not only be willing to take the trouble, but should draw it upon ourselves, by inviting them to come. What abundance of good might we do, could we but bring them to this: And, doubtless, much might be done in it, if we did our duty. How few

"Compassion," says he, "to the infinite need of our children, servants, hearers, and neighbours, demands our utmost care and labour, to raise up a spiritual seed to Jesus Christ. You parents and masters can scarcely look about you in your houses, but you must see a child or servant, if not several,- -nor can you ministers look from your pulpits, but you behold scores or hundreds of hearers, whose souls are grievously polluted by lusts-tormented by devils-cursed and plagued by an angry God-standing upon the very brink of eternity-under a sentence of Divine condemnation-without any certainty of a moment's reprieve from hellsuspended over the lake of fire and brimstone, by the small thread of human life, and almost outwearied patience of God. HARK! how their need accosts us with AN EXCEEDING BITTER CRY, 'Have pity on me, O my friends, for the hand of God toucheth me. I perish-I perish-I for ever—for ever-perish. Have pity on me -for my sins sink me-devils drag me-and an angry God thrusts me down to the lowest hell! Ah! who shall dwell with devouring fire? Who shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Will no man -no parent-no master-no minister care for my soul? Ah! have you no bowels-no compassion for an immortal soul? Pretend you to be Christians, while so unlike Christ? Will you not speak one word to me, or utter one groan to God for my eternal salvation?' With awful dread let us look abroad into the world. Of about a thousand millions of inhabitants of our globe, perhaps scarcely TEN -nay, perhaps scarcely FIVE millions have the gospel of salvation truly preached to them. In our own country, the bulk, particularly of the rising generation, through ignorance, unconcern, pride, infidelity, and profaneness, appear pushing themselves and one another headlong into the bottomless pit. What can we be but beasts-but devils, if we stand unconcern d at the sight? Hark how Jehovah bespeaks us: "If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death (eternal death), and those that are ready to be slain (ready to be damned); if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not: doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his works?'"-EDITOR.

have I ever heard of, who have heartily pressed their people to their duty in this way! Oh! it is a sad case that men's souls should be so injured and hazarded by the total neglect of so great a duty, and that ministers should scarcely ever tell them of it, and awaken them to it. Were your hearers but duly sensible of the need and importance of this, you would have them more frequently knocking at your doors, and making known to you their sad complaints, and begging your advice. I beseech you, then, press them more to this duty for the future; and see that you perform it carefully when they do seek your help. To this end it is very necessary that you be well acquainted with practical cases, and especially that you be acquainted with the nature of saving grace, and able to assist them in trying their state, and in resolving the main question that concerns their everlasting life or death. One word of seasonable, prudent advice, given by a minister to persons in necessity, may be of more use than many sermons. "A word fitly spoken," says Solomon, "how good is it!"

III. We must study to build up those who are already truly converted. In this respect our work is various, according to the various states of Christians.

1. There are many of our flock that are young and weak, who, though they are of long standing, are yet of small proficiency or strength. This, indeed, is the most common condition of the godly. Most of them content themselves with low degrees of grace, and it is no easy matter to get them

use of the means of

higher. To bring them to higher and stricter opinions is easy, that is, to bring them from the truth into error, on the right hand as well as on the left; but to increase their knowledge and gifts is not easy, and to increase their graces is the hardest of all. It is a very sad thing for Christians to be weak: it exposeth us to dangers,-it abateth our consolations and delight in God, and taketh off the sweetness of wisdom's ways,-it maketh us less serviceable to God and man-to bring less honour to our Master, and to do less good to all about us. We get small benefit in the grace We too easily play with the serpent's baits, and are ensnared by his wiles. A seducer will easily shake us, and evil may be made to appear to us as good, truth as falsehood, sin as duty; and so on the contrary. We are less able to resist and stand in an encounter; we sooner fall; we hardlier rise; and are apter to prove a scandal and reproach to our profession We less know ourselves, and are more apt to be mistaken as to our own estate, not observing corruptions when they have got advantage of us. We are dishonourable to the gospel by our very weakness, and little useful to any about us. In a word, though we live to less profit to ourselves or others, yet are we unwilling and too unready to die.

Now, seeing the case of weakness in the converted is so sad, how diligent should we be to cherish and increase their grace! The strength of Christians is the honour of the church. When they are inflamed with the love of God, and live

by a lively working faith, and set light by the profits and honours of the world, and love one another with a pure heart fervently, and can bear and heartily forgive a wrong, and suffer joyfully for the cause of Christ, and study to do good, and walk inoffensively and harmlessly in the world, are ready to be servants to all men for their good, becoming all things to all men in order to win them to Christ, and yet abstaining from the appearance of evil, and seasoning all their actions with a sweet mixture of prudence, humility, zeal, and heavenly mindedness,—oh, what an honour are such to their profession! What an ornament to the church; and how serviceable to God and man! Men would sooner believe that the gospel is from heaven, if they saw more such effects of it upon the hearts and lives of those who profess it. The world is better able to read the nature of religion in a man's life than in the Bible. "They that obey not the word, may be won by the conversation" of such as are thus eminent for godliness. It is, therefore, a most important part of our work, to labour more in the polishing and perfecting of the saints, that they may be strong in the Lord, and fitted for their Master's service.

2. Another class of converts that need our special help, are those who labour under some particular corruption, which keeps under their graces, and makes them a trouble to others, and a burden to themselves. Alas! there are too many such persons. Some are specially addicted to pride, and others to worldly mindedness; some to sensual desires, and others to frowardness, or other

evil passions. Now it is our duty to give assistance to all these; and partly by dissuasions, and clear discoveries of the odiousness of the sin, and partly by suitable directions about the remedy, to help them to a more complete conquest of their corruptions. We are leaders of Christ's army against the powers of hell, and must resist all the works of darkness wherever we find them, even though it should be in the children of light. We must be no more tender of the sins of the godly, than of the ungodly, nor any more befriend them, or favour them. By how much more we love their persons, by so much the more must we manifest it, by making opposition to their sins. And yet we must look to meet with some tender persons here, especially when iniquity hath got any head, and made a party, and many have fallen in love with it; they will be as pettish and as impatient of reproof as some worse men, and perhaps will interest even piety itself in their faults. But the ministers of Christ must do their duty, notwithstanding their peevishness; and must not so far hate their brother, as to forbear rebuking him, or suffer sin to lie upon his soul. It must, no doubt, be done with much prudence, yet done it must be.

3. Another class who demand special help, are declining Christians, that are either fallen into some scandalous sin, or else abate their zeal and diligence, and show that they have lost their former love. As the case of backsliders is very sad, so our diligence must be very great for their recovery. It is sad to them to lose so much of