Liberty to enlarge themselves upon it; the better to Prepare Myself and Others for it. And myMeditations on this Subject efpecially, I hope Have been and will be Ufeful to myself, both Living and Dying: God grant they may be fo to many Others alfo.

The Great End of our Preaching is the Saving of Souls: And Bleffed and Happy are all they that are Succefsful in it! I have no greater Foy than this, fays St. John, fpeaking of his Converts, his Children in the Faith,---I have no greater Joy than this, (fays he,) to bear that my Children Walk in the Truth. And certainly there can be no greater Pleafure

3

J

Pleafure to a faithful Minifter
of Chrift, no greater Joy, than
to fee the Work of the Lord
profper in his Hands: To read
the Succefs of his Miniftry in
the Life and Converfation of
his Hearers: To fee them all
like Brethren dwelling together
in Unity; coming to the House
of God as Friends, and ftriv-
ing together for the Faith of
the Gofpel: To fee the Spiri-
tual Seed, the Seed of the
Word which he has fown in
their Hearts, growing up into
all the Fruits of Righteousness,
which are by Jefus Chrift to
the Glory and Praife of God.---
This fays the Apostle) is
our Hope and Crown of Rejoic-
́ing, This is our Glory and Joy.
A 4

But

But Then shall be their Great Foy, and Crown of Rejoicing, when they that have turned many to Righteousness, fhall come to receive the Reward of their Labours, and shall Shine as the Stars for ever and

ever.

But We can only do our Endeavour; We can only Plant, and Water, it is God that must give the Increase. We fpeak to Mens Ears; it is God that must open their Hearts to receive Inftruction. And if at laft we do not, like our Bleffed Master, fee of the Travel of our Souls; tho' we do not fee fuch Prefent Fruits of our Labours, as we could wish, and might reasonably expect, yet we muft

must still go on, and Live in Hope. As God has made us Spiritual Husbandmen, we muft Plow in Hope, and Sow in Hope, Praying and Trufting to God, to give his Bleffing on our Labours, that we may be Partakers of our Hope.

Son of Man (fays God to his Prophet) I have made thee a Watchman unto the House of Ifrael: [Ezek. iii.] If we do our Duty with Care and Diligence, faithfully Watching for Mens Souls, and do warn the Wicked from Him, to turn from their Wickedness, whatever Succefs we have, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, we have delivered our own Soul, and fhall not lose our Reward.

As

As to what concerns myself, I humbly befeech Almighty God, to give fome good Succefs to the long Course of my Ministry; to Pardon my Neglects, and make up my Defects by his gracious Affiftance; that fo I may be able, when the Time fhall come, to give up my Account with Joy, and not with Grief.

And as for thefe Plain, Serious Sermons which I now publifh, I fhall think all my Pains in the Publication well bestow'd, if it fhall please God thereby to make me the Happy Inftrument of Saving, if it were but One Soul from Death.

THE