THat most Laborious and most Imi­table Minister of the Gospel, the Apostle Paul, after he had been Travelling on the Designs of the Gospel all the Summer long, had some affairs of the Gospel to ma­nage in the Winter too. Speaking about a City of Thrace, he said, in Tit. 3.12. I have determined there to winter: and accordingly in the Acts of the Apostles, we find this [...]amous Doctor of the Gentiles once abode three months in Greece, after he had gi­ven much Exhortation to the People as he went a­long. It seems the Service of the Lord Jesus [Page 2]Christ, and of His Gospel, was not in the Three Months of the Winter, to be laid aside.

As for Us, we are now getting into our Win­ter-Quarters, and we ought not only to continue our Cares about Religion, & Salvation and all the Works of the Gospel, all the VVinter long; but there are some singular Lessons of the Gospel to be in these Winter Months inculcated and entertai­ned. Indeed, there is not One Day in the Year, whereon we should not be, In the fear of the Lord all the Day long; but there are diverse Months in the Year, wherein the Fear of God is to single out some special ways of Exercise.

That there are Special Duties of Christianity, belonging to the winter, i [...] intimated, in the words now Read unto us; and it is also intimated, what those Christian Duties are. Tis Piety that the winter should advance any further upon us, before we have had some discourse of these Duties: To be minding one another of these things, would be more Significant, and more Profitable, than our impertinent expence of time, in telling one another That it is very Cold.

Tis possible that your Devotions here in this winter-season, put you upon some Trial of your Patience. But I have an occasion here to tell you; You have heard of the Patience of JOB. He was a Person of Quality, who dwelt in Arabia the Des [...]rt, and yet that Arabia could not but be the Happy while it enjoyed the Presence of such a Ruler. But what a manifold Unhappiness overtook this Excel­lent person, and Unhappiness wherein he fell at once [Page 3]from great Wealth and Health into Miseries that have made a Proverb, all Ages have since heard, with wonderment. In these his Miseries, he was visited by some of his Comfortable Neighbours, who yet proved but Miserable Comforters. Among these Visitants there were Three more Aged Men of God, which Venerable Saints, all took their Turns, in dealing with him, about his Condition before the Lord; but at length it came to the Turn of a Fourth, who tho' he were a Younger Person, yet stood something longer than the rest in the Dis­putation.

This Elihis, for That was his Name, is in our Context proving, That as there is a most Inscru­table and Unblemished Wisdom, in all the Works of God, so in the Afflictions which the Lord had now sent upon Job, there was nothing to be at all complained of. Whatever is done by our Great God, either in the Great World, or to the Little World, we have cause to say, He hath done ALL Things WELL: and there is no Work of God, whereof, all Circumstances considered, we have not cause to own, His W [...]rk is perfect. No­thing in the World could be more Arrogant than the Speech uttered by the King of Arrage [...], That he could have contrived a better shaped World; nor more worthy to be Reb [...]ked with such Burning Thunderbolts as the Spanish. Annals tell us, brought that haughty Monarch unto Repentance. But a­mong those Excellent Works, of the God who is, Excellent is working, such Works as are every Win­ter [Page 4]to be seen, have a Remark most particularly here set upon them.

In our Text, First, We have some Accidents of the Winter. He saith to the Snow, Be thou on the Earth; [...] to the Small Rain, and is the Great Rain of His Strength. In the Winter, we have plenty of Snow and Rain; and those No­table Productions of the M [...]e r [...]us Kingdom, as the, come from the Word, so they shew forth the Strength of our God. Not only such Snows as those that fall upon Caucasus, whereof such is the Quantity, that Strabo tells us, whole Re­giments of Men have perished, therein over­whelmed: but the ordinary Snows of every Winter; Not only such Rains as th [...]se that fall near Mexico, whereof Johnston reports, that sometimes the Drops are so [...]ig and fierce as to kill the very people with their fury; but the ordinary Rains of every Winter; these have much of God, appealing in them. And one thing therein done by our God, is this:

[He seals up the Hand of every man] That is, By h [...]d Weather he binds up their Hands, from doing any Work abroad. But indeed▪ there are more than those who work chiefly with their Hands, that feel these Obstructions of the [...]. Wherefore the French Version so carrys it, [...] fait que chacun se Renferme; that is, Then he makes every man shut himself up; and it is very Expressive.

There is an Impious Interpretation that some have made of these words; as if being, In m [...] ­nu [Page 5]Omnium Hominum signa posuit, they countenan­ced, Chiromancy; a foolish and absurd Science, which pretends from the Lines in our Hands, to read the Fates of our Lives. As for that curious Vanity, I shall say but thus much of it; The Lines in our Hands, are mostly formed, by the Accidental Uses and Motions of our Hands; and may accordingly, by the like means be altered. Opinions about our future Circumstances and Con­tingencies, cannot be drawn to any purpose from these Lines, unless they be done mee [...]ly by Im­pulse; and the Impulse, which has often darted many true Predictions into the Minds of Ungodly Fortune tellers, when they have been po [...]ing on the Hands of others, is ordinarily from some of the Demons, who are at Hand always to Encourage such Impieties; and of the Predictions which the Demons have thus perhaps Litt upon, but as proba­ble Conjectures, they immediately Employ all their Interest, which in This world is very great, for the Accomplishment. Of the [...]i [...]ine Vengeance, leaving such wretched Fortune tellers unto the more than ordinary power of the Devil, we have in our own I and, lately seen most horrid Instances. A­way then, with all such Diabolical Communions! Let us with a Christian Resignation, wait upon God, in a willing and a wi [...]ohome Igno­rance of, The Secret Things which being unto the Lord.

But then, Secondly, we have some Employments for the VVinter. Men are Seal'd, from their work when the Winter comes. But what? Have they [Page 6] no work then to mind? Yes; All men are then to know his work. To Know that work, is, according to th [...] im [...]ort and Fulness of the Hebrew Phrase to [...]a [...]n the work, to Love the work, to Do the Work. Why? The work is Gods work; the Work that God would have to he known, and therefore most worthy to be known.

Well; There is an Important CASE, where­with I would hence take occasion to give you some WINTER ENTERTAINMENTS. It is The CASE.

What Special Works for the Glory of God, may and should be [...] by the Children of Men, when by the hard we [...]her of the Winter, He shuts them up, or Hinders them from their Ordinary Busi­nesses?

They are not only Commoda, or Profitable Things, but also Accommoda, or Seasonable Things which are to be Preached among you. Our Win­ter is our Liesure, and as it will be a Profitable, so 'tis but a Seasonable Undertaking, to Lay before you, How the Liesure of the Winter may be most Im­proved for the Glory of God.

Now, without any further Preface, First, that we may speak more Negatively, it is to be assert­ed. That the Liesure of the Winter must not be Ab [...]sed, as if it were a Liesure to work Abominations, or [...] is were a Liesure for any Superstitious or Prohibited Sensualities, 'Tis not in the Slothful and [Page 7]Frothy Diversions of Bad Company, nor in things which will wrong our Souls, that our Winter is to be Sweeled away. I am sure, The Abominable Works of Sin, are none of those works, which we are to mind, when God shuts up our Hands; No, we should keep our own Hands for ever shut up from such works as those. Indeed, we spend the Nights of our Winter as a Tale that is told; but we should not spend them in such Idle Things, as the Telling of Tales; nor should we give cause for a poor Tale to be told, about our way of spending them. Tho' our Winter-Days have not so much Light as Darkness in them, yet we should all the Winter long behave our selves as the Chil­dren of Light, and have no Fellowship with the Un­fruitful Works of Darkness. 'Tis the Advice of the Apostle, in Rom. 13.12, 13, 14. The Night is far spent, the Day is at Hand; Let us walk Honestly, as in the Day; not in Dancing and Drunkenness; not in Chambering and Wantonness; not in Strife and Envying. But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not Provision for the Flesh. Even thus, when the Nights come to be Longer than the Days; we should still do nothing but what the Day-light of the Gospel Jus [...]ines; 'tis not the Fire of Lust, or of Wrath, wherewith we are then to keep our selves in an Heat; whatever Winter Garments we get, we must not forget to Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, to have such a Conversation as that every one who sees us, may therein behold an Imitation of the Lord Jesus Christ; whatever Winter-Provisions we Lay in, there must be no [Page 8] Provisions for the Flesh, or Gratifications of our sinful Appetires, among them all. Briefly, what is Honestly G [...]ia'd in the Summer, must be but Soberly Spent in the Winter.

There was one Winter Month in the Year, which was call'd Mensis Genialis, or the Fr [...]li [...]k­some and Voluptuous Month, among the Ancient Pagans; it was the Month of DECEMBER, wherein the Heathen had their Saturnalian Jolli i [...]s. Then 'twas that they sent their Presents one unto another, which our Primitive Authors call by the Name of Saturnal [...]ia, and by the Name of Satur­nalium Sportulae, but they also had monstrous Re­vels among them, whereto Horace refers, when he says, Age Libertate Decembri. None shall take Offence at me, for my giving of my own Judg­ment upon this matte; but I hope, I may without offence Report the Sentiments of the Great Hospi­nian, who says, He did believe, that they who observed the feast of our Lords Nativity, in the latter end of December, did it not as thinking that our I o d was Lo [...]n in that Month; but because the Saturnalia were then kept in Rome, and they were willing to have those Pagan H [...]lidaves Me­tamorphosed into Christian. And I [...]ope, 'twill be no offence for me to [...]e [...]e the Expressions of Tertullian, who i [...] his Book against Idolatry, thus Expresseth himself; Shall we Christians, who have nothing to do with the Festivals of the Jews, which were once of Divine h [...]it [...]tion, Embrace the Saturnalla and the Januaria of the Heathen? How are we sha­med by the Gentiles, who are more true to their Re­ligion [Page 9]than we are to ours? None of them will observe the Lords Day, Lest they should be Christians; and shall n [...] we then, by observing their Festivalls, fear lest we be made Ethnicks! Nor will I enter into any dis­pute, Whether the Birth of Our Lord were in De­cember; tho' they that are versed in Antiquity, do understand how divided the Ancients were about it; and how late, yea, how many Hundreds of Years, it was e're the December Festival could obtain: and how much more probability there is, that it rather [...]ell ou [...], about the time of the Feast of Ta­bernacles, about the conclusion of September, or the beginning of October. But I will venture to say thus much, That it is well if the World be mend­ed, since the famous and pious Bishop made his Complaint That men dishonour the Lord Jesus Christ more in the Twelve Days of CHRISTMAS, than in an the Twelve Months of the Year beside. And I will venture to say this more, That when the Corinthians pray'd the Apostle, to answer that Question, Whether they might so be with, as to do like, the Pagans in those Idolatrous Festivities? He plainly told them, No! Deterring of them, with the Example of Israel in the Wilderness, who would keep a Feast in Honour of the true God, but yet follow'd the Egyptians, who in Comme­moration of Joseph, saving them from Death by Expounding a Dream of K [...]ne, had a sort of On-Worship among them: It is said, The People sat down to Eat and Drink, and Rose up to play; and all the World has heard, what the Reckoning was!

But if the mispence of the Winter in Excesse [...] [Page 10]of Eating and of Drinking, do deserve a Caution, why should not the Mispence of the Winter in GAMING, do so too? Especially the Games of pure L [...]t, whereof thus much at least may be men­tained, That it is best for an Christians to abstain from them. Altho' moderate Recreations in the Winter, are more than a little Healthful and Use­ful, yet there are some Recreations too much used in the Winter, which in Truth are never conveni­ent; such are the Games of CARDS, & DICE, and those which have nothing but CHANCE to manage them. A Lot is a solemn Appeal unto the God of Heaven; and hence to play with it, seems to break the Thi [...]d Commandment in the Laws of our God. L [...]ry Lots are by Great and Grave Divines Esteemed Unlawful, on the same Score that, as our worthy Morton, in his Rebuke to the Gaming Humour well Expresses it, It would be an Abomination unto any Christian, to see a Pulpit, a Communion-Table, a Font, Exposed on a Stage, or the Gestures of Worship [...]iped by Players. In eve­ry L [...]t, an Affair is wholly committed unto a Su­periour Cause than either Nature, or Art, & Skill; and this is a Thing to be done rather Prayerfully than Sportfully; even the Rudest Gentiles have counted a Lot, A Sacred Thing. The Papists themselves, will not allow of these Games in Ec­clesiastical Persons; and the Fathers Reproved them with a vehement Zeal, in all manner of persons. When the Roman Empire became Christian, severe Edicts were made against these James; and what Christians are we then that [Page 11]practise them. Our Protestant Reformers have branded these Games with an Infamous Character; yea, [...]usty the Orator himselt, could produce it, as a Reproach unto some Ill men, that they were given to these Games. For which cause He that will follow, VVhatsoever Things are of Good Report, will not meddle with such Infamous Things as these. In every Indenture for an Apprentice these words are usual, At Cards, Dice, or any other Un­lawful and Prohibited Games, he shall not Play. And shall we that are by Covenant, the Bound Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, offer to Play at Games, that have been so Stigmatized? This however, you may be sure of; There is a Truth in that Observation, That all the money got by these Games, is Like the Goods of th [...] which Dy of the Plague, which commend, bring a Fest with them. Nor is it altogether unworthy to be considered, That the more special Successes of your T [...]rger Gamesters-(whereupon even [...]ome o [...] Themselves do some­times profanely [...]ay, [...] Devil will make a Game­ster of that Young Man!) do very terribly intimate a peculiar Interest of the Devil in Ruling the Chance of these Games; 'tis an Observation which my most Honoured Friend, the Venerable Baxter, has made in the close of his Book, a­bout, The Worlds of Spirits. Pray then, have a care!

And if men may Sin by some sorts of Gaming in the Winter, mayn't they do it in some kinds of READING too? Not only Books of Debauch­ing Jests and Songs, are very unworthy to be [Page 12]our WINTER-ENTERTAINMENTS, but the most of Romances too will then but create a Wast of Time, to be Repented of. And here also, that I may not Impose my own Opinion, I shall give you the Judgment of two Writers, whom the World have not accounted Inconsiderable. The One is, The Author of, The whole Duty of Man; who Dehorting of Young Women from the Rea­ding of Romances, has these words, 'Tis very dif­ficult to Imagine what vast mischief is done to the World by the false Notions and Images of things, par­ticularly of Love and Honour, those Nobler Concerns of Humane Life, [...] resented in those Mirrours. The other is, the Incomparable Dr. Tuckney; who likewise disswading of young Students from the Reading of Romances, has these words, Make this Trial, whether when you have been Greedy in Reading such Books, you have thereby any great w [...]nd to Read the Bible. I am sure that when you have been Read­ing That, you will have as little Delight i [...] Reading them, as Paul had in the Thorn in his Flesh, when he had been before caught up to Paradise.

All that I shall add, is, That when the Rules of Sobriety and Righteousness and Godliness are Trans­gressed, Men instead of Knowing the Works of God, are Doing the Works of Gods Great Enemy; And I am sure, The VVinter is not a Leisure, for such Odious VVorks.

But then, Secondly; we may speak more POSI­TIVELY; and it is to be now affirmed, That the Liesure of the Winter is to be Employ'd, in such Things, as may be called, A WISE RE­DEEMING [Page 13]OF THE TIME. It is Enjoyned upon us, in Eph. 3.15, 16. VValk circumspecily, now as Fools, but as VVise, Redeeming the Time because the Days are Evil. Thus about the VVinter, Because the Days are now short and sharp, therefore Let us now be so wise as to Redeem our Time in these Days. When we have Least to do, we should then be Best Em­ploy'd. About the Liesure of the VVinter, we must own, Deus n [...]bis h [...]c Otia fecit; it is God that has made this Liesure for us; and therefore it be­comes us to Employ this Liesure for God. We never have a Liesure-Day befalling us, but we should Eye the Hand and End of God, in order­ing such a Day; and think with our selves; VVhy did my God send me this Day? what would He have me to do this Day? We are not VVise, if on our VVinter-Days, all such Thoughts as these Ly Fro­zen in our Minds.

But, How is VVinter-Time to be Redeemed? We will particularize.

I. In the VVinter we have Liesure, to Reflect upon OUR OWN WORKS; and the God of Hea­ven does then Expect that we should so Reflect. There are some, who take my Text in that sense; He Seals up the Hand of every man, that every man may know his own work. We have Liesure in the Winter to fettle our Iemperal Affairs, and we may then see whereabout our Work Lies; what pro­gress, what success, we have had in our Work; and what further steps we are to take about our works The VVinter-time should accordingly be a [Page 14]Time of much Contrivance with us, and a Time to State our whole Business, for all the Year a­bout. But more than so; our Spiritual and Eter­nal Affairs are those which the Winter gives us the host Liesure for; and we should now settle those by Reflecting upon our work. It was complaine [...] in Jer. 8.6. No man Repented him, saying, what have I done? In the Winter we have Little to Do; well, but now 'tis a Time, for us to Reflect, What have I been d [...]ing ever since I came into the World? The great work of Self-Examination is [...]ods Work; 'tis the Work whereto our God has called us. We have a Precept so, it, in Hag. 1.5. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, consider your W [...]s. We have a Pat­tern for it, in Psal. 119.59. I thought on my Ways, and I turned my Fed unto thy Testimonies. VVe do the Work of God, when we thus Try what our own Works have been. VVhen the Winter then has driven us into Retirements, Let us take Time for this Work; even to See, and Know, what Work we have been doing since our God [...]irst let us to work among the [...]i [...]ing on the Earth. 'Tis now a Time for us to Enquire, How have I answered the End, which I came into the World upon? God has Required us, to work out our own Salvation; well, but what strokes, have we struck at that more all this while? Ask our selves, How have I done the works Agreeable to Repentance? and. How have I done the works of Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ? And herewithal bring we all our works to such an Examination, as may discover [Page 15]the Errors, and Follies of our Works, in order to our thorough Humiliation for them.

Why should not a Winter-day be sometimes made a PRAYING-DAY, yea, and a FASTING-DAY, before the Lord? No man will arrive to very high Attainments in the Grace of God, who does not sometimes, devote whole days unto a secret Communion with him. Now, let us have many such Dayes every Winter, to Pray, and Fast, and Humble our Souls, before the [...]od of Heaven. But on such a Day, one very proper exercise would be for us, to call over the Works of our lives, and finding the Obliquity of our Works by Comparing them with the Holy, & Just, & Good Commanements of our God, Let us then, Judg ourselves that we may not be Judged of the Lord

Behold a Catalogue of sins, against the Com­mandments of God; Reflect now distinctly & exactly upon your works, and find out, whether you have not had such sins in your works.

Demand of Yourselves.

QUAESTION I.

Have not I grievously forgotten the God that made me! And have not I given to the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, the Homage which is due to God alone? Or, have not let Crea­tures have the Affection, and Obedience, which God alone may lay claim unto?

Quest 2. Have I not Shamefully Neglected the In­stitutions wherein the Lord Jesus Christ has taught me to mentain a Fellowship with my God? and [Page 16]have I not humoured the Superstitions of a Vain Conversation?

Quest. 3. | Have I not Irreverently treated the Names, Attributes, Hords, Works, and Ordi­nances,whereby God makes Himself known unto us? and have I not been without awful Apprehensions of His Majesty, under His va­rious Dispensations?

Quest. 4. Have I not been Carnal, Careless, Weary in the Ordinary Sabbath of God? and have I not been Indisposed unto the Extraor­dinary Ones?

Quest. 5. Have I not been Perverse and Haughty towards my Superiours? Unkind and Foolish towards my Interiours? Envious to­wards my Equals? and miserably Selfish in my conduct of my self?

Quest. 6. Have I not Impaired my own Health by Intemperancies? or, been towards others, Passionate, Revengeful, and Contentious?

Quest. 7. Have I not been Unchast in my Acts, my Thoughts, my Words? Or, [...]en a Companion of the Fools that are so?

Quest. 8. Have I not by Fraud nor Force wronged my Neighbour? Or, been too Pro­digal, when I should not have spent; but when I should have spent, then too Niggard­ly?

Quest. 9. Have I not uttered, nor fomented what has been contrary unto Truth? or given Countenance unto a False Report?

Quest. 10. Have I not been Discontent with [Page 17]my own Condition? Or, harboured in my Heart a Roving and a Craving Lust, after an undue Alteration of it?

Quest. 11. Have not I Despised the Offers of the Lord Jesus Christ in the New-Covenant, and the wonderful provition therein made for un­happy Sinners? And have not I permitted my Earthly Affairs to keep me at a Distance from the Lord-Redeemer, who has been waiting to give me, Repentance and Remission of Sins?

Quest. 12. Is not the Fountain of all these bitten and cursed Streams, the Corrupt Nature, which I have Derived from my First Parents? A Nature deprived of the Divine Image, depraved with abominable Inclinations?

Upon these Articles, Let us Interrogate our selves, concerning our Works; and thus in a Win­ter-As [...]es let us pass a due Judgment upon our selves, for our own miscarriages; that so we may in the End of the Year, make ready for the Judg­ment which is to come in the End of the World.

II. The Great God requires our Contemplation to observe ALL HIS WORKS, and the Liesure of the Winter should very much go to that Contem­plation. We should now Know the Work of God, and Study as far as we can, every one of His Works. There has been that Invitation unto us, in Psal. 46.8. Come, Behold the Works of the Lord, what Desolations He hath made in the Earth. Truly, there are in every Winter, many Desolations made upon the product of the Earth; but we should then Behold All, as well as Those works of God. We [Page 18]are Endued with Rational Faculties, capable of Beholding the Works of our God; and He made us After all His other works, on purpose that we might be the Beholders of all the Rest. Now, particularly

First, There is an Humble Acknowledgment of God, wherewith we are to behold his works of CREATION, and the winter may be our liesure for it. The Psalmist having mentioned the Eve­ning, when men lay by their labour, he presently adds, in Psal 104.24. O Lord how manifold are thy Works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all. As if then were a liesure for such a meditation! Truly thus in the winter, when we throw up our other Labour; we should then, Behold these manifold works of God. We should not in the winter become such Recluses as to forget that we are, The Citizens of the world; but then take a Range about the works of our God in the World. The very name of The World, in the Language of the Bible signifies Beautiful, and altho' in the winter it looses much of its Beauty, yet we are then more at Liesure to behold its Beauty. It was the Demand of the Psalmist, in Psal. 148.7.8. Praise the Lord, ye Hail, Snow, and Vapour, and Stormy wind: fulfilling his word. Why, The Snow, and Vapour, and stormy wind, and the rest of the Winter, do demand of us, to Praise the Lord, for what of, The Lord, is to be seen in them, and not in them alone, but in all other Creatures. It is a most Glorious Varie­ty of Objects, which we have to behold on this lit­tle Terraqueous Globe, we are at present sojourners. [Page 19]There, to pass over the Numberless Fossils in the Bowels of the Globe, which probably contains above Ten Thousand Millions of Cubic German Leagues, with how many Animate Bodies are we Entertained? Of Beasts, including Serpents, we may reckon about an Hundred and Fifty Species. The Volatils, or Birds, have been reckoned about Five Hundred; The Aquatils, or Fish, have also been reckoned about Five Hundred. The Shell-Fish more than as many more. The Vegetables or Plants, of our Universe have been counted a­bout Six Thousand; and the Insects, both Terre­strial and Aquatil, more than Ten Thousand. But there are many other Animals to be also Be­held by us, which never could have been Be­held, until [...]t. Instruments were Invented for the doing of it. The Whales, those moving Islands of more than an Hundred Foot in Length, are not of a Structure so Exquisite, so Stupendous, as those Animals, whereof our Microscopes infallibly assure us, that many Thousands together would not e­qual the least Grain of our common Sand. But yet our Erect Figure, instructs us to Raise our Looks, unto the Stars, among which, if we were Lodged we should quite Loose our Sight of this Globe; tho' it be above Twenty Six Thousand Italian Miles, in the compass of it. We have the fairest and fullest view of the Stars in the Winter: (even the Cloud in Cancer, has been sometimes then see, full of little Stars:) but what are those Few, for they are not many more than a Thousand, of the Stars, which we see without a Telescope, com­pared [Page 20]unto the Innumerable Mi [...]ns, wherewith from That, we justly suppose the Aether to be replenished? The Wandring Stars, the Fixed Stars, and the Satellites of each, how inexplicably cir­cumstanced are they? How Regular to the Hun­dredth part of a Minute, are they in their Moti­ons? and how more [...]ulky than our Earth, an hundred times over, in their Dimensions? If at last we Descend into the Sun, that vast Fiery Globe, which is the Center, and the Support, of the whole Visible World Besides; The Philosopher thought himself Made and Born for nothing so much, as to Behold this Heavenly Fire ball: 'tis by the Ancient, and Soberest Computation, at least an hundred & sixty times bigger than That Planer, whereof we are the Inhabitants: whereas indeed such more Accurate Astronomers, as the Incom­parable Heveli [...]s, have a [...]lerred the Sun to be three thousand, four hundred and sixty two times big­ger than this Earth, which is given to the Children of Men; but how much does it then, Declare the Glory of God, and shew forth His Hand; work? Let the Winter, when we see least of him, give us Liesure to be most Apprehensive of it.

The Jews have a Fancy among them, That when the Almighty first bespangled the Heavens with Stars, He left a Spot near the North Hole un­finished, and unfurnished, that so, if in after Ages any other should be set up for a GOD, he might have this Trial made of them, Go, fill up if you can, that part of Heaven which is yet left imperfect! But indeed without any such Suppositions, we may [Page 21]see enough in the Heavens, to proclaim this unto us, Lift up your Eyes on High, and Behold, who has Created these things? None but an Infinitely Glorious God, could be the Creator of them.

Secondly. There is a profound Adoration of God, wherewith we are to Behold His Works of REDEMPTION; and for this likewise we have the Liesure of the Winter. When our Lord was undergoing some of His Last Agonies, for the Re­demption of Lost Man, 'tis said in Joh. 19.18. They made a Fire of Coals, for it was Cold, and they war­med themselves. Accordingly, when we have a cold Winter upon us, Let us warm our Souls by thinking on what our Lord Endured in the latter end of the Winter for us. When we are in our Warm Houses, O Behold, that Hot Love of our Lord unto our Souls, which tho' He Lay in a Winter night groveling on the cold Ground, yet made Him Sweat, yea, to Sweat Clotters or Globules of Flood, more terrible to Behold than those Bloody Sweats, which Diodorus Siculus tells us, befel the people of the East, when their Ser­pents had bitten them. When we are in our Warm Garments, O then Behold the Heat of our Lords Love, wherein He Hung Naked on the Cross, in the Cold Air, for Six Hours together of a Winter-Day. The Unfathomable Mysteries of Redemption are the Raptures of the Angels, all the Year about; it is said of those Cherubims conver­sant about the Mercy-Seat, in 1 Pet. 1.12. These Things they Desire to Look into. Let us make the same Things our Study, especially in that part of [Page 22]the Year, the Winter, when we have most of Liesure for the Study. We find, in Eccl. 11.7. Truly the Light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun. Tho in our Winter we have less Light than at other Times, yet we may then have more Time to Behold the Sun of Righte­ousness; and how pleasant a Task should we E­steem it! Let us now take a Time to Behold the Matchl is Glories of our Lord Redeemer; and hear that Call of God. Behold, the Lamb of God! There is a bright Constellation of Miracles that Unite in our Blessed Mediator, and glitter won­derfully; Let us now, Behold those Miracles of God manifest in the Flesh, and of that Child Born to us, that Sun given to us, who is the Everlasting Fa­ther, that Man who is the Mighty God, and whose Name is therefore Wonderful. But now also let us take a Time to Behold the Glorious Methods of our Salvation by this Lord Redeemer. Behold the most admirable Contrivance of our Salvation, in the New-Covenant! It is wonderful, that God should so Love the World as to give His only Begotten Son, that whosoever Believeth in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life. It is wonderful, that the Only Begotten Son of God should ever take on Him the Form of a Servant, that we might become the Children of God. It is wonderful, that He who knew no Sin, should be made Sin for us, that we might be made the the Righteousness of God in Him. The Wayes of the Holy Spirit in Applying the Redemption thus obtained for us, are yet further WONDERFUL. The MYSTICAL BODY of our Lord Jesus [Page 23]Christ, with regard unto the manner and effect, of our being brought into an Union with Him we are told, It is fearfully and wonderfully made. Well, we should now, Behold these Wonders, and continue to do so, till we have no more Winter, yea, till we have no more Spirit Left.

Thirdly, There is an Hearty Admiration of God, wherewith we are to behold his works of PROVIDENCE; and for this also we have the Liesure of the winter. It is noted concerning the Wheels of Providence, in Ezek. 10.12. The Wheels were full of Eyes. When the winter comes about, in the wheel of the year, we should have our eyes open, and be full of eyes, to behold the motion of those wondrous wheels. The Government of the World is maintained in the winter, as well as all the rest of the year about; but we have in the Winter, more of Liesure, to behold the Spotless and Exact Administration of that Government. We behold ma­ny storms in the Winter; but it is then also a time to behold the Power, and Wisdom and Goodness of God, in managing all the Storms wherewithal the world is Ruffled, and causing them all to be sub­servient unto his own Designs and Interests. It is said in Psal. 107.43. Whoso is wise, and will ob­serve these things, even they shall understand the Loving kindness of the Lord. There are Illustrious Dispen­sations, wherein the Almighty God acts as a Re­warder unto the children of men; and we shall be very well Rewarded for all the Confinements of the Winter, if we take our Liesure now to ac­quaint [Page 24]our selves with such Dispensations: Our Confinement will become our Liberty! There are the Dispensations, of the Most High towards His People; His Protecting them, His Directing them, His increasing them. When the Church of God, was Represented unto Moses, as a Burning Bush, it is said, He drew near to Behold the Sight. And when we are by our Fire-side in the Winter, we may have Liberty to behold that Burning Bush. There are also the Dispensations of the Most High, towards His Enemies; His Confounding of then, [...]is Destroying of them. The Winter was hardly out, when Israel Beheld the Great Work which the Lord [...]d upon the Egyptians: And we may then also behold, how terribly Egyptians are punished by the Hand of God. When our Lord had been Talking with His Disciples, about those performances of Providence, wherein the Scriptures had Received their Accomplishment, they could say, in Luk. 24.32. Did not our Hearts then Burn within us? Why, when we are e'en ready to [...]ze with the Vapours of the Winter, the Dis­ci [...]l [...] of our Lord should then be Talking toge­ther, about His Doing, in the World; The News of Great Occurrents are then to be Enquired af­ter, not as by A [...]henians, having only an It [...]h of Nowlty to prompt those Enquiries, but as by Dis­ciples inquisitive after the Fulfilments of the Scriptures: and after the Illustrations of the Divine Attributes, in those Fulfilments. Thus are we to Talk till our Hearts Burn within us. And hence also, Church-History is a very suitable Study for the Winter; [Page 25]Marty [...]ologies, and the Lives of Eminent Per­sons, and the Stories of Eminent Reformations, Difficulties, and Deliverances attending the Church of God, are now very fitly Studied.

Finally. As it was said, in Job 37.14. Stand still, and Consider the wondrous works of God: When the Winter comes, we can't Go out as at other times; Well, since we must Sit still, now let us more than ever, Consider the Wondrous Works of God.

III. In the very CONSTITUTION OF THE WINTER it self, There are very sensible Works of God, and our God requires us to be very sensible of those Notable Works. Almighty God new Seals up our Hands, that we may Know His Work. What Work? Why, that very Work of Scaling up our Hands; and that Work of sending Snow, and Rain, and Winter upon the Earth.

Well then, when the Winter comes, we must Acknowledge that it is from God. It is as we read, Psal. 147.17. Gods C [...]l [...], and for that cause we may not call it Cruel C [...]l [...]; at least it must be a cruel Catechrosis, by which we call it to? nothing done by God, should be Esteemed Cru­el. Even so, 'tis Gods Water, the Almighty God is to be Reverenced as the Orderer of it all.

I [...] the Winter now Rolled about? Then Know, That God i [...] the MAKER of the Winter. 'Tis E [...]q [...]red, in Job 38.28, 29. Hath the Rain a Fa­ther? Out of whose Womb came the Ice? and the [Page 26]Hoary Frost of Heaven, who hath Gendred it? So, when the Winter is upon us, we may Enquire, whence comes this Cold, and Snow, and Rain, and all the rest? But we see them all fall from Heaven; & unto the God of Heaven should we ascribe the making of all. As the Winter is of Gods Promise; Whe­ther the Antediluvian World had any proper win­ter or no, yet the Lord presently after the Flood, engaged concerning our present World, Summer & Winter shall not cease: Thus, the Winter is of Gods Making too. The Numberless Number of Saline Particles, from whence at least some circumstances of the Winter do arise, do all of them say, Tis the Lord that has made us, and not we ourselves. There seems to be a vast store of Corpuscles a little akin to Nitre, exhaled from the Terrestrial Globe, and ro­ving about in sundry parts of the Atmosphere (of the Figure which Philoponus tells us, Democritus as­sign'd unto Frigorifi [...] Atoms) and these may not a little contribute unto many things that we feel in our cold. But still, who made them all? And thus, not only those mighty Rands of Ice (that Magnum Duramen Aquarum, as Lucretius calleth it,) Encountred by such Navigators as Janus Munckius, who saw these Icy-Islands floating Twenty Fathom above Water; or as Baffin, who found some above Water, between two & three Hundred foot High; or those that sometimes occur in the River of Ca­nada, where Icy-Islands have been seen, computed Fourscore Leagues in Length; but every little Ice-Cycle is the Workmanship of God.

Again, Know, That God is the SENDER of the Winter. 'Tis affirmed, in Job 37.9, 10. Cold comes out of the North; by the Breath of God, Frost is given, and the Breadth of the Waters is straitned. When a Northern Winter is nipping of us, 'tis from an Edict of God, giving order for such a Season. It is God that sends Rain (and the Rest) upon the Earth. The Winterish Winds blow our Winter about our Ears; yea, but it is the Breath of God, that is the First Mover of all. There is much Dispute, what is the Primum Frigidum; whe­ther Air, or Water, or Earth, or Nitre, or what? And some will Dispute whether there be any such Thing at all, or no. For if the Coldness of any thing signifie no more, than its not having its Insensible Parts agitated so much as those of our Sensories by which we judge of Tactile Quati­ties; then to make a thing become cold, there needs no more than that the Sun or Fire, or some other Agent, that more vehemently Agitated its parts before, do now cease to do it. But [...]e Cold a positive Quality, (which I encline to think) or a privative, still 'tis the Death of God that gives Rise unto it. What the Centurion said about the Servants under His Command, I say to one, Come, and he comes; thus the Winter; 'tis our Great So­veraign who says to it, Come; and so the Winter comes.

Once more, Know, That God is the RULER of the Winter. This is intimated in Psal. 74.17. Thou hast set all the Borders of the Earth, thou hast made Summer and Winter. So, It is God, who [...]ets [Page 28] Borders to the Winter upon the Earth. It is God who says to the Winter, Keep off till such a Month. It is God, who says to the Winter, Go off at such a Month. The Unlimitable Holy One of Israel, is He that Limits our Winter for us. The winds that Rise in the winter are in His Fist, and as to the waves that are so often Crusted in the winter, so to the winter it self, He saith, Hitherto shalt thou go, and no further.

Let me add, The Obedience of the winter un­to our God, should be considered by us, to shame our Disobedience. If God say to the Snow, and the Rain, and the Like, Be thou upon the Earth, straightway they are so. What Wretches then are we, that when this God shall say to us, Be thou upon thy Knees, or, Let thy Heart be in Heaven, we slight what He saith! We read in Psal. 147.15. He sendeth f [...]th his Commandment upon Earth, His Word Runneth very swiftly: and then comes, the Snow, the Frost, the Ice, and the Cold. VVell, but it follows, He shewed His Word unto Jacob. And now, does Jacob yield as much Obedience unto the VVord of God, as the winter does? Alas, How Disobedient are we! In the winter, the VVork of God is done by the winter it self; but the VVord of God then prescribes a further work unto us; and can it be said, We run very swiftly about that work? No truly; our will to our work, seems Congeled as it were by an Eternal winter. Said the Psalmist, in Psal. 119.91. All are thy Servants. What a sad world is this! Every thing Obeys the Great God, without any Contradiction, but only [Page 29]MAN, and the DEVIL? methinks we should be ashamed of our Company in our Disobedience!

But that our Obedience unto God may be fur­thered, by the very Constitution of the winter, we should do well, upon the several Things therein occurring, to make our Occasional Reflections. We may Spiritualize the winter, and we may have such Thoughts thereby Raised in our Minds, and such Lessons, and such VVishes, as may bring unto us the Life and Peace, which the Spiritually minded have in their being so. We will Exem­plifie a few of those innumerable Devout Thoughts, wherein the winter sometimes hath provoked a serious Man, to address the God that made the winter: and I will confine my self to the Scripture in them all.

The first among all the Meteors of the winter, that uses to be considered, is that of, The WIND, which Plato defines as well as any since, to be, The motion of the Air about the Earth.

Asper ab Axe ruit Boreas, furit Eurus ab ortu, Auster amat medium solem, Zephyrusque cadentem.

But, Whatever Point of the Compass, the VVind blows upon, Let it blow some Good Thoughts into our Minds, and it will be no Ill VVind unto us. Now let these be the Withes of your Souls; Let this now be the still voice of your Souls, and the Lord will be in the VVind.

But it were Endless to Enumerate the Ejacula­tions of a Devout Mind, on these Occasions. Thus, When 'tis FAIR, Clear, Bright WEATHER, how Agreeable were it for us to wish; Lord, may the Light of thy Countenance be Uplifted on my Soul! and, May I walk in that Light all the Day Long: So, when 'tis Cloudy Weather, how Agreeable to wish, [Page 39] Lord, When shall the Son of Man come in the Clouds of Heaven! and, O let it not be with my Soul, a Day of Clouds and of thick Darkness.

The shooting of such Arrows up to Heaven, is an Incomparable Exercise for a Soul, that Looks to Eternal Invisibles, to Invisible Eternals, on a Win­ter-Day; and of the man, that on a Winter Day so Employs himself, I say, Blessed is the man, that has a Quiver full of such Arrows.

IV. The Merciful Words of God, which pro­vides for our NECESSITIES IN THE WIN­TER are very manifold, and it becomes us to take a most Thankful Notice of those many Mer­cies. When our God Seals up our [...]im [...], in the Winter, He Opens His own Hand, in our Literal Supplies for the Winter; and we should so Know those Works of God, as to be Thankfully Affected with them.

The Winter it self, That is not without much of Mercy in it. It is our Winter particularly, which for divers Months in the Year, [...] a better Defence unto us against Forreign Invasions, than all the Sconces and Castles wherewith we could be Fortify'd. Doubtless the Polanders thought their Cold was a kindness unto them, when in an Ar­my of seventy Thousand Turks Invading them, Forty Thousand suddenly perished, by the Seve­rity of the Cold, tho' it were but the Month of November with them. Truly, in the Month of November the Cold begins none of the least pre­servatives also for us New-En [...]anders! And who [Page 40]can say, How many Epidemical Diseases have by our Winter been Extinguished? Our Cold precipi­tates the Vapours which would else Thicken and Poison our Air, and by Freezing the Surface of the Earth, i [...] keeps in many malignant Steams, that otherwise would thence arise to Suffocate us. It is called for, in Psal 148.8 Praise the Lord, ye Hail, and Snow, and Vapour, and Stormy Wind. It seems, they that have much, of the Hail, the Snow, the Vapour, may find something in them, for which they should Praise the Lord. The Psalmist says, God giveth Snow like W [...]l; the Snow, is as a good­ly white Robe on the Body of the Earth, where­by [...]is cherished, with a Nitr [...]us Impregnation, for Fruitfulness in the Year Ensuing. Thuanns tells us, That sometimes it has Rained Corn; and indeed, what Corn should we have, if all Rain were deny­ed unto us? It was Mi [...]aculous, when God after a sort Rained first Bread and then Flesh, for Israel of old; He does it in Effect to: us continually.

But as the Winter brings much of MERCY to us, it brings much of Hardship too? [...]liny calls the Snow, and the Ice, the Punishments of the Mountains. We who dwell in a plain Region, as well as they who dwell upon the Rigid and Ragged Edges of such Mountains, would be sorely Punished, by the Hardship of the Winter, if the Mercy of our God should not Relieve us. It was said, in Job 38. [...]2, 23. Hast thou Entred into the Treasures of the Snow? Or, hast thou seen the Treasures of the Hail? which I have Reserved against the Time of Trouble. Truly, the Time of Snow, and the [Page 41]Time of Hail, would be a sore Time of Trouble unto us, if God should not from the other Trea­sures of his Bounty, therein make a Comfortable Provision for us. This I would say; The Common Mercies of God are a Ground, and call for more than Common Praises to God. May we from this Time, Resolve to be more than ordinarily Thankful for our Common Mercies, and we have to Extra­ordinary Good Purpose now Spent the Time of this present Exercise.

We may be Thankful, that the Winter it self is not so Hard, either as it might be, if God should make it so, or as it is now in some other Lands, yea, or as it has been heretofore among our selves. The Psalmist saw cause to say, in Psal. 147.17. Who can stand before His Cold? If God should carry on the Cold unto a little further Ex­tremity upon us, there could be no Standing be sore it. Or, if the Cold which in its Extremity tarries usually but Three Days among us, were Extended for Three Mouths, instead of any Stand­ing, there could be no Living for us. But, in the midst of the Cold, God Remembers Mercy. And Our Winters indeed are not so fiercely cold, as those of some other Countreys. We are not, as Livy speaks of the Alps, Eternis Damnati Nivibus, D [...]om'd un­to Eternal Snowes! 'Tis not with us, as Olearius tells us, tis in Muscovia, where, Their Spittle will freeze e're it reach the Ground; and so violent is the Cold, that no Furs can hinder it, but some­times mens Noses, Ears, Hands, and Feet, will be Frozen, and all fall off; And, as the Great Fletch­er [Page 42]has reported, not only they who Travel abroad, but many in the very Markers of their Towns are mortally pinch'd, so that you shall see many drop down in the [...] & many Travellers brought home Dead and stiff in their Sleds. Which is a Report that S [...]mundus ab Herberstein has also gi­ven us Nor is it with us, as Capt. James found it, in some of his Northern Coasting, where, when he and his Companions were a little while parted, they had their Face [...], Hair, and Cloaths, frozen o­ver that they could not know each other, by their Habits, no, nor by their Voices: Nor, as where Gerat de U [...]er [...]wa [...], when their shoes Froze as hard as Horns upon their Feet; nor were they able to wear them; Nor, as where Beauplan tells us, that without Good Precautions, the cold produces those Cancers, which in a few Hours destroy the parts they sieze upon.

Yea, and our own Winters are, as observably as Comfortably Moderated since the I and has been Peopled, and Opened, of Later Years. Our Snows are not so Deep, and Long, since the Progress that has been made, in the Clearing of our Winds; and our Winds blow not such Ra [...]rs, as in the Days of our Fathers, when the H [...]nds of the Good Men would freeze unto the Bread up­on their Tables, and the strongest Wine there would in a few minutes be hardly to be swallow­ed for its Congelation: yea, Water cast up into the Air, would be Turned into Ice e're it came unto the Ground. I wish, That all Wise Men would make the Reflection of Petronius upon [Page 43]such a matter; says he, Incultis Asperis (que) Reg [...] ­nibus, di [...]tius Nives haerent: ast [...]b [...] Aratro Dome­fa [...]a. Tellus nitet, dum Loqueris [...]evis pr [...]ina dila­bitor: s [...]iter in pectoribus i [...] Considit; Feras quidem mentes [...]b [...]det, Eruditas praeterlabitur. In short English: As our Land grows better Cul­tivated, we shall have less Winter and less An­ger too among as.

But then, Let our Thankful Thoughts proceed unto the more particular Provisions, wherewith our kind God, [...]urnis [...]os us against the Ass [...]ults of a Needy Winter. Be thankful that we do not undergo the Torments of C [...]l [...]', in such starving Circumstances, as Ecclesiastical History tells us, the Martyrdom of A [...]ur [...]a was attended with.

Let us be Thankful for our CLOATHING It is a stroke in the picture of the wise VVo­man, She is not Afraid of the Snow for her Hou­shold, for all her Houshold are C [...]hed with [...] ­ble Garments. 'Tis well for us, that we have such Garments by Night as well as by [...]ay, to keep off the Cold, which would otherwis [...] [...]o­digiously mortify us. A poor Naked Beggar of [...], being in the Depth of Winter asked by a Person of Quality, covered with his [...]ick Furrs, How be co [...]d so then clud, bear the Cold? He reply'd, My Lord, should you do, as I do, you would feel as Little Cold as I! but being asked, How is that? He answered, Why, As I do, Put on all the Clothes you've got. But indeed, i [...] we were almost Naked, in the Cold of our Win­ter, [Page 44]it would be but a cold Comfort unto us to think, These few Thread-bare Clothes are all we have to Cover us. Be Thankful; and at the same time let us Entreat of our God, That He would bestow upon us the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the Garment of our Souls, and Adorn us with the Fine Linnen, which is The Righteousness of the Saints.

Let us also be Thankful for our FUEL. There have been Pagans that have sometimes worshipped the Fire as a God. But it would well become Christians, to Worship the True God with manifold Praises for the Advantages which we have against our Cold by the Fire. Our Indians have thought the Fire must needs be a God; because when a poor man is ready to perish with Cold in the Winter, one Spark of it, will in a few minutes blaze out so com­fortably as to save the Life of him. Instead of so Rude a Fancy, it beseems us to say, There is much of God in the Fire; His Greatness, and His Bounty may be seen Sparkling in it. Be Thankful; and at the same time, Let us En­treat of our God, That we may be Baptised with the Fire of His Holy Spirit, which will make us, Fervent in Spirit Serving the Lord.

Let us be thankful for Our HOUSES too. We are not left now to lodge abroad in the Cold, with none but the Ground for our Bed, the Snow for our Coverlid, and the Sky for our Canopy: nor are we obliged unto such Wretched Wigwams as were the best Habitations of the Barbarous Na­tives [Page 45]that were here before us. How well are we lodged in the Winter; and neither by Bur­nings nor by Earthquakes, forced out of Doors? Be thankful; and at the same time let us en­treat of our God, that we have a Mansion in our Heavenly Fathers house forever. The Keenest Win­ters in the world, have been made very tolerable by peoples making some Rooms of their Houses under the Earth, and keeping themselves in such subterraneous Rooms. But let the Winters which call us to give thanks, for our warm Houses on the Earth, cause us to be Concerned for, An house Eter­nal in the Heavens.

And let us be Thankful for our TABLES. How many Warm Dishes, have we to cherish us, where­by we are strengthened against the Cold of the win­ter? And how many Refreshing Draughts to Re­focillate our Enfeebled Spirits? Be thankful, & entreat of God, that we may be admitted unto His Feast of Fat things full of Marrow, and of Wines on the Lees, well-Refined, the least whereat, There will be no taking away.

We have a Glorious Benefactor in the Heavens by whose Benignity upon Earth, we live well all the Winter long: and all the Expressions of that Benignity, are to be Received with a most hearty Thankfulness.

I pray, let us not be condemned, by the very Jewes themselves, with whom it has been custo­mary, still to make use of their Daily com­forts, with a Baruk Adonai, or, Blessed be the Lord.

When Job was looking back upon the Good days which he had seen, he said, in J [...], 29, 2.4. O that I were as in membe [...] pas [...], as in the Days when God preserved me; as I was in the dayes of my Youth! Some render it [...]. A [...] was in the days of my Winter Quarters. [...], when the Great Commander of the Universe, does Command us into our VVinter Quarters; He do's then preserve [...]s, and by his Light we walk thro' the Darkness of the winter. And I would now say, O that we were so thankful, as we should be for such merciful months!

V. The Works which, God his FORMER­LY DONE TOWARDS OURSELVES, ought always to be Remembred with us; and the VVinter is a very proper Season for that Remembrance.

Here is the werk of God, which we are to know when by the winter He s [...]ls up our Hand; even the whole VVork of God, in the whole course of our Life.

There have been SMITING VVorks of God, which ought seriously to be Remembred with us; As it is said, in [...]. 3.19.20. Remembring my Affliction and my [...], the wormwood and the Gall, my soul hath them still in Remembrance, and is hum­bled in me. Behold a fit work for the winter! Have we not sometim [...] been in a winter of adver­sity, wherein this and that S [...]m of Affliction and misery, has been hard upon us? Now in the win­ter, let it be part of our work, to recount every such work of God. Now bring to Remembrance all that VVormwood, and Gall; but what for? [Page 47]Truly, to see whether you have been such Gainers by all those Chastisements as you should have been; and whether the weeds of the Corruptions in your Hearts, and of the Disorders in your Lives, have been duely Nipt by the Frest of such a Win­ter.

But there have also been SMILING Works of God, which ought carefully to be Remembred with us. It was the Language of a David, in Psal 103.2. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his Benefits. To [...] God, is not the least of the Duties, which the Ever blessed God requires of man: and all true Davids or men Belov'd by God, ever­more Love to be Blessing of God. If this is to be done, At all times, as the Psalmist elswhere speaks, I am sure it may eminently be done in Winter-times. But God is not Really Bless'd or Serv'd, if not Heartily; and in our Blessing of God, the thing is Done to Halves, if the whole Soul, or all the Powers of the Soul, be not engaged in it. Indeed such is our Backwardness, to the Blessing of God, that we had need earnestly to stir, and spur, and rouse our­selves unto the Doing of it. Let us then stir up ourselves, till we have got ourselves into an heat, at this work, in our Winter, and know that a Com­memoration of Gods Benefits to us, is to be one Main Ingredient of Our Thanksgivings to Him.

Well then, Let this be one considerable Stroke of our Winter-work; even, To run over the Sto­ries of our LIVES, by reckoning up the Benefits of God, and reflecting on that Goodness and Mer­ry, wherewith we have been followed all our [Page 48] Lives. What if you should now and then spend whole DAYS OF THANKSGIVING, not on­ly when the Authority does usually once in a Winter call the whole Province to observe such a Day; but [...]l [...]o in secret places before God, by yourselves [...] Children of God, have doubtless Enjoyed, [...] upon Earth, by De­voting themselves [...] an Heavenly and Glorious Exercise; and a [...] to Devoted, has [...] with some observable Mercy of God. However, [...] every Winter Set apart our Time, to [...] the many Benefits of God, unto [...] and utter our Just Hallelujah, upon [...] [...]tic [...]e in that Commemoration.

Particularly; The FIRST Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, re­lating to the Protection which attended our FIRST PRODUCTION: Our Formation in the Womb, and Reception from the Womb. About our being Shaped in our Mothers, we may say, Lord, I wi [...] praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully Made. And about our being Taken from our Mothers, we may say, Lord, Thou art He, who took me cut of the Womb. As for our Bodies, 'tis impossible for any thing to be better contrived, than they are in the whole Make of them. What a sid thing would it have been, if these had been monstrous­ly Deformed, or Defective in any One of all their Members? Truly, There are Thousands of Mercies and Wonders, in one perfect Child! And then, as for our Spirits, They are certainly the most No­ble [Page 49]Things that inhabit this Lower World. How doleful had been our plight, if these had Lost any of their Faculties; were we Fools, or Mad? But indeed, we have Souls capable of a very vast Improvement, in the Honouring & Enjoying of our God! What shall I say? That we are Arriv'd Alive among the Living on the Earth, is a Thing full of Marvels, if not of Miracles. What if we had Expired Embryo's, whereby all our Opportu­nities to Glorify God, had been Lost for ever; yea, and this, after our being Animated, but per­haps, before our being any way given unto God in the New-Covenant, by our Parents; who 'tis possible were themselves, At that Time Strangers from the Covenant of Promise, and so Having no Hope, for their miserable Offspring? O think on what thou Art, and what thou mightest have been! But,

The SECOND Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the PLACE of our NATIVITY, or at least of our HABITATION. Where do we Dwell! 'Tis in a Land, Enriched with all sorts of Temporal Con­veniencies. 'Tis not where we must have Endu­red, The Want of all Things; not in the Dark Places of the Earth, which are filled with Cru­elty. We Dwell, where we have a plenty of Meat, of Drink, of Apparel, and of the Best; and it is plain, that the Poor do not in any Countrey Live so well as they do in Our's. We Dwell where we have the Right of ENGLISH-MEN for our Birthright; which is an Inheritance of [Page 50]more consequence than what any other Nation upon Earth is favoured with: yea, and we have Additional Priviledges, as we are NEW-ENGLAN­DERS, whereof we may say, as the Jewish Rabbi did of Liberty, If the Heavens were Parch­ment, and the Seas were Ink, all would be too Little to write the Praises due unto our God upon that ac­count. We Dwell where Civility abounds; where Knowledge and Learning, with Schools and other means for it, are promoted; where Vice is by wholesome Laws restrained; where Humane So­ciety is made Easie and Pleasant by the Orders of it; and where Industry is Encouraged. But this is not all; Mul [...]o Majora Canamus. 'Tis in a Land, Exalted with all sorts of Spiritual Advanta­ges; 'Tis not, where the People perish, because they have no Vision. I pray mark it, It the world at this Day be Divided into One and Thirty parts, about Nineteen of them are Heathen Idolaters; about Seven of them are Mahometans; hardly Five of them are so much as called Christians. And of what has been styled Christendom, how small a Moyeti [...], is rescued either from that Su [...]erstition, or Persecution, which destroys all Real Christianity? Yea, but you and I have, The Lines fallen to us in such a pleasant Place! We Dwell in a Goshen, in a Protestant, and a Puritan Soyl; and where a Power to persecute is by a Royal Charter for ever kept from coming into the Hands of any that might hereafter incline to use it on us. And, in what Age? Had we been Born a few Ages ago, it must have been in a Pagan, or in a Popish Age; [Page 51]and before PRINTING was Invented, when a Bible must have cost a man an Incre [...]ible Sum of money, if he could have got it so; and per­haps Hanging or Burning into the Bargain. A­las, Brethren, There is not one of us, but what are Descended from the Loyns of many, that are now Roaring in the Place of Dragons! But as for us, we are Born in an Age of Light. Yea, 'Tis in the very Dawns of our Lords Coming to Destroy the Wicked One. I am verily perswaded, There are some already Born, who shall see the most Glorious Revolutions that ever happened in any former Ages; even, The Glorious Things that are spoken of Thee, O thou City of God! It is a pri­viledge, To be Born so low, so far down in the Line of Time. To pass on,

The THIRD Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the FAMILY, which has given us our ORIGINAL, and our EDUCATION. What Parents have we had? perhaps we are not of the House of the Wicked, which has the Curse of God upon it; but in the Habitation of the Just, which is, Blessed by the Lord. We have had Parents, who have Pray'd for us, before they had us; as Abraham, as Hannah, did for theirs. Yea, perhaps upon their first Apprehensions of our Conception, they did solemnly Give us up to God, that we might be for ever possessed by His Holy Spirit as the Everlasting Vessels of His Glory. But how much then have the Prayers of these our Parents been since concerned for us? And how Rich a Portion [Page 52]have we had, in that Stock of Prayers? Little do Children think, what an Invaluable Blessing 'tis, to have Parents, that as Job, Sacrificed for his, according to the Number of them all, do pray for every one of them, and that by Name, every Day! But more than so; we have had Parents, that have Restrained us, when our Corrupt Natures would have been Exorbitant; nor Leaving us to be Children of Belial, with an Indulgence like that of Eli's. We have had Parents, that have Instructed us, and caused us to [...]come well Cate­chised in the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ; with a Diligence, like that of David and Bat [...]she­ba, for their Solomon. We have had Parents, that have even, Travelled for us in Birth again, that Christ might be Formed in us. And what a Favour of Heaven, have we had in the Heavenly Exam­ples of s [...]e [...] Parents! They have shown us, The Path of Life, by their own Walking in that Path, before our Eyes. Let us Imitate their Seriousness, their Prayerfulness, their [...]fulness, their Holi­ness, their Watchfulness, and we shall at last, Ar­rive to [...]liss, being therein Gathered unto our Fa­thers. Whereas, most of the Children in the World, have Parents, by whose Influence they, Go to the Generation of their Fathers, where they shall never see Light Yea, 'tis possible, that we have had Parents, who have Liberally brought us up; by their Cost and Care, we have been Educated in the Sciences, whereby we may be made singu­larly Serviceable to Mankind, singularly Honourable among our Neighbours. And I may add, That [Page 53]some of us, who in our Childhood Lost our Pa­rents, have yet found, that our God is the Father of the Fatherless: God has graciously stirr'd up others to do the part of Parents for us, when we were shiftless Orphans To proceed,

The FOURTH Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the PROVISION which Divine Providence has made for us and ours. Our Lord said once unto some of His Ministers, When I sent you without Purse, Lacked ye any thing! And they said, Nothing. E­ven we, whose Maintainance hath been Left unto the Arbitrary and Alterable Humours of a Fickle Multitude, and who perhaps have never made any Agreement with that Multitude about our Main­tenance, yet have hitherto been strangely Supply'd in all our Straits. Many of our Neighbours, have but Impoverished Themselves, by not Communi­cating unto their Teachers in all good Things; and if the Devils, who are the Rulers of this Dark World, could have had their Wills, we must have been Leggared, been Famished. Yet we have seen, that we have Served a Good Lord: He has, as for the Tribe of Levi, Blessed our Substance; and He has been a Shepherd that would not suffer us His Under Shepherds to Want. But have not all our Faithful People also, had the like Experiences? Agurs Wish, has been granted us; even, Food con­venient for us. Yea, how many of us may say, That we never did properly Want, one good Meal, ever since we drew our first Breath? Speaking of our God, we may say with our Father Jacob, He [Page 54]is the God, that has fed me all my Life Long, un­to this Day. And what has been our Meat? our Drink? our Lodging? Have we not had for Delight, and Splendor, as well as for Necessity? It may be some of us, once had but very lit­tle in the World; nevertheless as Jacob said, Once I had no more than my Staff in my Hands, and now I am become two [...]and [...]; thus, when we began the World, we were hardly worth so much as the Heads of the Canes which we now carry in our Hands; whereas we are now Risen to, how much of Grandeur! Thus have we been Supported. And, How Assiduo [...]sly? We may say, The Lords Mercies are New every Morning. How Seasonally? We have seen, When being Poor and Needy we have sought Water, the Lord has given it. Indeed, our God has from Day to Day, carried us along as He did His Israel in the Wilderness. We could scarce foresee sometimes one Day a­forehand, how we should be Relieved for the Next; but our Heavenly Father has as well An­swered, as Understood, our Exigencies.

To Go on,

The FIFTH Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the FRIENDS, by the Bestowal whereof, God Almighty has befriended us. VVhen men have been annoy'd by Adversaries, it has been said, God Raised them up those Adversaries. And shall not we that have such Friends as we have, Acknowledge that they are of Gods Raising for us? But there are especially our Friends of two Ranks, wherein we have been marvel­lously [Page 55]favoured by the God who [...]ts the Se [...]tary in Fa­milies. First, Our Consorts. Have we not had such WIVES, as may be truly called Good things, who [...]e­in we have obtained Favour from the Lord? 'Tis possible, we did in the Solemnest manner, like Isaac, As [...] them of God, before we had them; and now tho' t'other Day, they were meer strangers unto us, we do, as we have cause, value them above all the Relations that we have in the would besides; and we do every Day that we live in the world, give our particular thanks to Heaven for our being so happily Accommodated. We have Consorts, whose Good nature, whose Discretion, Doubles all our joys, and Halves all our Sorrows: Consorts, who Live with us as the Heirs of Life, and give us a fit help, in our pursuing of that Inheritance; Consorts, who are not a continual Dropping to us, as Jobs was to him, or as Abigails was to her. We had been the Undonnest of men, if we had been so mated, as we have seen some, who have been thus undone, and could not undo what had in this thing been once done. And then Our Children. It is said, Lo, Children are an Heritage of the Lord. And how, Rich, have some of us, been in our Heritage! Chil­dren we have had, that have been comely, that have been witty, that have been Well Disposed. We have had Children, and God has not fulfilled His threat­ning upon us, Tho' they bring up Children, yet will I be­reave them. Ibzan the Judge of Israel, had thirty Sons, and thirty Daughters; and the Jews have a Tradition that he Buried them all, before he Died [Page 56]himself: We have not been [...] Bereaved. We have had Children, and they have not been like Esau's, A Grief of Mind unto us, but our Support, and our Glory. We may produce them, as the Roman Lady did Hers, for the most valuable of all our Jewels. To add,

The SIXTH Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the Earthly VOCATIONS and EMPLOYMENTS, which Heaven has cast upon us. 'Tis a Blessing to have a Calling. Tho' our Sweat be mentioned in our Curse, yet our Curse would be far greater than it is, if it were not for our Sweat 'Tis many wayes Advantageous, both for our inward and our out­ward Man, that we should, with Quietness work, & Eat our own Bread. Let it be enquired of us, as it was of the Sons of Jacob, Of what Occupa­tion are you? We have an Occupation; and Bles­sed be God, it is not only a Lawful but a Gain­ful Occupation. It was the Benediction upon the Tribe of Judah, Let his Hands be sufficient for him. Since we are of this Tribe, let us indeed be found in the Tribe of Judah, or of Praising ones. But more than this; we have an Agreeable Occupa­tion. 'Tis no little kindness of our God unto us, when we come to love, to like, to choose our dai­ly Business; when our Business is made our plea­sure, and we do not come to it, as the Bear un­to the stake. The Lord said, Behold, I have cre­ated the Smith, who blows the Coals in the Fire, and bringeth forth an Instrument for his Work. Thus 'tis God that Spirits one man for this Work, and [Page 57]another man for that work; and when a mans Lot falls to him in that Work, whereto he has been particularly Spirited, this is the kind work of God▪ And that which Augments this kindness of God, is, that we can so follow the work of our calling, as to mentain ourselves, and yet we have Time to mind the affairs of our Souls too; we can without pinching, allow one whole Day in a week, for soul-work; and be at Lectures & Meetings every week, for more of that work: & every Day in our Houses, and Closets, do something further at that work; and so, Work out our own salvation. Yea, some of us, have an Honourable Vocation also: We have either in the Government, or in the Ministry, such a station that many thousands may fare the better for us! These are thing that call for the most grateful Resentments of our Souls. But then.

The SEVENTH Article in our Commemora­tion may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the Marvellous PRESERVATIONS which have been afforded us, by the Glorious Preserver of men. Have not our Lives been fill'd with Preservations, by Him that is, The Keeper of Israel? Yea, We have been preserved from Sin. What if we had been Left unto our selves? We should soon have been so many Devils Incarnate. When the Holy Bradford heard of any Wickedness committed in the Neighbourhood, he would say, Alas, In this Heart of mine, there is that which would cause me to commit the Like Wickedness, if God should give me up to my own Heart. Thus, we may see prodigies [Page 58]of Wickedness in the world; but we must ascribe it unto the pure Grace of our God, that we also are not such Ruined and Rueful Creatures. Es­pecially, considering what Furious Assaults of Temptation have been made upon us: For it is indeed probable, that most of us, have at some times undergone more violent Assaults of Tempta­tion, whereof we may say, My Feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipt. Had not the Good God strangely and strongly, kept us back, at those Times, we had undoubtedly cast our selves over the most Irrecoverable Precipices; but here was the Goodness of God, who would not Suffer us to be Tempted above what we are Able: 'tis He that may now Remind us, I witheld the [...] from sinning against me. And we have been pre­served from Sorrow too. We have had that word fulfilled unto us, The Lord shall preserve thee from all Evil, the Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in. Pause here, a little, I beseech you; How many Sicknesses have we Escaped? Either the Diseases never touch'd us, or, like Hezekiah, and Epaphroditus, we have been Restored from them. How many Casualties, have we also E­vaded? Let the Traveller, Let the Marriner, Let the Souldier now Enumerate his Deliverances. One that Received a great Fall from an Horse, but Received no Hurt by the Fall, said of it, I never had such a Deliverance in my Life; but one well Reply'd, Yea, Sir, you have, as often as you Rode without Falling at all. This I say, Our Deliverances have been far from Inconsiderable, even then, [Page 59]when we have not had Sensible and Imminent Hazards to signalize them unto our Considera­tion. In a word, we have been surrounded with Evil Angels on every side of us, every day; and those Divels have always been Watching, Wishing, Snatching, to Devour us. But our God has muz­zled those Hungry Lions; and has granted us a guard of Good Angels, whose Ministry has been use­ful to us, in many Thousands of Good Offices, where­of we shall never be exactly advized, until we are Translated into their Innumerable Company. And yet this is not all!

The EIGHTH Article in our Commemoration may be the Benefits of God, relating to the Evident ANSWERS of our PRAYERS, by the Merciful Hearer of Prayer. May not you and I make this Relation, This poor man has cry'd unto the Lord, & the Lord has heard and sav'd! Cannot we lock upon one enjoyment, and say, This is a Naphtali, I wrestled with my God for this, and so I obtained it! Can we not look upon another enjoyment, and say, This is a Samuel, I asked it of my God, and so I had it! When Distresses have been upon our selves, we have gone to our God, and having Offered up our Prayers and Supplications, we have been Heard in what we feared. And when distres­ses have been upon others, perhaps we have like Abraham, like Moses, like Samuel, and like David, and like Isaiah, prevailed for the Remoual of them. A Minister of the Gospel, 'tis probable may see the Faces of some Scores in his Congregation, of whom he may say, God gave that Soul from death [Page 60]to my poor unworthy prayers! Yea, 'tis possible the very Divels have not been able to stand before our Prayers; our Prayers have perhaps more than thrice dis­possessed the Devils, who had siezed upon some of our Afflicted Neighbours. Let me tell you; Psalms to bring unto Remembrance, are to keep us from forgetting the Returns of our Prayers! But further yet;

The NINTH Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the Means of our SANCTIFICATION, and the Suc­cess of those Means. Let us now Declare unto ourselves, and so make ourselves Ready to Declare unto others, What the Lord has done for our Souls. That we have the Means of Grace, is a thing that lays us under Adamantin Obligations unto Thank­fulness. Have we, The Word, the Statutes, the Judgments, of God sho [...]n unto us? What should follow, but Praise ye the Lord! For indeed, He hath not so d [...]t with every Nation. Yea, But has Grace is [...] also been convey'd unto us, by these means? His does make our Obligations unto Thankfulness to become truly infinite. Has the Great God [...] his Own Son to us, and for us, and with him Freely given all things? Are we Invited unto a Jesus, who serves his People from their sins? A Jesus, who delivers from the wràth to come? A Christ, in whom there does all fitness swell? O our Hallelujahs, where are you? Indeed, we could never have come unto this Jesus without the Drawing of the Father. But has he' drawn us? Has the Spirit of God made [Page 61]it a Day of his Power with us, and have we been made willing, in that memorable Day? We were Dead in Trespasses and Sins; Has the Spirit of God quickened us? We were Going astray in the greatness of our Folly; [...] the Spirit of God Reduced us? We have been Pining away in our Iniquities; Have we been Recovered by the Sanctifying, the Strength­ening, the Comforting Spirit of our God? O the Matchless loving kindness! And, pray, what are the Means which God has devised, for the bringing back of our Souls, which have been Banished from His Paradise? We have not only had the Ordinances of God, made useful unto us, for the changing of us into His Image, from Glory to Glory; but His Providences too. Even those very Afflictions which have happened unto us, have not come only by Hap; there has been the Good Hand, and the Good End, of our God in all; and tho' we had been ready to say, All these things are against me, we now see, That all things have wrought together for our Good. We shall have cause to magnify the Name of our God forever, for the Restraints which he has laid upon us, by our Afflictions, and for the Right Thoughts, which our Sad hours have Raised in us. 'Tis by these Means, that we are now brought into the Covenant of Grace. And now, O most Highly Priviledged we! The Great God is become our God. God the Fa­ther, is become our Father; God the Son, is be­come our Saviour; God the Spirit, is become our Strengthener; All the Perfections of this God, are now concerned for our Welfare. We have now [Page 62]a Title to all the Promises of God; we may have a continual Recourse to them, as unto our Heri­tage, and the Rejoycing of our Heart; we may from them assure our selves of Grace, of Glory, of Every Good Thing. Our Spiritual Enemies will all be Disappointed; we have an Omnipotent Underta­ker for our being made Conquerours and more than Conquerours over them And whither are we now a going? Our Heavenly Shetherd is daily Lead­ing of us in the Paths of Righteousness; but whi­ther? Truly, to another and a better World; Every Day we are one Day nearer to the Inheri­tance of the Saints in Light. We shall shortly, be with our Lord Jesus Christ, VVhere He is, that we may Behold His Glory! But, O my God, How Long! How Long!

Now, Are not here Articles of Commemoration enough to fill the Thoughts of one Winter Day? And yet, that the Musick may not be Impair'd by our missing of any Note that may belong un­to it, annex a TENTH Article to all the Rest. Let That be, upon the Benefits of God, relating to the good Circumstances of the Countrey, whereof we are Inhabitants. Let the Health, the Growth, the Peace, the Plenty and the Protection of our Coun­trey, procure our Acknowledgments unto our God.

And so coming to the C [...]e of a short Winter-Day, spent in such Devotions, as will a little Re­semble and Antedate the Heavenly Exercises of our Long Eternity, set us break off with a few Ingenuous Thoughts upon that Enquiry of a Thankful Soul. What shall I Render to the Lord for all His Benefits? Or, What Special Service is [Page 63]there that I may Do for the God, whose Goodness and Mercy has followed me all my Dayes? Contrive, Re­solve, and Execute accordingly. Behold, A Win­ter-Day well spent.

VI. However it may be, as to the Works of our Particular Calling, yet as to the Works of our GENERAL CALLING, we should not let the Winter be our Hindrance. Altho' we have a Seal'd Hand, as to our Temporal A [...]i [...]s in the Winter, yet let us not then Deal with a slack Hand, as to our Spiritual. The [...]e is a Work that we have to do, in the Winter as well as in the Summer; and it is the Work of God. Sal­vation-work, is to be no small share of our Winter-work. Our Winter Prayers must not be, our Coldest ones, tho' 'tis in a Cold Air that we make them. Our Cares to make our Voca­tion and Election sure, are not excused by the Winter; That must not cool them. Tho' the work of Laying in for the Winter, be over with us; yet the work of Laying in for Eter­nity is not over; that is to be done all the Winter Long. The Word of God, that is to be Read, and to be Heard, as well as Obey'd, now no Less than formerly. The Psalmist has joyned those things, The Lord gives the Snow, the Frost, the Ice, and, Hee shewed His Word unto Jacob. Truly, the Snow, the Frost, the Ice, may not hin­der us from the minding of that Word. There is the work of Watching and Fighting against our Invisible Adversaries; and this is to be done as much in the Winter, as at any Time whatever. Other Wars are ordinarily intermitted in the Win­ter, [Page 64]by the Armies then retiring to their Winter Quarters. But the Winter gives no Intermission unto these Wars of the Lord. In one of the Psalms, we read, The Dragons, joyned with the Hall, and the Snow, and the Vapour whereof these are composed. Why, when the Vapours of the Winter are about our Ears, we shall still have, The Dragons, also to con [...]ict withal. Tho' our other Sna [...]es, do all the Winter Ly Idle in their Holes, yet the Old Serpent, is as busy then as e­ver: and we should then be as vigilant against the Spirits, who go about Seeking whom they may Devour. God make us, like the Valiant Benajah, who slew a Lion in a Pit in a Snowy Day!

Here is our work. But now for the Obstructi­on of this work in the Winter, there is a frequent Abuse of that Scripture, in Mat. 9.12. I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice. The Deceitful Hearts of Men pretend the Duties of Mercy, to Plunge themselves into the most horrible Instances of Cruelty; I mean, they make themselves a Sacrifice to the ter [...]icle Justice and Vengeance of God. But I say, Go ye, and Learn what that meaneth! It is true, That Mercy to our selves, may ad­just the CIRCUMSTANCES of our Du­ties, or, the Exte [...]iours, in the AFFIRMATIVES of Religion. It is not pleasing to God, that we should be really Cruel to our selves. Gods Com­mands do not commonly oblige us to overthrow the Health of our own Bodies. We cannot be Righteous at all, except we Deny our selves; but when we come to Destroy our selves, by Excesses in the Manner of Doing, what must be Done, tho [Page 65]we should be Destroy'd for it, then we become Righteous Overmuch.

However, First, Let us keep close to this Di­rection; Tho' positive Commandments may be some [...]imes Invaded for the sake of Mercy, yet Negative Commandments may never be so. When we may do Less of that which is Good, yet we may do Nothing of what is Ill. And then, Let us keep this Distinction; There is a Difference be­tween Ungrateful Abatements, and Well-pleasing O­missions of our Devotions on the score of Mercy pretended for. 'Tis one thing for us, to be com­p [...]l [...]d against our Choice, unto the Diminution of our Desired and Usual Measure, in our pious P [...]o [...]m [...]nces; and another, our Gladly accepting of an Occasion, that we hope, will set us at Liberty, from doing any thing at all.

It is complained, in Prov. 20.4. The Sluggard will not Pl [...]ugh by reason of the Cold; or, of the Winter. Gods Cold is oftentimes made an Excuse for our Sin. Even so, The sluggish Hearts of men, will neglect those Exercises of Piety, wherein we Plough for our Everlasting Welfare. Why so? Truly, 'tis the Cold of the Winter that hinders them. We read concerning Peter, that he was by the Cold hurried into the way of Temptation. It is said, in Joh. 18.18. They made a Fire of Coals, for it was Cold; and Peter stood and warm­ed himself: and you know what follow'd! Now, 'tis by the Cold that we are often burried into the way of Transgression too. As he D [...]ny'd his Lord, partly thro' the Snares of the Cold; so [Page 66]we often Forget our Lord, because the Cold makes us be where we should not be. They are not only those who fly to the Tavern in the Win­ter, and who there do poyson their Souls with Drinking, with Bad Company, with Foolish Talk­ing, by the Fireside, that Sin by reason of the Cold; but it is also the fault of those, who by reason of the Cold, wi [...] not visit their own Clo­sets, or the Assembli [...]s of Good Men, or the Worship of God, as much as they can. If you think it enough, to stay at Home, on a Winter Day, and, as you say, Read a Chapter in Job, I pray, Let it be that Chapter, where Job is told, That the Messengers of God, the Interpre­ters of His Word, must be duely considered and consulted by those that would be delivered from going down to the Pit.

VVell, But now, Let us by a sacred Antipe­ristesis take more pains for the Serving of God, in the VVinter, than we did in the more Tolera­ble Seasons of the Year. Yea, and Let us do it with an Expectation, That the more Pains we take to attend the Service of God, the more will [...]e Requite our Pains with such Incomes of Grace and perhaps of Joy, into our Souls, as will be bet­ter than the Merchandise of Silver, or the Gain of the finest Gold. The Apostle speaking of what he had Endured in Serving of God, says in 2 Cor. 11.27. I have been in Cold, and Nakedness. It is Likely that he refers, to what is Reported, in Acts 28.2. That they were Shipwrack'd upon Malta, and there, The Barbarous People shew'd them no Lit­tle [Page 67]Kindness, and kindled a Fire, and Received them, because of the Cold. Yea, but our God, ordinarily calls none of us to Endure a Cold, so extreamly circumstanced. We are to know, That we are now in a State of Probation, as to our Bodies: if we now put our Bodies to necessary Trouble, in the Serving of God, and if now in our Bodies, we Endure Hardness, as Good Souldiers of Jesus Christ, we shall be Rewarded in the Glory of these Bodies, at the Resurrection of the Just. For every pinch of Cold, whereto we have Exposed our Bodies, in the Serving of God, all the Winter Long, we shall be Recompenced in our Glorify'd Bodies, when, The Times of a Refreshing Coolness shall come, by the Pre­sence of the Lord. Wherefore, now Let us do the more Works of PIETY, rather than the Fewer, for the Cold of our Winter. It is noted concern­ing the Time of our Lords Coming up to the House of God, in Joh. 10.22, 23. It was the Feast of the Dedication, and it was Winter; And Jesus walked in the Temple. It may be that y [...] have ne­ver yet given up your selves unto the Blessed God, with so Explicit a Dedication, as would be a no less Comfortable, than Reasonable Service. Then do it this Winter; while you have so much Time to Dedicate unto such a Service. But having so done, Be sure to come up unto the Temple, in the Win­ter, as much as ever you can. Possibly, you have never yet come into any Evangelical CHURCH-FELLOWSHIP, according to the Precept of the Holy JESUS; No, you are so far from Walking with Him, in the Temple, that you never yet En­tred [Page 68]into His Temple, of Believers Associated for the Designs of the Gospel. I say then, LET THIS WORK BE DONE BEFORE THIS WINTER BE OUT. Having first Given your selves unto God in Christ, with Full purpose, To be for Him, and not for another, then Give your selves unto some Holy Society of His People, that Worship Him according to the Order of the Gospel. I pray, Let the Lord this winter, see you in His TEMPLE.

Yea, Whatever work we have to do for our Souls, Let not the VVinter give any Supersedeas, to our Working out of our own Salvation. Jacob thro the Love of Rachel, could Encounter more than a Little Winter, for more than One Seven Years together; said he, in Gen. 31.40. In the Day the Drought, and the Frost by Night consumed me. The sudden Changes from Heat unto Cold, like those in our own Countrey, it seems did sometime bring [...]a [...]ni [...]g Feavers and Agues upon the Patri­arch! But shall not we be willing to do as much for our own Souls? O patiently undergo a Little Frost, for the sake of their Deliverance, from the Outer Darkness, where there is Gnashing of Teeth, for ever! Ecclesiastical History, has Embalmed the Memory of several Martyrs, who chose the Fiery Anguish of being Frozen unto Death, rather than they would Sin against God, and incur the Fire of Damnation. Methinks, 'twould Fire the Coldest Heart imaginable, to read the Elegant Orations of the Eloquent Ancients, in the Com­mendation of those Renowned Martyrs! And [Page 69]shall we then think much sometimes to feel our selves a little VVinterish, while we are do­ing the Things that must be done, for our Getting out of our Sin [...], and for our Commu­nion with that Lord who Saves His People from their Sins.

In [...]ine, Let us Get into our Hearts, an Heat of Love to God, that will carry us easily thro' all the Cold of the VVinter in the Serv­ing of God. Of Love, 'tis said, in Cant. 8.7. Many waters cannot quench Love, neither can the s [...]o [...]ds drown it. Of this Love, I may say, Many VVinters cannot starve it, neither can the Frost Nip it. Said the Apostle, The Love of Christ con­straineth us. Altho' they that would suitably Serve God in the winter, must meet with many Difficulties; yet if we had this Love in us, that would Constrain us, to Go Freely through them all.

VII. There are many works of CHARITY, whereto the Rigours and Horrors of a sh [...]p winter, may sha [...]pen our Inclinations; and we should then [...]ffec [...]u [...]lly Demonstrate our being there­to Inclined. There are those which are Em­phatically called, GOOD WORKS; altho' we have a Seal'd Hand in the winter, yet we should not then have a close Fist, for such works as those. To Relieve and Support the Poor, is the work of God; and Let us now Know, what it is to Do, as much as we can of that work. The charitable Job, could say, in chap. 30.24. VVas not my [Page 70]Soul grie [...]'d for the Poor? Why, Altho' we have an bundance of all things about us, yet our winters are very pinching and piercing Things unto us; well, but now Let us think on the Poor, that sit shiver­ing over a VVidows Fire! that are but thin clad, and worse Fed, and have those two Powerful Things, VVinter and Poverty, at once falling, like Armed men upon them. O think on these Poor Ones, till our Souls are duely Grieved for them. Let not our Charity be as Cold as the winter; and Let none of us contribute unto the fulfilling of that Prophecy, in Mat. 24.12. The Love of many shall wax cold. Yea, suppose our Charity were as cold as the water, yet Let it be like the water for this one thing more; the water in the winter will Expend and Extend it self unto almost an Eighth part of the Space it possessed before; and this with such a Force, as to Burst the very Substance of even Metalline Vessels, which would have kept it in. May nothing now Obstruct such a Spread of our Charity!

It is mentioned, as the Lamentable Condition of some, in Job 14.7. They have no Covering in the Cold. I beseech you, Let our Liberality Cover those that are so miserable: and therefore Let us Devise Liberal Things. But now I speak of such Devising, there is one charitable proposal, which you shall permit me to urge upon you. 'Tis this, VVhen winter is coming on, & our winter-stock of Neces­saries is Laying in, Let us then seriously consider with our selves, Who of my Neighbours are there that want my Charity? & Let us LIBERALLY divide among, [Page 71]them fit Proportions of the same Stores, that we Lay up for our selves; or otherwise Enable them to Lay up something of the Like Stores for their Sucour in the Necessities of the Advancing VVinter.

This I am sure of; that all our Accommodations all the winter long, will be very much the Sweeter, if not also the Surer, unto us, for our having first Liberally Imparted a Share unto our Honest Neigh­bours, that were altogether Destitute of such Ac­commodations. We read, in a certain place, concer­ning, The Treasures of Snow. One of the Ancients does expound those Treasures to be, Worldly Riches which the next Shower of Calamity will wash a­way, like a Snow-Drift, and leave only some dirt, behind in the owners heart. Why, if we would not have our Treasures, to melt, and wast, like those of the Snow, employ those Treasures for the Consolation, of the miserable, whose miseries are encreased by the Snow.

CHRISTIANS, If you answer your Worthy Name, both the Word of CHRIST and the Day of CHRIST, find awful Resentments with you. Well then; You are in that Word Informed, and Assured, with what Glories in that Day, all your GOOD WORKS will be acknowledged. This Winter, feed a Starving Neighbour, and a sensible Jesus will then say, I am feasted. And the effect of it will be, that he will invite you to the Fat things of His House, yea, to the Delicious Feast, which he has in His Eternal Mountain. Again, This Winter Lodge an Harbourless Neighbour, and a sensible Jesus will say, I am entertained. You will not on­ly [Page 72]like some, Entertain Angels unawares, but, The Lord of Angels, Himself. Further, This Winter clothe a Naked Neighbour, and a sensible Jesus will say, I have Robes put upon me. 'Twil he as if you had Adorned the Temples of God. Moreo­ver, This Winter Comfort a Sick Neighbour, and a sensible Jesus will say, 'Tis I that am Refreshed. So, you that have Considered the Poor shall have your own Beds turned by the Lord for you, in your own Sickness. Finally, This Winter, come to a Neighbour in Prison, and you [...]l come to a sen­sible Jesus there. What you do for the Redempti­on of Captives, will be done to the Great Lord-Redtemer. They are the worst of Misers, whom such Motives, will not we swade unto somewhat of Liberality! But behold, the Winter it self also comes in as one of our Motives. The wise man said in Eccl. 11 2. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight, for thou knowest not, what evil shall be upon the Earth. Yea, but now the winter, is coming, we do know much of the Evil that will then be upon the Earth, and let us therefore give a portion of our Supplies unto as many as we can.

It would be a sad thing, if we should in the winter be driven out of our Habitations. Our Lord has allow'd us to deprecate very heartily, A flight from our Houses in the winter: and for the same cause, A fire on our houses in the winter, deserves as warm a Deprecation. Well, the way for us to preserve our Houses, is to make Bethes­da's of them, that is Houses of Mercy, to the poor. [Page 73]Let our Houses, be Alms-Houses, and we may hope, that inasmuch as we thus Fear God, He will neither Cut off our dwellings, nor Cut off us from our dwel­ings. Olaus Magnus admires the Lake, near the Metropolis of Norway, whose veins of Sulphur under it, keep it from any Congelation in the Coldest Winter of that Northern Climate: may the won­ders of that Lake, be emulated, by the perpetual warmth of our Charity.

VIII. And now to have done; Let the Cold of the winter, very powerfully warm our hearts to shake of that SINFUL COLD, which has gain­ed upon our Hearts. To Recover any Frozen part of the Body with safety, the way is to Rub it with Snow. Give me leave now to rub somewhat of the winter upon you, for the Recovery of your Frozen Souls. Indeed, There is a Coolness of Spirit, which would be the wisdom of the man that has it. So we read in Prov. 17.27. A man of understanding is of an Excellent Spirit: some read it, Of a Cool Spirit. It would indeed render us, The excellent in the earth, to have a Spirit free from those Heats which the most of men, are by provocations thrown into. A Cool Spirit, is a meek Spirit; and we should Labour for such a Spirit, not only under Afflictions from the Hand of God, but under Injuries from the Hand of Man also. Of such a Cool Spirit, was the Great Moses generally under all the Murmurings, the Reproaches, and the Froward Humours of his Congregation; and of such a Spirit, I am to tell you, Tis in the sight of God, of great Price. But then, There is a Coldness of Spirit, [Page 74]against which we should be always Awake; and particularly, in the Cold of the winter be Awake­ned.

FIRST, There is the Cold of our FORMALI­TY, against which we should now fortify our Souls. Formality, lies in much Cold mixed with some Warmth; it lies in some Kindness for the Thing that Good it, over born with predominant Regards unto the world. This Lukewarmness, is that Abominable Indifferency about, The Kingdom of Heaven, whereat our Lord says of them that have it, I will spu [...] them out of my mouth. But it is Required in Rom. 12.11. Be Fervent in Spirit serv­ing the Lord: It may be [...]endred, Be Boiling Hot, in it. There are some VVell that Boil all the year about, and that seem rather Hotter in the winter than in the rest of the year. Even so should it be with us, as to that principle within us, which is, A well of water springing up to Everlasting Life. There is a Zeal, wherewith we should pursue all our Everlasting Interests; and as the Fire burns fiercest in the winter, so the Cold of the winter should be but adding fire unto our Zeal. Our o­ther Occupations are interrupted by the winter; yea, but let us now, be more Lively than ever, in our Spiritual Husbandry, and in Ploughing up the Fallow Ground of our Hearts. Let us now be more Lively than ever, in our Spiritual Merchandise, and in Bartering for the Pearl of Great Price. Let us now, be more lively than ever, in our Spritual Building; euen, in Building up ourselves, & one ano­ther, in our most Holy Faith.

'Tis true, we have Hearts, that are as Cold as a Stone, when they should be concerned about the Things of another World; yet there is a way to help it: Let us Cry to our God, who says, in Ezek 36.26, 27. I will take away the Heart of Stone; yet for this I will be Enquired of, to do it.

But then, SECONDLY, There is the Cold of our UNREGENERACY to be rescued where­from, the Desires, the Wishes of our Souls are to be exceeding Ardent. In the Travels of Israel, we read much about, The Wilderness of Sin; which is in English, The Wilderness of Cold. Why, to speak nothing but English, All you that are in, The Wil­derness of Sin, are in a Cold Wilderness indeed; a Wilderness of Deadly, yea, of Damning, and A­las! for you, that you don't yet count it, Insuffera­ble Cold! It was the Gladsome Song, in Can. 2.11. Lo, The Winter is past, the Rain is over and gone. What is that Winter? It has been Interpreted for the, Tempus praecedens Vocationem; the Time while we are yet in our Unregeneracy. O that all you, with whom it is yet such a Time, of Winter, might before this winter be out, be able to Sing, The Win­ter of my Unbelief is past, my Sin is over and gone! The Excellent Bartholinus hath remarked it; That the Bodies of them who are kill'd in the Winter, use to be found, in just the same Features, and Postures, that were upon them, when they Recei­ved their mortal Wounds: they are found Gap­ing, Staring, Frowning, and with their Hands Extended, just as they were in their fatal Fall. Truly, so, if you Dy in this Winter of your Unre­generacy, [Page 76]those Impressions of Sin upon your Spirits, wherein you Dy, will become Eternally Indelible and Unalterable. You'l be as it were Irrecovera­bly Congeled into such an Ungodly Temper, as that wherein you do Expire; Incurable will be your A [...]ipathy to God, and your Prejudice against all that is Holy, and Just and Good. So, Intermi­nable [...]orments and Regrets, will become in some sort Essential to your to saken Souls; and you will be Confirmed in the Natural Consequents of Enmi­ty to God, world without End; where the Al­mighty— Co [...]ibet, mirabile dictu,

[What Si [...]ius writes about the Top of Burning Aetna.] Would it [...] be a most Irksome Thing to have a perpetual Winter upon us? But let all Unregenerates know, That it is always winter with them. Consider Si [...]s, Consider whether you have not the signs of the worst winter, in the World upon you. The Cold of the winter does make things to become Unactive As [...]l [...]s and the like Instruments will not Go in the winter; even the very Metal of them s [...]metimes is thereby dis­tended so that their Teeth lose their Congruity; thus the Owners are sufficiently Listless too. And are not you so? You can't Come, no, nor so much as Look, to the Lord Jesus Christ, for Life, tho' the Life of your Souls depend upon it. You can't Walk with God, or Move with any Activity, much less, can you Run with an Enlarged Heart in the Way of His Commandments. Again, The Cold of [Page 77]the winter does make things to become Insensible. They who Dy of the Gold, after their Hands and Feet are throughly siezed, often grow past feeling; and fall into a Lethargie Drowsiness, wherein and whereof they are like to Dy Irrecoverably. And are not you so? You don't Hear, the Calls of the Gospel, tho' the Loudest Thunders, are not so loud as the voice of that Silver-Trumpet. You don't See the Beauty of you S [...]i [...]ar, tho' He be Altogether Lovely. You don't fed the [...]oad of your Sins, tho' that Infinite Load, be heavier than Talents, and Mount [...]ins of Lead upon your Souls: Is there not a Dead Sleep upon yo [...]? Once more, The Cold of the winter brings P [...]trefaction with it. Tho' whilst Bodies continue Frozen, the Cold by arrest­ing those Particles, from whose Tumultuary Moti­ons Corruption uses to proceed, may keep the Ill Operations of the Cold upon the violated Textures of Bodies, from appearing; so Dead Bodies in Greenland have been preserved thirty years entire from Rottenness; yet when once that is remov­ed, they commonly and speedily discover how much their Texture had been vitiated by the Cold. And, are you Free from That? Why then have you such Rotten Communications? and such Rotten Imaginations? Why are you so much like Open Sepulchres? And now what mean you, ye Unrege­nerates, that you are not yet weary of this wretch­ed winter? Even solid Marbles have sometimes bin broken by the Cold; O let it break thy Rocky Heart, when thou thinkest of the Cold, wherein it is Bewintered.

It was the Occasional Reflection of a Young Disciple, in a bitter cold Morning.

O that all our Young Ones, would argue at such a rate. You think of putting off your Conversion, till Old Age. Fond Souls: Besides the horrible [Page 79]Danger, wherein you are, of being like those Who Dy in Youth, because their Life is among the Un­clean: This were just as if you should put off, all the Business of the Summer, until the Depth of Winter. Say now, in the midst of winter, say, vain Youths, whether you could subsist, if you had no Bread" but what this Winter were now to be Sow'd or Planted; and no Money, but what were now to be Laboured or? It must be nothing but, A Madness in the Heart, that can encourage you, to Delay your Conversion, till the Winter of Old Age do overtake you. O do not so play the Gras­hopper; but hear Counsil, and, Go to the Ant thou Sluggard! For persons to be Cold, Key-cold, yea, Death cold, about the matters of their Souls, while they are in their Youth, and think that they will use more warm Endeavours about those matters in their Age; This truly, is a far odder thing than the Quality of that Fountain of Debris.

'Tis Cold at High Noon, & Warm at Midnight.

And then, sure they that are already come to Old Age, had need make sure of Conversion, before it become altogether too late, hopeless, helpless, & unattainable. My Fathers, you are now got into the winter of your Lives; Old Age begins to Snow upon your heads; & your whole face, is that of the earth in winter. The Jews generally interr'd their Dead un­der and Oak: [see 1 Sam. 31.13.] pleased perhaps with some such parallel as this; that as the Tree seeming­ly dead in the winter, had every Spring an Annual [Page 80]and Notable Resurrection, so the Dry Bones of men, shall have a new Sap of Life infused into th [...]m, at the Day of Judgment. Indeed, you that are under the Decays of Age, are like the Tree casting of its Leaves in Autumn, every thing is now apace dying with you every day; you [...]l wither, till your being sunk into the ground make it a perfect winter with you. You shall have a Resurrection; but O tis high Time for you, to gain a good Assurance, that it shall be, The Resurrection of Life, and not, The Re­surrection of Damnation; in a word, That nothing may succed, but An Eternal Spring. The Philoso­pher said, Before Old Age, my care was to Live well; but now under Old Age, my care is to Dy well. Truly, Now winter is come, you have nothing else to take any Care about. If you have not in all this while, Secured a Saving Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, or if you are not yet Purged from your old Sins, most horrid and monstrous has been your Impenitency! And yet I am to tell you a very Glorious Thing; That Interest may still be Secured. There was once a pretty Old man in some Distress, and it is said, in Joh. 5 6. Jesus kn [...]w he had been a Long Time Ill, and said unto him, W [...]t thou be made Whole? Even so, The Lord Jesus Christ comes this Day, to you, Old men, that have been a Long Time in your Sins, and says, Old man, shall I yet be the Saviour of thy Soul? O then with Conquered and Consenting Souls, now give your selves unto that Glorious Lord. But know, That if you do it not, before the winter of This Year, as well as of Your Age, be out, it will probably never be done at all. And then, [Page 81]alas, you will Expire, Accursed like a Sinner of an Hundred Years Old.

Unto All, I say, God forbid, this winter should pass before you have made your Peace with Him. And, To Excite you hereunto; As in some Win­try Countreys, the Carpenters must Thaw their Wood, before they can Cut it; Let me assay to Thaw your Hearts, in order to a better shaping and squaring of them. I say then, Consider that FIRE, as well as that Cold, which the Almighty God has to punish the Disobedient. It has been said, Who can stand before His Cold? But it has also been said, Who can stand before His Fire? Thus, in Isa. 33.14. Who among us can dwell with the Devou­ing Fire? who among us shall dwell with Everlasting Burnings? We wonder at the strength of the Ice, when we see a piece of it, near three inches broad and a quarter of an inch thick, laid over a frame three inches distant, bear a weight of near twenty pounds, for a long while together: as Mr Boyl Experienced: or when we read Olaus Magnus af­firming, That their Septentrional Ice, is of such a Tenacity, that when 'tis two or three fingers thick it will bear an Armed man upon it; & when three or four Hands thick, vast Armies will venture over it, for their Winter-Wars. But thy Heart, O man, is prodigiously harder than a piece of Ice, if besides the weight of Sin upon it, it can bear the Thought of the Fire that never shall be quenched. Remember, The Wrath of God, like a Formidable Fire, will at last, with Exquisite Agonies, and Anguishes, Torture the Soul [...] of them, that shall Dy in their [Page 82] Ʋnregeneracy One that felt some flashes of that Fire, in the Troubles of his Conscience, hearing o [...] some speaking about, Burning to Death, cry'd out, O That is but a Meta­phor to what I Endure! And another that was broiling in the Fire of such Troubles, Roared in this manner, O might I have this mitigati [...]n of my To [...]ments, to dy as a Backlog in the Fire on the Hearth, for a thousand Ages! Purge this: when you are by the Fire-side, this Winter, think seriously with your selves, Could I bear to R [...]ast in this Fire? Alas, This is but a pain [...]d Fire, to that wherein God will take vengeance on them that Know Him not, and that Obey not His Gospel? And if I can't bear the Metaphor, n [...], not so much as for a minute, How then shall I bear to remain under the Wrath of God in Hell for infinitely more mil [...]ions of Ages, than a [...] the Fires on Earth, have mad [...] Ashes in the world! And O Let your Hearts be Thawed by such Considerations, this win­ter immediately to mourn for, and turn from all your Sins, and Give your selves to God in Christ, by a Covenant ne­ver to be Forgotten. It is a work of God, that is done Af­ter the winter is over, whereof there is mention, in Psal: 104.30. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, and thou Renewest the Face of the Earth. O that such a work as this may be done upon you, while this winter is running; Send forth thy Spirit, O m [...]st Glorious Lord, and n [...]w Renew the Hearts of them that have hitherto continued Ʋnregenerates!

In fine, I now Leave these my poor Labours, in the Hands of that Eternal Spirit, with my Humblest Suppli­cations, That these my Endeavours, may be made Profi­table and Acceptable unto His People, and assist my Neighbours in their Travels to that Countrey, where the Winter shall for ever Cease from Troubling, and the VVeary be at Rest.