off for our parts We are a people that never knew how to honour God in any distress God hath brought us into never learnt to glorifie God by believing if we cannot see him we cannot believe him surely that which God hath done for us in such a succession of miracles it might well at least have been food for our faith during our sojourning In our pilgrimage we might have learned by all that we have seen to believe God we might have made experience to be the food of our faith and upon all the providences of Divine Power Wisdome and Goodness we might have discoursed our selves into belief as David 1 Sam. 17. 37. The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine So Paul He hath delivered and doth deliver we trust he will also deliver Oh my Brethren we dishonour God and starve our faith by forgetting our experiences while we proclaim by our own Unbelief That we have a God that we dare not trust If we perish we may thank our selves for it surely if we miscarry that account may be given for it which we find Mat. 13. 58. Because of their unbelief There is a Rest of God before us if we do not enter in it is because of our Unbelief 18. Want of sympathy with the bleeding gasping groaning dying Churches of Iesus Christ. They have been in great afflictions round about have call'd unto us Pity me Oh! pity me my friends for the hand of God is gone out against me We cannot look any way but we see cause of bitter mourning but we have not laid the bloud of Germany Lithuania Piedmont c. to heart therefore God may justly lay it to our charge Want of fellow-felling with our Brethren in their afflictions it is a kind of Persecution a kind of being accessary to their Sufferings That we have not mourned wept bled with them that we have not lyen in the dust smote on our thighs c. God may justly say to us as Amos 6. 6 7. They shall go captive with the first that go captive because they are not grieved for the affliction of Ioseph The word in the Hebrew signifies None of them have been Sick for the affliction of Ioseph Oh my Brethren when did we go to bed sick for the afflictions of Gods people abroad when did their miseries cost us an hours sleep or a meals-meat when did we lie in the dust and cry out Ah Lord their Glory Because we have not shed tears for their bloud God may justly say The next turn of Persecution shall be yours Because you have not been afflicted in the afflictions of my people c. 19. Our grievous unsensibleness of Gods Dishonour Religion never suffered the like as it hath done these latter dayes by the pride and hypocrisie of some Pretenders to it Gods name hath been thereby blasphemed by an evill and hypocritical generation the people of God have lien under the greatest reproaches and contempts that ever any did under the heavens and yet all this while we have not been concerned in it carryed our selves as if unconcern'd in the reproaches of Religion Blasphemies reflected upon the name of God Who in these times of Blasphemy have gone in secret lyen in the dust and cryed with holy Ioshuah What wilt thou do unto thy great name Josh. 7. 4. We have not laboured to preserve in our own Souls or stir up in our Brethren a holy sense of Gods name as those primitive Saints Mal. 3. 16. Where are they that have been affected with and afflicted for the sufferings of the name of God Oh consider how little is God and Religion beholden to us for our tears sighs or groans What is become of that Child-like spirit that was wont to possess the spirits of Gods people 'T is perished and with it without special timely Repentance we shall perish also 20. That Epidemical sin of Self-seeking and self-pleasing Oh my Brethreu we may revive that complaint of the Apostle All seek their own not the things which are Iesus Christs Phil. 2. 21. This This hath been the source of all our miseries While some had power in their hands to have done great things for God what did they do but neglect the interest and trust in their hands and fell a feathering their own nests and building to themselves Houses and Names that they thought would continue for ever and to divide the spoil among themselves as if their own game they hunted and others in inferiour stations began to divide and every one began to snatch as if the dust of the earth would not serve every one for a handful and in the mean time a sea of Errour like an inundation hath been ready to overturn us Yea all men seeking to be pleased not to please whereas our duty is to study to please not to be pleased c. You see in all this I have not mentioned one of those grosse prophanesses that stare Heaven in the face as Drunkenness filthy and abominable Whoredome Fornication poured out in every place horrible Blasphemy contempt of God and Religion prophanation of Gods Sabbath c. because I speak now to those that are Professers I have been giving in a Catalogue of the sins of those that professe the name of Christ that relate to Christ by a special Engagement and Relation these have been the sins of Gods family And if we would have God repent of the evill of punishment we had need to make haste to repent of the evill of sin We have been a long time in sinning we had need be a long time in repenting I tell you Christians we have been these last 20 years doing nothing else but sinning against God and should God let us live twenty years more it would be too little to weep for the provocations thereof Learn to lay these and other sins so to heart that God may never lay them to charge The third advice Christ gives here for the prevention of the removal of her Candlestick is Reformation Do the first works Reformation that indeed is a fruit and evidence of sound Repentance Repentance is nothing else but the breaking of the heart for and from sin I have spoken of it merely as it is the contrition of the Soul for sin I come to speak a word of the other part as it consists in turning to God and doing our first works This is the method God prescribes his people Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain c. under Gods asflicting hand instead of reforming Men are prone to fall a complaining not only naturally as Irrational creatures may under some pinching extremity but sinfully i. e. when their natural grief is let out in a distempered and inordinate manner when natural groans are accompanyed with unscriptural affections which vents it self 1. Sometimes upon the affliction as if but one intolerable burden in the world
to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensomâ—… to nature yet this is that which will 〈◊〉 us pâ—…ace at the laâ—… let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by Faith let us keep thy commandements let us be above tâ—…e woâ—…ld in the would above the love of life and above the fear of death let nâ—…t tâ—…e smilâ—… of the woâ—…ld allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us â—…e more then Conquerours thâ—…ough Iesus Christ. Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much â—…elp us to be above the power of hell let us evâ—…r say My soul it is goâ—…d for me to draw nigh to God Let us â—…e willing rather to be saved with a few than go to hell in a crowd let us live as if eternity were long and life but shoâ—…t let us thrive in holiness and be brought 〈◊〉 to tâ—…y self by every dispensation let us in tâ—…i our day â—…w the 〈◊〉 that concern our peace before they be hid fâ—…om ouâ—…â—…s and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer lâ—…ng he will strike at last Oâ—… Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unwoâ—…thiest of thy Servants and gâ—…e unto iâ—… a door of utterance and to this great people a door of â—…t aâ—…e and let them be all â—…aught of God and let them moâ—…e truly finde that tâ—…e great God is teaching to the heart wheâ—… that a weak worm it speaking to the ear let all the work be done by thee anâ—… let all thâ—… praise redound unto thee and let â—…im that is with us be greaâ—… theâ—… he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell a sweeâ—… savour of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace tâ—…â—…ur consciences rebuke the Tempter tâ—…d him under our â—…eet shortly â—…aise us up to newness of life let us â—…emember whâ—…n that whicâ—… is perfect is come that which is imperfect shall be done away heâ—…r us anâ—…â—…elp us through our dear Redeeâ—… let us live for him here and â—…ith him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Spirit be glory and honour now and for ever Amen Mr. Jenkins's Forenoon Sermon Heb. 11. 38. Part of that verse Of whom the world was not worthy THe Apostle in this excellent Chapter that by some is deservedly called a little book of Martyrs doth discover to us the triumph of faith the noble victory of this excellent grace against all the difficulties oppositions it meets withall therein sets down a threefold excellency of faith one is that it doth assent unto truth though never so improbable 2. That it doth put men upon duties though never so irrational or against carnal interest 3. That it enables us to suffering though never so afflicting and difficult and this third part is that which my Text speaks of These worthy men of God they overcame all the bitterness of the world as well as the sweetness of it Now in these verses the Apostle doth these two things 1. He here sets down the greatness and the smartness of their sufferings which are by some learned men reduced to three heads 1. Those sufferings that were to tempt them and to drive them from God and their holy profession by those pains and tortures they were to undergo 2. Those sufferings they underwent in dying and the cruelty of those deaths that were laid upon them 3. Their sufferings in reference to their wandring and leaving of their worldly comforts rather then they would loose God But we need not be so curious in the distribution of their sufferings it may suffice us that they were steadfast in the midst of all and would never be brought to forsake God and his truths for any of them 2. You have here the exâ—…cies of the sufferers and that is here in that expression which I shall God willing make the subject of my discourse this morning that these men these persons when they were under all the distresses and troubles that they were under from the world yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy Brethren this excellency of these Saints and servants of God under their trouble is considerable in my Text two ways that we may proceed clearly and distinctly 1. In reference unto the world unto the wicked and so it is said their excellency was so great that the world was not worthy of them 2. It is discovered from that estimation that judgement that the Apostle doth here pass upon them who tells us that he accounted them to be such as though they were under all these troubles and distresses yet they were a people of whom the world was not worthy I shall pass by the former of these and onely mention it as it falls in with the latter and that is this The due estimate that this blessed Apostle doth raise upon this holy persecuted company of Saints when they were under all their troubles yet this holy man of God who was enlightned by the Spirit of God and so was able to pass a right estimate and due judgement upon things and persons he tells us the world was not worthy of thâ—…m and then from the second I draw this observation That a godly man one truly regenerated doth see an extraordinary beauty worth and excellency in the people of God in the bitterest of all persecutions and troubles that doth bâ—…fall thâ—…m or that a godly man a gracious heart one that hath spiritual spectacles doth see an excellency and worth in the people of God in the midst of all trouble and persecution that can hefall them I know you judge this to be both a necessary and seasonable point In the prosecution of it I shall first handle it Doctrinally and then come to those profitable and useful Improvements of it by way of Application that the Point deserves 1. For the Doctrinal explication of it two things must be spoken to 1. Wherein the high esteem of a gracious heart doth appear wherein it doth discover it self to the Saints and People of God in their sufferings 2. Whence it is and how it comes to passe that godly men have this high and honourable esteem of the Saints and People of God in this trouble and distress of theirs For the first of these wherein it doth appear that they have so high and excellent an estimation of them I shall give it you in five or six particulars 1. It doth appear in this in that they are not ashamed of them in their troubles they are not ashamed to own either their persons or the faith that they do professe in their troubles the sâ—…ciery of the People of God and the fellowship of their very faith and their
that they may rest from their labour for hera is not our rest Mich. 2. 10. there remaineth a rest for the people of God there is no rest in this world the word quiet wants the plural number Secondly The righteous must die that they may have their reward their Crown of glory that God hath laid up for them they must first fight the good fight and finish their course and then they shall receive a Crown of glory Thirdly They must die that they may be free from sin for they shall never put off the body of sin till they put off the body of flesh Fourthly They must die that mortality may be swallowed up of life that corruption may put on incorruption Fifthly They must die that they may be perfect in grace Lastly They must die that they may see God face to â—…ce and be for ever with the Lord which they cannot do till they die therefore blessed be God that the righteous must perish If a man should bring news to a righteous man That he should alwayes live on earth alwayes be young rich and healthful it would be unwelcome News for while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord and subject to sin and therefore when Peter asked Christ what should be done with Iohn Christ â—…ells him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to â—…ee from henceforth there went a report abroad that Iohn should not die Iohn 21. 32. Now the Apostle himself was much displeased with this report looked upon 〈◊〉 as a geeat affliction that he should not die and therefore â—…e himself confutes it But yet Iesus said he said not â—…hat he should not die as if he had said God forbid that â—… should not die Before I come to the application of this Point give me leave to speak something to the second Point and â—…o I shall apply them both together The second Doctrine is this That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but a gathering of him to God Christ and the blessed Society of Saints and Angels in Heaven This is contained in the second expression merciful men are taken away the word in the Hebrew is Colliguntur they are gathered it is exegetical of the former â—…hey did not perish but they are gathered to God and Christ there is a great deal of excellency and a Magaâ—…ine of sweetness in this expression They are gathered It â—…mplies two things First That the righteous are in a scattered condition while they are in this world and that three wayes First They are scattered among the wicked and ungodly of the world as Sheep among Wolves as Limbs among Lions rent and torn in pieces forced to wander up and down in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins Secondly The righteous are scattered in the world one from another and that two wayes 1. They are scattered by their different habitations for the godly are forced to separate one from another as Lot from Abraham 2. They are scattered one from another by the cruel persecution of wicked men and therefore you read Acts 8. that at that time when there was a persecution against the Church at Ierusalem that they were all scattered abroad Thirdly The godly are scattered in this life from the glorious presence of God in Heaven indeed they are never scattered from the gracious presence of God but sometimes they are scattered from the comforting presence of God and as long as we live in this world we shall be scattered from the glorious presence of God for while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord. Secondly This implies a bringing of Gods people out of this scattered condition it is a gathering of the righteous out of this world into another from a sinful persecuted world into a sinlesse glorious world from diversity of dwelling on earth to dwell altogother in one heaven it is a gathering them out of the reach of men and devils a gathering them not only to the gracious but to the glorious presence of God and Christ and to the souls of just men made perfect and to the general assembly of the first-born and to the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem where they shall live together never to be scattered again To understand this the better let me offer three things to you shewing you that the godly are gathered to God three wayes In this life at death and at the day of judgement First The righteous are gathered to God in this life and that is at their first conversion for by nature we are all Aliens and strangers to God scattered from any union or communion with God not only scattered from the glorious but from the gracious presence of God God made man at first to enjoy communion with himself but Adam lost this by his sin and now we are all Cains and Vagabonds scattered from the love of God and from union and communion with God but when God converts any of the Elect he gathers them home to himself for conversion is nothing but Gods gathering them to himself in the second Adam that were scattered from him in the first Adam the first Adam was a root of scattering a root of separation from God but the second Adam was a root of union and conjunction Christ is the head and all the Elect are all gathered together in him Ephes. 1. 10. that he might gather together in one all things in Christ so that conversion is nothing but a gathering of the Elect of God to Christ by faith and a gathering to one another by love and charity Secondly Gods people are gathered at death here they are gathered to Christ by grace but at death they are gathered to Christ in glory here they are gathered to God by hope but at death by fruition here Christ is gathered to us he comes down and dwells with us but at death we shall be gathered to him we shall go up and â—…e joyned with him There is a great deal of difference between esse cum Christo and esse in Christo esse cum Christo to be one with Christ is a Christians great security but esse in Christo to be one in Christ it is a Christians great felicity In this life we are gathered to God by â—…aith but at death by vision Lastly We shall be gathered to God at the day of Judgement it is called the day of the gathering of the Saints together a day when all the Saints that are have been or shall be shall all be gathered together 2 Thes. 2. 1. I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him at the great day At the day of judgement we shall all be gathered together and shall be all taken up to Heaven I mean all the Righteous and be ever with the Lord And so much for the opening of the Doctrine But here it may be objected Are not the unrighteous gathered by death as well
dearly Beloved And here let me speak by way of encouragement to you of this Parish I find St. Paul commending the good he saw in his people 1 Thess. 1. 3 We are bound to thank God alwayes for you beloved because your faith grows exceedingly Here Paul is commending his people In imitation of this Apostle let me at this time speak a commendatory word to you I have exercised my Ministry now among you for almost sixteen years and I rejoice and bless God that I cannot say The more I love you the less I am loved I have received many signal demonstrations of love from you though other Parishees have exceeded you for number of houses yet I think not for strength of affection I have with much comfort observed your reverent attention to the word preached you rejoiced in this light not for a season but to this day I have observed your zeal against error and as much as could be expected in a critical time your unity and amity this is your honour and if for the future there should be any interruption made in my Ministry among you though I should not be permitted to preach to you yet I shall not cease to love you to pray for you but why should there be an interruption made where is the crime Some indeed say that we are disloyal and seditious Beloved what my actings and sufferings for his Majesty have been is known not to a few of you but however we must go to Heaven through good report and through bad report and it is well if we can get to glory though we pass through the pikes I shall endeavour that I may still approve the sincerity of my love to you I will not promise that I shall still preach among you nor will I say that I shall not I desire to be guided by the silver-thread of Gods word and of Gods providence my heart is toward you there is you know an expression in the late Act that we shall be now shortly as if we were naturally dead and if I must die let me leave some legacy with you before I go from you I cannot but give you some counsel and advice for your souls and I hope there is no hurt in that There are my beloved these twenty directions that I desire you to take special notice of which I would leave as advice and counsel with you about your souls First I beseech you keep your constant hours every day with God the godly man is a man set aparâ—… Psal. 4 3. not only because God hath set him apart by election but because he hath set himself a part by devotion Give God the Aurâ—…rae filium begin the day with God visit God in the morning before you make any others visits wind up your hearts toward heaven in the morning and they will go the better all the day after O turn your Closets into Temples read the Scriptures the two Testaments are the two lips by which God speaks to us these will make you wise unto salvation the Scripture is both a glass to shew you your spots and a laver to wash them away besiege heaven every day with Prayer thus perfume your houses and keep a constant intercourse with heaven Secondly get good books into your houses when you have not the spring near to you then get water into your cistern so when you have not that wholesome preaching that you desire good books are cisterns that hold the waters of life in them to refresh you When Davids natural heat was taken away they covered him with warm clothes 1 Kings 1. so when you find a chilness upon your souls and that your former heat begins to abate ply your selves with warm clothes get those good books that may acquaint you with such truths as may warm and affect your hearts Thirdly have a care of your company Take heed of unnecessary familiarity with sinners we cannot catch health from another but we may soon catch a disease the disease of sin is very catching I would be as fraid of coming among the wicked as among those that have the plague Psal 106. 35. They were mingled with the heathen and learned their works if we cannot make others better let us have a care that they make not us worse Lot was was a miracle he kept fresh in Sodomes salt-water My beloved take heed of the occasions of sin evil company is an occasion of sin The Nazarites in the old Law as they might drink no wine so they were forbidden grapes whereof the wine was made as you read in Numb 6. to teach us that all occasions of sin must be avoided evil company is â—…ellus animarum the Devils draw-net by which he draws millions to Hell How many families and how many souls have been ruined and undone in this City by evil company many there are that go from a Playhous to a Whorehous from a Tavern to Tyburn Fourthly have a care whom ye hear it is our Saviour Christs counsel Mat. 7. 15. Beware of false Prophets that come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening wolves Let me tell you the Devil hath his Ministers as well as Christ Rev. 12. 15. The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman that is as the learned exponnd it Satan by his Ministers and Emissaries cast out the flood of Arrian doctrine to drown the Church There are some who by the subtilty of their wit have learned the Art to mix error with truth and to give poyson in a golden cup. Take heed who you hear and how you hear be like those noble Beroeans that searched the Scriptures whether the things that they preached were so or not Acts 17. 11. Your ears must not be like spunges that suck in puddle-water as wel as wine but your ears must be like a fan that fans out the chaffe but retains the pure wheat you must be like those in the Parable Mat. 13. 48. that gathered the good fish into vessels but cast the bad away The Saints are called Virgins for their wisdom they will not let every one defile their souls with error they have a judicious ear and a critical palate that can distinguish betwixt truth and error and put a difference betwixt meat of Gods sending and the Devils cooking Fifthly study sincerity Psal. 51. 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward part be what you seem to be be not like Rowers in a Barge that look one way and row another Do not look heaven-ward by your profession and row hel-ward by your conversation do not pretend to love God and not love sin Simulata sanctitas duplicata iniquitas Counterfeit piety is double iniquity Let your hearts be upright with God the plainer the Diamond is the richer it is and the more plain the heart is the more doth God value this jewel A little rusty gold is far better then a great deal of bright brasse a little true Grace though
that man Forgiveness of sin in Scripture is called The lifting off of sin so it is in the Hebrew Iob 7. Lord why dost thou not lift off my sin It is a Metaphor taken from a weary man that goes under a burthen ready to sink under it and another man comes and lifts off this burthen so doth the great God when the burthen of sin is ready to sink the Conscience Gods lifteth off this burthen from the Conscience and lays it upon Christs shoulders and he carries it now he that hath his burthen thus carryed it is well for him however things go Pardon and forgiveness of sin it is a crowning blessing it is a Jewel in a Believers Crown Pardon of sin is a multiplying mercy it brings a great many mercies along with it whom God pardons he adopts whom God pardons he invests with holiness and with glory Pardon of sin is such a mercy that it is enough to make a sick man well Isa. 32. 24. The Inhabitants shall not say They are sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity The sense of pardon takes away the sense of pain it must needs then be well with the righteous his greatest evil is removed Secondly However things go It shall be well with the righteous because God is his portion Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places In God all things are to be found and all that is in God is engaged for the good of the Righteous His power is his to help him His wisdom is his to teach him His spirit is his to sanctifie him and His mercy is his to save him God is the righteous mans portion and can God give a greater gift to us than to give Himself to us God is a rich portion the Angels riches God is a safe and a sure portion for his Name is a strong Tower He is a portion that can never be spent for he is infiniteness and he is a portion can never be lost for he is Eternity Thou art my portion for ever Psal. 73. 26. And surely it is well with them that have God for their portion Is it not well with them that are happy Why if God be our portion we are happy Psal. 144. 16. Happy is the people whose God is the Lord. And so much for the Doctrinal part The Application of this point may afford abundancâ—… of comfort to every godly man to every person fearing God in this Congregation God hath sent me this day with a Commission to comfort you O that I might drop in the oil of gladness into every broken and troubleâ—… spâ—…rit Say to the righteous it shall be well with him Here'â—… good news from heaven however things are yet still iâ—… is well with the righteous But here 's a great question to be answered How dotâ—… it appear that it is well with the righteous for we ofteâ—… see it is worst with him he is deprived of his comforts he is made the reproach of the world for Christ yeâ—… many times he loseth his life how then is it well witâ—… the righteous I answer yet still is it well with the righteous thougâ—… he meet with trouble in the world and one wave riseâ—… upon the neck of another yet is it well with the righteous as appears in these following particulars First All the troubles that a righteous man meets with turn to his good and so it is well with him That 's a famous Scripture Ier. 24. 5. Whom I have sent out of this place into the Land of the Chaldeans for their good Gods own Israel were transported into Babylon among their enemies for their good The troubles of the righteous are only a means to purge out their sins and that 's for their good I have read a story of one Peleus who running at another with a sword to kill him by accident the sword only run into his Impostume and broke that Thus all the evils and troubles of the righteous do but serve to cure them of the Imposthume of pride and to make them more humble When the body of a Saint is afflicted his soul that revives and flourishes in grace like two Lawrel trees that I have read of that when one withered the other flourished so when the body is afflicted yet grace flourishes God doth distil out of the bitterest drugs his glory and our salvation That that the world looks upon as a punishment that God makes medicinal to heal the soul. Well then may it be well with the righteous the rod of God upon a Saint is but only Gods pencil whereby he draws his Image more lively upon the soul. God never stretcheth the strings of his Viol but to make the musick so much the sweeter Secondly In the midst of all the troubles that befal the righteous yet still it is well with them in regard of those inward heart-revivings that God gives them we see a godly man in misery but we see not his comforts we see his prison grates but we hear not that sweet musick that he enjoys in his Conscience God sweetens to his people outward troubles with inward peace It is the title that is given to God 2 Cor. 6. 7. The God that comforteth them that are cast down The Bee can gather Honey as well from the Thiâ—…tle and bitter Herb as from the sweet Flower and a Child of God can gather joy out of his sorrow out of the very Carcass sometimes he fetcheth Honey When the body is in pain the soul may be at ease as when a mans head akes yet his heart may be well Thus it is well with the Righteous God gives him inward comforts that revive him and sweeten his outward pain 3. In times of calamity and trouble yet still is it well with the Righteous because many times God hears his people in the time of trouble in a storm God will have a care of his Jewels he will hide them and suffer them not to be carryed away and thus he makes good that Scripture literally Psal. 91. 4. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust no evil shall touch thee God oftentimes verifies this Scripture literally he makes his Angels to be his Peoples Life-guard to hide them and to defend them When a Flood was coming on the World God provided an Ark to hide Neah in When Israel was carryed and transported into Babylon God hides Ierâ—…my and gives him his life for a prey Iâ—…r 39. 11 12. And in this sense the Saints of God are called his hidden Ones Psal. 83. 3. Why so not only because they are hid in Gods decree and hid in Christs wounds but oftentimes God hides them in time of common danger and calamity they are hidden Ones Thus God reserved to himself seven thousand that had not bowed the Knee to Baal the Prophet knew not of any but God knew of seven thousand that he
had hid and in this sense it is well with the Righteous in time of publick misery But you will say Sometimes it is worse than all this with them sometimes the Righteous dye and perish and are carryed away with a tempest How is it well with them then Yes yet still it is well with the Righteous though their Life be taken away yet still it is well with them and that in a two-fold sense First Many times God takes away the Righteous by death in great mercy he takes them away that they shall not see the miseries that are coming upon a Land as Virgil the Heathen Poet said They were happy that dyed before their Countrey meaning before they saw the ruins of their Countrey And truly many times God takes away his Children in mercy that they shall not see the miseries that are coming on a Land you have a pregnant and clear Scripture for this 1 King 14. 13. He only of the House of Jeroboam shall come to his grave it is spoken of Aâ—…ijah his Son He only shall come to his grave because in him there was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel God would put this man into his grave betimes in mercy because he should not see the evil that was coming upon the Land You have a parallel Scripture to this 2 King 22. v. ult It is spoken of Iosiah I will gather thee to thy Fathers thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace and thine eye shall not see the evil that I will bring upon this place Why Iosiah died in battel How is it said then that he went to his grave in peace the meaning is this because Iosiah was an holy man he had made his peace with God and so went to his grave in peace and because he should not see the evil approaching therefore God gathered him to his grave in peace Ierome speaks thus of Nepotian itseems Ierome lived to see some troubles before he died Meeting with some storms Now said he how happy is my friend Nepotian that sees not these troubles happy is he that is gotten 〈◊〉 of the storm and is in the haven Thus Luther died in mercy before the troubles of Germany began to break forth Thus it is well with the Righteous though they do die God takes them away in mercy that they may not see approaching evils Secondly Though the righteous do die are taken away and perish in astorm yet is it well with them because death cannot hurt them it can neither hurt their Bodies nor yet their Souls the Body is safe it doth not perish though it doth die the bodies of the Saints are very precious dust in Gods account the Lord locks up these Jewels in the Grave as in a Cabinet the bodies of the Saints lie mellowing and ripening in the grave till a blessed time of resurrection How precious is the dust of a Believer though the World mind it not yet 't is precious to God The Husbandman hath some Corn in the Barn and other Corn in his ground the Corn in the ground is as precious to him as that in the Barn Why the Bodies of the Saints in the grave are Gods Corn in the ground and God makes a very precious account of this Corn the bodies of the Saints shall be more glorious and blessed than ever at the resurrection Tertullian says the Bodies shall be then Corpora Angelica the Body shal be angelified in regard of that beauty and lustre which shall be put upon it As it is with a piece of silk or cloth that is died of a Purple scarlet colour it is made more bright and illustrious than it was before Thus it is with the bodies of the Saints they are dyed of a brighter colour at the resurrection they are made like Christs glorious body Phil. 3. 20. Thus shall it be well with the righteous in their bodies they shall not perish Secondly At death it shall be well with the righteous as to their souls O it shall be a blessed time Methinks it is with a Saint at the time of death just as it was with Paul in his voyage to Rome the ship did break into many pieces but yet he got safe to shore so it is with a believer though the ship of his body may be snap't and broken at death yet the passenger is safe the soul gets safe to shore even to the heavenly Ierusalem then surely it is well with the righteous at his death the day of a believer's death is the birth-day of his blessedness it is his ascension-ascension-day to heaven his death-day is his marriage-mariage-day with Jesus Christ faith doth but Contract us here but at death the Nuptials shall be solemnized in glory and shall it not be well with the righteous they shall see God face to face And says Austin Ipse Deus sufficit ad praemium It will be heaven enough to have the â—…ight of God The Saints shall then enter into joy joy now enters into them here but then they shall enter into joy they shall drink of that pure river that runs from God the ever lasting Fountain Thus you see it shall go well with the righteous however things go though troubles come though death it self come and therefore let those that are the people of God comfort themselves with these words To conclude this first point what encouragement is this to all you that hear me now to begin to be righteous This Text may tempt us all to be godly Say to the righteous It shall be well with him when things go never so ill with him yet still it shall be well with him Grant that all things are ill with you in your estate in your relations yet then if you are righteous all things shall be well with you your pardon is sealed you are an Heir of Gods Promises all things shall work for good you have God for your Father you have heaven in reversion for your inheritance and is it not well with you how may this make us all in love with godliness how may this tempt us to be godly For if ever we would enjoy happiness we must espouse holiness Say to the righteous it shall be well with him And so much for the first proposition The godly mans comfort in life and death Now if this will not prevail with men to make them leave their sins and become righteous I must passe in a few words to the next branch of my Text to scare men out of their sins to affright them out of their wickednesse Wo to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him This my beloved is the dark side of the cloud and it may cause in every wicked man that hears me a paâ—…pitation and trembling at the heart Wo to the wicked it shall be ill with him And so the Proposition is this That when things seem to be well with wicked men it shall be ill with
measure of grace oh help us by faith to relie upon God that thou mayst help us at last Bless with us all thine remember thy people from one end of the world unto the other thy people are very low this is a time of Jacob's troubles the bush is burning every day 〈◊〉 thou the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereof shew thy self in mercy to these nations We bless thee for all thy meroies that thy judgements do not feize upon us every day that thou dost not sweep us away that thou dost not rain fire and brimstone on England as thou didst on Sodom our sins cry aloud to Heaven for vengeance God is greatly provoked every day and it is a miracle of patience that yet thou hast not destroyed us God can pardon the sins of the Nation at once but we are not fit for pardon we dâ—… not humble our selves oh Lord humble us Give repentance to England from the highest to the lowest that we may return unto thee We desire to bless thee that our enemies have not had their wills over us they said they would pursue and overtake and satisfie their lusts but God did blow upon them and they did sink in the mighty waters and thou hast yet preserved thy Church we pray thee do not leave us nor remove thy Gospel whatsoever thou dost Pour down the best of thy blessings upon thy Servant and our Soveraign Charles by thy Grace of England Scotland France and Ireland King bless him with the blessings of Heaven and Earth make Him a blessing to all of us bless him in all His Relations the Lords of the Privy Council Look on them that have desired an interest in our prayers Known to thee are all of them know their souls in this time of adversity make their beds in their sickness give faith to them that complain of unbelief give the spirit of Prayer to those that complain they cannot pray Be a Counsellor to those that want Counsel in their affairs either by Sea or Land let thy blessing go with them whereever they go spare the lives of children if it be thy will Prepare us for thy good and holy Word let it be a savour of life unto life and let it come with power unto us Oh let us hear it as Thy Word nâ—…i as the word of a poor man but as the Word of God And all for the Lord Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to whom with thee and the Spirit of Grace be given Glory and Honour for evermore Amen Dr. Iacomb's Forenoon Sermon JOHN 8. 29. And he that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do alwayes those things that please him THese are the words of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are spoken by himself they are spoken of himself though yet in a sober and modest sense they are applicable to all his members That which Christ here affirms is that the presence of God was alwayes with him and this is first propounded He that sent me is with me and then it is amplified and the Father hath not left me alone and then thirdly the reason of this is annexed for I alwayes do those things that please him I shall speak but very little of the words as they do refer to Christ he tells us his Father was with him he did not leave him alone in all the troubles and difficulties that he met withal in the finishing the great work of man's Redemption still God was with him It is true there was a time when Christ was without the sensible manifestation of his Father's presence when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Why but yet even then in truth and in reality his Father did not leave him for though he had not the evidences of his Father's presence yet he had the influences of his Father's presence It would take up much time to shew you how in all Particulars the the Father was present with Christ I will only speak this one word and instance in this one thing God's assisting presence was alwayes with him both in his active and also in his passive obedience and indeed he had that work to do and those miseries to suffer that if God had left him if he had not been mightily assisted by the Divine Nature Christ as meer man could neither have done nor have suffered what he did but the Father was with him to support him Isa. 42. 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold You shall find that Christ did act faith upon this in Isa. 50. 7. The Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded Ver. 9. The Lord will help me So to the same effect is Psal. 16. 9. And you shall find this made good to him in the Scriptures in his greatest necessities Take a Double Instance In the first place After he had been engaged in that Combat with Satan you read of in Matth. 4. The strongest Combat or Dueâ—… that ever was fought wherein you have the Prince of Peace and the prince of darkness the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah and the roaring lion that seeks how to devour both of them putting forth their utmost strength and endeavouring to overcome each the other Now I say in this Combat the Father did not leave Christ but he helps him for he sends an Angel for to minister unto him Mat. 4. 11. So in Christ's bitter Agony in the Garden just before his bitter passion and death upon the Cross the Father did not leave him alone for he sent an Angel unto him to strengthen him Mat. 22. 43. and so in several other places and in several other things I might instance but I shall pass this by I but now Why did the Father thus stand by Christ he gives you the reason of it in the Text because he alwayes did the things that pleased him This I shall open in a double respect First Christ's undertaking the Work of our Redemtion it was very well pleasing unto his Father that poor lost und oâ—…e sinners should be brought back again unto God and restored unto his love and favour I say the Father was infinitely well-pleased with Christ in this undertaking Isa. 53. 10. The pleasure of the Lrrd shall prosper in his hand the pleasure of the Lord that is the Work of our Redemption wherein God the Father took great pleasure or delight therefore when Christ was publiquely in â—…he eye of the world to enter upon this great Work the Father sends him out with this witness This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased He speaks not only of his well-pleasing to his Person but also to his well-pleasing as to his Undertaking Secondly as the Work it self was pleasing unto God so Christ's managing of â—…his Work was all along pleasing unto his Father and that doth appear in this that Christ in all things kept to his Father's Commission and to his
accordingly 5. Love the holiness of the living members be not so much in love with the holiness of wood and timber bricks and stones but wheresoever you see the Image of Christ be in love with that soul whereever the presence of God shines and whereever thou seest one that gives up himself to God in holy duties do thou say Oh! my soul delight to come into the company of these men The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour If there be a heaven upon earth I tell you it is in the company of godly men I remember a famous man hath this expression saith he When I was in the company of the Saints and people of God I was as a living coal but when I was separated from them and was among the wicked swearers and drunkards me-thoughts there was a spiritual coldness and frozenness went over my soul. Though the people of God are best companie in heaven yet they are very good companie here on earth And Christians should stir up one another and be provoking one another to love and good works and where ever you have grace be sure to impart it Endeavour to love the holiness of Saints and be willing to impart your experiences to others for this is your duty Do not make a Monopoly of holiness but carry company with you to Heaven Lastly to name no more labour to preserve the holiness of Gods true Institutions those things which are of a divine consecration What is humane consecration without divine institution The Sabbath day is of divine institution labour to keep it holy this is a holy-day indeed and this labour to keep your families from profaning of but for other holy dayes and holy things they are much alike for holiness The Lords day is a holy day indeed and for shame do not let your children gad abroad on this day Truly I do verily believe that though here be a great company of people in the Congregation yet they are but a handful in comparison of what are drinking in Ale-houses and whoring and walking in the field that one can hardly get home to their house for the crowd of people that are going thither For shame let not this be told in Gath nor published in Askelon What! shall we stand up for the holiness of places and yet oppose the holiness of the Lords day which God hath enjoyned and instituted Oh! that the Magistrates of London Oâ—… that Englands King Oh! that Englands Parliament would do something for the reformation of this to oppose wickedness and prophanesse which will otherwise bring upon us the judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah and make us guilty and worthy of a thousand punishments And labour by prayer in your families to overcome that flood of prophanesse which you cannot by your strength prevent And then for the Sacraments of Christ Baptisme and the Lords Sâ—…pper these are Ordinances of Gods appointment they are holy and therefore should not be given to those that are unholy and yet those who are so much for the holinesse of places do not care who come to the Sacrament if they have but a nose on their face they shall come and partake of the Ordinances let them be what they will this is to prefer mans institution before Gods institution And then for the Lords Message and Word that is a holy thing and therefore love his Messengers the Messengers of God delivering his Message with fear and reverence you are to hear them with the same fear and reverence and resolution to be holy as if Christ were present And for the Word of God it is not enough for you to have a choice Sentence written upon the walls of your Churches but let Gods Law be written in your hearts and consciences and practised in your lives that all the world may see you live as men dedicated to the true God in all the duties of his wayes and obedience Many of these things might have been inlarged What I have given you with the right hand I pray you Christians do not take with the left for if you do you will make your selves guilty of a double sin First Because you do not obey the truth you hear And secondly For putting a wrong construction upon it But I have better hopes of you my Beloved Hearers and hope that the Lord will be better unto your souls then his Ministers Word or any thing else can be God blesse you and his Ordinances and discover his mind and will at this time to you Mr. Jenkins's Prayer after Sermon O Lord our God thou art never weary of doing us good if we either consider the mercies thou givest to us or the miseries that thou keepest from us that yet we have another opportunity of drawing nigh to thee we beseech thee O Lord let not our mis-interpreting of such opportunities as these are cause thee to take them from us or thy self from them if thou dost Lord we cannot but justifie thee and abase our selves and lie low before thee because we have sinned against thee O Lord we bless thee that we are yet alive to bless thee that yet we have not sinned our bodies into a cold grave nor our souls into a scorching Hell thou givest us our beings if thou withdraw thy self we cease to be and shall return to our first nothingness from whence we came the living the living they praise thee as if we know our own hearts we desire to do at this time Praised be God for Iesus Christ that he died and rose again and is now a pleading at thy right hand for poor sinners Praised be God that he is offered to us for his sake O God pardon all our sins let our lusts die that would not let the Lord of life live let not any one of them live one quiet moment in these hearts of ours let us give up our selves and all that we are or can do to the purpose of thy praise we beseech thee prepare us for a blessed eternity that we may not be ashamed before thee nor ashamed of thee nor thy wayes in the midst of a crooked perverse unclean idolatrous generation Dear Father we most humbly pray thee prepare us for communion with thy self assist us in the ensuing duties of this day let all the work be done by thee let all the praise redound unto thee prepare us by hearing for prayer by both for practice by all for glory Lord set up thy truth ruine Babylon build up Sion delight yet to dwell in the midst of us and do us good though we are a sinful back-sliding God-provoking Nation Mayest thou not say of us as of old what couldst thou have done more for us then thou hast done yet how ill have we requited thee for all thy benefits Poure down the richest showers of thy choicest blessings upon the head and heart of our Dread Soverain Charles the Second by thy especial grace of England Scotland France and Ireland King as follows in his Royal
conversion sins against prayers vows promises covenants and oaths O Lord if thou didst prefer thy bill against us we could not stand if we were weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary we should be sound too light But holy Father remember not against us our former sin â—…t rather have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindness cross and blot out our iniquitres blot them out so fully and wholly that it may be to us as to Judah in the promise that the sins of Judah should be sought for and not found Oh bathe our souls in that fountain that was set open for Judah and Jerusalem though our sins have been as scarlet let them be as white as snow though they be red like crimson let them be like wool We have read that a flood of sin brought down a deluge of water that they covered the tops of the mountains O let thy deluge of mercy cover the tops of the mountains of our sins It is the glory of a God to pardon great sins we desire to turn unto thee with our whole hearts do thou subdue our iniquities let us be not only cleansed but let us have the efficacy of the Spirit of Christ to wish us from the guilt of sin because we boast we are not under the law but under grace Be gracious to our Soveraign Lord Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland it is thy promise that Kings shall be nursing fathers to thy children grant that under the shadow of his Majesty thy people may be protected that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty oh let thy people possess the land from Dan to Bersheba oh give us Scripture-Magistrates and Gospel-Ministers as long as the Sun and Moon endures Let thy Word be sanctified to us let it not be only as water to get out our spots but as a refiners fire to purge our dross take away our tin And Holy Father where thou hast begun a good work do thou go on and bring it to perfection let not the light that is in us be like the glimmering light of the evening but as the light of the morning that shineth more and more to the day Let our best wine be kept till the last let the end of our lives be the end of sinning Thou hast cast our lot in the midst of temptations of all sorts thou hast brought many of us through the red Sea but yet we are in the wilderness with Zeba and Zâ—…lmunna and those that dwell at Tyre the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir and all the forces that Hell can make against us oh put upon us all the whole armour of God Now in these dayes of error gird us with the girdle of truth oh now in these dayes of falsily give us a â—…etmet of hope Now the devil darts at us give us the shield of faith oh give us the sword of the Spirit of the Word of God that it may enable us to confute the gain sayings of foolish men Oh help us to pray with all manner of prayer constantly servently faithfully feelingly that we may stand and not fall and that not in our strength but in Gods To this end be with us upon this thine own day our Manna falls every day and is doubled upon the Lords day oh let us be as thy servant John in the spirit upon thine own day let God by his spirit come into our spirits understandings consciences wills memories and affections that all our conversations without and affections within may be obedient to thy word Enable thy servant to deliver thy word faithfully God forbid thy servant should stand upon so sandy a foundation as the wisdom of man one Iota of thy word has more wisdom in it then all men and Angels have Good Father give thy people a hearing ear it is too much they have played by the light of thy candle and slighted thy Manna so long oh now therefore to day give us to hear and know and believe and do the things that concern our everlasting peace hear us for Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed self and Spirit be glory now and for ever Mr. Lye's Forenoon Sermon Phil. 4. 1. Therefore my Brethren dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved MY Beloved I do very well remember that upon the four and twentieth day of this instant month 1651. I was then under the sentence of Banishment and that very day did I preach my farewell Sermon to my people from whom I was banished because I would not swear against my King having sworn to maintain his just Power Honour and Greatness and now behold a second tryal Then I could not forswear my self the God of Heaven keep me that I never may I am apt to think I could do any thing for this loving Congregation only I cannot sin But since beloved there is a sentance gone out against us that we that cannot subscribe must not subsist this is the last day that is prefixed to us to preach I shall now speak to you God assisting me if my passion will give me leave just as if I would speak if I were immediately to die therefore hearken my Brethren dearly beloved and longed for my Ioy and Crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved Paul was now a Prisoner at Rome for the Gospel of Christ it was his second imprisonment and he was not far from being offered up a sacrifice for the Gospel he had preached This Gospel the Philippians had heard him preach and the godly Philippians having heard of his imprisonment they sent from Philippi to Rome to visit him and to supply his wants a gracious temper which I hope the eternal God hath given the Saints in London and for which if for any thing God hath a blessing in store for them Paul is not so much concerned in his own bands as in the Philippians Estate Epaphroditus tells him that there were Heresies and false Doctrines got in amongst them but yet the Philippians stood fast and herein Paul rejoyces writes this Epistle bids them go on stand fast keep their ground and to be sure not to give an inch but to stand fast knowing that at a long run their labour should not be in vain in the Lord. A most melting Compellation and a most serious Exhorâ—… 1. A melting Compellation My Brethren dearly beloved c. 2. A serious Exhortation and in it 1. the matter of the duty stand and stand it out and stand fast 2. The manner 1. So stand so as you have stood stand fast 2. In the Lord stand so and stand in the Lord in the Lords strength and in the Lords Cause to stand in your own strength would be the ready way to fall and to stand in your own cause for your own fancy would be the ready way to expose your selves to all manner of temptations Therefore my Brethren dearly
those that wait upon thee shall renew their strengths we have no might the Devill bâ—…ffles us our own hearts are treacherous to us the world intâ—…ces us to sin against God Oh! deliver us from all these Enemies and especially from the plagues of our hearts that we may perfect holyness in the fear of God give us Spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou denyest us thou knowest thou artrather willing to give us Spirituall blessings then any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most oh give us spiritual mercies that we may say This is the way of God in his Sanctuary Where Grace is not wrought work it where it is begun encrease it Dear Father convince those that are yet not convinced make thy Word a quickning word an ingrafâ—…ed word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives and as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King blesse him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all Godlinesse and honesty Bless the Magistrates and help them to remember that causes one day must be heard over again help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in wayes that are well pleasing Be with us at this time Lord assist the meanest of thy Servants let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy Word above all thy Name do us good recâ—…ive us quicken us that we may live in Heaven upon Earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulnesse of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledge Communicate thy selfe to us as thou usest to do to thy people let us feel thy presence let us not think of any thing but the business we are about let us with singlenesse of heâ—…t set our selves to mind the concernments of our immortal souls And all we beg for Christ his sake who has taught us thus to pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Mr. Cradockt's Prayer at Saint Sepulchres August 10. 1662. MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hast put thine own name and stamp upon this day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose â—…r unprepared and indisposed souls for holy observation of this thine own holy day will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his grace whereby we may be unabled to offer up spiritual sacrifices which may be acceptable to Iesus Christ. Lord thou requâ—…rest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that thy Subâ—…ath is a day of souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain We acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to Heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be mercifull to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of dâ—…ath children of darknesse slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts hardned what are our hearts but a store-house of â—…licious thoughts a brothel-house of adultery a Pallace of pride we are by nature wholly flesh totally opposite to the holy Lawes of thy Majesty and were it not for thy renewing or restraâ—…ning grace we should break forth into as vile abominations as the vilest of men Our lives have been a continual piece of rebellion against God who didst make us and dost feed and cloath us all thy paths have been paths of mercy to us but we have requited thee evil for thy good and hatred for thy love O foolish men and women that we have bin we acknowledge our Gospel sins are of a deep eye thou hast not bin a wildernesse or a Land of darknesse to us we have been exalted to Heaven in the meanes of salvation but oh how short do we come of knowledge to the time and meanes we have enjoyed and our obedience comes short of our knowledge we have not walked up to that light which thou hast given us We desire to lay our selves low before thee oh do thou open our eyes and presentus to our selves shew us the vilenesâ—…e of our lives Blessed be thy name that thou hast laid help upâ—… 〈◊〉 that is mighty to save all that come to thy Majesty by him and thou hast promised all that beleive on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Oh help us to receive him in all his offices in our hearts help us to give him the keyes of our hearts and help us to live and die to him that dyed for us and let our soules be united to thee by him that his death may be ours and his life ours and his intercession ours Oh let our unity to Christ be demonstrated to us by our communion with him and conformity to him in grace and holiness And we pray thee dearest Lord pardon our sins in the Court of Heaven and in the Court of our own consciences besprinkle our consciences in the blood of Christ and say to all before thee at this time that desire to fear thee more and serve thee better Sons and Daughters be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you And do not only justifie us but sanctifie us purge our consciences from dead workes informe our understandings conforme our wills to thine holy will let our hearts and lives be conformed to the Image of thy Sonne that beholding thereof we may be changed from glory to glory and let us have more knowledge of thy will that we may do thy will and suffer thy will with more patience and be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are to the glory of God Let us not be empty Vines that bring forth fruit to themselves but let us bring forth fruit to God whereby thou mayest be glorified Oh plant that great grace of selfe-denyal in our souls and let us take the Crosse of Iesus Christ and follow him wheresoever he goes Remember all thine extend thy favour to those thou hast cast on Beds of sicknesse and let there be a saving change wrought in them before that change by death shall come And that are drawing nigh their time of Travel let the arms of the All-sufficient God be under them and be better to them thâ—…s their Faith or our Prayer And look graciously upon poor Children intitle them to an inheritance that fadeth not away make them a blessing in themselves and a blessing to their Parents And those that desire the conversion of Relations that walk in wayes of perâ—…ition do not let them find peace in any way against thy Majesty and let them know that sin will be bitter in the latter end Look upon us that are before thee at this time before we go hence and shall be here no more make thy face to shine upon us let our coming together be for the better and not for the worse to any of us Let thy poor Servant be able to deliver thy message plainly and powerfully and give thy people hearing ears obedient hearts and let us rejoyce that we did wait upon thee in thy worship this day and all for Christ his sake in whose Name and words we call upon thee Our Father c. FINIS