children of peace, not exafperating, but edifying each other; not maligning one another's perfons, but bearing one another's burthens? Thus mercy and truth may yet meet here together; yea, righteoufnefs and peace may kifs each other: and we may find the falvation of the Lord nigh them who fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Rom the crying fins of notorious immorality, drunkennefs, lewdnefs, blafphemy and profanenefs; from all falfe doctrine, herefy and fchifm; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandment; as alfo, from envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitablenefs, good Lord deliver us.

Ó send out a healing spirit upon us, to compose the uncharitable breaches among us, that we may not be furiously dafhing one against another; but better know the things of our peace, and live in love and unity together. Mortify the pride and lufts in us, which breed and feed the jarrs and divifions among us. Yea, make us fo kind to our own fouls, as to turn our fierceft indignation against our own iniquities, and compaffionate others infirmities; forbearing them in love; conquering their afperity with our courtefy, their enmity with our charity; and overcoming the evil with good.

Bleffed Jefus! Lord of love, and prince of peace! Who (when I was an enemy) didft reconcile me to God, conquer all my prejudice and evil furmises against fuch as I account my enemies: and fo direct my ways to please thee, that thou mayeft make them to be at peace with me. Instead of taking fire at every affront, make me fo truly christian, as to pafs over indignities and injuries; and to quench the flames of wrath and malice, with returns of meeknefs and kindness: fo endeavouring to recover and cherish good-will and brotherly love, as becomes

the

the child of my heavenly father; and the meek and lowly follower of my bleffed Lord and Saviour.

Amen.

Ninth CONSIDERATION.

To promote holiness.

Heb. xii. 14. Follow

Follow-bolinefs; without which no man fhall fee the Lord.

WHat

Hat is holiness, but that grace by which, (according to my measure) I do resemble my heavenly father, and devote myfelf to be a a follower of God, as a dear child; in all fuch amiable properties, whereof he has enabled me to come up to any imitation. To mind and do the things which make me most like him, and help me best to please him. While I give myself to the exercises of a ferious religion; and ftrive to keep my heart right with the fearcher of hearts; loving to ap proach his prefence, and delighting to do his will."

'Tis not enough then, to feek and follow peace with men, if I am not also a lover and follower of that holiness, without which I cannot find peace and favour with God. For, as he is the holy one of Ifrael, fo his people are a people holy to the Lord; not called to uncleannefs, but to holinefs, feparate from an ungodly world, to be renewed by that holy fpirit, who fanctifieth all the elect people of God and fo cafheers all their prejudice against holiness, that they are not only reconciled to it, but in love with it. And from this good root in the heart, spring all the fruits of holiness in their life: to make them fuch manner of perfons as they should be, in all holy converfation and godliness.

Though by grace we are faved through faith; yet fuch a faith it must be as purifies the heart; to make

us

us live godly in Chrift Jefus, as becometh his faints, who are holy in converfation as well as by profeffion; for every one that names the name of Chrift muft depart from iniquity. And whatever men are called, if any man have not the spirit of Chrift he is none of his, Rom. viii. 9. But what part or lot have they in this Holy Spirit who talk and act like fuch as are governed only by the unclean fpirit? Not forbearing to fignify their derifion and indignation at all things belonging to a better fpirit. Never will the Holy One abide such as cannot abide his holinefs: no; they are the hate of heaven, because the filth of the world. Though they fet up for the correctors of others, to daunt and scoff out of their religion all that dare but make any holy profeffion, O how will they be able to bear up before that holy awful Judge of quick and dead, who will pafs the fentence upon all according to their works? What admittance can they ever expect into his holy place who did fo fcornfully trample all his grace which brings falvation, and were for banishing out of the world all that holinefs without which no man fhall fee the Lord.

But be there never fo many of this heathenish clan, or were they never fo mighty, who thus rage and imagine vain things, the Lord our God ftill is holy, yea, glorious in holiness. 'Tis not only his property, but his glory. And to be like him, holy according to my capacity, 'tis not only my duty but my glory; and never will I be ambitious of any higher honour than to be an humble follower of my heavenly Father.

What indeed is the meaning of all my religious exercises, but still more to repair in me his holy image, that I may be fitted for the divine communion with him here, and the blefled fruition of him for ever? But what fellowship or fruition where is

по

no agreeable difpofition, nothing but what is contrary and mere repugnancy? When God is a holy God, his Son the Holy One of God, and his Spirit the Holy Ghoft, what infatuated children of perdition are fuch as would fet up in the world for great and high, only because they have an implacable antipathy against all that is holy, and make this their boasted glory, that they are none of the godly? Whenas the nobleft fubjects ufe to be proud of imitating their prince's fafhion, these degenerate creatures, and fcandals to the age they live in, would fet up, like Lucifer and his infernal seconds, even for their defying the King of Kings, and throwing their fcorn and blafphemy at the Most High and Holy.

Thus may they enfure, as so often they do dare, damnation; but into the pure and glorious courts above, nothing fo unclean and abominable is ever like to enter. Never will the holy Lord of the place endure there any fuch limbs of the unclean spirit, who cannot abide fo much as the name or thought of that holiness which is the bleffed God's delight, and as the apple of his eye.

To get in there I must admire, and love, and follow holiness, even all my days; and fuch careful pursuing of the holy way is the hopeful striving to prefage and fecure my joyful entrance at heaven's gate in the end. Let fuch, then, as are engaged with their black confederates along the broad way, difclaim and defy holiness, not enduring but to hear of it without raving or fcoffing at it. My heart bleeds for them, and, though they curfe, I will bless. O that it may not be too late to beg, Lord have mercy on them!

But, whatever any hardened haters of the holy Lord may pour out from the abundance of their filthy hearts to mock and rail at holiness, that

charge

charge of God himfelf, Be ye holy, for I am holy, fhall for ever more determine me, than all their arrogance, blafphemy, and vengeance can fhock me. Their day is coming, and their judgment fingers not. O, how many fuch fwelling bubbles have I feen burft, and fuch plagues of the world gone off to receive their own plagues! Yea, the Lord is coming, with ten thousand of his faints, (thofe now despicable objects of derifion) to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all the daring finners, not only of their ungodly deeds, but their hard fpeeches thrown out against him; for what they let fly at the lovers and followers of holiness, who contend and plead his caufe with the wicked, he takes it as directly levelled at himself, and will return the arrows of their bitter words in somewhat far fharper on their own pates.

Never then fhall any of their prate and raillery make me ashamed of that which is my glory; but ftill fhall it be my ambition to be numbered among the peculiar people whom my Lord purifies to himself, and my great endeavour to cleanse myfelf ftill farther from all filthinefs of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God; for I do not fear him if I dare to defpife the holinefs which he commands, or lie short of the highest degrees which I can here attain.

may I be one of those lovers and followers of holinefs who fhine as lights in the world to glorify my heavenly Father, however ill ufed I may be by fuch as drive at nothing more than his difhonour. Though fome of them call themselves members of the church, which teaches them much better things, and every time they attend the publick worship to pray that the rest of their life hereafter may be pure and holy, never may I when I pray fo act the very hypocrify against which I rally.

MOST