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at Nazeby, Taunton, Bridgewater, Sherburne, Bristol, to
seek to drive out of the Kingdome thousands of godly men
whom God used as instruments of so great mercy to us; will not
this be sin unto us? God brought us indeed into a wildernesse,
but he hath there spoke comfortably to us; our wildernesse is
our way to Canaan. It was the charge of Joseph to his bre∣thren,
Gen. 45. 24. when they were going from Egypt to Ca∣naan,
See that ye fall not out by the way: We hope God is lea∣ding
us to Canaan, oh that we could see Christ looking upon
us, and charging us, saying, See that you fall not out by the way,
do not grudg one against another, let not one say, You are the
cause of our trouble, and another say, Nay, but you are the cause
of our trouble; let every one charge his own heart, let every
man fall out with his own sin as much as he will, but let not
brethren fall out by the way.Fourthly, it is a time of Service; God never put such oppor∣tunities
of service into our hands, as now he hath. How many
holy men who were furnished with large abilities and enlar∣ged
hearts to have done service for God and his people in for∣mer
times, lived privately, onely enjoyed sweet communi∣on
between God and their owne soules, but oh how did
they prize opportunities of service! how did they thirst after,
and greedily embrace advantages for publique work! they were
willing to submit to any thing to the uttermost their consciences
would suffer them, that they might be employed in work for
God and his Saints; Though their encouragement from men
was small, yet their work was wages to them; but in those
times, almost all places of publique imployment were in the
hands or at the dispose of evill men; could they have foreseen
that within a few yeers, there should be a doore open for all
godly men, to full opportunities for the imployment of
their gifts and graces to the uttermost. How would they have
rejoyced and longed to have seen those times, and blessed those
who should live in them! I am confident it cannot be shewn
that ever there was a time since the world began, that so many
godly people in a Kingdome have had such a large opportunity
of publike service, as for these last five yeers hath been in Eng∣land;
and shall this opportunity be lost with our wranglings
and contendings? Oh how unworthy are we to live in such
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