takers of the divine nature; by being created after God in righteousness and true holiness; not by being Godhead with God, but by being renewed in the fpirit of our minds. By perfecting holiness in the fear of God. By crucifying the old man and his deeds. By purging ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit. By putting off the body of fin: And by mortifying the flesh, with the affections and lufts.

Can we reasonably think that fuch a work can be done in a moment, or in the most inconvenient circumftances of old age, and the decays of nature, or on a death-bed? for is not old age burden enough, except it be attended with the fad remem brance of a careless life?

3. Recover time loft, fo far as is poffible, with double industry, care, and diligence, Eph. v. 16. upon this encouragement, habenti dabitur; to him that hath fhall be given, and ab utente non auferetur, and from him that useth it shall not be taken away. Think that for this purpose, God hath so long continued thee in being. 'Tis fafe to make the best interpretation of God's dealing with thee, which is to encourage application to him; for this is the contrary to turning the grace of God into wantonnefs. The credit of a good beginning is loft, if we perfevere not in goodness. The difrepute occafioned from the vanity of the younger years, is abated by the seriousness and stayednefs of the age of understanding. Since we cannot abfolve ourselves. from any ill use or abuse of time paft, confidering the improveableness of time, and the reference thereof to eternity: let us carefully redeem that

which remains; refcue it out of the huckster's hands; vindicate it to the nobleft purposes, that the remainder of it through true improvement, may answer the account of the whole.

Nothing will lie heavier upon our minds,, when we come to die, than that we have neglected the day of grace, been wanting to ourselves in preparations for eternity, by bad use of time; depraved our minds, so as to go out of the world in far worse ftate and condition than we entred into it..

The perfuafives hereunto are,

1. That here is hearts-eafe and fatisfaction in the motion of repentance; in that we have revoked, and morally voided that which should not have been done. The first beft is not to have done ill; the fe cond, is to condemn it: this is all we can do in the cafe, all elfe must be left to God; and this makes the cafe compaffionable; and when the cafe is fuch, there is nothing to hinder God to fhew mercy..

2. Entrance into eternity, mainly depends upon the immediate difpofition of the mind; wherefore we are to take all care to depart hence in renunciation of the guife of this mad world; in reconciliation with the rule of righteoufnefs; in agreeableness of temper with the heavenly state.

3. We have done a great deal of harm in the world, by bad example, ftrengthning the hands of the wicked: let us take it off by renunciation of it, by condemning ourselves in it, by giving testimony to truth and right; this is the least that can be done in all reason; else we may be said to be alive to do mifchief in the world, when we are dead and gone..

DISCOURSE IV.

The Joy which the Righteous have in GOD.

Preached in the New Chapel, December 7. 1668.

PSALM. Xxxiii. 1.

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright.

A

ND can we meet in this new structure and fabrick, raised out of its former ruins, and not.

perform the duty of the text? If I be not. mistaken, this is the first that is again employed in facred use, fince the dismal and fatal fire. Let those that are here present, give a good example to all that. fhall follow after; and let us now, as the text calls upon us, rejoice and triumph in the divine goodness, for praife is comely for the good and upright man. The remarkable providences, and happier difperfations of God, call upon us to be glad in the Lord,` and thankful for his benefits. God hath not only given us leave to rebuild our ruins, and repair our wafte places, but he hath been with us, and given us encouragement to this good undertaking. We read that the Jews when they returned out of captivity, and had but rebuilt their walls, they haď meetings of joy and triumph; as you find it among

other

other places, Ezra iii. 11. and vi. r6. and Nehem.. xii. 27. And this is not only pious, but a tranfcendant act of faith, and confidence in God; upon fuch occafions to bless him, to rejoice in him, and to praise him. And they are of the basest, and most fordid temper, that are not affected with the expreffions of the divine goodness and kindness. And truly if we do not do the former duty of the text, we fhall fail in the latter; if we be not glad and rejoice in the Lord, we shall never be thankful nor bless his holy name. For pray what thankfulness when the heart is poffeft with melancholy, and the spirit full of heaviness? but befides this, it is the general direction of wisdom, to acknowledge God in all our ways; therefore in things remarkable, so much the more; and 'tis the effect of religion to do it; for what is religion, but a participation, imitation, and refemblance of the divine goodness, both in the temper of the fubject, and in its expreffions of gratitude, ingenuity, acknowledgment, and the like. I know no other refult of religion but this. And furely were religion estimated by this, we should endeavour after it, and be all good friends, and he would be accounted the best man, that is most free and ingenuous in the sense of divine goodness. At least let us not neglect to make acknowledgments to God upon those eminent advantages that the course of his providence doth afford; fuch as are eminent fucceffes in our undertakings, and happy recoveries out of any trouble and calamity and giving us to fee light after darkness. Such opportunities as these, pious fouls have been wont to clofe withal. And it

is noted of one, a very good perfon, a king of great fame, as a thing that was very unnatural and unbecoming him, and very ill refented by God, that he did not render unto the Lord according to the great bea nefits that was beftowed upon him. Thus it is reported of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxxii. 21. But his heart was lifted up. Now pride is oppofite to the acknowledgment of God, and giving thanks to him. He that hath his heart lifted up, will arrogate and affume to himself, and this feems to have been his fault ; for which wrath was upon him, and the Ifrael of God, Now let fuch failings as these were, though in former ages, be for our admonition, as the apoftle tells us, that things before us were for our example, upon whom the ends of the world are come, I Cor, x. II. If God had not taken pleasure in us, and in this great undertaking, to reftore and rebuild this ancient city, he might have obstructed and prohibited the fame; as Joshua did curse any one that undertook rebuilding of Jericho. You fhall find the curse, Joshua vi. 26. and in effect, 1 Kings xvi. 34. Therefore we have caufe, both to be fenfible of the divine goodness, in that his good hand of providence hath been over us, and given success to our endeavours; and scattered our fears and fad apprehenfions, and given us to fee fo much of restoration as at this day, and as this place gives teftimony of.

In the text we have two things.

I. The duty and

II. The reafon of it.