as a Prince thou hast power with God and with Men and hast prevailed And Elias an eminent Prophet prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the Land of the Ten Tribes of Israel for the space of Three Years and six Months and he prayed again and the Heavens gave Rain and the Earth brought forth her Fruit. Temporal Blessings which appertain to this mortal life God hath promised upon certain conditions restrictions and limitations i. e. that if he in his infinite Wisdom see them good and necessary convenient and advantagious for us Spiritual Blessings which tend to make us happy in the future World he hath promised absolutely and in particular Peace of reconciliation with God and eternal Salvation he is ready to grant to every humble supplicant Psal 69.32 their Soul shall live that seek the Lord. They shall have inward life joy and consolation here and everlasting Life and Glory hereafter Rom. 10.13 for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved but for these Belssings he will be sought unto both publickly and privately 1 Publickly in the Church which is the House of Prayer wherein the Primitive Christians met together in multitudes like a great Army to besiege Heaven and take it by storm Coimus in Coetum Congregationem ut ad Deum quâ—si manufactâ praecationibus ambiamus Tert. for the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by storm i. e. by ardent Prayers and fervent Devotions they did send up their joint Petitions with such holy fervors that St. Jerom faith their Amen was like a clap of Thunder Certainly their Zeal is a shame and reproach to our coldness and indifferency to publick Prayers which hath been the general practice of Men of all Ages and Religionâ— who have thought it their duty to beleaguer the Universal Parent and Soveraign of the World and to pay him their thankful acknowledgments And therefore such as deny or neglect so faced and solemn a part of Divine Worship and so excellent a means of Holiness may justly be suspected of Atheism and Impiety Be intreated therefore dear Christians as you value the Church of which you are Members as you desire the favour of God and the light of his countenance which is better than life to attend frequently the publick Assemblies and to perform your parts in the Churches Prayers with devotion and fervency Psal 87.2 for God loveth the gates of Sion more than all the private habitations and dwellings of Jacob it is the place which he hath peculiarly chosen to exhibit himself in to all that call upon him there for the remission of their sins 48.3 God is known in her palaces for a sure refuge there is the most proper and decent place for us Christians publickly to meet in to beseech the Father of Mercies to be at peace with us But lest we should play the Pharisee and court the observation of the World with a formal and pompous shew of Religion our dearest Lord hath directed us also 2 To the more frequent exercise of Religious Adoration in private with our Families and yet more secretly in our Closet retirements where we may with greater freedom acknowledg our Guilts with all the aggravations and circumstances of our Sins to our gracious Father in order to obtain pardon and reconciliation with him to lay open our particular wants and necessities and pour out the desires of our Souls in all the threnes and sad accents of godly sorrow in all the penitential tears of Contrition and meltings of Repentance in all the endearments of Love and ardors of Affection And to avoid Hypocrisie Mat. 6.6 our Saviour hath directed us when we pray to enter into our Closets and having shut the door to pray to our Father which is in secret and he will reward us openly There we may think that we hear him kindly saying unto us as the Bridegroom doth to his Spouse the Church Cant. 2.14 O my Dove thou art in the clefts of the Rocks in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comly Absent not your selves dear Souls from my presence by reason of your deformities be not ashamed to appear before me but come with broken and contrite hearts with an humble boldness and confidence into my presence and make your supplications unto me for your prayers and praises your persons and Services are acceptable to me and amiable in my sight For I the Lord am gracious and merciful long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin of all kinds and degrees whatsoever the sin against the H. Ghost excepted So great is Gods mercy and clemency to relenting sinners that he pardons not only single acts but confirmed habits of sin and those also of several kinds and natures So that if we would seriously reflect upon the transcendent excellency of his kind and merciful nature and the tender love he bears to the Souls which he hath created this will quicken us to make our humble supplications to him to be at peace with us especially since he himself hath declared Esay 45.16 that none shall seek his face in vain And that both our Saviour and his Apostles have encouraged us with assured promises Mat. 7.7 that whatsoever we ask the Father in his name he will give it us Ask and it shall be given seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Jam. 4.8 1 Joh. 5.14 Draw night to God in humble adoration and he will draw nigh to you in the manifestation of his grace and favour This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us for he is more ready to give than we to ask The Lord is very pittiful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.11 Psal 86.5 full of bowels and of tender mercies He is good and ready to for give and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon him Having therefore these promises we are encouraged to pray incessantly Phil. 4.6 7. and in every thing by Prayer and Supplication to make known our requests unto God for by so doing we may obtain peace of reconciliation with him even that peace which passeth all understanding and which shall keep our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ and preserve in our bosoms such a calmness and tranquility of Soul and peace of Conscience and fervour of affection as will make us fit to die and ready to receive with joy and gladness the Son of Man when he cometh to judg the world in righteousness But if we refuse to seek the Lord while he may be sound and let slip the present season of Grace the acceptable time and the day of Salvation in which he will be intreated and will not mind the
thing is hard to an unwilling mind yet it is absolutely necessary for without emptying our hearts of all rancour malice ill will and desire of revenge we cannot obtain peace with men nor remission of our sins and reconciliation with God He hath declared that no religious duty which we perform will be pleasing and acceptable to him so long as we are not in charity with our Neighbour as appears from the forequoted Scripture If thou bring thy gift to the Altar Mat. 5.23 c. go first and be reconciled to thy Brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do thy endeavour at least to appease his anger and make him friends with thee then come and offer thy gift If he receive thy submission thou hast gained thy Brother if he continue the Enmity the fault is his and he shall answer it to Almighty God whose Law he violates in denying his pardon to the Penitent If thy Brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him if he trespass against thee seven times a day and seven times i. e. as often in a day turn again unto thee Luk. 17.3.4 saying I repent thou shalt forgive him and lay aside all thoughts and desire of Revenge This is a Doctrine directly contrary to the principle of the Stoicks a Sect of Philosophers who pretended to be most sublime and refined in their Morals which was this That a wise man ought not to pardon another mans faults nor to commiserate his sufferings for this is to invite injuries by a stupid patience Magni animi injurias despicere Lib. 2. de Ira. But the wise Seneca was of another mind who saith That it is the character of a great Soul to despise injuries Chap. 34 and that nothing is more glorious then to change enmity into amity The World may think a man stupid and without sense of honor that passeth by wrongs But Cato a wise Heathen is commended by Seneca for not resenting an affront or blow given him by a rude fellow in the Bath to whom he said when he came to make satisfaction Chap. 32. I remember not that thou didst strike me as thinking it a wiser part not to acknowledg the wrong then to repay it And a wiser man than he affirmeth that the slower a person is to anger and the readier to forgive the more understanding he hath and is more worthy of praise and honour Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression When the Prince of Peace came into the world to set up his his Kingdom introduce his holy Religion he enacted Laws of Peace Love of gentleness and forbearance of forgiveness as most agreeable to his own nature and the design of his coming He charged his Disciples to love their Enemies 1 Pet. 3.9 1 Thess 5.15 to be kindly affectionate one towards another to render to no Man evil for evil but ever to follow that which is good To bear no grudge or ill will to harbour no thoughts of Revenge for that is God's Prerogative Dearly beloved avenge not your selves Rom. 12.19 but rather give place unto Wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. It so properly belongs to Him that none but His Ministers who are commissioned by Him may execute it He severely threatned the Edomites and Philistines for their revengeful usage of the Jews Ezek. 25.14 15 16 17. I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my People Israel and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and fury and they shall know my Vengeance saith the Lord behold I will stretch out my hand upon them and will execute great Vengeance upon them in furious Rebukes or fierceness of wrath and without pity and they shall know that I am the Lord when I lay my Vengeance upon them But tho' God is sometimes forced to vindicate his own Honour in Acts of vindictive Justice yet in regard of his ordinary proceedings with Men he is frequently stiled the God of Love and Peace of Patience and Consolation the Father of pities rich in Mercy full of bowels ready to turn from his anger easie to be intreated and willing to forgive those who are guilty of the greatest trespasses against him This is his glory and delight because he is merciful and gracious Exod. 34.6 7. long suffering and abundant in goodness keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Now this kind and indulgent disposition of Mind which is the perfection of the divine Nature John 4.11 Eph. 4.31 32. the holy Apostles recommend to our imitation and practice beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away with all Malice and be kind one to another be tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you It is mighty kindness in our heavenly Father to offer us easie tearms of Peace and to beseech us to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 the consideration hereof should melt us into love and tenderness towards our offended Brother for the wrongs and injuries which he hath forgiven us are infinitely greater and of a more provoking nature then those which he requires us to forgive our Brethren our offences against him are like Beams their 's against us but as Motes ours for Number and Magnitude are Ten thousand Talents their 's for paucity and meanness but a hundred pence and since he hath so frankly forgiven us Reason and Ingenuity should engage us to be very easie to forgive those that have offended us freely and fully unfeignedly and cordially from our very Hearts This the great King in the Parable insisteth much upon to his ungrateful Servant Mat. 18.22 I forgave thee all that Debt thou owedst me because thou desiredst me should'st not thou also have had compassion on thy Fellow Servant even as I had pity on thee Our Saviour gave us his admirable Pattern of Charity and Forgiveness he shewed greater love to us whilst we were professed Enemies to him then ever any of us have done to our Neighbour and when he was upon the Cross in the height of his bitter Passion in the agony of Death he Prayed for his mortal and most malicious Enemies and earnestly interceded with his Father for his Crucifiers Luk. 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do Now so worthy a Precedent should Rouse our industry and influence our Practice and we are the greatest Monsters of ingratitude in the World if we are not provoked by an Example so illustrious in it self and so advantagious to us to go and do likewise The benefits which accrew unto us thereby are very considerable the inconveniencies which attend the neglect of so doing are very dangerous and hurtful 1 The benefits which we gain
anger and for my Praise will I refrain He forbears us because he is slow to anger he knows our frame and propension to evil and remembers the Weakness and Mortality of our Nature that we are but Dust unable to bear the weight of his Indignation and therefore he is pleased to fore-warn us of our danger by some signal Tokens thereof as the whetting of his Sword and the bending of his Bow thereby to awaken in us a serious Consideration of his anger and a great care to prevent it and a very earnest desire and endeavour to be at peace with him the which we may obtain by Repentance and Faith in Christ and by fervent Prayers and Supplications for the Remission of our Sins 1 By cordial and sincere Repentance which is a Divine Remedy the means which God hath appointed us to use for the obtaining of his Favour the Doctrine of Repentance was never taught in the School of Nature neither could be learned from the Writings of the grave Heathens tho' their wise Philosophers in their Works have given us some impersect descriptions of it But as Tertul. de poenit hath observed They were as far from understanding the true Reason of Repentance à ratione ejus tantum absuerunt quantum à rationis autore as from understanding the God of Reason They have given us many excellent Rules for the practice of Moral Vertues but were not able to instruct us in the nature of that Peace and Rest which is Eternal all that they aspired to was Peace and Serenity Tranquility and Composedness of Mind which they called Happiness but was only a Moral Attainment and they that lived most Regularly according to the Dictates * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Right Reason and Directions of Nature found most Ease and Peace in their own Bosoms Certainly Socrates and Plato had not such disturbed and distracted Minds as Cain and Judas neither had Tully and Cato such black and guilty Souls as Cethegus and Cataline neither had Plutarch and Seneca those Gripes and Twinges those Fears and Horrours which Nero and Caligula felt they beheld a Beauty and Comeliness in the face of Vertue Turpitude and Deformity in Vice and Wickedness and discovered that sin was against their Reason and true Interest Nature taught them not to sin à naturâ sequitur ut meliora probantes pejorum poeniteat to renounce and forsake Sin but it never read them Lectures of Repentance God himself made known the first Discoveries of it to the World and published his gracious intentions to accept of a sincere Repentance as the Soveraign Means to reconcile us to Himself He sent his dear and only Son to publish it by his Doctrine and confirm it by his Miracles and to make way for it by his Death and Sacrifice So that if God had not been in serious earnest to have Sinners reconciled to him by Repentance he would never have sent the Son of his love to have obtained Peace for us by the Blood of his Cross Tully and Aristotle were wholly silent in their Writings how so great a Work might be effected but the Gospel hath discovered the Counsels and Purposes of Grace and Mercy agreed upon by all the Persons in the Godhead at the Council-Board of Heaven if I may so say for the Restoring of lost Man by a new and living way which Christ hath consecrated for us and opened unto us that we might have access to God The chief Articles and Conditions whereof are Repentance and Conversion to God and Renovation of Mind which are indispensibly necessary to fit us for the Appearance of Christ and everlasting Happiness which is to be obtained by him and he therefore began his Prophetical Office with a Sermon upon Repentance Mat. 4.17 Repent signifies not only sorrow for Sin but a change of Mind Will and Affections as may be seen at large in the Parable of the Prodigal Son Luke 15. where it is fully described in all the material constitutive and principal lines and parts of it viz. Pensive Thoughtfulness and Consideration a manly and serious application of our Minds to take an impartial Re-view of our selves in which God himself doth place the first signs of our Recovery Ezek. 18.14 28. Serious and deliberate Resolution to amend our ways and doings such as we find in the Penitent King of Israel I thought on my ways Psal 119.59 69. and turned my feet to thy Precepts I made haste and delayed not to keep thy righteous Judgments 'T is dangerous for us to trifle and delay in so momentous and weighty a matter therefore while God waits to be gracious let us not abuse his Goodness and Patience but without delay resolve to mind and prosecute the things which belong to our Peace before they be hid from our Eyes and to the end that we may appease the just Displeasure of our Heavenly Father and be re-instated into his favour it is requisite that we make an ingenious Confession of all our former Transgressions with shame and sorrow of heart and great Contrition accompanied with actual Reformation and Amendment and a sincere desire and endeavour to be universally good and holy to yield an intire Obedience to all God's Commandments If these Ingredients do constitute our Repentance God is faithful and just 1. John 1.9 to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness He will not exact the forfeiture of us but freely and fully pardon us and remember our sins no more When the wicked man turneth away from all his sins Ezek. 18.21 and keepeth my Statutes and doth that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not dye all his transgressions that he hath commited they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live We have Gods gracious Promise Isa 55 7. That when any wicked man whether he be Jew or Gentile doth forsake his ways and thoughts and returns unto the Lord he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon him For his Mercies are as the great Mountains firm and stable he will not alter the Word that is gone out of his Mouth Those that repent tho' their Sins are of a scarlet and a crimson dye great and many he will certainly pardon and receive into favour Tho' it be a very difficult thing for a Man to retrieve himself that hath been long accustomed to vicious Habits Jer. 12.23 and hath debauched his Reason gratified his Lusts and Passions debilitated all the Powers of his Soul and cauterized his Conscience through a long continuance in sin tho' it be I say a hard thing for such a one to cast off the Yoke of Custom and to reform himself yet the thing is * Job 14.7 8 9. possible to be effected nay it is absolutely necessary Mat. 18.3 Verily I say unto you Except ye be converted and become as little Children ye cannot
will attend us no further than the Grave and if we dispense it not well and wisely but hoard it up as the unprofitable Servant did his Talent in a Napkin the rust and canker thereof will be a Witness against us and convince us of our unmercifulness in doing no good with it it will kindle the wrath of God against us and gall our Consciences with a vexatious remembrance of our Sin and Folly But good Works will certainly follow us into the future Life blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord Rev. 14.13 so saith the Spirit for they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them to Witness for them before the great Judge of the quick and dead and I had almost said to appease his Wrath Jam. 2 13. Dr. Ham. in locum Mat 5.7 and to prevent their Condemnation for St. James saith mercy rejoyceth against Judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 triumpheth over it for the merciful shall obtain mercy our Saviour doth not say that they shall Merit mercy at the hand of God but obtain mercy the reason is plain for when we have done all we are unprofitable Servants and have not at all benefitted the infinitely Glorious and Blessed God by our services but only done that which was our Duty and therefore must expect to receive our reward from Gods free mercy and not of merit Non properito accipis Vitam aeternam sed tantum pro gratiâ August St. James is very express Chap. 1.14 That we must be perfect and entire wanting nothing as to all the integral parts of Christianity to render us truly acceptable to God yet this we may firmly relie upon that no one single Vertue can better qualifie us for mercy or more effectually prevail with God to shew us mercy then this of mercifulness Phil. 8.14 which is an Odour of a sweet smell a Sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God the consideration whereof should induce us upon all occasions and opportunities to do good to be rich copious in good Works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for our selves not for our heirs and executors a good foundation against the time to come that we may lay hold on eternal Life A Life Bp. Reynolds which may be held when the last general conflagration shall have melted all the Treasures of the World our good works will abide that Tryal the Inheritance unto which they follow us is incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in the Heavens for us But we must qualifie our selves for it upon Earth by making it the whole business and trade of our Lives to do good which is to act according to the frame of our Natures and to comply with the best of those inclinations which God hath planted in us and to do a most delightful and pleasant Work even in the Opinion of Epicurus himself the great Patron of pleasure which is accompanied with satisfaction in the present performance of it and in the after reflection doth yield a huge refreshment to our Minds and a spring of peace and joy to our Souls which far exceeds all sensual and bodily delights and will most of all be sweet and comfortable to us when the pains of Death are upon us and our Souls are ready to take their flight into the eternal World therefore if we would have our Passage easie at our Death we must treasure up now a stock of Comfort against the evil day good Works will certainly support us in the Agony of Death and stand by us in the day of Judgment and plead for us before the Righteous judge and obtain for us a glorious Reward a Kingdom not purchased by our Works Mat. 25.34 35 c. but prepared for us from the foundation of the World and freely bestowed upon us for our obedience to his Holy Laws in being kind and merciful to his suffering Servants 5 The preparation which our Lord requires to fit us for his coming consists in keeping Conscience clear and free from offence either by abstaining from all filthiness of flesh and spirit or by a sincere endeavour if the mind and Conscience be defiled to get the guilt of sin done away by Godly sorrow which worketh Repentance unto Salvation for so St. Paul directs us alluding to the purifying under the Law by the sprinkling of Blood Heb. 10.22 1 Tim. 1.19 To get our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and to hold Faith and a good Conscience To this he assiduously applied himself with all his might Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to have alway a Conscience void of offence towards God and Man He made it his constant study and the daily business of his life continually to live inoffensively and to do his duty concscienciously both to God and Men. He felt the sweetness and comfort of it in his Soul when he was by the malice of the Jews imprisoned at Jerusalem and brought before the Sanhedrim where he makes this solemn profession Men and Brethren Acts 23.1 I have lived in all good Conscience before God Tho' Tertullus impleaded him with all the insinuative Arts of Learning and Eloquence he is able to make his own defence sully to answer the charge laid against him and his home and powerful reasonings of Temperance Righteousness and Judgment to come made his Judg to quake and tremble See here the great advantage a good man hath of his Adversaries and what invisible supports a good Conscience affords in the day of danger and adversity Hor. Car. L. 3. Od. 3. Neither the tumults of the People nor the face and indignation of Tyrants can abate his courage Inocency and Virtue animate him with boldness and confidence against all their accusations and terrors and lay the firmest foundation of a durable contentment and satisfaction therefore Seneca represents the mind of a wise man by the state of the superior Regions which were free from storms and tempests always serene and temperate A good man is never without joy Ep. 59. his contentment groweth not but from the Conscience of Vertue This made Paul and Silas when they were cast into Prison and thrust into the inner Dungeon Sanctorum sors est non melesté ferenda and their Feet mast fast in the Stocks sing divine Hymns and Songs of praise to God This was holy Job's comfort under all those piercing afflictions which besell him the loss of all his Substance and Children and desertion of his nearest Friends and Relations In these sad and miserable circumstances when there was none to pity and comfort him the conscience of his own innocence and integrity supported his Spirit Job 27.5 6. I will never remove my integrity from me my righteousness will I hold fast and will not let it go mine Heart i. e. my Conscience shall not reproach me so long as I live This supported and comforted the Primitive Believers in all their
toward Heaven earnestly observing him as he went up Acts 1.10 11 behold two men stood by him in white Apparel i. e. Two Angels appeared to them in the shape of men in a shining glorious Attire according as * Matt. 28.3 Angels are wont to do to signify that they retain their native purity and to represent the joyfulness of the message they are usually sent upon Indeed Joy had never so great reason to break forth reduntantly as at our Lord's Ascension into Heaven These Angelical Messengers rouzed the Disciples out of the extatical Trance they were in at that glorious sight and said unto them This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven He shall certainly come to judge the World in as glorious a manner as he left it When he departed from the World he was received up into Heaven by Angels and when he shall come again he shall be attended with his Satellites and Officers of State and Royalty myriads and legions of Angels Then a Cloud more than ordinarily bright and resplendent carried him out of his Apostles sight at his second coming the innumerable Inhabitants of the whole World all that ever descended out of the loins of Adam shall see him coming in the Clouds with great power and glory Mark 13.26 1 Thes 4.16 He shall certainly and infallibly descend from Heaven and the bodies of all the righteous and good men that ever lived shall rise first and then all that are alive on Earth and remain shall be caught up together with them either by some immediate and attractive power of Christ or by the Arms of Angels into the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air where this great Assize shall be held as being most convenient both for the capacity of the place and the more eminent visibility of the Judge and Assessors whom all the wicked shall behold with terror and astonishment Jude v. 15. and then and there be so fully convinced of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which they have spoken That they shall accuse themselves as Apollodore did in a dream fancying himself to be in a Cauldron of boyling Lead I am the cause of this Vengeance our destruction is from our selves we are the Authors of this misery For we hated instruction and our hearts despised reproof and obeyed not the voice of our Teachers nor inclined our ears to them that instructed us We regarded not the seasonable and tender admonitions of our Parents Friends and Ministers who warned us to flee from the wrath to come These hardned reprobate Sinners shall now tremble to see and hear the severity and righteousness of the judicial proceedings and more especially at their own final doom and sentence to everlasting Burnings whilst the Righteous are adjudged to life eternal to enjoy the sweet and comfortable presence of Christ for evermore This is the testimony of Angelical Witnesses Now if we receive the witness of Angels 3. The witness of God the Father and the assured promise of God the Son is greater and we have both these to confirm this Truth 1. The witness of God the Father who hath assured us that he will bring every work into judgment Eccles 12.14 with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil He will execute Justice and Mercy in retributing men according to their deeds But he will transact this great work by the Son Rom. 2.16 to whom he hath committed his power John 5.22 And he is the faithful God who hath never yet failed in the performance of one tittle of his word or promise to his people and he will not be deficient in this He hath appointed the day of Judgment and hath ordained the person of the Judge he hath given assurance publick and evident demonstration unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Acts 17.31 His Resurrection is a sound Argument of God's setting his Seal to his Commission of his Constituting and Confirming him Oecumenical Judge of all the World To it our Lord when he was upon Earth appealed as the great proof that he shall come again to execute that judicial Office and by it that is the resurrection from the dead he is declared to be the Omnipotent Son of God to whom all Power was given by the Father 2. The assured promise of God the Son In the last Sermon which our Saviour Preached to his beloved Disciples he told them that the time of his departure was at hand and gave them his last advice and dying charge A new Commandment give I unto you that ye love one another They were very much troubled to hear of parting with their dearest Lord who had resolved all their doubts satisfied their scruples instructed their ignorance and upon all occasions most sweetly communicated to them his heavenly doctrin and holy comforts It was very afflictive to them to understand from his own mouth that he was about to leave them whereupon he adviseth them not to be discouraged at it John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled nor be afraid He was but returning home and going to his Father's House the end of his going was to prepare mansions of Glory for them and for all his faithful Servants and he promiseth to come again and make them partakers of his Glory V. 3. If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Heb. 11.11 Faithful is he that hath promised who also will do it He will not fail the performing of his promise nor his peoples expectations He that shall come will come and will not tarry Now the certainty and full assurance of his coming being thus established by the plain evidence of God Angels and Men should breed in us a most attentive and accurate regard to every thing that we say or do should make us very serious in our thoughts words and works should mightily restrain us from vice and quicken us to vertue and beget in us a care and conscience in all our actions because we must undergo a severe trial upon the issue whereof depends our everlasting woe or endless felicity We shall be guilty of the greatest unfaithfulness of the basest treachery to our precious souls if we do not provide for that great account and prepare for the coming of our Lord and patiently expect his appearance iii. I proceed in the last place to consider the uncertainty of the time when our Lord will come In such an hour as ye think not The Wisdom of God hath thought fit to keep secret the particular time of the Judges coming that we might not spend our thoughts upon it nor out of curiosity enquire into it He hath not revealed it to the holy Angels and therefore it cannot be