people of higher rank, that, with fome, he is not reckoned a man of any fpirit, that will bow a knee to God in his family.

4. In our national covenant we fwear to endeavour the reformation of England and Ireland from the remains of the Roman hierarchy, and ceremonies of man's invention in the worship of God: But how is this article performed, when by folemn treaty, the representatives of the nation, in a parliamentary capacity, have confented that epifcopacy fhould continue as the form of worship and government in our neighbour nation? Again, by the covenant we swear to endeavour the extirpation of popery; and yet, how many mailes are kept openly in the land, particularly in the northern parts of the kingdom? How many trafficking priefts and Jefuits are fwarming among us? And how many profeft proteftants are there who have of late fhewn their good will to facrifice a protestant interest unto the will of a popish pretender? Again, in our national covenant, we abjure prelacy and tyranny in our church-government; but, tho' prelatick tyranny be not established, yet there is too much of a prelatick fpirit venting itself among us at this day, while many are laying claim to a negative voice, in radical judicatores, over thefe whofe offices gives them equal intereft in the government of the church with themfelves: And there is but too much tyranny exercifed over the Lord's people by many judicatories of the church, while men are thruft in upon them, to take the charge of their fouls, contrary to their own free choice and election. Chrift's little ones are but too little regarded, if the world's great ones be gratified: On which account many of the Lord's people are crying at this day, with the church, Cant. v. 7. The watchmen that went about the city, found

me, they finote me, they took away my vail from me. Again, in our covenant, we abjure fuperftition in worship; and yet, to the fcandal of our holy religion, it is not only tolerate by publick authority, but greedily gone after by many in our land. Herefy and error is abjured by the covenant, every doctrine inconfiftent with the word of God, and our confeffion of faith; and yet all forts of errors are tolerate, except rank popery, and blafphemy against the trinity. 'Tis true, the ftandard of our doctrine (bleffed be God) remains pure; but it is to be lamented, there is not fo much zeal difcovered in curbing error, as our covenant-vows do engage us to. Again, in our covenant, we abjure malignants, that is to fay, enemies to a covenanted work of reformation, as being no members of our church, and confequently, as having no right to the privileges thereof; and yet malignant lords and lairds are the men who are generally gratified in the affair of planting churches, in oppofition unto them that fear God, and who, on all occafions, difcover their love and regard for a covenanted work of reformation. Again, in the covenant, we fwear against a deteftable neutrality and indifferency in the caufe of God and religion; and yet, how many Gallio's are there among us, who are indifferent whether the intereft of Chrift fink or fwim? And does it not discover too much of a lamentable lukewarmnefs and indifferency of fpirit about the way and work of God, when we are beginning to abridge the ordinary number of our fermons at our folemn gofpel feftivals, and to diminish the folemnity thereof, which has been fo remarkably owned of God? What elfe is this, but a fnuffing at his ordinances?

and

and faying, practically, What a weariness is it? Mal. i. 13. Sirs, whatever fome may think of the matter, yet I know that the hearts of many of the Lord's people are forrowful, even unto groaning, for the folemn affembly. I fhall not fay, that what is now tranfacted of late, with relation to this matter, is a breach of our national covenant; but I fay, it feems to be a fad evidence of the lukewarmnefs of our fpirits about the way and work of God. And I find, that a changing of the ordinances, and a breaking of the everlasting covenant, go together in fcripture, Ifa. xxiv. 5..

I might have told you of many other things, that break and burden the fpirits of the Lord's people at this day; particularly, of the removing of the righteous by death, which, as it is a great and heavy judgment in itself, fo it is an ordinary forerunner of fome heavy calamity approaching, Ifa. lvii. 1. None confidering that the righteous. are taken away from the evil to come. And, I fuppofe, there may may be many hearing me, whofe hearts are inwardly groaning to this day, for the removal of that eminent light, which fhined with fuch a refreshing luftre from this pulpit among you fo many years; it prognofticates ill to our Zion, when fuch watchmen are called off from her walls, as, on all occafions, were ready to blow the trumpet upon the approach of any danger from earth or hell. But I pafs this ufe, and go on to

A 4th ufe of the doctrine, which fhall be in a word to two forts of perfons.

1. A word to you who are not burdened in this tabernacle. Ye never knew what it was to groan, either for your own fins, or for the fins of the land wherein

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* Mr. James Webster.

wherein you live, or the tokens of God's anger, which are to be found among us; thefe are things of no account with them, they can go very lightly and easily under them: All I fhall fay to you, fhall be comprised in these two or three words.

1. It seems the adamant and nether milftone ye carry in your breaft was never to this day broken by the power of regenerating grace: And therefore, I may fay to you as Peter faid to Simon Magus, Ye are yet in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, Acts viii. 23. Ye are under the flavery of Satan, and the curfe of the law, and wrath of God; and these are heavy burdens, whether ye feel them or not.

2. Know it for a certainty, that except mercy and repentance interpofe, your groaning time is coming. However ye make light of fin now, and of things ferious and facred, yet ye will find them to be fad and weighty things, when death is fitting down upon your eye-lids; when your eye-ftrings are breaking, and your fouls taking their flight into another world. O what will you do in the day of vifitation? Whither will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? Ifa. x. 3. When ye are standing trembling pannels before the awful bar of the great Jehovah, will ye make light of fin then? Or, will ye make light of it, when, with Dives, ye are weltring among the flames of hell? O confider this, ye who forget God, left he tear you in pieces, when none fhall be able to deliver you out of his bands! Be afflicted, weep and mourn ; let your laughter be turned into weeping, and your joy into beavinefs. Whether do ye think it is better to groan a while in this tabernacle, under the burden of fin,

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or to groan for ever under the weight of God's vengeance, while an endless eternity endures?

A 2d fort I would fpeak a word unto, are poor, broken and burdened, believers, who are groaning under the weight of these burdens I mentioned. I only offer two or three things for your encouragement, with which I fhall clofe: For we are to comfort them that mourn in Zion.

If, Know for thy comfort, poor believer, that thy tender-hearted Father is privy to all thy fecret groans; though the world know nothing about them, he hears them. Lord, fays David, all my defire is before thee: And my groanings are not hid from thee, Pfal. xxxviii. 9. As he puts thy tears in his bottle, fo he marks down thy groans in the book of his remembrance.

2dly, As the Lord hears thy groans, fo he groans with thee under all the burdens: For he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities; and in all our afflictions he is afflicted. He has the bowels of a father unto his children, Pfal. ciii. 13. As a father pitieth his children: So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Yea, his heart is fo tender toward thee, that it is compared to the tender affection of a mother to her fucking child. And therefore,

3dly, Know for thy encouragement, that thou art not alone under thy burdens. No; The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlafting arms. He bears thee and thy burdens both : And therefore, Tho' thou may pass through the fire and water, yet the fire fhall not burn thee, the waters of adverfity fhall not overwhelm thee.

4thly, Know for thy comfort, that whatever be thy burden, and however heavy thy groanings are, there is abundant confolation provided for thee