to his creatures; he does all his works in wisdom; is holy and righteous in all his ways and works; he is a faithful God, and all his ways are mercy and love to his people. 11. What is done by the Lord seems good to him; and what seems good to him must be good; Let him do what seemeth him good: when Isaiah, from the Lord, told Hezekiah what evil things should befal his posterity, he replied, Good is the word of the Lord, which thou hast spoken, Isai. xxxix. 6—8. It was

a flattering speech of a courtier to king Astyages, "All is pleasing that the king does," but without any flattery, and with a laudable submission of will to the will of God, every saint may say whatever the Lord does is pleasing.

OF PATIENCE.

CONCERNING which may be enquired,

I. In what it lies, or wherein is the exercise of it. 1. In patiently bearing afflictions; patient in tribulation, Rom. xii. 12. Christianus est crucianus; a Christian is a cross bearer, as Luther used to say. II. In bearing reproach and persecution for the sake of Christ and his gospel. 111. Patience is tried and exercised in and by the temptation of Satan. IV. Patience is exercised by divine desertions, and lies in quietly waiting for the Lords gracious manifestations of himself unto his people again, Psalm x. 1. v. Patience is exercised when answers of prayer are deferred, and it lies in a quiet waiting for them, Psal. xl. 1, 2. IV. This grace appears and shews itself in a patient waiting for the heavenly glory.

I. The

II. I shall next consider, the causes of this grace. efficient cause is God, hence he is called, The God of patience, Rom. xv. 5, 6. 2. The instrumental causes of it are the scriptures, hence Christ calls them the word of his patience, Rev. iii. 10. 3. Afflictions themselves are a means of increasing it, for afflictions try faith; and the trying of faith, works patience, James i. 3. Rom. v. 3. I proceed to observe,

III. The usefulness of this grace, and the exercise of it. 1. It makes a man comfortable and happy in himself, In your patience possess ye your souls, Luke xxi. 19. 2. It is of great use in running the christian race; Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Heb. xii. 1. 3. There is need of it, and of its exercise, in doing the will of God, in order to receive the promise, Heb. x. 36. 4. Another use of the grace of patience is, that when it has its perfect work, saints become perfect also, James i. 4.

IV. The motives to the exercise of this grace, may be considered. 1. It is what God calls his people to; as to suffer for well doing, su to take suffering for well doing patiently, 1 Pet. ii. 21. 2. The exercise of this grace is approved of, and commended by God, 1 Pet. ii. 20. I know thy patience, Rev. ii. 2 3.It is commendable in the sight of good men; Solomon extols it, Eccles. vii. 8, and the apostle Paul, 1 Thess. i. 3. 4. The patience of God exercised towards his people may be improved into an argument exciting to it, the long suffering of the Lord is salvation to them, 2 Pet. iii. 9. 15, 5. The example of Christ, and of his patience, is very strong and forcible, and engaging to it. 6. The examples of the saints in all ages, may serve to encourage to the exercises of patience; of the prophets of the old Testament; of the apos tles of Christ; and of the martyrs of Jesus, James v. 10, 11. 7. The near coming of Christ is made use of to stir up to patience; Be ye also patient, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, James v. 7, 8. The summer is at hand, halcyon days will come peace will be like a river, and the glory of the church like a flowing stream!

OF CHRISTIAN FORTITUDE.

THOUGH saints are to be humble, they are not to indulge to pusillanimity, and to a meanness of spirit; but to shew firmness of mind, and undaunted courage; For God hath no given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sounį mind, 2 Tim. i. 7. Let us observe,

I. The nature and necessity of it. It is not natural fortitude, which may be in brutes as well as in men, Prov. xxx. 30. A true christian fortitude is to be distinguished from eivil fortitude, or what is exercised in war, in a military way; it is concerned about things which are apparently the will of God, and is exercised in obedience to it.

Now of such fortitude there is a necessity in the christian life. When we consider the many duties of religion to be performed by us; our own weakness; the many difficulties and dangers to be encountered; the numerous enemies we have to grapple with; the need of great fortitude of mind and strength, plainly appears.

II. Wherein this fortitude consists, and whereby it shews itself. 1. It appears in the performance of religious exercises, as, 1. In family worship; As for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord, Josh. xxiv. 15. 2. In a man's giving up himself to a church of Christ, to walk with it in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. 3. Especially if such a man comes into a church in a regular manner, by previously submiting to the ordinances of baptism, and to that as it was first delivered and practised; if he declares against the sprinkling of infants, as an innovation, and openly avows the true doctrine of baptism: he must be content to be nicknamed, and to have reproach plentifully poured upon him. But when a man is satisfied that what he is called to do is his duty, he will take courage and be strong; The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm xxvii. 1-4. this is active fortitude. 11. Christian fortitude shews itself in bearing afflictions with constancy, which may be call. ed passive fortitude. 1. From the hand of God from whom Job was sensible he received his, even his loss of substance, children, and health. 2. From the hands of men; and espe. cially for the sake of the gospel. Death itself, in its most formidable shapes, has been endured by the saints with an invin. cible courage; as by the martyrs in the ten pagan persecu

tions, and by the witnesses of Jesus against the papal hierarchy; and by our reformers in queen Mary's days; such as Lati. mer, Ridley, Bradford, and others; who, surrounded with faggots, and these in flames about them, expressed their undaunted courage, firmness, and fortitude of mind to the last. These, with multitudes of others, loved not their lives unto death. 111. Christian fortitude appears in the spiritual warfare of the saints; Be of good courage, and let us play the man, for our people, and for the cities of our God, 2 Sam. x. 12. It will shew itself, 1. In the defence of the cause of God and truth, in appearing for, and on the behalf of the church of God; the bed which is Solomon's, which seems to design the church of Christ, threescore valiant men are said to be about it of the valiant of Israel, Cant. iii. 7. 2. This also appears in fighting against spiritual enemies, as sin, and the lusts of it. 3. The saints have great reason in their militant state, to be of good courage. IV. Christian fortitude manifests itself in the hour of death. Death is terrible to nature, and to natural men; the philosopher calls it "the most terrible of all terribles:" but formidable as it is, there are some things which fortify the christian against the fears of it. As, 1. That Christ has abolished death as a penal evil. 2. Death to believers is a privilege and blessing. 3. Death, though it sepa. rates soul and body, and one friend from another, it does not separate from the love of God. 4. It is but once, it is appoint. ed for men once to die, and no more. 5. Be it that death is an enemy, it is the last enemy that shall be destroyed. Besides these things, which may serve to promote a fortitude of mind against the fear of death; it may be proper frequently to I meditate upon it, considering it as going to our God and Fa ther, to our home, to our Fathers house; by going to bed, and resting in it; and by sleeping, and that in the arms of Jesus.

IV. From whence this fortitude flows, and what the causes of it, may be next considered. 1. The efficient cause of christian fortitude of mind is God, Father, Son, and Spirit, 2. The

word of God is the means of producing and encreasing it, 1 John ii. 14. Rev. xii. 11. 3. Such a temper and disposition of mind is attainable by faith, prayer, and waiting upon God. 4. The patterns of courage, the examples of fortitude in the saints who have gone before us, may be a means of promoting a like disposition, Heb. xii. 1-3. 5. The love of God, and a persuasion of interest in it, casts out fear, inspires with fortitude against every enemy, Rom. viii. 35. 38, 39. 1 John iv. 18.

OF ZEAL.

ZEAL is an ardour of mind, a fervent affection for some person or thing; it is hot, burning, flaming love, which cannot be quenched by water, nor drowned by floods. It is sometimes used for that strong affection God bears to his people, Isai. ix. 7. And sometimes for a gracious disposition in man, which has God for its object, and is called, Zeal towards God, 2 Cor. xi. 2. In treating of which I shall consider,

I. The various sorts and kinds of zeal; that it may be the better known, what is right and genuine. 1. There is a zeal of God, which is not according to knowledge, which the Jews had, as the apostle testifies, Rom. x. 2. which arose from ignorance of the perfection of God's righteousness; from ignorance of the righteousness which God in the law requires; from a want of knowledge of the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel; from ignorance of their own righteousness, and from a want of faith in Christ. Such a zealot goes contrary to the will and way of God; and therefore his must be a blind, ignorant zeal. 11. There is a mistaken zeal of the glory of God; and for it, as when that is opposed which is right, under a false notion of its being contrary to the glory of God; as when Joshua requested of Moses to forbid the young men prophecying in the camp. When that which is not for the glory of God is wrongly thought to be so, and is zealously pursued as such; as was the zeal of the idolatrous Gentiles for their idols and when ways and methods improper are taken

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