gofpel, do now, with weapons of death turned against one another, rufh mutually on deftruction; thereby exhibiting a delightful spectacle to our enemies, who place more of their fafety and • confidence in our contentions, than the weak foundation of their • own caufe." Let us therefore frequently confider that of the apostle, Gal. v. 15. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not confumed one of another. What Cicero faid of the difcords of great men, our countryman Davenant fcruples not to affirm concerning thofe of the churches, That they commonly end either in the ruin of both parties, or in the unjust tyranny of that fide which overcomes. It is greatly to be feared, that every one, by these continual and fierce debates, is haftening (may God prevent it) his own ruin: yet I doubt not but that all difcords amongst the godly might be extinguished, whatever fome may alledge to the contrary, if the minds of fome were freed from the violent emotions of fufpicion, anger, and envy. Behold, brethren, what a feasonable and proper foftening plaifter our fkilful Phyfician hath applied to us all at this time. God grant it the detired effect; left the fcar not being rightly clofed up, the wound fhould break out again. The godly in every place lament the prefent deplorable state of the church; and, from the deftruction of some, do conjecture what danger hangs over all. * Hence let contending nations know, What direful mifchiefs from their difcords flow. Certain it is, that all wife and good men on both fides, (however they differ among themselves) are unanimous in this at least, That these are not times for ftrife, but times that call for prayer and reformation; for, such are the prayers they every where offer up: • May God turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, left he come and fmite the earth with a curfe. Thefe do not well confult their own intereft, who, becaufe of difputes among the learned, perhaps never to be ended, will needs be tearing the church by perpetual divifions. Our brethren, that ferioufly profefs they differ from us in fmaller matters of religion, for no other reafon than a fear of offending, thefe ought to be embraced with the greatest affection. Let all caufes of offence be presently removed, that we may not stumble twice on the fame ftone. If we fall upon it again, we are broken in pieces. We will not grant them this praife, that they are En quo difcordia gentes more ftudious of peace and concord than ourselves. You may ' re-exact a conformity in fundamentals and things neceffary in religion; but in matters of indifference, and not abfolutely neceffary, you may give a larger liberty. No body fhould affume to himself a liberty of dividing the church, and diffolving brotherly unity on fuch a ground as neither Chrift, nor the apoftles, nor ⚫ the primitive church in its purest state would ever have approv ⚫ed.' It must be confeffed, that all kinds of controverfy will never be at an end; nevertheless we can bid farewell to all difcord; for va riety of opinions, and unity among thofe that hold them, are not things inconfiftent. Why should there dwell in the breast of a Chriftian, the fierceness of wolves, the madness of dogs, the deadly poison of ferpents, the cruel favageness of beasts? as Cyprian long fince complained. That is (faith Gregory) a new and unheard-of manner of preaching, that forces a belief with stripes: therefore let all bitter railing and accufation be gone. May the God of peace bring all into order and peace. III. Especially and above all, I humbly befeech you, that, having laid afide all defigns of fmaller importance, you would mind this one thing, how you may gain to Chrift the fouls committed to you, to which all earthly things are to be poftponed. This is the labour, this the work incumbent on us. Put far from you a vile, niggardly sparing of your gifts, an immoderate care for worldly things, an exceffive indulgence of the vile body. Let it not feem much to us to spend a little fweat for the fake of those fouls for which Chrift fo willingly and plentifully poured out his own most precious blood. If we hide the Lord's talent in a napkin, where fhall we find a napking to dry up our tears of blood for fo bafe a crime? Remember, brethren, that it will be required at our hands, how we have spent every portion of that time which is given us; how much of it have we already loft in unprofitable filence! But among all the oppreffions under which you have long groaned, I perfuade myself there is none you have more forrowed for than that of being fo long with-holden from feeding poor hungry fouls. The present opportunity is flippery, and may be loft, as to what concerns futurity, the clouds return after the rain. Up then ye fervants of God, mind this your business, and the Lord fhall be with you don't regard the ufual murmurings of the flesh. Look forward to that heavenly crown: "They that be wife shall shine as "the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to " righteousness as the ftars for ever and ever." With the hopes of this, let us roufe up and fortify our drooping C hearts against the mockings and troubles we may expect for the fake of the gofpel. What bowels of compaffion ought we to put on, when we speak to such men of faving their fouls, and shunning perdition, into which they may quickly fall, but who, in the mean time, have not the leaft thought about these things themfelves? A famous author in Amefius* complains, That the words of life in fome preachers and teachers lips die away, as to any power or efficacy: For fo coldly and unconcernedly do they deliver the word of God, that it feems to die in their lips. Hence, as they themselves are cold and dead preachers, fo they leave their hearers in a cold and dead frame. I knew one who left Paris for this reafon, because he faid, he was more and more benumbed with the lectures and fermons he heard from day to day in that city; and was afraid, that if he ftaid much longer there, his foul would have perifhed with spiritual cold: wherefore he joined himself to lively minifters, as unto live-coals, that fo by converfing with them, he might nourish and increafe an holy flame in ‹ his heart.' Lift up your eyes and behold the fields white, and ready to harveft; fee how you are on every fide furrounded with crowds of poor hungry fouls, with open mouth and earnest looks begging fpiritual bread from you. If we have the bowels of the chief Shepherd in us, let us feed his fheep. Some are almoft worn out with old age and various troubles: others leffen the majefty of scripture by infifting much on things of little moment, and fill the ears of the multitude with a vain noise of words, or tickle them with smooth fpeeches. In fuch a fituation, if you, who are furnished with all kinds of gifts, and have fo full and fair opportunity, do not burn with zeal to God, and love to fouls, I tremble to look forward to the dreadful end of you all. IV. Laftly, I will conclude with a few things which I thought neceffary for ftudents of Theology, and candidates for the ministry, who have at this needful time willingly devoted themselves to this service, or are about to do it: We have long borne the burden and heat of the day; we are veteran foldiers almoft worn out. The next age will poffibly produce more tractable minds, and men of gentler difpofitions than our times afford. I congratulate you on account of your birth, especially if your natural birth be, or fhall be ennobled and fanctified by regeneration; and this is the more reasonable, because all our famous chronologers and fearchers into times, who have bestowed much time and pains in that study, are big with expectation, like a woman big with child, paft the time of her reckoning, who therefore Cafes of Confcience, book 3. p. 16. expects her pains to come upon her every hour. It is very prob ble, that the day which all the prophets foretold, and all good men have, as it were, with outstretched neck, been eagerly looking for, is now at hand. Do you, therefore, ye brave youths, the hope and defire of the reviving church, with eagernefs lay hold on this favourable opportunity of enriching your minds with all neceffary gifts and endowments. Keep yourselves close night and day at your studies and moft fervent prayers: He will make the beft divine, that studies on his knees. And how shall we contend for the truth, or defend it againf the adverfaries, if we are deftitute of gifts? Neither a good difpofition, nor the charms of eloquence, nor a graceful gefture, nor good manners, can compenfate for the want of gifts. But on the other hand, beware, brethren, left while the tree of knowledge every day thrives and profpers, the tree of life alone fhould languish and become barren, as an excellent divine* speaks very pertinently. Take care you put not that laft, which fhould be first; and that, again, first, which fhould be laft. Measures fo perniciously prepofterous will be fatal to the whole work of converfion. A head well inftructed is much to be defired; but a fanctified heart is abfolutely neceffary. "Covet earnestly the beft "gifts, and yet fhew I unto you a more excellent way," 1 Cor. xii. 31. For gifts, let them increafe; but grace, let it outh ne them all. Let thefe words of the great apottle take deep root in your hearts, 1 Cor. ix. 27. "But I keep under my body, and bring "it into fubjection, left that by any means, when I have preach"ed unto others, I myself fhould be a caft-a-way." For what will it profit, to be learned and damned; It is one thing to be learned in the truths of Chrift, another to be taught by him, as the truth is in Jefus. Continually bear in mind this ferious warning of our learned countryman Reynolds †, Let us not think much of ourselves, though God should have adorned us with the finest gifts of nature, with a lively genius, with an elegant diction, much reading, long experience of things, fkill in the arts, languages and 'fciences, folidity of judgment, quickness of understanding, almoft like that of angels, unless at the fame time he add to all, the gift of his Spirit to help us to know and delight in the heavenly mystery. For though by the exercife of thofe fhining ac'complishments, we may procure to ourselves the favour and 'esteem of men, though from thence great advantage may redound to the learned world, and to the church of Chrift, yet do they not all tend to obtain for us either the favour of God, or the reward of heavenly happinefs.' May God give you ministerial and fanctifying gifts, that you may approve yourselves to be defenders of Chrift and his religion, and firm opposers of his enemies. But it is time to close this unpolished and homely letter, which, however, I hope you will favourably accept as a teftimony of that refpect due to you from Your fellow-fervant in the gospel of Chrift, JOHN FLAVEL. To the READER. THE worthy author of the difcourfe emitted herewith, is one THE whofe praife in the gofpel is throughout all the churches. His other books have made his name precious and famous in both Englands. Nor can my teftimony add any thing to one every way greater than myfelf. Nevertheless, a fingular providence having caft my lot to be at prefent in this great city; I could not withstand the importunity of them who defired a few Prefatory lines to manifest the respect I owe to this renowned and learned man. It was a wife reproof which a grave divine administered to a young preacher, who entertained his auditory with an elaborate difcourfe: after he had commended his parts and pains, there was (faid he) one thing wanting in the fermon; I could not perceive that the Spirit of God was in it. And though morality is good, and neceffary to be taught and practifed, yet it is much to be lamented, that many preachers in thefe days have hardly any other dif courfes in their pulpits than what we find in Seneca, Epictetus, Plutarch, or fome fuch heathen moralift. Chrift, the Holy Spirit, and (in a word) the gospel is not in their fermons. But bleffed be God, that there are fome (and great is their company in this land of light) who preach the truth as it is in Jefus : and he who has taken the book out of the right hand of him that fits on the throne, and is worthy to open the seals thereof, has been pieased in wonderful ways to fet open, and keep open a door of liberty to the gofpel, that they, unto whom he has given a heart to preach Chrift, may do it. This is the Lord's doing; this is a Spirit of |