ry, he will get him glory in fuch a way, as may lay you low, and make you finart severely for your own folly.

6. If the Lord give you the gospel light, then walk in the light while you have it. Carry like children of the light and of the day, work out the work of your falvation with fear and trembling; for none of us can tell how foon our gospel day. may be gone, and the night fucceed, wherein none

can work.

We fhall conclude this difcourfe with a few general advices to all of you. Would you have our miniftry made fuccessful? would you obtain the real advantage of gofpel ordinances, and have our meetings fuch as may be matter of rejoycing both to you and me in the day of the Lord? then we intreat, befeech, nay, and obteft you by the mercies of God, in the bowels of our Lord Jefus Chrift, as you would have your own fouls and ours to be faved;

1. Pray for us. As a minifter is indifpenfably obliged to mind his people before God, and to carry them over upon his heart, fo are they obliged to pray for their minifter. Pray for us, fays the apoftle, Heb. xiii. 18. for we trust we have a good confcience in all things,willing to live honeftly and to make this advice have the more weight, I fhall lay before you a few confiderations. And, (1.) Confider minifters are not fufficient of them. felves for this work; the work is great, weighty and important, and the difficulties are many; and who is fufficient for it? Sure minifters are not; for if the apoftle faid with juftice of himself, That he was not of himself fufficient to think any thing as he ought, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Then much more may gofpel minifters now a days own it to be fo with B 3 them;

them; and therefore all their fufficiency is only of God, from whom fuitable and needful fupplies fhould be fought.

(2.) Confider, that in their plenty and fulness you fhall have plenty. They are indifpenfably obliged to lay out what they receive for you, to fpend and be spent in the work and fervice of your faith; and therefore, it is your intereft that they abound, fince it is like to turn to a good account to you; and the more fo, if you be inftru mental by your prayers, in procuring advantages and fupplies for them."

(3.) Confider, that they are expofed to great hazards for your fake, and therefore, you are to contribute your utmost to their affistance this way, wherein you may be most helpful to them. They being made watchmen, do hereby become the butt of Satan's malice; and the more faithful they are, the more will he oppose them and feek their ruin. The enemy's principal defign is fure to be against the watchman, becaufe he prevents the furprising of his people by Satan, at leaft it is his bufinefs to do fo; and therefore, no ftone will be left unturned, in order to his ruin. 1. Satan will endea vour to lay him asleep, to make him turn fecure, that he may neglect his poft. 2. If he mifs of this, he will endeavour to fill him with disturbance and fear, that fo he may be diverted from his duty, and made to quit his post. Or, 3. he will ply his corruptions, that he may, by attending to them, and striving against them, take him off from, or discourage him in his opposition to thofe of others. 4. He will endeavour to blind his eyes by falfe appearances, that so he may give falfe alarms; and this will weaken his credit, and tnake people not believe his warnings. 5. He

will endeavour to amufe him with great appearances of danger, where there is none; that his eyes may turn off from thefe things which really endanger his flock. And, 6. He will endeavour to beget and cherish jealousies betwixt his people and him, whereby his warnings will be lefs regarded, and his hands be weakened, and his heart difcouraged. 7. If thefe fail, he will endeavour to get him removed; if he fee the gospel like to prove fuccefsful, then he will take care to find out ways, to oblige the watchman to remove from his poft. And, 8. If he fail of this, he will endeavour to kill him, either by multiplying troubles and griefs, or elfe by more direct methods, employing his emiffaries and fervants to take away his life; and this by God's permiffion, for the punishment of a people's fins, has proven fuccefsful. Surely these and a great many more methods, ufed by Satan, the wicked world, pretended friends, and their own corruptions, against the minifters of the gofpel, and all upon the people's account, fhould make them careful in praying to God in their behalf, that they may be faved from the attempts of all their fpiritual adverfaries, and may be made to grow in grace and gifts. Pray for much grace to your minifter, that he may perfuade, as knowing the terrors of the Lord; that

he

may deal tenderly with you, as having himself had acquaintance with foul-fickness, or account of fin; that he may take you to Jefus fafely, as having himself been with him; that he may comfort you with the confolations wherewith he has been comforted of God. In fine, that he may speak, because he himself has not only believed, but experienced the work of grace upon his own foul, as one that has tafted that fin is an evil and bitter

thing, and has found, that Chrift is useful, is fufficient, is precious, and that he may pray acceptably for you, as one who has found acceptance in his own behalf. Pray likewife for gifts to him, knowlege in the mystery of God, and of Chrift, and of faith; that he may have much fpiritual wisdom, zeal, boldness and courage, to fit him for his work; and withal, that the Lord may give a door of utterance.

(4.) Confider, that a careful attendance to your duty, in holding up your minifter's cafe, will be a great mean to promote love, mutual love betwixt you and him; and this will help to break Satan's engines. Nothing contributes more to the furtherance and fuccefs of one's miniftry in a place, than much love, mutual kindness betwixt minifter and people; and no love so useful this way, as that which vents itself in prayer for one another, and is cherished by this means. But,

2. I intreat you may carefully attend ordinances, the preaching of the word, public prayers and praifes, and catechifing, as the Lord fhail give occafion. This will make us cheerfully go about thefe duties, if we fee you ftudying to make advantage of them: this will be profitable to you; it will difcourage our enemies; it will rejoice our heart, and be a credit to religion.

3. Any advantage you receive, be fure that ye attribute it entirely to God; beware of placing it to the minister's account, who is only the inftrument: if you rob God of the glory, and give it to the instrument, you may by this provoke the Lord to blast your minister, and to withdraw from him his prefence; which will foon make you fee, that it is not the minifter that can do any thing. Give God his due, and fo account of us as the fer

vants of Chrift, and the ftewards of the myfteries of the gofpel; and when ye get any good by it, put it all to God's account, blefs him for it; and let the inftrument have an interest in your affections and prayers, that he may be further useful to you and others.

4. Once more and we have done. Do not aecount us your enemies, if we tell you the truth; we must by any means be free, in laying open your fins, and in carrying home the conviction of them to your confciences; nor dare we gratify any, by holding our peace in this matter; for if we pleafe men, then are we not the fervants of Chrift; and if any foul die in its fin by our filence, then we bring the blood of fouls upon our own heads, and hazard our own fouls. We are obliged by the manifestation of the truth, to commend ourselves to confciences; and if the more we love the lefs we are loved, then God will require it at your hands. But whether you will hear, or whether you forbear, we muft, as we shall anfwer to the great Shepherd of the sheep, deal plainly with you. Confider but that one fcripture Lev. xix. 17. and ye will fee reproof to be an act of great love, and that the neglect of it in God's account is hatred. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart. Thou shalt in any ways rebuke thy neighbour, and not fuffer fin upon him; or as the laft claufe may be rendered, That thou bear not fin for him. Now, if you follow thefe advices, and if there be a fingle eye to God, and clofe dependence upon him both in minifter and people, mutual love and helpfulnefs, and a joint endeavour to promote the great defign of the miniftry, the glory of God in our own falvation, then our labour thall not be in vain, but fhall be bleffed with increafe, and God even our God fhall blefs us. THE