THE Publick Exhortation must be at this Time, confined unto a Few words: The Time of the Year will have it so! And since I am to Discourse IN a few words, why should it be Thought Improper or Indecent, if I do it also OF a few words, and make that the Subject of my Discourse?

Tho' I shall not use more than a Few words be­fore I come to my Doctrine; yet I will be guilty of so much Anticipation, as to tell you afore hand, it will be of this Importance; That a Few words may have more than Few or Small Things comprized in them.

Ere I come to a more direct proof of that. I will first observe, an Intimation in the Text before us; That a Good Exhortation will sometimes go down the better, because there are but a Few words Employ'd upon it. Suffer the Exhortation, says the Apostle. One would think, it might have been said, Rejoyce in the Exhortation; Rejoyce that you Enjoy such an Exhortation. It seems, Peo­ple [Page 2] are most unreasonably indisposed unto what would be for their Good. Exhortations that have a Tendency to make them Good, and bring them to Eternal Good, such Exhortations are a Bur­den and a Grievance to them. Oh! the Folly, and Mischief of Sin! Original Sin, What a Depravati­on hast thou brought upon us! Our Apostle finds out an Argument why his Exhortation should be tolerable. But there seems to be a Satyr upon Sin­ful Mankind in the Argument. Sayes he; Tis but in Few words; Men begrutch the Time for long Exercises and Entertainments of Religion. Brave Husbands of their Time! Of their Time, Two or Three Hours at a Time, can go well enough to meer Impertinencies; but One Hour in the Service of God; This is a Suffering. How many Hours of Ʋseless Conversation with a Friend are well e­nough! But One Hour to converse with GOD; This is to Suffer Egregiously. An Hour or Two at the Table is well enough; A Quarter of an Hour in the Closet, This is an Hardship, and hardly to be Suffered. Rather a Thousand Dayes Elsewhere, than One in the Courts of the Lord; Notable Re­deemers of Time indeed! Well, The affairs of Re­ligion, are, it seems, to be Recommended unto the Children of Men, because they may be dis­patched in a Few words in a very Little Time. I confess, I do not think, this is much for the Honour of the World!

But then, I see Something that may be for the Honour of Religion, and of them that handle the affairs of it. It was alwayes thought an Honourable [Page 3] Thing. To say much in a Little, I need not quote Euripides or Menander for it. You shall find, They that write the Maxims of Prudence, will all tell you, There is no greater sign of Wit, and Sense, than to say much in a Little.

So did our Apostle. His Epistle to the Hebrews, is but a Short Epistle; it has but a Few words. But there is a Great Deal in it. It is full of Mysteries. It is an admirable System of the Christian Religion. There never was a Richer Composure seen upon the Face of the Earth. When Four Excellent Volumns in Folio, coming after a Library of other Exposi­tors, have search'd out the Truths contained in it, there is work yet left for more than as many more. More Treasures are still behind; unspeakably more▪ So that I can obtain this Doctrine for you;

That much may be said in a Few words.

A Few words may have abundance of matter in them. A Few Drops of Expression, may have an Ocean of matter in them.

We will in a Few words proceed unto the De­monstration of it.

I. The Great God has in a Few words com­prized all the Duty, that He has required of us. The Duty that we Owe to our God, it is very sure, as there is much depends on it; Eternity depends on it! So, there is very much belongs to it. Well, But as much as our Duty is, I can carry you, where you shall see a Few words containing of it.

In the first Place; Ten Words are a Few Words. Now All our Duty is compriz [...]d in Ten Words; You know what I mean; The [Page 4] Law of the Ten Commandments. The old Romans had a famous Instrument among them, called, The Law of the Twelve Tribes. They sent Embassadors unto foreign Countrys, to bring home an Account, and a Copy of their Wisest Laws. Then they Employ'd a Number of their Wisest Men, to Digest and Compile a Body of Laws out of these. The Extract, which was a long while in making, was called, The Twelve Tables. When it was done, their Orators admired it for its Excellencies; but especially for the, Mira Verborum concinnitas; its admirable Expressiveness; its Expressing in a Few Words, the Greatest and Bravest Things that ever were uttered. And yet, we have reco­vered about an Hundred Laws that were in it; Many of them Foolish▪ many Trifling, many Wick­ed Ones! Our Law of the Two Tables, does as much Exceed their Law of the Twelve Tables, as the Sun does Exceed a Gloworm. In these Few Words, Oh, how much is contained! Well might the Man of God say, Psal. CXIX. 96 Thy Commandment is Exceeding Broad Mind the Rules of Explication for these Few Words, and you will presently be sensible of it

Remember▪ first; That the Law is Spiritual; It reaches to the Spirit; it calls for the Obedience of the Inward Man, as well as of the Outward Man.

Remember secondly; That when a Duty is Commanded▪ the contrary Sin is Forbidden; and when a Sin is Forbidden, the contrary Duty is commanded.

Remember, thirdly, That when any One Duty [Page 5] is Commanded, and when any One Sin is Forbid­den, all others of the Same kind are also Command­ed and Forbidden.

Remember, fourthly; That when any Duty is Commanded, all the Helps and all the Signs of such a Duty are also Commanded: And when any Sin is Forbidden, all the Causes, and all the Occa­sions, and all the Appearances of such a Sin are also forbidden.

Remember, lastly; Tis Exacted & Expected, that we are not only to keep the Law our selves, but also do all we can, and use all Good Means, that others may keep it.

Now say, Is not this Commandment Exceeding Bread? And have not a Few Words Excee­ding much Comprized in them? Truly, Brevius nihil est, nec Plenius istis. —

Here we ought to make a Pause; and in a Few Words describe a Confession, which we must all now be necessarily obliged unto.

Confess, That your have not kept this Law; You are daily breaking of it: In many things we offend all. Confess, That your Transgressions of this Law cannot be Numbred; Who can understand his Errors? Confess, That your Justification by your own Righteousness, is for ever to be despaired of. But then, Pitty. Pitty those Deluded Creatures, who have not Seen an End of all Perfection;— but Imagine themselves arrived unto a Sinless Perfecti­on. Unto their Proud Assembly, my Soul, Be not thou Ʋnited!

I have shown you a World of Duty, yea, the [Page 6] whole of our Duty, comprized in Ten Words. Well, but I will show it you in Three Words. Three are not Many. Tribus Verbis, was an ancient Proverb for the greatest Brevity imaginable In so Few Words you have it; Mic. VI 8. He hath shewed thee, O Man, the Good Thing. And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to Do Justice, and to Love Mercy, and to Walk Humbly with thy God?

More Briefly yet▪ I will show it you in Two Words. Two Words are but Few Words. But now, what think you of those Two Words? Matt. XXII 37.— 40 Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the First and Great Command­ment. And the Second is like unto it; Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self. On these two Com­mandments hang all the Law, and the Prophets. How much, how much do these Two Words carry in them! The very same, and it is a very In­structive Hint that I give you, when I tell you, tis the very same! — You have, 1 Joh III. 23 This is His Commandment, That we should Believe on the Name of His Son JESUS CHRIST, and Love One another, as He gave us Commandment.

Yea, What if I should show you, where tis all comprised in One Word? I can do that! The Jews have a saying That there are Six hundred and thirteen precepts in the Law; but that they are all reduced into that one Sentence; Heb. II. 4. The Just by his Faith shall live. There is a World of Christianity in that saying of theirs. There is much, much of the Gospel in it!

[Page 7]I can give another Instance of such an Compre­hensive Sentence. Tis that Golden Rule of our Savi­our; Matth. VII. 12. All things whatsoever ye would, that men should do unto you, Do ye even so un­to them. A Rule acknowledged among the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews have it in their Talmuds. Tis also in the Apocrypha. Among the Gentiles, the Moral Writers cry it up, an Army of them. One of the Emperors had it in his mouth continu­ally; and made the Officers of the Empire put it into publick Proclamations. But, Oh; how Ex­tensive in this Glorious Rule! First; All the Duty we owe to one another, is comprised in these Few Words. In all our Business, these Few Words, will Suggest All that we have to do. And in the Relations that we sustain, do but mind these Few Words, and our carriage will be marvellously Regulated, you will find it marvellously applica­ble to the Government of all your Actions, and all your Passions. Yea, Upon further Thoughts, I find this Rule of Reason Extendible beyond what I at first imagined Our Duty towards our Creator may from this very Rule, receive some Direction, For if we had power to Create, we should certain­ly demand from our Creatures, all the Love, all the Honour, all the Service imaginable.

I will only add, You all know, our Lord gave his Disciples a Platform of Prayer, which in a Few Words does contain the whole matter of all our Prayers. Our Prayers may ask nothing of Our Fa­ther who is in the Heavens, (for so the first clause ought to be translated,) but what this Exquisite [Page 8] Platform allowes and contains. It contains be­yond all that we can ask or think!

I will in a Few Words, yea, in One Word, give you the Reason for this Abbreviation of our Duty. Our Gracious God, has had Compassion on our Frail and Weak Faculties in this Abbreviation: Particularly, on the Frailty and Weakness of our Memories. We can't Remember more than a Few Words. Our Duty must be given us in a Few Words, that it may be the more Easily Remembred with us. If it be not Remembred it will not be Practised. I Remember a notable Word; Rom. IX. 28. The work, He will cut it short in Righteous­ness. Some understand it of, The Gospel. The Gos­pel is that [...], that Abbreviated word. The Law was Tedious: It had a Multipli­city of observances. But our Lord JESUS CHRIST comes, with a more Compendious work, and requires none of those Long Ʋndertakings. One of the Ancients tells us, By the Short Word here, is meant, that Short word of Faith; Act. XVI. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be Saved. God has thus in Righteousness, and with a sweet Kindness and Goodness, considered our Ca­pacities.

Having offered you this Intimation, I will offer you a very Short Inference and Instruction from it.

Certainly, we may in Like manner Consider the Capacities of those that are under our Instruction.

It is possible, we have poor Stupid Abject Ne­gro's under our Charge. Oh! Remember the Ac­count you must give to the Glorious Lord, about [Page 9] the Souls of those poor Negro's You complain, you can't make them Learn. Well, But in three short Questions well answered, you may have al­most the whole Body of Divinity.

Who Made you and all the World?

The Great GOD Made me to Serve Him.

Who Saves the Children of Men from all their Miseries?

JESUS CHRIST, who is both God and Man, Saves them that Look unto Him

What will become of you when you Dye?

If I Obey JESUS CHRIST, my Soul will go to the Heavenly Paradise; and He will afterwards Raise me from the Dead. If I continue Wicked, I shall be cast among the Devils.

It must be an extraordinary Sottishness indeed, if the Learning of these Three Short Questions can't be infused into them.

And thus, our Children. We may betimes get a whole Body of Divinity into their Little Souls. We are furnished with Abridgments of it. The A­brigments we have in our Hands, may be soon get into their Minds. Yea, Sometimes one Text in the Bible, has All in it. Such an Epitome of Christi­anity, we have in the Sixteenth Verse, of the III [Page 10] Chapter of John. You have it again Epitomized in the Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, & Fourteenth Verses, of the II Chapter to Titus. To teach them these would admirably Fortify them all their Dayes, against the Error of the Wicked. Plutarch ingeniously compares this brief way of Teaching our Children, unto the Mothers fastening with a Girdle about them, the Fruits wherewith she furnishes them. I Leave the matter with your Con­sideration.

II. I have yet a Few Words more to say There are Mysteries uttered in the Oracles of God; vast Mysteries, contained in a Few Words very Concisely uttered. The Great Apostle Paul having Written the Two Short Chapters that be­gin his Epistle to the Ephesians, then sayes, Eph. III. [...], 4. I have wrote a few words, whereby when ye read, you may understand my Knowledge in the Mystery of Christ. In a Few Words, you shall have a Mystery given you, which you shall spend all your Dayes upon, before you comprehend all that is in it; nay it will afford you fresh Matter of contemplation to Eternal Ages. There is one Text in our Book of Life; 'tis in the Beginning of the Book of God; and a very Short one it is. Tis that, Gen. III. 15. I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed, and her Seed; It shall bruise thy Head, and thou shalt bruise His Heel. But a Few Words! And yet, all the Bible is but a commentary on those Few Words. That rich Ingot of Gold, is beaten out, so as to make all the [...] of the Bible. Yea, it would [Page 11] bear a Beating out, into more Volumns, than there are in a Vatican, or a Bodleian Library. It is a wondrous Thing, that we find out by our mi­croscopes. In a little Body, more than a thousand times smaller than a Grain of Sand, there lye folded up, all the parts of a Plant, or of an Ani­mal, which are afterwards Evolved and Extended, unto mighty Dimensions. Methinks, That Illustrious Text in Genesis, may be compared unto such a little Body. It may be drawn forth into Thousands of admirable Sermons The Fa­thers of the Old Testament were always Preaching on it, for Four Thousand years together. But the Subject is not Exhausted; we their Children are to this Day still upon it: still hanging on, still drawing at, that Breast of Consolation.

There is that Mystery; 1 Joh V 7 There are Three who testify in Heaven, The Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these Three are One. It is comprised in a Few Words.

There is that Mystery; 1 Tim. III. 16 Great is the Mystery of Godliness, God manifest in Flesh. It is comprised in a Few Words.

But verily, There is more in these Few Words, than all the Men on Earth can grasp; Yea, more than can be grasped by all the Angels in Heaven; Yea, tho' they Study Millions of Ages upon it.

There is the Baptismal Covenant, which we are generally brought into. [Matth. XXVIII 19▪] To take the Great God, who is the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, for our God, and Portion; [Page 12] Wonderful, Wonderful Things are comprehend­ed it. O Baptised Ones, Think what you are obliged unto; Think what will be done for you, if you are mindful of your Obligations! O you that lay Hold on the Covenant, Think what you do, when these Few Words are offer'd you!

There are the Benefits of our Great Saviour Proposed unto us in a Few Words; 1 Cor. I. 30. Ye are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Holiness, and Re­demption. Christian, Meditate all thy Dayes on those Few Words; Thou wilt never fetch out all the Sweetness, all the Goodness, all the Glory of those Few Words. All the Dayes of Methu­selah, would not suffice to do it in.

Tis only a Scriptural Demonstration, which I have hitherto given you, That much may be said in a Few Words. And such is the most Suitable Demonstration; for a Preacher who would Seek out Acceptable Words. But then, for a more General Demonstration, I need only refer you to the Rules of Implication One Thing will Imply many Things. A Few Words will have many, many Things in them, if the Rules of Implication be duely attended unto; And Wise Men will use to attend unto them. The words of Wise Men have sometimes been called.Golden Words. In Gold, much lies in a Little Room. Gold may be so drawn out, that on Guilded Wire of Silver the hundred thousandth part of a Grain of it, shall be visible to the Naked Eye. Such Golden Words may be Spoken, that when they [Page 13] are drawn out by the Rules of Implications, they may reach further than could have been ima­gined. There was a sort of Sentences, that of old were called Laconisms. The Wise men of the Time and Place chose to Speak Laconically. They were very Sententious. They gave a De­monstration, That much may be Spoken in a Few Words. I do not know, why this may not be Practised among other People, as well as the Lacedaemonians. You Know, Vir Sapit; A Wise man will Speak Little; but still much more Wise he that will Speak much in a Little.

But in a Few Words, Let a Two-fold Ex­hortation arrive unto us.

I. The Art and Skill of Expressing our selves in a Few Words, especially on Some Occasi­ons; Let this be more Studied; The Folly of using too many Words, Let this be Disliked, be Avoided.

It is first, in our Devotions, that such a Study must be maintained. In our Prayers, there is especially One sort of Words, which we should beware of having too many of them. Vowes are such Words. Take heed, Sirs, of having too many such. Thus we are advised, Eccl V. 2. Let not thy Heart be hasty to utter any Word be­fore God; Let thy Words be Few.

Our Saviour has also left another Caution with us; That we should not think, our Prayers will find the more Acceptance with Hea­ven, because of Many Words used in them. [Page 14] He has cautioned us; Matth. VI. 7. When ye Pray, use not Vain Repetitions, as the Heathen do; for they think, they shall be heard for their much Speaking.

I will add; Tho' there may be Occasion for us to be Long at Prayer; yet for a man to use Tautologies in his Prayer; to use many Words, and come with one thing over and over, on purpose to Spin out the Prayer; This is to take the Name of the Lord thy God in Vain!

One thing more; We should not Slubber and Hurry over our Family-Prayers. They should be made, as by Men, who do not know, but that this is the Last Prayer that over they shall make in this World! Think so, my Friend, when Kneeling down with thy Family. Yet it is for the most part an Inconvenient Thing, to make those Prayers very Long ones. It may be no Service to the Interests of Piety in the Family. In a word, Chrysostom observes it unto us, That CHRIST and Paul, commands us, to make our Prayers, [...], Short and Frequent. Cassianus mentions it, as the U­niversal consent of the Antients; Ʋtilius cen­sent, Breves Orationes, sed Creberrimas fieri: They thought it best, to Pray Briefly; but Very Often, Very Often, to be Engaged in it.

But then, We are to Watch against the Folly of Talking too much in all our Conversation. Especially, when the Errors of other People, are to be taxed, or when we are to Express our Displeasure, and Resentment of their Miscarriages [Page 15] towards our selves; You are not ignorant of a common Aphorism, The least said is soonest mended. And thus, to Talk of ones own Self, or Family, here, a Nimietas in dicendo, the Fault which Epictetus decried; if we go beyond a very Few Words, a Fault is fallen into. But at all times, Talkative People, or People of many Words, do very much Expose themselves. They proclame their own Folly, to those, who if they had held their Peace, might have thought them Wise. In multiloquio Stultiloquium. Those Foolish and Wordy and Windy People, often impose upon the Company. They are guilty of Ill Manners; They do what will not be done by a Sober Guest It is true, From the A­bundance of the Heart, the Mouth Speaketh. But if there be Abundance of Speech in the Mouth, it often showes, that there is not Abundance of Sense in the Heart: No, but that Folly is bound up there; Abundance of that! But where shall I find a Bridle for these Impertinencies? The Stores of Solomon will afford us One; Prov. X. 19. In the Multitude of Words, there wanteth not Sin; but he that refraineth his Lips, is Wise.

II. What remains, is to bespeak your Me­ditation, Your Serious, and Frequent Meditati­on, on those Passages, especially of the Sacred Scripture, which will in a Few Words lay Many and Weighty Things before you Oh! Bestow more than a Few Thoughts upon them!

[Page 16]The Stewards in the House of God, will Endeavour, not out of Slothfulness, but out of Discretion, at all times to Limit their Dispen­sations, and at some times very Sensibly to Shorten them T'wil be discretely done of them, so to Measure their Sermons, that no Wise Hearer shall say, What a weariness is it? When shall it be over? But rather, that it shall be said of them, as it was of the famous Orator, Pertimescebamus ne desineret; Or, T'were to have been wish'd he had not done so soon! Indeed Long Sermons have sometimes been so full, and so warm, that the Hearer sayes, He could glad­ly have Sat an Hour Longer! And, Non sunt Longa quibus nihil est quod demere posses. But short Sermons are sometimes needful for the Preachers, that will not over-do. The Rule for us is, Quiquid Praecipies esto Brevis. They will call to mind what Elihu said, Suffer me a Little, and I will shew what I have to speak on God's behalf. They will not make the Mes­sages of Heaven Tedious and Irksome. They will Stand but a Little while in delivering of them, when either Severe Cold, or Extreme Heat, shall render it uneasy to attend upon them. They will be of Paulinus's Opinion; Brevis Sermo, Dulcedinem simul et Vigorem verbi [...]estis tenet; That is to say, Short and Sweet.

In conformity to this Maxim, I will now address the Auditory with a most Various Applica­tion, but in as Few Words as can be imagined.

First; O Unregenerates, The Misery of your Ʋnregenerate State is to be set before you. It shall be done in a Few Words. Ah, Mise­rables, Take those Few Words into your Meditation; Eph. II. 1, 2 3. Dead in Trespasses and Sins; Walking according to the Course of this World, and according to the Spirit which works in the Children of Disobedience: fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind; and by Nature Children of Wrath. Oh! What a Black Sea of Death, have these Few Words thrown you into! Think of them; or Think of these Few Words; What am I doing? And, Where am I going?

Secondly; We must now in a Few Words tell these Poor Slaves of Sin and Hell, and Children of Death, What they shall do to be Saved. O Take into your Meditation those Few Words, Mark XVI. 16 He that believeth shall be Saved. The meaning of those Few Words is This. Feel your selves Wretched; See your selves Ʋnable to get out of your fearful Wretchedness. Own your selves Ʋn­worthy that God should help you to get out. Behold a Saviour provided for you. Cry to God for Help to Embrace that Only Saviour. Plead the Sacrifice of your Saviour, that your Sin may be Pardoned. Plead the Righteousness [Page 18] of your Saviour, that you may have a Title to Life. Resign your selves up to the Holy Spirit of your Saviour, that He may Enlighten you, and Purify you, and Rectify you, and fit you for, and bring you to, the Heavenly World. In these Few Words You have All! That One Word, REPENTANCE, has a great deal, Oh! a great deal intended in it. Sinners, Tis more than a meer Crying out, Lord, Have Mercy upon me. But this One Word, and all that is in it, must be complied withal, by all that would find Mercy with God.

But then, Thirdly; In a Few Words we are to show the Believer, What Life he is to Lead; How he is to Live, that he may Dye with Safety and Comfort. Oh! Let your Me­ditation be much on those Few Words; Eccl. XII. 13.14 Let us hear the Conclusion [and so, the Contraction] of the whole Matter; Fear God, and Keep His Commandments; For God shall bring every work into Judgment. Or, Take it in Other Words; and those not very many nei­ther. Spend your Time now, as those that must give an Account unto God how you have Spent it. Now do nothing, that you may justly ap­prehend will be Condemned in the Day of Judg­ment. Now do every thing, that you may be justly apprehensive will in the Day of Judgment be Rewarded. Now employ all your Talents, as Knowing, that in the Day of Judgment, You [Page 19] must be Accountable for them. Or, if you would have all the Rules of Holy Living in One Word. Even So you shall have them; and that One Word shall be this; Live always as in the Presence of God; and, Act as having the Eye of God always upon you.

Fourthly. Many People are under Discourage­ments, about the Guilt of their Sins; Discou­raged with Fears that the Day of Grace is over with them; Or, perhaps, that they have Sinn'd Ʋnpardonably. I will take away all their Dis­couragements, with a Few Words. They shall be those; Joh. VI. 37. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Ah, Discouraged Souls; These Few Words from the Mouth of a Lovely JESUS; They are Enough to Si­lence all your Objections. A SAVIOUR: An Able and a Willing Saviour; O all Flesh, be Silent before Him.

Fifthly. There are many Afflictions which our Neighbours Encounter withal. I will direct them in a Few Words, how to Behave them­selves. They are those, Heb. XII 5 My Son, Despise not thou the Chastning of the Lord; nor Faint when Rebuked of Him. Or, in Other Words of the like Importance; Think whom thy Afflictions come from; Think what thy Afflictions come for; And be more Studious to Get Good by thy Afflictions, than to get out of thy Afflictions. The famous Two Words of Epictetus, which were Sustine [Page 20] ot Abstine; that is, Bear, and, Forbear; were not more important ones.

Finally; My Hearers; If you Sleight the Few Words in which you have the Holy Counsils of God, Let a Few Words tell you the Issue of it. Those words; Phil. III. 19. Their End is Destruction, who Mind Earthly Things. But if you Entertain these Few Words with a due Affection and Obedience, a Few Words will tell you the Issue of that also. Those words; Jam. I 25. A Door of the work, this man shall be Blessed in his Deed. SALVATION, is but One Word; Yet, my Friend, it contains all that an Immortal Soul can wish for And it is all Thine, if thou hearken to the Few Words in the Glorious Gospel of God.

I know, You Expect I should observe a Decorum, and not at this Time use Many words. These Few Words may be sufficient, for the present Exercise, May the Grace of God ac­company them!