ignorantly, and in unbelief, yet when they find out who it is that they have opposed, undoubtedly God will hold them. bound publicly to confess it.

And on the other side, if those that have been zealous to promote the work, have in any of the forementioned instances openly gone much out of the way, and done that which is contrary to Christian rules, whereby they have openly injured others, or greatly,violated good order, and so done that which has wounded religion, they must publicly confess it, and humble themselves, as they would gather out the stones, and prepare the way of God's people. They who have laid great stumbling-blocks in other's way, by their open transgression, are bound to remove them, by their open repentance.

Some probably will be ready to object against this, that the opposers will take advantage by this to behave themselves insolently, and to insult both them and religion. And indeed, to the shame of some, they have taken advantage by such things; as of the good spirit that Mr. Whitefield showed in his retractions, and some others. But if there are some imbittered enemies of religion, that stand ready to improve every thing to its disadvantage, yet that ought not to hinder doing an enjoined Christian duty; though it be in the manifestation of humility and repentance, after a fault openly committed. To stand it out, in a visible impenitence of a real fault, to avoid such an inconvenience, is to do evil to prevent evil. And besides, the danger of an evil consequence is much greater on the other side: to commit sin, and then stand in it, is what will give the enemy the greatest advantage. For Christians to act like Christians, in openly humbling themselves, when they have openly offended, in the end brings the greatest honor to Christ and religion; and in this way are persons most likely to have God appear for them.

Again, at such a day as this, God does especially call his people to the exercise of extraordinary meekness and mutual

forbearance for at such a time, Christ appears as it were coming in his kingdom, which calls for great moderation in our behavior towards all men ; as is evident Phil. iv. 5., “Let your moderation be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand." The awe of the divine majesty that appears present or approaching, should dispose us to it, and deter us from the contrary. For us to be judging one another, and behaving with fierceness and bitterness, one towards another, when he who is the Searcher of all hearts, to whom we must all give an account, appears so remarkably present, is exceeding unsuitable. Our business at such a time should be at home, searching ourselves, and condemning ourselves, and taking heed to our own behavior. If there be glorious prosperity to the church of God approaching, those that are the most meek, will have the largest share in it for when Christ "rides forth, in his glory and majesty, it is because of truth, meekness, and righteousness." Psalm xlv. 3, 4. And when God remarkably" arises, to execute judgment, it is to save all the meek of the earth." Psalm lxxvi. 9. And it is "the meek that shall increase their joy in the Lord." Isa. xxix. 19. And when the time comes that God will give this lower world into the hands of his saints, it is "the meek that shall inherit the earth." Psalm xxxvii. 11. and Mat. v. 9. "But with the froward, God will show himself unsavory."

Those, therefore, that have been zealous for this work, and have greatly erred and been injurious in their zeal, ought not to be treated with bitterness. There is abundant reason to think, that most of them are the dear children of God, for whom Christ died; and therefore that they will see their error. As to those things, wherein we see them to be in an error, we have reason to say of them as the apostle, Philip. iii. 15., “If any are otherwise minded, God shall reveal this unto them." Their errors should not be made use of by us, so much to excite indignation towards them, but should influence all of us, that hope that we are the children of God, to humble ourselves, and become more entirely dependent on

the Lord Jesus Christ, when we see those, that are God's own people, so ready to go astray. And those ministers that have been judged, and injuriously dealt with, will do the part of Christ's disciples, not to judge and revile again, but to receive such injuries with meekness and forbearance, and making a good improvement of them, more strictly examining their hearts and ways, and committing themselves to God. This will be the way to have God vindicate them in his providence, if they belong to him. We have not yet seen the end of things; nor do we know who will be most vindicated, and honored of God, in the issue. Eccl. vii. S. "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

Contrary to this mutual meekness, is each party's stigmatizing one another with odious names, as is done in many parts of New England, which tends greatly to widen and perpetuate the breach. Such distinguishing names of reproach, do, as it were, divide us into two armies, separated, and drawn up in battle array, ready to fight one with another, which greatly hinders the work of God.

And as such an extraordinary time as this does especially require of us the exercise of a great deal of forbearance, one towards another; so there is peculiarly requisite in God's people, the exercise of great patience, in waiting on God, under any special difficulties and disadvantages they may be under, as to the means of grace. The beginning of a revival of religion will naturally and necessarily be attended with a great many difficulties of this nature; many parts of the reviving church will, for a while, be under great disadvantages, by reason of what remains of the old disease, of a general corruption of the visible church. We cannot expect that, after a long time of degeneracy and depravity in the state of things in the church, things should all come to rights at once; it must be a work of time and for God's people to be over hasty and violent, in such a case, being resolved to have every thing rectified at once, or else forcibly to de

liver themselves, by breaches and separations, is the way to hinder things coming to rights as they otherwise would, and to keep them back, and the way to break all in pieces. Not but that the case may be such, the difficulty may be so intolerable, as to allow of no delay, and God's people cannot continue in the state wherein they were, without violations of absolute commands of God. But otherwise, though the difficulty may be very great, another course should be taken. God's people should have their recourse directly to the throne of grace, to represent their difficulties before the great Shepherd of the sheep, that has the care of all the affairs of his church; and when they have done, they should wait patiently upon him: if they do so, they may expect that in his time, he will appear for their deliverance: but if instead of that, they are impatient, and take the work into their own hands, they will betray their want of faith, and will dishonor God, and cannot have such reason to hope that Christ will appear for them, as they have desired, but have reason to fear that he will leave them to manage their affairs for themselves, as well as they can: when otherwise, if they had waited on Christ patiently, continuing still instant in prayer, they might have had an appearing for them, much more effectually to deliver them. "He that believeth shall not make haste;" and it is for those that are found patiently waiting on the Lord, under difficulties, that he will especially appear, when he comes to do great things for his church, as is evident by Isa. xxx. 18. and chap. xl. at the latter end, and xlix. 23., and Ps. xxxvii. 9., and many other places.

I have somewhere, not long since, met with an exposition of those words of the spouse, that we have several times repeated in the book of Canticles, "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please," which is the only satisfying exposition that ever I met with; which was to this purpose, viz. that when the church of God is under great difficulties, and in distress, and Christ does not appear for her help, but seems to neglect

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her, as though he were asleep, God's people, or the daugh ters of Jerusalem, in such a case, should not show a hasty spirit; and not having patience to wait for Christ to awake for their help, till his time comes, take indirect courses for their own deliverance, and use violent means for their escape, before Christ appears to open the door for them; and so, as it were, stir up, and awake Christ, before his time, When the church is in distress, and God seems not to appear for her in his providence, he is very often represented in scripture, as being asleep; as Christ was asleep in the ship, when the disciples were tossed by the storm, and the ship covered with waves and God's appearing afterwards for his people's help, is represented as his awaking out of sleep. Psalm vii. 6. and xxxv. 23. and xliv. 23. and lix. 4. and lxxiii. 20. Christ has an appointed time for his thus awaking out of sleep and his people ought to wait upon him; and not, in an impatient fit, stir him up before his time. It is worthy to be observed how strict this charge is given to the daughters of Jerusalem, which is repeated three times over in the book of Canticles, chap. ii. 7. and iii. 5. and viii. 4. In the second chapter and six first verses, is represented the supports Christ gives his church, while she is in a suffering state, as the lily among thorns in the seventh verse is represented her patience in waiting for Christ, to appear for her deliverance, when she charges the daughters of Jerusalem not to stir up, nor awake her love till he please, by the roes and the hinds of the field; which are creatures of a gentle, harmless nature, are not beasts of prey, do not devour one another, do not fight with their enemies, but fly from them; and are of a pleasant, loving nature, Prov. v. 19. In the next verse, we see the Church's success, in this way of waiting under sufferings, with meekness and patience; Christ soon awakes, speedily appears, and swiftly comes: The voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills!