their Gifts: But ftill his ordinary faithful Prophets are own'd and blefs'd of GOD in Ways more common, yet ufually remarkable, and fometimes very Singular. They have the Special Prefence of GOD with them, in their several Measures. They are the fpecial Care of his Fatherly Providence, and have holy Angels invifibly miniftring to them. They have the Spirit of GOD and of Glory refting upon them, and fupplying 'em with Divine Light, Grace, and Comfort, in various Degrees, as it pleafeth Him, and fometimes very admirably, in their own Senfe and in the Apprehenfion of others. How have they at fome Seafons experienc'd very apparently the Communion of the Holy Ghoft, in a high Degree! How has the Spirit of Supplication been pour'd out upon 'em, that (like Elias) they have pray'd earneftly! And how has GOD honour'd them by fignal Anfwers of Prayer! And in pleading his Caufe, how has He fometimes given them a Mouth and Wifdom, a Courage and Zeal, that the Adverfary cou'd not re fift! How have their Hearts flamed out in fervent Love to Chrift, their whole Souls been fir'd with a holy Indignation against Error and Wickednefs, and their melted Bowels gufh'd out in the tendereft Compaffions to poor perishing Sinners! They have fometimes appear'd full of God, in their Divine Temper and Conduct and have had God manifeftly with them in their Work, ftanding by 'em in their fpiritual Encounters, ftrengthning them to fulfil their facred Miniftry, and diftinguishing them by making 'em the joyful Inftruments of fupporting and promoting the Profeffion, Love, and Practice of Religion, and thereby the Intereft and Honour of GOD in the World! What confpicuous Teftimonies from Heaven have fome of GOD's faithful Minifters receiv'd, in the extraordinary Succefs vifibly attending their Labours for the Conver fion of Sinners, and the Edification of Saints! And when at last call'd off the Stage of Time, how glori

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ously have the Scenes of a holy and useful Life shut up in a ferene and peaceful, if not joyful and triumphant Death! Shall we not own now, that JEHOVAH is the LORD GOD of the holy Prophets, in a bleffed tranfcendent Senfe, very vifibly in the prefent World?

Yet it must be remember'd, even all this do's not take in the complete Scope and Intention of thofe comprehenfive Words, The LORD GOD of Elijah: But the Expreffion has a further View, and reaches to another and better and eternal World. Elifba (in our Text) looks beyond the prefent Life, and even after the Prophet's Departure out of this temporal State adores God as ftill the LORD GOD of Elijah. In Truth, 'tis efpecially with an Eye to a better Country, that is, an beavenly, into which the Saints are tranflated finally, that GOD is faid to be not ashamed to be called their GOD: There it is that He bestows upon 'em perfect Happinefs and Glory, according to the full Emphafis of this big Expreffion. And in that bleffed upper World holy Prophets have diftinguishing Rewards affign'd them. None indeed was ever (that we know of) tranflated thither in a Chariot of Fire, and without feeing Death, fave Elijah and Enoch, and perhaps few have a greater Reward in Heaven: Yet every Saint arrives as fafe, under the Conduct of good Angels, in the World of happy Spirits, tho' by the common and inferior Road of Mortality, and every faithful Prophet meets a glorious fignal Reward in the Manfions above. In the City of God there are different Degrees of Happiness, a Diversity of Privileges and Honours. And the bleffed God will decree a very advanced Glory and Felicity to his holy Prophets, difcriminating them in their future Recompences, in Proportion to the varying Meafures of their prefent Improvements in real Holinefs, and of their intended Services, if not their actual Ufefulness in this World. Peter, an infpired Prophet and Apostle, not only hopes himself to be a Partaker of the future Glory,

but

but affures the faithful Elders and uninfpired Prophets, that when the CHIEF SHEPHERD fhall appear, They alfo fhall receive a Crown of Glory which fadeth not away: and it will, as to many, be a very rich and refulgent Crown, a far more exceeding (as well as eternal) Weight of Glory. As the afpectable Heavens in their feveral Parts vary to our Eye in their Degrees of Light and Splendor: So likewife is it with the Saints in their feparate State, and in the Refurrection-World. They (fays the Prophet) that are wife (wife to Salvation of their own Souls) fhall fhine as the Brightness of the FIRMAMENT (which is a great, yet fainter Brightness) and they that have turned many to Righteousness (fo approving themselves wife to win others Souls) shall shine forth as the STARS (with a fuperiour and more remarkable Luftre) for ever and ever. The SUN of Righteousness will fhine on fuch with his fuperlatively fplendid and benign Rays; and the SAVIOUR will exprefs the God to them in a moft tranfcendent Manner, by poffeffing them of the fublimeft Happiness, and transforming them into the Image of his own Glory, with a peculiar Perfection and Eminence that fhall put a visible eternal Diftinction upon them.

And now the happy Thought we have been dwelling upon, might be improv'd to a great Variety of excellent practical Purpofes, in a large APPLICATION; But I fhall fuggeft only the following important Con

clufions.

1. Here's Matter of Encouragement and of Awakning to the Children of the Prophets; I mean their natu ral Off-fpring. Such are eminently Children of the Covenant and by their Fathers very high Profeffion, and near Relation to GoD, are themselves alfo vifibly brought nigh to Him. The Promife is to them, at leaft in common with other the Children of religious Parents; for the Bleffing of Abraham is come upon the believing Gentiles, I will be a GOD to Thee and to thy

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Seed: And while they wait on the LORD, they may encourage their Faith and Hope by an Application of this great and precious Promife. But then at the fame time it fhou'd awaken a holy Fear in their Souls, to confider the awful Vows of God which are upon them.

Tho' the Children of Minifters in Gofpel-Days are not boly to the LORD, in the fame peculiar Senfe, as were the Sons of Levi under the Mofaic Difpenfation: yet they are fo in a Senfe, at least in that common to all Children of Chriftian Parents; feparated from a World lying in Wickedness, externally call'd with an holy Vocation, devoted to GoD as his vifible Children, and engag'd to honour Him by all Chriftian Duty and Service. Yea, the Minifter's Standing in the Church of God (as well as the Advantage of an Education in á Family well-order'd, as his ought to be) feems to raise and increafe the folemn Obligations upon bis Children to a very virtuous, holy and heavenly Life. It's requir'd of the Bishop (1 Tim. 3. 4.)That he rule well his own Houfe, having his Children in Subjection with all Gravity; and (Tit. 1. 6.) Having faithful Children: which not only speaks the Parent'sObligation, but hints alfo theChil dren's Duty. As it is expected of Minifters, that they fhew themselves Patterns of good Works in general, and of relative Duties in particular: fo it's expected, that their Families (above all the Families in Ifrael) be Patterns of Devotion, Order, Unity, Sobriety, Gravity. We would then command our Houfholds to keep the Way of the LORD. O. our Children, in particular, we exhort you to be faithful Children, and to labour for all Gravity, in Thought and Temper, in Speech and Behaviour. We warn and befeech you in the Name of Chrift and by the Love of Chrift, fee to it, that you do in the first place fincerely chufe and avouch the GOD of your Fathers for your GOD, and then that you walk. before Him and be perfect, walk worthy of Him, and as becometh your Baptifinal Engagements, your religious Defcent, and

ministerial

minifterial Parentage. Verily the Glory of GoD, the Intereft of CHRIST, the Honour of the Ministry, the Fame of New England, the Credit and Comfort of your anxious Parents, your own Reputation and Usefulness, present Peace and future Happiness, and the united Expectations both of Heaven and Earth from you, are all very weighty and forcible Arguments, confpiring with one Voice, to demand and urge your thoughtful Solici tude, earnest Prayer, and active Ufe of all proper Means, that you may be found early and faithful Keepers of GoD's holy Covenant. O let that be the upright, prefent and perfevering Profeffion and Refolution of your Souls (Exod. 15. 2.) The LORD is my GOD, and I will prepare Him an Habitation; my Fathers GOD, and I will exalt Him. Read and apply the Royal Saint's dying Charge to his Son Solomon, I CHRON. 28. 9. Together with that very quickning Word from the Mouth of your bleffed Saviour, PROV. 8. 17.

Turn down the Leaves where you find the Places in your Bible, and make thefe Texts particularly familiar to you, often and closely meditating upon 'em, and praying over them. O that the bleffed SPIRIT of Grace may fet in with the Words, and give them a powerful and lafting Impreffion on your Souls! And for the Direction of your general Conduct, I recommend to your frequent Perufal (among other Parts of Scripture) that very copious, tho' fhort Chapter, the Second in the Epiftle to Titus.

[And now on this Occafion I wou'd apply what has been faid more particularly to my own Children, and take the Opportunity in this publick manner to leave my most folemn Charges upon them. Hear, my Chil dren! You will eafily believe me when I tell you, GOD is my Record, how greatly I long after you all in the Bowels of Jefus Chrift. And now I command and exhort You by the Lord Jefus Chrift, I warn and charge You now before GOD and the World, that You obferve

thefe