,transcribed from the #ahag ,r4 ,thomas 
edition by ,david ,price1 email         
ccx#jgdpglaf4org                        
,picture3 ,public domain book cover     
,,the                                   
,believer's ,confidence                 
,,in ,a                                 
,,faithful ,,god1                       
,,and ,,the ,,needless                  
,triumph of his ,enemies                
,,considered1                           
,,in                                    
,a ,,sermon1                ,preached on
 ,,lord's ,,day ,,morning1 ,november    
#bc1 #ahag4                             
,,at ,,seven ,o',,clock1                
,at the ,surrey ,tabernacle1            
,,borough ,,road1                       
,,by ,,john ,,church1                   
,,on ,,his ,,taking ,,leave4            
99 99 99 99 99        ,,though ,i ,,walk
 ,,in ,,the ,,midst ,,of ,,trouble      
,,thou ,,wilt ,,revive ,,me2      ,,thou
 ,,shalt ,,stretch ,,forth ,,thine      
,,hand ,,upon ,,the ,,wrath ,,of ,,mine 

,,enemies1 ,,and ,,thy ,,right ,,hand   
,,shall ,,save ,,me4--,psalm cxxxviii1  
#g4                                     
99 99 99 99 99                          
,southwark3               ,printed by   
,r4 ,,thomas1 ,red ,lion ,street1       
,,borough4                              
#ahag4                                  
99 99 99 99 99          ,a ,,sermon1 c4 
,,micah ,,viii1 #fth4--8,,rejoice ,,not 
,,against ,,me1 ,o ,,mine ,,enemy2      
,,when ,i ,,fall1      ,i ,,shall       
,,arise2 ,,and ,,when ,i ,,sit ,,in     
,,darkness1 ,,the ,,lord ,,shall ,,be ,a
 ,,light      ,,unto ,,me40    ,,my     
,,dear ,,friends1    ,i am come this    
morning to perform one of the most      
painful tasks that ever  fell to my lot4
  ,i am come to take farewell of those  
who are dear to ,god1  dear to angels1  
dear to each other1 and dear to my heart
 upon the most  noble principles4       
,though ,i trust it is but a temporary  
farewell in  general1 yet to many it    
will be perhaps a long farewell1 even   

till we  meet in glory1 where parting   
shall be known no more for ever2 and to 
others who live and die enemies to the  
dear and adorable ,saviour--to          
hypocrites in ,zion1 to formalists and  
pharisees1 dying such1 ,i say it is  an 
eternal farewell4  ,we shall meet no    
more perhaps on praying ground--but  be 
it known unto you1 my testimony for ,god
 and truth you have heard many  times1  
will never be out of your consciences1  
either in heaven or hell2  it will be   
for or against you1 either a savour of  
life unto life1 or of  death unto death4
  ,and now behold1 many among whom ,i   
have preached the  gospel will see my   
face no more--painful thought6 but ,i   
bow to the solemn1  awful1 just1 and ,i 
may add1 ,i am sure1 merciful           
dispensation2 fully  persuaded it is my 
duty1 nay1 more1 it is my salvation1 to 
bow to the  will of the great head of   
the church4  ,nature shrinks1 but faith 
looks  forward to the grand end which my
 heavenly father has in view--and being 

already assured by his word1 and by his 
spirit1 that ,i shall be favoured  with 
his manifestative presence1 ,i prefer   
submitting to the mind of  infinite     
wisdom1 to any other plan which nature1 
friends1 and present  interest may      
suggest4  ,my heart sinks1 my spirit    
fails1 my mind is  distressed1 when ,i  
take the painful retrospect1 accompanied
 with the  grief of my friends1 the     
troubles of my family1 and my own       
situation2 and  what is most mortifying1
 the triumph of the envious1 the joy of 
the  enemies of the cross2 the pleasure 
of ,satan1 and the satisfaction of his  
emissaries2 these things all meet in my 
mind1 and perplex me not a  little2 but 
perhaps the grief of the former may be  
but comparatively for  a moment1 and the
 joy of fools is compared to the        
crackling of thorns  under a pot1 which 
make a noise and a blaze1 but soon will 
expire1 for so  the word of ,god assures
 us4  ,and then1 what have my enemies   
effected8  ,what advantage have they    

gained8  ,are they any the better8      
,will their  cruelty add to their       
felicity on a dying bed8  ,some perhaps 
may suppose  they have done ,god        
service2 others have not ,god in all    
their thoughts2  while others1 who ought
 to act better1 because they profess    
better  things1 join with worldlings1   
pharisees1 and formalists1 against a man
  they know nothing of1 but by hear-say4
  ,while erroneous characters of  every 
description hate me for the truth's sake
 alone1 and rejoice if they  can find   
any fault as a ground of persecution2   
and if not in reality1 an  evil report  
is quite enough for them1 that they     
might have cause to  oppose the truth1  
as it is in ,jesus4  ,but perhaps before
 many years roll  along1 they may hear  
that ,john the ,baptist is risen from   
the dead2 that  ,sampson's locks are    
grown again1 and when he comes forth1   
they may yet  hope to make sport with   
him4  ,but perhaps the ,lord may take   
vengeance on  them1 and enable his      

servant to be avenged on ,satan and sin 
for the loss  he has sustained2 and by  
fervent prayer1 faithful preaching1 and 
a holy  life1 he may take hold on the   
main pillars of the ,devil's kingdom1   
ignorance of ,god and an empty          
profession1 and make them tremble2      
while the power of the ,holy ,spirit may
 bring them down1 through his  feeble   
instrumentality1 at least1 in the hearts
 of some4  ,i therefore  humbly presume 
to adopt the language of the church of  
old1 as personated  by the ,prophet in  
my ,text1 as before recited4    ,my dear
 hearers may perhaps recollect ,i have  
often referred them under  their various
 exercises to this very important       
chapter4  ,the prophet  predicts the    
state of the church in gospel days2 and 
our dear ,lord1 no  doubt1 had his mind 
on this chapter1 when he forewarned the 
disciples  what they would experience1  
even from their nearest and dearest     
relatives1 for the truth's sake2 that no
 earthly ties would subdue or  remove   

the carnal enmity of the human          
heart--that the father and mother  would
 betray their dear children1 and        
children would rise up against  their   
parents1 in consequence of their        
adherence to the truth2 which was  the  
case may times during the heat of       
persecution1 and to this hour1  where   
sovereign grace has been manifested in a
 family1 where one has been  taken and  
another left1 there has been a most     
awful opposition1 which may  be seen in 
many lamentable circumstances--,mat4    
#ajth chapter4  ,perhaps  ,solomon      
alludes to this when he says1 ,for three
 things the earth is  disquieted1 and   
for four which it cannot bear4--,prov4  
#cjth4    ,the conquests of grace have  
ever disturbed the earth1 and those who 
have  preached all the words of this    
life are represented as having turned   
the  world upside down1 and as the      
troublers of ,israel2 while the gospel  
in  its power has caused those who were 
servants to sin to lay down the arms  of

 their rebellion1 and ,god has set up a 
kingdom in their hearts which  shall    
never be destroyed1 and made them kings 
and priests unto ,god4  ,but  the       
prophet1 no doubt1 in this chapter1 may 
allude to the state of the  ,jewish     
church1 before and in her captivity1    
this ,i apprehend is the  primary sense 
of the chapter4  ,he laments the fewness
 of those who were  valiant for the     
truth4  ,then represents the sins of the
 great1 and of  those in office1 both in
 church and state4  ,the decay of true  
godliness  was his grief1 accompanied   
with many heart-breaking sights of the  
treachery of those who were in a        
profession1 with the weakness of the    
children of ,god themselves2 ,the best  
of them is a briar1 the most  upright is
 sharper than a thorn hedge4  ,trust ye 
not1 therefore1 in a  friend2 put no    
confidence in a guide6  ,keep the doors 
of thy mouth from  her that lieth in thy
 bosom--that is1 even from the saints   
themselves1  knowing the best of men are

 but men at the best3 and well may one  
of our  own ,poets exclaim--            
,lean not to earth1 'twill pierce thee  
to the heart3      ,a broken reed at    
best1 but oft a spear6      ,on its     
sharp point peace bleeds and hope       
expires6    ,the prophet's mind is      
turned to the true centre of solid joy  
and peace1  amidst all the trials he    
experienced--therefore will ,i look to  
the ,lord2  ,i will wait for the ,god of
 my salvation1 with this sweet          
confidence1 my  ,god will hear me4  ,my 
enemies then need not rejoice2 for as ,i
 have ,god in  covenant to be my        
,god--and of this ,i am confident1 from 
his word1 and by  the many tokens of his
 love2 therefore though ,i fall into    
trouble1 and  remain in the darkness of 
my captivity a long time1 yet ,i am     
fully  assured ,i shall be delivered in 
,god's time and way2 and till that      
period  arrives1 the ,lord ,jesus will  
be my light1 my love1 my portion1 and my
  joy4  ,persuaded of this1 ,i will bear

 in his strength1 the fatherly          
indignation of the ,lord1 manifested in 
his providences1 because ,i have  sinned
 against him1 until he plead my cause1  
appear for my help1 and as  my glorious 
deliverer1 in bringing me forth to the  
enjoyment of his  favour1 and to sweet  
peace1 through the imputed righteousness
 of the dear  ,redeemer1 which ,i shall 
behold as my own1 and which will cause  
me to  adore his righteous proceedings  
with me2 and when ,i am humbled and     
delivered1 then she that is mine enemy  
will see it1 and shame shall cover  her 
that said1 ,where is the ,lord thy ,god8
  ,she shall see it in this and a       
coming world4  ,rejoice not1 therefore1 
,o mine enemy2 when ,i fall1  ,i shall  
arise2 when ,i sit in darkness1 the     
,lord shall be a light  unto me4        
,this subject is truly interesting1 and 
exactly suitable to the state of  an    
afflicted ,church1 or an individual     
,believer2 and it is the general        
privilege of all the children of the    

most high1 if it suits them1 for the    
,scriptures are designed to furnish the 
children of ,god unto every good  word  
and work2 to furnish them with matter   
for faith1 hope1 prayer1  humiliation1  
and encouragement in ,god4  ,this is the
 design of every  precious doctrine and 
promise1 which at once opens to our     
wondering view1  the very heart of the  
,god of all grace2 the glorious person  
of ,god our  ,saviour2 his covenant     
transactions with the ,father1 his      
acting for and on  the behalf of his    
,church1 his wonderful incarnation1 his 
meritorious holy  life of obedience1 his
 sufferings and death1 whereby he       
removed the guilt  of his dear people2  
his sacred burial1 his most triumphant  
resurrection  from the dead1 his        
glorious ascension1 his appearing in    
heaven as the  advocate of his people1  
and as their ever prevalent intercessor4
  ,this is  the glorious foundation1    
hope1 and comfort of those whose hearts 
are  under the influences of his        

,spirit1 who are driven from every other
  refuge1 and are enabled to believe to 
the present salvation of the ,soul4     
,this faith1 which is the work of ,god  
on the hearts of his people1  evidences 
their election of ,god1 their complete  
redemption from the ruins  of the fall1 
and that the work is genuine2 it is the 
earnest ,god has  given them1 and all   
their present peace and joy is according
 to the  strength or weakness of this   
grace4  ,this makes ,christ precious1   
the ,word  sweet1 and the ,saints dear4 
,this creates in their hearts a most    
earnest  desire to live to the glory of 
,god--this renders them the butt of the 
,devil's malice1 the hypocrite's envy1  
and the world's scorn4  ,these1 in      
connexion with the old ,man of ,sin1    
which the ,believer daily groans under1 
renders his road very rough2 often      
exposes him to the deepest trouble and  
heart-felt grief4  ,his own daily       
infirmities1 his own constitutional sin1
  creates him much wretchedness1 and the

 enemies of the ,cross are daily        
watching for his halting1 longing for   
his fall1 envying his comforts1 and     
contriving his overthrow4  ,but though  
he is safe in the unchangeable love  of 
,god1 as it respects his soul1 yet he is
 still exposed to the malice of  man1   
the temptations of ,satan1 and the      
shafts of calumny4  ,if a fault can  be 
justly found1 ,oh6 the triumphs of the  
,philistines6  ,and if not1  perhaps    
they will try to make one1 that they may
 bring the cause of  ,christ into       
contempt4  ,the combined enemies of ,god
 are the same combined  foes of the     
people of ,god1 for1 as by virtue of the
 union subsisting  between the ,lord    
,jesus and his people1 they have a      
mutual interest2 his  cause is theirs1  
his friends are theirs1 and his enemies 
are theirs3 as  they bear his image1    
possess his favour1 cleave to his       
person1 love his  name1 esteem his word1
 feel his power1 trust his faithfulness1
 and follow  his dear foot-steps1 so    

they must expect that share of his      
sufferings  allotted them1 from the same
 enemies1 their glorious master was     
encompassed with--these are the ,world1 
the ,flesh1 and the ,devil1 the three   
great foes of ,christ and the ,believer4
  ,from ,satan the dear ,redeemer was   
assaulted1 the world hated him1 and sin1
 as imputed to him1 made him  tremble1  
when it fell upon him in all its        
malignity4  ,satan rejoiced when  the   
dear ,saviour was afflicted by ,god and 
man2 but he had very little  cause to   
rejoice1 for by the ,saviour's obedience
 unto death1 he destroyed  death1       
wounded the head of ,satan1 took        
vengeance on him for all he had  done to
 his people1 and has threatened to shut 
him up in the prison of  ,hell a        
thousand ,years2 at the expiration of   
which he shall be loosed from  his      
prison1 and dragged before the awful    
tribunal of ,christ1 and then  receive  
his full torment1 even that torment he  
was afraid ,christ was come  to put him 

to at his first appearance1 when he     
cried out1 ,art thou come  to torment us
 before the time8  ,so that while our   
dear ,lord was  suffering1 ,satan might 
have rejoiced1 but had very little      
cause1 neither  had the world much      
reason to triumph2 they hated both      
,christ and his  ,father1 his person1   
his mission1 his miracles1 his          
doctrines1 and his  followers2 but they 
hated him without a cause1 nor could    
they rest until  they had imbrued their 
hands in his ,blood6  ,and when they had
 done it1  they rejoiced1 but short     
indeed was their joy1 the ,captain of   
,salvation  rose triumphant over all    
their hellish spite1 ascended to glory1 
and will  come again in the last great  
day to judge the quick and the dead2    
then  shall all the kindreds of the     
earth mourn6--mark that--the kindreds of
 the  earth1 but none of the kindred of 
,christ2 they shall rejoice when he     
comes to be glorified in his ,saints1   
and admired by all them that  believe2  

and surely if we are led by the eternal 
,spirit to admire ,jesus  on earth1 this
 will be our sweet employment in heaven2
 but as ,satan and  the ,world were the 
enemies of ,christ1 so they are the     
formidable foes of  the people of ,god2 
the old ,serpent has an inveterate      
hatred to the  saints1 and though he    
well knows he cannot destroy them for   
ever1 yet he  will endeavour to make    
their path to glory as miserable as he  
can4  ,he is  called the accuser of the 
brethren2 he attempted to move ,god     
against holy  ,job1 but in vain2 he     
traduced him as an hypocrite and        
mercenary  professor1 and vented all the
 bitterness he was permitted on his body
 and  mind2 and he would1 if he could1  
act the same in all the rest of the     
elect1 and finally destroy both soul and
 body2 but he must ask leave of  our    
,father before he can do that--yea1 he  
cannot so much as tempt a  ,believer    
without leave from ,god2 and as we are  
well aware he is permitted  to tempt    

every vessel of mercy1 how truly        
important those petitions of  our ,lord 
which he taught his disciples--and lead 
us not into temptation1  but deliver us 
from evil4  ,the same learned ,greek    
scholars read  it--8,thou canst not lead
 us into temptation1 therefore1 deliver 
us  from the evil one40  ,and how       
suitable to our desires is that part of 
the  ,litany of the ,church of ,england1
 8,from all evil and mischief1 from sin1
  from the crafts and assaults of the   
,devil1 and from thy wrath1 and from    
everlasting damnation--,good ,lord      
deliver us40  ,but though it is the work
  of ,satan to tempt1 to harrass1 to    
vex1 to grieve1 and to hurl his darts   
into the mind2 to bring the soul into   
bondage1 to terrify or lull to  sleep1  
to ensnare1 or tempt to despair1 to fill
 the mind with legality1  or tempt it to
 real ,antinomianism1 that is1 to sin   
that grace may  abound3--whatever may be
 his temptations1 and whatever his      
malicious joy1  to see a chosen vessel  

fall either into sin or sorrow of any   
description1  he1 as a creature1 a      
fallen spirit1 the enemy of ,jehovah--,i
 say1 he  has the least reason to       
rejoice1 as he only adds to his own     
damnation6--he helps to fill up the     
measure of his own iniquity4  ,much  as 
the believer has to blame himself for on
 account of not taking heed to  his own 
ways1 yet ,satan need not rejoice in his
 falls1 for he only falls  to stand more
 firm1 to see native weakness of his own
 arm1 the  deceitfulness of his own     
heart2 and as grace is displayed to his 
soul1 he  finds the dear ,redeemer more 
precious to his heart1 after the inner  
man2  he is made more watchful1 more    
sedate1 more careful3 he is humbled in  
the  dust before ,god1 and as pardoning 
mercy lifts him up1 so repentance flows 
forth to his forgiving4  ,god and this  
repentance is attended with all  those  
excellencies described by the apostle   
,paul1 7#b ,cor4 vii1 #aa71             
,carefulness1 clearing1 indignation1    

fear1 desire1 zeal1 and revenge on  sin 
and ,satan1 for the injury they have    
done him4    ,thus blest1 he again      
travels on in his ,redeemer's           
righteousness and  strength1 hating sin 
more than ever1 and vowing eternal war  
against ,satan  and his works4  ,but the
 world is also the enemy of ,god's      
children--not the  creation of ,god1 but
 the men of the world1 who are of the   
earth1 earthy1  whose portion and joy is
 in the world1 whose hope is the sand of
 their  own doings1 who are enemies by  
nature and by practice1 who are ignorant
  of ,god1 of ,jesus1 his word1 his     
grace1 and the reality of religion4     
,these1 whether open opposers1 or formal
 professors of any religion1 are        
enemies to ,god1 and in the enmity of   
their hearts they live1 and1 if  grace  
does not prevent1 they will die1 and as 
those trees fall so they  will lie till 
the resurrection of the wicked dead1    
even a thousand years  after the        
righteous dead--these will rise in all  

the enmity in which they  died1 and will
 manifest it as soon as they spring up  
from the dust1 7see  this awful subject 
in the #bjth chapter of the             
,revelations1 #hth and #ith  verses7--as
 they will then appear in the image of  
,satan so they possess  that image now1 
which is hatred to ,god2 for as love is 
the image of  ,jesus1 so enmity is the  
image of ,satan2 and these bear his     
image as his  children--they are engaged
 in his service1 are his drudges1 his   
fools2  they hate what he hates4  ,god  
and his saints--they oppose whom their  
father opposes1 and they rejoice and    
delight in that which he delights       
in--they eat the same food1 for ,dust is
 the ,serpent's meat--they rejoice  in  
the same spite1 and are engaged in the  
same cause1 they bear the same  name1   
and will come to the same end1 for the  
wicked shall be turned into  hell1 with 
all the nations that forget ,god4       
,nor does an empty profession of        
religion alter this image2 there is the 

same spirit1 the same hatred to truth1  
the same rejoicing in the heart at  a   
real believer in all his falls1 whether 
it be into sin or into trouble2  and the
 ,lord sometimes permits it to be so1   
that they may manifest by  what spirit  
they are influenced1 for by these fruits
 you are to know  them4  ,they are not  
grieved for the afflictions of ,joseph1 
therefore woe  to them that are at ease 
in ,zion4  ,sad1 indeed1 to see         
professors join  with the world in      
opposing the grand leading doctrines of 
the gospel4  ,sad to see them join in   
their sins1 in their pursuits1 in their 
enmity1  and in their cruel joy1 in the 
downfall of any chosen vessel4  ,sad to 
see  them join in the same hue and cry1 
do the same work of spreading an evil   
report1 and boasting of the goodness of 
their hearts2 but they have their       
reward4  ,woe unto you that laugh now1  
says the ,saviour2 that is1 at the      
truth1 or the trouble of the afflicted  
and depressed1 for you shall            

mourn--,recollect your present state1   
and if grace prevent not1 your  future  
end4  ,rejoice not therefore against me1
 ,o mine enemy6    ,perhaps the pious   
,prophet here personating the church1   
spoke this in  allusion to the city or  
inhabitants of ,babylon1 who had long   
been enemies  to ,israel's ,god1 and to 
the people of ,jerusalem4  ,these       
triumphed to see  them forsaken1        
desolate1 afflicted1 and led into a     
state of captivity2 to  see them bowed  
down and punished because of their sins4
  ,the spirit of  holy confidence and   
prophecy inspired the church1 and she   
utters the  voice of the text1 and adds 
a very solemn declaration3--,thus she   
that is  mine enemy1 shall see it2 shame
 shall cover her2 she shall be  trodden 
down as mire in the streets4  ,when ,god
 had set his people free2  when all the 
grand ends of his chastisement were     
answered2 then he poured  out his       
vengeance on those who afflicted them4  
,hence he calls his  enemies his rod1   

his staff1 his sword1 which when he is  
done with them1  he will lay them aside1
 or devote them to destruction4  ,for   
what ,god  intends1 and they intend1 is 
very different4  ,god intends their     
spiritual  growth1 their holiness1 and  
final felicity3 they intend their       
destruction4  ,and as they act from a   
base principle1 after ,god's purposes   
are accomplished1 he punishes their     
enemies4  ,he that leadeth into         
captivity1 shall go into captivity3 he  
that killeth with the sword1  shall die 
by the sword4  ,i refer my afflicted    
friends to the #cjth chap4  of          
,jeremiah2 and ,i intreat any cruel foe 
to read the #afth verse1 and  remember  
it is the voice of a ,god that cannot   
lie4  ,i must just observe  that ,i do  
not speak this in reference to the      
administrators of justice1  for they    
bear not the sword in vain1 they are the
 ordinance of ,god1 and  should be      
feared1 and revered1 and woe unto those 
who resist this  ordinance4  ,but ,i    

speak the above truths in reference to  
all cruel1  unjust persecutors2 to      
liars1 false swearers1 perjurers1 and   
peace  murders2 verily they have their  
full reward1 therefore they have very   
little cause to rejoice4  ,this leads me
 to notice the falls of the  believer2  
and these alas6 are daily6  ,solomon    
says1 they fall seven  times1 but rise  
again1 because of the work of the ,lord 
upon them1 and  because the love and    
mercy of the ,lord endureth for ever4   
,they can never  fall out of his heart1 
nor out of his arm1 nor out of his      
covenant1 nor  out of his thoughts1 for 
they that trust in the ,lord shall be as
 mount  ,zion1 as the covenant of grace1
 which can never be moved4  ,but though 
this is a most glorious ,scripture      
truth1 yet in themselves considered1    
and situated as they are1 in an enemy's 
land1 surrounded by snares and  traps1  
trials and temptations1 from without and
 within1 ,satan and a  corrupt heart1   
the prevalency of error1 and the        

aboundings of impiety1  the poor        
believer is in constant danger of       
falling1 in constant need or  divine    
keeping1 and in constant need of that   
humble petition1 ,hold thou  me up and  
,i shall be safe4  ,the ,lord permits   
his children often to fall1  but never  
to turn enemies to the truth1 to mount  
the scorner's chair1 or  really to      
apostatize--backslide in heart and      
conduct they do1 but  apostatize they   
never shall1 they never can2 they may   
fall into sin1 as  the most eminent     
saints have1 which has caused them many 
a heart-break2  they may fall into      
spiritual distress1 even after they have
 been sweetly  led along1 as ,david1    
,job1 and ,hezekiah did--they may fall  
into some  temptations1 from which      
scarcely any of the children of ,god are
 exempt2  they may fall from their first
 love1 which the ,saviour complains of  
one  of the ,churches1 they may fall    
into gross errors for a time1 as ,peter 
and  others have1 through an            

accommodating spirit to the manners of  
the times4  ,they may fall into         
persecution as ,daniel predicted4  ,many
 among them  shall fall by the sword1 by
 fire1 by spoil1 and by captivity many  
days3  but they shall be holpen with a  
little help4  ,but they may fall into   
trouble1 as was the case with the       
,church1 to which the text refers4      
,these may be sent by the hand of ,god  
in a sovereign way4  ,these may befal  a
 ,believer1 from the world and from     
false brethren--they may be brought     
very low1 into deep poverty1 sore       
affliction1 and great embarrasments2 to 
these things1 the brightest saints upon 
earth are liable1 and the ,lord  may    
bring upon them sore and great troubles 
when they need it2 and ,i  believe the  
,lord never does it without a           
reason--for he doth not afflict         
willingly1 nor grieve the children of   
men4  ,there is1 doubtless1 a need  for 
every cross and for every enemy2 but the
 fall the ,church alludes to  in the    

text1 is not a fall into sin1 but a fall
 into trouble2 and while  we lament     
their miseries1 may we not exclaim1 ,is 
there not a cause8  ,and perhaps1 if we 
were deeply to investigate the trouble  
of ,god's  children1 we might be able to
 trace a cause4  ,the ,church of        
,jerusalem was  in deep tribulation1 but
 was not their ,sins the sad cause8     
,had they not  been negligent of the    
daily sacrifices1 of the ,sabbath day1  
and of many  other duties1 which pointed
 out the only possible method of        
,salvation1 by  the doing and dying of  
,jesus8--therefore1 while these were    
forsaken1  ,christ was despised2 and how
 has the great ,apostle applied this    
subject--,how shall we escape if we     
neglect so great a ,salvation8  ,and am 
,i not speaking to some this morning who
 are highly culpable of sad  neglect of 
the dear ,saviour8  ,all backsliding    
begins here--secret neglect  of ,jesus6 
then all the sad consequences           
follow--love of the world1 an           

inordinate love of the creature1 levity 
of manners1 indulgence of secret  sin1  
with a sad train of evils beside2 for   
these things sake the rod is  sent1     
trials fall heavy2 the hand of ,god is  
seen in his disapprobation of  a sinful 
conduct1 but woe1 woe unto that people  
where this is the case  and the hand of 
,god does not fall on them2 better be   
under his chastening  hand1 learning    
wisdom and receiving instruction from   
all we meet with1  than be left to      
receive the dreadful sentence1 ,he is   
joined to idols1  let him alone6    ,the
 troubles of the ,church are called in  
the text1 a fall1 and so it  is3 and    
they are likewise described as sitting  
in darkness4  ,sitting--no doubt this is
 intended to shew that their trials were
 to be  of a long duration4  ,the       
captivity lasted seventy years2 but the 
,lord  assured them he would not leave  
them in that state1 and at the close of 
the allotted time1 he would appear for  
their deliverance4  ,these things  were 

written for our instruction and comfort4
  ,the ,lord has promised to  deliver   
us1 and he will be our helper until that
 time comes1 then he will  appear in his
 own way1 and cause us to subscribe with
 the hand ,god is  faithful4  ,how long 
our trials may last on the present      
occasion1 we know  not2 but of this we  
are certain1 that the ,god of all grace 
who hath  called us to his kingdom and  
glory--after we have suffered a while   
will  make us perfect1 establish1       
strengthen1 and settle us--only we want 
patience to have her perfect work1 that 
after we have done the will of  ,god by 
suffering1 we may receive the promises  
of deliverance4  ,all is  dark at       
present1 evidences of interest are very 
low2 a gloomy cloud sits  on the        
,tabernacle--providences are very dark1 
and we may be much in the  dark about   
,god's designs1 and this darkness may   
continue a long time4  ,here some       
,believers are said to walk in darkness1
 without light2 though  the darkness of 

ignorance is past1 yet much still       
remains1 and we are the  subjects of    
much darkness within as well as without2
 yet we are  encouraged to trust in     
,jesus1 and stay our minds upon a ,god  
in ,christ1  until sensible comforts and
 conspicuous deliverances arise--and    
they will  come1 the morning will dawn1 
,jesus will appear1 though it may not be
  until the fourth watch of the night1  
then he may shew himself1 treading  on  
the proud waves of our trouble1 and     
enemies1 and until then the ,lord  has  
promised to be our strength and our     
comfort4  ,faith being enabled to  give 
credit to the word of ,jesus confidently
 asserts1 ,when ,i fall ,i  shall       
arise--when ,i fall into trouble1 the   
,lord will take that  opportunity to    
alarm my fears1 and stir me up to       
prayer4  ,this will lead  faith to act  
upon its proper object2 for prayer and  
faith are inseparable  companions--faith
 without prayer is presumption1 and     
prayer without faith  is ignorance4     

,fervency in prayer1 strengthens faith1 
and confidence is  the assurance of     
faith2 this is begot in the mind by the 
,spirit1 and  encouraged by many sweet  
tokens of covenant love2 and the church 
having  been so highly favoured1 was    
enabled to believe the ,lord would be   
with  her1 according to his word2 and   
though it was her misery to fall into   
trouble1 yet it was her mercy that the  
,lord had engaged to be with her in     
trouble1 and she was enabled to triumph3
 when ,i fall1 that fall will  terminate
 for my good1 for all things work       
together for good to them that  love    
,god1 as well as all things work        
together for evil against them that     
hate ,god4  ,this confidence1 founded on
 the person of ,christ1 his work1  his  
promises1 and his faithfulness1 is not  
to be cast away in time of  trouble1 but
 it is to be exercised as in ,paul's    
case1 7#bgth ,acts7 when  on board a    
,ship1 he said1 but ,i believe it shall 
be as ,god has told  me--and no matter  

what ,satan1 carnal reason1 unbelief1   
ill-natured  professors1 nor mistaken   
possessors would say about the matter1  
,what  saith the scripture8  8,fear not 
to go down into ,egypt2 ,i am with thee2
 ,i  will help thee20--and 8because he  
hath set his love upon me1 ,i will be   
with him in trouble1 ,i will deliver    
him40  ,and this is as true as ,god is  
,god2 and so you will all find it some  
time or other4  ,the ,lord will be a    
light unto me3 ,this was the ,psalmist's
 comfort1 ,the ,lord is my light  and my
 salvation1 whom shall ,i fear8  ,christ
 is the light of life1 and  all the     
light we have in a way of covenant      
grace1 we have from him2 he is  the     
glorious luminary which creates the     
present1 and he will be the  future1 day
 of his church2 their sun then shall no 
more go down4  ,this  term1 light1 is   
perhaps one of the most                 
comprehensive--it includes all  that a  
gracious ,god and father is to his      
chosen people4  ,god is love--,god  is  

light2 he is the light of grace in the  
covenant1 the light of truth in  the    
scriptures1 the light of life in the    
heart1 and the light of love in  the    
church4  ,in his light we see light2 by 
his own beams we see his  glory1 we see 
his person1 we feel his love1 and by the
 light of his  countenance we know we   
are pardoned and justified1 adopted1 and
 chosen2  and this honour have all the  
saints1 more or less3 ,hence that most  
invaluable promise1 ,unto you that fear 
my name1 shall the sun of  righteousness
 arise1 7the sun of justification1 the  
learned say7 with  healing in his beams4
  ,for every ray of light1 every        
influence of his  love1 every           
manifestation of his favour1 is a ray or
 beam from him who is  our justification
 before ,god1 and whose dear1 gracious1 
glorious1 and  precious name is ,jehovah
 our righteousness4  ,what ,god is to us
 in all  his covenant characters1 what  
,jesus is in all his excellencies1 and  
what  the holy and eternal ,spirit is in

 all his blessed offices2 this is our   
light1 our joy1 our strength1 and our   
all in all4  ,and very frequently  the  
,lord takes the opportunity of          
manifesting himself the clearer1 when   
the church is in her darkest            
state--man's extremity was ever ,god's  
opportunity4  ,may he be our light in   
the present darkness1 and may the  light
 of his countenance shine upon your     
souls when ,i am separated from  you4   
,farewell1 my dear friends6 forbid even 
the whisper of complaint--        ,tho' 
painful at present1 'twill cease before 
long1      ,and then1 ,o how pleasant   
the conqueror's song4    ,permit me here
 to drop a few words more4  ,suffer the 
word of exhortation4  ,as a church1 many
 among you have professed to receive the
 word with power  in this place1 and    
among this people1 by my feeble         
instrumentality4  ,let  me beg of you to
 keep near to the ,saviour by secret1   
humble1 and fervent  prayer1 that your  
minds may be more divinely opened1 to   

receive ,jesus as  set forth in the     
gospel--that ,god will condescend to    
raise up a more able1  more faithful1   
and more useful preacher--that you may  
be fed with the  sincere milk of the    
word1 and with strong meat1 as the      
apostle  describes the great things of  
,god4  ,let me intreat you to walk in   
love  and humility together4  ,let me   
beg of you all to avoid sin1 secret and 
public2 ,i mean1 as to the commission of
 it2 and by looking to ,jesus1 to  get  
rid of the guilt1 power1 and love of it4
  ,let your conversation be as  becometh
 the gospel of ,christ2 and it will be  
the joy of my heart when ,i  am gone    
from you1 to hear that you are walking  
in the truth1 that many  are added to   
you1 whose experience1 views1 and       
conduct1 are consistent  with the       
,gospel4  ,walk in love1 and the ,god of
 love and peace be with  you all4       
,amen4    ,i conclude this humble       
farewell address1 in that devout ,prayer
 of the  ,litany of the ,church of      

,england4        8,o ,god1 merciful     
,father1 that despiseth not the sighing 
of a      contrite heart1 nor the       
desires of such as be sorrowful2        
mercifully assist our prayers that we   
make before thee in all our             
troubles and adversities1 whensoever    
they oppress us2 and      graciously    
hear us1 that those evils1 which the    
craft and      subtilty of the ,devil or
 man worketh against us1 be brought to  
nought2 and by the providence of thy    
goodness1 they may be      dispersed2   
that we thy servants being hurt by no   
persecutions1      may evermore give    
thanks unto thee in thy holy ,church1   
through      ,jesus ,christ our ,lord40 
,amen4                                  
99 99 99 99 99                          
,finis4                                 
99 99 99 99 99                 ,printed 
by ,r4 ,,thomas1 ,red ,lion ,street1    
,,borough4