this a Privilege for which we ought to adore the Mercy and Compassion of our God Should such a Prize be put into Mens hands and shall they not make use of it Does not the Book of Life concern us Were we indicted for Capital Crimes before a Judge and condemned would not a Reprieve or a Pardon be very welcom Would we not hear it read with the greatest attention We are those Wretched Criminals who from the Hand of God have deserved no less than Eternal Vengeance The Word of God that God who is and must be our Judge that very Word by which we must be try'd contains the offer of a Pardon from that we learn how dearly that Pardon has been purchased for us God's Ambassadors are appointed to proclaim it in our Ears to interpret it to us faithfully And shall we not listen earnestly to that which teaches us how we may escape everlasting Burnings We talk of knowing much but I 'm sure he who knows not his Duty in this respect knows nothing yet as he ought to know However whether unhappy Sinners will hear or whether they will forbear our Business lies before Vs We shall be accountable for our Neglect of that if we do it diligently and impartially the People may perish but we have discharg'd our own Souls 2. What we hear from Faithful lawful Ministers we are to receive or to embrace we are to believe it heartily Not but that the best of Pastors may be mistaken especially if they depend too much upon their own Learning and Understandings But a Minister so qualified will be very careful not to give People Stones for Bread and that he may not he 'll ever beg his Master's Divine Assistance to enable him to be such a Workman as needs not to be ashamed and God is not wont to deny that to those who faithfully ask it But after all our Saviour gives a necessary Rule Take heed how you hear Luke 8.18 What you hear says St. Matthew i. e. examine well what 's delivered to you in the Name of God let no humane Authority sway you to believe any thing contrary to what you find there The force of which Direction is fully cleared by what our Saviour says elsewhere to the Pharisees Search the Scriptures John 5.39 and what the Bereans are commended for Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those of Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so Therefore many of them believed A Man who will take pains will easily find out whether the Doctrine preach'd be agreeable to the general import of Scripture for whatsoever that is every particular Text of Scripture is agreeable to it and must be explained by it and if any Man affix another Sense on any single Text or preach any Doctrine which is not agreeable to that general Tenour of Scripture that Doctrine is to be rejected But it is only such Doctrine which may be rejected that which is sound and good ought to be embraced and to be believed readily at our utmost peril To what purpose do I Preach or you hear if you don't believe If I speak not the Mind of God if I deliver not what tends to the Honour of God and your Salvation it 's time lost to hear me If I preach the Truth as it is in Christ Jesus why do you not believe me Has the Word of God any thing really incredible in it I renounce it then I 'm sure it 's none of his Is there any thing in it which seems incredible to my Reason It argues that my Reason's vitiated not that the Word of God's defective other Men have Reason as well as I and it 's as freely exercised and it s as well improved as mine they are fully satisfied of the Truth of many very difficult things why should they not be as credible to me The true Reason of this is They acknowledge their own Weakness they value and beg the assistance of God's Spirit which leads them effectually into all Truth I admire my own Wit and Reason and build mightily upon them and so fall into every Error Faith is the Gift of God the meek and lowly have it the proud and opiniative know nothing of the Matter But if the Messengers of Christ really deliver his Will to Men it will be no excuse to say We don't believe them they 'll be dreadful Witnesses against us at the last day and our Case will be as bad as that of the Israelites of old they could not enter into the Earthly nor shall we get admission into the Heavenly Canaan because of unbelief But few are willing to own that they don't believe the Word of God the Test of their Faith follows immediately i. e. 3. Their Practice or acting according to their Belief That which ye have learned and received and heard and seen in me that do Practice is the only Evidence of Faith and without the first all the Pretences to the last are vain True Faith and Holy Works are relatives and suppose and take away one another Faith without Works is dead Works without Faith are insignificant hence the Apostle St. James when he had advised us before that laying apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness we would receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save our souls James 1.21 He immediately adds ver 22. But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own souls No Deceit is more dangerous than what our Souls suffer by no Deceit is more certain than when we imagine God will accept of our readiness to hear without any regard to our exactness in Practice Peace and Quietness and common Good are what every one not only as a Christian but as a Man ought to aim at But wherein do all the soundest Doctrines tend to advance these things if those Doctrines are not reduced to Practice in Mens Lives and Conversations If I am a Brawler if Quarrelsom and Litigious and continue so though I every day hear Sermons and Discourses tending to Peace and Unity what am I the better for them they 'll bear Witness against me indeed in case of an irreclaimable Temper but can do me no service either in this or in a future World It 's a great Privilege to have opportunities of Hearing and unhappy are those People whose Faithful Pastors are driven into Corners Great was the Character for a Man to be related to our Saviour according to the Flesh yet neither of 'em comparable to Practice and Obedience if we may give any Credit to our Master yea rather happy are they who hear the Word of God and keep it Luke 11.28 The other Privileges may be enjoy'd and those who enjoy them may perish for ever Holy Practice proves and demonstrates a sincere Faith and Faith justifies us in the sight of God If ye know good things therefore happy are ye if ye
Pangs and from the danger of outward Temptations and can live quietly and charitably one among another Long-suffering whereby we are enabled to imitate God's dealing with us in Transactions among our selves not to be passionate fiery revengeful but to bear with one another and to forgive one another as God for Jesus Christ's sake has forgiven us Gentleness whereby we put off our fierce and brutal Natures and shew true Humanity improv'd and perfected by Grace Goodness by which we distribute God's Blessings freely to the Indigent Knowledge and Instruction to the Ignorant and Meat and Drink and Clothing to the poor and naked Faith by which our dependance upon God is entire and undoubting and our Fidelity and Justice toward Men is unfailing and impartial Meekness whereby we can manage our selves decently with our Brethren not being captious not peevish not easily provoked not overweening of our selves but ready and desirous to be persuaded in temporal and instructed in spiritual Matters And Temperance by which we can use all God's Creatures with Sobriety and Moderation not ruffle our Minds nor distemper our Bodies but maintain and improve our Constitutions so as we may at all times be fit for the Service of God and the Performance of our Duties towards Men. These are the Graces which we want you and I and every one and if you do those things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me you too shall be partakers of these Blessings And if there be any such thing as Truth in Mankind this is what above my own Life or if there 's any thing dearer than Life to me I aim at and beg of Heaven for you It may perhaps seem bold in me to use the Apostle's Words but knowing that I have exercised my self herein to keep a Conscience always void of offence toward you and having in all things endeavoured to discharge my Duty to you so as becomes a Minister of Christ Jesus I have a right to speak so The Words I now speak are the last in all probability which I shall speak to you from hence Look on me here as your dying Teacher who had sent for you to attend his Death-bed and expiring Words the very Circumstance might perhaps make you consider what I say with greater tenderness but they 'd be the same as now and could not be uttered with more Sincerity or Affection And as ever you expect to meet me with Comfort at the great Tribunal let my words now sink into your Ears I will not talk of having the Rule over you it 's plain enough that I have not but I 'd have you if possible always remember him who has spoken to you the word of God and follow his Faith remembring the end of his Conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Hebr. 13.7 8. That is my End and that I hope will always be yours and that it may be so think a little seriously on these things 1. Consider what Doctrines I have preached I won't imagine you should remember all I have said for almost six Years together but reflect a little on the general Design of what you have heard and I hope have received I have followed no cunningly devised Fables I have medled with no nice or impertinent Questions I have brought in no new fangled Doctrines which might confound or mislead unwary Souls nor have you ever heard one Word from me tending to promote my own Interests Your Salvation was what I aim'd at what might conduce to that I preach'd and as I have told you more than once so now again if I have any knowledge of my own Heart I had rather be an Instrument to save one Soul than be advanced to the greatest Dignities in the World My Resolution among you ever was to teach you the true and the right Way and I never brought any thing to be deliver'd here but what I had implored the Blessing of my God upon before I came hither I always knew that Paul might plant and Apollo might water but it was God only who could give the increase and to him only I looked for it I have studied among you not to prove my self of mighty Learning but to explain and clear up necessary and important Truths and on whatsoever Point I have discoursed to you I have endeavoured to declare to you the whole Counsel of God in that particular I have not studied Words so much as Things and yet I have sought for acceptable Words too as concluding that good Language might consist well enough with the simplicity of Instruction I need not mention how great and how constant my Pains have been all who have attended here can witness that which I mention not to boast of but to celebrate God's goodness who has blest me with Health and Strength to perform it I have endeavoured to inculcate Truth in the best Methods I could that its Impressions might be the deeper I have Catechised as many of your Children as with your leave I might that I should have had more of that Employment would have been my Delight and was your Duty May Almighty God never lay that great Sin to your Charge nor avenge it on you or your Posterity I have explained the Catechism at large and have almost gone through it four times that those of elder Years might recover the Principles of their Religion and remember what 's too easily forgotten I have explained that admirable Lyturgy which our Holy Mother has appointed for Publick Worship that understanding it throughly you might value it justly and praise God for so excellent Assistances in Devotion I have explained all the Articles of our Faith not according to the new ways of Vnitarians and Atheists but according to the genuine Tenour of Scripture and the current Sense of unwrested Antiquity I have laid before you the meaning of every Commandment not in that narrow way which some would confine them to but in that full sense of which the best of Preachers has given us a Pattern in his Sermon on the Mount I have explained that heavenly Form of Prayer which the Son of God taught his own Apostles a Form perfect in every respect which he who uses not with Reverence can never be a Christian I have instructed you in the Nature of both Sacraments more especially that of the Lord's-Supper and though I can't boast of any extraordinary Success I have endeavoured from time to time by Preparatory Sermons to fit You for that Holy Communion I have taken every accidental Opportunity to inculcate seasonable Truths to which the Circumstances of Time might best prepare you And as I have generally done my Work my self so if Illness or Necessity has at any time required help of others I have provided such as at least were never the Scandal either of the Gown or Pulpit Thus have I preached among you and thus have you received and have seemed to receive the Word with gladness I
do them and if ye know never so much without such Practice ye are altogether unhappy Not every one who saith to me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he who doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven is our Saviour's unchangeable determination Matth. 7.21 Here then we may take some notice of the Discourse of Christians concerning Edification Edifying primarily signifies raising up a Building on a Foundation already laid Edifying in a spiritual sense signifies making a compleat Christian upon Principles of sound Faith laid in before so that the Person truly Edified is one upon whom the Word of God preach'd makes such impressions that he grows larger every day and wiser by it in his Vnderstanding and better in his Practice his Faith as it 's sound and good at first by the help of what he hears so the Fruits of that Faith are Holiness and Righteousness which if true then no Man can be said to edifie by a Sermon who does not grow wiser and better by it nor can any one be said to be a more edifying Pastor or Teacher than others whose Flock are not clearer in their Faith and sounder and more innocent in their Practises than other Men. But if Men should hear an Angel from Heaven preach according to his Nature nothing but what 's Holy and Divine and should not be able to give a better account of their Faith nor farther correct their Manners after they had heard him it must be owned that even such a Sermon from such a Preacher is not edifying to the Hearer If he does not Preach what 's sound and good I am apt to think no Man in his Senses will believe he edifies those he preaches to Edification in the subject of it is in plain Scripture terms Growing in Grace and in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ where that 's wanting all the rest is but idle talk An edifying Preacher will preach to himself first convince himself and prove himself a Christian by his Christian Life and Behaviour The Physician is of no value who can't heal himself nor the Preacher who has not affected his own Reformation St. Paul was but weak in speech and despicable in person 2 Cor. 10.10 yet he built up more Christians by the Purity and Exemplariness of his Life than all the popular Orators in the World It s possible a Man may hit his way who has a wicked Guide but he 's a great deal more likely to do so who has one Honest and Skilful too Empty Harangues can save none but sound Faith and good Practice may This attentive hearing then this Faith and this Practice will be crowned 3. The Happiness attending such a People The God of Peace will be with them their Bosoms shall be quiet and easie and the Spirit of Peace shall rest upon them A quiet Conscience is a Jewel of an inestimable Value it 's what thousands when they come on their Death-beds would purchase with a thousand Worlds if they could A wounded Spirit or Conscience none can bear a quiet Spirit makes a chearful Countenance and he who has nothing to accuse himself within may laugh at the Malice and Impudence of all Mankind We live in a World that 's troublesom enough and the more a Man studies to do well in it the more he exposes himself to the Hatred and Revenge of those who are set on fire of Hell Our Saviour did no Sin nor could any of his Adversaries convince him of it but our Saviour because his Innocence condemned a wicked World was hated persecuted murdered The Apostles preached and practised the Primitive Christians believed and practised the best the most heavenly Things The generality of the World lived in Sin and loved those Sins they lived in therefore they prosecuted those admirable Persons with indefatigable Rage and Envy and it will be so to the end of the World and he who dares to be good will be sure to have all the Sons of Darkness near him about his Ears The wicked watcheth the Righteous and seeketh to slay him Psal 37.32 that Work is agreeable to his Nature and the Righteous must be patient under it A Son of Belial will bely and slander he 'll quarrel with and prosecute he 'll endeavour to raise Enemies and encourage them in their Wickedness against those who endeavour to live soberly righteously and godly in an evil World Just Men are always doing good endeavouring the Peace and Assistance and Support of others the requital they have is commonly Baseness Ingratitude Treachery and down-right Villany Yea his own familiar Friends in whom he trusted which did eat of his Bread will presume to lift up their heels against him as David complains Psal 41.9 and David's Lord John 13.18 It s true such Judas's commonly hang themselves and die unpitied unlamented yet these Vermin are as troublesome to good Men as the Plagues of Flies and Lice to the Egyptians But how happy in the midst of all such Vexations from abroad are those who have peace with God and who being conscious of no guilt no dishonesty no injury done to any can Sleep without disturbance can Smile without dissembling can Converse without sullenness can debate Matters without passion and address themselves to God in Prayer without any Fears of a denial Nay though the Devil himself and all his Emissaries assault a Man of a clear Conscience let them endeavour to terrifie him with the inexorable Justice of God with the uselesness and impertinence of Repentance with the boasts of his own mighty Power and the unpardonableness of his past Crimes all these Suggestions vanish into Air when a Man can with Hezekiah plead I beseech thee remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight 2 Kings 20.3 All the Balm in Gilead has not so healing a Vertue as such Words in a sincere Christians Mouth Nor are the influences of the Spirit of Peace of less Efficacy or less desirable they are agreeable to the Nature of that Spirit who imparts them they are Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness Faith meekness temperance Gal. 5.22 23. Love that heavenly Grace by which we keep the Commandments for Love is the fulfilling of the Law it 's that by which we love God with all our souls and our Neighbours as our selves Joy that Grace which bears us up in the midst of all worldly Troubles so as though the Figtree should not blossom neither should fruit be in the Vines though the labour of the Olive should fail and the Fields should yield no encrease tho the Flock should be cut off from the Fold and there should be no Herd in the Stall yet we may rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of our Salvation Habak 3.17 18. Peace that whereby we are reconciled to our heavenly Father in Christ Jesus whereby we are freed from inward Gripes and