II. To fhew, that every Chriftian at prefent, may juftly glory, and ought to rejoice in the fame Things. And,

III. To apply these Particulars to the good Work before us; by fhewing, that the inftructing these poor Children in the Principles of Chriftianity, as well as clothing them, cannot with Reason be denied to be just Matter of rejoicing, to all who do, or fhall, contribute towards it.

I. First, I am to fhew for what Reasons St. Paul calls his Theffalonians, his Glory and Joy, and upon what Principles this his Glorying and his Joy was founded. And his Reasons were, that they had embraced the Gospel, adhered ftedfastly to it, and lived as became it, He tells them, in the next Chapter, that he had been in great Pain, lest the Afflictions which had befallen him, in the Course of his Ministry, should have tempted them to forfake the Gofpel which he had preached; and that therefore he had fent Timotheus, his fellow Labourer in the GoSpel of Chrift, to establish them, and to comfort them concerning their Faith. ver. 2, 3, 4.

But now, fays he, when Timotheus came from you to us, and brought us good Tidings of your Faith and Charity; therefore, Brethren, we were comforted over you in all our Affliction and Diftrefs, by your Faith; for now we live VOL. I.

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if ye ftand faft in the Lord, ver. 6, 7. For what Thanks can we return to God for you, for all the Joy wherewith we joy, for your Sakes, before our God? - And, as his Conduct was uniform, and his Views the fame, we find the fame Spirit runs through all his Epiftles. We write none other Things to you, fays he to the Corinthians, (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) than what you acknowledge, and, I truft, you fhall acknowledge, even unto the End; and therefore, as we are your rejoicing, even fo ye allo are ours, in the Day of the Lord Jefus.

Some, fays he to the Philippians, preach Christ only out of Envy to me, thinking to add Affliction to my Bonds; and others indeed fincerely, and out of good Will to me. And

what then?

What is it to me, whether they love or hate me? I am little folicitous about what affects my felf only; but there is one very happy Confequence from it, Whether in Pretence only, or in Truth, Chrift is every Way preached. And I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice, 1, 15, 18.- -And indeed, the fame affectionate Concern for the Propagation of the Faith, the fame Delight and Transport at the Succefs of it, fhines out in almost every Period of his Writings; and as no Man can feriously read his divine Epiitles without being fenfible of it; fo no Man can well do him Juftice in the Representation of it, without tranfcribing them.

But

But nevertheless, we muft obferve in general concerning it, that it is from thence undeniably evident, that the Principles, upon which St. Paul's Glorying and Rejoicing were founded, were thefe; an ardent Zeal for the Salvation of Souls, and an Affection for the Gofpel, as the only Means of it; together with a fervent Love of our Great Redeemer, who purchased that Salvation, and a most deep and grateful Senfe of the Divine Goodnefs, as wonderfully difplayed in our Redemption.

First, An ardent Zeal for the Salvation of Souls, and an Affection for the Gospel, as the only Means of it. No Breaft ever glowed with a more generous Love to Mankind; no Man ever laboured, or fuffered, more for the Sake of procuring them the most inestimable Bleffings. He paffed through the greatest Part of the known World more than once, with almost the Rapidity of a Cæfar, or an Alexander; but upon very different Motives, and with very different Defigns. They to gratify their Ambition or Revenge; he to indulge his infatiable Thirst of doing good: They to maffacre or enflave Mankind; he to rescue them from endless Mifery, and entitle them to endless Happiness. How low and defpicable, not to fay how unjuft and wicked, is the Attempt, to bring Nation after Nation, and Province after Province, into Subjection to

Tyrants, who had little or no Right to rule over them; if compared with the most noble and magnanimous Labour of enlarging the Boundaries of the Kingdoms of Christ, and leading thousands and ten thousands to eternal Glory? - The publick Spirit of those, who are most celebrated for it, was really nothing better than a selfish View of aggrandizing themselves; a steady Pursuit of their own Intereft and Glory, at the Coft, and often to the Destruction, of any other People whom they were inclined to fubdue. But Saint Paul's publick Spirit was of a very different Nature. It was a Readiness to fuffer Wants of every Kind, that others might abound in the true Riches; a Readiness to become the Contempt and Off-fcouring of the Earth, that others might by his Means become the Favourites of Heaven; a Defire to become accurfed, or execrable, in the Sight of Men, and a chearful enduring all the ill Effects of that Curfe, that he might thereby bring them to the Adoption of the Sons of God. He was truly fenfible of the ineftimable Worth of immortal Souls, and was therefore ardently defirous of faving fome; he knew that this was only to be done by the Gospel of Christ, and he therefore laboured and gloried, fuffered and rejoiced, in the Propagation of it. He knew that this mighty Work had brought his Bleffed Mafter from Heaven; and he both admired and imitated his Patience and his Love.

For

For our Apoftle's Gratitude, and Admiration of the Divine Goodnefs, were not lefs remarkable than his Affection for the Souls of Men. The glorious Benefits of our Redemption were ever prefent to his View; he gave himself wholly up to the ftudy and promulgation of them; and his whole Heart was from thence inflamed with Divine Love.

He faw and admired the Wonders of God's Incarnation and Sufferings; he was astonished at this ftupendous Inftance of infinite Mercy; and his moft earnest Defire was that all the reft of Mankind, fhould be as fenfible of this immenfe Goodnefs, and as happy in a due Senfe and Acknowledgment of it as himself. His Soul was united to his God and Saviour in Gratitude and Affection; this Union could not but discover itself in constant Endeavours to promote the Honour of that God, whom he loved; and for thefe Reasons, no Dangers terrified, no Perfecutions discouraged him, from proclaiming the Glory of his Saviour to the World.

He had devoted himself, in all Events, to his Worship and Service; his Refolution was, that whether he lived he would live unto the Lord; or if he died, he would die unto the Lord; and whether therefore he lived or died he would be the Lord's. And when he found these his Endeavours crowned with Succefs ; when he was so happy as to prevail on others to renounce their Errors and Sins, Ee 3

and