tage to their caufe at least, but often to their personal interests alfo; which no men are more given to purfue, by all methods, direct or indirect. And what fhould keep us, who have an infinitely better cause, and that supported too, by public authority, from avowing it in oppofition to them, efpecially along with thofe, who will join us in fupporting it? Bad people cannot have one motive for their zeal, which we have for ours, and it is the ftrongeft poffible; that I mean, which the text mentions. II. That God obferves, and will reward it. The Lord bearkened and beard, and a book of remembrance was written before bim. He hears indeed every thing, and can forget nothing. But the prophet means, that he takes a gracious notice, of this particularly, amongst other good actions of his fervants and will as certainly recompenfe, in the prefent life, if it fuit the other purposes of infinite wisdom, but however in the next, their confultations and declarations for the promotion of his honour, as if they were all registered in a book, that lay continually open before him*. The world is apt to pay no attention, or a very short-lived one, to the usefulleft labours of the best Chriftians. Many are condemned by their example, and occafionally too thwarted by their behaviour; nay, fome perhaps, envy their prefent comfort of mind, and prospect of future happiness. Therefore they speak of them with severity or fcorn, bear hard upon them, try to fet others against them; while, towards people of known bad principles and morals, they are all indulgence and charity. Mutual conference and counsel, amongst ferious perfons, will confiderably help them to fupport fuch treatment. Yet ftill their fituation, will often be a difconfolate and melancholy one, were their only refource in themfelves and this life. But the reflection, that they act under the eye of God, fhall be directed and owned by him; the right which they have, of faying to their own hearts, and to each other, what our Saviour faid to his difciples, whom be fent forth as fheep among ft wolves †, fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleafure, to give you the kingdom ‡: this alters the view of things totally. Unpromifing as pre Pf. lvi. 8. Matth. x. 16. Luke x. 3. ‡ Luke xii. 32. fent fent appearances are, the kingdoms of this world, fhall be the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Chrift*, both of profeffion and practice, far more fully than any one of them hath been yet; and how great must be the honour and the joy of having contributed to this bleffed change! We indeed fhall probably never fee it here; but we fhall look down upon it with rapture from above. And while we remain below, how reviving is the affurance, feck ye firft the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs, cultivate faithful obedience to him, in your own breasts, in as many more as you can; and all other things shall be added unto you: Such proportions of every worldly advantage, as will prove really beneficial. And be they more or less, they will be enjoyed with fingular fatisfaction, as gifts of his love. But more especially fuch may hope to efcape better than others, in times of general vifitation and punishment; as himself intimates in the verfe after the text. They shall be mine, faith the Lord of Hofts, in the day, when I make up my jewels; or, as it rather fhould be tranflated, they should be jewels, or a peculiar treasure to me, preserved with uncommon care, in the day that I make, or appoint; and I will spare them, as a man fpareth his own fon, that ferveth him. Persons may indeed, by concealing to which fide they belong, escape some little perfecutions, and fecure fome little interefts; and entitle themselves to fome favourable diftinctions from the worthlefs, of which laft many feem extremely ambitious. But while the disposer of all things gives them their defire in these respects, he fends leannefs withal into their fouls ‡. Either they pine away with fecret consciousness, that they act a mean part; and feel their fenfe of duty grow languid for want of exerting it; or if they decline without perceiving the decay, their state is the more dangerous and hopeleís. Acknowledgment of God, is as neceffary to our acceptance, as faith in him. For St. Paul hath told us, that as with the heart, man believeth unto righteoufnefs, fo with the mouth, confeffion is made unto falvation §. And St. John hath ranked together in future panishment, the fearful with the unbelieving. Nay, our Saviour's own declaration; which cannot be too often brought to mind, is, Whoever shall be ashamed of 4 E 2 me, *Rev. xi. 15. § Rom. x. 10. Matth. vi. 33. Luke xii. 31. Pf. cvi. 15. me, and of my words, in this adulterous and finful generation, of him alfo, fhall the Son of Man be afhamed, when he cometb in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels*. Our religion then, is not to be deffembled, but avowed. He, that is not openly with Christ, is against him†; disobeys his directions, and frustrates, as far as he can, a vàluable part of his defign. But they, who affist his followers to support his caufe, though wicked or thoughtless men revile them for it, are exprefsly affured, that great is their reward in heaven ‡: always provided, that the rest of their character and conduct, be fuitable to this part. For fcripture promises, made to one duty, muft ever be understood on fuppofition of its being performed from fuch principles, as will effectually influence us to obferve every duty. And then, the more we abound in this particularly, the ampler will be our recompence. Now therefore I proceed, III. To apply what hath been faid, to the present occafion. Beneficial as pious difcourfe and confultation is in general, the benefit may both be increafed to ourselves, and other ferious believers, and extended further amongst the vicious and inconfiderate, by our uniting into regular focieties, for the more conftant intercourfe of mutual edification, and support of religious behaviour. In thefe, the knot of virtuous friendfhip is drawn clofer; each member of them, is by the reft warmed into greater earneftness, furnished with fuller advice, bound to ftricter circumfpection. They are fhelters and protections, to which the weak may fly; they are cities, though fmall, fet on a bill, to attract the obfervation, and direct the fteps of travellers; they are lights fhining in the world, to fhew men the path of life §. Such indeed principally are the more public affemblies of Chriftians, which true Chriftians will on no account ever forfake; though it be the manner of fome, indeed of many in our days, who yet retain the name, to flight them, in direct oppofition both to fcripture and reafon. But going to church at the appointed times, hath been reprefented as a thing, which people do thoughtlessly and of course, or to avoid cenfure; whereas voluntary focieties, like yours, + Matth. xii. 30. Luke xi. 23. Mark viii. 38. Luke vi. 22, 23. yours, cannot be under that imputation. Joining in them proceeds plainly from deliberate choice: and proclaims very feasonably in a degenerate age, a fenfe of duty, which may, through God's bleffing, have excellent effects. Indeed, were this method recommended no other way, the practice of our adverfaries might teach it us. Unbelievers have their infidel clubs; nay, turn into fuch, as far as they can, every fort of meeting for every other purpose. Thus they ftrengthen each others hands in impiety; and furely then we should affociate to build up each other in our holy faith *. Not that you are to condemn those, who do not in form become members of your focieties. They may have reafons, with which you are unacquainted, they may do what is equivalent in fome other way; they may judge ill in this particular, and yet mean and act well in the main. But ftill, joining more vifibly and profeffedly in the work of the Lord, as you do, may be of fingular fervice to yourselves and others. Nor can it be doubted, but thefe focieties, in the many years which they have fubfifted, have preferved and reclaimed from fin, improved and ripened in goodness, great multitudes of fouls; a praife infinitely fuperior to all that any other combinations can claim, which are inftituted for worldly pleasure or profit; and, without much caution, may divert the attention to wrong matters, or fix it on fuch as are comparatively trifles; whereas yours points it directly to the one thing needful. Long practice and trial hath taught you, what regulations are moft proper to avoid inconveniences; and attain the excellent ends which you propofe. Indeed the printed orders of one of your affembles, which I take for granted the reft have in fubftance, are fo perfectly right and wife, that you need but little more direction, than often to read them carefully over, and keep up to the fpirit of them. Merely paying a perfonal attendance at your focieties, and joining with it a decent deportment in common life, though it may be an example of fome spiritual ufe to others, will be of little more than worldly benefit to yourfelves; indeed will deceive you fatally, if you reft in it. For a bare outfide profeffion is nothing, is hypocrify. Nay, though you practise from Jude, Verfe 20. + Luke x. 42. you from an inward principle of conscience ever so many human virtues, but without regard to God, you are only moral, not pious men. Nay further, if you alfo worship and honour him, and think that by this you merit favour and reward from him, you are miserably ignorant of his holinefs, and your own finful imperfections. Or even fhould you go yet another ftep, and trust, not in your good works, but in his mercy, as discoverable by the light of reafon only; that can never shew you certainly, whether, and in what degree, his mercy will extend to you; and though not far from the kingdom of God*, still want one thing before you can enter into it, faith in his mercy, as purchased by the blood, and offered by the gospel of Jefus Chrift. Numbers, alas! in our days have wholly, or in part, flighted and caft off his gofpel. But inftead of following them, remember the saying of St. Peter when many of bis difciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then faid Jefus unto the twelve, will you also go away? Then Simon Peter anfwered him; Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou baft the words of eternal life. If you once leave the revealed will of God; what you are to do, will often be matter of doubt; but how you fhall be able to do it, and what you are to hope or to fear, after doing fo rightly, and fo much amifs, will be always uncertain. And in these circumftances, worldly intereft, or fenfuality, or vanity, will foon tempt you, as too frequent experience hath proved, first to live wickedly, then to difbelieve a future recompence. Therefore if you love your fouls, if indeed you would preferve any fense of religion at all, ftand faft in the faith of your bleffed Redeemer. Very poffibly you may hear not only jefts thrown upon it, which deferve nothing more than contempt and abhorrence, but feeming or real difficulties raised in relation to it, and shrewd objections urged against fuch a doctrine or fuch a text, or such a fact. Qualify yourselves to answer them, if you can; for anfwers to them all there are. But if you cannot; rely fecurely, as you well may, on the accumulated evidence of innumerable miracles performed and prophecies fulfilled, the fublimity and purity of the doctrine, the incomparable excellence of the character of Chrift, the difinterefted fufferings of his firft followers, |