CHAPTER VI.

THE first reasons by which I shall persuade you to this duty are taken from the benefits of it. The second from the difficulty. And the third from the necessity, and the many obligations that are upon us for the performance of it.

to these three heads I shall reduce them all.

And

I. And for the first of these; when I look before me, and consider what, through the blessing of God, this work well managed is likely to produce, it makes my heart to leap for joy. Truly, brethren, you have begun a most blessed work; such as your own consciences may rejoice in, your parishes rejoice in, the nation rejoice in, and children yet unborn; yea, thousands and millions for ought we know, may have cause to bless God for it, when we have finished Our course. And though it be our business here to humble ourselves for the neglect of it so long, as we have very great cause to do; yet the hopes of a blessed success are so great in me, that they are ready to turn it into a day of rejoicing. I bless the Lord that I have lived to see such a day as this, and to be present at so solemn an engagement of so many servants of Christ to such a work. I bless the Lord that hath honoured you of this county to be the beginners and awakeners of the nation hereunto. It is not a controverted business, where the exasperated minds of divided men might pick quarrels with us, or malice itself be able to invent a rational reproach; nor is it a new invention, where envy might charge you as innovators, or proud boasters of any new discoveries of your own; or scorn to follow in it because you have led the way. No; it is a well-known duty. It is but the more diligent and effectual management of the Ministerial work, and the teaching of our principles, and the feeding of babes with milk. You lead indeed, but not in invention of novelty, but the restoration of the ancient Ministerial work, and the self-denying attempt of a duty that few or none can contradict. Unless men do envy you your labours and sufferings, or unless they envy the saving of men's souls, I know not what they can envy you for in this. The age is so quarrelsome, that where there is any matter to fasten on, we can scarcely explain a truth, or perform a duty,

but one or other, if not many, will have a stone to cast at us, and will speak evil of the things which they do not understand, or which their hearts and interests are against. But here I think we have silenced malice itself, and I hope we may do this part of God's work quietly. If they cannot endure to be told what they know not, or contradicted in what they think, or confounded by discoveries of what they have said amiss, I hope they will give us leave to do that which no man can contradict, and to practise that which all are agreed in. I hope we may have their good leave, or silent patience at least, to deny the ease and pleasure of our flesh,, and to set ourselves in good earnest to help men to heaven, and to propagate the knowledge of Christ with our people. I take it for a sign of a great and necessary work, which hath such universal approbation; the commonly acknowledged truths and duties being, for the most part, of greatest necessity and moment. A more noble work it is to practise faithfully the truths and duties that all men will confess, than to make new ones, or discover somewhat more than others have discovered. I know not why we should be ambitious of finding out new ways to heaven: to make plain, and to walk in the old way, is our work and our greatest honour.

And because the work in hand is so pregnant of great advantages to the Church, I will come down to the particular benefits which we may hope for, that when you see the excellency of it, you may be the more set upon it, and the more loath by any negligence or failing to destroy or frustrate it. For certainly he that hath the true intentions of a Minister, will rejoice in the appearances of any further hopes of attaining his ends, and nothing can be more welcome to him than that which will further the very business of his life; and that our present work is such, I shall shew you more particularly.

1. It will be the most hopeful advantage for the conversion of many souls that we can expect; for it hath a concurrence of those great things which must further such a work. (1.) For the matter of it, it is about most needful things; the principles or essentials of the Christian faith.-(2.) For the manner of exercise; it will be by private conference, where we may have opportunity to set all home to the heart.-(3.)

The common concord of Ministers will do much to bow their hearts to consent. Were it but a meeting to resolve some controverted questions, it would not have so direct a tendency to conversion. Were it but occasional, we could not handsomely fall on them so closely; but when we make it the appointed business, it will be expected, and not so strangely taken. And if most Ministers had singly set upon this work, perhaps but few of the people would have submitted; and then you might have lost your chief opportunities, and those that had most needed our help, would have had least of it. Whereas now we may hope that when it is a general thing, few will refuse it; and when they see that other neighbours do it, they will be ashamed to be so singular or openly ungodly as to deny.

The work of Conversion consisteth of two parts.-(1.) The well informing of the judgment of the necessary points. −(2.) The change of the will, by the efficacy of this truth. Now in this work we have the most excellent advantage for both. For the informing of their understandings, it must needs be an excellent help to have the sum of all Christianity still in memory; and though bare words, not understood, will make no change, yet when the words are plain, he that hath the words is far more likely to know the meaning and matter, than another; for what have we to make things known by, that are themselves invisible, but words and other subservient signs? Those, therefore, that will deride all catechisms and professions, as unprofitable forms, had better deride themselves for talking and using the form of their own words to make known their minds to others; and they may deride all God's word on the same account, which is a standing form for the guiding of Preachers, and teaching all others the doctrine of eternal life. Why may not written words that are still before their eyes, and in their memories, instruct them, as well as the transient words of a Preacher? These forms, therefore, of wholesome words are so far from being unprofitable, as some fantastic persons imagine, that they are of admirable use to all.

We shall have the opportunity by personal conference to try them how far they understand it, and how far not; and also to explain it to them as we go; and to choose out and insist on those particulars which the persons that we

speak to have most need to hear. So that these two conjunct, a form of words, with a plain explication, may do more than either of them could do alone.

Moreover, we have the best opportunity to imprint the same truths upon their hearts, when we can speak to each one's particular necessity, and say to the sinner, "Thou art the man ;" plainly mention his particular case, and set home the Truth with familiar importunity. If any thing in the world is likely to do them good, it is this. They will understand a familiar speech, who hear a sermon, as if it were nonsense, and they have far greater help for the application of it to themselves. And withal you will hear their objections, and know where it is that Satan hath most advantage over them, and what it is that stands up against the Truth; and so may be able to shew them their errors, confute their objections, and more effectually convince them. We can better drive them to a stand, and urge them to discover their resolutions for the future, and to promise the use of means and reformation, than otherwise we could do. What need we more for this than our experience? I seldom deal with men purposely on this great business, in private, serious conference, but they go away with some seeming convictions, and promises of new obedience, if not some deeper remorse, and sense of their condition. And I hope your own experiences are the same.

O, brethren, what a blow may we give the kingdom of darkness by the faithful and skilful managing of this work! If then the saving of souls, of your neighbours' souls, of many souls from everlasting misery, be worth your labour, up and be doing! If the increase of the true Church of Christ be desirable, this work is excellent, which is so likely to promote it. If you would be the fathers of many that shall be new-born to God, and would see the travail of your souls with comfort, and would be able to say at last, “Here am I, and the children that thou hast given me ;" up then and ply this blessed work. If it will do you good, to see your holy converts among the saints in glory, praising the Lamb before his throne; if you will be glad to present them blameless and spotless to Christ; be glad then of this singular opportunity that is offered you. If you be Ministers of Christ indeed, you will long for the perfecting of his Body, and the gathering in of his Elect; and your hearts

will be set upon it, and you will travail as in birth of them till Christ be formed in them. Then you will take such opportunities as your harvest-time, and as the sunshine days in a rainy harvest, in which it is unreasonable and inexcusable to be idle. If you have any spark of Christian compassion in you, it will surely seem worth your utmost labour to save so many souls from death, and to cover so great a multitude of sins. If you are indeed co-workers with Christ, set then to this work, and neglect not the souls, for whom he died. O remember when you are talking with the unconverted, that now there is an opportunity in your hands to save a soul, and to rejoice the angels of heaven, and to rejoice Christ himself, and that your work is to cast Satan out of a sinner, and to increase the family of God. What is your own hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not your saved people in the presence of Christ Jesus at his coming? Yea, doubtless, they are your glory and your joy. (1 Thess. ii. 19, 20.)

2. The second happy benefit of our work, if well managed, will be the most orderly building up those that are converted, and the establishing them in the Faith. It hazardeth the whole work, or at least much hindereth it, when we do it not in the order that it must be done. How can you build if you first lay not a good foundation; or how can you set on the top-stone while the middle parts are neglected? Gratia non facit saltum,' any more than nature. The second order of Christian truths have such dependance upon the first, that they can never be well learned till the first are learned. This makes so many deluded novices, that are puffed up with the vain conceits of knowledge while they are grossly ignorant, and itch to be preaching before they well know what it is to be Christians; because they took not the work before them, but learned some lesser matters they heard most talked of, before they learned the vital principles. This makes many labour so much in vain, and are still learning, but never come to the knowledge of the Truth, because they would learn to read before they learn to spell, or to know their letters; and this makes so many fall away, and shaken with every wind of temptation, because they were not well settled in the fundamentals. It is these fundamentals that must lead men to further truths; it is these they must bottom and build upon.