YOƲR fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?] After the return of this People out of the Babylonish Captivity, (that Pit in which was no Water, in the 9th Chapter) out of which they were brought by the Blood of the Covenant) God raised up two Prophets, Haggai, and this Zechary, to stir them up to Build the Tem­ple of the Lord, and to settle his Worship therein; [Page 2]the Province of this Zechary was in God's Name to call the People to return to God, Verse 3. There­fore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. A very great Allective and Inducement to return to him, for he will be reconciled. The Favour of God is better than Life. And, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Re­turn; it is the Call of that God that can arm all in Heaven and Earth against you. One great ob­stacle to Conversion, is our Imitation of our Fa­thers. It is very common with Persons to speak of the Dignity of their Progenitors, and yet to imi­tate them in their Sins. Be ye not as your Fathers, (Verse 4.) to whom the former prophets cried. So in the New Testament, Hebr. 3.7. To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the day of temptation, altho they saw my works, (so we should read it.) Altho they saw his works, yet they provoked him. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, say­ing, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

The Words, the 5th and 6th Verses, some appre­hend are brought in by way of Dialogue. God speaking by the Prophet to the People, Where are your fathers? They are not; their Carkasses fell in the Wilderness, and they died under the Displea­sure of God in the Captivity. In the second Verse, The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. [Page 3]Where are your fathers? Numb. 32. Hath not Moses said in ano­ther Case, You are risen up in your Fathers stead, a Generation worse than them. They do as it were retort it upon God, And where are the Prophets, do they live for ever? Our Fathers indeed are dead, but yet God doth not keep his Prophets alive. But saith God, Tho they dye, my Word lives, and shall have its effect, and certain accomplishment.

There are two or three things in the Words.

I. A Concession, that God's Prophets do not live for ever. The Prophets, do they live for ever?] They are mortal Men, corruptible. So that in this case, I may say, as in Hebr. 7.23. [...] They truly (the priests) were many, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. They were prohibited to go on in the discharge of their Office; Death superseded them. So the Prophets of God, they were not suf­fered to continue by reason of Death. Aaron was a great Man, employed of God in the Priesthood; but ( Numb. 20.25, 26) saith God to Moses, Let Aaron go up to mount Hor, and there let him dye. A while after, the same Fate took hold on Moses, Deut. 32.49. Get thee up into this mount,— and dye in the mount whither thou goest up,—as Aaron thy Brother died in Mount Hor. Yet this Moses, it is said of him, Chap. 34.10. There arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses. If you would out-do him, turn your Eye upon Christ. There arose not a Prophet in Israel like him. And yet both he and his Brother Aaron died under some displeasure of God, Deut. 32.51. Because ye trespassed against me at the wa­ters of Meribah;— because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.

[Page 4] The Prophets, do they live for ever?] 'Tis well that they die their fair Death. O Jerusalem, Jerusa­lem, thou that killest the prophets! how oft would I have gathered your children, and ye would not. — Some wrest this Scripture for the maintenance of Arminianism; but if you observe it, the Text is a plain Text, How oft would I have gathered your chil­dren, and you would not; you Jerusalem, you great Men. I believe it hath been some complaint of Jesus Christ against this Land. And sometimes the Difficulties that attend the Service of God's Prophets make them covet Death, 1 Kings 19. When Jezabel sware by her Gods, that she would have the Life of Elijah, he said, Lord, let me die. He was a Man of like Passions with us, and we with him.

II. Tho the Prophets die, and do not live for ever, yet the Word of God does not die; the Word of God lives and abides for ever. But my word and my statutes, which I commanded my servants, did they not take hold of your fathers? The Pro­phets die, but my Word lives, faith God, and hath strength, and can apprehend you, and slay you; thou hast slain them with the Word of thy Mouth. The Apostle saith, The word of the Lord is not bound; the Ministers of it are bound; but the Word of the Lord is not bound. The Prophets die, but the Word of the Lord retains it strength and force. Did not my words take hold on your Fathers? The Hebrew, [...] attigit, appre­hendit. Is to overtake, and catch, as Huntsmen the Prey, or one Enemy another in flight. Hebrew, [...]. Did they not find them out? Your Sins will find you out, and so will God's word find you out; and the Word of God pursues you at the [Page 5]heels, and lays hold on you. If you do not lay hold on God's strength, and make Peace with him, there will be a hand stretcht out to apprehend you, Psal. 40.12. where the word is.

Did not my words take hold on your Fathers?] The Pro­phets die, 1 King. 13. There came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel; — and cri­ed against the Altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O Altar, Altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold a child shall be born unto the House of David, Josiah by name, and upon thee shall he offer the Priests of the high places, &c. Not­withstanding this Prophet was killed before he got home, the word of God lived and took place, and took hold on him, 2 King. 23.17. Saith Josiah, Josiah by name, (God can name a man 300 years before he rai­seth him up) saith he, What Title is this that I see? And the men of the City told him, It is the Sepulchre of the Man of God which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things which thou hast done against the Altar of Bethel. The Word of God lives, and hath an Infallible accom­plishment.

III. The Lord doth extort an acknowledgment of this; (Though the Prophets die, yet my words live and are quick and powerful, they take hold on men.) An Acknow­ledgment of it: And they returned and said, Like as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways, and according to our doings, Josh. 23.14, 15. so hath he dealt with us. God will magnifie his Word, 1 Sam. 2.30. and assert the honour and reputation of his Prophets.

Now that that I would teach you, is, Observ. Though the Prophets of God die, though the Ministers of Christ do not live for ever, yet the Word of God dispensed by them lives, and will have its certain infallible ac­complishment, [Page 6]upon Nations, Churches and Per­sons.

Those that God calls to, and makes use of in the Ministry about Holy things, they differ in their Gifts, in their Graces, in their Judgments, sometimes in their service and usefulness in the Church of God▪ but they all agree here, they die as others do. Ye build the Tombs of the Prophets: (The Prophets have their Tombs, and Righteous men their Sepulchres) saith Christ, Matth. 23. Ye build and garnish them; (and there is a Generation of men that love God's Prophets best when when they are dead) And ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets; that is, ye imitate them, Jer. 11.19. They devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the Tree with the Fruit thereof. It is in the Margent, Let us destroy the staff with the bread; the Prophets, the Ministers of God bring the Bread of Life to you. Let us destroy the staff with the bread. (Hebr. Pane) ( Perdamus culmum cum grano ejus, as Junius renders it:) We render it, Let us destroy the Tree with the Fruit. The meaning is this, Let us kill the Prophet, and there's an end of his Prophecy. But they were mi­staken; when they had done that, God will make his Word to take place.

There are two things I would open to you:

• 1. That the Prophets of God do not live for ever; we are all sensible of it. The Lord teacheth us it this day; The Prophets do not live for ever. But,
• (2.) Though they do not live, yet the Word of God lives, and will have its effect upon men for good or for evil.

[Page 7] (1.) The Prophets do they live for ever?] Consider two or three things.

1. The Prophets of God are subject to the same Law that others are. There is a Stature-Law that is not reversed, and there are so few I think is never transgressed:— There have been some few excepti­ons; but it will not be repealed till Christ hath swal­lowed up Death in Victory. The Prophets of God and Righteous men are obnoxious to it as well as o­thers. Heb. 9.27. And as it is appointed to men [...] to die, and after this the judgment. It is appointed, (Gr. [...], it is decreed.) It is decreed to all, it is ena­cted, and the Prophets have no exemption. Yea, that Man Christ Jesus the Mediator and great High Priest, He was under this Law: He was made under the Law: He was to die: And by one offering for ever perfected them that are dedicated to God. It is ap­pointed to all men once to die; and to die penally, by the force of that threatning, Gen. 2▪ 17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Christ died Penally, He was made a curse; and his dying so, hath delivered some, that they shall not die Penally. But to die Naturally, that continues to all; to the Pro­phets, and them that fear him, as well as others, Rom. 8.10. If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. If Christ be in you, though there be that happy union, yet he lets the Body be arrested by Death, the Body is dead: Believers Bodies, the Bodies of his Mini­sters, of his Prophets are dead; that is, Obnoxious to Death. I think it hath reference to the second verse: The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. How from the law of sin, he had shewed before; here he come to [Page 8]shew how from the law of Death. The Body is dead, and that is by sin. Sin brought in death. Adam had not died if he had not sinned; and there being the reliques of sin, Sin that dwells in Believers them­selves, the vitiosity and corruption of nature, some­thing of sin found in them, they must die; there's no help, we must die. The spirit (I think 'tis the soul) is life, and capable of living with God in a separate state, and shall be in the fruition of God; and the Body shall at length be joyned with it. And as a pledge of it this is added, The spirit is life because of righteousness. What God doth in sanctifying of his own here, is a pledge to them that their whole man shall live with him hereafter.

2. The Prophets, do they live for ever?] They are Stewards, Ambassadors, Labourers; and so Christ will not have them live for ever.

They shall have their Reward. They shall come and tell what is the issue of their performing their Embassy in the world; What reception they had; How they were used.

1. We are Stewards of the Mystery and manifold Grace of God; 1 Cor. 4.1, 2. and Wisdom and Faithfulness are re­quired in a Steward. A Steward should be Wise and Faithful; the Lord make us so, who have a Ste­wardship from him. We must give an account of our Stewardship, and you to whom we give a por­tion of meat in due season, should take some care that we give up our accounts with joy, and not with grief. Christ will call his Stewards to account; they must tell what they have done with their Talents, how they have improved and gained.

[Page 9] 2. They are Ambassadors also; 2 Cor. 5.19. [...], placed, or deposited in us. they have the word of Reconciliation committed to them; they have it in them; and they treat with you about the high­est concerns. We pray you be ye reconciled to God: We pray you in Christ's stead; if he had not other work to do in Heaven, he would come and Preach to you himself; but we do it in his stead. Now is it not your advantage to be friends with God? But we must go back and give an account what recep­tion we have had in the world. Ambassadors will be called home, they will not always lye Lieger here below.

3. I might shew you this also for Labourers; the day declines: 1 Cor. 3.9. [...]. Co-workers. God makes use of their labour. and a man that hath wrought hard all the heat of the day, is willing to go to rest. A ser­vant earnestly desires the shadow, Job 7.2. And the sleep of the labouring man is sweet to him.

3. The Prophets do they live for ever?] Jesus Christ hath Rewards for them, small and great, Rev. 11. The time is come— that thou shouldest give reward to thy servants the Prophets, and to the Saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great, &c. which is some­times the only relief and support we have, when we cry out, We have laboured in vain, Isa. 49 4. [...] humidum radicale. and spent our strength for nought: The radical moisture is dried up; the Bellows are burnt; we have no lungs to speak more to you. Well, Christ hath rewards for his Prophets and Servants in Heaven, Great is your re­ward in Heaven. There's no getting to Heaven with­out dying. It may be you would be willing to be fetched in Chariots of fire, but that is not every man's lot. We have our work to do. Jesus Christ [Page 10]was his Father's servant, an extraordinary one, to do extraordinary work; he finished it, and glorified God on earth, and then God glorified him with him­self. Thus it is with Christ's servants; they have their work to do, they are to finish it, and to glori­fie God here below, and then God gathers them up, and rewards them; they have their reward; their works follow them. They die in the Lord, and cease from their labour, and their works follow them, ( Rev. 14.) in the Reward of them.

4. The Prophets die; and God will thereby chastise an ungrateful world, and punish the barrenness of them that have enjoyed their Ministry. You had need fear and tremble before him, lest he do so by you. When the Vineyard is barren, God will ei­ther take away the hedge, and fling it up to be a prey to the beasts of the wood; else he will take a­way the dresser; he shall no more dig and prune it, no more labour shall be spent upon it, no more cost and pains shall be taken with it. Saith God, the rain came oft upon it, and it brought forth briars and thorns; such are nigh unto cursing, and their end is to be burnt.

The Prophets live not for ever.] God will teach you by it, that your season will not always last. Know your time, as Christ said, Job. 12.35. Yet a little while is the light with you: Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. (The next step may be Hell.) While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.

[Page 11] But I will go off that, and give a little account of the second, and so come to the Use.

(2.) Though the Prophets live not for ever, yet the Word of God lives. Do but consider a little:

1. The Prophets of God use to come with their Menaces, the threatning part of God's Word; and though the threatning you think is always Condi­tional, and leaves space for Repentance; (this made the Prophet Jonah refuse to go on his Errand: I knew, saith he, that thou art a gracious God, and mer­ciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and wouldst repent thee of the evil; and so I should have my Re­putation stained: Go and preach to Niniveh, and say, Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed; and then God repent: They will say, There's a lying Prophet.) Yet let me tell you, when God denounceth his Judg­ments, sometimes he puts his Oath to the Threaten­ing, swears to the matter, and then it is irrever­sible. As I live, saith the Lord, my heart cannot be towards this people.

And as the Ministry of the Prophets had a Mina­tory part, so truly the Gospel hath Threatnings, most severe ones. Mark 16.16. He that believeth, and is haptized, shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned. Words that came out of the gracious mouth of the Son of God. Hebr. 2.3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation? There's no escaping Damnation. The Word of God lives. The very Threatning lives. Though the prophets die, God will take care to make good his threatning; be sure he will do it, when [Page 12]he swears in wrath we shall never enter into his rest.

2. The Word of God abides too, as it compri­zeth the Promises, which are a declaration of God's Grace and good will towards men. This was part of the Prophets Office, to publish the Promise, Luk. 1.69. He hath raised up an Horn of Salvation for us, as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the world began, to perform the mercy promised to our Fa­thers, &c. So the Apostle Peter, saith he, The spi­rit of God spake by the Prophets concerning Christ, his Sufferings, and the Glory that should follow. So the Ministers of the New Testament, O how they love to Preach the New Covenant, and all the Promises for the relief of distressed sinners! It is the most pleasing part of their work, 2 Cor. 1.20. For all the Promises of God in him (in Christ) are yea, and in him Amen, to the Glory of God by us. God glo­rifies himself by us; God glorifies his faithfulness in performing his Promises by our Ministry. The Pro­mise lives; for God lives whose the Promise is: He cannot lye, nor cannot change. He shews by it the Immutability of his Counsel, that the heirs of Salvation may have strong consolation.

God's Prophets and Ministers they die; but the Word dispensed by them, that lives; it hath its fulfillment. Our work is to declare the whole counsel of God to you that concerns your Salvati­on; and God doth cause his Prophets to stand in his Covenant, and the secrets of God are with them. Saith the Apostle, Acts 20. I have not shun­ned to declare to you the whole counsel of God, and have kept back nothing that was profitable for you, [Page 13]Preaching Repentance towards God, and Faith towards the Lord Jesus. — His Counsel shall stand. You shall see my face no more, saith he to them, verse 38. But this whole Counsel of God, which I have de­clared, shall be fulfilled; and there is no Person, no Churches that do reject the Counsel of God, but it is against themselves, i. e. to their own ruin, Luke 7.30.

The Word of God lives; the Prophets dye, but the Word of God lives. The Word of God dis­pensed by us, is as seed sown, though it seem to dye under the Clods, yet it will live again; the Lord gives it a Body, or rather a Spirit. And so l Peter 1.23.— Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible; by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever. In all Productions there is some Seed out of which the Creature is brought forth, so it is in the new Creature. — Born of the incorruptible seed, the word which we Preach to you; and this Word lives and abides for ever; and if it be turned into a vital Principle in your Souls, that will abide too; it will be the Seed of God that remains. And though in our sowing we go forth with precious Seed, we wish it might alike prosper; but we do not always meet with good Ground; that which falls into good Ground, by the blessing of God brings forth Fruit, some more, and some less. The Word of God lives, the Prophets dye, the Ministers of Christ dye; but their Word lives and will take place.

Now I would make some Application.

The Prophets, do they live for ever?] No, they do not live for ever; they are Mortal and Frail; [Page 14]they dye sooner than other Men; their Labours are great, and that they do not live for ever, I would have you make these two or three Uses of it.

1. Think with your selves, God's Prophets and Ministers dye. It becomes us to have our hearts affected with it, to put our hearts to this matter, Isaiah 57.1. The righteous perish, [...] to pe­rish here, is to dye; he is ta­ken away, [...] In u­num collegere. He is gathered to his Fathers, and no Man, [...] Ponens super Cor. 1. qui caret Schindler. and no man lays it to heart. The Lord will take notice how you are affected this day for this Prophet. The righ­teous perish, and no man layeth it to heart, and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come; he shall enter into peace. Blessed be God for that Admission into Peace, God hath given his Servant. He shall enter into peace, they shall rest in there beds; (— the Grave is a cold Bed; but really ever since Christ lodged in it, it is so perfumed, that we need not be afraid to lie down and sleep) each one walking in his uprightness. But, saith he, The righteous perish, (it is Dying, Lord we perish, saith the Disciples) and no man lays it to heart. It is the Complaint of God, that we are not duly affected when he causeth a righteous Man to perish. Now, the dying of a Prophet is more than the perishing of a righteous Man. He that gives to a Righteous Man a Cup of Water in the Name of a Righteous Man, shall have a Righte­ous Mans reward. And he that receiveth a Pro­phet in the Name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophets reward. Shall a Prophet dye, and, shall not we put our heart to it? O! to think such a one is removed, who use to give us such Instru­ction, [Page 15]such Reproof, such Consolation; to give Milk to Babes, and strong Meat to Men; that had the Tongue of the Learned to speak a word in Sea­son to them that are weary, but now we shall hear him no more; nothing will drop from his Lips any more. He is gone into his Bed, and as to any use he can be of, is perished. Let us lay our hearts to it.

2. If the Prophets dye, and do not live, you that have enjoyed their Ministry, Oh! how high­ly doth it concern you to follow their Faith, ob­serving the end of their Conversation, Hebr. 13.7. Remember them that have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. He speaks of them that had been guides to them, and had spoken the word of God, but they were dead and gone; the Lord had removed them, and ga­thered them up to himself; they have spoken to you the Word of God. Now, saith he, whose Faith follow. That glorious Gospel of the Blessed God that they preached to you, that Faith follow, and imitate it, that your hearts may be established in the true Grace of the Gospel. And remember, bear in mind, how they used to live by Faith, and vigorously to act it upon the Son of God; do you imitate it, follow the steps of their Faith; obser­ving the end of their Conversation ( Gr. [...].) The end of their Conversation; [...], Sig­nifies an end accompanied with delive­rance from, and Conquest over Difficul­ties and Dan­gers. what God hath brought them to; what issue and period God hath put to them and their days, obser­ving the end of their Conversation. 1 Cor. 10.13. God makes a way of escape out of temptation. God deli­vers [Page 16]them from all their Sins and Sufferings; wipes all Tears from their Eyes; makes a good End with them. Mark the perfect Man, and observe the Up­right, the end of that Man is Peace. This is your Duty.

And there is one thing more, and that is, When the Prophets dye, do you take care that when the Prophets of God are admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven, that you be not shut out. It will be a very great Aggravation, it will aggrandize your Misery to enjoy such Prophesy, such Preaching, and then the Prophets dye, and go to Heaven; when you come to dye, to go to another place, Luke 13.28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of heaven, and you your selves thrust out. O think with your selves, what will be the anguish of those that perish from under such a Ministry! What, shall I perish now from un­der such a Ministry! That's one Use: Have a care you be not thrust out. The Prophets come and Preach the Kingdom of God to you; and having the Key of Knowledge, they open the Door. Come, say they, enter the kingdom, take it by violence. And it may be many will neither go in themselves, nor suffer others to enter in. When the prophets go to heaven, have a care lest you should be shut out.

Ʋse (2.) Tho the Prophets dye, yet the Word of God lives. Remember that, God will make you to remember it. And your Business is to enquire, what hath been the quickning and enlivening Verture and [Page 17]Power of the word upon your Souls. We Preach the Gospel, and we are not ashamed of it, for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believes. Hath it been productive of such a thing as Faith in your Souls, that purifies the heart, apprehends Christ, and all that is in Christ? Hath the word come with Life and Power to you, and caused Life in your Souls? 1 Thess. 1.5. Our Gospel, saith he, came not in word only, but in power, &c. Pray inquire into that.

And if the word of God lives, tho the Minister dye, then really it will be of some effect or other to you all; either a savour of life unto life, 2 Cor. 2.14, 15, 16. or of death unto death. Thanks be to God, that makes us to tri­umph. —The Gospel will be of some use when we are gone; either a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death.

Nay, let me say this, Because the Word lives, tho the Prophets dye, the Word of God will follow you to Judgment, and there will meet you when you come up from the dead, and it may be God's Pro­phets will be a Cloud of Witnesses against you. John 12.48. He that rejecteth me, and receives not my words, there's one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. The word lives till you come to Judgment, and then will decide your Condition, Christ will do it according to the word.

Ʋse (3.) One thing more, [The Prophets dye.] I will speak one thing for your Comfort, and that is, Christ lives; Ministers dye, but Christ lives. [Page 18] He was once dead, but he is alive, and lives for ever­more. And he lives, as the great Prophet raised up by God. As one said of the Prophets, Who is their Father? He that is the Father of Eternity. (Isaiah 9.) He is alive. Hebr. 7.23. They were not suffer­ed to continue by reason of death. [...] But this Man, be­cause he hath an unchangeable Priesthood, lives for ever. He hath an Office that doth not pass from him to another. The Prophets dye, Ministers dye; that that is the Spring of Consolation, is, Christ lives. He lives to reward your Faith and Perseve­rance. You that have believed upon hearing the word of Truth, the Gospel of Salvation, he lives to reward that Faith, and your persevering in that Faith. Come! hold on in Faith, in Holiness, in the Order and Fellowship of the Gospel, (that which this Servant of Christ so much desired in his going off.) Christ lives to reward your Constancy, Recei­ving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls, 1 Peter 1.9.

And then, that he lives too, it is to give us more Prophets, to raise up more Prophets for us, and to make some able Ministers of the New Testament, And truely they are only of Christ's making. We have no sufficiency of our selves for this Work. He gives Pastors and Teachers for the Work of the Ministry. He is ascended for it. And I would, all that meddle with that Work, were of his giving, Amos 2.11. I raised up of your sons for Prophets. (I raised them up.) He is alive. He can raise up Pro­phets for you; he can raise up your Sons to be Pro­phets.

[Page 19] I have now but a little more to say. As for our Honoured and Beloved Brother fallen asleep in Je­sus. A great man is fallen in our Israel, a Prophet; yea more than a Prophet; an able Minister of the New Testament. 2 Cor. 4.4, 6. [...] Consider him as to his knowledg in the Mystery of Christ, and it was rich and great. God had so divinely irradiated his Mind and Heart, by giving him the knowledg of his Glory in the Face of Christ, that he was well able to Preach the unsearchable Riches of Christ to the Gentiles; and to make all Men see what is the Fellowship of this Mystery. You that knew him, understood his know­ledg in that Mystery. As to his way of Preaching, though it seemed less methodical, yet truely when I have sometimes considered it, it hath appeared to me (at least): Apostolical, Primitive, and Divine. He knew, [...] So to speak as Acts 14. [...]. That a great multitude believed; and his words being mostly those of the Holy Ghost, they had a quick and penetrating Power and Ef­ficacy with them. So that in his Ministry, he was wont to commend himself to the conscience of every one before God. His Bow abode in strength, 2 Cor. 4.2. and his Hands were made strong by the Hands of the Mighty God of Jacob. His Arrows sharp in the hearts of the Kings Enemies, whereby the People fell under Christ.

As to the discharge of his Ministry, he was much in Labours, and Indefatigable. If it might not be an Offence, I think I might almost say, He labour­ed more than us all. He was, [...], (1 Tim. 5.17.) and therefore hath Ho­nour, double, honour, and that from above. He did [...],— labour much, and in many things, [Page 20]and not in vain. He did not labour in vain, nor spend his strength for nought, for he had great suc­cess. Christ had chosen him to be a Vessel to bear his Name; and he brought forth Fruit that remain­ed, which shall be his Joy and Crown of rejoy­cing in the day of Christ. In the House of God he knew how to behave himself, and was faithful to him that appointed him; and therefore had Ho­nour. And though sometimes he might seem to have too much of the Spirit and Power of Elias with him, yet it was tempered with the sweetness and gentleness of the Gospel. His Affection to the House of God, was such, that the Zeal of it eat him up: And there was no greater rejoycing to him, than to see Persons walk according to the Consti­tution, Frame, and Order of Christ in the New Te­stament. Nothing more afflicting, than to see any turn aside to crooked Paths. As for his Conversa­tion, it was holy, it was heavenly. His [...], his Citizenship was in Heaven, Phil. 3.20. from whence he looked for a Saviour. So that the Character that is proper to a Bishop of the New Testament, was found with him, 1 Tim. 3. He was blameless, vigilant, so­ber, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach. His Conversation was a continual teaching. Pray! do you observe the end of it? And as for his Sufferings, they did nothing move him, [...], saith the Apostle, Acts 20.24. I make not a word of these things. Bonds and afflictions abide me in every place; but none of these things move me. I do not make a word of them. He was set for the Apology and Defence of the Gospel. And as in the Course of his Ministry (I speak as one intimately acquainted with him) as in the Course [Page 21]of his Ministry he had the spirit of Power, Love, and a sound Mind; so in his Afflictions and Perse­cutions the spirit of God and Glory did rest upon him. To sum up all, You that were inwardly ac­quainted with him, you fully knew his Doctrine, a Tim. 3.10, 11. You have fully known his Doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecution, afflictions: But out of them all the Lord hath delivered him.

But you will say, What was the reason of God's dark and severe dispensation towards him in his lat­ter days? Truly I am not in God's stead to give you an account of his matters; the Lord doth save men upon the point of Soveraign Grace, and God doth exercise the same dominion in his Providence; and sometimes will laugh at the very trial of the Innocent. His ways and judgments even towards his own are unsearchable and past finding out. Let us sanctifie the Lord God of Hosts in our hearts, and fear before him. Phil. 3.10. That I may know the fellowship of his sufferings. The Apostle discerned that the sufferings of Christ were attended with de­sertion and darkness. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And for a time that Man so dear to his Father, being his Eternal Son, yet he had lost that joy and delectation which the fruition of God, and the fulness of Grace was wont to afford him. It may be thus with his Ministers, and if it be, they have but a fellowship with him in his suffer­ings. But now blessed be God that the Sun brake out of the Cloud: God did not let him die in the dark, but brought his soul to peace and rest; and to a rejoycing in God's Eternal love to him. The Sun of Righteousness did arise before he gave up the Ghost. [Page 22]The Sun of Righteousness did arise upon him with heal­ing under his wings; that gave him an abundant en­trance into the Heavenly Kingdom. Christ hath shewed all his dealings with him for several years, (not all springing from a Divine hand, but natural causes as Hypocondria, &c.) yet he hath shewed that they were such as were consistent with the Eternal Love of God, to make him partaker of his Holi­ness; and Christ having loved him as his own, and loved him to the end, (to Perfection) has loved him into Glory. There we leave him, till the Blessed Glorious Resurrection.