in feason, and out of feafon, by gentleness, hy. terror, by argument, by perfuafion, by reafon, by intereft, by every motive, and every inducement, he ftrove with unwearied affiduity to turn men from the error of their ways, and awaken them to Virtue and Religion. To the bed of ficknefs or the couch of profperity, to the prifon or the hofpital, the house of mourning or the house of feafting, wherever there was a friend to ferve, or a foul to fave, he readily repaired, to adminifter affiftance or advice, reproof or confolation. He thought no office too humiliating, no condefcenfion too low, no undertaking too arduous, to reclaim the meaneft of God's offspring. The fouls of all men were precious in his fight, and the value of an immortal creature beyond all eftimation. He penetrated the abodes of wretchednefs and ignorance, to refcue the profligate from perdition; and he communicated light to those who fat in darkness, and the fhadow of death. He changed the outcafts of fociety into ufeful members, civilized even favages, and filled those lips with prayer and praife, that had been accuftomed only to oaths and imprecations.

But as the ftrongest religious impreffions are apt to become languid without difcipline and practice, he divided his people into claffes and bands according to their attainments. He appointed frequent meetings for prayer and converfation, where they gave an account of their experience, their hopes and fears, their joys and troubles; by which means they were united to each other, and their common profeffion; they became centinels upon each other's conduct, and fecurities for each other's character. Thus the feeds he fowed fprang up and flourished, bearing the rich fruits of every grace and virtue ; thus he governed and preferved his numerous focieties, watching their improvement with a pa

ternal

ternal care, and encouraging them to be faithful to the end.

But I will not attempt to draw his full character, nor to estimate the extent of his labours and services they will be best known, when he shall deliver up his commiffion into the hands of his Great Mafter," Lord here am I, and the chil "dren which thou haft given me."

N. B. This most extraordinary man, in the: course of the laft fixty years, has been the blessed inftrument in the hands of God to revive his work of True, Primitive Religion, not only in England, Scotland, and Ireland, but in that large: Quarter of the Globe, America. In all of these places, he travelled in the greatness of his zeal, in perfon, by the fweat of his brow, and with his life in his hand; like his Great Mafter, delivering the meffage of the Lord to the poor, but precious and never-dying fouls of men..

But glory be to JEHOVAH, his labours did not: ftop here, as tens of thousands of poor negroes,. (and indeed their masters too,) in the Weft Indies, both English, Dutch, and Danish Isles can testify. In fine we fhall fay of him feparately, as was faid of the holy Apoftles, jointly; viz. That God's. Word, is by him carried through all the Earth; yea, even to the World's End.—O, that my life: were like his !

SERMON X.

On the true Glory of an Houfe of GOD.

PREACHED AT

The Opening of the New-Chapel, in Lowgate, HULL, On Sunday, Dec. the 23d, 1787.

HAGGAI II. 9.

"The Glory of this latter Houfe fhall be greater than of the former, faith the LORD of Hofts: And in this place will I give Peace, faith the LORD of Hofts."

I.

OTWITHSTANDING that the Babylonish

bling that small remnant of Jews that furvived it, and of curing the whole nation of idolatry, into which (it feems) they never afterwards fell; yet we have reafon to believe that the generality of them ftill remained carnal in their views and affections. Hence, like the rest of mankind, while in a carnal ftate, they were most taken with external things. When, therefore, they faw the houfe, nearly finished, which was built after their return from Babylon, and compared it with Solomon's Temple, the fplendour of which many of them could remember, it appeared in their eyes as nothing in comparison of that former most fumptuous fabric. Hence they were ready to be difcouraged, as if the chief glory of a place of worship confifted in the great wealth lavished in the external decorations of it. To prevent this,. therefore, and encourage them to go on with their undertaking, as well as to reprove them for their inactivity and floth, the Lord raised up and fent to them

K 6

them his fervants Haggai and Zachariah, who both prophesied in the fecond year of Darius the King of Perfia, under whofe dominion the Jews

then were.

2. In the feventh month of that year came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, faying, Who is left among you that saw this house in its first glory? And how do you fee it now? Is It not in your eyes, in comparison of it, as nothing? Yet now be ftrong, O Zerubbabel, and Joshua the High Prieft, and be ftrong all the people of the land, faith the Lord, and work, for I am with you, faith the Lord of Hofts. According to the word which I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, fo my Spirit remaineth among you; fear ye not. For thus faith the Lord of Hofts, yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land; and I will shake at nations, and the Defire of all nations fhall come, and I will fill this house with glory, faith the Lord of Hofts. The filver is mine, and the gold is mine, faith the Lord of Hofts. The glory of this latter houfe fhall be greater than of the former: and in this place will I give peace, faith the Lord of Hofts."

3. Hence it appears, that though Solomon's temple, which was a great part of it overlaid with gold and filver, and was in other refpects, perhaps, the most magnificent ftructure ever erected upon the earth, far exceeded this latter house in outward ornaments, yet that this fhould excel it in real glory. The reafon was, the Defire of all nations, the Saviour of finners, the Chrift of God, the living and true Temple of Jehovah, of which thefe outward temples were but types and shadows, was to appear in it. Here the true Light was to fhine, and difperfe the dark nefs that had covered former nations and ages. Here the power of