is very apparent, that wickedness, as it is the more diffusive, is always the more malignant. The diffusion and the malignity are wont to accompany one another; just as it is with diseases, the plague and other distempers that are noisome and dangerous; they are always more mortal as they are more contagious and spreading; and so are extensively and intensively worse at the same time. And it must be proportionably so in the means of cure; there must be such a pouring forth of the Spirit, that will answer the exigency of the case in both respects, that there be very numerous conversions, and a great improvement of converts unto higher and more excellent pitches of religion, than have been usually known in former times.

Objection. But here it may be said, that it is very difficult to conceive, how all this should be, considering what the present state and posture of the world is. As if we cast our eyes about us and consider, how it is in vast parts of it yet overrun with paganism, in others with mahometanism, in others with antichristian pollutions and abominations: when we consider, how it is generally sunk in atheism and oblivion of God, drenched in wickedness: and even that part of it that is called Christian, how little it is better than the rest. The great doctrines of the Christian religion, the incarnation, the death, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the future judgment, and the eternal states of men, all become even as antiquated things! professedly believed for fashion's sake, because it is not convenient to pretend to be of no religion: but yet all these things lie with the most as ineffectual, insipid, unoperative notions in their minds that do nothing; and notwithstanding which they are and practise, just as they would do, if they believed no such things. When we consider this to be the present state and posture of the world, it is hard to conceive, how such a change as this is should come. And many may be apt to say in reference to this same Παλιγγενεσία, this renovation or regeneration of the church, the restitution of religion, as Nicodemus said concerning the regeneration of a particular person, "How can these things be?"

Answer. Indeed the long continued restraints of the acts of absolute omnipotency make it even to seem but equal to impotency; and men expect as little from the one as from the other. When great and extraordinary things have not been done through a long tract of time, they are no more expected or looked for from the most potent cause, than they are from a most impotent. And therefore, when any great thing is done for the church and interest of God in the world, it comes under this character, things that we looked not for, (Isa. 64. 3.) things that do even surprise and transcend expectation, and

which no man would have thought of. Men are very unapt to entertain the belief and expectation of things, that are so much above the verge and sphere of ordinary observation. We expect to see what we have been wont to see; and men are apt to measure their faith by their eyes for the most part in reference to such things, that that can be done which they have seen done; but are hardly brought to raise their faith and expectation to higher pitches than so.

To make things therefore as conceivable as we can, we 'shall point out briefly, in what way and by what methods and steps we may suppose so great a change to be brought about by such an effusion of the Spirit. For, as was said, it will not do the business with most, that the Spirit of God can do all this, which will be granted at the very first hearing: but a lively apprehension of these events to be brought about is not ordinarily begotten, but by seeing a way traced out, from point to point, and from step to step, how and by what degrees such a work may be carried on; and then the representation in that way being somewhat more lively, the impression that is made by it on the spirits of men is accordingly more lively. But of this more particularly hereafter.

I shall shut up the present discourse with desiring you to remind and reflect upon the tendency of all this; that our souls may be possessed with a serious apprehension, and thence have a lively hope begotten in them, of such a time and state of things to come, wherein religion shall prosper and flourish in the world, though now it be at so low an ebb. I may say to you, as Paul did to Agrippa, Acts 26. 8. Why should it be thought an incredible thing, that God should raise the dead? why should it be thought an incredible thing, that there should be a resurrection of religion? Thy dead men shall live, and together with my dead body shall they arise. He hath said it, that knows how to make it good; "who is the resurrection and the life," Isa. 26. 19.

And really it would signify much to us, to have our hearts filled with present hope; though we have no hope, (as was formerly supposed, adinitting that supposition,) of seeing it with our own eyes in our own days. Such a hope would however not be unaccompanied with a vital joy. "Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad ;" though it was above two thousand years before. Plain it is, there is not a more stupifying, benumbing thing in all the world, than mere despair. To look upon such a sad face and aspect of things through the world, as we have before our eyes; to look upon it despairingly, and with the apprehension that it never will, never can be better; nothing can more stupify and bind

up the powers of our souls, and sink us into a desponding meanness of spirit. But hope is a kind of anticipated enjoy ment, and gives a present participation in the expected pleasantness of those days, how long soever they may yet be off from us. By such a lively hope, we have a presentation, a feeling in our own spirits of what is to come, that should even make our hearts rejoice, and our bones to flourish as an herb. Religion shall not be an inglorious thing in the world always: it will not always be ignominious to be serious, to be a fearer of the Lord, to be a designer for heaven and for a blessed eternity. When these things, that common and prevailing custom hath made ridiculous, with their own high reasonableness, shall have custom itself and a common reputation concurring; how will religion at that time lift up its head, when there is such a blessed conjunction? it is strange to think, that so very absurd things, as the neglecting of God, the forgetting of eternity, the disregarding of men's souls and everfasting concernments, should even be justified by custom, só that nobody is ashamed of them, because they do but as other men do in these things: to be immersed all their life time in the world, to mind nothing else but earthly business, as if they were made all of earth, and only for earth; such most absurd things even seem to be justified by common practice; men are not ashamed of them, because they are but like their neighbours. But when persons shall agree with one another in being serious, heavenly, avowing the fear of God, in express devotedness and subjection to him; when the concurrence of common practice shall be taken in with the high reasonableness of the things themselves, how magnificently will religion fook in that day! And if we would but labour so to represent the matter to ourselves beforehand; by a lively hope of such a state of things we should have the anticipated enjoyment of the felicity of those times; and have a great deal of reason, though it may be we are to suffer hard and grievous things in the mean while, to compose ourselves, and to enter upon that state of suffering very cheerfully; to wait patiently and pray earnestly, that of so great a harvest of spiritual blessings to come upon the world in future time, we may have some firstfruits in the mean time. As it is not unusual, when' some very great and general shower is ready to fall, some precious scattering drops light here and there as fore-runners.

And we should encourage ourselves in the expectation of a present portion, sufficient for our present turn and the exigency of our own case; for we have this comfortable consideration before us, that there is always so much of the Spirit to be had, that will serve the necessities of every christian that seriously

seeks it. He will give his Spirit to his children that ask him, as readily surely as they that are evil will give good gifts to theirs. At all times there is so much of the Spirit to be had, as, though it will not mend the world, will mend us; if it will not better the external state of things, it will better our spirits; and so, if not keep off suffering, yet will prepare and qualify us for it; and that sure is a greater thing, than to have suffering kept off; for that is but an external and natural evil, this internal and spiritual. It would be a great thing, if persons would admit the conviction of this, (and there is not a plainer thing in all the world,) that patience is better than immunity from suffering: that great and noble effect of the Spirit of God upon the soul, whereby it is brought into an entire, possession of itself! Is that to be compared with a little advantage that only my flesh and outward man is capable of? Good things are to be estimated by the greatness and nobleness of their subjects. Sure a good of the mind, of the soul, must needs be far better than that which is only a good of the body, of this perishing external frame; and therefore for us, it is as great a thing as we can reasonably wish, that we may have such a portion of the Spirit imparted to us, that will qualify us to pass well and comfortably through any time. And have not we reason to expect this, even upon what is foretold us concerning what shall be done in the world hereafter? May not I look up with a great deal of hope and encouragement, and say, "Lord, that Spirit of thine that shall one day so flow down upon the world, may not I have some portion of it to answer my present necessities? and that Spirit, that can new make the world, that can create new heavens and a new earth, cannot that new make one poor soul? cannot it better one poor heart?" To have a new heart and a right spirit created and renewed in us, is better to us, than all the world: and we have no reason to look up diffidently and with despondency, but with hearts full of expectation. He will give his Spirit to them that ask him.

SERMON VI.*

WE have told you, wherein a good state for the church would consist, to wit, in these two things concurring,the flourishing of religion, and-outward peace.-I have said, concurring; for if they should be so severed, as that external prosperity should go unaccompanied with much of the power and life of religion, the case would be much worse with the church of God, rather than better. So true the observation is, that religion brought forth riches, and then the daughter destroyed the mother. We must say in this case somewhat like what they have been wont to say, who would give a favourable representation of Epicurus, and his doctrine concerning the matter of felicity, that would make his notion of it to consist of satisfaction of mind and indolency of the body. There must be a like concurrence of two such things to make up an entire and completely happy state to the church; principally a prosperous state of religion, and then (that which would be very much adjumental and accessory,) a peaceful and sedate external state of things.

This being supposed, and having told you what sort of communication of the Spirit is to be expected, we came to shew the apt and appropriate usefulness of the means to the end.

* Preached June 12, 1678.