not been Shepherd and Bishop of our souls But now his humiliation was our exaltation his Cross our Crown his death our life In him we have peace and pardon mercy here and glory hereafter Oh fear not the death of your Ministers may be best for you yea no loss but gain 2. The death of the great Shepherd was but short the Lord brought him back again which is the next Doctrine DOCTRINE 3. That the God of peace by his mighty power did bring back from the dead the Lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the sheep The Scripture is full of Testimonies of Christs Resurrection the women that wailed at the grave early to see what became of him had this Answer from the Angel He is not here for he is risen Come see the place where the Lord lay Matth. 28. 6. Peter assures us of it with the rest of the Apostles Acts 5 29 30. Acts 2. 23 24. It was not possible that he should be held of the grave And also the Scripture is full of Testimonies that Christ was raised up by the mighty power of God Acts 3. 15. Acts 4. 10. Rev. 11. Gal. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 21. These texts hold forth that Christ was raised up by the mighty power of God 2. Why did God raise again from the dead the Lord Jesus 1. To make way for his further usefulness for his people As he by his death had purchased so by his Resurrection he was made capable of interceding for his flock and of sending the Holy Ghost and comforting them with his presence in heaven for Christs glorious presence is not the least of the glory of heaven The Lamb is said to be the light thereof 2. To fulfill all the Types and Prophecies that went before of him David prophecied of him that God would not leave his soul in hell nor suffer his holy one to corrupt in the grave Jonah lay three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly to Typifie the death and resurrection of Christ 3. To make way for Christs further Glorification Had he lain under the power of death he could not have possessed the fulness of his deserved glory the soul might have been perfectly happy but whole Christ could not be happy had he lain in the grave And it was meet that as the body was in hunger thirst cold and did suffer much disgrace in the work of mans redemption so it should be glorified with a most transcendent glory We shall not meddle with that question now whether God intended more the glory of the person of the Mediatour or the salvation of the elect in his raising him up We are sure that Christs person shall excell in glory and be as the brightest starr in the firmament of heaven John 17. and John 12. 4. To confirm and strengthen our saith For if Christ had not risen our faith had been vain 1 Cor. 15. The Heathens were wont to reproach the Christians for believing in a dead Christ but they have a living Christ to trust in for he that was dead is alive again and lives for evermore yea lives to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25. 5. That he might be the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. whose resurrection is an evidence unto his people that they that now sleep or shall fall asleep in him shall one day be brought back again from death to life and feel the power of his Resurrection raising them above death and the grave to rest with him in life and glory 1 Thes 4. 14 15. Let us inferr That if it please God and it be agreeable to his will he that brought back the great Shepherd of sheep can bring back the dead Shepherds of England from their Civil death You know beloved the Spiritual Fathers of many Congregations are dead this day and the houses are full of mourning Some weeping in one corner some in another one child in one chamber another in another and I see your eyes are full also Oh let this dry up the tears that fall God can if he will bring back from death your Shepherds again When Martha and Mary were weeping over their dead brother Lazarus the Lord raised him up again He hath the same hands power and skill He kills and he makes alive again Object You may say it is unlikely that ever they should live again Answ So thought Martha and Mary when Lazarus had been dead four dayes and laid in his grave John 11. It was unlikely also that ever Jesus Christ should rise again the Soldiers seal his sepulchre roul upon him a mighty stone watch him make him as sure as they could Mattth 27. 66. read the place yet notwithstanding all he rose again The two Witnesses were barbarously used read Revelations ch 11. yet when the spirit of life from God entered into them they stood upon their feet ver 11. These things God hath done and this thing he can do but what God will do I am not certain Yet I conjecture that the Shepherds of England shall be dead but for a time God will bring them back again from death for Christ hath told us That no man lighteth a Candle to set it under a bushel but to give light to the whole house And do you think that God who hath lighted so many Candles that have and may be usefull to enlighten his house will he set them under bushels Shall so much pretious light be lost for ever so many pretious gifts bestowed in vain such gold rust and so many fruitfull trees lye under that curse Never more fruit grow on these trees it cannot be Shall God bring to the birth and not bring forth It is true indeed God did punish an Aegypt that would not let his people go with some dayes of darkness and so he may and doth punish his people with the loss of light that will not let their iniquities go he sends a famine not of bread but of the word of God and makes his people travel from sea to sea but these judgements are not ordinary nor long lasting but revocable upon humiliation and repentance unless God intends to remove his Gospel utterly from them shall he that hath commanded to send Labourers in his vineyard take so many out at once and suffer them to be kept out especially when they have a desire to work and hate to be idle and the vineyard desires them so much and needs them much more But Christ is the great Shepherd of the sheep he putteth down one and setteth up another whom he will and when he will However it please the Lord to deal with us for the future it hath pleased the Rulers of this Land by an Act of Parliament to disable all Ministers of the Gospel that after this day shall not conform to certain things most of which we have had time sufficient to consider of And I for my own part have not been wanting in prayer to my God for his direction in reading
you and you unprofitable Hearers and Oh that we might joyn in one solemn day to humble our selves both for the sins of my Preaching and you for the sins of your hearing but it is now too late I will crave leave to speak a word in my behalf I know not what aspersions may be cast upon me as there have been as to my design amongst you in my work God is my record that I aimed at nothing but the Conversion Sanctification and Salvation of your souls I was glad when I heard of any of you that were willing to leave your sins and to set upon duty and I could no further delight in you then I saw you delight in God and his wayes My Ministry was not with the affected words of mans wisdom I never delâ—ghted to speak a word which I thought the meanest in the Assembly could not understand I studied not for a name or a praise one hour in my Ministry but how the truth might be made more fit for you And blessed be the God of our mercies our labour hath not been altogether in vain in the Lord. When I came hither I found many in Christ some of which have continued with me on earth a support encouragement and comfort to me to this very day some of them are in glory with Christ Others there were that were strangers to Christ at my coming but since have subscribed with their hand and set to their seal to be the Lords Yet of these some have continued upright others have turned aside to sin and folly broke their resolutions made again and again and have not performed their vows but they that sate at the table with me have lift up their hand against me and sit in the seat of drunkards and scorners and it is to be feared will be found persecutors of those that are good and grow worse and worse and not only leave but lose their first love and if they persevere they will be ranked amongst Christs enemies at the last Oh that this might be an awakening word to them this day and that God would turn their hearts once again once again to his holy wayes and keep them therein to the end that they may be a comfort to me and not a terrour to themselves at the dreadfull day There are another sort that I found wicked and I fear so must leave them on whom the powerfull word hath had no power but to this day are sinfull disobedient following divers lusts and hardning their hearts in the wayes of death refuse the terms the means and the Lord of life And now my beloved having given you an account of my life with you and my death approaching my glass haveing a few more sands in it I must proceed to my dying words and they shall be in twenty Directions for your practice of godliness and twenty requests I shall make to you in the behalf of God and your everlasting souls And I beseech you if you will do any thing for my sake or will regard the voyce the words the last words for all I know of your tender and hearty friend hear and obey my words as follow 1. Some of you are Magistrates and act in a larger sphere then others Behave your selves beseeming the place you are put in you sit in the Seat of God and you must judge for him O sit not in the seat of Drunkards and Scorners of God his wayes and people as your trust is greater then others so will your account be If you sin now you doubly sin and be sure your sin will find you out Some of you are lately put in the places of men of prudence piety and zeal for God that were not the off-spring of Sequestrations or the issues of divided parties but chosen into the company for their real worth and personal abilities to serve the Town And such they are which have given you demonstrations of Justice running down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream They left you a Town well ordered where prophaness seeks corners and impiety dare not shew its head it hath been a shame and reproach for a drunkard to reel or a Sabbath-breaker to appear in the light The mouths of swearers have been stopped and the horn of the ungodly durst not lift up it self It is not for their impiety that they are laid aside or unmeetness to rule but through their own dissatisfaction and you that inherit their trust through favour inherit their graces diligence and upright lives that we may hereafter say of you as we can of them You left the place better then you found it Love not sin in your selves for then you will not punish it in others put not such in your bosoms against whom you must draw the Sword Let not the enemies of holiness be your friends and favourites least you spare Agag when God sayes kill 2. Endeavour to settle with you a Preacher after Gods own heart that will endeavour to please God and not man Prayers without Preaching will not save the ignorant and carnal that are yet amongst you those that God hath joyned let them not be separated we read more of the Apostles preaching exhorting warning the people then we do of their praying with them Paul did desire that utterance might be given him not to read a few prayers again and again but that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel Ephes 6. 19. Col. 4. 3 4. he tells us that he was not sent to baptize but to preach that is especially principally to preach the Gospel as his main and only work and by the foolishness of preaching God saveth such as believe and he chargeth Timothy in a most solemn and dreadful manner before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his coming to preach the word to be instant in season and out of season to reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering doctrine When I read all the texts that enjoyn preaching and frequent preaching of the Gospel and see the practice of Paul how at all times he was ready to preach Rom. 1. 15. whereever he came and how he strove to preach the Gospel where he could get in and had liberty to do it Rom. 15. 20 and how he travelled up and down to preach 2 Cor. 2. 12. 2 Cor. 10. 14. yea though he had weakness upon him and infirmities in his flesh Gal 4. 13. All these things make me conclude that it is an excellent work and the work of a Minister and not to be neglected where we can have freedom on honest terms And I wonder that men can content themselves with a Reader only or that any that are called to this work can satisfie conscience with reading a form only to the people and slight or preach against preaching God hath vouchsafed a preaching Ministry to your Fathers and you at least sixty years Oh continue it still and take care of
day Lastly Above all make God your chiefest good let Christ be your way to enjoy him through the help of the Spirit Word and Ordinances let God be thy Father and thy all and he will be ever thine and with thee for thy good who cannot dye When one told a Christian that his Father was dead Desine blasphemias loqui cease to speak blasphemy my Father is still alive When thou hast done all thou canst in working out thy salvation yet let the stress of all lie upon Jesus Christ Christ is all and in all value the world and all things but as dust dross and dung in comparison of this invisible glory Lord God Father Son and Holy Ghost live to him and dye in him and you shall raign with him world without end I have now twenty more requests or petitions to you which will be my dying words my last requests if God bring me not from death again 1. I beseech you all my Brethren and Fathers examine your selves throughly to know the state of your souls and how you stand in the sight of God think how near the day of Assise is to us all you are in an estate good or bad of life or death know so far as is attainable the case you are in you are apt to say when I have put this question to you We trust it is well with us Oh my Brethren it is not good to trust in this case before you try have you not heard and read that many a mans faith and hope is vain Jam. 1. and 2. chap. Job in many places try your own case know your own selves 2. See in your tryal especially that the work of conversion is soundly wrought see to that Circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth nothing but a new creature All your shews are but as a tympany all your duties huskes shels are unavailable without the new creature Beloved my spirit stirreth in me through fear lest you have not past yet through the new birth the Scripture hath concluded you under wrath and wo if you are not born again Oh see to it 3. My next request is that you would not sit down short of Jesus Christ you may go far and do much and yet fall short of Jesus Christ there is a running in vain because men sit down before they come to Christ they sit down with the Name of Christ and with a few notions of Christ in their heads and with some underling affections to him and on a few formal performances to him when they have not the life of Christ in them nor the Laws of Christ nor his Spirit ruling in their souls nor his Word dwelling in them richly to teach them his fear Oh beloved this is not your rest if you sit down without the nature life laws Spirit and power of Christ in you to quâ—cken you enliven enlighten impower and enable you to live love obey and glorifie Christ you will sit down short of Jesus Christ and then it had been better you had never set a foot towards Christ in his holy wayes never rest till you are in his arms and your abode is in his bosome you in him and he in you the hope of glory 4. My next request is That you would mind above all things your eternal condition you are this day sitting on these seats now by fires in your families with your relations anon but to morrow you may be in eternity and know no more what wives and children sun and moon earth and sky clocks and time how they pass by you and bring you reports from friends and various experiences as now they do do all for eternity Remember when you are praying you pray for eternity and eternal mercies and things think when you feel your breath departing that eternity is coming upon you 5. Set up and if you have begun keep up serious and servent prayer in your families and other family duties of admonition instruction and reproof Let your houses be little Churches and that which is denied you in other families let it be had at home I know the society of believers of one heart is quickening in close and private chambers and our hearts are much enlarged then before God Yet so long as you pray to the same God for the same Church and people especially when your own flesh and blood your dear wives and children are at your elbows Oh how should this quicken you to be earnest for the life of their souls Let not the Lord when he looks down from heaven to see if there be any that seek after him let not then your families be found prayerless families as if you owed no obedience to God or stood in no need of him and lest he clap a curse on your dores Cursed be this family that calls not upon the name of the Lord. 6. Have a special care of bringing up your children in the fear of God instruct correct and give them a good example you have little of the world to leave them perhaps if you leave them in the possession of God and in the hopes of heaven you have been good Parents to them but to leave them nothing of the world and without God and hope it is so sad a thing that you will not give a good account of it before God And you that are children do not break your Parents heart by your sinful disobedient waies you have tender Parents who love you and would not bring you up for the devil nor see you everlastingly confounded and burned in the lake of hell Oh return to God and his holy waies remember your Creatour God longs for you and desires the first ripe fruit the sooner you come in to him the more you shall have of his love and the more will your godly Parents delight in you 7. Never be ashamed of a serious holy godly life though you are reproached vilified and suffer much in the world for it be not dismayed but rejoyce and be exceeding glad that you are sufferers for holiness and not persecutors of it but be ashamed of a filthy conversation of the Image of Satan of the sins that make you odious and loathsome in the sight of God I admire to pass by the Ale-house-dores to hear so many singing drinking roaring and they are not ashamed at it but there are many that are ashamed to worship God in their own houses or reprove sin if this be not to be ashamed of Christ what is 8. My next request is That you would never think that you are holy enough or have grace enough but be still pressing after more No worldly man thinks he hath riches enough but will be thirsting after more and shall not the Christian be as covetous after God is not one dram of grace more then all the world one smile of Gods countenance more then a hundred rivers of oil why do you think you have enough of this labour to grow in grace and to abound in it 9. If you do not grow so fast in grace as you should be sure you do not decline and decay in grace Whither hath Apostacy carried a backsliding soul Apostates stop not frequently till they are in hell there they rest because they can fall no lower be sensible of thy declinings Christian lest they end in this and thy latter end be worse then thy beginning 10. My next request is That you would look to your worship a little thing in worship is more offensive to God then you think of Consider Nadab and Abihu small faults in worship provoke highly there we deal immediately with God and his glory is immediately concerned he is therefore nowhere so jealous as in the things of his worship take heed of a lasie frothy formal superstitious worship lest God cast it as dung in your faces and say Who requires these things at your hands 11. Have a special regard to the Lords day let it not be prophaned by unlawful recreations and games nor by those that may be lawful at other times lose not an hour of it in vain delights or pleasures of the flesh let the soul be attending on God even when your hands are about the works of necessity and mercy do not think all your work is done when the publick worship is done say not then Flesh take thy pleasure I have served God enough this day it is a day for meditation rejoycing thankfulness and prayer and to visit the sick instruct your families and not to be spent in the service of the world or flesh 12. Though this be a day of scattering yet let brotherly love continue those that have walked in fellowship in publick and private Ordinances let not your love be cold but continue love and affection and exhort one another and pray one for another and serve one another in love and be kind courteous faithful and zealous for the good of every poor sheep that belongs to this fold 13. That you would be more then ordinary diligent in working out your salvation What means God will afford you we cannot tell if any make use of it to work by if small or none labour so much the more your selves How comfortably might you live and die if you knew that your calling and your election were made sure however diligence will bring comfort sloathfulness shame it is no small comfort now at my suspension that I worked while I had time 14. I request you that whatever you do you do all in the strength of Christ not in your own do nothing for your own glory but for his keep down self and let it not be exalted against the Lord in any thing take heed of self-sufficiency self-aims self-ends learn not only to trust in Christ but to use Christ here is the wisdom of the Saints to do all in Christ and for Christ 15. I beseech you pitty and look to your poor they grow great and numerous and many are poor inwardly and outwardly both let some course be