'TIS an unexpected Providence, and undesired that hath brought me into this Assembly, and put me upon this Service. A very Dear Brother, upon whom this Work lay, earnestly desi­red me to do it for him, he being necessita­ted to be elsewhere, and I could not well deny him. Yet little did I imagine that the last time your Reverend Deceased Pastor and my self were together in another place, and familiarly discoursing each with other, that it would fall to my Lot to Preach his Funeral Sermon. But the Holy Wise Pro­vidence of God hath so brought it about, that I must do him this last Office of Love, which may the Great God in whose Hands are all our Lives, all our Times, by his Ho­ly [Page 2]Spirit make useful and beneficial to your Souls!

Your Fathers where are they? and the Pro­phets do they live for ever?

These words were spoken by the Prophet Zachary. We read in Scripture of three Za­chary's.

1. There was Zachariah the Son of that good High-Priest Jehojada, Murdered by his Unnatural and Ungrateful Kinsman, Joash King of Judah, who ill requited his Father that sav'd his Life, by taking away that of his Godly and Zealous Son. You may read the Story, 2 Chon. 24.21. But this was not our Prophet, he was Stoned to death a­bout four hundred and twenty one years be­fore the Son of Iddo Prophesied.

2. There was Zachariah the Father of John the Baptist; but he liv'd about four hundred years after our Zachary.

3. There was Zachary the Son of Bara­chias, the Son of Iddo. Iddo his Grandfather return'd from the Captivity of Babylon with Zerubbabel, Nehemiah 12.4. The Jewish Rabbins say, That where the Father and Grandfather of a Prophet are mentioned in [Page 3]Scripture, it denotes they were also Pro­phets.

It was a great Honour to the Family of the Piso's at Rome that for three Generations successively they had been Princes of the Se­nate. And 'twas a very great Honour to Zachary that his Father and Grandfather had been Prophets before him. The Spirit of Prophecy seemed to run in his Blood, and the Prophetical Office to be entail'd upon him as an Inheritance: Yet did he excel his Fathers in true Honour. If they liv'd Pro­phets so did he also. They liv'd Prophets, but he liv'd a Prophet, and dy'd a Martyr. He was slain by his ungodly Countreymen for his free Rebuking of their sins, between the Temple and the Altar, whither he fled for Sanctuary. No place so Holy, no per­son so Sacred but the wicked will profane and violate in pursuit of their Brutish Lusts and Malice, Matth. 23.35.

How long he Prophesied is not certain; when he began to Prophecy the first verse of this Chapter tells us. It was in the eighth Month, in the second year of Darius (No­thus.) He was contemporary with Haggai [Page 4]the Prophet, who began his Ministry but two Months before him. See Hag. 1.1.

The parts of his Prophecy are four.

• 1. Doctrinal, in the six first verses of this Chapter.
• 2. Visional, from the seventh verse to the end of the sixth Chapter.
• 3. Casuistical, in the seventh and eighth Chapters.
• 4. Lastly, Purely Prophetical, from thence to the end of his Book.

The Text is fallen under the first Head. In which we have,

1. The time of his Prophecy, two Months after his Colleague in the same Work and Ministry, Haggai. Haggai begins in the sixth Month of the second year of King Darius. Zachary follows him in the same Work and Office two Months after. God keeps an ex­act & faithful Register of all the Ministers he sends, & of all their Sermons, he orders them Preach unto a people, and of the times and to places when and where, and of the begin­ning, duration and continuance of their Mi­nisterial Labours among them. Look to it Sirs, you may take no notice of this: You [Page 5]may forget when, and where, and whom you heard. But so doth not God. He Records all in his Book of Remembrance, and you shall be accountable for it another day.

O that you may be able to yield up your Accounts with Joy, and not with Sorrow!

2. We have the subject matter of his Ser­mon. And there lye before us but brief Heads, short Minutes of it, and we shall as briefly run them over.

1. In the second verse we have a Narrati­on of God's just anger against their Ances­tors. The Lord hath been sore displeased with your Fathers.

2. In the third and fourth verses, we have God's summons unto their Children for Re­pentance, Conversion and Reformation. 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. Be ye not as your Fathers, unto whom the for­mer Prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, turn you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings, but they did not hear nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

3. In our Text we have a Dialogue (for [Page 6]so many Expositors read it) between the Prophet and his wicked Auditory.

1. The Prophet first Queries. Where are your ungodly Fathers? What's become of them? Did not God's Vengeance light upon them, as he had threatned them? They would not believe, nor obey, but rebell'd against his Word spoken to them by former Pro­phets; yet did they feel the Verity and Ma­jesty, the Truth and terrible Power thereof in their own persons; for were they not cut off by Deaths? Whence by the way note,

That Judgments upon the Fathers do not always work Repentance and Reformation in the Children; they be as bad as they.

2. We have his Auditory's reply, by way of Expostulation with the Prophet. And you Sir! pray! Where are the Prophets? Do they live for ever? You throw in our Teeth the death of our Ancestors, and we will al­so as justly retort upon you, What is be­come of those busie, censorious Fellows their Prophets? Are not they gone to their long Home? You see God's Judgments Doctri­nal and Providential on the Parents do find the Children bad, and leave them worse, [Page 7]greater Atheists and Despisers of God, his Word, and Ministers than themselves.

But tho' the Text may be thus read Dia­logue-wise, yet I humbly conceive, It is an Argument urg'd by the Prophet to inforce his Doctrine, asserted before in the third and fourth verses. Your Fathers where, are they ? And the Prophets do they live for ever? This double Interrogation must be answer'd ne­gatively. No; your Fathers are not. Your Prophets are not. They do not live here for ever. They be dead. But tho' they die, yet the Word of God, preached by your Pro­phets, that dieth not, it liveth and will live, and take hold of all stubborn, unbelieving and disobedient sinners. As verse 6.

Whence observe these two Points of Do­ctrine.

• Doctrine I. That Ʋngodly Persons and God­ly Ministers are all alike Mortal Creatures.
• Doctrine II. Tho' Ministers die, yet God's Word from their Mouths never dieth, it lives for ever.

Tho' these Points shall be opened distinct­ly, yet I shall apply them jointly, in case time do permit us.

Doct. I. Ʋngodly Persons and Godly Mini­sters are all alike Mortal Creatures.

I need not stand to prove this Point, 'twere but to abuse your time and patience. Who needs a Candle to see the Sun at Noonday? The truth of the Doctrine is visible, and no­torious to all the World. Eccles. 8.8. There is no Man that hath power over the Spirit to re­tain the Spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death : And there is no discharge in that War; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. Besides, there are in both the Godly and Ungodly, the Natu­ral and Moral Causes of Mortality, this is also undeniable. The matter of our Bodies is made up of contrary humours and quali­ties; and when their Balance is turn'd, their Temperament broken, the whole Frame and Compages must be dissolv'd, and moulder into dust: Besides, sin is in the best, and its wages is death. 'Tis appointed to all Men, to the worst, and to the best once to die, and then to Judgment.

But yet there is a vast difference between the Wicked and the Godly in their death. We see that Wise-men die, likewise the Fool, [Page 9]and the brutish person perish. But dieth Abner as a Fool? The Saint as the Sinner? No; The two Poles are not at a greater distance than these are in their deaths. That wretched South-sayer will assure you of it. He, who never cared to live as the Saint, is yet afraid to die as the Sinner, Numb. 23.10. Let me die the death of the Righteous! and let my last end be like unto his.

Quest. But wherein lyes the difference?

Ans. 1. The one dieth in his sins, and in his infidelity and impenitency, without a Pardon. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, Prov. 5.2 23. and he shall be holden with the Cords of his sins. Sins shall Arrest the dying sinner as so many Bayliffts and Serjeants, and drag him as a Pri­soner to God's Tribunal. He shall be Fetter'd, Hamper'd, and Manacled by them, so that tho' he would fain (as it may be no wicked man would willingly be found in his sins in the hour of death, but) be rid of them, yet he shall not. For sin as an Officer or Bayliff will keep his Pri­soner. He shall die without Instruction, without Con­version, in all his filth and guilt, and be so hurried unto the Bar of Christ. Oh! how uncomforta­ble must this needs be unto the sinner! But so doth not the Saint die. None of God's Elect but are either sooner or later, sometime in their life, [Page 10]and before death, either at the sixth hour in the dawn of their Youth, or at the ninth in the Flower of their Strength, or at the eleventh the last Hour of their Life effectually called, and savingly converted.

2. The Saints are in Life and Death united unto Christ. He is their Head, they his Mem­bers, he their Root, they his Branches, and the Axe of Death cannot sunder nor sever between them. Nay Death befriends them, it carries them into Paradise. It ushers them into the Bride-chamber, it brings them unto the desire of their Souls, with whom they long to be, and shall be for ever. Them that sleep in Jesus God wilt bring with Jesus. The Angels carried the Soul of Lazarus into Abraham's, Bosom, into the presence of God where is fulness of Joy, and Ri­vers of Pleasure for evermore. But the wicked are buried in Death. They never had any Union with Christ living, nor shall they when they are dying. They go like Judas unto their own place, Acts 1.25. far enough from Christ, Heaven and Glory. No sooner is Dives dead, but the next news you read of him is that he is in Hell tor­mented, Luke 16.23.

3. The one dieth as to his Soul, and Everlast­ing Concerns, stupid and sensless, as Nabal whose [Page 11]Heart grew dead as a stone in him, 1 Sam. 25.37. Their Spiritual Lethargy kills them. The inju­dicious World say indeed of the sinner, O! how quietly did he die! He slipt away like a Lamb. He had no pangs in his Death. He was not in bitterness of Spirit as many others. But this is an horrible mistake. Senslesness is no quiet­ness, stupidity of Conscience is not true sereni­ty. True tranquillity of Soul in death flows from the sence of God's Love, who is reconciled to us in the Blood of Jesus; and this none but Saints have, who have laid hold of it by Faith, and ran to it under distress of Soul as to their only City of Refuge, Glorious high Throne, Heavenly and Inviolable Sanctuary.

Quest. But you will ask of me, Have all God's Saints this inward peace upon their Death-beds?

Answ. 1. No wicked Man hath it at all. If the Child of God has it not, no Child of the De­vil hath it. Through fancy and self flattery, he may think he has it, and so dream himself in­to a Fools Paradise; but the first and next mo­ment after death undeceives him, for then he finds himself in the midst, in the very Belly of Hell. There is no peace, saith my God, unto the wicked.

2. Multitudes of Godly Persons have it, tho' many other's as truely Godly want it, and die [Page 12]away without it. God's Holy Spirit is a free A­gent, and as the wind blows where he listeth, so he seals and comforts when and whom he pleas­eth. Our blessed Martyr Mr. Glover met with the Comforter at the stake, and cryed out unto his Man, Austin, He is come! He is come! The Comforter whom I waited for he is come! St. Ste­phen when he was condemned was so ravished with Divine Joys, so that in the midst of a show­er of stones which brained him to death, he could joyfully commend his Soul into the Hands of Christ, and died praying like his Saviour for his Persecutors and Murderers, Acts 7.55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60.

3. 'Tis a most happy mistake for those poor Saints, who die fearing their Damnation, and yet the next instant after death find themselves as Elijah in the Arms of blessed Angels, riding post in those flying Chariots to Glory. O! my Dear Friends, may you and I be so happily mi­staken! A Godly Minister upon his Death-bed laught aloud, and being demanded the reason of it, answered, I am thinking, saith he, how my Blessed Father will be surprized to see me in Hea­ven, whom he once gave over for a Reprobate in Earth, and lost for ever. So will the fearful, de­sponding Saints be happily mistaken of him­self, [Page 13]and cry out as Jonas, Out of the Belly of Hell have I cryed, and thou heardest my voice. Thou hadst cast me into the deep, into the midst of the Seas, the Floods of wrath compassed me, all thy Billows and Waves passed over me: I was cast out of thy sight, but thou hast made me to look, again to­ward thy Holy Temple, O! my God, thou hast brought up my Soul from the bottomless Pit of destruction, Jonah, 2.3, 4, 5, &c. I thought I should be damned, but through rich Grace I am now saved.

4. Sometimes the wicked die under Horrors and Terrors, despairing of Mercy, their confi­dence is rooted out of their Tabernacle, and they be brought unto the King of Terrors, Job 18.14. What think you of Cain roaring out, Mine ini­quities are more than can be forgiven! And my pu­nishment greater than can be born! What think you of Saul sadly groaning? O! Miserable that I am, God hath forsaken me, and the Devil will have me; this day I and my Sons shall be with him in Hell! What, think ye of Judas? I have sin­ned! I have sinned! in betraying my Master. He that is the Saviour of the World will be my Judge, and Damn me! His Innocent Blood that reconciles Believers, is like Abel 's to me, crying, Wrath! wrath! Eternal vengeance upon me! What think you of [Page 14]the Sodomites, who past out of one Hell into a­nother? O! the frights and scrieches of those filthy sinners, burning in their Lusts, and run­ning from the fiery Streams, and flaming Tor­rents of Divine Wrath! What think you of the Giants of the old World, howling and yelling under the deluges of God's Vengeance! Job 26.5. What think you of Korah, and his Schis­matical and Rebellious Grew? Had they peace, confidence and comfort, when the Earth open­ed her Mouth, and swallow'd them up quick, and they went down alive into the Pit of Hell? Their cries and lamentations frighted all Israel in such a manner, that they fled from them, fear­ing lest they should be engulpht in their destru­ction, Numb. 16.31, 32, 33, 34.

But possibly you will say these were extraor­dinary Judgments from Heaven, and so no Rules for us to walk by. Wherefore to silence all queries and clamours for the future, pray do but read and consider attentively what the Ho­ly Ghost saith, Prov. 14.32. The wicked is dri­ven away in his wickedness; driven away, how? As with a Tempest and a furious Whirlwind; before your Pots can feel the Thorns, the burn­ing wrath of God shall take them away one by one with a sudden destruction, they shall go [Page 15]down to Hell alive, quick into the Pit: But the Righteous hath hope in his death.

And so much for Explication and Confirma­tion of the Doctrine; let's subjoin a word of Application.

Ʋse 1. Do the Prophets and Godly Ministers as well as their ungodly Hearers die? Then a Wicked People shall not be long blest with their Persons, and Preachings, with their Company and Labours. For, 1. They be too good for them. The World is not worthy of them. The unkind World cries out, Take away such Fellows! They be not fit to live in it! Acts 22.22. And God saith so too, but in another sence, The World is not worthy of them, they be too good for Earth, they be Ripe for Heaven, meet and fit to be partakers of an Inheritance with God's Saints in Glory. Those famous Witnesses ( Rev. 11.10, 11, 12.) that the World despised for their Sack­cloth and Poverty, and hated for their Doctrine and Prophesie, and rejoiced at their Death and Calamity, sending Gifts to one another, and Feast­ing each other because these their Tormentors were now dead, (tho' yet 'twas but a civil death, a Bartholomew Act, that disabled them from their Work, which was their Life,) yet the voice of God bids them in the sight and hearing of their [Page 16]very Enemies, to come up unto him into Hea­ven. Come up hither, my dear Saints! my faithful Witnesses! Come up unto your God in Glory. The World is weary of you. That Dunghil is not worthy to have you. Come up unto your God in Glory!

2. As soon as their Work is done God will call them home. After Work Rest, after Labour VVages. There remaineth a Rest, an Everlast­ing Sabbatism for God's Saints. VVe have a little Type and Shadow, a poor Picture-pledge and Earnest of it in this holy day of rest. O! but when all our VVork is done, then an Eter­nal rest, then God will call upon his Servants, Come enter into your Rest, into your Master's Joy, my dear Saints! There is a Twofold VVork that God's Ministers have to do.

1. A VVork of Conviction and Condemna­tion. This is a very sad, burdensome and un­comfortable VVork, that instead of Preaching Souls out of their sins, we shall only shew them to them, make them see them, but not leave them. Our Sermons shall awaken and startle them, but not renew nor reform them, we shall give them a Pisgah view of Heaven, but they shall nevertheless, because of their unbelief never enter into it. To some we shall be the savour [Page 17]of death unto death. They shall be convinced of their sins, hardned in their sins, and by those self-same Sermons condemned for their sins. Noah that Preacher of Righteousness did thus convince and condemn the old World, Heb. 11.7. O! Sirs, it affrights me to think I should Preach any of you into Hell, and that my self and Sermons should witness to your condemna­tion in the last day.

2. There is a Work of Conversion and Edifi­cation God sometimes sends us about this Work, this is pleasing, delightful, and exceeding com­fortable. Go, saith God to Paul and preach at Co­rinth, for I have much people there, Acts 18.10. Seedsman! saith Christ unto his Minister, go scatter the good Seed of my Word in such a Soyl, and it shall yield thirty, sixty, and an hundred fold. Fisherman! let down thy Net in yonder Pool, and thou shalt take many a Fish, a multitude of preci­ous Souls. O! Sirs, if we can but gain you to Christ, and as his Ambassadors reconcile you to God, we have our ends, we have done our Work, our Masters Work, to our great Joy and Con­solation. Now when we have done this Work, fill'd up our number of Converts, as Spiritual Fa­thers begotten many a Child for God, and built them up in Faith and Holiness, we shall hear our [Page 18]Great Lord say unto us, Well done, good and faith­ful Servants, enter into your Masters Joy.

3. The sins of their Hearers, of their people, do oftentimes shorten the days of their Ministers, and many Churches are real Murderers of their most Faithful Pastors.

You will say possibly this is an hard word, and who can bear it? How do Churches Murder their Ministers? Why Sirs, 1. Not only by ex­acting Work from them above their Ability; 2. Nor only by denying them due incourage­ment, and a competency for their subsistance; Nor yet, 3. By downright killing of them in Persecution, as both the Zachary's were, and an infinite number of other Faithful Prophets of the Lord were. But, 4. By your sins. The sins of the Hearers are our Murderers.

But what sins? I answer, 1. Your Non-pro­ficiency by our Ministry. You be God's Hus­bandry, and Garden, we are to Manure and Dress you; you be God's Building and Temple we are to repair, beautifie and adorn you. 'Twas said of Augustus Caesar, that he found Rome Brick, but left it Marble. O! what a comfort will it be to our Souls to have found you Earthly, and left you Heavenly! To have found you Sinners, and leave you Saints! We have digg'd about [Page 19]you, we have manur'd and drest you, studied for you, preached to you, admonished you in publick and private, and what? Shall we have labour'd in vain? When you have been a sleep­ing in your Beds, and Sins at midnight, possibly your Faithful Ministers have been upon their Knees weeping and mourning for you, strugling and wrestling with God in Fervent Prayers for your Souls; and shall all these Pains and Labours be lost? Shall we Meditate and Study, Preach and spend our Spirits in Prayer in vain, and not for your good? Shall the Lord say unto us as to Moses in another case, Speak to me no more, move me no more in this matter for these Souls, for these Sinners? They be Reprobate Silver, dross and lost Creatures, whom the Lord hath rejected for their unprofitableness under all the Means of Grace? Brethren, this cutts us to the quick, and helps to break our Heart. Your Eternal Happiness would be our Life: The fear of your being undone Eternally is as death unto us, it is killing to us.

2. The Pragmaticalness of Church-members, who take upon them to contradict and controul their Ministers. Preposterous courses! God hath made us Teachers and our People will teach their Instructors! God hath made us Guides and Lights unto you in the way to Heaven but prag­matical [Page 20]Hearers take upon them Magisterially enough to direct, dictate, and prescribe unto their Ministers, what Doctrine they shall Preach, and what not. The Lord takes notice of these by the Prophet, Isa. 30.8, 9, 10, 11. Now go, write it before them in a Table, note it in a Book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and e­ver. That this is a Rebellious people, lying Chil­dren, Children that will not hear the Word of the Lord; which say to the Seers, see not, and to the Prophets prophesie not right things unto us, speak unto us smooth things, prophesie deceits. When a Godly Minister had preach'd of Hell unto his Parishioners, a great Lady takes him up sharply enough. What! Do not you know that my Lord cann't indure to hear speak of death, and are you so unwise as to preach of the Torments of Hell unto him? Pray learn more wit next, and deliver in publick a Doctrine that shall be more edifying and pleasing to him! Again, Christ hath made us by vertue of our Pastoral Office Rulers in the House of God, and committed the Keys of Doctrine and Discipline to us; but sorry Mechanicks take upon them to over-rule and correct their Pastors. We be Watchers for your Souls, and some watch for our failings. Jesus Christ hath positively commanded you, Heb. 13 7. to re­member [Page 21]them which have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the Word of God, to follow their Faith, considering the end of their Conversation: And a­gain, Obey them that have the Rule over you, and submit your selves, for they watch for your Souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofi­table for you. And 1 Tim. 5.17. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine. I'll not meddle with that Controversie, whether in the Church there be such an Officer distinct from the Pastor, as the Ruling Elder, I have told my poor thoughts about it elsewhere, 'tis certain the Pastor is a Ruler in the Church of God, no Civil Officer, he is a Spiritual Officer, not a Magistrate but a Minister, we Preach our selves your Servants for Christ's sake; we are not the Lord's of your Faith, but the Helpers of your Joy, our Ministery is not a Saecular Magistracy. But tho' we be Spiritual Fathers, your Shepherds, and Elders in Office in the House of God, who are more slighted, disesteemed and disobeyed? So far are Church-members from giving their Pastors their double, that they deny them their single Honour. Brethren, the honour of our Ministery and Office must be vindicated. We [Page 22]have received it for your Edification. We en­croach not upon your just Liberties, but take you heed of invading ours, of overthrowing God's establisht Mound, and ancient Landmarks. That Eminent Godly Minister of the Lord Je­sus, old Mr. Wilson of Boston in New-England cal­led this sin Koraism. For lying upon his Death­bed, and being visited by the Preaching Elders of that Famous Colony, they desired that he would solemnly declare unto them what he con­ceived were those sins which provoked the dis­pleasure of God against the Countrey, he then told them, That among others, Corahism was none of the least, which he thus explained, When people rise up as Corah against their Ministers or Elders, as if they took, too much upon them, when indeed they do but rule for Christ, and according to Christ; yet said he, 'tis nothing for a Brother to stand up, and oppose without Scripture or Reason the Doctrine and Word of the Elder, saying, I am not satisfied. Oh! what a sad account shall we give of such Children, Sheep, and Members of ours unto the Lord Jesus? when in the day of Judgment we shall be askt by him (for we must give an account as for our selves so for you also.) How fare my Sheep committed to your Care and Charge in yonder Wilderness? How did you [Page 23]leave them, when you left the World? My Bre­thren, what answer do you think we shall return unto our Lord and Judge concerning you? We tremble to think the truth, the sad truth we must then relate unto him, of the Pride and Self-con­ceitedness, of the Stubbornness, Perverseness, and Untractableness, of the Unbelief and Disobedi­ence of a multitude of our Hearers and Church-Members. I speak it Brethren with Tears, that I fear we shall cry as the Prophet did, Lord! who hath believed our report? Isa. 53.1. Chap. 65.2. And to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed? And all the day long have we stretched out our hands to a Gain say­ing and Rebellious People. They have despised both our Persons and Doctrine. As soon as negligent Hearers are admonished by us of their Duty, and delinquent Members reproved by us for their sins, they fly in our Faces, leave our Communi­on, rail at us and revile us, vomiting out the worst of Lies against us, as if we were the worst of Men. To whom shall we speak, and give warning that they may hear? Behold their Ear is uncircumcised, Jer. 6.10. and they cannot hearken: Behold the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. I know this hath sate near the Hearts of several of God's Ministers, both formerly and of later times, and filled them with unspeakable grief to [Page 24]the shortning of their days. If you stand fast in God, and the practice of Godliness we live, we have the end and design, and desire of our Life; for this we wish and labour for, even your per­fection. Our Hearts Desire and Prayer is that you may be saved: And we preach, warning e­very Man, and teaching every Man in all Wis­dom, that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus. But if instead of this, you will re­tain your old sins, and slight our Counsels, and render our poor Labours ineffectual and unsuc­cessful, tho' this will pierce our Souls to the quick, and over-whelm us with grief to the shortning of our Lives, yet let me be bold to tell you, such wicked ones shall answer for it un­to the Supream Judge, and the Judge is now at the Door.

Ʋse 2. Are Godly Ministers Mortal Crea­tures? Then serve your selves of them whilst you have them. Jesus Christ hath given us to you for the service of your Souls. As I said but now, so I repeat it again; we preach our selves your Servants for Christ's sake; make use of us then for your Souls good. God hath tinded us up poor Lamps, poor Candles in the Golden Can­dlesticks of our Churches, receive Light, and Heavenly Instruction from us. We desire to [Page 25]guide you by the Divine Councils, and to feed you with the Coelestial Manna, and do bring unto you the best news in the World, the glad-tydings of Salvation. O! let our Persons, our Message be acceptable to you. How beautiful are the Feet of them that publish the glad-tydings of Salvation? You should say unto us as Laban did to Abraham's Servant, (for we come unto you upon the like Errand to Espouse and Marry you unto Christ) Come in, ye blessed of the Lord, wherefore stand you without? When the Jesuites first came into Portugal, they were called the A­postles of Portugal, and entertained with all imaginable honour. Strange! that a Crew of self-seeking, and deceiving Idolaters should be ca­ressed and Embraced, and the Ambassadors of Christ stand waiting, and weeping without, at your Doors. We are, Sirs, Christs Ambassadors, and we come upon this Errand to you, and be­seech you to listen to it, to reconcile you unto God. You are by nature his Enemies, and 'tis very dangerous for you. O! become his Friends. Be you reconciled unto God. And the rather do this, because you shall not have us always with you. We are Mortal, we are dying now whilst we are living and preaching to you. My Race is well nigh run, my Work is well nigh finished, [Page 26]the Sands in the Glass of my Life are almost out. Walk in the Light whilst you have the Light. The Prophets don't live for ever.

Quest. But how shall we use and serve our selves of our Ministers?

Answ. 1. Be swift to hear, slow to wrath. God hath made us Preachers, and you Hearers, we should not preach to empty Houses, and naked Walls. Church-members should be ordinarily Hearers of their own Ministers. Neglect no op­portunities that you can conveniently have and spare for this Duty. If we are to preach in season and out of season, to be instant in Exhortation and Doctrine, you must lend us your Ears. Blessed are they that watch at Wisdoms Gates, and wait daily at the Posts of her Doors.

2. Rejoice in our Light, Doctrine, and Con­versation. Herod heard John the Baptist with de­light. His Person and Preaching was very sweet and pleasing to him, yea and to the Jews also, for he was a burning and shining Light, and they rejoiced in his Light for a time, John 5.35.

3. Frequently consult with your Pastors in private about your Souls, and your Estate to God-ward. When you find inward struglings and perplexities within you as to your Everlast­ing condition, do as Rebekah did, go and con­sult [Page 27]with God by us. Ask the counsel and mind of God for you from us. There should not be that strangeness that is between Pastor and Peo­ple, but a sweet intimacy and holy familiarity as between Children and their Fathers. Come to us with such questions as these, Oh! Sirs, What shall we do to be saved? Is this work that is wrought in me a saving or a common work? Inform and direct me, that I may not miscarry in Conversion, nor be mistaken as to my Right and Title to Heaven and Glory.

4. Never let us go out of your Houses with­out leaving our blessing with you. The old Pu­ritans would not let their Pastors go without praying with them, and praying for them.

Ʋse 3. Are Godly Ministers and Ungodly Hearers both all alike dying Creatures? Then look to it, that you be not number'd in your Deaths with Godless Hearers. O! saith Balaam, Let me die the death of the Righteous, and my lat­ter end like unto theirs! A young Man seeing the happy end of St. Ambrose Bishop of Millain, turning to his Boon Companions, I would, said he, fain live with you, but die with Ambrose. There had been some picks and quarrels between Mac­covius Professor of Divinity at Franequer in Frise­land, and our Pious Learned Ames, which made [Page 28]our Reverend Countryman to quit that Univer­sity: But when Maccovius heard of his death, he cries out, May my Soul when it leaves this Body be where Blessed Dr. Ames is! O! Sirs, 'twill be your happiness to be with all the Holy Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists, with the Glorious Company of innumerable Angels, and with the Blessed Spirit's of God's Ministers, those just men made perfect. That Blessed Society which is in Heaven is the sweets of Heaven. I shall only change my place, not my Company, said dying Dr. Preston. He left imperfect for perfect Saints. The Communion of Saints in Glory, next to the E­ternal Injoyment of God, is the Paradise of Heaven. O! Labour for it.

Quest. But how shall we get our selves among them in Death?

Answ. 1. Consider their Faith, and the end of their Conversation. God hath made your Mini­sters your Examples both in Life and Death. Be you Followers of them as they be of Christ. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: If there be any vertue, and if there be any praise, thinks on these things. Those things which ye have both learned and re­ceived, [Page 29]and heard, and seen in me, do: And the God of peace shall be with you.

2. Let not our Sermons be buried with us in our Graves. Let not those hundreds of Sermons you have heard from your two Learned and Faithful Ministers die with them. Have them al­ways in remembrance. Let them live in your minds and memories, 2 Pet. 1.12, 15.

3. Let our Word, which yet is not our's but God's, ever live in your Hearts and Affections. O! how do I love thy Word! 'tis my Meditation all the day long, said that Royal Prophet, Psal. 119.97, 103, 113, 127, 140. If you will love and live God's Word, do and practise it, you will be guided by the best of Counsels, and infalli­bly brought unto Glory.

4. Let our Sermons be copied out in your Conversations; hold you forth in them the Word of Life unto all that see and observe you. This renders God's Word on your part, and as much as in you lyeth Immortal, and fitteth you for blessed Immortality. Tho' the Preachers die, yet in this manner God's Word never dies, and the Preacher's themselves will seem to be alive. I'le shut up all with these words of the Apostles, 2 Cor. 3.1, 2, 3. Do we begin again to commend our selves? Or need we as some others Epistles of [Page 30]Commendation to you, or Letters of Commendation from you? Ye are our Epistle written in our Hearts, known and read of all men: For as much as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ, mi­nistred by us, written not with Ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in Tables of Stone, but in Fleshly Tables of the Heart.

And if you are thus the Epistle of Christ, and our Ministery unto your Souls is the Ministery of the Spirit of Life, you may rest assured that Godly Ministers and Godly Hearers shall be as Saul and Jonathan lovely in their Lives, nor shall they in Death be divided.

I have done with my Sermon, yet I cannot but speak something of your late Reverend, and now Glorified Pastor, tho' by reason the time is past, it will be but very little.

1. He was a Man of singular Moderation, and of a very peaceable Spirit. If the Peace-ma­kers are blessed, and shall be called the Children of God, then Blessed is Mr. Faldo, who had an especial hand in the healing of our Breaches, which, Glory be unto God's Holy Name, are to the Mutual Joys of all the Saints now composed, and those two great divided Parties in this Na­tion, and that had been so for above Forty years, are now once again United, and become one, [Page 31]and we shall no more for the future hear of those unhappy Terms of Distinction and Separation, Presbyterian and Independent, but we shall be called as the Primitive Church of Antioch by his Name who hath Redeemed us, and Anointed us with his Holy Spirit, even Christians.

2. He was a stout Assertor of Ancient, Primi­tive Truths in Doctrine and Worship. He con­tended earnestly for the Faith once delivered un­to the Saints, and was a Zealous Champion for it against the Impious Errors, and Damnable O­pinions of a Deluded, Seduced Party in this Land. His Learned Labours Polemical with them, Practical and Devotional for the use of others do praise him in the Gate, and by these as Righteous Abel, tho' dead, he yet speaketh.

3. He was a constant Labourer, and very painful in his Lord's Vineyard, and the very first that entered publickly upon it before the last In­dulgence by King James the Second. And his Great Master found him in his Work. There the Gripes and Stone assaulted him, which at last kil­led him. Blessed is that Servant, whom when his Lord comes he finds so doing!

I cannot but condole your loss, and the Churches loss, and pardon these Tears, my own particular loss. I have been so unhappy as to [Page 32]loose in your two Successive Holy and Reverend Pastors two very Worthy and Dear Friends.

I pray God, my Brethren, that as you had a Learned and Pious Faldo to succeed your Bles­sed Mr. Partridge, so you may have another; who may Excel them both in Gifts and Graces, in all Ministerial Indowments, and Pastoral A­bilities.

But my Dear Brethren, such a Pastor as Re­verend Mr. Faldo is Forty years a making.

However, I beseech you be not too long in making your Choice, and filling up your Va­cancy. Either Incorporate with some other Church, or call in speedily another Pastor. There be some young Men of great Hopes, of Emi­nent Parts and Piety that are yet unimploy­ed. If any one ask why they are idle this time a-day, they will reply, Because none hath hired us. Pray get one of them; some One may be had.

The Lord, God of Wisdom Lead, Guide, and Direct you in your way! And give you a Pastor after his own Heart, that may feed you with Knowledge and Understanding! Amen.