This is the way to culti- love them that are begotten of him.* vate and preserve peace, and restore it when lost. go on in this way, you may hope you will continue a flourishing society, and that the GoD of love and peace will be with you; which is the motive the apostle urges to enforce his exhortation. But this is not the whole extent of your duty. You are to cultivate peace not only among yourselves in your own congregation, but to follow peace with all men. If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, live peaceably with all men.† Maintain peace with your brethren around you of the established church; and never let differences in religion break up good neighbourhood, or interrupt the good offices in civil life. Indeed, if men will quarrel with you because you will think for yourselves in matters, in which every man must give an account of himself to God; because you will not follow the multitude to do evil, but resolve to save your souls, though you should be singular in the attempt; because you will not be of their mind in every punctilio, nor take your religion upon trust from them: I say, if men will quarrel with you on such accounts as these, you cannot help it; the breach of peace is chargeable upon them; and you are not obliged to give up truth, religion, and liberty, to gratify their humour. Be tenacious of truth and liberty, and contend earnestly for the faith, but still in the spirit of meekness, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Were I never to speak a word more, I could venture to affirm, that it is the cause of liberty and the gospel, and not a carnal faction, or a schismatical body, that you, my dissenting brethren, have been promoting: and this is the true grace of God in which you stand. The longer I live, the more I am confirmed, that the simple method of worship I have practised, free from the ceremonies of human invention, and those doctrines of grace so mortifying to the pride of man, and so unfashionable in our age and country, which I have taught you, are agreeable to the pure gospel of Christ, pleasing to God, and conducive to your salvation. I am so far from advising you to give up this cause for the sake of peace, that, on the other hand, it is my solemn charge to you, in the name of God, zealously to maintain and promote it. But this you may do without breaking the peace of church or state: this * 1 John v. 1. † Rom. xii. 18. § Jam. i. 20. # Judę 3. you may do, and yet maintain a peaceable temper and conduct towards those that differ from you. Thus "mind the same thing, and live in peace," and be assured, upon the authority of an inspired apostle, that "the God of love and peace will be with you," and distinguish you with his gracious presence. There is a peculiar propriety and fitness in this; that the God of love should be with those who love one another; that the God of peace should be with those that delight in peace, and maintain it; that is, that he should dwell with those that are like him. What can be more becoming? what can be more in character? Such do you endeavour to be, my brethren, and the God of love and peace will be with you, though your once-loved minister can be with you no longer. He will dwell among you; and his gracious presence will more than supply the absence of all his creatures. If he be with you, he will cause his church among you to flourish, and adorn every individual in it with the beauties of holiness. If the God of love and peace be with you, he will cause love and peace to prevail among you, and render you a society of friends and brethren, walking unanimous to the same heavenly country, like affectionate fellow-pilgrims. If he be with you, his gospel will not be that languid, feeble, inefficacious thing that it has been for some time; but even occasional opportunities of worship will be more serviceable to you, than stated have been; and even your silent Sabbaths, will be more delightful seasons, than those you have spent in his house, without his gracious presence. God grant you may enjoy this blessing in time, till you are advanced into his more immediate presence in a happy eternity! Thus have I endeavoured to illustrate the apostle's general farewel advice. The remaining part of my design is, to take my leave of the several classes and ranks among you in a particular manner, and to give you a few parting advices adapted to your respective characters. FAREWEL, ye saints of the living God, ye "few names even in HANOVER, that have not defiled your garments." Ye shall farewel indeed. That God, whose the earth is, and the fulness thereof; that God, who makes angels happy, and whose goodness extends from the highest archangels down to the sparrows, the young ravens, and the lily and grass of the field; that God is your God, and has undertaken your welfare. That "God will be your God forever; and he will be your guide even until death." He will guide you by his counsel through the intricacies of life, and then receive you into glory.† Survey the sacred treasury of the divine promises laid up for you in the Bible, and stand lost in delightful wonder at your own riches. Behold the immense inheritance which the blood of Christ has purchased for you, and the grace of God bestowed upon you by an unalienable title. "All things are yours whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas:" all the ministers of Christ, and all their various gifts, are for your service; and if you are deprived of one of them, God will provide you another, or in some way make up the loss. "All things are yours, whether the world, or life, or death, or things present or things to come : all are yours; and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." It doth not yet appear what you shall be. I have known you broken-hearted penitents; honest, laborious, weeping seekers of Jesus, and conscientious, though imperfect observers of his will: I have known you poor mortal creatures, sometimes trembling, sometimes rejoicing, sometimes nobly indifferent at the prospect of death. But I hope yet to know you under a higher character; glorious IMMORTALS, perfect in holiness, vigorous and bright, and full of devotion, " as the rapt seraphs adore and burn;" and qualified to bear a part in the more sublime and divine worship of the heavenly temple. There I hope to find some humble seat among you, and spend a blessed eternity in the divine intimacy of immortal friendship, without interruption or the fear of parting. Therefore adieu; but not forever. Adieu for a few years, or months, or days, till death collects us to our common home, in our Father's house above. You have been the joy of my life, under all the discouragements and fatigues of my ministry; and to your prayers I owe the comfort and success I have had among you. You have great interest in the court of heaven, through the all-prevailing intercession of that advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous; therefore I beg you would always afford me the charity of your prayers, wherever I go, till the weeping voice of prayer be changed into rapturous strains of praise. If I have been so happy as to improve you in divine knowledge, and help you in your pilgrimage through this wilderness, I esteem it one of the most delightful actions of my life, and one of the greatest blessings of God to the unworthiest of his servants; and to him alone I Psa. Ixxiii. 24. 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22, 23. *Psa. xlviii. 14. would have you and myself ascribe all the glory. "Neither is he that planteth any thing; nor he that watereth: but God, that giveth the increase ;"* he is all in all. If there be among you any of my spiritual children; any that have received their first deep and effectual impressions of religion from my ministry, though it should be the meanest among you, I most heartily bid you farewel. It was worth my while to come into existence, and pass through the hard and dubious conflict of life, if my Maker has been pleased to use my feeble unskilful hand to save some soul from death. This is a more noble and benevolent exploit than to save a kingdom from the heaviest temporal slavery; for what is an earthly kingdom to an immortal spirit? I take my leave of you with all the fond endearments of a fatherly heart: for what is my hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? Yes, ye are my glory, and my joy.t "Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved, and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved." Endeavour to make daily proficiency in every branch of true goodness, and beware of apostacy. Having begun in the spirit, beware that you do not end in the flesh. Remember, it is only "he that endureth to the end, that shall be saved: but if any man draw back, God's soul shall have no pleasure in him."§ Shall I say FAREWEL, impenitent sinners? Alas! you cannot farewel, however heartily I wish it. "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked :" and whoever speaks peace to you, in your present condition, does but heal your hurt slightly, and flatter you to your ruin; for "who can bless whom God hath not blessed?" Your consciences bear witness, "that you have had precept upon precept, and line upon line," during my ministry. among you-That "I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God,** and have kept back nothing that was likely to be profitable to you.tt I have warned you, "in season and out of season.-I have reproved, rebuked, and exhorted you, with all long suffering and doctrine." I have preached to you. as a dying man to dying men; and--now the time of my departure is at hand-I must take my farewel of you. Receive, all of you, my brethren, the word of exhortation, from the lips of 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. † Philip. iv. 1. + Heb. x. 38. Isa. xlviii. 22.. #2 Tim. iz. 2. him, whose voice has so often sounded an alarm in your ears; though I fear, as to many of you, without the desired effect. My voice, it is probable, will never more be heard by you. This will be the last time. O recollect the many invitations I have given you on the one hand, and threatenings on the other. Heaven forbid that any of them should arise in judgment against you another day! Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.*-To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. "I beseech you, once more, and I may say, once for all, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." Do not cause me to appear, as a swift witness against you another day— the day of universal retribution,-Flee, flee, all of you, from the wrath to come-lay hold on the hope that is set before you.- -I have finished my message among you. O forget it not. Lay it seriously to heart. If the word you have heard from my lips, prove not a savour of life unto life, it will, it must be a savour of death unto death." Farewel 66 finally, brethren, farewel; be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you," which may God grant for Christ's sake. Amen. |