Use ult. Here is a breast of comfort to every man that hath Christ, " Christ is all ;" it is good lying at this fountain-head. When a Christian sees a deficiency in himself, he may see an all-sufficiency in his Saviour. " Happy is that people whose God is the Lord !" Ps. cxliv. ult. That servant needs not want who hath his master's full purse at command : he needs not want who hath Christ, for " Christ is all and in all." What though the fig-tree doth not flourish, if thou hast Christ the tree of life, and all fruit growing there ? In the hour of death, a believer may rejoice ; when he leaves all, he is possessed of all. As Ambrose said to his friend, " I fear not death, because I have a good Lord," so may a godly man say, " I fear not death, because I have a Christ to go to ; death will but carry me to that torrent of divine pleasure which runs at his right hand for evermore." I will end with that, 1 Thess. iv. 18. " Wliere- fore, comfort one another with these words."
SERMON VII.
Phil. iv. 9.
Those things which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you."
What the particular reason of my choice of this scripture this day is, if you com- pare my present situation, f with the in- tent of the apostle, in these words, you M'ill easily understand. These words of the apostle, being part of the close of his
f This sermon was preached by Mr. Watson on the eve of I i? ejectment from the rectorship of St. Stephens, Walbrook, ,ci nonconf"'''nity, after the restoration.
epistle to the Philippians, are his vale- diction or farewell to them : It is not un- known to you, that I must now be parted fi'om you ; and I have pitched on this scripture, to be the close of my twenty years ministry among you. God hath sent me among you to be a builder; and I have chosen this text, to be a hammdr to fasten and drive home those nails of instruction
FAREWELL DISCOURSE ON HIS EJECTION.
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and consolation, wliich I have been so long endeavouring to enter into yon. God hath sent me among you as a fisherman ; and I have cliosen these words to be as the clos- ing of the net. Behold ! rnce more the net is spread, and I am now making my last draught; and O that it might have the same good speed as Peter's last had, Luke V. 6. It would then pay the charges, though the net brake. God hath sent me among you as an husbandman, to plough, and to sow ; and I am now come to cover what hath been sown. What is my aim in preach- ing, let it be yours in hearing: O that both preacher and hearers might heartily join in this desire ! This once more, God speed the plough. In this desire and hope I drive on.
In the text observe, a precept, — a pro- mise,— an entail of the promise on the pre- cept. In tlie precept we have, 1st, An act, " do." 2r/, An object, " The things that youhavelearned, received, heard, and seen." The promise is in these words, " the God of peace shall be with you." The entail of the promise on the precept you have in the connective particle " and," which knits them np together. Do the work, and have the reward ; obey the precept, and enjoy the promise ; " do what you have received and heard, and the God of peace shall be with you." Be careful of the former, and be not careful about the latter ; if the pre- cept be performed, the promise shall be made good.
DocT. I. Christians mnst be learners, be- fore they can be doers. " What you have learned, that do."
DocT. 2. He hath learned well, that hath learned to do well.
DocT. 3. Christians' eyes, as well as their ears, may help them on in religion ; or, the holy examples of ministers should be living sermons to people. " What you have seen in me." Therefore the apostle exhorts, Phil. iii. IT., " Mark them which so walk, as you have us for an example ;" and I Cor. xi. 1., Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ ;" that is, either, I have been a fol- lower of Christ, be ye therefore followers of me ; or else, be ye followers of me as far forth as I have been a follower of Christ. Those ministers may go off the stage with honour and comfort, who have