the most dreadful afpect. What will become of us if he leave us! It feems utterly impoffible to us, that this can be for our good and advantage. Nay, but fays he, who is truth itfelf, and who is the wifdom of God, "I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away." Now, could the lofs of the great Master's prefence be made up? and could his departure be needful and expedient for them and us? And will you think it ftrange, if he be faying to you, with respect to a fervant, however eminent, It is expedient for you, that he fhould be taken away? God can do no needless thing: even when what he does is awful, yet ftill it is needful. Whenever we are in heavinefs, through any or many trials, it is always and only if need be, i Pet. i. 6. And if ye, at prefent, are in heavinefs, through this awful blow of his hand, you may be fure it was needful: though you cannot fee it, infinite wifdom knows the neceffity and expediency thereof. And, if you ftand in need of what you are tryfled with, in all its fad and forrowful circumftances, which must be the cafe, fince God, that cannot lie, hath faid it, furely, you ought to fubmit to his pleasure, which hath your profit infeparably joined with it, Heb. xii. 10. Nor have you reason to complain of God's ordering that for you, whereof you ftand in need, even the quick removal of fuch a precious and defirable paftor: for, if you did but exceed in over-valuing or doting too much upon him, and in reckoning yourselves happy in having him, as Micah did in another cafe, Judges xvii. 13. It was needful, that by his being taken away, you should be made to fee, that your good and happiness lay elsewhere, and be brought to a bleffed neceffity of crying more ardently than ever, with the tear of godly forrow in the eye of faith, to our glorious Lord and Mafter, Chrift, that he himfelf may come and fill up the room that he hath made void. And, indeed, it is a great vacuity, that he, "In whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead," cannot fill. A few moments of his gracious prefence, and a few drops of his fpecial love, is fufficient to fill up the greatest void, that is made by the removal of the choiceft, and most defirable of all earthly comforts. "And

"happy

66

happy they, as one fays, who, when they lofe any "near friend, or dear idol they are fond of, are helped "of God to make Jefus Chrift fucceed to it as its heir, "by taking that lofs as a fummons to transfer and fettle "their whole love to him, as the object incomparably "worthy of it; he being altogether lovely, and infinitely "more amiable and fairer than the fons of men." Say not, There is no forrow like our forrow, no trial like ours; and if it had been any thing but this, we could have borne it; for your heavenly Father fees that this, even this very cup, with all its bitter ingredients, was fit to be given you to drink; and that this, this very trial, in all its heavy circumftances, was neceflary for you, even the fudden death of a lately fettled minifter among you might not the Lord fee it needful for you, thus to correct you for your former iniquities? And needful that, after fo many fweet fermons he had preached to you, before and after his ordination, you should have this one very bitter fermon, to help you, through grace, the better to digeft the former? Might he not fee it needful for you, that, before his departure, he fhould be brought into a paftoral relation with you, that not only his widow and fatherlefs children, being thus intitled to a fhare of your kind and generous concern, you might have occafion to fhew it, fo far as that may be requifite; but also, that you, in particular, might have the fpecial benefit of a louder fermon by his death. than ever you heard from him in his life. And if this laft and loudeft fermon be bleffed and fanctified to you, for awakening you to feek the Lord more earneftly, and for compelling you to come in to him more speedily, then it will be sweetly verified in your experience, that it was expedient for you, that h fhould be taken away.

WHEN you fo earneftly entreated the publishing of the foregoing Ordination-Sermon, I fuppofe you little expected, that it would need to be fubfcribed, as it were, with a Funeral Sermon: but, fince holy providence hath made this addition to that exercife not unfuitable, I hope it fhall not, though in this rude and unexpected address to you, be unacceptable, notwithstanding the occafion

be

be mournful as I would therefore prefume, that the preceding confiderations fhall not be reckoned unfeafonable, and hope they will be duly pondered by you; fa I fhall conclude this difcourfe to you with fome advices fuitable, I think, to the prefent occafion.

I. Think not ftrange that your minifter fhould die, and be fo quickly called away. As the prophets do not live for ever, Zech. i. 5.; fo they may live but a very fhort while for fome may be called to work but one hour in God's vineyard, and yet be rewarded equally with those that have wrought the whole day, Matth. XX. 12. Some may think, that, if any could be exeemed from death and a dark grave, it fhould be they who are the lights of the world; that, if any fhould efcape the houfe of filence, it fhould be they who are to convey the joyful found of the gospel to the ears of men: but yet they muft die, as well as others, and may be called off very quickly, especially in two cafes.

1. When their work is done, that God hath allotted to them in this world. Some minifters live longer than others, because God hath appointed them more work than others. Some live a fhorter time, becaufe either God hath appointed them lefs work, or enables them to dispatch a great work in a fhort time.

2. When defolating judgments are haftily advancing towards the place, or land, wherein they live, even as Noah, that famous preacher of righteousness, entered into the ark but a few days before the old world was destroyed by a deluge. Such righteous men are often taken away from the evil to come, though few obferve and lay it to heart; even though terrible judgments may be at the door.

As these are two fovereign reasons, fo I fhall mention two finful caufes, that may haften the death of faithful minifters. Though their days are determined by that God, in whofe hands all our times are; yet men may be inftrumental in fhortening their life, either by under valuing, or overvaluing of them.

(1.) By undervaluing them; flighting and contemning their perfon, their gifts, their meffage. If we do not prize our mercies when we enjoy them, God may

make

make us know the worth of them by the want of them. Much contempt was poured upon your paftor, now dead in Chrift, by many of this generation: therefore God hath faid, They are not worthy of him; they fhall not enjoy him long.

(2.) By overvaluing them; people may fhorten their days, when they give that honour to them which only belongs to their great and glorious Mafter, who will not give his glory to another. If people fall down and worthip these bright and glittering ftars, no wonder if the Father of lights remove them away. If, in any respect, they be advanced to God's throne, he will quickly lay them in the duft. It is true, gospel-ministers, that have the divine miffion and meffage, ought to be highly efteemed for their work's fake; and there can be no fin in honouring thefe whom God honours; or in loving these very dearly, whom God makes the happy inftruments of our converfion, or fpiritual edification: but yet, if thefe inftruments get more of our heart than is due to them, or any share of the room that Chrift only fhould have, then he may justly haften them out of our way. How far, as I faid above, any might have exceeded in doting too much upon your eminent paftor, I know not, unless it was evidenced by the great following of people that he had flocking to him, which yet I dare not wholly condemn in them, left I fhould reproach our blessed Mafter, who never reproved the multitude for flocking to him, even when they thronged him and pressed him, Luke viii. 45.; except when they followed him only for the loaves, or the bread that perifheth, John vi. 26, 27. Nor did ever John the Baptift, nor any of the apostles, challenge the multitudes for thronging to them. But if any were guilty of immoderate doting upon this fhortlived paftor of yours, they may acknowledge the Lord to be righteous, when they robbed him of his honour, that he robbed them of their idol. The beft of minifters are but mortal men: though the rich treasures of fpiritual gifts and graces are poured into thefe veffels, they are but earthen ones, and will foon be broken by the blow of God's hand. Thefe gourds may be very delight+

delightful to us, and we may find great refrefhment in fitting under their fhadow; yet the worm of death will make them to wither. And we do not well to be exceeding or exceffively glad of them, while they grow; nor do we well to be angry, when they wither.

II. Endeavour to make a right improvement of this awful providence: in order to which I fhall recommend a fixfold study, with relation to your minifter's death.

1. Study to be fenfible of the hand of God in this providence. Be not infenfible of the ftroke: tho' you muft not murmur at it, yet you ought to mourn for it, and for your fins that provoke the Lord to take fuch labourers out of his vineyard. Infenfibleness of God's hand is interpreted by the Spirit of God a defpifing of it, Heb. xii. 5." My fon, defpife not thou the chaftening of the Lord." Yea, it is accounted a high provocation, Jer. v. 3. "I have fmitten them, and they have not grieved." It argues ftubbornness in a child, not to cry when his father whips him. When God chaftens by the lofs of a dear friend, it is very fmarting; but when he does it by the death of a dear minifter, a foul-friend, it is yet more heavy and grievous.

2. Study to profit by what is past. Hath God taken away your minifter? Endeavour to recollect and retain, thefe excellent truths that were delivered by him, while he was with you. Call thefe bleffed fentences to mind, as far as poffible, in order to feed upon them, as the prophet fays, "Thy words were found of me, and I did eat them; and they were to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart," Jer. xv. 16. So far as you can remember them, and reduce them to practice, fo far will you profit by them. The voice delivering thefe truths to you, was

paffing voice; but the word delivered, is an abiding word. Tho' he is dead, the word of the Lord liveth, and abideth for ever. Thefe counfels which he gave you from the word of God, are binding upon you, tho' he is bound with the chains of death.

3. Study to know Chrift, as the only minifter who lives for ever, and that can make up your lofs. who fays, Rev. i. 18. “I am he that liveth,

It is he and was

dead ;