appointed to guide you to salvation; and will you make use of them for that end? Alas, it is not to give the minister a good word, and speak well of him, that will serve the turu: it is for the necessity of your souls that God hath set them in his church; that they may be as physicians under Christ, to apply his remedies to your spiritual diseases, not only in public, but also in private: that you may have some to go to for the resolving of your doubts, and for your instruction where you are ignorant, and for the help of their exhortations and prayers. Will you hereafter go to your ministers privately, and solicit them for advice? And if you have not such of your own as are fit, get advice from others; and ask them, What you shall do to be saved? How to prepare for death and judgment? And will you obey the word of God in their mouths? If you will not do this much, nor so much as inquire of those that should teach you, nor use the means which Christ hath established in his church for your help, your own consciences shall one day witness that you were such as made light of Christ and salvation. If any of you doubt whether it be your duty thus to ask counsel of your teachers, as sick men do of their physicians, let your own necessities resolve you, let God's express word resolve you; see what is said of the priests of the Lord, even before Christ's coming, when much of their work did lie in ceremonials: My covenant was with him of life and peace: and I gave them to him (to Levi) for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with me in peace and

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equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. For the priests' lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts."

Nay, you must not only inquire, and submit to their advice, but also to their just reprehensions, and church censures: and, without proud repining, submit to the discipline of Christ in their hands, if it shall be used in the congregations whereof you are mem

bers.

4. Will you, for the time to come, make conscience of daily and earnest prayer to God, that you may have a part in Christ and salvation? Do not go out of doors till you have breathed out these desires to God; do not lie down to rest till you have breathed out these desires; say not, God knoweth my necessity without so often praying; for though he do, yet he will have you to know them, and feel them, and exercise your desires and all the graces of his Spirit in these duties: it is he that hath commanded to pray continually, though he know your needs without it. Christ himself spent whole nights in prayer, and encourageth us to this course. If you will not be persuaded to this much, how can you say that you make not light of Christ and salvation?

5. Will you, for the time to come, resolvedly cast away your known sins at the command of Christ? If you have been proud, or contentious, or malicious, and revengeful, be so no more. If you have been adulterers, or swearers, be so no more. You cannot hold these, and yet obtain Christ and salvation. What say you? Are you resolved to let them go? If not, when you know it is the will of Christ, and

he hath told you such shall not enter into his kingdom, do not you make light of him?

6. Will you, for the time to come, serve God in the dearest as well as in the cheapest part of his service? Not only with your tongues, but with your purses and your deeds? Shall the poor find that you set more by Christ than this world? Shall it appear in any good uses that God calls you to be liberal in, according to your abilities?" Pure religion, and undefiled, before God, is this, To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction." Will you resolve to stick to Christ, and make sure this work of salvation, though it cost you all that you have in the world? If you think these terms too dear, you make light of Christ, and will be judged accordingly.

7. Will you, for the time to come, make much of all things that tend to your salvation; and take every help that God offereth you, and gladly make use of all his ordinances? Attend upon his strengthening sacraments, spend the Lord's own day in these holy employments; instruct your children and servants in these things; get into good company that set their faces heavenward, and will teach you the way, and help you thither: and take heed of the company of wicked scorners, or foolish, voluptuous fleshly men, that would hinder you in this work. Will you do these things? Or will you show that you are slighters of Christ by neglecting them?

or any

8. Will you do all this with delight; not as your toil, but as your pleasure? And take it for your highest honour that you may be Christ's disciples, and may be admitted to serve and worship him; and

rejoice with holy confidence in the sufficiency of that sacrifice by which you may have pardon of all your failings, and right to the inheritance of the saints in light? If you will do these things sincerely, you will show that you value Christ and salvation, else

not.

Dearly beloved in the Lord, I have now done that work which I came upon; what effect it hath, or will have upon your hearts, I know not, nor is it any further in my power to accomplish that which my soul desireth for you. Were it the Lord's will that I might have my wish herein, the words that you have this day heard should so stick by you, that the secure should be awakened by them, and none of you should perish by the slighting of your salvation. I cannot now follow you to your several habitations to apply this word to your particular necessities; but O that I could make every man's conscience a preacher to himself, that it might do it, which is ever with you that the next time you go prayerless to bed, or about your business, conscience might cry out, Dost thou set no more value on Christ and thy salvation?' That the next time you are tempted to think hardly of a holy and diligent life, (I will not say to deride it as more ado than needs,) conscience might cry out to thee, Dost thou set so light by Christ and thy salvation?' That the next time you are ready to rush upon known sin, and to please your fleshly desires against the command of God, conscience might cry out, Is Christ and salvation no more worth, than to cast them away, or venture them for thy lusts?" That when you are following the world with your most eager desires,

6

forgetting the world to come, and the change that is a little before you, conscience might cry out to you, 6 Is Christ and salvation no more worth than this?' That when you are next spending the Lord's-day in idleness or vain sports, conscience might tell you what you are doing. In a word, that in all your neglects of duty, your sticking at the supposed labour or cost of a godly life; yea, in all your cold and lazy prayers and performances, conscience might tell you how unsuitable such endeavours are to the reward, and that Christ and salvation should not be so slighted. I will say no more at this time, but this, It is a thousand pities, that when God hath provided a Saviour for the world, and when Christ hath suffered so much for their sins, and made so full a satisfaction to justice, and purchased so glorious a kingdom for his saints, and all this is offered so freely to sinners, to lost unworthy sinners, even for nothing, that yet so many millions should everlastingly perish, because they made light of their Saviour and salvation, and prefer the vain world and their lusts before them. I have delivered my message, the Lord open your hearts to receive it. I have persuaded you with the word of truth and soberness, the Lord persuade you more effectually, or else all this is lost.

Printed by W. Collins & Co.
Glasgow.

FINIS.