Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	holy_a	word_n	14,376	5	4.0513	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64984	The death of ministers improved. Or, an exhortation to the inhabitants of Horsley on Glocester-shire, and others, on the much lamented death of that reverend and faithful minister of the Gospel, Mr. Henry Stubbs By Tho. Vincent, John Turner, Rob. Perrott, M. Pemberton. To which is added a sermon upon that occasion, by Richard Baxter.	Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678.; Turner, Robert, b. 1649 or 50, 4aut.; R. P. (Robert Perrot) aut.; Pemberton, Matthew, d. 1691. aut.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1678 (1678)	Wing V430; ESTC R221906	43,418	108

THE DEATH OF MINISTERS Improved Or an Exhortation to the Inhabitants of Horsley in Glocester-shire and others on the much Lamented Death of that Reverend and Faithful Minister of the Gospel Mr. Henry Stubbs BY Tho. Vincent Iohn Turner Rob. Perrott M. Pemberton To which is added A SERMON upon that Occasion by RICHARD BAXTER Printed in the Year 1678. To the Inhabitants of Horsley in Glocestershire and other places of the Country who did ordinarily attend upon the Ministry of Mr. Henry Stubbs late Deceased Beloved Friends ALthough you whose Habitation is so remote are unknown by face unto us as we whose work and Ministry is in London are unto you yet because of the great Love which Mr. Henry Stubbs your most worthy and laborious Pastor and our most dear Friend and Reverend Brother ●id bear towards you whilst he had the oversight of you we are willing to give some Testimony of our great respects to the party deceased whose memory will always be pre●ious to us by shewing our respects to you in sending you some lines to further your im●rovement of this sad Providence which hath ●aken away your Minister looking upon our ●elves as under a particular Obligation to pay ●ur mite by endeavouring to promote the spiritual benefit of Mr. Stubbs's hearers in the Countrey after he hath taken such indefatigable pains for the advantage and Soul-welfare of our Hearers in the City We want words to express this so great and publick loss of this so great and excellent Minister who as he was generally known by the best of people in the City and adjacent parts and as his Ministry was highly prised although but sometimes tasted when he came occasionally to London so his death both by Ministers and People here hath been greatly Lamented But what Tongue can utter your loss who were more especially under his Pastoral charge and inspection his care and instruction We suppose it was grievous to you to part with him for a while when he came last to the City although it were with hopes of receiving him again But when you heard from London that your ●astor was fallen sick taken sick in Preaching so sick that he could not Preach and then he was sick indeed when you heard of his Feaver the violence of it and his danger O what thoughts of heart had you What fears di● there then arise in your hearts Wha● wr●stlings at the Throne of grace Lord spare him Lord restore him to us again Lord try us again a ●●●tle longer with this mercy What care was there among you and solicitude abou● his health and recovery Not without some hopes that the Lord might be entreated and ●end a gracious ear to the many prayers both ●n City and Country put up in his behalf so as to raise him and rescue him from the Jaws of death in order to his further serviceableness in the land of the living But when the doleful tidings came to you that Mr. Stubbs was departed that your Pastor was dead that he had finished his course and resigned up his spirit what were your looks your thoughts your speeches then What ●ighs what sorrows what tears what bitter mournings and lamentations were there generally then to be found amongst his acquaintance and hearers in the Country And is he gone ●ndeed Shall we no more see his face No more hear his voice Will he pray amongst us and pray for us no more Will he appear in the Pulpit and Preach to us no more Did we think that the last Sermon which he Preached before his last ●ourney would be the last Sermon which we should have and hear from him He lately Preached to us of praying without ceasing and did we think he would so soon cease to pray himself He called upon us with great importunity that we would pray fervently and he lived in the practice of his own Sermons we have heard of his constant secret Devotions his dayly prayers with his Wife and in his Family and he did bear us upon his heart in his private addresses unto God But O how did this good man waste and spend his spirits in his fervent prayers with us and upon our account when he prayed amongst us on ordinary and extraordinary occasions We have often known him to continue five or six hours together in Preaching chiefly in prayer on fasting-days being in the Country destitute of the help of any other Minister and that without impertinencies tautologies tedious repetitions or any crude raw rude and nauseating expressions but with a great and delightful variety of holy pleas and arguments and if our base hearts have been tyred sometimes with the length of his administrations yet he himself hath seemed to be little tyred at least his spirit hath been unwearied with all his pains and labour We remember how affectionately be used to make acknowledgment of sin of our sins which he was more grieved for than our selves we remember his sighs and groans which from an oppressed heart brake forth at his mouth signifying an inward sense beyond the utterance of words we remember how the tears did often steal from his eyes and run dow● his old cheeks how he hath often wept for us when our eyes have been dry our hearts stupi● and hard like a stone within us We remember his humble Petitions his fervent supplications a● the throne of grace for us how he would wrestl● with God like Jacob and when we thought he ha● been quite spent how he hath recovered his strength and renewed his hold as one resolved to take no denyal and not to let the Lord go without his blessing for us as well as for himself And did we think that these extraordinary motions and affections in one so ancient did presage his near approaching death that he was come now very nigh to the end of his race That being so ripe for Heaven he would not be long out of Heaven in the Suburbs of which he seem'd to be when he was in his Devotions Did we think that the Lord would so soon gather him and receive him to himself and say to him pray no more for this people We remember his introductions to his work when he first entred his Pulpit beyond the ordinary custome of other Ministers and indeed there were many things extraordinary in him how before his Sermon and Prayer too he used to be speak our attention and endeavoured to incite and stir up our affection with various arguments sometimes minding us of Gods Omnipre●ence and his all-seeing eye sometimes of the Divine Authority of the word which he was to Preach that it was indeed the word of God by which we should be judged at the last day sometimes minding us of the worth of time especially of such seasons of grace sometimes of the worth of our Souls which the gain of all the world could not compensate the loss of sometimes of the worth of grace beyond all the treasures of the Earth which we were

directions only we desire you to remember what the Counsels perswasions and practice of your deceased Pastor was in this particular and accordingly let your practice be And now it is high time to draw to a close we shall add only one word or two for your support and comfort under this sad providence your loss is great and we doubt not but this loss is very grievous to many of you that you do and will feel it more and more that you feel it on the Lords days and feel it on the week days when you miss him in the pulpit and miss him in your Families But none of you ought to be over-whelmed with sorrow upon this account considering first that your loss is his gain if he had continued still in the flesh and further exercised his Ministry amongst you it might have been more profitable for you but his dissolution and departure was best for himself His body is decently interred here and is fallen asleep asleep in the bed of his grave his wearied body doth sleep now quietly without any disease or pain and will abide in rest until it be raised up in glory in the morning of the Resurrection His Soul immediately after its separation had the attendance of Angels upon it to be its convoy into the heavenly Paradice and think what joy there was in heaven at his arrival there if there were joy in heaven at his conversion surely there was great joy at his Coronation after he had done his work and been instrumental in the conversion of so many some there before him and others whom he hath left behind but O how full of joy was he himself How ravished and transported with joy when he appeared in the presence of the glorious Iehovah and was welcomed into Heaven by his dear Redeemer when he first viewed the glorious place he was brought into and saw the glorious face of God and perceived such glory to be put upon himself which we want thoughts to conceive and think how full his enlarged Soul is now of joy you are weeping but he is rejoycing and he might say could he make known his mind as our Saviour to the Daughters of Ierusalem Weep not for me but for your selves What do you grieve that your Minister is so highly promoted Will you mourn for him as if he were lost or annihilated Could you wish that he were alive again Surely he would not for a world change his place nothing could perswade him to come out of the bosom of Christ and assume again a body of sin and death and could you wish that he would lay aside his glorious robes and clothe himself again with black garments you should rather joy in the ●houghts of his joy than grieve inordinately for the loss especially when you think he is ●ut gone before and you may and will arrive at the same place of felicity if you follow his example and walk in the same way as he walked Consider also that although your Minister be gone from you yet the word of God doth remain with you to guide and counsel you to quicken and comfort you and you have or may have ordinances with you if you look after them indeed they will be no more dispensed by him but you ought to bless God and rejoyce that they have been dispensed by him so long that ever you had such a Minister amongst you you ought to rejoyce in the good you have received by his Ministry and you may receive further good by the Ministry of others if you seek after it and give your diligent attendance Chiefly Consider although your Minister is gone yet God is not gone if you are truly gracious God will never remove his gracious presence from you If you walk in Gods ways according to the teachings and example of your deceased Minister you will have both the gracious and com●orting presence of God with you in those ways Therefore what things you have learned and received and heard and seen him do and then though so eminent an Em●bassadour of peace be gone from you th● God of peace shall yet be with you which the hearty Prayer of Your unfeigned and assured Soul friends Tho. Vincent Iohn Turner Rob. Perrott M. Pemberton A SERMON PREACHED AT THE FUNERAL OF That Holy Painful and Fruitful Minister of Christ Mr. Henry Stubbs About fifty Years a Succesful Preacher at Bristol Wells Chew Dursley London and divers others places By his unworthy Fellow-servant hasting after him RICHARD BAXTER Printed in the Year 1678. Act. 20.24 But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God THis hour being designed to such a commemoration of our deceased friend Mr. Stubbs as is laudably used at such mens Funerals I have chosen words of this Text which the heart and life of this holy man did so constantly express that doubtless the same Spirit suggested them to blessed Paul and him They are the profession of a full devotedness to God in his Christian and Ministerial work notwithstanding all expected difficulties and oppositions which he resolved with unmoved patience to undergo to the joyful finishing of his course The witness of the Holy Ghost with his own experience did teach him to expect bonds and afflictions at Ierusalem it being the ordinary entertainment which every where did abide him but how much worse might come he knew not but was resolvedly prepared for all The joyful finishing of his course was so desirable to him that no suffering though it were the loss of life it self did seem too dear or hard a means for its accomplishment Here is then first The great and desirable prize for which nothing could be too dear Secondly The chearful resolution of the Apostle to go on and part with life it self to attain it The first though the words have no great dfficulty yet as to the matter may need to some a brief explication viz. 1. What is meant by his Course 2. What by his Ministry and testifying the Gospel of the grace of God 3. How this was received of the Lord Iesus 4. What is meant by the finishing of his course 5. How it was to be done with Joy 6. Why he was not moved by foreseen sufferings no● accounted his life dear to attain this end And for brevity I shall now observe thi● method to add the instructions and other applications to each part of the Text as I explain it First The word translated Course signifieth a race to be swiftly run And a threefold race is here included 1. The race of human life which is short and uncertain we are not born for nothing nor doth God give us life and time and maintenance to live in idleness or to serve the flesh The Sun stands not still whether we sleep or wake Our breath our

away from God don't give the strength of your years too Let the time past be sufficient wherein you have served divers lusts and let the remaining part of your days be devoted unto God It is likely that many of you are now got into intanglements and will be hindred by incumbring business in the work which is like to be more difficult than if you had begun betimes but think although the difficulty of Repentance be never so great yet the necessity of Repentance is far greater Repentance is both universally and absolutely altogether indispensably necessary you must repent all of you must repent otherwise you are lost irrecoverably and will perish everlastingly It may be hard to you now and grievous to unravel all your sinful works to undo what hither to you have been doing to begin another life now after you have spent or rather mispent so much of your time It may be very grievous to you to cut off your right hands to pluck out your right eyes but better do so than that the whole body be cast into the fire we mean it is better to part with your most beloved lusts called in the Scripture and by our Saviour the right hands and the right eyes than that the Soul should perish in sin and be tormented in Hell surely Hells torments is far more grievous than repenting work and converting work can be O be not befooled by the deluding Devil and your own deceitful hearts to defer so great and necessary work any longer you have thought to repent at this time and thought to repent at that time and yet this time hath come and that time hath come and both have slipt and are gone and still you are where you were as far from Repentance yea further from it more indisposed more averse to it than at the beginning Sinners what do you resolve upon will you hold fast sin still Will you pursue your lusts to the burning lake Or will you defer again this work of Repentance until a fitter season What season can be more fit than the present season when God calleth you commandeth you and stretcheth forth his hand to encourage you unto this duty Thirdly And lastly We shall add one word to call old sinners to Repentance your Spring is past your Summer is ended your Winter is come and yet you have not repented yet have not amended And what do you think now to do Are you resolved to finish your course as you have begun it Are you resolved to fill up the measure of your sin with your days and will you deafen your ears against all Gods calls unto the last You have one foot in the grave and don 't you sometimes think of Death Can you think to live here always Don't you feel your strength to decay Have you no Harbingers and forerunners of death with you Do not your Silver hairs mind you of the loosing of the silver cord and your daily breakings through the infirmities of old age of the breaking of the golden bowl and pitcher at the fountain and wheel at the cistern whom dust shall return to the earth as it was and the Spirit to God that gave it that by him you may be judged Eccl. 12.6 7. Young ones may die in youth but you must die in old age you cannot last much longer in a moment you may go down into your dust and what do you think will become of your Souls when they are separated from your bodies Will not God call you to an account for all your sins Shall you not receive according to what you have done in the body Can you be content that God should banish you from his presence for ever and punish you amongst Devils in Hell Can you dwell with devouring fire Can you inhabit everlasting burnings Can you endure to be tormented and that to eternity and that with extremity of torments But you will say is there no hope I answer the Devil may tell you there is no hope when you were young the Devel perswaded you it was too soon to repent and in the strength of your years that it was too soon time enough hereafter and now it may be he would perswade you it is too late yet however grey-headed Converts are very rare some such there are and have been found We read Math. 20.6 of some called to work in the vineyard at the eleventh hour Indeed your Repentance now will be with the greatest difficulty but consider what hath been said of its necessity and you may take same encouragement from its possibility It is possible for you to obtain Repentance and Remission and Salvation if without further delay you seek it if you diligently seek it You have need to ransack your hearts to read over the Register of your Consciences to draw up bills of inditement against your selves you have need to retire within to go down into your Spirits with the candle of the Lord in one hand and the word of the Lord in the other hand that you may find out and bring out and slay those lusts there which war against you and which if they be not slain will be your ruin you have need to humble your selves greatly before the Lord to lie very low to cry very loud to mourn and weep to grieve and lament over so many sins and those so highly aggravated as yours have been And then know there is mercy enough in store for such as you free-grace can save the oldest and greatest sinner the merits of Christ are sufficient for your pardon the promises of the Covenant are large and may reach the worst of you O then break off your sins by Repentance and lay hold on the Lord Jesus by faith and devote what remaineth of your life unto God and it is possible that such as you may get into the Kingdom of Heaven and eternally admire the infinite Riches of Gods free grace in your Salvation Our Letter would swell too much should we add particular directions in order to this work we therefore exhort you to call to Remembrance what your own Pastor hath Preached to you for your guidance and help and it is possible that the seed which he sowed whilst alive may spring up after his death and the Sermons which he hath Preached amongst you and the Counsels which he hath given to you may through Gods blessing and your Remembrance and Application have their effect even now he is gone in your Conversion and Salvation Besides unconverted persons we hope there are many true Converts truly gracious persons among you and not a few who have been the Seal of Mr. Stubbs's Ministry Some of you are new born others well grown Christians some of you are in a declining state others are thriving Christians we might be as large in our writing to you as we have been in our call of the Unconverted we might give particular counsel and advice in order to the healing of wounded Consciences the reviving decay'd graces

the blindness of the minds of the ungodly If the Seekers or other Hereticks do but cry down Ministers and Universities you justly rise up against them as enemies to Christianity and the Church And yet you your selves destroy their Ministry as to your selves and would have but the name and garb and image He that would have the tenth part of all mens revenues to be setled to maintain Physicians in the land and yet would not have men be healed by them is a foolisher and worse enemy to the Country than he that would have none at all Fourthly And as you are lovers of mankind you should not deny us so reasonable a joy as your own Salvation especially to such as for the hope of this renounce the pleasures and honours of the world If you could do well enough without instructors Christ would not have appointed them nor if there had been any better way for your Salvation And for our parts we could have found out work and callings that would better have served us for worldly ends and we could live idle and seek preferment and flatter and please you and neglect your Souls in this calling that we are in But then wo to us as well as you O remember who hath said Obey them that have the rule over you for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 He is not worthy to be called a man that will deny any joy or good to his neighbour which doth no hurt to himself or others But consider whether he be not herein worse than a Devil that will deny another the comfort of seeing him happy and freely doing him the greatest good Do you not see now how much you are concerned that you further our joyful finishing of our course I beseech you let Conscience judg you before God judg you speak as before God Have you been turned by them from darkness to light and from unbelief to a lively faith and from a fleshly to a spiritual life and from worldly love and hopes to the love of God and the hope of endless joys in Heaven Are you at a point with the flattering world and fleshly lusts and have you heartily taken God and Heaven for your portion and Christ for your Saviour and the holy Spirit for your Sanctifier and comforter and the word of God for your Law and Charter and the servants of God for your pleasantest company and the service and praises of God for your best and pleasantest work and sin for your worst and greatest enemy If this be so bless God that made the word so effectual to you But if it be not you have wronged your Teachers in robbing them of the joy which was their due This is it that we studyed prayed and Preached for This is it that we live and labour for This was to have been the chief part of our reward from you It is not your Tythes and Mony without this that will satisfie any but an hireling Many old Canons of the Church forbad Ministers to receive any offerings or gifts from unbelievers and wicked men As if they had said keep your mony to your selves and think not to stop our mouths with gifts Give up your selves to Christ or you give u● nothing I tell you it is you that are our great afflicters and you shall answer for it It i● much more to us to lose the Joy of your Salvations than to lose our estates or liberties o● worldly Honour and Reputation And you can never be saved if you will not be Sanctified nor happy if you will not be holy Oyet look back and remember what Counsel● God sent you by his Ministers and what importunities they used with you and if you have denyed them yet their joy O pity your selves if you regard not them and deny not your selves still the present joy of a holy life and the everlasting joy of heavenly glory which yet you may attain II. And have not you also a course that should be finished with joy as well as we O Sirs time is precious short and hasty This race is for all eternity and is to be run but once Heaven will be quickly won or lost for ever Can any one hear and believe this that hath the heart of a man and not be awakened presently to make hast Dare you die in an unholy unpardoned state Dare you go out of the World more foolishly than the unjust steward out of his stewardship before you have provided another habitation Dare you appear before God without his Spirit and image and without the wedding garment of sincere holiness and so without a part in Christ O Sirs no heart can now conceive what a dreadful appearing that will be Alas Sirs we are dying we are all dying one to day and another to morrow and we are all quickly gone And do you take no care whither you shall go next when God bids you care in a manner for nothing else Your course will soon be finished shall it be with joy or the beginning of everlasting misery O resolve now resolve this day as you would speed for ever Gods grace must save you but it lieth more on your present choice and resolution than careless sinners will well consider of Quest. But how should I finish my course with Ioy. Answ. You may gather it from what is said already Are you willing if I tell you to do your part Asking Questions will not serve instead of work I. Will you see that you perish not through your own meer carelesness and wilful neglect of what you can do for your Soul If you will not do what you can what good will directions do you If men will live as if they had not reason and self-love and knew not that they must die or care not what becomes of them for ever what can one do for the safety of such men As men cannot dispute that agree not in some granted principles so we cannot lead you to Christ by the Gospel if you agree not in some principles of humanity and self preservation A sottis● carelesness is the undoing of the most II. Set your selves to study the Gospel o● Christ till you understand what Salvation is and what is the way to it and know the nature of true Religion And then you will see in it so much truth so much necessity so much amiable beauty and fitness to make you wise good and happy that it will win your hearts to love and pleasure in it III. Study throughly the true meaning o● your Baptismal Covenant and solemnly before God consent to it with tongue and heart and live as under the Obligation of it all your days And also live in the belief of all the promises of it and expectation of all the benefits promised The sum of all your Religion for duty and comfort is comprized in your Baptismal Covenant

and affections the resolving and removing groundless doubts and perplexing fears concerning your spiritual condition the arming you against Satans temptations the guiding of you in the dark night of desertion and when under the Eclipse of th● light of Gods countenance and for your quickning and encouragement under affliction● and all oppositions and difficulties which you do or may meet withall in Heavens way But should we write particularly and fully to you of these things our Letter would grow into a treatise which is beyond our design therefore we must refer you for Counsel in these things unto the Word of God and those Books in our English tongue which are written on these Subjects and particularly to call to remembrance what your dear Pastor hath taught you and advised you who was the best acquainted with the state of your Souls All that we shall further add is to mind you of some duties and to suggest some considerations for your comfort and encouragement under this so great a loss The duties which God calleth you more especially unto after his taking away your Pastor from you are 1 Watchfulness 2 Fruitfulness 3 Prayer 4 Family-instruction First Watchfulness All Ministers are or ●ught to be the Lords Watchmen the Watch●●n whom the Lord set over you was emi●ently faithful but he is now gone and will ●●itch over you no longer and therefore you ●●ve the more need and are now called to ●atch over your selves the more diligently ●nd to watch over one another 1. Watch over your selves guard your ●●nses which are the inlets of sin and keep ●our hearts with all diligence from whence ●re the issues of sin it is not long since you ●ad the eye of your Minister over you ●ho was a faithful reprover now he is removed take heed you give not your selves the more liberty either to neglect duties or to comply with temptations whereby you may be enticed unto any sin were Mr. Stubbs alive and by you it may be you would not yield to such and such Temptations lest you should offend him and be reproved by him but think with your selves that God is by you always and being infinitely holy is more highly offended with sin than the most holy man on earth can be and you have also an observer within you a reprover we mean your own Consciences and take heed of offending them in offending of God for if God and Conscience should be against you it is a thousand times worse than to have all the men on Earth and all the Devils in Hell against you Watch not only against grosser and more scandalou● sins but also against lesser sins and such as a●● of more ordinary practice in the World an● that not only amongst the profane but all amongst professors of Religion themselve● amongst whom too many hypocrites will b● found at the last day Watch also again● errours especially such as are damnable su● as are in the foundations of Religion whi●● should you entertain would be mor● effectual to ruin your Souls than if you we●● guilty of the grossest immoralities Havin● received the truth hold it fast prize it abo●● Silver and Gold as being far more preciou● yea above life it self and let all go rather tha● let any truth go let truths be rooted in you● hearts imbrace them with love and delight otherwise you may be imposed upon with e●rours by some cunning impostors and be tosse● to and fro with divers winds of Doctrine● by the flight of men and cunning craftiness 〈◊〉 such as lie in wait to deceive always suspec● them as dangerously erroneous who endeavou● to bring the Ministry of Christ's appointme●● into contempt and perswade you to a neglec● thereof which you have reason above othe● ●ighly to esteem and keep close unto having ●●d so eminent and faithful a Minister amongst ●ou Secondly As you ought to watch over ●our selves so also to watch over one another ●hat so instead of one there may be many ●atchmen amongst you Watch over one ●nother in reference to sin and in reference to ●uty In reference to sin both to prevent sin 〈◊〉 one another and to restore such as are fallen 〈◊〉 it Watch to prevent sin so far as you have ●ower say not with Cain Am I my brothers ●eeper As you ought not to murder the ●odies of any nor to suffer any if you can ●inder it to murder themselves so you ought ●ot to murder the Souls of any nor to permit ●hem if you can hinder it to murder their ●wn Souls should you see any of your neigh●ours or acquaintance take Swords or Dag●ers and therewith to gash and wound them●lves lift up their hands to thrust them into ●heir hearts would not you run to them and ●atch away those weapons and instruments of ●eath from them Would not you argue and ●ead with them to forbear the laying such ●●olent hands upon themselves By sin your ●●ighbours wound themselves if they wound 〈◊〉 their flesh they wound their Spirit if they wound not their bodies they wound their Souls and as those wounds are most inward so they are the most deep and dangerous the wounds of sin are mortal wounds and not only temporal death but eternal will be the effect of them without a seasonable application of the blood of Christ. O do what you can to prevent sin in your friends do what you can to arm them against Temptations and to encourage them to resist the Devil to expose themselves to any kind of sufferings and pains and to deny themselves any kind of delights and gains rather than to offend God and wound their Consciences by their sins But if any of your Brethren have been tempted and have yielded if they are falle● and wounded watch to restore such and there in follow the direction of the Apostle Gal. 6 1● Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault 〈◊〉 which are Spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest tho● also be tempted If you hear of a fault in any of your neighbours be not forward to believe it unless the thing be evident by clear proof or the parties own confession and then think what the Law of love doth require Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him When your neighbours lie under guilt let love to their Souls prompt you to use your endeavour for the removal thereof don 't speak of their faults behind their backs to their defamation and the wounding of their names but speak of their faults to themselves in your plain and faithful reproofs in order to their amendment and the healing of the wounds in their Consciences and that your reproofs may be successful they must be managed with much prudence with a due consideration of the fault the person the place the time and the manner as to the manner the Apostle directs you to do it in the

spirit of meekness don't use opprobrious terms railing angry accusations remembring that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God and anger in your reproof is apt to beget anger in the parties reproved the effect of which is like to be excuse and extenuation of their faults a hardning of them in their sins recriminations and retorts on your selves whereas if you reprove them mildly in a spirit of meekness and they perceive your love therein and design of their good you may the more probably reach their Consciences and through Gods blessing imprint a conviction upon them and be instrumental for their restoring a soft Tongue breaketh a bone and a mild reproof may mollify a heart that is like a bone or like a stone in hardness And as you ought to watch over one another in reference to sin so also in reference to duty as you occasionally or purposely meet together watch to advise and counsel one another to quicken and encourage one another in your duties both to God and man read Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name Here you have 1. Your duty to speak often one to another and what it is you should speak The wicked speak often one to another but they speak vanity and sin as if their Tongues were their own and they had no Lord over them their discourse is froth and filth they have a Treasure of evil things in their hearts and thence they bring forth that which is evil but you who fear the Lord have a Treasure of good things in your hearts and thence you should bring forth that which is good your words should be like choice Silver to enrich one another your lips like a Tree of righteousness to feed one another your discourse should be alway with grace unto your mutual edification that you may excite one another in the ways and service of the Lord. 2. Here 's a motive to quicken unto the duty the Lord hearkneth taketh especial notice hereof records this on his Book in order to the reward he intends and hath prepared for such in the other World Look into another Scripture Heb. 10.24 25. Let us consider one another to provoke not to anger but unto love and good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching We have not room in this Letter to enlarge in exposition of this Scripture but must leave it with your selves to do it in your Meditations must also contract in the other particulars Secondly The second duty which God calleth you unto on the loss of your Minister is fruitfulness Your Minister was a spiritual sower and we hardly know any who hath sown so much seed of the word as he used to do in all places where he came none more frequent in Preaching on the Sabbath days on the week days on ordinary on extraordinary occasions publickly and from house to house he ceased not whilst he had a Tongue and Breath to Preach the word We need not tell you how much seed he hath sown amongst you and what it is that God doth look for after such a seed-time as you have had But that the harvest of your fruitfulness should be in some measure answerable hereunto that as you have had more seed scattered among you than others so you should bring sorth more fruit than others Take heed now your Minister is dead that his Sermons don't die with him and be forgotten by you as if they had never been Preached never been heard Take heed you be not found barren after such sowings that you be not found dry after such droppings that you be not like Pharaohs kine lean after such plenty of spiritual food and such abundant means of Spiritual nourishment as you have enjoyed The fruits which God doth look for are the fruits of Repentance humility meekness self-denyal patience contentment diligence righteousness filial fear of God faith in Christ love to God and one to another zeal for Gods honour lively hope of Heaven thankfulness for mercies God looks that you should be fruitful in good words and in good works let the seed your Minister hath sown spring up after his death in such fruits as these such things he hath often taught you and exhorted you unto in his Sermons and he hath gone before you in the practice of them in his life ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblamably he behaved himself among you and how he exhorted and charged you as a Father doth his Children and be ye followers of him who through faith and patience doth now inherit the promises Thirdly The third duty which God doth now call you especially unto is Prayer Your Minister whilst alive did pray much with you and he pray'd more for you he was one of the most Prayerful Ministers in England he gave himself as to the Ministry of the word so also unto Prayer but now his praying work on Earth is changed into praising work in Heaven you have lost a praying friend you have therefore now so much the more need to pray for your selves pray secretly pray frequently pray fervently Pray against sin and pray for larger effusions of the Spirit upon you Pray against sin do as Hos. 14.2 Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously God hath taken away your Minister O beg of him that he would take away your iniquity the cause of this so great a loss Say Lord thou hast taken away him who was our glory O take away our sins which are our ignominy and shame thou hast taken away him who endeavoured to save us O take away our sins which if not taken away will destroy us Shall our Ministers go and our sins stay Shall our glory depart and our shame abide Our blessings go and our curse continue Our builders go and our destroyers remain God forbid Pray earnestly that God would take away the guilt of sin and deliver you from the power of sin not only the reign but also from the rage of it not only from its dominion but also from its Tyranny And pray also for larger effusions of the Spirit upon you for the teachings of the Spirit the witness of the Spirit more of the graces more of the comforts of the Spirit forget not Zion in your Prayers and the land of your nativity bear also your particular friends on your hearts when you are before God on your knees Fourthly The fourth duty we would mind you of is Family Instruction the Catechizing of Children and Servants and bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord And here we must not enlarge in motives and