And now I am where my soul hath long desired to be, and the vows of God are upon me ; suffer therefore (dear brethren) yea, suffer from unworthy me, This word of eochortation : Take heed to your ministry that you fulfil it: Take heed to yourselves^ and to thejlocks over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. Let us so study and preach, let us so pray and converse among our people, that we may both save ourselves, and them that hear us ; let us frugally and in- dustriously husband our time and talents for Christ ; let us prudently contrive, zealously and unanimously execute our holy contrivances, for the advancement of his kingdom and interest in the world : These are plotting times, wicked men are every where plotting to disturb the civil peace; let us have our plot too, an honest plot, how to ad- vance the interest of Christ in the souls of our people; wherein we shall also promote and secure the civil peace of that happy government we live under. Let us learn prudence from our past follies, and constancy from our past experiences. I look upon you that are aged ministers, as seasoned timber, that hath lain out near thirty years in the weather, yet neither warped, rained, nor rotten, I confess, in all this time, tlie sun hath not much tried the force of his influence upon iis, though the storms have. I suspect our greatest danger will be in the sun- shine of liberty. If we hold it now, and manage this trial by liberty, with eminent faithfulness and prudence, humility and peaceableness, 2eal and diligence ; Christ may account us fit materials to build his house. Let us now redeem our many silent Sabbaths, by double and tripple improvements of those we enjoy : Let none of us dare to bring our old sins into our new pulpits. Then will the Prince of pastors delight in us here, and crown our prudent faithfulness with a full reward hereafter. In order whereunto, give me leave to hint (for I can do no more than hint) these three things by way of motive, which are worth thinking on :
We have a solemn charge given us by Christ.
We have a solemn account to pass shortly with Christ.
We have now a great opportunity to improve for Christ.
1. We have a solemn charge given us by Christy 2 Tir*.. iv. 1, 2. " I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
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who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom ; preach the word, be instant in season, and out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." It must be a powerful opiate indeed, that can so benumb and stupify the conscience of a minister, as that he shall not feel the awful au- thority of such a charge.
The precious and immortal souls of men are committed to us ; souls, about which God hath concerned his thoughts from eternity ; for the purchase of which Christ hath shed his own blood ; for the winning and espousing of which to himself, he hath put you into this office ; at whose hands he will also require an account of them in the great day.
2. IVe have a solemn account at that day to pass "with Christ. Heb. xiii. 17. *' We watch for their souls, as those that must give account." And what can more powerfully excite to faithful diligence in the discharge of duty, than the consideration of that day ! Which the aposde had mentioned, in 2 Cor. v. 10. this awful appearance be- fore the judgment-seat of Christ; he immediately infers, verse 11. ^ Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.'
O brethren ! let us beware of committing, or of neglecting any thing, that may bring us within the compass of the terrors of that day. Let our painfulness and faithfulness, our constancy and seri- ousness, compel a testimony from our congregations, as the apostle did from his. Acts xxviii. 26. " That we are pure from the blood of all men."
3. We have a great opportunity to improve Jhr Christ ; which if w^e do, we shall fulfil his charge, and escape the terrors of his judg- ment in that great day.
We have now (if I mistake not) the fairest season we ever enjoy- ed since we first preached Christ ; if this be lost, I question whether we may ever expect the like. There is great odds betwixt our pre- sent circumstances at our return to our flocks, and our past circum- stances when we left them, and that both upon our own account, and upon theirs.
1. Upon our own account: We were then young, and (compara- tively) unexperienced ministers to what we are now. Though we have too manv defects and weaknesses still to lament, yet I am persuaded we have not spent so many years among trials, fears, and sufferings in vain. These things, I am persuaded, have greatly improved our acquaintance with God, and our own hearts. It will be as sad as strano'e, if they have not. God bath been training us up in faith, humiiitv, patience, and self-denial m this school of affliction. When we could not preach the doctrine of faith, we were reduced, by a blessed necessity, to live the life of faith. The rules of patience, liumility, and satisfaction in the will of God, we were wont to pre- scribe from our pulpits to the people, we were necessitated to prac- tise and apply to ourselves in our sad solitudes^ and various distresses,
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through which the Lord hath led us. So that now we come better furnished to the work, than ever before. And I hope I have ground for you, brethren, to say, as the apostle, of his coming to the Ro- mans, that you come among them " in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.''
3. There is great odds iipoii the people's account : ]\Iany of them were full-fed, and wanton, when we left them ; they are hungry, and sharp set, at our return to them. An hungry appetite appears in the people in many places, not without great cause and reason. They are willing to take any pains : your words now drop upon them as the clouds upon the clefted earth. O what an opportunity doth this give to accomplish the great ends of our ministry among them ?
Lift up your eyes, and behold the fields, are they not even white unto the harvest ? Let husbandmen rather lose their seed-time and harvest, than we lose so precious a season, so great, so rich an op- portunity as this.
I have finished what concerncth you, my reverend and dear bre- thren, and fellow-labourers in the Lord's harvest : A word or two remains to be spoken to the people, and I have done.
You have heard what a variety of duty lies upon us, and what difficulty in every part thereof; yet all our labours would be light, and our pains pleasant, might we see more fruits, and success of them amongst you.
Your barrenness and unpersuadableness, your divisions and insta- biUty cost us more, than all our other pains in our studies and pul- pits. How easily and sweetly wotild the plough go, would you but set both your hands of prayer and obedience to assist us in that work.