the first thing they must labour II. This is labour to do this is labour Beloved even unto weariness As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word signifieth The same word is translated being weary John 4. 16. Thus sate Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weary on the Well We have toiled all night and caught nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 5. 5. The work of the Ministry my Beloved is a goâ—d work and it is a work that may be desired 1 Tim. 3. 1. But it may not be desired for Honours sake nor for Maintenance sake but for Works sake But as it is a good and desirable Work so it is a painful and laborious Work it is hard toilsom Labour so that they need to give themselves wholly to it 1. There is the labour of the Brain there is a giving attendance to Reading Meditation and Prayer which is commanded them that so they may faithfully discharge the Duty of their Office 1 Tim. 4. 13. Till I come give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine And Verse 15. Meditate on these things give thy self wholly to them 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth There needs continual Study Reading and Meditation which is hard Labour and doth greatly exhaust the strength of their natural Spirits The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even the words of truth Ecccles 12. 15. 2. Their Work is Heart labour in their Work they must labour hard with their own Hearts and with the Hearts of those that God hath set them over They labour with their own Hearts for in their Hearts are like Passions as other Men have they have many times unbelief vexing them despondency casting them down without are fightings and within are fears as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 7. 4. They are to serve God with their spirits in the Gospel of Christ sincerely and heartily Rom. 1. 9. But their Spirits are sometimes discomposed and disquieted and cast down and at other times their Spirit is willing and their Flesh is weak They labour with their own Hearts for they must be careful of their own Souls 1 Cor. 9. 27. If they be keepers of others Vineyard and do not keep their own Vineyard if they do not take heed to themselves that they may save themselves as well as others they shall be found Fools in the Issue of their Labours And as they have hard labour with their own Hearts so they have also hard labour with the Hearts of those whom they teach and if God doth not help them to work on the Hearts of them whom they teach they can do nothing Thus the Apostle expresseth his Labour Coloss 1. 28 29. Whom we preach warning every Man and teaching every Man in all Wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily If that the Spirit work with us mightily then our Labour is pleasant tho' 't is hard But if we be put to lament who hath believ'd our report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed It even breaks our hearts with grief 3. It is Labour for which they many times have little thanks given them Thus the Apostle tells the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12. 15. I will very gladly spend and be spent for you tho' the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved So great an Apostle met with so mean a requital from those whom he had by his preaching Converted and other Elders do many times meet with a discouraging requital the more abundantly they love them the less they are beloved by them they are many times counted enemies because they tell the people the truth as the Galatians did account Paul whereof he complains Gal. 4. 16. 4. It 's hard Labour wherein many times they have little success They are made Fishers of Men Mat. 4. 19. and they are put many times to complain unto the Lord as Luke 5. 5 Master we have toiled all Night and have caught nothing Many times they see no fruit of their labours before they are called home and they that come after them reap the harvest of the seed which they did sow So our Lord told his Disciples Jo. 4. v. 38. Other Men laboured and ye are entred into their labours 5. It is a toilsome Work which is usually attended with great Sufferings whilst they do faithfully discharge their Ministry Wicked Men hate them because they cannot speak good to them in a way of sin and the frowardness of their Brethren doth many times occasion great trouble to them The Apostle frequently makes mention of his Sufferings 2 Tim. 1. 12. For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know in whom I have believed So also 2 Tim. 2. v. 9 10. and 2 Cor. 11. 23. 27 v. They that are called to this Work must endure hardness as good Soldiers of Jesus Christ So we are commanded 2 Tim. 2. 3. And we must not be moved by any sufferings and troubles whatsoever so as to leave our Ministry because of Sufferings Acts 20. 24. None of these things move me neither count I my life dear to me so I may finish my course with joy and fulfil my Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus It is then you see hard Labour labour of the Brains labour with the Heart labour that they have little thanks for labour that they have often little success in labour in which they many times suffer great and hard things Yet thus we must Work and thus we must Labour a necessity is laid upon us 1 Cor. 4. 9. and woe to us if we preach not the Gospel Thus must we take heed to save our own Souls and those that hear 1 Tim. 4. 16. us and we must take heed that we be faithful that the blood of none be required at our hands I call you saith the Apostle to witness that I am free from the blood of all Men Acts 20. 26. If the blood of any to whom we preach should be required at our Hands how shall we answer it to our Lord By way of Application 1. The good Lord pardon all the Failings and Miscarriages of us who minister the Word and Doctrine all our coming short in so great a Work It was a great thing the Apostle said I know nothing by myself I know nothing wherein I have failed in the work of my Ministry to you yet am I not hereby justified for Christ knoweth my Work more perfectly than Man doth 1 Cor. 4. 4. But as for us poor sinners we dare not say that we know no thing by our selves we have many Miscarriages that we are guilty of but we hope and believe that we shall be saved by the Blood of Christ even as ye 2.
12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Minstry for the edifying the Body of Christ There seems to be a transposition of these words for the work of the Ministry which lieth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those two things here named the jointing in of the Saints into Christ and into Church Fellowship and the edifying of the Body that such as are not Saints may become Saints by the Power of the Word and be jointed into the Church and after that they are jointed in that the Body might be edified Particularly 1. They are to preach the Word of God and they are to administer all the Ordinances of God and they must do it diligently and faithfully This charge is given 2 Tim. 4 12. Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine They must speak like the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. with clear Evidence of Scripture Light that God in all things may be glorified They must not corrupt and mingle the pure Word of God with the sophistical Notions and Errors of Men 2 Cor. 2. 17. They must not lay wood and hay and stubble upon the foundation if they do their Work shall suffer loss and themselves be saved with great difficulty so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 12 15. 2. They must watch for your Souls Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls They must watch with great care and great diligence tho' thereby they be exposed to great trouble and great danger They must warn the People of their Backslidings and of their Wanderings and they must charge them that they keep the way of the Lord they must exhort them to their present Duty and they must exhort them to lay hold on their future Reward They must be very watchful lest by some means the Tempter should tempt any and their labour should be in vain 1 Thess 3. 5. They must warn them when any danger approacheth as God chargeth Ezekiel in Chap. 3. 18 19 Verses When I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked ways to save his life the same wicked Man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hands c. Bear with us Beloved if we seem unto you to be too earnest and too warm in our Admonitions and Reproofs we speak for the life of your Souls and it is for the life of our own Souls also we must shew you the good way of the Lord convince you of the Equity of it and labour to impress you with a sence of your Duty and excite you by the most powerful Motives we can use to a cheerful even and constant walking in the ways of the Lord. 3. The Elders are to exhort and comfort all the Members of the Church yea and all that desire to receive Instruction from them as their Condition and Necessities do require They must do this with great gentleness and compassion with simpathizing Bowels and condescending Love such the Apostle tells the Thessalonions was his Carriage towards them 1 Thess 2. 7 8. We were gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted to you not the Gospel of God only but also our own Souls because you were very dear unto us So also he chargeth us 1 Thess 5. 14. Brotherly Love doth oblige all to attend unto this Duty but the Office committed to the Elder doth much more oblige him to it he is to be patient towards all 2 Tim. 2. 25. and in meekness to instruct them that do oppose themselves if peradventure God may give them repentance that they may escape out of the snare of the Devil They are to do this generally in their publick preaching of the Gospel and also particularly from House to House Thus the Apostle declared his diligence Acts 20. 20. I have kept back nothing that was profitable to you but I have shewed you and taught you publickly and from House to House 4. They are to defend and maintain the Truth against all Corruption and Error 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Hold fast the form of sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That good thing that is committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And they are not only to keep it themselves but they must by sound Doctrine exhort and convince Gain-sayers the mouths of gain-sayers must be stopt who subvert whole Houses speaking things they ought not for filthy lucre's sake 1 Tit. 1. 11. And in Chap. 2. v. 8. it is required of them that they have sound speech that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of them It is that which requireth great Wisdom that we do keep close to the Word that we hold fast the Form of wholesom Words according to the Scripture and that all that we speak in the Name of the Lord be sound Speech that cannot be condemned we must contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. v. We must watch against grievous Wolves entering in amongst us This is the Charge given to the Elders in Acts 20. 28 29. The Churches and especially the Angels of the Churches Rev. 2. 2. must try them that say they are Apostles and are not and find them to be lyars 5. They that are over the Church must be exemplary in yielding Obedience to all the Commandments of Christ Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach Men so shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. 19. If you teach it not in your Preaching and teach it in your Example that any of the Commands of Christ are too little to be regarded you incurr the Threatning of being excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven Oh what cause of trembling have we So the Apostle chargeth Timothy 1 Tim 4. v. 12. Be thou an example of the Believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity And in 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee also youthful lusts but follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart Elders are set up in a golden Candlestick to be Lights and they must be pure Lights they must be burning and shining Lights if there be any filthiness in them it will lessen the Light and make the Light offensive which they hold forth to the People They are set upon a Hill the Eyes of all Men are upon them and their not walking in exemplary Holiness brings a great reproach upon the Gospel and Truths of Christ which they preach But it is honourable if they can say as Philip. 3. 17. That is
us and laboureth Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves Obey their Teachings and submit to their Admonitions Reproofs and Government do not you do as the stubborn Israelite did when Moses came to part two that were quarrelling the faulty Person thrust him away and said Who made thee a Ruler and Judge over us Acts 7. 27. When your Elders would persuade you to Peace or Holiness don't fly in their Faces and say Who made you Rulers over us But yield gently to their guidance so far as they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of us as we also are of Christ Jesus It is sad to consider how foolishly we are apt to run into Extreams some Elders are for taking all to themselves and they will be Absolute and Arbitrary and will allow the Church no Power Liberty nor Privilege and on the other side some People are for taking all to themselves and will have their Elders to be no more than Cyphers or Tools among them they will not understand how their Liberty can consist with obeying and submitting to them that are over them in the Lord. There are some that are apt to have a great opinion of their own Sufficiency Wisdom and Authority and that they have little need of their Elders But Christ will not bear it that his Messengers should be so slighted and they that are humble and wise and sincerely desire the publick good of the Church will submit themselves to them that are over them in the Lord and they will be afraid of following their own Will lest in so doing they should mislead others they will seek the Law of Christ from the Mouth of their Elders that all things may be done orderly according to the Word of God and that their Elders may be with them without fear and trouble of Spirit 3. You must believe and practise the sincere Word of God being preached unto you by them that are over you in the Lord The Apostle doth greatly commend the Thessalonians for this 1 Thess 1. 6. Ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word with much affliction and with joy in the Holy Ghost And cap. 2. 13. When ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the Word of Man but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe If that you do not believe and obey the Word that is preached to you as the Word of God if you accept Mens persons if you judge according to the Flesh as your Ear and as your fancy is pleased and your humour is gratified you do not shew that love to your Elder that God requireth of you Desire earnestly the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby let the Word of the Lord be precious unto you not only as the manner of some is when there is no open Vision but also when it is plentifully dispenced Let your growth be answerable to your feeding let not fatness breed loathing and nauseousness in you being glutted by the Word Do not despise the Stewards of Christ that minister it unto you do not grow weary of the Ordinances of Christ because you enjoy them peaceably come not under that reproof Mal. 1. 13. Ye have said also behold what a weariness is it and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hosts Oh be not you so guilty lest God should judge you and send leanness into your Souls and make you to wander from one Sea unto another seeking the Word of the Lord and ye shall not find it as he speaks Amos 8. 12. Be not all Ear do not content your selves with hearing many Sermons and talking of them that it is a good and a seasonable Word do not content your selves without practising them If you know these things happy are you if you do them Be ye the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not on Stone or with Ink but in the fleshly Tables of your Hearts by the spirit of God 2 Cor. 3. 3. Surely Beloved if you profess never so much Honour and Reverence and Obedience to us in your outward Words and Actions yet if the Word of Christ which we preach doth not dwell richly in you if it be not by you highly valued and rightly improved and you do not bring forth the fruits of it in your conversation you do not what pleaseth Christ nor what satisfieth us it is not that love which we desire from you but you send us mourning to our God As the Lord tells Ezekiel cap. 33. 32. Loe thou art unto them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an Instrument for they hear thy words and will not do them So we too often find it and you make us weep bitterly and cry out because our Labours are successless Oh take heed that you do not turn your backs on the Rod of Christ's Power the Word of his Grace and take heed also that you do not hear with an unbroken and unaffected and unbelieving heart for if you do either of these you are guilty of casting off Christ 4. You must pray earnestly for your Elders Heb. 13. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray that their stores of the gifts and graces of the Spirit may be encreased pray that they may be helped by the Holy Spirit in their great work as the Apostle calls upon the Ephesians cap. 6. 19. Pray for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth bâ—ldly to make known the Mystery of the Gospel do not you stop your Ministers mouth do not you say that he grows dull whilst you neglect praying for him that God would open his mouth So to the Colossians the Apostle saith cap. 4. 3. Withal praying for us that God would open a door of utterance to speak the Mystery of Christ and to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 3. 1. Finally Brethren pray for us that the Word of the Lord may run and be glorified even as it is with you Pray for us that we may have success in our work and pray that we may be delivered from wicked and unreasonable Men for all Men have not Faith as it follows in the next verse And in Rom. 15. 30. Now I beseech you Brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and the Love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from them that believe not in Judea and that my Service that I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the Saints Oh pray that their Labours may be acceptable for tho' their Work ought to be acceptable yet many times it is not Pray for them that all their afflictions dangers and troubles may be sanctified to them for the working out
Let not any say I over-do in pressing you I have the great Apostle giving me an example in my Text most seriously and most affectionately pressing this Exhortation We had rather be altogether silent in this matter but there is danger lest you should be unmindful of your Duty The Apostle saw it to be needful and we find it to be needful to exhort you and stir up your minds by way of Remembrance and if we should be totally negligent in this matter it would be such a piece of Modesty and Self-denyal as would turn to your loss Therefore I beseech you that you would thus love and shew the Effects of your love to your Elders And in order hereunto 1. You must understand aright and be convinced of your Duty to your Elders be not willingly ignorant of your Duty let not prejudice turn away your minds from the consideration of your Duty and let not your hearts be resolved against it Know and lay to heart that the station wherein Christ hath set your Elders calls for those Duties at your hands let not evil Customs desire of Reputation or of Domination or desire to obtain the Favour of any lessen your due respect to your Elders but get a deep impression on your Consciences that this is your Duty strive not against the conviction of it Consider Christ commands you and their work doth greatly oblige you that you should so carry it to them put your Consciences under the awe of Christ's Command and love them for their work sake if this Motive affect you you will do your Duty with more delight to your selves and with greater acceptation to Jesus Christ. 2. Do not watch for the failings of your Elders that so you might have somewhat whereby to confirm your prejudices and to justifie your murmurings against them be not like Flesh Fâ—ies that love to dwell upon the sore place they are Men subject to like Passions with your selves they are Angels in Office but they are not yet Angels in perfect Holiness therefore do you cover their Infirmities with a Mantle of Love never take pleasure in discovering the nakedness of your spiritual Fathers 3. Let your Love be constant do not you fall under that reproof which the Apostle gives the Galatians Gal. 4. 15 16. Where is then the blessedness ye speak of for I bear you record that if it had been possible you would have plucked out your own Eyes and have given them to me am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the truth Let that Love that appeared warm in your first joyning in this Relation be still encreasing let it not presently decay Be not like Children that are never pleased but with new things be not of an unstable mind always affecting changes I am afraid that I have tyred you in speaking to these two Doctrines I will say therefore but little to the 3 Doctrine That the Elders faithful discharge of their Duty and the Peoples consciencious discharge of thâ—â—r Duty and mutual Peace are strictly joyned together Do not expect that you shall find the one without the other and when you see these joyned together then do you see Zion in her Beauty then will you rejoyce in the Lord and say Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down c. Isa 33. 20. Briefly let me mention every part of this Doctrine 1. The Elders discharge of their Duty is a means to oblige the People to a Conscientious discharge of theirs and to promote mutual Peace Therefore Say to Archippus take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it Col. 4. 17. You may not expect Love nor Reverence if you do not faithfully fulfil the Ministry that you have received in the Lord. If Elders be proud and haughty and self-will'd they loose their hold of the Peoples Love 2 Cor. 1. 24. We have not dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy If Elders do not themselves Practise and teach the Church to Practise all things that Christ hath commanded If Elders Mat. 23. 4. be Sloathful and Dronish they may not expect the People should highly esteem them in Love Mal. 2. 9. Therefore have I made you contemptible and base before all the People according as ye have not kept my ways but have been partial in my love If Elders do not faithfully Advise the Church if they addict themselves to the pleasing of some particular Men and do not consult and aim at the general good of the Church then there is not like to be mutual Peace in the Church An Elders carriage in the Church must be like that of Mordecaies Esther 10. 3. who was accepted of the multitude of his Brethren seeking the wealth of his people and speaking Peace to all his seed So if an Elder expect to be accepted of his Brethren he must seek the wealth of his people and speak peace to all the Flock 2. That Peoples Consciencious Discharge of their Duty is a means to encourage the Elders to be faithful in their Duty and it is a means of mutual Peace If the People behave themselves proudly and contemptuously against their Elders if they strive with them and obstinately resist their Admonitions and Reproofs they will weaken their Hands and sink their Spirits and give occasion for Strife and Division in the Church For consider how great a matter a little fire kindleth But if the People carry it lovingly to their Elders and say Thine are we peace be to thee and to thy helpers for thy God helpeth thee then shall the Elders succeed in their Work and Labour having a free access to the Spirits of their People then shall all offence and occasion of Division be greatly prevented 3. Mutual Peace doth in an eminent manner tend to help the Elders in the discharge of their Duty and help the People in the discharge of their Duty Peace doth promote â—ll Godliness and all Honesty and doth promote the Edification of all Rom. 14. 19. Let us therefore follow after the things that make for Peace and things wherewith one may edifie another And in Cap. 15. v. 2. Let every one please is Neighbour for his good to Edification Behold how pleasant and good a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity there the Lord commands the blessing even life for evermore Psal 133. But if a Spirit of Division doth prevail in a Church then the Devil gets Advantage to hinder the good success of the Ministry to obstruct the Elders in doing their Duty who cannot live comfortably nor labour industriously if they be in a fire and a flame of Division and the Devil gets advantage also to alienate the People from their Duty and to bring all Mischief into the Church James 3. 14 If ye have bitter envyings and strifes in your hearts glory not and lie not against
the Truth for where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Verse 16. If ye bite and devour one another take heed lest ye be consumed one of another Gal. 5. 15. I have shewed you shortly the Truth of the Doctrine And I would only repeat the Exhortation be you then exhorted I beseech you Brethren to undissembled love and unfeigned Peace let Love be the Principle and let Holiness be the Bond of Peace among you Hear how pathetically the Apostle presseth the Exhortation Eph. 4. 1 2. 3. I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace So in 2 Philip. 1. 4. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves look not every Man on his own things but every Man also on the things of others Are you Christians Do you believe this to be the Word of God that doth contain the Evidences of your Salvation And can you easily forget such pathetical Exhortations Let not the Elders nor let I beseech you any of the Brethren have cause to complain As Psalm 120. 6 7. I have long dwelt with them that hate Peace I am for Peace but when I speak they are for War By way of Direction 1. Avoid Pride and an over-weening esteem of your own Wisdom and Worth Prov. 13. 10. Only by Pride cometh Contention i. e. Chiefly and eminently by Pride cometh Contention and if there is any thing of another cause that causeth Contention yet Pride mingleth therewith and blows up the Flame more vehemently Therefore avoid Pride yea do you count your selves to be nothing Consider that Parable Ecclesiast 9. 15 16. 2. Seek not your own Interest and Advantage prefer the publick good of the Church before your own private conveniency 1 Cor. 10. 24. Let no Man seek his own but every one anothers Wealth do not insist stifly upon your Right do not continually resolve that you will not abate a Pin but be of a yielding Spirit The Promise of the Land was made to Abraham but saith he to Lot Let there be no strife my Brother between me and thee Gen. 13. 8 9. do thou take thy choice if thou goest to the right-hand I will go to the left c. Therefore if you stifly insist upon any thing of your own Will and Interest consider that your Father Abraham did not so 3. Be not busie Bodies 1 Thess 4. 11. That ye study to be quiet and to do your own business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love this Honour It is your honour to be quiet you cannot so easily do your own Business well don't you think it belongs to you to do the Business of others and that nothing is well done but what you have the ordering of don't you think that you must be the doers of all I shall conclude with these two Scriptures the first in the two Verses following the Text. We exhort you Brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded support the weak be patient towards all Men. See that none render evil for evil unto any Man But ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all Men. And I shall add the other thereunto and conclude 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally my Brethren farewell Be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you The Lord impress this upon all our Hearts FINIS A Catalogue of Books Printed for and are to be sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-place SEveral Discourses concering Actual Providence A Word in Season Defensive Armour against four of Satans most Fiery Darts Sermons upon the whole first and second Chapters of the Canticles Thirteen Sermons upon several Useful Subjects The Happiness of Brethren dwelling together in Unity All published by John Collings D. D. of Norwich The Way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ set forth with the Necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mr. Tho. Allen late Pastor of a Church of Christ at Norwich Enoch's Walk with God and Christ a Christian's Gain By Mr. Timothy Armitage late Pastor of a Church of Christ at Norwich Precious Promises the Portion of Overcomers By Mr. John Lougher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer By Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to Spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saints Speaking being a Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcomb in Essex By Mr. Fairfax The Ordinary Matter of Prayer drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises the first of Rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all Conditions The second Of a Christian's Hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ Both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended in a Sermon Preached Sept. 9. 1683. By Jonathan Clapham Rector of VVarplingham in Norfolk Two Discourses one of Spiritual Blessings the other that God hath an high account of the least Grace in the Saints By Mr. John Cromwell late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Inâ—ant Baptism of Christ's Appointment By Mr. Samuel Petto Pastor of a Church in Sudbury in Suffolk Of the Conversion of Sinners of God in Christ â—â—e Necessity Nature Means and Signs of it with a Concluding Speech to the Unconverted An Answer to Tho. Grantham's Book called A Dialogue between the Baptist and Presbyterian A Sermon Preached upon the death of that Pious and Learned Divine John Collinges D. D. All by Mr. Martin Finch Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Sincerity or the Upright Mans walk to Heaven delivered in several Sermons in the Parish Church of St. Michael in Long Stratton in Norfolk by Mr. James Olfield late Minister there Alexipharmacon Spirituale Being a Defensive against the poyson and sting of death or the great expedient how to make the Bed of the Grave so easie that we may lay down in peace and take our rest A Plea for Abatements in Matters of Conformity A Sermon preached upon the 30th day of Jan. 1695. All by Mr. Sam. Snowden Minister of the Gospel in Newton in Norfolk Christ set forth in several Sermons upon the 7th Chapter to the Hebrews by Mr. Rob. Ottee late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Beccles in Suffolk Sacramental Discourses on several Subjects To which is added A Discourse of the Life of Faith by Christopher Ammarant Pastor of a Church in Southripps in Norfolk A Discovery of Audacious Insolence against the Doctrine of the Church of England vented in a Malicious Pamphlet by Thomas Grantham A Practical Discourse upon the 8th of the Romans A Brief and Plain Discourse upon the Decrees of God both by Nath. VViles The right way of seeking God in a Sermon preached at Great Yarmouth by Mr. James Hannot Pastor of a Church of Christ there The History of the Birth Life Sufferings and Death of our blessed Saviour by Mr. Henry Brett of Pulham in Norfolk The exceeding abundant Grace of God displayed in the Conversion of William Gymer a Penitent Malefactor and Murderer who was executed on the Castle-Hill of Norwich September 4. 1696. Written by John Lucas FINIS