at your leisure. Now, there were two sorts of Nazarites. some limited to a certain time, others were perpetual; and these latter were consecrated to the study of the word of God, and trained up thereunto from their childhood, under a severe discipline and austere course of life, that at length they might be able to go before the people of God, as well by soundness of doctrine as by the example of an holy life. So that now the meaning of the text is that although Almighty God had done great things for Judah and Israel, yet this benefit exceeded all the rest, that the Lord had provided a faithful ministry, not only extraordinary, but such as were raised from the posterity of his people by his blessing upon the schools of learning and means of education, to be separated unto God, and set apart for the work of God in the salvation of men's souls.3

Doctrine: It is a special blessing of God to His people, when He affords and blesses the means of instruction for the education of youth, to raise up some from our children and young men, and to fit them for the work of the ministry. It is a blessing of God, for he saith [I raised up] no creature alone can do it; it is a special blessing; more than deliverance from any outward enemies, as the Amorites and Canaanites were, for they had but an arm of flesh; but here are spiritual wickednesses that be vanquished; it is greater than the deliverance out of Egypt, for many that were delivered from thence afterwards perished, Jude 5.

It is a greater mercy than the Lord showed to His people in leading them through the wilderness forty years, though herein there was the Angel of God's presence that went before them, in the pillar of cloud and fire, that directed them and kept them in all their way, yet neither was that mercy comparable to that in the text, for that was mainly an outward help, for, notwithstanding that there were six hundred thousand of them, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness; but in this spiritual mercy eternal destruction is prevented. This, therefore, exceeds all the rest; and there is another kind of the Lord's presence walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks, which brings us to spiritual and everlasting peace and mercy in the ministry of God's servants.

For the further proof of this ye may observe that the Lord much stands upon this, on all occasions, as the greatest favor in sending of His prophets and ministers and messengers unto His people, as 2 Chron. 36, 15:* The Lord God of your fathers, sent unto you by his messengers, rising up early and sending them' (when, as God's ministers rise up betimes, then God Himself is said to rise up betimes, God will not sleep when His ministers wake). Why did the Lord thus arise and send? Because He had compassion on His people and on His habitation; because of the bowels of His pity and compassion on the poor souls of His people, so, Jer. 3, 15, when He promises to give pastors after His own heart to feed them with knowledge and understanding, upon their unfeigned repentance. Yea, this is such a mercy that it may comfort the hearts of God's people whatsoever their afflictions be, as the Lord saith: Isaiah 30, 20, though I feed them with the bread of affliction and give them the water of affliction to drink, yet their eyes shall see their teachers, and their teachers shall not be removed into a corner any

The citations, which in the printed copy are in italic, in this and subsequent instances are distinguished by inverted commas.

more'; as if He had said, though your afflictions are heavy, yet this shall be a mitigation of them, that you shall have faithful teachers to instruct you still. This will surely mitigate and lighten all other afflictions; yea, this will lift up God's people above all their afflictions; will lift them up to heaven, as it is spoken of Capernaum, Mat. 11, and observable is that of Paul: Rom. 15, 29, 'I know that when I come unto you I shall come in the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel.' Ye see that there is a fullness of blessing in the preaching of the Gospel; they are but shallow blessings, in comparison, that we have in outward things.

But now, when the Lord raised up our sons and young men to be our prophets and ministers, the blessing is greatly increased. Ye may remember how marvelously Zacharias was affected, Luke 1, 67, when it was revealed to him by the angel that he should have a son that should turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God; that is, that he should serve Him in the work of the ministry, and should come in the spirit and power of Elias. What joy and gladness he was filled withal? and broke forth into that heavenly song of praises unto the Lord, and next, unto the mercy of God in Christ. He praises Him for John Baptist and saith: verse 76. 'Thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins.' This was the great argument of his praises: not only that John Baptist should be a prophet, and should give knowledge of salvation to God's people, but that his child should serve God in so high and heavenly a calling, and so great an employment. So it was granted for a great blessing that the Lord promised to Phinehas: Numb. 25, 13, 'He shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel'; if the Lord had not accounted this a great mercy he would never have given it as a reward to His faithful servant, neither on the contrary would the Lord have laid this as a heavy judgment on Eli's house, that He cut them off from His altar, that is, He deprived them utterly from the office of the priesthood, which afterwards the Lord did when He cut off, by the hands of Saul, Nob, the city of the priests. Thus the point is sufficiently cleared by Scripture.

Reason 1. This must needs be a great blessing, because the ministry is purchased at so high a rate and the business was so great to set it up, now the providing of an able and faithful ministry cost much, and it was a mighty business to set it up.

Ephe. 4, 8, Christ ascended up on high and led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men: first, that Christ must not only descend into the lower parts of the earth, but He must ascend into heaven, far above all principalities and powers. 2. He must lead captivity captive, that is, over sin, Satan, and whatsoever had led us away captive, to do this. If all the powers of darkness could hinder it, there should never have been a faithful ministry set up, therefore Christ must captivate all these for this end. This showeth the blessing to be exceeding great, that so great a means was requisite for the procuring of it.

Reason 2. There is in the same place annexed another reason to prove the greatness of this blessing, taken from the excellency of the end of it:

verses 11, 12, ‘He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, and for edifying of the body of Christ,' as if he had said that this benefit is of so great a necessity that it concerns both the gath. ering and building up and the eternal salvation of the elect.

Objection: it will be said that this was but for a short time, that the apostles and prophets and evangelists did continue.

Answer. But we have the writings of the apostles, prophets, and evangelists to the end, and we must have ordinary ministers, pastors, and teachers till we all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that is, to the end of the world and the consummation of all things, and, therefore, it is an hellish delusion to conceive that the ministry should be lost quite and disannulled by anti-Christian superstition, for this assertion doth plainly annihilate both the Church and saints, and any further salvation of any souls, which were impious to conceive.

Reason 3. I may reason from the difficulty of the work and the calling of the prophets and Nazarites, it is a very high dignity for our sons and young men to be advanced unto. It is such a dignity as God only can bestow, and such as they be raised up by God Himself unto it. The prophet is the name of Seers: 1 Sam. 9, 9, They have better eyes than other men, they are the men of God (as the mountains of God and cedars of God are so called), by way of excellency, the persons that have more of God in them than other men, they are nearest unto God; Levit. 10, 3, and they bring others also nearer unto God. Yea, the calling of a prophet is such an honor, as that title was given to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: Deut. 18, 18. So the Galatians received Paul as Jesus Christ Himself; Gal. 4, 14. Likewise to be a Nazarite is a mighty dignity, for our sons and young men to be separated to the Lord and sanctified for His service is no small preferment (they are called apopioμè voi kat macμévoi by the Septuagints): Lam. 4, 7, 'Her Nazarites were whiter than snow, purer than milk, more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire'; that is, they were the most beautiful persons in the sight of God of all others. This is a mighty excellency, therefore the blessing must needs be great.

Reason 4. It is an invaluable mercy for parents and old men that their children and young men are thus qualified and dignified. It is a singular blessing to have a gracious child: 3 John 4, 'I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth'; greatest joys are fruits of the greatest blessings possessed by us. It is the first of Solomon's Proverbs, Chap. 10, 1: A wise son maketh a glad father,' but to have a child that will make others wise is a far greater joy to a parent. Dan. 12, 3, 'They that make others wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.' So what a joy is it for the aged to see godly young ones growing up, that the Lord gives us hope of future generations. Isa. 58, 12, They that shall be of thee shall build up the old waste places, and thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, etc.' It is more when they do these great things that shall be of us, viz.: of our own posterity, but next it is comfortable, when as the younger sort are hopeful and promising, that the Lord gives us to

conclude that the future harvest is great, when he sends forth already so many laborers.

USE I. It is a ground of just double reproof: 1. Of our great unthankfulness unto God, that hath bestowed this great mercy upon New England, and let it be considered how it hath been generally entertained by the country: I may speak unto you, men, brethren, and fathers, in the language of Samuel: 1 Sam. 12, 7, 'Stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord, of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which He did to you and to your fathers;' and then he telleth them of the Lord's sending of Moses and Aaron, and bringing them out of the land of Egypt, by the hand of these His servants. So I might relate unto you what the Lord hath done for this country in providing and sending hither a faithful, sound, and able ministry to them; that he hath also in great part graciously preserved and continued unto them, and, as if this had been too little, He hath added this 'in raising up of our sons to be prophets, etc.' He hath wonderfully erected schools of learning and means of education for our children, that there might be continually some comfortable supply and succession in the ministry. Is it not so, O ye people of God, in New England? If it hath been so, and be so still in a good measure, then let me testify against you in the Lord's name for great unthankfulness to the Lord for so great a mercy.

Now there be several degrees of this unthankfulness: As 1. To pass by a mercy without any serious acknowledgment thereof, as the Lord complains: Hosea 2, 8, 'Thou hast not known (or acknowledged) that I gave thee thy corn, or thy wine and oil, etc.' 2. To slight any mercy of the Lord, as the Israelites did, also, Num. 11, 6, 'Our soul (said they) is even dried up, there is nothing but this manna before our eyes, etc.' 3. To deny any mercy of God as they did: Num. 14, 3, They did not account it a mercy that the Lord brought them out of Egypt. 4. To account blessings for curses, as they at another time: Deut. 1, 27, Because the Lord hated us He hath brought us (into the wilderness) to destroy us.' 5. When as we abuse God's blessings to sin so much the more against the Lord, as the same people did: Hosea 10, 1, 'According to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land, they have made goodly images.' Now all this unthankfulness is found in many, and in some measure some in all at this day, for this great blessing of the ministry and the means of the continual success and succession therein.

1. Many will not acknowledge the mercy, but pass it by as a matter of little or no worth. The great blessing of a painful ministry is not regarded by coveteous earth worms, neither do the schools of learning that afford oil to the lamps come into their thoughts or language to praise the Lord for them. This is that sin reproved in Israel: Jer. 2, 6, ‘Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us out of the land of Egypt ?”

2. There are others that do slight these mercies some little good they apprehend in it; to have a minister to spend the Sabbath; to baptize their children; and schools to teach their children, and keep them out of harm's way, or teach them to write and read and cast accounts; but these despite the angel's bread, and account it but light stuff in comparison of other things. These are like Jashurun: Deut. 32, 15, 'That are fatted with other contentments, and do lightly esteem the rock of their salvation.'

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3. There are others that deny this to be a mercy; there are many in the country that account it their happiness to live in the waste, howling wilderness, without any ministry, or schools and means of education for their posterity. They have much liberty (they think) by this want; they are not troubled with strict Sabbaths, but they may follow their worldly business at any time; and their children may drudge for them at plow, or hoe, or such like servile employments, that themselves may be eased; whereas the scripture saith: 2 Chron. 15, 3, That they that are without a teaching ministry are without the true God and without the law; surely so they are that do voluntarily make choice of such a condition; but their practice about their children is little better than the merciless, unnatural, and profaneness of the Israelites: Psalms 106, 36, That sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils.'

4. Some go so far as to account these blessings to be curses, so as to say that our ministries are anti-Christian, and schools of learning, popish, and the seminaries of wickedness and looseness in the country. It is not my purpose to confute their scurrilous reproaches of the ministry (which are sufficiently confuted both by the doctrine and holy conversation of God's faithful servants), nor yet to plead for any dissolute courses or disorder that is found amongst scholars, but I desire rather to mourn for them, and to pray that some salt may be cast into the fountain that the waters may be healed; but let not whole societies or professions be charged or blemished for the failings or scandalous carriages of some. If there be one, or had been more Judases among the disciples of Christ, yet let not all the rest be indicted or arraigned for the viciousness and disloyalty of others.

5. Many do make wicked returns of these blessings, and fearfully abuse them, and seek what they can to weary out ministers and to put down schools of learning, or which is all one, to take away oil from the lamps, denying or withholding maintenance from them, whereby they do as good as say let them tumble and fall; 'raze them, raze them to the foundations.' There be others that do foment and abet oppositions against God's ministers, raise factions in churches and college, to make havoc and utter dissipation of all. I might add, also, the poor and slender requital (to speak no worse) of such as have, with most faithfulness and diligence, served the Lord and His Churches in works of so great importance. But I will spare the enlargement of these things, less that I pass my bounds both of my strength and time.

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But now how extremely hateful to the Lord all this unthankfulness is, I need not be long in showing: Deut. 32, 6, 'Do ye thus requite the Lord, ye people, foolish and unwise?' and Isa. 1, 2, 3, 'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me; the ox knows his owner, etc.'; and Micah 6, 2, 3, Hear, O ye mountains, the Lord's controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel. O, my people, what have I done unto thee? Wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me, for I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee. This unthankfulness is that which causeth the Lord to take away His blessings from us:' Hosea 2, 8, 9, 'She did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oil; therefore will I return and take away her corn in the time thereof, and wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover