomons being gathered, or re-uniting himself after his foul Idolatry and Apostacy from the Church; and the Book to be the words of a soul or person brought back to the unity of the Church, or Congregation of the Saints: But I rather think, without any straining of the words, it relates to the subject or matter of the Book. It is a Book of Observations, experimen∣tally gathered from Natural, Moral, Political, Domestical, and Di∣vine things: Wisdome is the souls great Endowment, nothing more precious, more sweet, more coveted, * especially such as Solo∣mon‘s was; it pursueth such high objects as may improve, and not vitiate the intelectuals; yet he tells us what the fruit of of it fre∣quently is; hellish policy pride, violence, oppression and cruelty, wisedom to do evil: Pleasures suite well with the inferiour and brutish part of man, but in the exact enjoyment of them, there is a mixture either of folly or want, they grow in time loathsome and tedious to the possessors; he tells you of buildings and Vine∣yards and Orchards, and Fish-Ponds, and Musick, Vocal, and In∣strumental; and he concludes upon the survey, all is vanity: Rich∣es, the great Idol of the world, the Gold and Silver, the mighty Herds of Cattel, which himself possessed in abundance; he tells us they are but Snares and Thorns, either to entangle or torment us; gotten with labour, kept with fear, and lost with sorrow: All external forms of worship, where Christ is not in the heart, or not met with in the Ordinance, is no more then a fools Sacrifice; or as the word carrys it, the service of hypocritical, light, and un∣constant men: These and many other gatherings he makes out from his own experience.

After these discoveries, he prescribes many excellent rules for the settlement of the soul, in reference both to its present and fu∣ture good: An humble acknowledgment under, and dependance upon, the providence of God, in all events; singleness and sin∣cerity of heart▪ in his worship and service: The right use of wise∣dom in discerning times, and judgments; contentednesse, and sweet reposedness of soul in every condition of life: Obedience and Loyalty to Superiors; Conscientious walking in our particular Callings: Preparedness of spirit against all tryals and afflictions; Moderation in the use of comforts in this life; and preparation through the fear of God, and obedience, for death and judgment, in the words of my Text: Hence he may well be stiled a Gatherer, and his Book a Book of gatherings.

The grand enquiry of the whole Book, is that Summum Bonum, that puzzled all our blind Philosophers; The Preacher here discovers that Stone, that turns all things into Gold, which they have long tired themselves in seeking for, and could never finde to this day. Observe I pray you how he begins this Book, * and how he ends it; He begins it with Vanity of vanities; All is vanity: Idols, light, vile, things of naught, as the breath of ones mouth, or the bub∣ble in the water, vapours soon vanishing: Vanity of vanities; vain vanity, or extream superlative vanity: This our first Parents saw, and therefore called their second Son Hebel, or vanity; David confirms it, Psal. 144:4 Adam is as Abel, or man is like to vani∣ty; there is an Allusion in the Original to both their names: And herein he makes out the insufficiency and disability of the Creature, to confer any true happinesse upon the Soul. And second∣ly, observe how he ends his book, Fear God, and keep his Com∣mandments, methinks it is not much unlike to that of Christ to Martha; thou art troubled about many things, * but one thing is needfull, Mary hath chosen the good part, &c. He begins you see, with nothing, he ends with all things; he shews us what our first estate is, an observance of lying vanities, and forsaking our own mercies, he shews us what our best estate is; Fear God, &c. We begin at Idols, and vanity, and never know what our beginning was, till we come to this end, never know that we are vain, till we arrive at the true fear of God.

My dear people, whom I love and must ever love in the bowels of Christ Jesus, and must ever call you so, though now unhappily torn from you, let not my words this day fall to the ground, lay them up in your hearts; let it suffice that you have spent your time past, in vanities and Idols, things of emptiness and torment; let us not be like the people of those countries, that whatsoever they chance to see first every morning, they worship solemnly all the day after; if sin have had the morning, let the evening be Gods, it is time we should come home to that only true happiness the Lord Jesus Christ: Content not your selves with any outward blessings til you be sure you injoy him to the Salvation of your souls: other excellencies may set you out in the eys of men, generosity, obli∣gingnesse, wisedom, learning, valour, &c. every one of these, is suf∣ficient to be a sober mans Idol, render a man praise worthy, but it is Christ only that makes us blessed; other blessings you may injoy and perish with them, but he that injoys Christ by true faith, * shall never perish, but hath everlasting life.

The Text is Solomons〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, after a solicitous inquiry, or the treasure of true happinesse discovered; it is in it self an exhortation or a duty, you may call it whether you please, the substance is the same: There is not any thing remarkable in the Preface, save that in the Original it begins with a Capital Letter, as pointing out some high subject, and stirring up the more serious attention to the mat∣ter in hand; which indeed, rightly weighed, is an Epitome of the whole Gospel: Would you know after my long observations, what you are to trust to? What is the sum and substance of the whole matter; Where true and durable felicity may be found? It is in this, Fear God and keep his Commandments: without this, man is but as one calls him, praestantissimum brutum; which puts me in mind of that saying, Job 28:28. where the holy man concludes his speech, as the Preacher here doth his book, Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisedom, and to depart from evil, is understand∣ing; man then becomes wise when he fears God, when Christ the wisedom of the fatheres dwels in him.

We shall not need, neither did I ever love to name a Text, the conclusion riseth plainly and naturally from it: To fear God and keep his Commandments, is the whole duty of man; or as it is in the Hebrew, the whole man, and so the LXX render it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; where the true fear of God is once planted, it carries the whole man with it, spirit, soul, and body, guides and directs the whole man, rectifies and reforms the whole man; it is all in all, and through all, sets a price and worth upon the whole man in this life, and crowns and glorifies the whole man in the life to come.

There is a natural fear arising from the sense of humane weak∣nesse, which is not in it self sinfull; we have examples of it in the Saints, * yea, and in Christ himself, Mat. 26:38. Heb. 5:7. he was heard in that he feared, which though the Rhemists translate for his reverence, and charge us with the corrupting of the Text contrary to the version and sense of Antiquity, and the ordinary use of the Greek words; yet I find it, signifying as well a natural as a pious fear, Acts 23:10. where a commotion being raised, the chief Captain or Tribune, is said to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, afraid lest Paul should be torn in pieces, which could not be a pious fear in him that was a Pagan, but a natural civil fear, lest a Roman, a Prisoner, and under his present charge should have been violently and tu∣multuously murthered between the Pharisees and the Sadduces.

2. There is a carnal fear, I may call it a fear of diffidence, be∣cause arising from unbelief, * the Apostles are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Mat, 8:26. carnally fearfull, so the word signifies, if you look Revel. 21:8. and why? because 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they were of little faith; and this fear is directly sinfull, when we fear the creature more then the Creator, blessed for ever. This is that fear the Lord speaks of Isa. 8:12. Fear not their fear; and our blessed Saviour, Luke 12:4, 5. Fear not them that kill the body, &c. And though this fear may have, and frequently hath, natural weaknes for its foundation, yet it is only then sinfull, where nature outvies grace, and self in∣terests are more valued then the glory of God: I deny not but there is a fear due to man upon Gods account, Rom. 13:6. Fear to whom fear, &c. there is a reverence due to the persons, and a regard to be had to the Laws of men: But God being alone the proper object of our fear, makes that fear which is due to man, due to him only, in, and for the Lord, whose image he beareth in a more high and eminent manner, by vertue of some Authority or digni∣ty derived to him from God, who is the Fountain of honour, and whose sole propriety it is to ordain powers, the words implying both invention and ratification, Rom. 13:1. the Powers that be, are ordained of God.

3. There is a spiritual fear, and that is a filial, reverential fear of God, arising partly from a sense of want in our selves (which fear commonly supposeth) and partly from the apprehension of Gods excellency, not in his greatnesse only, but also in its goodnesse: * This is that fear which keeps the whole man in a religious respect, a holy dreadfulnesse, a sweet dependance upon God, that com∣mands him to walk as in the presence of God, that his whole con∣versation seems one undiscontinued holy and religious adoration; take that one example of Joseph Gen. 30. This is that we call the grace of fear; the affection of fear is in all men naturally, but the grace of the fear of God, is a part of Sanctification, and is not found but in the elect: natural and carnal fear betray the succours of the soul, but this strengthens and confirms it: I call it spiritual, first from the Object, which is God; second, from the efficient or working cause of this fear, which is the Spirit of God, called there∣fore the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord, Isay 11:2. Thirdly, from the Subject, the inward or spiritual man, hence is the fear of God inward and spiritual, the worship of the mind, the heart, the conscience, will, and affections, all hereby carried out to God. Fourthly, From that spiritual work or effect it hath upon the soul, spiritualizing and sanctifying both our selves and our sacri∣fices, changing the whole man, from a carnal, worldly, sensual, selfish interest, to a holy, heavenly, spiritual frame of heart.

Now this spiritual fear may either be taken generally, and so it includes all graces and gracious dispositions of spirit: As faith in∣cludes all Evangelical graces in the New-Testament, so doth the fear of God in the Old, compare Prov. 13:14. with Prov. 14:27. Or else more particularly, for that single grace, whereby the Soul is over-awed with the excellencies of God, the greatnesse of God, working the fear of him, as a Judge; and the goodnesse of God, working the same fear as a father.

It would be a task too large for the small time I have to spend, to run through all the branches, properties, and effects of this fear: I shall now speak only to a few of them, and those the most useful for you, in reference to the present times, and your present wants; there are no words like those in due season, * or upon their wheels; you shall have them without nicenesse or affectation (the common itch of the Pulpit) according to my wonted manner, with all plain∣nesse; plain instructions best beseem a dying father, and are the best remembred by his children; I shall now wave all other ac∣counts, and present it to you as a New-years gift, a rich Ring set with precious stones, which I shall desire may be continually worn, and carried about with you.

And first, to fear God, is to have faith in him; a precious stone: this is called by St. Peter precious faith; without this we can nei∣ther fear him nor please him. * What the Apostle saies, Rom. 10:14. how shall they call on him, in whom they have not beleeved? the like we may say of other graces, how can we either love or serve, or fear, or glorifie God, except we believe in him? it was faith that made Enoch‘s work acceptable, and was the ground of the translating there spoken of whether the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * mean exemp∣tion from death, as Elias is said to have been under the Moral Law, or some other deliverance, it matters not, certainly it was through faith the Embleme of the Gospel; it is sometimes called the mouth and the ear, * but most properly the eye of the Soul; hereby we see through the things of this world, and above them, we meet with an object worth our loving and looking on: we see Christ, and God in Christ, and in him mercy, peace, salvation; we look out of our selves, Heb. 12:2. and meet with Gospel truth, righteous∣nesse, in another, a Surety, a Mediator; we see the brazen Serpent that cures out wounded souls, John 3:14. therefore the words here used for fear, is by the LXX. in the seventh verse of this Chapter, rendred to see; noting, that to fear God and have faith in him, is to see God; and beyond reason to have an in-sight into those My∣steries, which were denyed to the Angels, 2 Pet. 1:12. As the eye in the body is the Organ by which we see things visible, so is faith in the soul, to see the things of God; hereby we peep through the Curtains of earth and mortality, and take a view of Heavens Treasures: Hence come our great priviledges, union with Christ, Eph. 3:17. and consequently, an intimate and familiar commu∣nion with him in his promises, Sonship, Victories, Intercessions: Faith is that spiritual Ligament that makes us one with Christ; Other graces, as Love, Patience, Meekness, &c may be the grounds of a moral Union; and make a man like Christ, but it is faith only that is the foundation of a mystical Union, and makes a Beleever one with Christ.

I do not intend to insist upon the Nature, Properties and Effects of Faith. I have heretofore made them out to you: My present Task relates to the present times, and your-both present and future benefit: There is not any grace more disesteemed and misesteemed slighted, and mis-judged, then this branch of Divine fear: Let me therefore commend to you, two main Remembrances to be trea∣sured up by you, when your eyes shall be deprived of your Teacher.

And First, I would advise you, ever to set a high esteem upon this grace to look upon it as the most glorious Stone in the Ring: The rest have their luster, this is both resplendent and medicinal, heals broken souls; It is no wonder if St. Jude give it the prehe∣minence, since it is both the leading grace, and brings the first glad tidings of salvation; and also the Mother grace, whence all others have their birth and original: Without this what are all our works and duties, but as we say of the vertues of Heathens, Splendida peccata? Where faith is not layd as the foundation, all our devotions, acts of piety, charity, observance of Sabbaths, Or∣dinances; nay, that great performance of Prayer, are but like that structure built on the sand, Mat. 7:26. Without this we can no more appear before the Tribunal of Gods justice, then stubble before a consuming fire: In the word, it is faith that must make us profitable, in obedience it is faith that must make us cheerful; in prayer it is faith that makes us successfull; and in all perform∣ances it is faith that makes us acceptable: This is that wisedome, * the price whereof is above Rubies, the Topaze of Ethiopia cannot equal it, it cannot be valued with pure Gold: This will give com∣fort, joy, and peace under all distractions, make the soul skip like a Lambe, leap and dance for joy: Other divine qualifications may make you confident, but it is faith only that must give you your assurance: There cannot be such an abasement where faith will not lift up the head, and render you victorious: Justice gives eve∣ry man his own; temperance will restrain lusts; magnanimity will bear, and go through any hardship, prudence is an excellent guide to our actions, but it is faith that overcometh the world: in this Paul insults and triumphs over men and Angels, Heaven and Earth, Rom. 8:38, 39. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I am confident or perswaded That neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, &c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You will have a better heart, both to the price and the esteem of it, if you seriously advise with these considerations: The Au∣thor: The Offices; and the Effects of it.

First, Look upon it as Gods gift, from whom every good and perfect gift cometh, as a fruit of his Spirit, Gal. 5:22. This will make it excellent and lovely: Let us a little view it in that great interest of our souls, the high act of justification; we shall there finde it to justifie, * not as mans faith, but as the work of God in in the soul: It is an excellent place, Eph. 2:8. By grace ye are sa∣ved through faith, and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God; faith may be in us, but it is not of us; that is, not from any power of our own, but it is a meer gift of God, both in the habit, and in the act of it: Justification is is a free Act, of, and from eternity, without any condition on our parts: and that Evangelical righte∣ousness by which we are justified, is without us in Christ: It is the finger of God that works faith in the soul, and having wrought it, puts it upon acting, thereby to evidence justification to the soul. As a father having layd up for his son a great Treasure, in some secret place, tells him of it, and bestows it freely upon him, but wanting the possession and enjoyment of it, the son is no rich∣er for it, till the father lights a Torch, guides his son to the hid∣den Treasure, and puts him into the actual possession of it: Thus is Faith Gods Instrument, by which he discovers to our souls the unvaluable riches of Christ (which in the minds and purpose of the Donor was ours from Eternity) and evidenceth us to be freely justified, lending us that light of faith, whereby we apprehend, enjoy and apply Christ to our souls: It is called the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11:1. Whose evidence? Gods evidence gi∣ven us, by which he declareth and manifesteth to our consciences those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the invisible things of our justification and salvation, and when given, it is our evidence also, by which we possess Christ, and pleads our actual justification against all the accusations of the Law, sin and Satan, then we have the witnesse in our selves, 1 Joh. 5:10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Gods witness; so it is sometimes read, witnessing to our spirits, that we are the children of God, we are justified freely by his grace, Rom. 3:24: The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 there, answering to the Hebrew Chinnam, excluding all, both hope of ad∣vantage on Gods part, and preceding desert in man, upon any account whether of faith or works, excluding as well merit as re∣wards; hereby intimating, that all our works are the works of God in us; yea faith it self in that great and high Act of justifying, is Gods gift: I have here made a little digression to acquaint you with the excellency of this grace, that you may set a higher value upon it, not only because it is Gods gift, but so high and precious a gift of his right hand, whereby he gives us an interest to Christ, and all his promises, and evidenceth eternal life to our souls.

2. Consider the Offices of faith (which besides union to, and communion with Christ formerly named) are these two: First, ac∣ceptance; wherby we are made willing to receive Christ upon Christs own terms; what his terms are he himself tells you, Luke 9:23. If any man will come after me, he must deny himself and take up his Crosse daily, and follow me: This is the receiving act of faith, and is therfore called the hand of the Soul, not for its working quality purifying the heart, reviving the dead spirit, working by love, carrying the Soul through all discouragements; these are indeed the works of faith, but for its receiving and accepting quality, accepting righteousnesse in Christ, receiving him as a gift of his fathers love, imbracing the promises afar off, and laying hold on eternal life: The working righ∣teousnesse is Christs, the Office or act of faith, is accepting, applying, receiving, yeelding consent to that righteousnesse.

The other Office or Act, of Faith, is resignation, whereby we give our selves wholly up to Christ, spirit, soul, and body, to be gui∣ded and byassed by him, this is that spiritual marriage, Eph. 5:17. betwixt Christ and the Soul, by which, as the soul hath a proprie∣ty and right to the body, name, goods, table, possessions and pur∣chase of Christ; so she doth reciprocally become all his, by an un∣constrained resignation of her will, ways, and desires, unto his guidance and government; we become the servants of Christ to be ruled, as well as to be aided and protected by him; then doth Christ own us, and he stands ingaged to watch over and care for us: Then must the Soul have all Christ, and Christ the whole soul, no sharing, no competition with any lust, but Jesus Christ becomes all in all to us, and we are made willing to follow the Lamb whi∣ther soever he goeth.

3. Consider the admirable vertues or effects of faith, this also will help to put a high esteem upon it. Faith dissolves the Plots of all our spiritual enemies, it will give you a conquest over sin, the Divel, and the World, it will quicken your souls, Gal. 2:20. San∣ctifie and Purifie your hearts, Acts 15:9. hereby you shall obtain whatever you stand in need of, and God hath promised; it will bear you up in all dangers, discouragements, desertions, deaths; hereby you shall stand, live, walk, be saved, &c. this will bring you to God, to whom no man comes but by Christ, nor to Christ, but by faith. I could be large in these things, if I had not formerly made them out to you: The Lord bring them home to the hearts of every one of you: This is the first main remembrance; To have a high and precious esteem of Faith.

Secondly, I would advise you ever to have a right judgment of Faith; Every fancy in these days is pretended for faith and light; and the soul easily mistakes presumption or credulity for this great grace: therefore it will much concern you to know, and ever to remember, that is not a bare acknowledgment or assent to di∣vine truths, and the promises of Christ, as the Socinians would have it, but an application or closing with Christ in those truths and promises; for not the promises of Christ barely, but the per∣son of Christ, is the object of faith: It is a resting upon Jehovah, a rolling a mans self upon God; as one tired under his burthen, casts both himself and his burthen upon something that sustains it. Prov. 3:5. Isai. 10:20. As Saul tired with fighting, leaned upon his Spear, 2 Sam. 1:6. I do not mean in this place, that inferiour Act of faith, the trusting God with our temporal well being (though even this be a beleevers prerogative, and makes all those dreams and wishes of the old Philosophers, the Scepticks,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; the Stoicks,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and the Epicures,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to become the reality and acquisition of a Christian, a holy Epicurism, which faith, and only faith furnisheth us with) but I mean that faith which closes with the blood of Christ, for eternal life and salvation: There is an excellent place in Rom 10.10, where man is said to beleeve with the heart, noting that it is not a bare closing with divine truths in our understandings; Jews and Devils will do that, but a consent or walking up to the goodness of God in Christ, whereby he is loved above all things, longed for, and trusted to above all things, becomes food, rayment, life, all things to us: And this you must look upon as Gods work too, None can thus close with him, but they whose hearts the Lord openeth. *

Before I pass this Branch of divine fear, there is one thing I would put you in mind of; it will much help your judgment of faith, and it is this; That true faith is ever waited on with self de∣nial; where this is not, there is no faith nor fear of God; * Faith carries with it an Abdication, not only of natural but spiritual self; the soul findes vanity and nothingnesse, not in reason only, but in duty also without Christ: In Josephs vision, the Sun, Moon, * and Stars, did obeysance to him, and all the sheaves in the field, bowed to his sheafe: In the soul, life, way and work of a rege∣nerate man, all moral abilities and endowments, all natural powers and faculties of the soul; nay, all supernatural gifts and graces prostrate themselves at the feet of Christ: Then will the soul follow Christ in the knowledge of his will, in the belief of his promises, in the love of his truth, in the obedi∣ence of his commands, then wilt thou lay aside thine own wis∣dom as an empty Lamp, thine own will as an evil commander; thine own reason as a false rule; thine own affections as corrupt Counsellors; thine own ends as base and corrupt marks to be aim∣ed at: Not a hoof shall be left in Aegypt,* thou wilt empty thy self, that thou mayst be capable of Christ, go out of thy self, that thou mayst come to Christ: Christ will reign as that Centurion, Mat 8:8, 9. come or go, the poor heart is ready for him; take away this, your faith is no more then a pretence, a self flattery; you must go quite out of your selves, before you can enjoy a Sa∣viour: The LXX. have not cast Adam into a sleep (as the Hebrew Text) but into an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * a being hurried out of himself to make him capable of an helper; if you shall not meet with this upon in∣quiry into your own spirits, your faith is naught, and all your ser∣vice and worship of God, and affront to your Redeemer, or to give it the best language, plain Pharisaism and Hypocrisie, and God will one day cast all your duties as dung and dirt in your faces and say, Who required these things at your hand? The Lord give you self-denying hearts; The Lord encrease faith in every one of you: This is the first Jewel or Stone in the Ring: He that fears God, beleeves in him.

To fear God, is to wait on him and for him, an excellent and useful Lecture, frequently inculcated by the Prophet in the Psalms, as a fruit of the true fear of God; he doubles his expressi∣on, Psal. 27:14. Wait on the Lord, wait I say on the Lord: He joyns waiting upon God, and keeping his way, Psal. 37:34. Ob∣serve what high promises the Scripture makes to this waiting: Im∣munity from shame, Psal. 25:3. The inheritance of the earth, Psal. 37:9 Renewing of strength, mounting up with wings as Eagles, &c. Is. 40:31 New supplies of spirit,* when they seem to be quite spent and lost, a change to be better conditioned, flying over all difficulties they meet with; * deliverance from enemies, Prov. 20:22. The fulfil∣ing the desires of our hearts, &c.

But how or wherein you should wait upon God, and express your true fear of him, is my task now to acquaint you: Much of this I shall from my own experience commend to you, and I hope you will not forget my words another day; They will be of great use to you: Wait upon God in his ways, and wait upon him in his time: I cannot commend any thing more advantagious to you, whether you look at the present distempers and distractions of the world, or the future comfort and settlement of your spirits upon all accounts.

First, wait upon him in his own ways, the ways of his Ordinan∣ces, and the ways of his Dispensations: First in the ways of his Ordinances, in hearing the word, attending at the Gates of Wis∣dome, in the honour and use of the Sacrament, in prayer, and other Divine Institutions: This is the way Christ hath prescribed and in all ages wonderfully blessed to his Church: I have experi∣mentally found it in my self, and to my great comfort have had the acknowledgment of it from many of you, by, and under my Ministry: These are the Channels of grace, the Conduit-pipes by which God conveys himself, and the waters of life to his people; here will your souls meet with God, and finde the enjoyment of him, and the due observation of them is a strong Test of your obe∣dience: I know that after my departure, you will meet with Fox∣es and Wolves, some crying down all Ordinances, as things car∣nal, and below a spiritual and raised estate; they will tell you they are weak and low administrations, no more then walking by Moon light; they will tell you that Seraphical men, are above: and be∣yond all Ordinances, and their Enthusiasms of greater concern∣ment then the Ordinances of Christ: you will meet on the other hand with those, who so far cry up Ordinances, that they make Idols of them, slighting him who is the substance, men of Pharisaical Spirits and Interests, who while they should preach Christ and him crucified, will preach themselves, their own parts, passions and interests, whereby you may probably be made weary both of them and their preaching: My ever dear people, let none of these things drive you from the Church of God, or deter or discourage you from following Christ in those ways he hath pre∣scribed; let it be your care to wait on him: I have known some who taking offence at these things (wo in the mean time to him by whom the offence cometh) have in these times declined either to Po∣pery or Atheism; I beseech God blesse you: I hope better things of you, and should be heartily grieved to see such sad failings in any of you: I have two things to commend to you in this Point, for your better satisfaction.

First, Rest not in a bare formal attendance upon the Ordinance. The Harlot can say, I have made my peace offerings to day, the Ordinance is but the means, the end is Communion with Christ, and fruition of him: The Jews promised themselves much from the naked presence of the Temple, * though they had but small honour for the Lord of it: *Micah promised himself mountains when he had got a Levite to be his Priest, though he still retained his Idols: The Pharisees boasted they were the seed of Abraham, when they did the works of the Devil;* How many poor souls have thus turned the means of salvation into the means of destruction, feeds upon busks instead of the true bread: nay turned their food into porson, not finding Christ in the Ordinances, nor being led home to Christ by them? My good people, think it not enough that you hav•Geheza with his masters staff; that you have Christs Minister, and Christs word, but as that Shunamite, * lay hold on Christ him∣self, where every faithful soul sees, casts, receives, enjoys in these Ordinances.

Secondly, when thou hast done thy best and purest service, and met with Christ in the Ordinances, rest not in the work done, loath yourselves, with a sincere acknowledgment of your own∣unworthinesse, and the unprofitablenesse, imperfections and ini∣quities of your most holy things, ever resting upon free-grace: Be so careful of duty, as if there were no grace to justifie you, and so rest upon grace, as if no work were to be done by you.

And then secondly, wait upon God in the ways of his provi∣dence and dispensations, this is that excellent grace, a fruit of the sanctifying spirit of God, whereby the soul freely submits not to the will only, but to the wisdom of God, in all the crosse acts of Providence we meet with in this life, enabling us to bear our own burthens without inordinate sorrow, or fretting discontent: As by faith we injoy God, and by love we injoy our neighbour; so through humble waiting, and submission to the wisedom of God, we possesse our own souls; This is an excellent lesson, but hard for flesh and blood to learn, to beleeve that God can chuse best for us, better then we our selves: Are not Abanah and Parphar Rivers of Damascus, better then all the Waters of Israel 2 R•g 5:12. Kinds of age, a few fatherly kisses and imbraces, a portion in my hand, this nature cries out for, and would be well pleas’d with; but the soul that fears God, hath learned with Paul, to be content in every condition of life, hath learned that sublime Phylosophy of subscri∣bing to Gods wisedom, not to his will only (that he will force us to, and he is a kind of mad Atheist that should deny it) but to his wisedom, to acknowledge God the best chuser for us, the stripes he sends more suitable to us, then all the blessings we pray for, his denying our demands, the most divine way of granting them, re∣solving whatever he imposes upon us, is best for us: his thoughts are not like our thoughts, Heaven and Earth are not alwaies of one opinion; Good is the Word of the Lord, says good Hezekiah, when destruction was denounced to his whole family: It is the Lord Iet him do what seemeth him good, says old Eli, when besides the losse of both his children in one day, God tells him, there should not be an old man in his house for ever: All things (saith Paul) work together for good to them that love God: This submission to the Wisdom of God, and the consequent of it, Rejoycing in Tri∣bulation, is that waiting upon God, which I would now instruct you in, that better days may teach you humblenesse, which is a part of this fear, Prov. 22:4. and worser days may teach you that Christian patience, whereby you shall be inabled to undergo the hands of heaven, to look after deliverance in the ways, and accept it upon the terms of God.

My dear people, you are my glory, and crown of rejoycing, let me commend the serious remembrance of this to your Spirit; It was never of more use then in these times of the Churches persecuti∣on: You shall see men strangely and severally wrestling and tug∣ging under Gods Dispensations: In one man a supine stupidity; in another the relieving his melancholy thoughts in a cup of Lethe, a sleeping Pill of good fellowship; like Sauls sending to the Minstrel when the evil spirit came upon him, or his second address to the Witch, to charm the judgment that was ready to invade him; you shall see a third multiplying his sins as fast as God his judgments, like the Elephants in the Maccabees, whom the blood of the Mulberies more enraged, hardning like Pharaoh under the rod; like Ahab, and Ahaz, growing worse under the judgment: you will meet with more plausible effects then these, in one, a contempt of the world, his experience having acquainted him with the vanity, and his miseries with the vexation of it; In another, perhaps a contempt or weari∣nesse of his life, like a discontented Jonah; Take, I beseech thee my life from me; or Elias under the Juniper Tree, it is enough, &c. and this is sometimes accounted a special piece of piety and mortificati∣on: A third falls to his prayers, oftner then usual, and is importunate in the duty, as the tempest in Jonah cast the Heathen Mariners upon their knees; A fourth making some progress towards reformation, wishings and wouldings, that he were a better man, but all these make not up this breach of divine fear, this true waiting upon God, and submission to his wisdom: I shall now desire for your future good to commend these Instructions to you.

1. Be sure to eye God in all his dispensations, whether of mer∣cy or judgement, for all mercies spiritual and temporal return thanks to him from whom every good and perfect gift cometh, as a Present both to humblenesse and thankfulnesse; but that which I would now commend to you, is, the eying of God in the several dispensations of his judgements; whosoever be the instrument, look upon him as the author of the punishment; there is the hand and counsel of God, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Acts 4:28. All the sin and furies, guilt and dam∣nation of Hell, may be in the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the doing or executing Gods Will (Satan alone having the Patent of persecution, and every Per∣secutor intrenching upon Hell for his Commission) but then all the mercy, and all wisedom, sometimes the redeeming of a World in the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the thing being done; Paul calls his suffering, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the brands or prints of Christ, not only the transcripts of his suffering, but the works of his hands also: I dare commend this to you from my own experience, I have found it a strong support to me under my sad persecutions, and I have cause to blesse God this day, that he made me a sufferer, and punished me immediately for my sins (a faire step to future Salvation) and not a Persecutor, whereby adding affliction to Gods anger, my own hellish spirit had wrapped me up to eternal destruction.

Secondly, That you may rightly wait on him, you must not only look upon these dispensations, as Gods hand, but as his right hand, the hand of love, look upon your afflictions, as caustick Plaisters, preparatory to the incarnative, the Knife and the Lance reckoned by Hypocrates among the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the mollifying Prepara∣tions, which the Physitian must ever carry about with him; as your new Artists tels us of a Feaver, it is not properly a disease, but an in∣deavour or strife of nature to cure her self; ever look upon your af∣flictions, as designed for your good, for the humiliation of your un∣tamed spirits, to bring you to a neerer sight of your God, a neerer sight of your selves, a stricter inquiry into your own hearts, to deal neer to God, to make your Peace with him and the like: Look not upon them, as things from chance or malice, those two heathen prin∣ciples of Theology, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but as sent on purpose from love, and pondering from judgement and bowels, sent not as a curse to you for sin, that is already satisfied, to, and for the elect in Christ, but as tryals and fatherly chastizements to bring you to himself.

Secondly, as we are to wait upon God in his ways, so it is a part of his fear to wait upon him in his times: It is recorded as an errour of Gods own people, that they limited the holy one of Israel, Psalm 78:41. * they would sign, design, circumscribe God, write or deter∣mine for or instead of God, bring him down and confine him to their own times, and their own wayes; a folly we are all naturally in∣clined to, whether in case of judgement inflicted, or mercies promised and expected, we are all for the present time; but Gods times are not our times, My times are in thy hands, says David, Psal. 31:15. as well the time of removing as aying on the burthen; we have met with evil times (God fit us for the worst) and we are prone to mur∣mur both at the weight and continuance of our Pressures, and to ex∣postulare with God, and charge his ways as unequal and unreason∣able; let me therefore commend this to you, wait Gods times in all events, learn to stand still, and you will see the salvation of the Lord, you will reap in due season, if you faint not, Gal. 6:9. though it be troublesome, you will find it comfortable and usefull to your spirits, when your rebellious hearts shall put you on to murmuring and im∣patience remember this, God hath his time to have mercy upon Si∣on, and he will assuredly come, when the sins of his enemies are come to maturity, become impudent and incorrigible, when our own spi∣rits are throughly humbled, and all hopes and helps in man so far re∣moved, that we have neither hope nor help but in God, then may we look for him, in the mean time I will wait: Thus he that feareth the Lord, waits contentedly and calmly for his return, he beleeveth in the Lord, and his feet stand fast; This is that time I would intreat you to wait for; and it is the second precious stone in the ring, to wait God in his ways and in his times.

The third is to walk with him, which is here in the Text called, Keeping his Commandments. The word Schamar, signifies not only to Keep, but to lay up, and hide, or treasure in the heart; as Ja∣cob is said to have observed, or laid up in his heart the saying of Jo∣seph: It is translated to take heed, 1 King. 2:4. to observe or keep their ways, Psal. 105:45. A comparison taken from a Watchman in a City, or the Garison in a Fortress; all these expressing that care, diligence, and solicitude which all those that fear God have in and about their obedience: This is that yoke of Christ I have often com∣mended to you, an easie yoke, Matth. 11:30. all pleasure and pro∣fit made up in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a yoke not like that of the Law, a weight and burthen, but fitted and smoothed by Christ to be an in∣strument of advantage, and make the burthen more easie and sup∣portable; a yoke wherein Christ himself draws with and for us, that we may the better undergo it: I know this part of the fear of God will rellish harshly with such spirits as are unaccustomed to this yoke, unacquainted with the sweetnesse of it: To take leave of our old ac∣quaintance, to carry out the whole body of our lusts to their Fune∣ral; it goes heavie with a heart under the power of sin, to spiritu∣alize the flesh, rack it, fetch it from the lees, to put on the yoke, enter the traces, and harnesse for the future race; these are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the child-birth pangs of dying to sin; but to those that fear God, the yoke is easie, and the burthen light: No life like that of dying to sin, no way so pleasant as that of walking with God, no treasure so desireable as to be rich in faith and good works, no com∣fort like that secret contentment a true Believer hath in his conscion∣able walking with God: Remember this my good people, Hereby you shall much honour that Gospel which I have taught, and you have received, it is that very use which the Apostle every where makes of the Gospel of Christ, that we should walk as becometh the Gospel, that we should in all things adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour, that we should walk worthy of him who hath called us to his Kingdom, and to his glory, shew forth the vertues and praises of him who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light, in all these making out the necessity of walking with God in all those that fear his Name.

The laft Stone or Diamond in this Ring, is the sincere love of God without hypocrisie, giving him what is his own, the whole heart, without any reserve for Satan, Mammon, or our selves: No man can truly fear God, but he that loves him, nor can any man truly love God, whose soul is not first ravished with the apprehension of the love of Christ to him: We love God, because he first loved us: This is that high heroical improvement and elevation of the soul, the want whereof, whether to God or man, is as great a punishment, as it is a sin: There is as much of hell in the quenching of the one flame, as in the raging of the other. The Divel cannot possibly pick out, or designe to his most hated enemy, a greater curse then the want of love: My ever dear people, let me intreat you to re∣member this, * you will find many heavenly and comfortable fruits of it, it will call you out of your selves, to the desire of an union, vi∣sion, and participation of the glory and presence of God; the Soul will go to God, like Noahs Dove to the Ark, and with infinite sweet∣nesse and security repose it self in him, it will cause you to resigne the whole heart to God, to give up your selves wholly to him, to conform affections and actions to his Will, to love every thing wherein your souls shall find Christ, his ways, his words, his Ordi∣nances, his Ministers, when the root is thus seasoned, you will find all corruptions and lusts falling off like dead branches: * A good man is a good Angel, alwaies beholding the face of God, and the more he sees him, the more he loves him; and the more he loves him, the more he fears him; he loves him in that fear, and fears him in that love. It is said of the two Marys, Mat. 28:8. That they went from the Sepulcher with fear, and great joy: A rare composition of so different affections! All other fear being pain, the fear of God brings joy, and love with it.

That which I would principally at present urge to you, is that Christian Brotherly love, which the Gospel frequently makes out, and this Age hath almost forgotten, which ariseth from, and is accompanied with our true love to God; Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him, 1 Joh. 5:1.2. How close a connexion there is of the love of God, and the love of our Brethren? Be kindly affectioned Rom. 12:10; the word is very Emphatical, * and signifies such a natural binding love and af∣fection, as is betwixt Parents and children, a real, compassionate, fervent melting love; The Lord Jesus hath lest this both to bee our duty and our reward, the loving of the Brethren: would you know the rule you must walk by, love them as your selves, thou wouldst not be hurt, hurt not thy Neighbour, thou wouldst not be reviled, revile no man, thou wouldst not be ill spoken of, speak not ill of others, thou wouldst not be persecuted, persecute no man, this is the Golden Rule; whatsoever yee would that men should do to you, * do yee even so to them, this is the Law and the Prophets, or on these two hang the Law and the Prophets Matth. 22:40. This was sure that fire in the Poet stolne from Heaven to inspire and warme the Lower World with; It is said to be a speech of Christ, which the Nazarene Gospel hath recorded, though our Bibles have it not, Nunquam laeti sitis n•si cum fratrem in charitate videritis; There is no other badge to difference a disciple of Christ from any other man but this, Ecce ut se invicem diligunt; nay, the Devil cannot so far be an Hypocrite, as to counterfeit this; All glorious Appearances without love are but empty shadows, hereby wee become like the Saints in Heaven, of whose blessed estate all wee understand is onely this, that they are happy and love one another, and in that eter∣nally happy, that they eternally love one another, Charity never fai∣leth, and so their blisse faileth not.

You see, my good people, what times wee are fallen into, what wrath, clamour, malice, bitterness, raylings, revilings there are among men, what disaffections, divisions, persecutions of the Church, even by those that professe they have given up their Names to Christ. So far from being Christian, that they walk as men, nay they have put off man in exchange for Wolves, Panthers, and Tigers, nay worse then Wild Beasts, who are not Beast enough to devoure those of their own kind, as Erasmus observes. So Act as if they had made a solemn Covernant with Hell and Death. Let these daily ex∣amples from the Father of malice provoke you to love and good workes, to follow God who is love, and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us. It will be hereafter a great rejoycing to my Spirit, to see you have thus learned Christ, live in love and peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

There are many more branches of this fear of God, every Reli∣gious Performance is a part of it, that of prayer especially, as bene∣ficial to the •oule as the rest. But I have not long ago treated of it, and cannot stand now to make it out. I have already tyred you with Pre•ching that, I should rather have prayed for you, that God would plant his fear in the hearts of every one of you. I have but two words more to speak in relation to 2. extreams or rocks, upon which this fear of God may be in danger to be spsits, and I shall give them you by way of Caution.

First in the defect, beware of carnal security in sin, promising your selves mercy and impunity, upon false and empty bottoms, blessing your selves in your hearts, * till your iniquity be found hate∣ful, it will bring you at last to that dead and dedolent disposition of Spirit, * that being past feeling, ye shall work all uncleannesse with greedinesse, if wee shall thus out dare God in his threatnings, and like that Behemoth, esteem those iron weapons as straw, or as they say of the old Italians, shoot off our great Ordnance, and Ring our bells, to drown the noise of Heaven’s thunder, if wee thus pre∣sume, * God will not spare us, but the anger of the Lord and his jea∣lousy shall smoake against us, &c. remember that saying Eccl. 8:12. Though a Sinner do evil an hundred times, and his dayes be prolon∣ged, yet surely it shall bee well with them that seare the Lord. This is a dangerous and common rock, upon which many a poor soul splits it self, and the more common it is, the more let it bee your care to avoid it.

The other is in the excesse, and that is a servile infernal fear of God as a Judge or Tyrant, whence arise in the soul hard thoughts of God, * hatred of him, a secret rising up against him, a wishing there were no God, and the like. This is that great Engine wherewith Satan labours to batter our faith, when he cannot robb you of grace, and make you wicked, he will endeavour to robb you of comfort and bring you to despaire, make you miserable. Hee will assault you with doubts and feares, touching your Election, conversion, adoption, perseverance, with the greatnesse and number of your sins, with the Curse and horror of the Law, the Majesty and Ju∣stice of an offended God, who is a consuming fire. In all these and such like temptations, let your eyes ever be fixed upon Christ and his blood, the satisfaction given to the Justice of God by his death, that redemption from the Curse of the Law, himself being made a curse for us; then will your souls say, Let the Lord live; then will your desires be to the remembrance of his name; then will your hearts love him, and say, I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt boun∣tifully with me, Psalm 23:6. This is the foundation against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail, when there is no light nor issue, nor possibility to esdape, here will a doo, of deliverance flie open to you. Remember this also, I pray you, if once you come to slight or under∣value this great mercy to tread under foot the Son of God, there re∣mains no more, no other sacrifice for you; you may as much offend God by despairing, as by presuming of his mercy, * both are destru∣ctive to the true fear of God: lay these things up in your hearts, the Lord of his mercy blesse them to you.

To all you that thus fear the Lord, * shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing under his wings, joy in that day when all the Elect shall behold their King and Redeemer in his Majesty and Glory. For all those that thus fear the Lord, there is a book of remembrance written: It is said of Tamerlane the Scythian, that he had alwaies by him a Catalogue of the names and good deserts of his servants, which he dayly perused, and whom he duly rewarded; * how much more shal the Lord, who bottles up the tears of his people, puts their Prayers as upon the File, and records all their devotions. All those that thus fear the Lord, he will own in that day when he makes up his Jewels, makes them up for himself, and takes them away from the misusages and malignities of the World. When one desired to see Alexanders Treasure, shew him (said he to his Servant) not my Gold or Mo∣nies, Plate or Jewels, but my friends: Henceforth, says Christ, I call you not servants, but friends, John 15:15. These are Gods Jew∣els, his dearest friends, his chief Treasure; none can plunder or pluck them out of his hands: They are called, the dearly beloved of his Soul,* Jer. 12:7. the LXX read it, his dearly beloved Soul, noting Gods Saints to be as dear to him, as a mans life or his Soul is: All these, and these only, wil the Lord pity and spare at that day, as a father spareth his own son that serveth him.

I have now done both with the Text and the Times; I have pre∣sented you with a New-years-gift of an inestimable value and worth, All I require from you is but this, That I may see you wear it; that as great Personages are known by their Rings and rich Jewels; so you may be by the fear of the Lord: This Ring truly worn, will seal to your souls assurance of salvation in this life, and be to every one of you at your death a wedding Ring to marry you to the Lamb for evermore: Your tears at this time sufficiently witnesse, how sadly you receive it from my hands; God wil I hope put your tears into his bottle; and that Fountain which he hath opened in your eys this day, shall swell into Rivers of comfort and salvation at that day, when God shall wipe away all tears from your eys: All I can do, is to pray for you, since I must no longer Preach to you; I pray God blesse his Church; I pray God blesse you all, and that God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepheard of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, and honour, now, and evermore.