In the Afternoon I preach'd on this Text, Prov. 9. the former part of the 10th Verse, The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom.

Having first open'd the Text in general, and shew'd, That true Wisdom consists in the Fear of God, and that it comprehends the Whole of Religion; I then observed in particular,

I. That by the Fear of the Lord is to be understood that Reverence and Obedience which Men owe to God.

II. That by this Phrase, The Beginning of Wisdom, is meant the Foundation of that true and solid Wisdom, which concerns, not so much the Temporal, as the Spiritual and Everlasting Interest of Men, and without which all their Worldly Wisdom and Industry are but Vain.

III. That both that Fear of the Lord, and this Beginning of Wisdom in the Text, being of the greatest Use and Benefit to Mankind for advancing them to Eternal Happiness, it follows therefore,

IV. and lastly, That it is the strangest Folly and Madness imaginable for Men to despise and reject (or at lest neglect) the Use of those wholsom Instructions and other Means by which true Wisdom, that Wisdom which comes from above (as the Apostle calls it, Jam. 3. 5.) may be attain'd.

Upon all those Points I discours'd at large: And,

On the Lord's Day the 19th of April last , I preach'd to them again, both in the Morning and Afternoon, upon part of the Epistle for the Day, viz. 1 Pet. 2. 11. Dearly Beloved, I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims, all stain from Fleshly Lusts, which war against the Soul.

In discoursing upon this Text, I chiefly spoke to these Points, viz.

I. The Argument here used by the Apostle to dehort us from Fleshly Lusts.

II. What those Fleshly Lusts are, and the dismal Effects they produce.

III. The Obligation incumbent on us to abstain from them.

IV. ult. The Remedies most effectual for their Cure.

On the Lord's Day the 26th of April last , I preached to them again; and my Text was Rom. 6. 23. and the Words these, For the Wages of Sin is Death; ut the Gift of God is Eternal Life through JESUS CHRIST Our Lord.

From which I shew'd,

I. That the Reward due to Sin is not only Shame and Misery, but Death, both Temporal and Eternal.

II. That the End of Holiness is Eternal Life, which ALMIGHTY GOD, for the Sake, and through the Merits of CHRIST, freely bestows as a gratuitous. Gift on them that Believe and Repent.

On the Lord's Day, the 3d of this instant May , I did again preach to the Prisoners; and this was my Text, 1 Thess. 5. 2. & 3. For yourselves know perfectly. that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the Night: For when they shall say, Peace and Safety; then sudden Destruction cometh, as Travail upon a Woman with Child; and they shall not escape.

Having observed in general, that these Words point to the great Day of Judgment, I then shew'd in particular,

I. The Certainty of CHRIST's Coming to judge the World.

II. The Uncertainty and Suddenness of the Time of that His Coming.

III. The indispensable Necessity there is, that Men (therefore) should be always well prepar'd for it, and thereby avoid the great Danger and Loss which their presumptuous Neglect of such a weighty Matter, will (otherwise) bring upon them.

To those Points I spoke distinctly: And,

On the Lord's Day the 10th of this same Month of May , being the Sunday after Ascension, I preach'd both in the Morning and Afternoon upon this Text, Acts 1. 9. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up, and a Cloud receiv'd Him out of their sight.

After a general and succinct Explanation of the Text and Context, I treated in particular of these three things.