oration, few are moved with any thing that he saith. Let us therefore, rouse up ourselves to the work of the Lord, and speak to our people as for their lives, and save them as by violence, pulling them out of the fire. Satan will not be charmed out of his profession. We must lay siege to the souls of sinners which are his garrisons, find out where his chief strength lieth, and lay the battery of God's ordnance against it, and ply it closely till a breach be made; and then suffer them not by their shifts to make it up again, but find out their common objections, and give them a full and satisfactory answer. We have reasonable creatures to deal with; and as they abuse their reason against truth, so they will accept better reason for it before they will obey. We must therefore see that our sermons be convincing, and that we make the light of Scripture and reason shine so bright in the faces of the ungodly, that it may even force them to see, unless they wilfully shut their eyes. A sermon full of mere words, how neatly soever it be composed, while there is wanting the light of evidence, and the life of zeal, is but an image, or a well-dressed carcase. In preaching there is intended a communion of souls, and a communication of somewhat from ours unto theirs. As we, and they have understandings, and wills, and affections, so must the bent of our endeavours be to communicate the fullest light of evidence from our understandings unto theirs; and to warm their hearts by kindling in them holy affections, as by a communication from ours. The great things which we have to commend to our hearers, have reason enough on their side, and lie plain before them in the Word of God; we should therefore be so furnished with all store of evidence, as to come as with a torrent upon their understandings, and bear down all before us, and with our dilemmas and expostulations to bring them to a nonplus, and pour out shame upon all their vain objections, that they may be forced to yield to the power of Truth, and see that it is great, and will prevail.

IV. Moreover, if you would prosper in your work, be sure to keep up earnest desires and expectations of success. If your hearts be not set on the end of your labours, and you long not to see the conversion and edification of your hearers, and do not study and preach in hope, you are not likely

to see much fruit of it. It is an ill sign of a false, self-seeking heart, that can be content to be still doing, and see no fruit of their labour. So I have observed, that God seldom blesseth any man's work so much as his whose heart is set upon success. Let it be the property of such as Judas to have more regard to the bag than to their business, and not to care much for what they pretend to care; and to think if they have their tithes, and the love and commendations of the people, that they have enough to satisfy them. But let all that preach for Christ, and men's salvation, be unsatisfied till they have the thing they preach for. He had never the right motives of a Preacher that is indifferent whether he do obtain them, and is not grieved when he misseth them, and rejoiced when he sees the desired issue. When a man doth only study what to say, and how with commendation to spend the hour, and looks no more after it, unless it be to know what people think of his own abilities, and thus holds on from year to year; I must needs think, that this man preaches for himself, and drives on a private trade of his own, and does not preach for Christ even when he preaches Christ, how excellent soever he may seem to do it. No wise or charitable physician is content to be still giving physic, and see no amendment among his patients, but have them all to die upon his hands; nor will any wise and honest schoolmaster be content to be still teaching, though his scholars profit not; but either of them would grow weary of the employment. I know that a faithful Minister may have comfort when he wants success; and though Israel be not gathered, our reward is with the Lord; and our acceptance is not according to the fruit, but according to our labour; and as Greg. M. saith, "Et Ethiops etsi balneum niger intrat, et niger egreditur, tamen balneator nummos accipit." If God set us to wash blackamoors, and cure those that will not be cured, we shall not lose our labour, though we perform not the cure. But then, he that longeth not for the success of his labours, can have none of his comfort, because he was not a faithful labourer: this is only for them that I speak of, that are set upon the end, and grieved if they miss it. This is not the full comfort that we must desire, but only such a part as may quiet us, though we miss the rest. What if God will accept a physician though the patient die! He must work in compassion,

long for a better issue, and be sorry if he miss it, for all that; for it is not only our own reward that we labour for, but other men's salvation. I confess, for my part, I marvel at some ancient, reverend men, that have lived twenty, forty, or fifty years with an unprofitable people, where they have seen so little fruit of their labours, that it was scarcely discernible, how they can with so much patience still go on! Were it my case, though I durst not leave the vineyard nor quit my calling, yet I should suspect that it was God's will I should go somewhere else, and another take my place, that might be fitter for them; and I should not be easily satisfied to spend my days in such a manner.

V. Do well, as well as say well. Be zealous of good works., Spare not for any cost, if it may promote your Master's work.

1. Maintain your innocence, and walk without offence. Let your lives condemn sin, and persuade men to duty. Would you have your people be more careful of their souls than you will be of yours? If you would have them redeem their time, do not you mispend yours. If you would not have them vain in their conversations; see that you speak yourselves the things which may edify, and tend to minister grace to the hearers. Order your own families well if you would have them do so by theirs. Be not proud and lordly, if you would have them to be lowly. There is no virtue wherein your example will do more, at least to abate men's prejudice, than humility, and meekness, and self-denial. Forgive injuries, and be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Do as your Lord, who when he was reviled, reviled not again. If sinners be stubborn, and stout, and contemptuous, flesh and blood will persuade you to take up their weapons, and to master them by their carnal means; but that is not the way, further than necessary self-preservation, or public good requireth it; but overcome them with kindness, and patience, and gentleness. The former may shew that you have more worldly power than they, wherein yet they are ordinarily too hard for the faithful; but it is the latter only, that will tell them that you overtop them in spiritual excellence, and in the true qualifications of a saint. If you believe that Christ was more imitable than Cæsar, or Alexander; and that it is more glory to be a Christian than

your

to be a Conqueror, yea, to be a man than a beast, which often exceed us in strength; then contend with charity, and not with violence; and set meekness, and love, and patience against force; and not force against force. Remember you are obliged to be the servants of all. Condescend to men of low estate. Be not strange to the poor of flock. They are apt to take your strangeness for contempt. Familiarity, improved to holy ends, is exceedingly necessary, and may do abundance of good. Speak not stoutly, or disrespectfully to any one; but be courteous to the meanest as your equal in Christ. A kind and winning carriage is a cheap way of advantage to do men good.

2. Remember what I said before on works of Charity. Go to the poor, and see what they want, and shew at once your compassion to soul and body. Buy them a Catechism and some small books that are most likely to do them good, and bestow them on your neighbours, and make them promise you to read them, and especially, to spend that part of the Lord's-day therein, which they can spare from greater duties. Stretch your purse to the utmost, and do all the good you can. Think not of being rich; seek not great things for yourselves or posterity. What if you do impoverish yourselves to do a greater good; will it be loss or gain? If you believe that God is your safest purse-bearer, and that to expend in his service is the greatest usury, and the most thriving trade; shew them that you believe it. know that flesh and blood will cavil before it will lose its prey, and will never want somewhat to say against that duty that is against its interest. But mark what I say, and the Lord set it home upon your may hearts: That man who has any thing in the world so dear to him, that he cannot spare it for Christ, if he call for it, is no true Christian. And because a carnal heart will not believe that Christ calls for it, when he cannot spare it, and therefore makes that his selfdeceiving shift; I say further, that That man that will not be persuaded that duty is duty, because he cannot spare that for Christ, which is therein to be expended, is no true Christian; for a false heart corrupteth the understanding, and that again increaseth the delusions of the heart. Do not take it therefore as an undoing, to make you friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness, and to lay up a treasure in heaven, though you leave yourselves but little on earth. "Nemo tam pau

per potest esse quam natus est; Aves sine patrimonio vivunt, et in diem pecua pascuntur; et hoc nobis tamen nata sunt; quæ omnia si non concupiscimus possidemus, inquit Minutius Felix. p. (mihi) 397." You lose no great advantage for heaven by becoming poor; "Quia viam terit, eo fælicior quo levior incedit." Id.

I know where the heart is carnal and covetous, words will not wring their money out of their hands. They can say all this, and more to others; but saying is one thing, and believing is another. But with those that are true believers, methinks such considerations would prevail. what abundance of good might Ministers do, if they would but live in a contempt of the world, and the riches and glory of it, and expend all they have for their Master's use, and pinch their flesh that they might have wherewith to do good. This would unlock more hearts to the reception of their Doctrine than all their oratory will do; and without this, singularity in Religion will seem but hypocrisy, and it is likely that it is so. "Qui innocentiam colit, Domino supplicat-qui hominem periculo surripit, opinam victimam cædit; hæc nostra sacrificia; hæc Dei sacra sunt; sic apud nos relegiosior est ille qui justior, inquit idem Minutius Felix." ib. Though we need not do as the Papists, that will betake them to Monasteries, and cast away property, yet we must have nothing but what we have for God.

VI. The next branch of my Exhortation is, That you would maintain your Christian and brotherly unity and communion, and to do as much of God's work as you can in unanimity, and holy concord. Blessed be the Lord that it is so well with us, in this county in this regard, as it is! We lose our authority with the people when we divide. They will yield to us when we go together, who would resist and contemn the best of us alone. Two things, in order to this, I beseech you to observe:

1. Still maintain your Meetings for communion; incorporate, and hold all Christian correspondence; grow not strange to one another, do not say that you have business of your own to do, when you should be at any such Meeting or other work for God. It is not only the mutual edification that we may receive by lectures, disputations, or conferences, though that is not to be disregarded, but it is