Christs Sheep that hear his voice and follow his steps and keep by the Shepherds Tents Is this a conceeist that it shall fare better with the Friends of Christ then with his Enemies or that those are the friends of Christ who are the friends of Holiness Is this a conceit that it shall fare better with the servants of Christ then with strangers Or are those the best servants who waste their Talents or bind them up in a Napkin Will Christ say in that day Away thou faithful Servant away from me ye workers of Righteousness You have loved me too much you have pleased me too well you have followed me too close you have given your selves to too much praying too much praising too much fasting you have been too conscientious too tender too watchful too holy you would not be merry and idle and vain you would not go along with your Neighbours to their sporting to their Revellings to their Pleasures but must needs deny your selves and take up your Cross and follow me you could not be content with an Earthly happiness but you must have Glory and Honour and Immortality you could not be content to venture on a groundless hope of Glory but you must needs make sure of it by patient continuance in well-doing Away from me you workers of Righteousness you that have followed me in the Regeneration get you gone get you down to everlasting destruction Will this be the voice of the Judge at that day Will he call to sinners Come ye wantons come ye Wine-bibbers come ye Swearers Lyars Scoffers Whore-masters come ye blessed Crew inherit the Kingdome All this must be so if godliness be but a fancy and do you not yet see Sinners what men of Reason what men of Judgement you are and how much truth or weight there is in your charge against the Saints Oh Christians you see I hope sufficiently how little ground you have to take the least notice of or discouragement from these confident Adversaries who in proclaiming you Phanaticks must proclaim themselves either Infidels or Ideotâ— Thus I have shewed that the principles of Godliness are not Phanatical 2. The Duties and Comforts of Godlinesse are no fancies I shall instance in such duties and those parts of duties which are most obnoxious to this censure the most spiritual duties the most spiritual parts of duties which being most out of fight and above the reach of the carnal world are most of all thus censuted by them I shall mention onely two which indeed are comprehensive of all 1. Worshiping God in the Spirit 2. Walking in the Spirit 1. Worshiping God in the Spirit If this be a fancy the Apostle Paul with the Christians his Contemporaries were the great Phanaticks of their time who saies thus of himself and them Phil. 3. 3. We are the Circumision who worship God in the spirit We are the Circumcision that is We are the People of God we are they who are circumcised with the Circumcision which is without hands circumcised in heart which is all one as if he had said we are Christians who worship God in the spirit Worshipping God in the spirit notes 1. The worship of the soul or heart-worship 2. The worshipping God through his Spirit or in the Holy Ghost 1. The worship of the soul or inward worship and that 1. As it stands in opposition to meet bodily worship I say not as it is oppos'd to bodily worship but to meer bodily worship 2. As it stands in opposition to the Antiquated Jewish worship which was more external pompous and ceremonious We worship God in the spirit that is we worship God in the heart and in the simplicity and plainness of gospel-Gospel-worship heart-Heart-worship is the true worship the worship of the soul is the soul of worship The body without the soul is dead and bodily worship without spiritual iâ— dead worship John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth The latter word Truth is exegitical of the former Spirit signifying that worshiping in Spirit is worshiping in Truth This is the true worship worship indeed The worship of the body the uncovering of the head the bowing the knee the lifting up of the hands or voice these are but the outside and carcase of worship and so far only capable of being accounted worship as they are helpful to and expressive of the devotions of the soul As bowing of the knee signifies the bowing of the heart as the uncovering of the head either expresses or helps toward the inward reverence of the soul so far as they worship and no farther and even then but improperly so câ—lled But as they stand single and separated from the inward worship they are no worship no more then a carcase is a man but are meer shadows and fansies There is no such Phanatick as the Formalist who whilest with those Heathens Mat. 6. 7. He thinks to be heard for his much speaking doth but play the hypocrite and Lyar Look what the Courtiers Complements are such are the Formalists devotions smooth words tongue-courtefies flâ—ttering salutes fawning cringes Your servant Sir your servant command me what you please I am ready to serve you Here is a great shew of respect and kindness but what is there in it What wise man will regard it And what more is there in the Formalists devotions What is it but meer complementing with the Holy God Very devout and lowly as to all appearance and a great noise is there that such Devotion makes but what is there in it What awe and Soul-reverence of God what heart-striving and wrestling with God what heart-elevation or lifting up the Soul to God is there in all this Is there no such thing as heart-striving and Soul-reverence required in the Worship of God or are these but shadows of worship and is the soul of it onely in the Lips or Knees Doth he whose Soul is poured out in prayer whose Spirit strives with the Lord doth he but pray in conceit worship God in conceit and those whose Eyes and Tongues and Hands onely pray have they gotten the substance are these the true Worshippers Beloved be not deceived God sees not as man sees he sees what is within man he sees what is within our duties they are not shews or sounds that can blinde hiâ— Eye or please his Ear. Ephes 5. 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your sâ—lve in Psalmes and Hymns and Sriritual Songs singing and making Melody in your hearts to the Lord. Believe it Christians Heart-musick is the best Church musick Heart-praying and Heart-singing makes the best Melody in the Eares of the Lord of Sabbath My work and intent is not to decry all external worship as useless or unacceptable We must glorifie God in our bodies as well as in our spirits Our Lips must bear their parts in our praises and practises but I would not that you should take the body of
preaching to others I my self should become a cast-away For Scripture-promises consider these Blessed are the poor in spirit bessed are the meek the merciful they that hunger and thirst after righteousness the pure in heart they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for they shall see God theirs is the Kingdom of heaven they shall be comforted filled and great is their reward in heaven For Scripture-prayers consider these The God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight Multitudes of such like Scriptures might be added but these may suffice Now wherefore are all these things written Wherefore are these strict commands given these holy lives of Saints left upon Record these promises made and these prayers kept upon the file Are they not all written for our learning to let every man and woman understand what manner of persons they must be what manner of Lives they must live if they will be saved If less or a lower Religion would serve to what purpose is this waste If it be so People may forbear to charge Precisians with keeping more ado than needs and lay in their charge against the Scriptures for requiring more than needs But do you think indeed that the Scriptures have spoken these things in vain If it be not in vain if all this be comprehended under the one thing needful if all this do but shew us the one and only way of Life if we must be thus renewed and changed in our minds and must thus holily and unblameably order our Lives or else we cannot be saved as the Scriptures mentioned many of them expresly affirm then what will become of that poor confident multitude we are now dealing with Does all this amount to no more than keeping your Church saying your prayers learning and saying over the Creed and the Ten Commandments living peaceably with your Neighbours paying every man his own crying to God for mercy when you have committed a fin and the like Can you call this cold lifeless way your striving to enter in at the strait gate Is this your working out your salvation with fear and trembling Is this all that is meant by fighting the good fight of Faith by wresting against Flesh and Blood against Principalities and Powers by being instant in Prayer fervent in Spirit watching and running and pressing towards the mark Brethren if there be one way of Life if all this which hath been represented to you out of the Scriptures be to shew you from the Lord what â— strait way this one way of life is and if you will compare your way you depend upon with it methinks you shall need no more to convince you of your dangerous mistake hitherto and to leave you more ready to embrace the exhortation I am pressing upon you namely To come in among the number of and take upon the holy course of these circumspect Christians But if this be not sufficient I shall yet make it more evident by Reasons drawn from the Scripture which I shall give you in these Six Propositions 1. The Gospel requires as indispensably necessary to salvation inward holiness or the renewing of the heart or inner-man Needs this any proof to them that understand the Scriptures There must be another Spirit Numb 14. 24. A new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A clâ—an heart Psal 73. 1. A true heart or an upright heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience Hebr. 10. 22. Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye dye Jer. 4. 14. Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved What do these Scriptures especially the addition in the two last For why will ye dye And that thou mayest be saved What do these import less than this That there is no salvation possible there is nothing but certain death and destruction to those whose hearts are not washed and made new John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Except ye be converted ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God What is the product of this new birth or this conversion but a new creature Some there are it is true that interpret this Conversion which is made so necessary to Salvation to be nothing else but the coming of persons from Judaism or Paganism to Christianity to the owning and embracing the Christian Faith But if this be true then all that believe Christ to be the Messiah and are baptized and live in the profession of the Christian Faith shall be saved Come ye Drunkards come ye Adulterers Lyars Covetous with all the profane Root of Nominal â—â—ristians and keep an Holy-day to the memory of these two Doctors who bring you such a large and easie Gospel as will carry you all to Heaven with all your lusts and lewdness upon your backs But is this true Is this Gospel Is this all the conversion that is necessary to Salvation It cannot be For First There are many that embrace the Christian Faith that are Hypocrites and shall Hypocrites be saved Secondly There are many such Converts that walk disorderly whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 18. Of whom the Apostle here tell us that their end is destruction 2. This inward Holinesse which the Gospel requires stands not in some sudden and unconstant good thoughts or some transient good affections but is an holy frame or habit thus much is intimated in the fore-mentioned expression Another Spirit a new Heart a new Creature An holy thought a good desire is another thing from a new heart they cannot so much as evidence that the heart is renewed as in a renewed heart there may be some evil thoughts and evil lusts arising and working so some good thoughts and affections may spring up in an evil heart true holiness is not a fit but a frame there may be fits of passion or of pride or of envy too often in a Saint and yet in the main he may be a Saint still There may be fits of devotion fits of zeal sometimes in a â—inner and yet he is a sinner still Holiness is the temper and constitution of a Christian his new nature that abideth in him 3. This inward â—â—bitual Holiness stands in an universal compliance of the heart with the whole Will of God the heart that is formed after the Image of God is conformed to the Will of God Psal 40. Thy Law is within my heart not a piece but the whole every word and tittle of it The Law is within me The Law is said to be within the heart of a Saint in a double senâ—e First It is published and revealed and made known in the heart it is understood
shall prove and make good to you That this godliness in its greatest purity preciseness and spirituality is not such an empty thing but is fully and really that which it asserts it self to be and hath clear foundations in and an evident conformity to that good and acceptable and perfect will of God revealed in the Scriptures The proofs which I shall bring in shall be such as have respect to the special parts of it where I shall make it manifest 1. That the Doctrines and principles of godliness are real Truths 2. That the Duties and comforts of godliness are real Duties and comforts 1. That the Doctrines and principles of godliness are real Truths Wisdom hath her pillars Godliness is not a Castle in the air but is a building which hath foundations Hebr. 6. 1. I shall instance in some of the chief of their principles and shew you 1. Concerning the Being of God and His Holiness That this is a certain truth that there is a God and that he is an holy God and a friend to Holiness If there be any real and evident truth in the world this is a truth that there is a God Aut Deus est aut nihil est Either there is a God or there is nothing We may as well say when we see the Sun and the Moon and Stars and the motions of them when we set the Earth and the several Creatures upon it when we see our selves Men and Women walking up and down thereon that all this is but conceit that our eyes deceive us that our selves and all the things we see are but phantasâ—s and apparitions as wâ— may question whether there be a God Rom. 1. 20. The invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead And to question whether God be an holy God is the same in effect as to question whether there be a God to conceive that there is a God without Holiness is to imagine that there is a God that is no God Sin is such a defect and imperfection as is utterly inconsistent with such an infinitely perfect Being and to question whether God be a Friend to holiness is to question whether he be a Friend to himself Atheisme whatever the foolish World ignorantly talk is the greatest and most notorious Fanaticism Psal 14. 1. The Fool sayes in his heart there is no God he fancies there is not and Prophaneness that causes men to conceive of God as not so holy and righteous as he is is next to Atheisme Psal 50. 21. These things thou hast done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes These things thou hast done Thou hast done wickedly hast been a lyar a slanderer a drunkard a partaker with adulterers And I kept silence I let thee alone and did not presently testifie my dislike or displeasure against thee hereupon thou couceitedst because thou wert let alone in thy fin and didst not presently smart for it that I liked it well enough and was altogether such a one as thy self That thou hadst a God after thine own heart after thine own soul that was never the less a friend to thee for that thou wert so great a friend to thy lusts and wickedness Thou thoughtest this such a fooâ—ish conceit thou hast in thy heart I but it was but a conceit I will make thee know that I am another manner of God than thou vainly imaginest I will have my time for thee when I will reprove thee for all thy wickedness and convince thee of thy folly and set all thy sins in order before thee Sinners You that either think that there is no God or because he keeps silence lets you alone in your sins lets you flourish and prosper in your wickednesse thereupon conclude He is a Friend one that favours loosenesse and ungodlinesse he will have his time for you to convince you and reprove you out of these vain conceits and make you know that he hates and detests both you and your wayes and that he loves that holinesse and is a Friend to those holy Ones which for a time he may suffer you to despise and trample upon Rev. 3 9. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not but do lye behold I will make them to come and worship at thy feet and to know that I have loved thee You will not now be perswaded but God will make you know whether you will or not that these are they whom he hath loved Please your selves with your own wayes and blesse your selves in your own hearts while you will continue your confidence that God is no such enemy to you that he is not so hard and severe against ungodlinesse as men speak that God is a friend to ignorance formality licentiousnesse and counts such his best Subjects And as for those which make such a talk and such a shew and keep so much ado about holinesse and strictnesse make your selves believe that God is as much against them as you and that he doth not like that men should be so fearful of sin and watchful against sin and zealous for holinesse that he likes those best that will take their ease and their liberty and their pleasure Yet know that God will have his time for you to make you of another mind when he shall come to reckon with you to reprove you and â—â—t your sins in order before you 2. The Doctrines concerning Sin are certain Truths I shall mention but these four 1. That man is a Sinner 2. That sin is the greatest of evils 3. That spiritual sins are the greatest of sins 4. That sin is the root of all misery 1. That Man is a sinner A sinner by nature a Sinner by practice in a sinful state 1 John 5. 10. The whole world lyeth in wickednesse Running on in a sinfuli course Psal 14. They are all gone out of the way that he is universally sinful this sowre leav◠〈◊〉 hath leavened the whole lump every part of man head heart hands and inside outside all are full of wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Isa 1. 6. That man is a great sinner Jer. 17. 9. The heart of a man is desperately wicked it is become like those bad figs which Jeremiah speaks of those that were good were very good and those that were bad were very bad Psal 5. 9. Their inward part is very wickewness 'T is expressed in the abstract not wicked but wickedness and in the plural number wickednesses There is a complication of all sorts of wickednesses and sin is so rooted and as it were incorporated into the hearts of men as if their natures were even transubstantiated into a Mass of corruption Is all this but conceit Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the wickedness of
compassionately that I might the better win upon them 3. Concerning Providences Q. 1. Have I diligently observed all the remarkable Providences of God towards me especially such as have come in as the returns of Prayer 2. Have I been thankful for my daily mercies 3. Have I born this dayes crosses 14. Concerning the use of your Liberty Q. Have I kept my self far enough within my bounds In Sum Q. 1. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 2. Have I led this day A Diligent Watchful Self-denying Life Directions for the Morning 1. If through necessity or carelesness you have omitted the reading and weighing these Questions in the Evening be sure to do it now 2. Ask thy self What Sins have I committed What duties have I omitted Against which of these Rules have I offended the day fore-going And renew thy repentance and double thy watch 3. Examine whether God were first and last in thy Thoughts Morning and Evening 4. Be careful to set thine ends right for all the day An Advertisement If you want time to make daily enquiry upon every one of the fore-mentioned particulars they being so many set a mark upon or write out such of them as most especially concern your case and let not them be forgotten Think not thy self excused from this course because 't is too long when if need be thou mayst thus make it shorter Better cut short than wholly give out For the help of the weaker I shall gather out these few of the chief Interrogatories which when they are straitned for time they may only use and to which they may add more as they have occasion and opportunity Q. 1. Was I serious and had I any sensible Communion with God this day in my secret and Family Duties 2. Hath it been my care to keep mine heart in an holy Frame from Duty to Duty 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the working of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience nor so much as to vain thoughts 5. Have I not inordinately minded earthly things 6. Have I kept me from Mine iniquity and not lived in any known sin 7. Have I wronged no man in word nor deed 8. Have I been temperate and self-denying in the use of the Creatures 9. Hath the Law of the Lord been much in my mouth 10. Have I not sent Christ away without an Alms when I had it by me 11. Have I not lost an opportunity of doing or receiving good 12. Have I not neglected nor done any thing against my duty to my Relation 13. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 14. Have I been diligent and watchful Christian here is a course prescribed which by the ordinary assistance which the Lord doth not deny you may take up if you will and which if you conscientiously observe will be without doubt through the blessing of God attended with great success And those that do not take up this course or some other equivalent to it let them never think to ease their hearts by idle complaints I can't attain to such a holy even fruitful heavenly life as I desire I would but I cannot God will abhor such lazy complaints and look upon them as they are a meer device to keep you quiet under a slothful heart Set your whole Duty daily before your eyes charge it upon your hearts take an account of your selves how you discharge it set upon it as that which is no other than you have vowed to the Lord commit your selves and your wayes to him for success and if this doth not mightily conduce to advance you in point of holiness and establish you in point of peace then say that both the Precepts and Promises of the Gospel have deceived you And thus I have set before you that holy conversation which becometh the Gospel Take up this holy course let this be your Life you mean to lead and let it be carried on In an holy Union In an United Contention In an Holy Boldness 1. In an holy Union So the Apostle there adds stand fast in one spirit with one mind Never look to thrive in Grace if you do not live in peace The decays of Christianityly much upon the score of the divisions of Christians The Devil hath also taken up that Maxim Divide Impera Rent them and ruine them The reason why our Love is so cold is because our Differences are so hot The reason of so little zeal against sin hath been the great strife among Brethren The combinations of Sinners have not so much prejudiced the power of holiness as the contentions of Saints There are not a few who go under the name of Saints that have maintained disputes about Religion so long till they have disputed themselves out of all Religion their searching for truth hath been the loss of both love and life Christians if ever you would be any thing be one be of one heart of one mind holding the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace It were greatly to be desired that the people of God were both of one heart and of one way But if this may not be if there cannot be Vniformity yet let there be Vnity betwixt all that fear the Lord in truth A few words I shall leave with you for your direâ—â—on herein 1. Divide not from the Head to unite with any pretended Members hold not with them that hold not with the Head Sell not Truth clear fundamental Truth to buy Peace 2. Divide not from real Members lest you hereby prove your division from the Head Christ hath but one body if you be not in union with the body you are divided from the Head 3. See the Head in every Member see Christ in every Saint 4. Prize Christ where-ever you see him Love Christ and love his Image if you will not slight Christ slight not any Saint See'st thou an humble mâ—â—â— patient broken-hearted self-denying mortified Christian in whatsoever unpleasing form as to matters circumstantial he appears despise him not reject him not 5. Prize Peace and Union aâ— the strength and honour of the body 6. Pursue Peace and Union with the utmost strength of thy soul And that you may obtain it 1. Let all parties that are named of Christ be humbled under former Divisions What peace so long as God is angry Oh how have we provoked the Lord by provoking one another Let him only who hath been without sin in this matter be without sorrow and shame Sure they are hard hearts who are not broken under such breaches Let us not mistake our selves nor mis-call that zeal for God which God will call pride and peevishness I speak not against our being offended either with errour or iniquity we may not call evil good or darkness light for peace sake but at our unreasonable passions against whom we suppose erring Brethren If
within me says Amen Brethren will you yet again say your Lord nay shall Christ have his wish shall your Servant for Jesus sake shall I have my wish will you now at last conâ—ent to be â—anctified and to be saved let me have this wish and I dare promise from the Lord you shall have yours even whatever your Soul can desire Brethren this once hear this once be prevailed upon be content that your lusts be rooted out and your Lord planted into your Souls Be content to be pardoned content to be converted content to be saved This once hear lest if ye now refuse ye no more be perswaded with oh that they would but be for ever confounded with oh that they had Lest all our wishes and wooings of you be turned into weepings and mournings over you this once hear Oh that you would I heartily thank you for your good wishes and good will towards me for your willing and chearful entertainment of my person and attendance on my Ministry and particularly for your passionate desire of my longer stay among you Which desire if God had not my Soul could not have denied you Though the Almighty to whose pleasure it 's meet that we all submit hath said nay to that wish of yours yet let your Souls say Amen to this last of mine that the Lord God would dwell among you and in you both now and for ever And having thus finished my Labours among you I shall now close up with this double account 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry in this place 2. Of my deprival And shall so commit you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to huild you up and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry What my Doctrine and manner of life hath been is known to you and what my aim and intent hath been is known to God The searcher of hearts knows that 't is the salvation of Souls that hath been the mark at which I have levelled My way hath been to use all plainness that I might be made manifest in your Consciences Weaknesses and infirmities both natural and sinful the Lord pardon it I have had many I am sensible that much more might have been done both in publick and in private had it not been for a weakly body and a sloathful heart I repent that I have had no more zeal for God no more compassion to Souls I repent that I have been no more constant and importunate with you about the matters of Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity that thou wert no more in the heart and Lips of the Preacher in the hearts and ears of the hearers But while I thus judge my self for my failings Blessed be God for any sincerity to his name and good will to your Souls that he hath seen in me Blessed be God I have a witness in my Conscience and I hope in yours also that I have not shunned to declare to you the whole Counsel of God Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day that I have set before you life and death good and evil and have not ceased from day to day to warn you to choose life and that good way that leads to it and to escape for your lives from the way of sin and death Oh remember the many instructions I have given you the many Arguments whereby I have striven with you the many Prayers that have been offered up for the guiding and gaining your Souls into the path of life and the turning your feet out of the way of destruction Oh might I be able to give this Testimony concerning you all at my departure they have trodden in the right path they have chosen the good part that shall not be taken from them Beloved Brethren with whom I have travelled in birth that Christ might be formed in you I must shortly give up my account in a more solemn Assembly will you help me to give it up with joy by shewing your Souls before the Lord as the Seal of my Ministry Every sincere Convert among you will be a Crown of rejoycing to me in that day So let me rejoyce and let my joy be the joy of you all What shall I say more If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any bowels and mercies if the Glory of the Eternal God the Honour of the everlasting Gospel the safety of your immortal Souls the incorruptible Crown the exceeding eternal weight of glory weigh any thing with you then once more let me beseech you by all this to hearken to that word of the Gospel which God hath spoken to you by me 2. Of my deprival The most glorious morning hath its evening the hour is come wherein the Sun is setting upon not a few of the Prophets the shadows of the evening are stretched forth upon us our day draws our work seems to be at an end Our Pulpits and our places must know us no more This is the Lords doing let all the earth keep silence before him It is not a light thing for me Brethren to be laid aside from the work and cast out of the Vineyard of the Lord and it must be something of weight that must support under such a severe doom I know there are not a few that will add to the affliction of the afflicted by telling the world t is their own fault they might prevent it if they would whether this be so or no God knoweth and let the Lord be Judge Blessed be God whatever be this is not laid to our charge as the reason of our seclusion either insufficiency or scandal You are not ignorant what things there are imposed on us as the condition of our continuing our Ministration which how lawful and expedient soever they seem in the Judgment of many yet have the most specious Arguments that plead for them left me utterly dissatisfied in my Conscience about them I must profess before God Angels and Men that my non-submission is not from any disloyaltie to Authoritie nor from pride humour or any factious disposition or design but because I dare not contradict my light nor do any thing concerning which my heart tels me the Lord says do it not After all my most impartial Enquiries after all my seeking counsel from the Lord after all my considering and consulting with men of all perswasions about these Matters I find my self so far short of satisfaction that I am plainly put to this choice to part with my Ministry or my Conscience I dare not lie before God and the World nor come and tell you I approve I allow I heartily consent to what I neither do nor can but must choose rather that my Ministry be sealed up by my Sufferings than lengthned out by a Lie Through the Grace of God though men do yet my heart shall not reproach me while I live If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things But however though I must now no longer act as a Minister I shall through the Grace of God endeavour peaceably and patiently to suffer as a Christian I should to testifie my Obedience to Authority have become all Things to all Men to the uttermost that I could with any clearness of heart But since Matters stand so that I must lose my place or my peace I chearfully suffer my self to be thrust off the Stage And now welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Reproach welcome Poverty Scorn and contempt or whatever else may befall me on this account This Morning I had a Flock and you had a Pastor but now behold a Pastor without a Flock a Flock without a Shepherd This Morning I had an House but now I have none This Morning I had a living but now I have none The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beloved I am sensible of my Weaknesses and Disadvantages I am under which may render a suffering state the harder to be born help me by your Prayers and not me only but all my Brethren also with whom my Lot must fall Pray for us for we trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray 1. That God would make our Silence speak and preach the same holy Doctrine that we have preached with our Lips 2. That he would give Supports answerable to our Sufferings that he who comforteth those that are cast down will also comfort his Servants that are cast out 3. That according to our earnest expectation and our hope as always so now also Christ may be magnified in us whether it be by Life or Death And thus Brethren I bid you farewel in the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Peace and Love shall be with you And that God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd 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 for ever and ever AMEN FINIS The Terms of our Communion are either from which or to which The Terms from which we must turn are sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted The mediate terms are ei-Principal or less principal The principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced The less principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus observed