and Saviour of fouls, their teftimony is charged with folly, and their endeavours rejected with fcorn, as officious and impertinent. Men, while left to themselves, will not come to him that they may have life. The God of this world fo works upon their prejudices, pride, and paffions, that though the light of truth shines around them like the light of the fun, the eyes of their mind are blinded, and they are pleased with their darkness, and unwilling to fee*. Hence of the few, comparatively, who are favoured with a clear and faithful difpenfation of the gospel, the greater part, it is to be feared, reject the counsel of God against themselves: and his minifters, in all ages, have had cause to adopt the prophet's complaint, Lord, who hath believed our report? It would be thus univerfally, if the Lord who gave the word, and who fends forth the preachers, had not engaged his promife, that they shall not labour wholly in vain, nor fpend their ftrength for nought. He prepares a people to serve him, and to fhew forth his praife. And while fome mock, others refuse to hear ‡, and others, with an indolent indifference,

*

2 Cor. iv. 4. + Ifa. liii. 1. ‡ Acts xvii. 32.

are

are content to hear again and again, there are others, whofe hearts are opened to receive the truth in the love of it. They hear and believe to everlasting life.

II. The inftruments of this happy change, find their reward in their work. In being owned to the falvation of a few, they are compenfated for all the oppofition they meet with from the many.. And this on a twofold account.

First, and principally, for the love they bear to their Lord and to fouls for his fake.

To fee his name made precious to the hearts of finners; to fee those who were blind admiring his excellency; to see those who were fo far off from God brought fo nigh; to fee thofe who were wretched rejoicing in his goodness; to hear those whose lips were filled with folly, falfehood, or blafphemy, proclaiming his praise. Such falutary effects of their miniftry, fill them likewife with praise and joy. And when their hearers exprefs the power and spirit of the gofpel, in their tempers and conduct, they can fay, Now we live, if you stand faft in the Lord *.

* 1 Theff. iii. 3.

A fe

A fecondary fatisfaction, which of itself is fufficient to make them full amends for all the scorn of an unkind world, is, the share they have in the affections of the people, who are thus benefited by their ministry. This is the popularity which alone is defirable. It would be a fmall thing to be able merely to hold a multitude by the ears; but to be approved, and loved, by those to whom the Lord has made them ufeful, is a high honour, and a fource of fublime pleafure. When Peter and John had healed the lame man, I doubt not but they were more affected by the fimple honeft teftimony of his gratitude, than by the unmeaning wonder of all the furrounding multitude. If a true fervant of the Lord, by any advantage of abilities or elocution, should attach a large congregation. to a perfonal regard for himself; fhould be admired and beloved by them, and yet difcover no attachment in them to the Saviour whom he preaches, their partiality to him would give him but little pleasure, He would be more ready to weep over them, than to rejoice in the preference they gave him. For he feeks not their applause, but

VOL. II.

* Acts iii. 11.

H

their

their edification. And he aims not to promote his own glory, but the glory of him who fent him*. He is, indeed, glad to see them attending upon the means which God has promised to blefs. But the faithfulness and clofenefs of his addreffes to their confciences, by which many are fooner or later difgufted and driven away, is a proof that he does not want them merely to make up a number about him. They who make the office of a preacher an occafion whereby to promote their own intereft or reputation, may, perhaps, obtain the reward they feek; but it is such a reward, as can only satisfy a weak and mercenary mind. And from him, whofe name they prostitute, they can only expect the reward affigned to hypocrites and unbelievers.

But true Chriftians will, and do, fet a high value upon the minifters, who with fimplicity and godly fincerity, preach the gofpel of peace, in fuch a manner as to evidence that they are influenced by a regard to the glory of God, and to the good of fouls. And they give proof of their affection in more ways than by fpeaking well of them. ↑ John vii. 18.

1. By the fatisfaction with which they accept a faithful miniftry, as a balance to the trials they meet with in common life. There are many poor, and many afflicted people, who have little comfort in the things of this life, and in their own houses. Some are pinched by penury, and fome who live in opulence, yet dwell, as the Pfalmift expreffes it *, in the fire and among lions. They suffer not less than the others, though in a different way, from the unkindness and oppofition of their nearest connections. But in the house of God, they are satisfied and comforted. And, according to the words of the prophet, though the Lord is pleased to give them the bread of adverfity, and the water of affliction †, yet, fince their teachers are not removed into corners, but they have free access to the preaching of his word, and can attend upon a minifter who careth for their fouls, and meets them, when they are weary, with a word in feason, they bear their appointed cross with cheerfulness. Though they have much bitterness of heart at home, known only to themselves, they have a pleasure which a stranger intermedleth + Ifa. xxx. 20.

* Pf. lvii. 4.