"Behold ye despisers, wonder and perish.—I will laugh "at your calamities, and mock when your fear cometh." Many a heavy charge will he bring forth against an unfaithful generation.

8. Hence fee the duty of all, who would be honoured with a crown of life, namely, To be faithful unto death. Let me exhort you then, 1. To be faithful. 2. To be faithful unto death.

[1.] To be faithful. And there are these following inducements to it I would offer you.

(1.) Faithfulness is what all the children of God may, through grace, attain, in whatever station; though you cannot be perfect here, yet you may be faithful and upright: though you be not fo far dignified as others, in gifts and graces, and have not five talents; yet you may, through grace, be faithful in improving the two you have and fo the woman faid, "Though I cannot

difpute for Chrift, yet I can burn for him." So, though you cannot do much for Chrift, yet you may be accounted faithful, who are ready to fuffer for him. Though you cannot act for him in fuch a public manner, in fuch a public ftation as others, yet you may be faithful in private; yea, and be in a fecret chamber, when it is not to exclude your confeffing Chrift before the world, as you have opportunity. We cannot expect a perfect church on earth, but we fhould feek to be members of a pure and faithful church, aiming at perfection, and owning her imperfections; and faithfully acknowledging all things that are wrong; but, I think, you will own we fhould beware of that church that is fo unfaithful, as neither to confefs nor forfake. However, here, I fay, it is a great encouragement to faithfulness, that, through grace, you may be faithful in whatever ftation, even the loweft; and be as far forward, in fidelity, as the greatest.

(2.) A fecond encouragement is, That a man may be faithful unto God, though he be not fuccessful. It will not be enquired of a minifter in his labour, or a Christian in his endeavours, what fuccefs he has had; but what fidelity he has ufed; therefore Chrift fays

not,

not, Well done, fuccefsful fervant; but, Good and faithful fervant. You may take an inftance of this, both in the public, and in your bofom. In the public; it is faid, Ifa. xlix. 4. "I have laboured in vain, and spent my frength for nought; yet, furely, my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God." Again, in your bofom; it will not be enquired, what fuccefs you have had, and what fpeed you have come in your conflict against fin and Satan; but, art theu aiming at faithfulnefs in the holy war? Pfalm xviii. 21. "I have kept the ways of the Lord." Well, how proves he that? Indeed, he durft not fay, "I have not departed from my God;" but he could venture to fay, I have not wickedly departed from my God.”

(3.) The next encouragement is, Faithfulnef. is the way to increase: the talent that is occupied fhall grow. Many do not grow in grace, because they do not improve it; "Then fhall you know, if you follow on to know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth," Hof. vi. 3.

(4) A fourth encouragement is, It is the greatest honour can be put upon you, and the greatest mercy you can find, to get leave to be faithful; it is faid of Paul, he obtained mercy to be faithful, 1 Cor. vii. 25. If you confidered, that to be faithful is a privilege, and a great mercy, you would go chearfully to work: but when you believe the command to be faithful in this or that duty, as upon Pharaoh's talk-mafters, faying, with heaviness," It must be done;" and not with chearfulnefs, It fhall be done, through grace; why, then your fervice is but legal, not evangelical; forced and not free, as if you were under the law, and not under grace. But if you looked upon faithfulnefs as a mercy, a privilege, and honour, as David did, when he got leave to offer to the houfe of the Lord, then you would fay with him, 1 Chron. xxix. 14. "Who am I, and what is my people, that we fhould be able to offer fo willingly after this fort? For all things are of thee; and of thine own have we given thee.".

(5.) A fifth encouragement we offer is, That though

you

you should have few neighbours in this unfaithful ge neration, yet the fewer they are, that are faithful in their day, the more honourable mention will be made of them; "Thou haft a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they fhall walk with me in white, for they are worthy," Rev. iii. 4. And though the whole generation about them should ruin themselves with their infidelity and apoftacy, yet God will take care of them and theirs, that ftudy faithfulness, and endeavour to put honour upon God in their day; "The Lord faid to Noah, Come thou and all thine houfe into the ark; for thee have I feen righteous before me in this generation," Gen. vii. 1.

(6.) The next encouragement we prefent you with, is this, You that aim at fidelity, though you fhould have never do many unfaithful neighbours about you, yet you fo have a faithful God to deal with. What encouragement is it to be a faithful fervant, that you have a faithful Matter? 1 Cor. i. 9. "God is faithful, by whom you are called unto the fellowship of his Son, Chrift Jefus our Lord." And, chap. x. 13. God is faithful, who will not fuffer you to be tempted above that you are able," &c. 1 Thef. v. 24. "Faithful is he that called you, who alfo will do it." And, 2 Thef. iii. 3. where the apoftle, fpeaking of the need of being delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, "For all men have not faith," it follows, "But the Lord is faithful, who fhall ftablish you, and keep you from evil. 1 John i.9. If we confefs our fins[namely, over the head of the facrifice, "The blood of Christ, that cleanfes from all fin," God is faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteoufnels;" as oft as the faithfulnefs of God is fpoken of in fcripture, fo often you are invited to take encouragement from it. You may fay, "Lord, thou haft called me to fuch a work " and warfare:" and the Lord will fay, "I am faithful that hath called you, and alfo will do it." Likewife, his word is a faithful word, a faithful faying; and Chrift is a merciful and faithful High-prielt, the true and faith, ful witnefs, Rev. xix. 11. His name in capital letters, is called, FAITHFUL and TRUE. You need not fear to venture on difficulties in his fervice; for he that

-

has

has called you is faithful and true.

hort you,

I would next ex

[2.] To be faithful unto death; that is, to perfeverance and conftancy: for which end I offer you the following directions.

(1.) Look not only to your work, but to your encouragement; yea, look firft to your encouragement and privilege, and next to your work; for you are not now called to do, and live; but to live, and do. Look to the life, frength, and righteoufnefs, fulness and furniture you have in Chrift; and then up and be doing, with the pfalmift, "I will go in the ftrength of the Lord, making mention of his righteoufnefs, even of his only," Pfalm lxxi. 16. If you look only to the burdenfome work, the hard task, it will break your back, and break your heart, and damp your courage before ever you begin. Therefore,

(2.) If you would be faithful unto death, quit your own ftrength, and even all the ftrength of grace received formerly, or prefently, and be not ftrong in that, but in the grace that is in Chrift, 1 Tim. ii. 1.; in the grace that is in the fountain, running out to you in the promifes. The children of God never loft their feet, when they thought themfelves in hazard, and were diffident of themfelves; but when God was good to them, and they thought their mountain ftood ftrong, this brought in a flip and a fall. If thou goeft through the wilderness, it must be leaning upon thy Beloved.

(3.) If you would be faithful unto death, and to the end, take notice, with thankfulness, of the fteps God has led you through the wildernefs already, faying, as it is, 1 Sam. vii. 12. "Hitherto has the Lord helped us;" and hitherto has the Lord helped me. Some of you have already met with many croffes, and God has carried you through; and yet when you look to the cross before your hand, the fear of that makes you forget what he has done: but, O! bless him for what he has done already, in that fo many croffes are fairly over your head; and, "Now is your falvation nearer than when you firft believed." Therefore hope in him, that he who has delivered, and does deliver, will yet deliver, and help you. (4.) Main.

I

(4.) Maintain the relish of the sweetness of your courfe in the good way of the Lord, "If fo be you have tafted that the Lord is gracious," 1 Pet. ii. 3. Some, indeed, may be carried on to perfeverance, through much bitternefs, because of divine defertion; but you would labour to tafte and fee that God is good; and how, at times, he is even drawing you with the bands of love, when you are feeking him. Have you not found fometimes a fmell of his ointment on the lock of the door, fweetly drawing you after him?

(5.) Would you be conftant to death? Then confider the lofs and difadvantage of inconftancy; if you perfevere not, you are in greater danger than before; "It had been better not to have known the way of righte ousness, than after you have known it, to turn from the holy commandment, 2 Pet. ii. 21.-Where is the bleffedness you fpake of? Gal. iv. 15.-Are you fo foolish having begun in the Spirit, are ye, now made perfect in the flefh?" Gal. iii. 3. Had you a fenfe of God's favour when you kept his way? And will you now throw it away in an hour of temptation?

(6.) Would you be faithful to death? Then lay hold upon, and plead the promife of perfeverance; Jer. xxxii. 40. "I will put my fear in their hearts, and they fhall not depart from me." In the ftrength of that promise go on, go on; and remember it is but a little farther you have to continue going on. It is but a fhort while you have to be faithful: it is but unto death; and that is but for a day; becaufe, for any thing you know, to-morrow may end your courfe; in regard you know not what a day may bring forth.

(7.) But laft of all, confider the crowning encouragement in the text, I will give thee a crown of life: though you fhould be now lofers, yet you shall be gainers hereafter; though now you are in a way of fuffering, yet you are in the way to glory: if you be truly faithful, and faithful unto death, you are going as Chrift did, by the way of the crofs to the crown. See Luke xxiv. 26. "Ought not Chrift to have fuffered the fe things, and then to enter into his glory?" And ought you not to follow his fteps? If fo, you are fure of the crown.

And