cipientem sequi nolint, sequantur antecedentem."-The salt which is itself unsavoury, will hardly season other things. I conclude this point with that wholesome passage of Jerome ad Nepotianum; "Let not," saith he, "thy works shame thy doctrine, lest they who hear thee in the church, tacitly answer, Why doest thou not thyself what thou teachest others?" He is too delicate a teacher, who persuadeth others to fast with a full belly. A robber may accuse covetousness. 'Sacerdotis Christi os, mens, manusque concordent;' a minister of Christ should have his tongue, and his heart and his hand agree.

I shall conclude all with two words of exhortation; one to my reverend brethren in the clergy; and the other, to the people.

To my brethren: That they would, with all their might, set about this most necessary work of feeding the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers; and thereby testify their love unto Christ, who, by that love, doth adjure us to feed his sheep and lambs. (John xxi. 15, 16, 17) If we would not be an Anathema Maran Atha for not loving of Christ, we must do that which he, by so strong an argument as the love of him, doth enjoin. Is it possible for a man to love the father, and to starve the children? Is it possible to love the Lord, and to neglect his doubled and redoubled command? Is it possible to love God, and to hate our brethren? Or do we not hate our brethren, when we betray their souls to perdition? Oh let us lay to heart that most solemn and tremendous charge of the apostle, "I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine." (2 Tim. iv. 1, 2) Let us consider the dreadful account, which at that fiery tribunal of this great Judge will be required of us; (Heb. xiii. 17) the wo which we incur, if we neglect it (1 Cor. ix. 16) and the horrid guilt of the blood of souls which thereby we contract; (Ezek. iii. 17, 18, 20) “Their blood will I require at thy hand."-Let us consider the invaluable preciousness of the souls committed to our charge, of more worth than all the world beside; (Matth. xvi. 26) insomuch that heathen men have said, ψυχῆς ἀντάξιον οὐδέν

ψυχῆς οὐδὲν τιμιώτερον. “ It is the property of a reasonable soul," saith Antoninus the heathen emperor, undè és @poluav, to prefer nothing before itself.-Oh what a doleful thing will it be, to have the everlasting perdition of such precious souls to lie upon our betraying of them! Consider the inestimable price wherewith they were purchased, even the blood of God; (Acts xx. 28) and how fearful a thing it will be for the blood of Christ to cry out against us, for destroying those souls which that blood did purchase. Consider the continual dangers these precious souls are exposed to; the vigilancy of a cunning, a powerful, a malicious adversary, who goeth about seeking to devour them; (1 Pet. v. 8) the baits, snares, examples, and entanglements of an evil world; the swarms of innumerable inward lusts which war against the soul. Oh how vigilant should we be to forewarn and arm them against the assault of so great dangers! Lastly, consider we the weight and greatness of that crown of righteousness and glory, which the Chief Shepherd reserves for all those, who, willingly and with a ready mind, feed the flock of God. They who turn many to righteousness, shall shine as stars for ever and ever. (1 Pet. v. 4. Dan. xii. 3) What a glorious testimony will it be before the throne of Christ at the last day, when so many souls shall stand forth and say, This was the hand which snatched us out of the fire; this tongue was to us a tree of life; his reproofs and convictions awakened us; his exhortations persuaded us; his consolations revived us; his wisdom counselled us; his example guided us, unto this glory." Some are apt to charge clergymen with ambitious pursuance of dignities and preferments: behold here a preferment worthy the climbing after,-a dignity worthy to be contended for,-a holy, an apostolical ambition, as St. Paul's expression importeth, Pikoliμoúμevov svayyεxícεodai. (Rom. xv. 20) which is as much as "Ambitioso conatu prædicare Evangelium:" preaching the gospel where it had not before been heard, was the apostle's greatest honour, which ambitiously he did aspire unto.

To the people:

1. We exhort them to pray for their ministers, since they have a service upon them, which, without divine grace, none are sufficient for; that God would, by his special assistance,

enable them to discharge so great a trust. God commands it; we beseech it; our weakness wants it; your souls require it. The more you pray for your minister, the more you will profit by him. You help to edify yourselves; you help him to study, and pray, and preach for you, while you pray for him.

2. To take heed that the labour of your ministers for your souls be not, by your carelessness, all in vain. Do not with our sermons, which cost us so hard labour, as David did with the water of the well of Bethlehem,-spill them on the ground, and let them cry from thence, like the blood of Abel against you. So long as he keeps to his commission, and delivers the counsel of God, you cannot despise the work of your minister, but you do therewithal despise the blood of your Saviour. If your souls be dear in their eyes, should they be vile in your own? Will you, by your wickedness, turn the prayers of your pastors into curses, their sermons into a savour of death, and their tears into the blood of your own souls? Shall they beg mercy for you, and will you reject it? Shall they tender grace unto you, and will you resist it? Shall they open for you the door of life, and will you shut it against yourselves? Shall Christ by them beseech you, and will you, by your impenitency, refuse him? Is it not a reasonable request, though you will not love your ministers, yet not to hate nor destroy yourselves? Must he teach, and you not learn? Must he open his lips, and you shut your ears? Are sermons preached to be praised only, and not obeyed? Must he reprove sin in you, and will you reprove God in him? Shall he take up the weapons of God to withstand sin? and will you take up the weapons of lust to withstand God? Is it good to kick against the pricks? Will God's word be 'impune' despised? Can his law be put to flight? where it doth not persuade, can it not curse? Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? Shall the minister in the name of God, forewarn us of the wrath to come, and shall we belie the Lord, and say, It is not he? Shall we bless, where God curseth? and promise peace, where God proclaimeth war? Shall we sell ourselves to sin, and make a covenant with hell and death, as if we could sin securely, and choose whether we would perish or no? Will not the Lord make us know at the last, whose word shall stand, his or ours? Oh that the love of Christ might constrain us, and his good

ness lead us unto repentance, that, when Christ doth beseech us, we would be persuaded not to deny him! Did Satan die for us? did the world or the flesh ever redeem us? were they scourged, or mocked, or crucified to save us? Oh that Christ should be persuaded to die for us, and we should give him his blood back again, and choose rather to die ourselves. Consider what I say; and the Lord give you understanding in all things.

THE

STAVES OF BEAUTY AND BANDS:

Opened in a SERMON, preached at Yarmouth, August 23, 1663.

ZECH. xi. 7.

And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty; and the other, I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

THERE was no office which Christ undertook, no ministry which he instituted in his church,, which was not by him directed and intended unto such excellent ends, as whereby the honour and welfare thereof might be advanced. When, in this place, he assumed his pastoral office to govern and guide his flock; he doth, by the names of these two staves, acquaint us with two noble ends of that service; the restoring of beauty to his church corrupted, and of unity to his church divided: of both which we shall, by God's assistance, take a brief view.

First, He feedeth and ruleth his poor flock with his staff called Beauty, his word, ordinances, and government,being as glorious things in themselves, so the special beauty and honour of the church that enjoy them. Thus among the people of the Jews, the ark and the tabernacle are called their Glory; in which respect the apostle saith, “That unto Israel did pertain the adoption, and the glory;" because the covenants, the law, the service of God, and the promises were theirs. As to external pomp and splendour, the great monarchies of the world went far beyond them ; for they were the fewest of all people: but herein was their preeminence, and primogeniture, (as the Lord saith, "Israel

a1 Sam. iv. 21. Isai. iv. 5.

b Rom. is. 4.

c Deut. vii. 7.