of these duties of
soul humiliation, but also showeth thee the gospel manner of performing
them, the many soul advantages flowing from the serious exercise of them,
and the many soul-destroying prejudices following upon the neglect of
them, but above all, thou shalt find him so fully setting forth the
sinfulness of sin, and the utter emptiness of self, as may convince the
most pharisaically elated spirits, and make them cry out with Ezra, chap.
ix. 6, "O my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my
God, for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is
grown up unto the heavens." Here thou mayest read such pregnant
demonstrations of the righteousness and equity of the Lord's dealing, even
in his severest punishments inflicted upon the children of men, as may
silence every whisperer against providence, and make them say, as Lam.
iii. 22, "It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, even because
his compassions fail not." And lastly, thou shalt perceive the
inconceivable fitness and fulness of Christ as a Saviour, and his never
enough to be admired tenderness and condescending willingness to accept of
humble, heart broken, and heart-panting sinners after him, with such
plainness of speech demonstrated, as may enable the most bruised reed to
quench all the fiery darts of the devil, whereby he laboureth to affright
them from making application to Jesus for salvation. Now that the Lord
would make those and such-like labours of his faithful servants useful and
advantageous to thy soul, Christian reader, is the prayer of thy servant
in the gospel of our dearest Lord and Saviour.

Sermon I.

At A Public Fast In July, First Sabbath, 1650.(257)

Deut. xxxii. 4-7.--"He is the Rock, his work is perfect, for all
his ways are judgment," &c.

There are two things which may comprehend all religion,--the knowledge of
God and of ourselves. These are the principles of religion, and are so
nearly conjoined together, that the one cannot be truly without the other,
much less savingly. It is no wonder that Moses craved attention, and that,
to the end he may attain it from an hard hearted deaf people, he turns to
the heavens and to the earth,--as it were to make them the more
inexcusable. The matter of his song is both divine and necessary.
Throughout it all, he insists upon these two,--to discover what they were
in themselves, and what God was to them. He parallels their way wit