the word; though for faith and persuasion we do not find that they were corrupted, and do find that they were tenacious enough of antique discipline, as appeared in their following oppositions to the Roman tyranny, as in Beda. Secondly, It was lost in regard of the purity and power thereof, by blind superstition and antichristian impiety, accompanied also with abominable lewdness, oppression, and all manner of sin, in the face of the sun; so that first profaneness working a despising of the gospel, then superstition ushering in profaneness, have in this land shewed their power for the extirpation of the gospel. Oh, that we could remember the days of old, that we could consider the goodness and severity of God, on them which fell severity, but towards us goodness, if we continue in that goodness, for otherwise even we also shall be cut off!' Yet here we may observe, that though both these times there was a forsaking in the midst of the land, yet there was in it a tenth for to return as a teil-tree, and as an oak whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves, so was the holy seed and the substance thereof;' Isa. vi. 13. As in the dereliction of the Jews, so of this nation, there was a remnant that quickly took root, and brought forth fruit, both in the one devastation, and the other: though the watcher, and the holy one from heaven, had called to cut down the tree of this nation, and to scatter its branches from flourishing before him; yet the stump and root was to be left in the earth with a band of iron, that it might spring again. Thus twice did the Lord come seeking fruit of this vine, doing little more than pruning and dressing it, although it brought forth wild grapes; but if he come the third time. and find no fruit, the sentence will be, Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground? Now to prevent this I shall not follow all those gospel supplanting sins we find in holy writ, only I desire to cautionate you and us all in three things.

(1.) Take heed of pretending or holding out the gospel for a covert or shadow for other things. God will not have his gospel made a stalking-horse for carnal designs: put not in that glorious name, where the thing itself is not clearly intended; if in any thing it be, let it have no compeer; if not, let it not be named; if that you aim at be just,

it needs no varnish; if it be'not, it is the worse for it. Gilded pills lose not their bitterness, and painted faces are thought to have no native beauty; all things in the world should serve the gospel, and if that be made to serve other things, God will quickly vindicate it into liberty.

From the beginning of these troubles, Right Honourable, you have held forth religion and the gospel, as whose preservation and restoration was principally in the aims; and I presume malice itself is not able to discover any insincerity in this, the fruits we behold proclaim to all the conformity of your words and hearts. Now the God of heaven grant that the same mind be in you still, in every particular member of this honourable assembly, in the whole nation, especially in the magistracy and ministry of it; that we be not like the boatmen, look one way and row another; cry gospel, and mean the other thing; Lord, Lord, and advance our own ends; that the Lord may not stir up the staff of his anger, and the rod of his indignation against us as a hypocritical people.

(2.) Take heed of resting upon and trusting to the pri vilege, however excellent and glorious, of the outward enjoyment of the gospel. When the Jews cried, 'The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord,' the time was at hand that they should be destroyed. Look only upon the grace that did bestow, and the mercy that doth continue it; God will have none of his blessings rob him of his glory, and if we rest at the cistern, he will stop at the fountain.

(3.) Let us all take heed of barrenness under it; For the earth that drinks in the rain that cometh upon it, and beareth thorns and briers, is rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned; Heb. vi. 7, 8. Now what fruits doth it require? Even those reckoned Gal. v. 22, 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.' O, that we had not cause to grieve for a scarcity of these fruits, and the abundant plenty of those works of the flesh recounted ver. 19-21. O that that wisdom, which is an eminent fruit of the gospel, might flourish amongst us! It is first 'pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated,' that we might have less writing, and more praying; less envy, and more charity; that all evil surmisings, which are works of the flesh, might have no toleration in our hearts, but be

banished for nonconformity to the golden rule of love and peace; James iii. 17. But anexw. Come we now to the last proposition.

III. No men in the world want help, like them that want the gospel. Or, of all distresses, want of the gospel cries the loudest for relief.

Rachel wanted children, and she cries, 'Give me children, or I die' but that was her impatience; she might have lived, and have had no children; yea, see the justice of God, she dies so soon as ever she hath children. Hagar wants water for Ishmael, and she will go far from him, that she may not see him die; a heavy distress; and yet if he had died, it had been but an early paying of that. debt, which in a few years was to be satisfied. But they that want the gospel may truly cry, Give us the gospel or we die, and that not temporally with Ishmael, for want of water, but eternally in flames of fire.

A man may want liberty, and yet be happy, as Joseph was; a man may want peace, and yet be happy, as David was; a man may want children, and yet be blessed, as Job was; a man may want plenty, and yet be full of comfort, as Micaiah was; but he that wants the gospel, wants every thing that should do him good. A throne without the gospel is but the devil's dungeon. Wealth without the gospel is fuel for hell. Advancement without the gospel is but a going high to have the greater fall.

Abraham wanting a child complains, What will the Lord do for me, seeing I go childless, and this Eliezer of Damascus must be my heir?' Much more may a man without the means of grace complain, what shall be done unto me, seeing I go gospelless; and all that I have is but a short inheritance for this lump of clay, my body?

When Elisha" was minded to do something for the Shunamite who had so kindly entertained him, he asks her, whether he should speak for her to the king, or the captain of the host. She replies, she dwelt in the midst of her own people, she needeth not those things; but when he finds her to want a child, and tells her of that, she is almost transported. Ah, how many poor souls are there,

r Gen. xxx. 1.

Gen. xv. 2.

xxxv. 18.

Gen. xxi. 16.
2 Kings iv. 13, 14.

who need not our word to the king or the captain of the host; but yet being gospelless, if you could tell them of that, would be even ravished with joy?

Think of Adam" after his fall, before the promise, hiding himself from God, and you have a perfect portraiture of a poor creature without the gospel. Now this appeareth,

1. From the description we have of the people that are in this state and condition without the gospel; they are a people that sit in darkness, yea in the region and shadow of death; Matt. iv. 16, 17. they are even darkness itself, John i. 7. within the dominion and dreadful darkness of death. Darkness was one of Egypt's plagues, but yet that was a darkness of the body, a darkness wherein men lived; but this is a darkness of the soul, a darkness of death, for these men though they live, yet are they dead. They are fully described, Ephes. ii. 12. without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.' Christless men, and godless men, and hopeless men: and what greater distress in the world? Yea, they are called dogs, and unclean beasts, the wrath of God is upon them, they are the people of his curse and indignation. In the extreme north one day and one night divide the year; but with a people without the gospel it is all night, the sun of righteousness shines not upon them; it is night whilst they are here, and they go to eternal night hereafter. What the men of China say concerning themselves and others, that they have two eyes, the men of Europe one, and all the world besides is blind, may be inverted too; the Jews had one eye, sufficient to guide them, they who enjoy the gospel have two eyes, but the men of China, with the rest of the nations that want it, are stark blind, and reserved for the chains of everlasting darkness.

2. By laying forth what the men that want the gospel do want with it.

(1.) They want Jesus Christ, for he is revealed only by the gospel. Austin refused to delight in Cicero's Hortensius, because there was not in it the name of Jesus Christ.

* Matt. vi. 23. Luke i. 79. i. 13. 1 Pet. i. 9.

w Gen. iii. 8.

Acts xxvi. 18. Rom. ii. 19. Ephes. v. 8. Col.
Nomen Jesu non erat ibi.

Jesus Christ is all and in all, and where he is wanting, there can be no good. Hunger cannot truly be satisfied without manna, the bread of life, which is Jesus Christ;" and what shall a hungry man do that hath no bread? Thirst cannot be quenched without that water or living spring, which is Jesus Christ; and what shall a thirsty soul do without water? A captive as we are all, cannot be delivered without redemption," which is Jesus Christ: and what shall the prisoner do without his ransom? Fools as we are all, cannot be instructed without wisdom, which is Jesus Christ, without him we perish in our folly. All building without him is on the sand, which will surely fall. All working without him is in the fire, where it will be consumed. All riches without him have wings, and will away. Mallem ruere cum Christo, quam regnare cum Cæsare,' said Luther. A dungeon with Christ, is a throne; and a throne without Christ, a hell. Nothing so ill, but Christ will compensate. The greatest evil in the world is sin, and the greatest sin was the first; and yet Gregory feared not to cry, 'O felix culpa, quæ talem meruit redemptorem :' 'O happy fault which found such a Redeemer! All mercies without Christ are bitter, and every cup is sweet that is seasoned but with a drop of his blood; he truly is amor et delicia humani generis,' the love and delight of the sons of men, without whom they must perish eternally: 'for there is no other name given unto them, whereby they may be saved; Acts iv. 12. He is the way; men without him are Cains, wanderers, vagabonds: he is the truth; men without him are liars, like the devil, who was so of old: he is the life;d without him men are dead, dead in trespasses and sins he is the light; without him men are in darkness, and go they know not whither: he is the vine; those that are not grafted in him, are withered branches, prepared for the fire he is the rock; men not built on him, are carried away with a flood: he is alpha and omega, the first and the last, the author and the ender, the founder and the finisher of our salvation; he that hath not him, hath neither begin

:

John vi. 50. Rev. ii. 17. John iv. 14. Cant. iv. 12.

a John vii. 37, 38. 1 Cor. i. 30.

b Pauca igitur de Christo. Tertul.

John xiv. 6.

⚫John i. 3--5. Ephes. iv. 18.

John xv. 5. Matt. vii. 26, 27. Matt. xvi. 18.