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therance of the gospel. He ftrove to preach, not where Chrift was named, left he should build on another man's foundation; but where the gofpel had not been preached, or the ministry was not at that time enjoyed, that the word of falvation might be more extenfively spread. He would not go, where the Lord had no need of him ; but where the ends of his apostleship might beft be answered.

In times, when licentious opinions and corrupt manners prevail-when infidelity grows bold, and iniquity abounds, Chrift has need of the active fervices of his faithful minifters and fincere friends, who are then to ftand up with courage against evil workers, and bear teftimony against those who make void his gospel. At fuch a time, if ministers are to fland foremost, yet they are not to ftand alone. All who regard the truth are to ftrengthen and fupport them. The zealous Levites, feeing the neceffity of a reformation in the church of God, faid to Ezra, " Arife, for this matter belongeth to thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.”

Warnings from a folitary voice have little ef fect; and never lefs, than in those corrupt times, when the advocates for vice and error, by evil communications, and by the circulation of licentious writings, ftrengthen the hands of evil doers. "Two are better than one; for if they fall, one will lift up his fellow." Chriftians are to be fellow-helpers to the truth. Paul befeeches the brethren, for the Lord Jesus' fake, that they strive together with him.

Chrift needs the fervice of those who are placed at the head of families.

The continuance and increase of his church depend on the faith and piety of the young and rif

ing generation, and confequently on the fidelity of parents to bring up their children in the nur ture and admonition of the Lord. Children will not be prompted, by natural inclination, to feek after knowledge and virtue. They need inftructions to inform their minds, and exhortations to awaken their attention. The Lord of the church has committed their education to the care of their parents; he requires, and he needs their diligence and fidelity in the execution of this great charge. Ordinarily they may expect that their faithfulness will be followed with a bleffing, but their negligence with a curfe, on their children, as well as on themselves. They who are early trained up in the way in which they ought to go, will purfue it when they are old: but children left to themfelves foon bring their fouls to ruin, and their parents to fhame. If there be need, that your children fhould feek and ferve God in their early years, and pass through life with wisdom and virtueif there be need, that they fhould become members of Chrift's church, walk in his ordinances, and work out their own falvation-if there be need that they should take up his religion, and hand it on to a future generation, then he has need of you to inftruct them in his religion, and to lead them along in the way which he has marked for them.

When family order is much neglected, he has more need of the fervices of the faithful to revive and restore it. If thofe around you treat with indifference fo neceffary a branch of religion, be not carried away by their example, but fay to them, as Joshua faid to the men of Ifrael, "If it feem evil to you to ferve the Lord, choose ye, this day, whom ye will ferve: but, as for me and my house, we will ferve the Lord."

And, my young friends, let me tell you, The Lord hath need of you; for you may do much fervice to his caufe. You think, that he needs your fathers, your grandfires, and other elderly people; for their advice and example will have great influence in fupporting his religion; and if they should defert his caufe, it would foon fink in the world, and the next generation would come forward indifferent to it, and unacquainted with it. But, my friends, you by your good example and pious converfation may have as much influence among your youthful affociates, as the aged can have, and perhaps more. Befides; you fhould confider, that your fathers will foon be gone; and if there fhould be no young Chriftians to fucceed them, where will be Chrift's church then? The church, like the human race, muft be continued by fucceffion, for it confifts of mortals. If none of you will join yourselves to it, it muft ceafe when your fathers are dead. Come, then, give yourselves to the Lord, and declare yourselves for him, encourage your fellow youths to embrace and obey his religion. How much good may thus be done? Think not yourselves useless and infignificant beings. You are important in your place, and the Lord hath need of you. He never is better pleased, than when he fees the young engaged in his caufe, and hears them fing, Hofanna to the fon of David. Out of their mouths he ordains praife.

Chrift expects of his fervants a ready compliance with his commands, and a cheerful refignation of every thing, which he needs from them. When he fent his difciples to procure him a beast, on which he might make his entrance into Jerufalem, he fignified, that nothing more would be neceffary, than to fay, "The Lord hath need of

On this information, the

him." And fo it was. owner ftraitway let him go.

We fhould willingly ferve the Lord with all our ability, and all our fubftance; for all that we are, and all that we have belong to him. When David had made a liberal offering for the honour of God's worship, he said, "Of thine own have we given thee: All this ftore that we have prepared cometh of thine hand: it is all thine own." "Who," fays the apoftle, "hath firft given to the Lord? And it fhall be recompenfed to him again. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things." "Know ye not," fays he, " that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghoft, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your fpirit, which are his."

If all our abilities are endowments from his creating power, and all our goods are the gifts of his bountiful providence, and all our graces are the fruits of his fanctifying fpirit, then we are to employ them all in the promotion of his caufe, and to the honour of his name. "By the grace of God," fays faint Paul, "I am what I am, and his grace bestowed on me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me.

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We are to do all for Chrift that he needs from us; for he has done, and ftill is doing all for us, that we need from him. He has not been backward to promote our intereft; we fhould not be reluctant to honour his name. He has given himself a ransom for us; in due time, when we were without ftrength, he died for us; he has fent his gofpel to us for our inftruction; he has opened a way for our access to the throne of God; he makes interceffion for us, when we come to God in his name; he has procured the grace of the divine VOL. V.

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fpirit, which, on our humble application, he will vouchfafe for our seasonable help. And ought we not to give ourselves to him; to employ our time and ftrength, all the powers of our body, and faculties of our mind, all our fubftance, every thing that we have, in his fervice, and to his glory? Can we ever do enough for him, who has done and fuffered fo much for us?" The love of Chrift conftraineth us," fays the apostle, " because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead and that he died for all, that we who live fhould not henceforth live to ourselves, but to him who died, and rofe again."

We are to render to Chrift what he needs, becaufe we thus co-operate with him in the moft friendly and benevolent defign. The work which he is pursuing is of the greatest utility to us and our race. The religion which he has taught, will, fo far as it prevails, banifh vice and mifery, and introduce virtue and happiness. There is in it nothing unkind, malevolent or unfocial, but every thing good, beneficent and ufeful. It relieves the forrows, and heightens the enjoyments of this world where we now dwell; and it prevents mifery and fecures happiness in that world to which we are going. What Chrift requires of us is, that we obey the rules, and accept the bleffings of this religion for ourselves; and that we fupport the credit, and affift the influence of it among others-In a word, that we feek to be happy, and study to make others fo. What can we do better? If we ought to ferve our generation, then let us ferve our divine Lord in every thing which he needs from us; for all that he requires has fome refpect to this benevolent end, the general good.

We should cheerfully give to him whatever he has need of, for thus we fhall derive greater benefit from it, than by any other application which we can make of it.

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