THE Lord JESUS CHRIST, who is in the bosom of the Father, (Job. 1.18.) was fully acquainted as God, with all his Decrees & Counsels, being one with him in them, (Job. 10.30.) Yet as Man did not know them: But of that day & that hour, knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father, Mark 13.32. Having received the Revelation contained in this Book from the Father, communicateth it by his Angel to his Apostle John, to be committed to wri­ting [Page 2] & sent to his Churches. The Book is [...]ed, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, &c C [...]p 1.v.1. (And it is observed by One, that as Moses the Favou­rite Prophet began the Scriptures, so John the Favourite Apostile finisheth them.) In this Book Jesus Chirst is represented, as care­fuly observing his Churches and Ministers here one [...]. He wal [...]e [...]h in the midst of the golden Candlesticks, & holdeth the Stars in his right hand, He knoweth their works & also their frames and dispositions. The Seven particular Epistles which he ordered to be writen to the Seven Churches in Asia, do especially manifest it. For tho' as some sup­pose, they may relate to the whole Church & shew its State in several spaces or periods, from the time they were written to the end of the world, Yet doubtless they have respect to and shew the State of th [...]se particular Churches in that [...]. The [...] are di­rected to the [...] of the Churches, i. e. to the Pastor or [...], As v. 1. Unto the Angel [...] Churches [...] &c Under whose Person ought to be underst [...]d the whole Church. ^*. To the Minister of that Church, by whom it should be in order pro­duce [...] to the whole Assembly. ^‖ And tho' it may appear [...] probable to them that [Page 3] are in the Episcoped Scheme, that those An­gels were an order of Officers superior to Presbyters; there seems to be nothing forci­ble to persuade those of our Opinion, that they were any other than ordinary Pastors to whom the Epistles were written to be communica­ted to the Churches, as what they were con­cerned in as well as their Ministers. For the Apostle's first direction was to write & send to the Churches. Chao. 1.v. 11. And it is ma­nifest from diverse expressions in the Epistles, & from the conclusion of every one of 'em, that there was respect had to the Churches in their contents; viz He that hath an ear, let him hear when tha Spirit saith unto the Churches—And indeed in them instruction, incourage­ment & warning, is given to the Churches in all succeeding ages. Our Text is a part of the Epistle written to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus, in which we may take notice,

I. Of the Author, JESUS CHRIST, as ap­pareth by the description in the first verse. Not exclusive of the other Persons of the Ho­ly Trinity; What Jesus Christ saith here, God saith; He speaketh to us by his Son: And he that loveth the One loveth the Other also, 1 Job. 5.1. And every one that loveth him that Begat, loveth him also that is Begotten of him. And we shall use the Names of [Page 4] GOD and JESUS CHRIST somewhat pro­miscously in the following discourse.

2. That Jesus Christ takes notice of & menti­ons several things which were good and praise­worthy: But faulteth them in the Text, which we shall now consider only as it hath respect to the Church of Ephesus. And in it we may observe,

(1) The Introduction, Nevertheless, i.e. Not­withstanding those good things which are in thee, which I do observe & have mention'd to thy praise; I am not satisfi'd with thee.

(2) But I have against thee; as it is in the Original, i. e. To accuse thee of & for which I am offended with thee; there seems to be Moises in the word, (somewhat) put in by the Translators, i. e. the thing is grievous & I am very angry with thee; as the severi­ty of the Punishment threatned on impeni­tence intimateth, viz. And will remove thy Can­dlestick, &c. I will Un-church thee, I will remove the Gospel and the Privileges of a Church from thee, I will destroy thee from being a Church.

(3) The fault or ground of the Offence, viz. Because thou hast left thy first love, Thou art waxen cold and remiss in thy Love to God & one another, thy former Zeal & warmth in Religion is lost or left.

[Page 5]DOCT. Though there may be good things in Churches; yet if they have left their First Love, Jesus Chirst is Offended with them.

[Prop. I. Churches may have left their first love, tho' there are good things among 'em.

Prop. II. Jesus Christ is offended with them when it is so.]

PROP. I. Churches may have left their First Love, tho' there are good things among them.

I. Love is the great thing that God requireth of the Children of men. In Love to God is summ'd up all the Duty that we owe to him. This is the first & great Commandment, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God With All thy heart & with all thy soul & with all thy mind. And to love our Nei'bour is the sum of the Second Table of the Law. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy nei'bour as thy self. Mat. 22.37, 38. In loving our Nei'bour is virtually contain'd all the duty's we owe him, & therein we ful­fil the Law relating to him. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law For this thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other Command­ment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy nei'bour as thy self. Love worketh no ill to his nei'bour, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law, Rom 13, 8—Love to [Page 6] our Nei'bor disposeth us to wish well to him, to discharge all duty's towards him with a respect to his good, and witholdeth us from doing evil to him. God is good infinitely so, Psal. 106 1. and therefore Maxime am [...], most Lovely. The loving God with all the heart, &c. is the going out of the Soul to­ward God as the chief good , or the feeling of the Soul in the 1 king of him as such. Some say what weight is in body's, that love is in spirits, [...] meum, Aug. To love God with all the heart, &c. inclineth the Soul to him as its Center & resting place, its treasure & satisfying good. To him are its desires, Psal. 42.2. Isa. 26.8. In him is its con­tent, Psal. 23, & 16.5, 6 & 73.25. And in him is its joy, Psal. 43.4. Heb.2.18. And when God Commandeth (as Exod. 20.3.) Thou shalt have no other gods before me: He requireth this Su­preme Love. And he often expresly & ex­plicitly insisted upon it with his People of old. Deut. 6.4.5. Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, & with all thy soul, & with all thy might. So Deut. 10.12. And this is what all Churches & People prosess to do, when they take God to be their God upon his offer in his word. It is on no other or lower terms, that he offereth Himself to any to be their God to protect and bless them. [Page 7] Deut. 11.13,—And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God & to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain, &c. So Deut. 30.15.—And Josh 23.11, 12. Take Good heed therefore unto your selves, that you love the Lord your God. Else if you do in any wise go back, &c. And Jesus Christ doth particularly inform us, that unless we love him above all, we cannot be his Disciples, Luk. 14.26.

2. By the first love of Churches, may be understood that love which was in them at first: When their Members first turned from their Idols & evil Ways unto the Living God, & were formed into Churches for the carrying on of the Pub­lick Worship of God & exercising Commu­nion among themselves: The love of their Espousals when they first came into Cove­nant-relation with God, were married to him, Fer. 3.14. When persons are first Converted, they are usually greatly Affected with the goodness of God, Then they are full of love to him & zeal & life in his ways, & very tender of his glory. And Societies made up generally of such, will be warm & [...]e [...]l [...]us for God, & careful to keep themselves holy & pure. Is­rael's warm affection in the day of their Espou­sals is remembred Jer. 2 2 5 [...]. in the beginning of the Christian Church, they did with great [Page 8] unity stedfastness & alacrity, attend upon the Worship of God; they cheerfully denied themselves, & parted with their worldly Possessions to relieve the Needy & support Reli­gion, therein shewing their great warmth of Love to God & one another. Act. 2.42,—And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine & Fellowship, & in breaking of Bread, & in Pray­ers; And all that believed were together, & had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods & parted them to all men, as every man has need, &c. And the Ephesians when they first received the Gospel, gave great testimony by their words & actions, of their love to God & abhorrence of the Sins they had liv'd in. The costly Sacrifice they made of their Magical Books was a notable evidence of their Zeal & Warmth in Religion, Act. 19.18, 19. Or by Churches first love, may be understood their for­mer love; the love that was in them here-to-fore, that was discover'd by their Members in times past; the word translated First, is some­times rendred Former.

Quest. When may Churches be said to have left their first or former love?

Answ. In gen. When the effects & fruits of love are decreased, & the things that manifest a want of love, or a decay in it, prevail and abound among them. Love to God is the spring of Obedience; where that is servent, [Page 9] men will be fruitful in good works, & a slack­ness in Obedience, argues a languishing love.

Particularly,

I. When they generally favour of Vanity, World­liness, Pride, & discover a forgetfulness of God & an unconcernedness about Religion & his Glory. Such things shew the Heart to be departed from God. Love is of an assimilating nature. Love to God disposeth persons to be like him, to be holy because he is so. To love God, saith one, is to be godly, & have the mind after a fort Deified. 1. Job. 4.7. And every one that lov­eth is born of God, &c. He hath received an im­pression of the Divine Image. That discovery of the Excellencies of God that draws forth this love to him, is transforming. 2 Cor. 3.18. —Are changed into the same image. Such a person is made to partake of the Divine Nature, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Pet. 1.4. And therefore will favour the things that be of God. Si ter­ram ama [...] terra es, si Deum amas quidni diet­rem Deus es. Aug. It Also disposeth to Humility. The discovery of God's Excellencies takes down all high tho'ts of themselves. Job. 42.5, 6. Love to God also disposeth persons to have him much in their tho'ts. The Spouse is full of discourse about her Beloved, Cant. per tot. It also disposeth persons to be concern'd for the interest of Religion & tender of God's glory. But when such things as are contrary to the [Page 10] loving of God, viz. such as have been before mentioned, are increased in Churches, they manifest that Love is decayed in them, their former love is left.

2. When a light Esteem of God's Word & Or­dinances prevails in them, & slackness & care­lessness in attending the Worship of God & the duties of Religion Love to God will make persons prize his Word very highly. The Psalmist saith, I love thy commandments above gold, &c. Ps. 119.127. Job saith, I have esteemed the words of his mouth, more than my necessary food, Job. 23.12. It will make persons esteem God's Ordinances above worldly Advantages. Psal. 84.10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness, And it will make persons account the place of Publick Worship very amiable, & long for opportunities of Communion with God there, & rejoice when they present, Psal. 84.1, 2. How amiable are thy Tavernacles, O Lord of hasts! My soul longeth, yea, even sainteth for the Courts of the Lord, &c. And Psal. 122.1. But when the Word and Ordinances of God are for light by, & opportunities to Worship God & discharge the Duties of Religion are with reluctance & displeasure Entertained, & with weariness [...] as a Burden & Task, Edifying Exercise [...] ▪ others unsteadily, and all [...], & formally [...] [Page 11] among them, 'tis manifest Love is wanting; and the prevailing of these things, shew their former Love is left.

3. When there is not in them that Warmth & Zeal in Testifying against Sin, that there hath been. When Prophane and Immoral Practices, are more Conniv'd at & Indulg'd, either, that such kinds of Sin as were formerly & justly blam'd, are not taken notice of, or such degrees of Sin as were rightly accounted Scandalous, are o­verlook'd; when a Gallio-like-spirit, with res­pect to such things generally prevaileth (ex­cept where men have been Personally pro­voked) and each one in their places are loth to be disquieted & at the trouble of opposing & suppressing Sin, or to Expose themselves any ways to do it; but chuse to sit still & let Iniquity pass, this shews they have left their Former Love.

4. When a Backwardness and Penuriousness in Supporting and Promoting of Religion, doth gene­rally prevail among them. When they account the necessary Supports of Religion a burden, & are loth to be at the Cost. Love to God disposeth persons to be Liberal towards him, & not think much of Charge to promote his Honour; and also to be Charitable to the Needy, especially his. But where a Selfish, Covetous spirit and Love of this world pre­vails, there the love of God decayeth. The [Page 12] Covetous person is in this respect an Idolater, because he maketh his worldly Possessions the object of that Love which is due only to God, Eph. 5.5. An inordinate Love to the World, is inconsistent with the Love of God; they can't be together, Ye cannot serve God & Mammon, Mat. 6.24. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 Job. 2.15.

5 When Profaneness & Immorality increase & prevail among them. When the Name of God & his Ordinances are less Reverenced; when disregard to the Sabbath, Disobedience, Intem­perance, Uncleanness, Unrighteousness. False­ness, &c. prevail & increase, there the love of God decayeth. Love disposeth to Obey, & Obedience is a fruit & evidence of it Job. 14.21. He that hath my commandments & keepeth them he it is that loveth me But whose keepeth his word in him verify is the love of God perfected 1 Job. 2.5.

6. When there are Contentions, Envyings, Evil speakings, &c. prevailing among them. Such things shew a want of love one to another, or a decay in it; and so a decay in love to God likewise. Love to God is vainly pretended, by them that hate their nei'bours 1 Job. 4.20 If a man say I love God, & hateth his brother, he is a liar, &c.

2. This may be, Churches may have lost their first love, tho' there are good things among them. This is implied in the Text, and was the case of the Church of Ephesus.

[Page 13](I) This may be the state of Churches in gene­ral; tho' there may be some lively Christians in them, that are full of love to & zeal for God, and stedfast in his Covenant. Thus in Elijah's time, the Children of Israel were generally and he seems to think Universally Apostalized and turned to Idolatry; Yet God telleth him, I have left me Seven thousand in Israel, &c. 1 King. 19.14, 18. So in Ezekiel's time they were ge­nerally Corrupt, Yet there were some that sighed & cried for all the abominations that were done, & had a mark set upon them, Ezek. 9 4 So in the Church of Sa [...]d [...], when they were generally Corrupt and had only a Name that they lived, Yet there were some holy persons among'em Thou hast a few names, even in S [...]dis that have not defiled their garments, Rev. 3 1, 4.

(2) This may be the state of Churches, where there are some good things & practises, i. e. that are according to the Word of God. This, as it seems, was the state of the Jewish Church in Abijah's Reign; his heart was not perfect; There was Idolatry and Sodomy practised & tolerated. 1 King. 14.22,— & Chap. 15.3, 12. Yet they kept up the External Worship of God according to his Law. 2 Chron. 13.10, 11. So in the Prophet Ezekiel's time, they shew'd an Outward respect to God and his Prophet, but their heart went after their Covetousness, Ezek. 33.31. Churches may retain an Ortho­dox [Page 14] Consession of Faith, they may have a Re­gular Ministry, the Publick Worship may be kept up & the Sacraments may be duly Admi­ni [...]tred, they may reject some Errors, & bear Testimony against some Sins & yet it may be manifest form the foregoing & such like things, that they have left their first or former love.

There is no Inconsistency in the things; tho' Love be languish'd, it don't argue that there is nothing good among such a People: Nor doth the being of many such good things ar­gue, that such a People retain their first love.

There is nothing in the Constitution of such Societies, that doth secure them from losing their first Love, nor indeed from total Apostasy. Grace is not Hereditary. Tho' Churches may be at first constituted of such as are faithful in Christ Jesus, as the Apostle stileth the Ephesians, Eph. 1.1. Yet the next Generation may be Hypocrites or Apostales. The Generation succeeding Joshua & the El­ders, forsook the Lord God of their Fathers, and served Baal & Ashtaroth, Judg. 2.10, 12. There is nothing in the Covenant God stands related to them in, to Secure them; No ab­solute Promises made to particular Churches, that they shall not totally and finally Aposta­lize, as there are to particular Saints.

PROP. II. JESUS CHRIST is Offended with them when it is so; i. e. when they have [Page 15] left their first Love; though there are good things still among them, these will not attone or excuse for the want of Love, as our Savi­our signifies to the Pharisees. Luk 11.42. But we unto you Pharisees, for ye tithe, mint and rue, and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment & the love of God. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. It was very Offensive in this Church, The Threatning shews great displeasure; Or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick out of its place, except thou repent, Context v 5.

There are several Reasons why GOD or JESUS CHRIST is Offended with Churches when it is so.

1. Because 'tis very dishonouring to God, when Churches do leave their first or former Love to him, or decay in it. GOD is the only suitable Object of supream Love, He only being an absolute & an infinite Good, There is none good but one, that is God, Mat 19.17. And to love the Lord our God with all the heart, &c. is the proper and commanded Acknowlegement of his Excellency & Goodness. Such a love to God puts the Crown on his head (if we may, so speak.) It proclaims him the best good, Exalteth him above all. And tho' in­deed there cannot be in a Creature, love to God, proportioned & adequate to the Good­ness & Worthiness of the Object; yet if it be [Page 16] proportioned to the Powers & Capacities of the Agent, it gives great glory to him. And there are the same Reasons always remaining and binding persons thus to Praise the Lord. What reason there ever was for any person to love God with all their hearts, &c. there is to continue their love to him, in the same degree from day to day and for ever. He is immutably good, his Excellencies do not de­cay his Beauties do not wither. And when persons leave their love to him or decay in it, they treat him, as tho' either it was through Mistake they set their love upon him, and that he was not a Being of such Worth as they did expect he had been; or that if he was so, yet now those Excellencies were de­cayed or lost; Either of which is dishonour­ing to God and so offensive.

2. Because they who do so, give God's glory to some other. They who do not set their chief Love upon God, place it on something else. All have their Treasure their chief good. Some are lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God, 2 Tim. 3.4. Some bestow that love which is God's due, on their Wealth, and therein are guilty of Idolatry, Col. 3.5. The god of Epicures is their belly, Phil. 3.19. And this is offensive to God, who will not endure his glory should be given to another, nor his praise to any creature.

[Page 17] 3. Because it is a transgression of his Command and Law. God's Law extends to the inner man; And God who is a Spirit and seeth the actions of the Soul as well as those of the Body, doth especially insist upon the inner man's being in subjection to him. Prov. 23.26. My Son, give me thy heart, &c. And, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. That they who leave their love to God, or decay in it, they transgress the Law; and this being in a main point, yea the very sum of all it is a virtual transgression of the whole Law, & justly & greatly offensive to God.

4. Because in withdrawing their Affections from God, they deal Perfidiously with him. He Requireth and Commandeth that men love him, &c. and that they cleave to him. He doth not offer himself to any to be their God, nor doth he offer to take any to be his People upon any other Terms, than that, They love him with all their heart, &c. and be his, wholly his, and his for ever. Deut. 11.22. For if ye shall diligently keep all these com­mandments which I command you to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to cleave unto him. And hence they who take God to be their God, they do Engage this, if they take him as he offereth himself: And when they do leave or decay in their love to God, they deal deceitfully & falsly in [Page 18] his Covenant. This is the Male in the Flock, which when persons have Vowed, it is persi­dious to withold, and turn God off with that which compared therewith, is but mean; yea, without this is bat a corrupt thing. One faith, ‘External Worship without the Internal, is little better than Mockery and a solemn Affronting the Divine Majesty.’

Improvement USE, I. For INFORMATION.

1. Hence we may learn that JESUS CHRIST doth Observe us in these Churches. He knoweth our Works, he taketh notice of our Frames, he seeth where Love is decayed and Luke­warmness possesseth us, he walketh among the Candlesticks, and observeth both Ministers and People, tho' they, perhaps many of them, may have reason to say, as Hagar, Gen. 16.13. Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

2. Hence we must expect no other, but that JESUS CHRIST is Offended with us in these Churches and in this Government, if we have left our first Love: And if the Effects of Love that were formerly found with us are decayed, and the things shewing the want of Love are increased among us, they shew it is so. Tho' these Churches were not constituted of Mem­bers newly Converted from Heathensm; yet they were the first Churches set up in a Hea­thenish [Page 19] Land, They were the Candlesticks in which the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ first shined in this part of the Earth, which before for Ages unknown had been one of the dark places of it, full of the habitations of Cruelty. The setting up of these Churches, was the day of the Espousal of this Land. And the first Ministers & Members of these Churches, were many of them, such as had passed th [...]o' the fire of Persecution, and were purified thereby; The tenderness of their Consciences occasion'd them to repair hither. And they were persons full of Zeal and Warmth in Religion and Concern for God's Glory; and gave great Evidence of it, in leaving a pleasant & plentiful Land, (where some of them had fair Estates and good Friends, and might have lived in Ease and Fulness, and have hoped for Honour & Pre­ferment, could they have complied with the Times,) and many worldly Advantages, Ex­posing themselves to the Dangers of a vast Ocean, the hardships & miseries of a Wilder­ness, very destitute then of the Comforts of Life, and full of bloody & deceitful Heathen; Principally to enjoy the Gospel in the purity of its institutions. And our falling from the Zeal & Love that was in the first Founders of these Churches, may be justly Charged upon us as leaving our first Love. Though [Page 20] there may be good things among us, they will not attone for the decay of Love. The Spi­rit speaketh to these Churches, as well as to Ephesus in this Epistle, and letteth us know, that the decay of Love is offensive to God.

USE, II. Of EXAMINATION.

Let us Examine and Enquire, Whether it be not so with us, that our Love is decayed, and the tokens of it apparent? Don't the generality of Professors among us favour of Vanity, Worldliness, Pride, and discover great Un­thoughtfulness of God? How little of that Seriousness, Humility and Heavenly-minded­ness, that was in some of our Predecessors? They favoured the things that be of God, were full of Religion in their Discourses, whereby they Edified one another. They be­haved themselves as Strangers & Pilgrims on the Earth, hat were seeking a better Country, that is an Heavenly. Their Solicitude was not so much where they might get most and best Land, but to enjoy the Worship and Or­dinances of God and an Edifying Ministry. But, alas now! Is not the gold become dim? Do not the generality of Professors favour of Earth? Their Discourses are Vain & Worldly, seldom any thing of Religion in them, or any thing tending to Edifie them as Christians. [Page 21] Do they not discover that their main Thoughtfulness is about this World? what they shall Eat and Drink and how they shall get Estates; and that they are but little thoughtful of Eternity, or concerned about Securing the Kingdom of Heaven, which should be the first sought, Mat. 6.33. Is not the Word of God set light by? Is there not a great prevailing of Ignorance in spiritual things? Is not the Bible grown into much dis­use, and but little profit to some that they have it in their own Languange? Are there not many of good Natural Abilities, that are grosly Ignorant, even in the great & necessa­ry Things of Religion? The Country im­proveth in Knowlege and Skill in Worldly business, but in Religious Knowlege, doth it not manifestly decay? How little ambition doth there seem to be or pairs, to be know­ing in Religion? Do not many seem to be for so much Religion only as will answer their Carnal ends? They will do something in it that they may not lose their interest with the Religious; but will not be Strict, Thorough & Zealous, left they should break with the Carnal sort. Are there not many that Neglect the Worship of God, or are Un­steady in it, in Publick in Families, in Secret, and more that perform it in a formal heart­less manner? Don't many pursue and possess [Page 22] the World as the main thing, and attend Re­ligion as tho' they attended it not; having a form of Godliness, but denying the Power of it? 2. Tim. 3.5. Do not many discover a very light regard to Religion and the Worship & Ordinances of God, in the setling their abodes? The Concern is not as heretofore to accom­modate themselves as to the Worship of God, & get under an Edifying Ministry; but where they can have most Land, and be under best advantages to get Money; tho' it lay them under never so great disadvantages as to Re­ligion and the good of their Souls.

Is there not much Iniquity prevailing and are not the generality of Professors easie under it? They can hear men Curse and Swear, take the Name of God in vain, use filthy Dis­course, can see Drunkenness, &c. and it is no burden or grief to them, as it was to him, Psal. 119.21. Such filthy Conversation from day to day, is no exercise or vexation to their Souls, as 'twas to his, 2 Pet. 3.7.8. They have no horror takes hold of them because of the wicked that forsake Gods Law. But Gallio­like they care for none of these things. They pretend, it may be, that each one must look to themselves, 'tis none of their business, or that they be not Grand-jury-men: They nei­ther regard the personal good of their Nei'­bour, tho' there be a plain Command for it. [Page 23] Lev. 19 17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy hear: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Nei'­bour, and not suffer Sin upon him. (How many will Backbite, and tell others Faults, & Blast their Names, but a faithful dealing out of Love, to do them good, how little of it?) Nor are they concerned for the Publick, lest that should suffer thro' Sins being tolerated. And if any are Conscientious to deal with Sinners, and testify against Sin; are not they who are dealt with and others also, apt to Reproach 'em as Medling, Precise, Malicious? Do they not hate him that Rebuketh in the Gate? Amos. 5.10. Are there not some Professors who will resent it, if any speak slightly of themselves, or families, that can hear the Churches they belong to, and the Religion they Profess, Reproached & Reviled, and the God they own Dishonoured, and his Name taken in Vain, and not be offended at it, yea Caress them that do it?

Is it not manifest that Covetousness doth prevail, and shew it self in a backwardness to be at the Cost of Religion, and those Publick things that tend to Promote it; a Penurious­ness towards them? Our Fathers devised liberal Things in their Troubles, they provi­ded for the Support of Religion for the time to come, there were liberal Donations to Churches, and to Schools, from particular [Page 24] Persons, but how little do they of the present Generation that are reaping the benefit of those things, emulate the generosity of their Predecessors? Tho' the Country be increased greatly in Wealth, as the buildings and living of People generally shew; yet how rare are such Instances of Liberality now? (Though they are needed still, and would greatly [...]end to the advancement of Religion and Learning among us.) Yea are there not many full of Objections against and murmurings at, the necessary Annual Expence for the Support of Publick and Religious things? And doth not Prophaness and Immorality, increase among us? Doth not Iniquity abound? which is an evidence of Love is waxing Cold and also a cause of it. Mat. 24.12. For evil Communi­cation is Contagious, one Sinner destroyeth much good. Do not Drunkenness and Un­cleanness, those two Vices which are said to take away the heart, greatly prevail? Hos 4.11. Whoredom and Wine, and new Wine take away the Heart.

And is there not abundance of Unrighteous­ness & Unmercifulness among us? Injustice in Prices, delays and dishonesty in Payments, Deceit, Falseness, and Unfaithfulness in Bar­gains, Contracts and Betrustments, griping Usary, Evading and Baffling the Laws made for the Security of men form that Oppression? [Page 25] a multitude of Law Suits, Men ready to take one another by the Throat, saying, Pay me what thou Owest? Mat. 18.18. (And do not many Debtors seem to look upon it, as though they were under no Obligations to Justice, but from the humane Law, & there­fore if that can be evaded, that they are dis­charged?) And taking advantage of any Cir­cumstantial defects in Ancient doings, whereby not exactly or compleatly they were rendred Legal, to overthrow and disanul them, to the very great damage of others, altho' they were truly & honestly done in that day.

And doth not Pride greatly prevail, & dis­cover it self many ways among us? In Peo­ple's going beyond their Means? in their Haughtiness & Untractableness, in Families, in Churches, and in the Common-wealth? & in the grievous Contentions that are among us which generally spring from Pride, & are continued by it? The wise man saith, Only by Pride cometh Contention. Prov. 13.10. And how sad is it that there is so much Contention about things that concern Religion, particu­larly about Setting of Meeting Houses, and Setling of Ministers? Many are so far from the Spirit of the Primitive Christians, to be willing to part with their Houses and Lands to relieve their Brethren & Promote Religion, that they are unwilling to deny themselves [Page 26] of a little Convenience, or any thing to cross their own Inclinations, for the good of the whole; and unless they can be suited, are ready to quarrel, each one esteeming his own Judgment best, and himself most worthy to be accomodated.

That tho' there are good things still a­mong us, & we hope many Names that have not defiled themselves; yet is it not manifest from the above-mentioned & such like things, that we have very much left our First Love? And tho' we may not say there is no Truth nor Mercy nor Knowlege of God in the Land: as it was said of Israel Hos. 4.1. Yet is it not sadly manifest there is much of the contrary?

USE III. Of EXHORTATION. Which may be Directed,

(1) To this People, or to these Churches; And I shall offer it in the words of our Context; Remember therefore from whence thou art Fallen and Repent, and do the first Works Humble your selves before God, & Confess your Sins and Apostasie to him When a Professing People have departed from their God, he expects that they acknowlege their Offences in order to [...] reconciled to them: Hos. 5.15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowlege their Offences. And 'tis not enough for Persons to own the Sin of the [Page 27] Land in general, & complain of the prevail­ing of Iniquity; but let each one Examine themselves▪ and search their own way, and acknowlege their own Guilt in this matter, first Consider the beam that is in thine own eye Mat. 17.3. God findeth fault for want of this, Jer. 8.6. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no Man repented him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? Let each one endeavour to rouse up himself to return to the Lord and love him with all his heart, &c. Here the Philosophers Rule faileth, placing Vertue in a mediocrity: there can be no excess in love to God.

Consider what you have seen or heard, of the Love that was in your Predecessors, their warmth and life in Religion; and be not slothful but followers of them, who thro' Faith & Patience inherit the Promises. Heb. 8.12. Always look upon your selves as the professed Followers of Jesus Christ & endeavour in Publick and Private to behave as such. Let your Conversation be as be­cometh his Gospel. Phil. 1.27. They that name the Name of Christ should be holy, 2. Tim. 2.19. Behave Religioustly in your Families; the foundation o [...] all Societies is laid in Families, & the good or ill Govern­ment of them, will be likely ot have Influ­ence into Churches and Common wealth. [Page 28] David said he would walk within his house with a Perfect heart, Psal. 101.2. Shew your Love to God, by endeavouring to gain all your Families over to him, and by causing them to honour him. It was Joshua [...]s Re­solution Chap. 24. v. 15. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Travail in birth for your Children, till Christ be formed in them, & so they formed for his Glory, & to be Instruments for the Supporting of Reli­gion in their day. Endeavour to stir up your fellow Christians and encourage them in the ways of God, Consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works, Heb. 10.34. You are members of one Body, Rom. 12.5. and the members should have the same care one for another, 1 Cor. 12 25. Be faithful to shew your selves on the Lords side, in bearing testimony against Iniquity; do what appertains to you to prevent Pub­lick guilt. b. Complaining, Bearing witness, strengthning the hands of Rulers you should be with them, Ezra. 10.4. Be subject to and honour your Rulers, accept them as God's Ministers to your for good; be subject not only for wrath but for Conscience sake. Rom. 13.1 4.5 Know them which Labour among you, and a [...] over you in the Lord g [...]d admonish you and esteem them very highly, &c. 1 T [...]. 5.12, 13. By a Chearful [Page 29] discharge of all duties towards your Rulers, Ci­vil & Sacred; Encourage them, & Vindicate them when they do well, against the Aspersions & Reflections of ignorant, ungoverned & evil minded Persons. If a People by their ill carriage dishearten and weaken their Rulers, it tends to their own Ruine. Pray earnestly for your Rulers in each Order, that they may have God's Presence with them, that He will direct and assist them in their work, that the Ends of their Offices may be attain'd for your good, 1 Tim. 2.1, 2. There is special reasson why you should pray for them that are in publick Posts. Their work is greater and harder & of more importance to the Publick, than the work of Private persons; & they have as many Corruptions & Infirmities as private men, and a great many more Temptations.

Be Liberal in supporting Publick & Reli­gious things. The continuance & flourishing of Religion it self, very much depends there­upon. Study and pray for the Peace of the Government & the Towns & Churches where you dwell The Peace-makers are pleasing to God, Mat. 5.9. But he hateth them that sow discord among Brethren, Prov. 6.19. To love one another is the Badge of Christ's Disciples. Job 13.35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. And indeed without love, man is but as a beast Preying [Page 30] for himself alone. Its impossible to revive your Love to God while you continue in Hatred & Strife one with another. Tis ex­treamly unbecoming Christians to live in Contention with one another, 1 Cor. 33. One would think, what Jesus Christ hath said to his Disciples, should be enough to oblige them to lay all Contentions aside & live in love one with another Job. 13.34. A new com­mandment I give unto you, That ye love one ano­ther; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Setting before them his love to them to Excite thereto. Doth it become the fol­lowers of the Lamb, to be Wolves one to another? Contention among Christians, is not only reproachful to Religion, but it is destructive to it Jam 3.16. Where envying and [...], there is confusion & every evil work. It tends to weaken & destroy any Society into which it gets Mat. 12.25. Every kingdom divi­ded against it self, is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against it self, shall not stand. Gal. 5.15. If ye bite & devour one another. take [...] that ye be not consumed one of another. By your Contentions you offend the God of Peace, who commandeth you to be at peace among your selves. 1 Thes 5.13. And you [...] them that with well to you and the Publick; and pl [...]ase the Enemies of the Go­verment in Church and State. They will [Page 31] with pleasure behold you weakning and de­stroying one another, and make use of your Contentions to reproach your Profession, disparage your Constitution Civil & Eccle­siastical, and urge a change: And how far they do influence in causing & blowing up, the contentions that are among us, is known to Him who seeth the depths of Satan and knoweth what his Instruments do in the dark.

Finally, Be Exhorted to Reform all those things that shew a want of Love & a decay in it; & let those things which are the fruits & evidences of Love, abound among you.

Consider [...] God requires you to love him with all your hearts, &c. and is infinitely worthy of when he requires of you. And tho' Humane Laws will not reach & punish the irregularities & transgressions of the Soul or inner man, the Law of God will. And tho' you are no Drun­kards nor Adulterers, &c. Yet if you Love not Jesus Christ, a fearful Curse hangs over you, 1 Cor. 16.22. That it is needful in order to your Personal Acceptance with God, that you each one conscientiously apply your selves to the discharge of this Duty. Indeed, there is need the Saints themselves should be roused & put in mind of this duty, They are apt to fall into cold & dull frames. The wise Virgins slambred and slept, Mat. 25.5. The [Page 32] Spouse was in a cold frame when she refused Christ's admittance. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? &c. Cant. 5.3.

2. By neglecting to do what is duty in your se­veral Places, to suppress Sin & revive languishing Religion & Love, you will become involved in the guilt of those Decays & Iniquities with the Pub­lick, which will become guilty when Iniquity is to­lerated: And with the guilty persons whose Sins you neglect to use proper Endeavours to reform them from. Lev. 19.17. May be ren­dred, Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy nei'­bor, so thou shalt not bear Sin for him, or for his sake; Thou shalt not make thy self guilty of his Sin, as thou wilt assuredly do, if thou dost not perform thy duty of Rebuking him, &c. Pool Annot. in loc.

3. Whatsoever else you set your hearts upon, it unworthy of your Love. All worldly things are empty & perishing. 1 Job. 2.17. There is none good but God, none perfectly so: And when you set your Love on any thing else, you rob God of his due & give his glory to another that is not worthy of it.

4. God hath laid this People, or you in these Churches, under great Obligations to love him, & cleave to him. It is great ingratitude & high­ly unreasonable in you to grow cold in and leave your Love to God: He hath distin­guished you with the favours peculiar to his [Page 33] own People, Psal. 147.19, 20. He hath given you his Word and Ordinances, which he hath not done to many others. And tho' there were not such wonderful and amazing Mira­cles wrought for You as for Israel, when God led them out of Egypt, Yet God did great things for you in your beginnings; there were remarkable apprearances and interpositions of Providence for you, when things look'd very dark & threatning. And he hath made this Wilderness a fruitful Land to you, and hath caused you to eat of the increase of the Field, of the fat of kidneys of Wheat, & of the in­crease of the Herds and of the Flocks; Yea, He hath made you plenteous in good things, and hath blessed you that you are greatly in­creased, & hath been as a wall of fire about you, & defended you on every side; and his good­ness is very great to you even to this day, You have your Judges as at the first & your Counsellors as at the beginning; i. e. They are of your Brethren chosen by your selves; You injoy your Privileges Civil & Sacred, nothwith­standing the many indeavours there have been, by Your Enemies, to deprive you of them. And surely, Sirs, the goodness of God should lead you to Repentance, Rom. 2.4. And the Enjoyments of this Day, should indear God to you, who hath not dealt with you ac­cording to your Iniquities, Psal. 103.10. Nor [Page 34] according to the will of your Enemies; hath not suffered them to rejoice over you, but be­ing full of compassion hath spared you hither­to. And Sirs, what ingratitude is it in You to depart from Him, grow cold in & leave your Love to him, Who hath been thus draw­ing you with cords of a man & bands of love? Hos. 11.4. Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy Fa­ther that hath bought thee? Hath he not made thee & established thee? Deut. 32.6. Will you be like Jeshurun of old, who when God plen­teously dealt with him, he wax'd sat & kicked, Then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation, Deut. 37.15. May it not be said of you as of them, Isa. 5.4. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? where­fore when I looked that is should bring forth grapes, brought is forth wild grapes? Doth noth such Carriage in you give God cause to Ex­postulate with you, much as he did with is­rael, Jer. 2.5, 31. What iniquity have you found in me, that your Love towards me is so generally decayed? You act as tho' you found some fault in me, what is it? Have I been a wilder­ness to you? a land of darkness? Wherefore say. You in your Practises, We are Lords, we will come no more unto thee?

5. Unless you do Repent, & revive your Love [Page 35] to God, your Sin will prove your Ruine. If you continue to depart from God, He will depart from you. I may say to you as Azariah the Son of Oded did to all Judah & Benjamin, The Lord is with you while ye be with him; and if ye seek him he will be found of you: but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you, 2 Chron. 15.2. If you go on to withdraw your hearts & love from him, he will remove your Candlesticks; he will take away the Privileges & Being of a Church from you. There needs no other Epistle from heaven to assure you of this, than that where­in the Text is, He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. Ver. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, & will remove thy candle­stick out of his place, except thou repent.

And Sirs, God is not a man that he should lie, neither the Son of man that he should re­pent; hath he said, & shall he not do it? or hath he spoken & shall he not make it good? Numb. 23.19. The Lord your God is a Holy God & a Jealous God, He will not forgive you if you persist in this Sin; He will not bear to be slighted, He will give a Bid of Divorce to such a People, as he did to backsliding Israel. Jer. 3.8. Don't say this hath been the Cry of Ministers these many Years, that we were De­generate; that Religion were sunk among us, [Page 36] that we had left our first Love, and were in danger of God's Wrath & Judgments: Yet we don't see but that we have been of late & are at present, as Prosperous as ever, There is Peace & Plenty, & the Country flourisheth.

It was foretold, there would be in the last days Scoffers, 2 Pet. 3.3. God hath not been wont speedily to Execute his Threatnings, but to wait & give opportunity for a Reformati­on. God waited after the threatning of the Deluge, a long time, an Hundred & Twenty Years say some; but an Hundred Years at least, while Noah was preparing the Ark 1 Pet. 3.20. Indeed men are apt to think God is long, because they are short; and don't consider that with him a Thousand Years is as One Day, 2 Pet. 3.8. God may lengthen out his Pa­tience towards a People & spare them for his own Name sake, left that should suffer and be reproach'd, and his Enemies carry proudly, Deut. 32.26, 27. God did not suddenly destroy the Jews, He corrected and waited for repen­tance, They were gradually brought down. And sometimes Sovereign Mercy interposed and they were spared when they deserved ruine, Psal. 78.38 Though not one good thing failed, of what God had promised them, while they were Obedient; Yet many [...] they were not dealt with [...] Iniquities, They were [...] beyond their [Page 37] deserts. God hath not cut himself off from a liberty of doing sovereign acts of Mercy to­wards a sinful People, And to use Mr. OAKES's Phrases, ‘What Prerogative Mercy may do for us, further to spare us, and pity us, and save us, none can tell; But if we continue to wax cold and formal in Religion and leave our first Love, according to common Law, we perish.’ And it is extreamly sinful to abuse the Patience of God for your hardning. Rom. 2.4, 5. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness & forbearance & long-suffering, &c. But after thy hardness & impenitent heart, trea­surest up unto thy self wrath, against the day of wrath, &c. God hath made some Examples of his Severity, and we should be warned by them. Don't flatter your selves that your Fa­thers were so dear to God, that he will not cast you off: Nor think your External Privi­leges will secure you; Or that you are now so increased in Numbers, Strength and Riches, that you are out of the reach of ruining Judg­ments. But consider, the Church of Ephesus was dear to Jesus Christ, Purhased with his own Blood, Act. 20.28. Yet the Threatning hath been long age awfully fulfilled on it. Go to Shiloh and see, Jer 7.12—15. i. e. Consider how God for the Iniquity of the Ten Tribes destroy'd & remov'd them out of their Land. Go to Jerusalem, i.e. Consider how God hath [Page 38] fulfilled his Threatnings upon the Jews. Their Fathers were very dear to God, He had done great things for them They were vastly more Numerous, Strong and Wealthy, than You; Yet for [...] departing from God, their Ci­ties are wast, their goodly House wherein they worshipped God, is destroyed, and they are perished from of the Land God gave their Fathers, expect some few, who are in misera­ble Circumstances under the Turkish Yoke. And you have reason to expect like Severity, from an immutably holy & jealous God, if you go on to depart from Him & will not be reclaim­ed. God's [...] came to and end with them, and so it will do with you.

6. GOD's Stand hath been stretch'd out against you. Seldom a year passeth but by some Judg­ment he maketh you feel his Dispicasure, and sheweth you that Wrath is out against you. Within Three Years past, God hath taken off by Death Three of the A [...]stants, ^* Men much improved by the Publick, and who did a great deal of Service in it, and in the midst of their Usefulness. And one of them very lately, viz. John [...], Esq. a Person of great Piety and Usefulness [...] & faithful Friend to Religion and his Country, and our Consti­tutions Civil and E [...]l [...]stic [...]l. The Esteem the People in gener [...]l had of him, will, I pre­sume, [Page 39] be this Day manifested, in the full choice they have made of him, to the Post he hath worthily fill'd for diverse Years past, tho's his Seat here must now be empty, he shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more, Job. 7.10.

And within the Year past, God hath taken away an Eminent Minister, ^* A very Learned, Great, & Good man, the Oldest Person of that Order in this Colony or in the Land, i. e. in Standing, of those that have been Graduated in the Country, as appears by the Catalogue. And it argues God's Displeasure, when he takes away the Ancient and the Honourable, the Prophet and the Counsellor, Isa. 3.2, 3.

There was a very great and general Blast the last Year, upon the Wheat; And now an Infectious and Mortal Disease hath got in a­mong us, into some Towns, and all are threat­ned: And to be stupid under Correction will be very provoking, Don't give ground for that Complaint Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see Isa. 26.11. Don't by a Con­tinuance in Sin, provoke the Lord to Jealou­sie, are you stronger than he? You lie open to him, and are at his Mercy in all respects How dangerous is it to provoke him? How easie is it for Him further to distress you? The hearts of Kings & Princes are in his hand. He [Page 40] influenceth them as he pleaseth, Their deter­minations concerning their People, are under the guidance of his Providence, Prov. 29.26. The Land you dwell in is not like Egypt, wa­tered by the foot, but is a Land of Hills and Valleys, and drinketh water of the Rain of Heaven, a Land which requireth the Eye and Care of the Lord your God always from the beginning even to the end of the Year, Deut. 11.10, 11, 12.

7. There is Encouragement, if you Return to the Lord and Love him with all your heart, &c. That he will not cause his Anger to fall upon you, Jer. 3.12. but will again Rejoice over you for good, Deut. 30, 9. To Love God is the highest Ac­knowlegement of his Goodness, and is very pleasing to him, and shall be richly rewarded. Prov. 8.17. I love them that love me, & those that seek me early shall find me.

2. The Exhortation may be directed, with all Humility, to the RULERS of this People. Honourable & Worshipful, Be Intreated and Ex­horted to use your utmost Endeavours to re­vive languishing Love and Religion among us; and so to prevent the Ruine of this Ex­posed People, who are making themselves Naked by departing from their God. And I hope you will not account me Cenfosious, if I urge you to Examine, Whether JESUS CHRIST hath not ground of this Complaint [Page 41] with respect to your Order; and whether there is not reason that You should En­deavour to shake off Remissness, and rouse up Your Affections unto GOD, and Love Him with all your hearts, &c. Your Exalted Stati­ons don't free you from Corruption; nor in the least Excuse you from the Duty which all men owe to God: but lay a further Bond upon you, to Love & Hounour him, and cleave carefully to him. Because 'tis He that hath Advanced You above your Brethren, and put the Honour upon you that you have Ps. 75.7. But God is the Judge; He putteth down one , & sevteth up another. God Exalted David, and it was an Aggravation of his Sin, that when God had been so kind to him, he should so requite Him. 2 Sam. 12.7-9. I anointed thee, &c. It is but Gratitude in you to be forward, yea Eminent, in Honouring God, who hath put distinguishing Honour upon You.

And because by virtue of your advance­ment, Your Sins will become more extensively hurtful, and will bring Publick guilt. The Rulers Sins expose the People to Judgments. Saul's Sin against the Gibeonites, brought a Fa­mine on all Israel, 2 Sam. 21.1. David's Sin in Numbring the People, brought a Plague on them. It becomes Rulers to be tenderly con­cerned for the People they Rule over, left for their Iniquities, Wrath fall upon them; and [Page 42] out of respect to them, to walk carefully with God. Endeavour to revive languishing Love and Religion by your Examples, by living ho­lily your selves in all manner of Conversation. Your Posts make your Examples more Obe­served, and more Influential. Your favouring of Religion, being constant and reverent, in attending the Duties of it, the Publick Wor­ship, Sacraments. &c will be likely to stir up and encourage others; And your Neglect of any Gospel Institution, will tend to discredit them. Don't fear to be strictly Religious, left you should be reproached and despised, as Precise, Narrow Soul'd, &c. by them who are for taking a Liberty; who are not for bow­ing to Religion, but seem to carry above it, and make that to stoop to their Humours, Times and Interests.

And vigourously improve your Authority and the Power committed to you, to punish suppress Profaneness, Drunkenness, Un­cleanness and Unrighteousness, &c. that so E­vil may be taken away from the midst of us, viz. that the Publick may not contract guilt, by those Evil things that are done among us. Bear not the Sword in vain; but as the Mi­nisters of God. execute wrath upon them that do Evil. Rom. 13.4. Direct and Encourage In­serious Officers, And indeavour that the Law shall [...], to defend and relieve the [Page 43] Innocent and Righteous, and to detect and punish the Guilty and Evil-doer: And that no wiles shall prevent right Judgment going forth. Be Eyes to the blind, and Feet to the lame, and a Defence to the poor and helpless, against them that are too mighty and crafty for them. Brake the jaws of the wicked, and pluck the spoil out of his teeth. Job. 29.15, 16. Psal. 72.12. & 82.3, 4. Take heed what you do, for ye Judge not for man, but for the Lord; who is with you in the Judgment. Wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it: for there is no Iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of Per­sons, nor taking of Gifts, 2 Chron. 19.6, 7.

Don't be discourag'd and dishearten'd, be­cause through the Jealousie and Untractable­ness of the People, you can't do them the good you would; or because, what you do is not by all gratefully Accepted, but by some is mis-interpreted, murmured at and faulted. Such things indeed are disquieting and dis­heartening. A great Ruler that had justly given him this Character, That, he was very Meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth, Numb. 12.3. was wearied and put out of temper, with the burden of a murmur­ing froward People, Numb. 11.10, 12, 14, 15. But God who hath disposed you in your several Posts, deserves from you a patient Applica­tion [Page 44] to the work. And your Opportunities to shew your respect to Him & to Religion, & the welfare of this People, will be but short. The same Scripture that stileth Rulers Gods, faith they shall Die like men, Psal. 82, 6, 7. And it is often and awfully confirmed in Provi­dence, And many times faithful Rulers, tho' murmured at while they liv'd, have been re­membred with a great deal of honour after they were dead. And assuredly a merciful and bountiful GOD, will not wipe out your good deeds, but will think upon you for good, according to all that you shall do, for the honour of his Name and the good of this People, Neh. 5.19, & 13, 14.

3. The Exhortation may be directed to my Fathers and Brethren in the MINISTRY. Let us be Exhorted to observe the languishing State of Religion, and how much we have left our first Love, and what hazard we are in on that account; and lay these things to heart. If the Seers see not and the Watchmen slumber, the case will be exceeding sad. And let us Enquire, Whether JESUS CHRIST may not just­ly lay it to our Charge, who are the present An­gels of these Churches, That we have left our first Love? i. e. fall short of that Zeal and Love that was in our Predecessors the first & former Ministers. Are our Conversations so holy, and edifying as Theirs were? Do we apply our [Page 45] selves so intirely & painfully to our Minister­rial Work as they did? Do we Entertain our Hearers with such Searching & Soul Saving Ser­mons, as They did? Are we as Concerned for the Interest of CHRIST & Religion, as They were, Do they lie so much upon our Hearts, Is there as much Willingness & Forwardness in us to take Pains, Deny & Expose our selves to serve such Interests, as there was in them? Is there not in some too much slackness in attending Meetings appointed to serve Reli­gion, and also backwardness to & shifting off Labour & Pains for CHRIST & his Churches when we are called thereto? A lothness to leave our own business & deny our selves? Is there not too much of that Disposition a­mong us, that there was among the Ministers which the Apostle Paul had with him at Rome, of whom he complains, Phil. [...].21. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christs.

Let us Labour to strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. Let us Endeavour to be posses'd our selves with a servent Love to JESUS CHRIST, strong as Death, that many waters cannot quench, nor the foods drown: That may be a quickning Principle in us. Exciting diligently and faith­fully to Feed his Sheep, and to Feed his Lambs, Job. 21.15, 16. And that may cause us not to think much of Difficulties, or be [Page 46] weary of Service for Him, neither to count our Lives dear, so that we might finish our Course with Jo, and the Ministry which we have received of the Lord JESUS, Act. 20.24. Let us always Endeavour that a Savour of Religion may appear in us and that our Con­versation & Communication may be Edify­ing, not only as becomet. Christians, but Ministers of Jesus Christ. It is part of the Charge that we have received, & of the Duty that lieth upon us, To be Examples of the Be­lievers, in Word, in Conversation, in Charity, in Spirit, in Faith, in Purity, 1 Tim. 4.12. Let us be Solicitous for our MASTER, and labour so to set forth his Beauties and Unsearchable Riches, that we may beget a Respect to him in the Hearts of our hearers, & Espouse them [...]. 2. Cor. 11.2. Let us Uni [...]edly and B [...]ly Oppose the growing Vices among us; [...] & not sparing. Lifting up our Voices, as Trumpets, and shewing this People their Transgression & their Sin, Isa. 58.1. In a time of Revolt, when it was said, Who is in the Lord's side? The Tribe of Levi shewed themselves, Exod. 32.26. It becomes us to be [...] in promoting a Reformation. Let us not shall to decline all the Counsel of God to our People; And keep back no Truths [...] them, through fear they will not be acceptable. Making JESUS CHRIST the [Page 47] Prince of Preachers our Pattern: He freely and plainly declared to his Hearers, the Dif­ficulties and Self-denials there were in the way to Happiness; the impotency of Nature and the need of Sovereign Grace in order to mens Compliance with Gospel, Luk. 14.26, 27. Job. 6.44, 45, 65. He did not forbear such Truths, for fear of disaffecting Persons to the way of Life, or discouraging and dis­heartning them from using Means, and taking Pains to obtain Salvation. He wants none of our Policy, or little Arts to carry on his Work & build up his Kingdom. Let a con­tinual sense of our own Nothingness and In­sufficiency move us, always to have our Eyes to Christ, for all Supplies. Let us Consider how exceeding Precious Immortal Souls are, and the Importance of our Work, and take head unto our Selves, & to all the Flocks, over which the Holy Ghost hath made us Bishops, or Over­seers, &c. Act. 20.28. And be Faithful to the Interest of Religion, and the Churches, in all things wherein we are call'd to be Concer­ed; Looking upon our selves as always under the Eye of our MASTER, who Walketh in the midst of the Candlesticks; and on Re­membring that stroke in his Character, And his Eyes were as a flame of Fire, Rev. 1.14. And also that we shall not be suffered to con­tinue by reason of Death, but must shortly give an account of our Stewardship to Him; [Page 48] When great will be the Happiness of the Faithful Servant, whom his LORD when he cometh shall find so doing; and terrible the Punishment of the Unfaithful. Mat. 24.45,—54.

Lastly, Let us all be Exhorted to take with us words & turn to the Lord, Say unto him take away all Ini­quity & receive us graciously, Hos. 14.2. Let it be our servent & continual Prayer. That the Lord our God will be with Us, as he was with our Fathers, that he will not leave us nor forsake us, 1 King 8.57. That he will purify the Sons of Levi & purge them as gold & silver, that they may offers unto the Lord an Offer­ing in Righteousness, Mat. 3.3. Yea, that he will Re­deem us all from all our Iniquities & purity unto him­self a peculiar People Zealous of good works, Tit. 2.14.

And further to Quicken us unto Faithfulness in our several Relations & Places, to promote the Glory & Interest of Jesus Christ; Let seriously Con­sider, JESUS CHRIST, who now Observeth & In­specteth his Churches & Ministers, is Expected e'r it be long, & will be Personally here, & his Reward will be with him. Rev. 22.12. And behold I come quickly & my Reward is with me to [...] every man according, [...] work shall be. And [...] Rev. 1.7. [...] [...]e cometh with Clouds, & every Eye shall see Him; and they [...] him. And the Ap­perances will be Dreadful! (The World which was once destroyed by Water for the Act of Lusts, shall be consumed with Fire for the cold [...] of Love, says One.) But the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night; in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great Noise, & the [...] shall melt with [...] Heat; the Earth also & the works that are therein shall be build up, 2 Pet. 3.10. I shall Conclude all, with the same Apostle's Exhortation in the 14th. Verse of that Chapter. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look so such things be diligent that ye may be [...] of him in Peace, without spot & blameless.