WE are now on a peculiar and awful Subject, which requires your strict Attention.

For as the learned, Ainsworth well observes, This is the most doleful Psalm in all the Bible: full of Lamentation, Mourning and Woe, from the Beginning to the End; without the least Gleam of Hope or Com­fort, unless it be in the 1st. 2d, and 13th Verses; where the Psalmist seems to signify—He apprehended, that all his Salvation must come from God, and that it was at least possible that God might hear and save him: but higher than a bare Possibility thereof, in his Distress and Darkness, he does not seem to rise

But to clear the Text and help us to improve it; I propose, with the divine Assistance, to consider these four General Heads—

• 1. The Person here speaking.
• 2. His distress'd Condition here describ'd.
• 3. The Causes of it in the Hands of God.
• 4. and lastly. What might be the Reasons of this divine and mysterious Dispensation.

[Page 2]I. The Person here speaking.

This has been indeed contested among the Learned. But it being of Moment in the Case before us, we must endeavour to clear this Matter.

For in the Title of this Psalm, the Composure seems to be ascribed to Heman the Ezrahite, as the following Psalm to Ethan the Ezrahite: And as there were a Heman and Ethan two famous Brethren for Wisdom of the Tribe of Judah, and another Heman and E­than chief and contemporary Masters of the sacred Musick, of the Tribe of Levi; some learned Men as­cribe these two Psalms respectively to the two former, and others to the two latter. For,

1. The two first were the Sons of Zerah, the Son of Judah, 1 Chron. ii. 3,—6. And as Zerah when a Youth about seventeen Years of Age, ^† went with his Father Judah, and Grand-father Jacob into Egypt; it seems his Sons Heman and Ethan were born and liv'd and died There within the Compass of the two Hundred and fifteen Years of the Israelites Continuance in E­gypt; and were there so famous for their Wisdom, that even King Solomon was afterwards compared to them; 1 King. iv. 31. But

2. As Levi had three Sons, viz. Gershom, Kohath and Merari; there was another Heman who was the Son of Joel, the Son of Samuel the Prophet, of the Family of Kohath; which Heman liv'd in David's Reign, and is called a Singer, or the chief of the Musicians, 1 Chron. vi. 33. i. e. chosen by the Levites and ap­proved of by David, Chap. xv, after his reigning at He­bron seven Years and an half from the Death of Saul, and upon the Death of Ishbosheth ascending to the Throne of all Israel, taking Mount Zion, and there building his Palace, placing the Ark and Tabernacle, [Page 3] and setting the Priests and Levites in their several Or­ders for the beauteous carrying on of the public Wor­ship: Asaph of the Family of Gershom standing at Heman's Right Hand, and Ethan, sometimes called Jeduthun of the Family of Merari, on his Left, when they led the sacred Songs with Instruments of Musick before the Ark and in the Tabernacle.

And it seems surprizing, that so many learned Men should suggest the former Heman, and Ethan of the Tribe of Judah while in Egypt, were the Authors of these two Psalms respectively. For, (1) It seems by no Means likely that Poetry and Psalmody were ad­vanc'd to such Perfection among the Israelites in those early Times before the Days of Moses, and near a Hundred Years before their coming out of Egypt: and according to such a Supposition, the 88th & 89th Psalms should in the Order of Time have been placed so many Years before the Song in the 15th Chapter of Exodus; which being composed by that most learned and admirable Writer Moses, is generally accounted to be the first divine Song extant in this lower World▪ (2) The only Reason why any learned Men imagine the Com­posers of these two Psalms respectively were Heman and Ethan the Sons of Zerah, is because the Titles call them Heman the Ezrahite and Ethan the Ezra­hite: But whoever reads the following Psalm ascrib'd to Ethan, will find such precise Accounts of God's having raised up, anointed and established David on the Throne of Israel, with the solemn Oath which God had made him of the Continuance of his Offspring on it, and as having cast off and abhorred his anointed, seemingly made void his Covenant, and profan'd his Crown, by casting it to the Ground as is utterly inconsistent with the Time of Ethan and Heman, the Sons of Zerah, who lived above four Hundred Years before David had a Being. But (3) What intirely [Page 4] decides the Matter is, that in the very Title of this 88th Psalm, 'tis said to be for the SONS of KORAH, to the chief Musician Maschil of HEMAN the Ezrahite. For Korah was the Grand-son of Kohath, as Moses was, and went out of Egypt with him: and from Ko­rah descended Heman, appointed the chief Master of the sacred Musick in the Reign of David; as in 1 Chron. vi, xv, & xxv.

But why both Heman in the Title of this Psalm, and Ethan of the next, are distinguished by the Name Ezrahite, seems at present utterly uncertain.

This Heman is also called the King's [i.e. King Da­vid's] SEER in the Words of God, 1 Chron. xxv. 5. which seems a Character yet higher and more distin­guishing: For it seems to signify, that he was an inspired Prophet, as his Grand-father Samuel had been, and as Gad then was: who were both called Seers; and in 1 Sam. ix. 9. we read — Before time in Israel, when a Man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, "Come and let us go to the Seer:" for he that is now called a PROPHET, was before time called a SEER; — as well as that this Heman was chosen and appointed to preside over that prophetical and sacred Work of setting forth the Praises of God, by Psalms, Trumpets and high sounding Cymbals &c.

By all these Things it appears, that Heman was a Man of eminent Descent and Piety, high in the Esteem of the Levites, and high in the Esteem of King David, and by them exalted to a high Place of Dignity and Influence.

And yet all his inward Qualifications join'd with all these outward Respects and Honours did not secure him from a constant Series of Affliction, even from his Youth all along to his advanced Age. For at the Time of his being raised to his sacred Dignity, which seems to be at the Translation of the Ark and Tabernacle to [Page 5] Mount Zion, and before the penning of this Psalm, we read in the same Verse, viz. 1 Chron. xxv. 5; God gave to Heman fourteen Sons and three Daughters: And if they were all born at the Time of his Exalta­tion, He was now come to hoary Hairs of Piety, and 'tis likely even to Threescore Years of Age, when he compos'd this Psalm, even to be sung in Publick at the Tabernacle in such sorrowful Strains as these— I am afflicted and ready to die from my Youth up; while I suffer thy Terrors I am distracted.

And it seems highly probable, that he knew some, if not many others in the Assembly, his Companion Asaph it seems was one as we may show hereafter, in the same distress'd Condition, & could readily join with him in sing­ing this most mournful Ditty. Yea others also, and even those who were then rejoycing in the Light of the Face of God shining on them, might yet affectionately join in singing this Song with Heman & others. For Love to good People is a wondrously uniting Principle: it makes us one with them: it makes us feel as they, re­joyc'd as they, distress'd as they, and with them to Pray and Praise as they.

Yea, Heman in this very Psalm before us, in the very Darkness of his Dispondency;— yet cannot help giving several plain Intimations of his excelling Piety.— As for Instance—

In ver. 1, O Lord God of my Salvation, I have cried Day and Night before Thee! He believ'd in the only true, living and supream God Jehovah—the same God who had reveal'd himself to all the ancient Prophets inspir'd before him, and in all his Inspirations by them. He apprehended and in Faith look'd up to Him, as the God of his Salvation: and in Faith and Prayer he had continually cried before Him, as in his Eye and Presence.

[Page 6]In ver. 2, Let my Prayer come before Thee: incline thine Ear unto my Cry! Tho' the Lord had so long, so many Years deny'd him; yet he gives not over; but retains such an high Esteem of God, as after all to apprehend there might yet be Room for Mercy, and therefore prays and cries unto Him still.

In ver. 5, He represents it as an Aggravation of his Affliction, that he was as one lying in the Grave, whom God remembers no more. The tho't of being re­membred by God no more, was very grievous to him— a plain Hint of his inward Piety, as apprehending God's remembring him to be the only Scource of Happiness and Comfort to him.

In ver. 6, Thou hast laid me in the lowest Pit, in Darkness, in the Deeps. Wherein he piously ex­presses his Faith in the special Providence of God, and ascribes his Misery and Darkness to his Hand & Will.

In ver. 7, Thy Wrath lyeth hard upon me; and thou hast afflicted me with all thy Waves. It was not meerly his Affliction, but his Apprehension of the Wrath of God as the most pressing Weight or Sting of his Affliction, which chiefly grieved him, as it does the truly pious: He feels his Troubles as the overwhelm­ing Waves of God's Displeasure, as the Pious in such Cases do: And his Apprehension of the Wrath of God, implies a deep Sense of the greatness of his Sins, for which alone the Wrath of God could be excited.

In ver. 8, Thou hast put away mine Acquaintance from me: Thou hast made me an Abomination to them. Where his Faith in the special Hand and Providence of God, is again expressed.

In ver. 9, Lord I have called upon Thee: I have stretched out my Hand unto Thee! His past Faith in God, with his importunate Applications to him, and his present eying Him are again repeated.

[Page 7]In ver. 10. 11. 12. He represents his Case to be so deplorable, that his Salvation seem'd exceeding difficult and unlikely.— Wilt thou shew Wonders to the Dead? Shall the Dead arise and praise Thee? Shall thy Loving-kindness be declared in the Grave; or thy Faithfulness in Destruction? Shall thy Wonders be known in the Dark; and thy Righteousness in the Land of Forgetfulness? And yet in ver. 13, But unto Thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the Morning shall my Prayer prevent [or come before] Thee! Tho' he had a long while, even from his Youth, 'tis likely for fifty Years, and Times innumerable, cried to God, and had not to his Apprehension at least, suc­ceeded; yet he would not give up intirely; but re­solves he will proceed, and early, every Day, and ear­nestly implore Him still for Mercy.

Yea, in ver. 14, Lord, why castest thou off my Soul? Why hidest thou thy Face from me? It is God's cast­eth off his precious Soul, that he is chiefly concerned for; and 'tis the Hiding of God's Face from him, that greatly grieves him. These are vastly more distressing to him, as they are to gracious Souls, than any bodily or earthly Troubles. His great Concern, excites his solicitous Enquiries to know of God the special Reasons why a God of such unbounded Grace and Mercy, should cast him off, and hide his Face, notwithstanding all his long, earnest and innumerable Cries: and he plainly intimates, that he apprehended, if God would not cast him off nor hide his Face, but accept him and shine upon him; O, this is That, and nothing short of This would give him Joy and Satisfaction.

All these, even in the Midst and Depth of his great­est Darkness, are the plain Outbreakings of that in­ward Faith and Piety, which lay at the Bottom of his Heart, and were the very Scource of his most bitter Complaints and Cries.

[Page 8]And indeed▪ tho' I have heard many a Child of God, representing their miserably dark, blind, deserted, lost, undone, and perishing Condition; yet they cannot possibly express it, without expressing something of that inward Faith and Piety lying deep in their Hearts, which they cannot see, and yet are the very Springs of their Distress and Cries.

To hear afflicted Souls complaining of Blindness of Mind, of Hardness of Heart, of Stupidity, of Unbe­lief, of Unfaithfulness, Perfidiousness, Ingratitude, Vileness, Folly, Madness, the Hidings of God's Face, or his forsaking them; yea crying out— O these cursed Hearts of ours! &c. — It is indeed grievous to the tender Sympathizer: But O methinks I cannot help being inwardly pleas'd and glad, on some Accounts, to hear such Complaints as these: For methinks I plainly see some hopeful Symptoms of the special Grace of Christ therein: Methinks I see that Sin, even in its Fountain, Power, and corrupting Influence, is burthen­some—Alienation from God is grievous—that Confor­mity to him in Holiness, Obedience and Submission, is desirable to them —that they have right Apprehensions of God and Christ, and the World, as a Portion or Hap­piness—and that they cannot be easy without the Image of God, without the Favour of God in Christ, without the Manifestation of it, without their being agreable to Him in their Hearts and Lives thro' Christ, without their glorifying Him in every Thing, and enjoying Com­munion with Him.

And such a One was Heman in all his Darkness and Perplexities.

We now go on to consider,

II. His distress'd Condition here described,

I am afflicted and ready to die from my Youth up: while I suffer thy Terrors, I am distracted.

[Page 9]He began to bear the Yoke of Discipline from God, even in his Youthful Days; and his Troubles were not transient with him, as with many others, but habitual and continual. They seem to be constant on him, and to a very great Degree; so that he had been afflicted and ready to die continually even from his Youth, thro' his riper Years, with but little Intermissions, to his ad­vanced Age.

What Sort of Affliction it was in particular, he does not mention; and therefore we are left at Liberty to conjecture almost every Kind, consistent with his un­blemish'd Character; and in them all he had such a Sense of God, his Greatness, Majesty, Holiness and Anger, as exceedingly exercis'd his Mind with Terror, and even to such a Degree as in a Measure to distract him.

But his Troubles may be reduc'd to these two Ge­neral Heads; (1) Afflictions of an Earthly, and (2) of a Spiritual Nature; but especially the latter.

1. Afflictions of an Earthly Nature.

He might be afflicted from his Youth with a constant Series of very grievous bodily Weaknesses, Disorders, Sicknesses & Pains of innumerable Kinds; which might render his Life very uneasy to him, hinder him exceeding­ly from doing Good, glorifying God in an active Way, as well as from enjoying Earthly Comforts; and might be always ready to bow him down and overcome him.

He might meet with almost continual Successions of very grievous Unkindnesses and Injuries from Men, both in his Name, Estate, Interest, Influence and Com­fort.

He might be exercised with many meerly Providen­tial Crosses, Disappointments, Losses and Embarrass­ments in his worldly Affairs;—a great Variety of Straits and Difficulties, sinking him into great Discouragement, and very hard to bear up under.

[Page 10]He might be very greatly & frequently afflicted with the grievous Death of very amiable, useful, needful, or hopeful Relatives; more dear to him than the Limbs and Eyes of his own Body, and than all the Riches, Honours and other Delights this World could give him—such as he could wish to have died for; as David when he was so greatly moved with the Death of Absolom, 2 Sam. xviii. 33. He went up to the Chamber over the Gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he cried; ‘O my Son ABSALOM, my Son, my Son ABSALOM! would God I had died for Thee, O ABSALOM, my Son, my Son!’

Or he might be greatly grieved with the sore Cala­mities of his living Relatives; their Abuses, Losses, Difficulties, Infirmities, Sicknesses, Wounds, Maims, Pains, Distractions, Dangers. &c.

Or he might be very deeply affected with the Igno­rance & Errors, Superstitions & Idolatries, Profaneness, and Corruption of Manners, Debaucheries, Emnities, Contentions, Oppressions, Devastations, Murthers, Cruel­ties, and all Kinds of Distresses in the World about him.

And some or other of all these Evils might come on him in as constant a Succession as the Waves of the Sea:— while one is breaking, another rising and rolling over him, and innumerable others following; that he could see no End in his most extended Prospect; but rather as his Age advanced, they might yet come higher, thicker and heavier on him.

2. Afflictions of a Spiritual Nature.

For to be sure, he was all his Life-time troubled with the vile Corruptions in his own Heart; the vain, foolish, base and odious Imaginations in his Mind; his Indispositions to holy Thoughts & Exercises; his wan­dering Thoughts in religious Duties; his Unsub­missiveness to the Will of God in purgent Trials; his Murmurings. Uneasiness and Dissatisfactions with [Page 11] some of his afflictive Dispensations; his unworthy Tho'ts of God himself; the great Deficiencies and Interruptions of his Graces and Obedience; his Un­thankfulness, spiritual Indolence and Unfruitfulness; his Blindness, Hardness, Stupidity, Unbelief, Impeni­tence; his inordinate Affections to the Pleasures, Riches, Honours and beloved Persons of this lower World; his Carnality, Pride, Envy, evil Dispositions towards some of his injurious Neighbours; and in short, innu­merable daily Sins and Vanities in his Frames, Tho'ts, Views, Inclinations, Wishes, Words, Behaviours, Actions.

He was no doubt also grievously and constantly afflicted with the grosser Sins and Follies of Others; and especially of those who were nearest to him, or were or had been Professors of Religion.

Yea, he might be dreadfully in the Dark with Res­pect to the Work and State of Grace within himself— dreadfully uncertain about his Faith, Repentance, and genuine Obedience; about his being pardoned, reconci­led to God, and about his Interest in the Promises— dreadfully perplexed with torturing Uncertainties about Sins and Duties—dreadfully worried with Fears of his having committed unpardonable Iniquities, of the Day of Grace being over, of his being given up to his own Heart's Lusts, and of God's abandoning him for ever— Yea dreadfully tormented with horrible Suggestions concerning God, and with shocking Sollicitations to deny, renounce, oppose and curse him.

And to be worried constantly with such horrible Sug­gestions and Temptations, without being able to fly from or keep them off; especially when attended, as usual, with cruciating Fears, either of having yielded to them, or being in great Danger of yielding, must needs exceedingly distress him: and we can scarce conceive of any Thing more insufferable or distracting, when long continued.

[Page 12]But then, the chief, the Height and the Pungency of Heman's Troubles were what he styles the Terrors of GOD Himself, which at Times he was suffering under, and at the penning of this Psalm especially, and in such a Degree as in a Manner to distract him.

Of the glorious God, the inspired Moses had justly given that awful Character in Deut. 7. [...]1; Jehovah thy God is among you, a mighty God and a terrible: And in Chap. x. 17; For Jehovah your God is God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty and terrible, who regardeth not Persons, nor taketh Re­wards.

In another Psalm directed to the CHIEF MUSICIAN, for the Sons of Korah, and tis likely HEMAN is de­sign'd, viz. Psal. xlvii. 2, we read — The Lord most High is Terrible. And in Psal. lxvi, which by the Title seems to be also inscrib'd to HEMAN, but com­pos'd by his Companion ASAPH; with such an holy Awe he thus speaks of GOD, ver. 6.12; Thou even Thou art to be feared: and who may stand in thy Sight when once Thou art Angry? —He is terrible to the King's of the Earth.

And that which renders him so Terrible, is—His infinite Highness. Excellence, Dignity and Majesty a­bove the whole Creation; — his most absolute Purity and Holiness, and Abhorrence of all Iniquity, Folly and Vanity; his infinite Offence and Displeasure with them; his infinite Resentment of them;— that Sin is not only infinitely contrary to his most holy Nature, Will, and Law; but also a most horrible Violation of all his Rights and Honours; a trampling them all under the Feet of his infinitely diminutive Creature, in the o­pen View of his ever all-seeing Eye and perpetual Pre­sence—together with the eternal Rights of his glorious Justice; the eternal Glory due to Him, in testifying his infinite Displeasure with his insolent Creature by a sui­table [Page 13] Recompence—His Almighty Power every Moment to do full Justice to Himself on the horrible and dar­ing Sinner. — And lastly, His terrible Declarations, Laws, Threatnings and Doings among the Children of Men.

And Heman, in his deep and clear Sight of the a­mazing Vileness of his own Heart, and extensive Views of his numberless Iniquities and Follies, in their multi­plied Aggravations, might have such terrible Appre­hensions of the glorious Holiness, Purity, Majesty, all-seeing Eye, and Resentment of God against him— as that by Reason of his infinite Highness, he might not be able to endure: and the Terrors of the Almighty, with the Sense of his own horrible Corruptions, might so fill and agitate his Soul, as to overbear his feeble Powers, and hurry them on into great Confusion and Distraction. And when he came to this, there could be no regular Exercise either of Reason or of Gr [...] and no Wonder then he goes on to those despairing Words in the Verse after the Text— Thy fierce Wrath goeth over me! thy Terrors have cut me off.

And thus have we in brief considered the distress'd Condition here described: and this may be the Case of other pious Persons as well as Heman; and has doubt­less been so with great Numbers in all Ages.

I shall only at present mention the similar Case of JOB, that upright and perfect Man, who feared God and eschewed Evil, above all others on the Earth in his Day, as God himself bears Witness, Chap. i. 8—So eminent for Faith and Patience, that when he met with a most surprizing Succession of increasing Calamities, he was enabled to express himself with such wonderful Submission, as in ver. 20, 21; Then JOB fell down up­on the Ground and worshipped, and said, ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the Name of the Lord.’

[Page 14]But when after seven Days, the TERRORS of GOD came on him, he could bear no longer. Yea, they were so exceeding great, and so distress'd his Mind, that he brake out, and spake like one distracted with them— Chap. iii. ‘After this Job opened his Mouth and cursed his Day: and Job spake and said; Let the Day perish wherein I was born, and the Night in which it was said, There is a Man-child [ brought forth]: Let that Day be Darkness; let not God re­gard it from above, neither let the Light shine upon it: Let Darkness and the Shadow of Death stain it, let a Cloud dwell upon it, let the Blackness of the Day terrify it: As for that Night, let Darkness seize upon it, let it not be joined to the Days of the Year, let it not come into the Number of the Months: Lo, let that Night be solitary, let no joyful Voice come therein: Let them curse it who curse the Day, [ when they are ready to be destroyed by the Leviathan: ^†] Let the Stars of the Twilight thereof be dark; let it look for Light, but have none; neither let it see the Dawning of the Day: Because it shut not up the Doors of my Mother's Womb, nor hid Sorrow from mine Eyes! Why died I not from the Womb? Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the Belly? Why did the Knees prevent me? Or why the Breasts that I should suck?— Wherefore is Light given to him that is in Misery, and Life unto the bitter in Soul?— Why is Light given to a Man whose Way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?’ And Chap. vi.— ‘O that my Grief were thoroughly weighed, and my Calamity laid in the Balances toge­ther! For now it would be heavier than the Sand of the Sea; therefore my Words are swallowed up: [Page 15] For THE ARROWS of THE ALMIGHTY are WITHIN ME, the Poison whereof drinketh up my Spirit: THE TERRORS of GOD do set themselves in array against me!—O that I might have my Re­quest, and that God would grant me the Thing that I long for! even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his Hand and cut me off!—Let him not spare! &c.’

Are not these the awful Words of an eminently pious Man, even distracted with the TERRORS of GOD? No wonder then he says in Chap. xxxi. 23; Destruction from GOD was a TERROR to me: and by Reason of HIS HIGHNESS, I could not endure. O! with the infinite GOD, is most terrible Majesty indeed, as E­libu represents in Chap. xxxvii. 22. And one Beam of angry Majesty, flashing with full Power from Him, is enough to terrify, distract and even destroy the strongest Man, yea the mightiest Angel.

Such Words as those of Job, were they uttered in the undisturbed Exercise of his Understanding, would be dreadfully vain, profane, shocking, and highly dishonoura­ble to the glorious Holiness of God. But the gracious God seeing the Anguish of his Heart, the Tumult of his Spirits, and the great Disorder of his Mind, indul­gently overlooks them as if they were never uttered. For when Job had confessed his Fault to God, had ab­horred himself, and repented in Dust and Ashes, in Chap. xlii. 1, — 6, we read in the two following Verses— The Lord said to ELIPHAZ — My Wrath is kindled against Thee, and against thy two Friends: for ye have not spoken of me the Thing that is right as my Servant JOB hath: therefore take to you now seven Bullocks, and seven Rams, and go to my Ser­vant JOB, & offer up for your selves a Burnt-offering; and my Servant JOB shall pray for you, for Him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your Folly, in that [Page 16] ye have not spoken of me the Thing that was right, as my Servant Job hath.

Behold the awful Strictness and tender Mercies of God together!—His awful Strictness, in resenting the wrong Assertions of Job's three Friends—and his tender Mercies, in kindly passing over all Job's distempered Speeches, saying nothing about them; and only ob­serving the Doctrines wherein his Servant JOB (whom he delights to call my Servant JOB, four Times over) had rightly spoke of GOD in his Times of Trouble.

But to return to the distressed Condition of Heman— We are now in the

IIId Place, To consider the Causes thereof in the Hands of GOD.

I said—the Causes thereof in the Hands of GOD. For as there must be Causes of this deplorable Con­dition; whatever they were, He created them for their terrible Effects, He gave them their Efficacy, supported and over-ruled them; He acted in and or­dered them, either by Influence or Permission, for this awful Purpose. And tho' they are to us innu­merable, yet may be ranked under the following Heads; wherein I shall chiefly consider the Causes of his spiri­tual Troubles and distressing Terrors.—

1. Some of them may be called moral Causes; and were such as these—

This pious Person had not only a rational Soul, and was an intellectual and moral Agent, and by the Re­mains of the Light of Nature, might discover some­thing of GOD and his Perfections, Will, Providence and future Judgment; but he was also born, bro't up, and lived in the Light of Revelation. He was in­form'd of all contained in the holy Scriptures from the Creation of the Earth to the Reign of David, which was near Three Thousand Years. He had sufficient [Page 17] and convictive Evidence of this Revelation, and both understood and believed it.

He viewed God as the Creator, Upholder, absolute Proprietor and Lord of Heaven and Earth, and every Thing therein: He view'd Him in his absolute and perpetual Omnipresence, Omniscience, Wisdom, Holi­ness, Justice, Goodness, Truth, Power and Providence: He view'd Him in his wise, righteous, good & holy Laws and Declarations; in his sacred Covenants, Promises and Threatnings; in his perfect and perpetual Obser­vation of us now, in his future Judgment, and eternal Rewards & Punishments: He view'd Him in all his ter­rible Dealings—Dooming all Nations in all Ages to in­numerable and dreadful Miseries and Death for the first Transgression, with the awful and continual Exe­cutions of this dreadful Sentence on them both Elder and Younger in all Ages ever since: He view'd Him in his drowning innumerable Millions of Men, Women and Children in the universal Deluge; destroying So­dom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, with all their Children by tempestuous Showers of Fire & Brimstone; and Multitudes of others by Wars, Famines, Plagues, Inundations, Earthquakes, &c.

In short, He view'd the Extensiveness, the Spiritu­ality and the Strictness of the Law of God: He knew that dreadful Sentence in Deut. xxvii. 26, which he doubtless understood as the Apostle since explain'd it in Gal. iii: 10; Cursed is every one that continueth not in all Things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them: He view'd and compar'd himself with this perfect Law: and from all these Views was led to see the Glory of God and his own exceeding Vileness, Guiltiness and awful Danger; — to see the Agency, the glorious Holiness and Dreadfulness of God in all the Expressions of his Indignation, in all his Threat­nings and in all his Judgments; and thence to be greatly [Page 18] troubled. So Heman's pious Companion Asaph said, Psal. lxxvii. 3; I remembred GOD, and was troubled, I com­plained, and my Spirit was overwhelmed.

And these seem to be the chief moral Causes of those Terrors he endured of a spiritual Nature.

2. Some of the Causes of his Distress might in the Hands of God be even material. And they might be such as these—

Besides the various and disordered Elements without him, the various hurtful Substances received in him, and their various troublesome Impressions on him; some unhappy Constitution of the nervous System or other Parts of his frail Body, either in its primary Formation, or by some after Incident, under the divine Direction, might occasion a great Variety of Disorders, first of the Body and then thereby of the Mind.

The mutual Influence between these two very diffe­rent Parts of the human Composition, is too mysterious for our present Understanding: But that they have such a mutual Influence on each other, we most cer­tainly know by universal and perpetual Experience. Disturb'd Ideas in the Mind surprizingly disturb the Body; and Disorders in the Body as strangely affect and disturb the Mind: tho' the immediate Cause of this I can resolve into nothing else but the continual Agency of God within us, according to particular Rules his consummate Wisdom has prescribed.

But the System of the Nerves, all deriving from the Brain, seem to be the immediate Seat of the Soul, and its immediate Instruments both of Motion and Sensa­tion in us. And the Configuration, Habit, or Tenor of the nervous Strings or Vessels might put all the Fluids into great Disorders; render some too slow, and others too precipitate in their Motions; and those nervous Strings or Vessels, whose Office 'tis to quicken the For­mer, might in their Constitution or Habit be too weak [Page 19] to quicken them; and those nervous Strings or Vessels whose Office 'tis to restrain the Latter, might in their Constitution or Habit be too weak to restrain them: the Consequence of which would be great Disorders, first of the Body, and then thereby of the Mind; which all the Skill of Man might be utterly unable to remove or moderate, or even his Penetration to under­stand.

There are also innumerable outward Things, which in the Hand of God, have a natural Tendency to strike and trouble, to worry and perplex the Mind; and thereby produce great Disorders in the Body; which reverberate on the Mind again with greater Force and Violence. The very Powers of Reasoning, judg­ing or thinking regularly, may be much impaired and interrupted, the Imagination wild and in great Confu­sion: and none but GOD, or at least his mighty An­gels by his Order, may be able to reduce or govern them.

3. Some of the Causes of his Distress, in the Hand of God and by his holy Permission, might be even Diabolical.

The inspired Scriptures plainly represent Multitudes of fallen Angels, Enemies to the Glory of God, and to the Good of Men, as going about continually seek­ing and endeavouring, by all Sorts of Temptations, alluring, flattering, misrepresenting, frightning, to mis­lead, worry, vex and utterly destroy us. They are full of perpetual Malice, exceeding knowing, subtil, powerful, active, unwearied, and never resting. When they are by God permitted, they have Multitudes of subtil Suggestions, to lead us into wrong, hurtful and desturbing Views both of God, our Selves and Others; to raise our Passions and Perplexities, prevent our re­gular Ways of thinking, hinder us from exercising pre­sent Graces, and from attending present Duties; and [Page 20] so lead us into Error, Folly, Sin, and so to dreadful Darkness and Confusion, yea Distraction.

And these wicked Spirits are so numerous, that [...] Time of Christ on Earth, when there were such a Mul­titude of Nations, they could spare a Legion, which was then among the Romans at least Twelve Hundred, to worry one poor Man, Mark [...]. and Luke viii.

But then all these subtil and mighty Agents are per­petually in the Hands of GOD, yea in the Hands of the SON of GOD. He sustains their very Substances and Powers in Being: and in the very Nature of Things, they must therefore be ever absolutely subject to his Controul and Government: He has them ever there­fore in his mighty Chain, and lets them go no further than he pleases. And yet 'tis terrible to see and think how far the sovereign God permits them to tempt, mislead and worry, even his dearest Children.

They tempted and deceived Eve in her State of Innocence, & dreadfully succeeded. They grieviously afflicted the upright Job. They tempted and prevail­ed on David. They were lying Spirits in the Pro­phets of Israel. They stood at the Right Hand of Joshua, the high Priest, to resist him. They earnestly desired to sift, or toss and shake by Temptations, the A­postle Peter, as Wheat is toss'd and shaken in a Sieve. ^† They like Thorns in the Flesh most pungently buffeted the Apostle Paul. They encountred the Saints at E­phesus with their Wiles and fiery Darts. Yea for forty Days and Nights together, they were per­mitted in a dreadful Manner to tempt and worry the Man CHRIST JESUS in a solitary Wilderness, on the Top of a Pinacle of the Temple, and of an exceeding high Mountain, without any humane Help or Company.

And 'tis highly probable, that in the mysterious Depths of Wisdom, they were permitted to worry He­man, [Page 21] even from his Youthful Days to his advanced Age. They might worry him both by horrible Temp­tations and Suggestions, and then by setting the Terrors of God before his Mind, even to Distraction. They might pervert every Scripture which otherwise would minister Encouragement and Comfort; represent Sin as Duty, and Duty as Sin; and give such horrible and shocking Ideas of God and of himself; and then such terrible Ideas of the Holiness and Majesty of God again, as he could not tell how to bear, and yet hold him under them, till they in a great Degree distracted him.

4. & lastly. Even GOD himself might by his imme­diate as well as mediate Influence, be the Cause of his extraordinary Distress and Terrors.

For GOD himself is represented as striking, smiling and afflicting both the Body and Soul of the Man CHRIST JESUS, yea putting him to Grief and bruising him to Death when he stood in the Room of Sinners, Isai. liii. And all the Saints in Scripture rightly ascribe their Afflictions, either in an immediate or mediate Manner, to Him.

So Job seems to ascribe his chief Affliction to his immediate Influence, Chap. vii. ‘Thou settest a Watch over me?—Thou scarest me with Dreams, and terrifi­est me with Visions; so that my Soul chuseth Strang­ling and Death rather than Life.—How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone [even for so short a Time] till I swallow down my Spittle.— Why hast thou set me as a Mark against Thee? so that I am a Burthen to myself?’ Chap. ix. ‘He break­eth me with a Tempest, and multiplieth my Wounds without Cause: He will not suffer me to take my Breath, but filleth me with Bitterness.’ ‘And Chap. x. I am full of Confusion— My Affliction encreaseth: Thou huntest me as a fierce Lion; and again, Thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me: Thou renew­est [Page 22] thy Witnesses against me, and increasest thine In­dignation upon me.’

So Moses—Psal. xc. 7, 8; ‘We are consumed by thine Anger, & by thy Wrath are we troubled: Thou hast set our Iniquities before Thee, our secret Sins in the Light of thy Countenance.’ So David — Psal. xxxviii. 2; ‘Thine Arrows stick fast in me, and thy Hand presseth me sore.’ So Asaph, again — Psal. lxxvii. 4; ‘Thou holdest mine Eyes waking: I am so troubled, that I cannot speak.’ So Heman again— ver. 7, before our Text; ‘Thy Wrath lieth hard upon me, and Thou hast afflicted me with all thy Waves.’ And so Jeremiah—Lam. iii. 1,— 18. ‘I am the Man that hath seen Affliction by the Rod of thy Wrath: He hath led me and brought me into Dark­ness &c.’

But our

IV. and last General Head, is briefly to suggest some of the Reasons of this divine and mysterious Dispensation.

The pious Asaph, who stood at Heman's Right Hand, as Ethan at his Left, when singing before the Ark, and in the Tabernacle, was not only well acquainted with the afflicted Case of his Companion Heman; but was also much in the same Condition, and for a while much perplexed with this mysterious Dispensation: 'till at length he went into the Sanctuary; and There he saw some of the Reasons to his entire Satisfaction; as he plainly tells us in the seventy third PSALM.

And I shall here briefly hint not only Those, but by the Light of Revelation some others also.

The First might be to give to him, and by him to others, more reverential Apprehensions of the Being and Nature of GOD; of his glorious Perfections, Providence and Word; of his Authority and Laws; of his Promises and Threatnings, of his faithful Fulfilment of them; and of his [Page 23] adorable Sovereignty and Majesty; to make them more afraid of Hypocrisy, Formality and trifling with him; and to excite & keep alive their more solemn & constant Awe of his continual Presence & the future Judgment.

Another Reason may be to show the exceeding evil Nature and mischievous Influence and Consequence of Sin, the fruitful Scource of all Darkness, Horror, Affliction and Distress, with the terrible Resentment of GOD against it: that he is infinitely displeased with it, even in his dearest People; yea, when it lay on the Body and Soul of the Man CHRIST JESUS by Imputation, or by Substitution only.

Another Reason may be to show, that tho' he par­dons and dearly loves, yet in the present State, he grievously chastises; that all deserve the like Affliction, are alike exposed to it, and are entirely obliged to the sovereign Will of God, that they are not constantly en­during the same Distresses; and so excite their greater Thankfulness to their divine Preserver.

Another Reason might be, to excite in Heman and others, a greater Hatred of Sin, Alienation from it, Enmity to it; Solicitude for Purification, Pardon, the Favour of God in Christ, with the holy, senbsile and happy Manifestation and Influence thereof.

Another Reason might be to make the Body of Sin more burthensome to Heman and other Saints; and excite their earnest Groanings, Longings, Prayers and Endeavours after progressive & compleat Deliverance.

Another Reason may be, to damp and weaken their carnal Appetites, and the alluring Influence of the World about them; which otherwise might have a vast­ly more powerful, dangerous, prevailing and unhappy Efficacy on them.

Another Reason may be, to lead them into clearer, stronger and higher Views, both of the Amia­bleness and Happiness of Holiness, of compleat Confor­mity [Page 24] to God, of his special Favour in Christ, and of the certain Manifestation of it.

Another Reason may be to make them more expe­rimentally sensible of their own Weakness & Inability, both to keep off, to bear, or carry aright under and improve Affliction, resist Temptation, and rule their Hearts and Thoughts; to convince them of their ab­solute Dependence on the Grace and Power of God in Christ; and lead them out to look and seek to Him, and trust in Him for Protection, Light, Conduct, Com­fort, Strength, Victory and Safety.

Another Reason may be to break and mortify their Pride; to give them a deeper Sense of their own Base­ness, Unworthiness, and Guiltiness; to make & keep them more low and humble; to give them more en­larged Views of their Necessity of the infinitely free Grace of God, and absolutely perfect Righteousness of Christ as their Mediator and Representative; and lead their Souls to a higher Value for them, a more hearty Acceptance of them, a more earnest laying hold on them, and a more entire trusting in them.

Another Reason may be to make Others more afraid of Sin; to excite the Impenitent to speedy and true Repentance; to excite the Penitent to a greater Cau­tion as well as clearer Evidence of their own Sincerity.

Or where impenitent Sinners, being often reproved and warned, continue set on the Gratification of their sensual and worldly Appetites; one awful Reason may be, in the righteous Resentment and Judgment of God, to let them see such awful Instances as these, that they may stumble and fall, renounce all Thoughts of being seriously religious; the Devil telling them, and they believing him, that to be seriously religious is the Was to Trouble and Distraction—and so indulge them­selves in their pleasing Dreams, and give a greater Swing to their licencious Appetites, to the greater [Page 25] Glory of the Justice, Holiness and Power of God, in their aggravated Punishment.

But to be sure, the Final Reasons are— that Earth may lower and lessen, and Heaven rise and greaten in the believing Eyes of these afflicted Souls;—that they may have higher Views of the Blessedness and Glory of the World above;—that their Affections may more frequently and strongly rise up towards them;— that they may be much more quickened in their Labours to secure them and prepare for them; — that their Sur­prize and Joy may be so much the greater upon their sudden Entrance; and that their own exulting Admira­tions and Praises, with the joyful Praises of all the Saints and Angels There, to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may be so much the higher and more transport­ing: yea by their justifying the holy God in their Darkness and Distress, and the exercise of other Gra­ces, tho' in the present State they see nothing of it, they may yield so much the greater Glory to Him; and their most grievous Trials may work out after all a far more exceeding & eternal Weight of Glory to themselves hereafter, as well as a greater Glory to his own Perfections,

And whatever other Reasons there may be of this mysterious Dispensation, they and others shall clearly see in the Light of Heaven; where the SON of GOD who opens the Books of the divine Contrivances, will show successively to all the happy Multitudes about Him, the consummate Wisdom of all his Works, to their perfect Satisfaction, and their highest Wonder and Joy for ever.

And thus have we taken a transient View of the distressed Case of Heman, and of many other pious Persons in the like Condition.

We now come to some IMPROVEMENT.

[Page 26]And,

1. Here we see in Heman a remarkable Instance of the adorable Sovereignty of GOD in his mysterious Dispensations towards a Person of Piety, yea of emi­nent Piety.

By Sovereignty I do not mean such a Sovereignty as is against the Glory either of his Wisdom, Justice, Ho­ness, Truth, Goodness, or any of the Divine Perfections in the winding up of all his Dispensations: For this is utterly inconsistent and impossible: but such a Sove­reignty as does not make our proportionable Deservings the Rule of his Dispensations towards us in the present State; (which was the grand Mistake of JOB'S Three Friends) but may order more grievous Trials for holy Persons than for Others; yea for Persons of higher Degrees of Holiness than lower; tho' not more grie­vous than they all deserve: for in the midst of all, the whole World must own, He in the present State afflicts them inconceivably less than their Sins deserve.

2. Here we see that Piety is no Security from a constant Series of Affliction in the present State, nor from the terrible Apprehensions of GOD, even to Distraction: and they may in the Depths of the di­vine Wisdom be made subservient both to his greater Glory, and their greater Benefit hereafter.

3. Then we may by no Means suppose that such as have been thus afflicted and distressed, were not truly pious, or less pious than others, or were guilty of greater Sins than others, or deserved thus to be treated more than others.

4. Then there is no just Reason for any to be stum­bled or discouraged from being seriously Religious, on the Account of such mysterious Dispensations in the present State towards some particular Persons who are accounted Pious. For we must always take both the present and the future State into our extensive Pros­pect: [Page 27] And the absolutely good, wise and faithful God has their eternal Interest in his universal View; and in his most grievous Dispensations to them here, (as when he calls his Martyrs to the glowing Fire) he orders all in Faithfulness and Kindness for their greater Glory and Blessedness for ever. In Heaven He'll give an over-full Reward for all: and, as his most beloved SON, so with Him, they shall also see of the Travail of their Souls, to their eternal Joy and Satisfaction.

5. Let those who are concern'd for Others in the like Distress with Heman, yet, for their Consolation, observe the like Sparklings out of Grace; especially their high Value for the Favour of God in Christ, and Conformity to Him, their earnest Wishes for the Light of his Countenance, their preferring it above all the World, their being burthened with the Body and Power of Sin within them, their groaning for Deliverance, their crying out of their monstrous Vileness, their con­demning Sense of their own utter Unworthiness and Guiltiness, their being greatly shock'd with the horrible Suggestions and Temptations rising in them, imagining that none were ever in their deplorable Case &c.— which are the Sparklings out of Grace in the midst of all their Darkness and Distresses.

6. Let those who are in the like Condition, endea­vour to consider themselves as in the Case of Heman, and do as He towards their Deliverance. Under all their long Afflictions, Prayers, Denials, Temptations, and the Terrors of God distracting them: Let them behold him still as the God of their Salvation, and per­severe in looking to him, crying before him, and wait­ing on him, till he comes and saves them—till he rescues them from this Body and World of Darkness, Sin and Trouble; and ushers their departing Spirits into a State and World of surprizing Light and Glory, and of per­fect Holiness and Blessedness.

[Page 28]7. and lastly, Let us all endeavour to make a due Improvement of all the like Instances among us; and in particular of that worthy Person of our Communion, whose Remains, with Mixtures both of Grief and Con­solation, we the last Week attended to the Grave.

You know, He was born of godly Parents. ^‖ His Father one of the most amiable Men, for Sweetness, Innocence and Pleasancy of Temper and Conversation; Sincerity, and Openess of Heart; Beneficence, a Pub­lick Spirit, Activity and Delight in doing Good, as I ever saw. His pious Mother being elder Daughter to the Reverend and excellent Mr. Danforth of Roxbury, by a Daughter of the Reverend and famous Mr. [...], the first Minister of Boston. So that by the Mother he descended from two Families eminent for Piety in our New-English Israel.

By the lively Instructions and Examples of his Fa­ther, Mother, and Mother's extraordinary pious Mother, who all happily liv'd together, He from his Childhood received strong Impressions of Religion; and by our elderly People, has been observed to have feared the Lord, like Obadiah, from his Youth.

When Young, he was uncommonly tho'tful & con­cerned about the Affairs of his Soul and Eternity: His Concern has been deep and constant, and often so great, that he was ready to sink into Discouragement; and thro' the afflicting Sense of the Corruption of his Nature, could enjoy but little Comfort.

He was greatly afraid of being deceived about the State of his immortal Soul; as he justly apprehended that agreable to our kind Saviour's Warning, the Gate is strait, and the Way narrow that leadeth to eternal Life, that there are very few who find and enter them, that the most of those who live in the Light of the Gospel, are going on in an easy Way, and deceive [Page 29] themselves to their eternal Ruin. And he has chiefly followed the Lord in the Dark, but persevered to fol­low Him.

His Conscience seem'd exceeding tender: and from its great Tenderness, and Fear of offending God, was inclined to be more than ordinary scrupulous. Tho' a Disposition to be afraid of judging and doing Wrong and so to hesitate about Matters of apprehended Mo­ment in his natural Temper, might much promote this Scrupulosity: and when he justly came to apprehend that all Matters of Sin and Duty were Matters of Mo­ment, his scrupulous Temper would naturally operate in his gracious Fear of sinning, And this scrupulous Fear of his a long while hinder'd him from coming to the Lords Table; till at length he came to be so irresistibly impressed with a Sense of his indispensable Duty, that he determined to come, and there cast himself at the Feet of Christ, striving to yield Obedience to him, tho' there he should perish. He tho't it was better perish­ing in a Way of striving to obey him, than in neglect­ing it; and that in a way of striving he was more like­ly to be accepted, helped and saved.

He dearly loved the ancient People, Principles and Ways of New-England: tho' he was grieved to find some of our Fore-fathers so severe on the Quakers in ancient Times, especially in two of the five New-Eng­land Governments. Excepting these grievous Severi­ties, thro' mistaken Zeal in that Particular; he ad­mir'd the Fathers of this Country as some of the most Pious and excellent Set of Men that were ever form'd into a Body Politick: and he greatly lamented the De­generacy of their Successors, in the Power and Practice Godliness.

He early join'd to a Society of Youths in a Private Meeting to promote vital Piety among them. The Eyes of good People were turned to him; and as he [Page 30] grew in Years, he increased in their Esteem, and ans­wered their Expectations.

In his Commercial Dealings, he was fair and upright: In his Conversation, free, pleasant, open, innocent and friendly; forward to confess his own Faults; and when in a free Manner he mentioned the Misconduct of o­thers, it was clearly without Ill-will or Gaul, but with Fulness of Candor to their Persons and Intentions.

As he was of a Publick Spirit, and lov'd the Town, they greatly affected Him — Chose him one of their Select-Men to take Care of their Interests, in 1731, and so for four Years running—then in 1735, an Over­seer of their Poor, for four Years more — and then in 1739, their Representative in the General Court of the Province for four Years more—and would fain have continued to chuse him in that important Trust: But he found the weighty Care of his Country in so Pub­lick a Place too heavy for his tender Heart and Con­stitution, entreated them not to chuse him again, and could not be perswaded to bear it longer; tho' in the happy Company of his most agreable Brother-in-Law the late Hon. Thomas Cushing, Esq a Fellow-Member with him, for whom He as well as many others had a very high Esteem and very dear Affection; and tho' in the fairest Way of the highest Honours his Country could raise him to. But prefering the quieter Office of taking Care of the Poor, the Town continued him therein from his first Election, for twenty one Years successively, to the Day of his Death. And in every Office approval himself with Uprightness and Faith­fulness.

He greatly loved the most zealous, searching and awakning Ministers: and they were always heartily welcome to his House and Table.

He steadily kept up Religion and good Order in his Family, both on the sacred Sabbaths and other Days: [Page 31] In perfect Harmony with his virtuous Consort, trained up his Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Among the Rest — That most hopeful Youth his eldest Son of his own Name, whom he had bro't up to Learning for Publick Service, and proved one of the most ingenious and pious Youths this Country ever bred: but on Aug. 18. 1746, was, to the exceeding Grief of his Parents, and the great Loss and Sorrow of Others, snatched from us by a violent Fever, in the 23d Year of his Age. Whose Death fell so much the hea­vier on his distressed Father by Reason of his tender Constitution, and the grievous Loss of his dear Brother Cushing on April 11, preceeding: And both these Losses made his Wounds of Grief so deep, that he ne­ver seem'd to recover wholly from them.

But all who intimately knew him, could not but ap­prehend he maintained a close Walk with God continu­ally. And yet he saw so much Deficiency and Cor­ruption in himself, and was so dreadfully worried with horrible Suggestions and Temptations; that tho' he feared the Lord, yet he almost always walked in Dark­ness & could see no Light—was like Heman much afflicted with Soul-Perplexities, even from his Youth; and as he advanc'd in Age they seem'd, especially of late, to grow, till the Terrors of GOD at Times in some De­gree distracted him.

O how often have I heard him cry out in a most do­lorous Manner, thro' horrible Suggestions and Temp­tations concerning The Holy God, as with Solemnity he would always call him. As David he might say to GOD, & tis likely many Times hath said as in Psal. xxxii. 3, 4. My Bones wax old thro' my Roaring all the Day long: For Day and Night thy Hand is heavy upon me: My Moisture is turned into the Drought of Summer. Or as in Psal. xxxviii. 8. I am feeble and [Page 32] sore broken: I have reared by Reason of the Disquiet­ness of my Heart.

Yet in all his distracting Darkness he ever justified the HOLY GOD: He continually express'd his reverential Apprehensions of him: and even while his intellectual Powers were so greatly clouded and disordered, we could hear no Murmurings against him, but earnest Cryings to him thro' Christ for Mercy, while he condemned him­self as utterly unworthy of it. His Complaints were only of the horrible Suggestions of Satan against the bles­sed GOD, and the vile Corruptions of his own Heart, with distressing Fears of yielding to those Suggestions, and of sinning even in the smallest Matters.

A few Days before he died, he seem'd in a great Measure to be relieved of them, and to grow more compos'd and quiet. But as Death approached, his Intellectuals failed, and hindered us from knowing his final Sentiments. Yet we cannot but be fully per­swaded, that his departing Spirit, with Amazement on a sudden opened into glorious Light and Holiness, and Liberty, and Joy and Blessedness.

O let the bereaved Widow repair to her REDEEMER, as her All-sufficient and ever-living Husband. Let the Children ever remember his Prayers, his Graces, his Instructions, and Advices; and chuse his God for theirs, for the Guide of their Youth and their everlasting Fa­ther, as he earnestly exhorted them, and always serve him, and never forsake him. May they rise up in the Room of their Earthly Father, and strive to make good his Ground, make their Mother's Heart rejoyce, and stand by the People and Cause of Christ in their Day. And now this earthen Cistern of Creature Com­forts is broken to Pieces; let the surviving Sister live more than ever on the ever-full and overflowing Foun­tain of living Waters.

And to Conclude—

[Page 33]Let us all constantly remember we are hastily passing after Him: We shall soon get into Eternity; and all these earthly Shows will be quickly over, and vanish from our Sight for ever: While we view them they are changing, and we are hastily changing with them. Yes in a little while many among you will see your decaying Ministers, your worthy Deacons, your ho­nourable Magistrates, and other aged Persons, both Men and Women, gone from the Places where you view them: Yea many of the middle aged and younger will be vanish'd also; and the Appearance of this Assembly, will soon be greatly changed.

O! that we may live in the constant Views of That vast ETERNITY, we are designed for and hastening to! and then the Gayeties of Life will be Trifles, like the Toys of Children, in our Eyes; and Time will be chiefly valued as a most precious Opportunity for making sure of a happy ETERNITY. O that This may be our chiefest Care! Let us never rest till our Judgments, our Taste, our Natures are renewed; till we clearly see the World is not our Happiness; and that the glorious GOD as he appears in CHRIST, is the only suitable and satisfying Portion for us; till we have heartily embraced the SAVIOUR in all his Offices and for all his Benefits: And let us labour constantly to live upon Him, and live unto Him— deny ourselves, take up our Cross and follow Him—yea seek him, tho' in the Dark, and never give over, till we on a sudden find our selves wondrously changed into his exalted Likeness, and transported to his Presence in the World above; where, in the blessed Company of all our de­parted, dear, believing Friends, now waiting for us, there are glorious Purity, Light and Visions, and Fulness of Joys for ever. AMEN.