Work & Labour, not according to their Succefs. No doubt it must be a very great Confolation to the Servants of God in the Ministry when they find that God hath rendered their Endeavours of turning Sinners from their pernicious Ways effectual. To be, under God, inftrumental in enlightening the ignorant, and faving Sinners from Death, and the Wrath to come, is very comfortable to those who make this the great End and Defign of their Miniftry; who can fay, like the Great Apostle, God is my Witness, bow earnestly I long after you all in the Bowels of Jefus Chrift; or, as he expreffes himself with regard to the ISRAELITES, My Heart's Defire, and Prayer to God for Ifrael, is, that they may be faved. Now, when fuch faithful benevolent Servants of God fail of having that Success which they aim at, long for, and make the subject Matter of their Prayers, when fuch are herein disappointed, it would quite difpirit them, had they not this Confideration ready, and which fupports their drooping dejected Minds, viz. That though very few are won to God and Holiness, yet they fhall be glorious in the Eyes of the Lord. He whom they ferve knows their Work, what they chiefly aim at, and will · proportion his Rewards to the Labours of his Servants, inclufive of their Intentions; which, in his Judgment, adds the greatest Value to

what

what is done in his Service.

ENOCH, a

а

Prophet of the Antedeluvian Age, earnestly endeavour'd to reclaim Sinners from their impious and fenfual Practices. He bore Testimony against the reigning Vices and abounding Iniquities of the Time, by the Holinefs of his Conduct. He walked with God, would not follow a Multitude to do Evil. He also represented the Terrors of the Lord in the Day of Judgment; See the General Epiftle of JUDE, Ver. 14, 15. Enoch also, the Seventh from Adam, prophecied of (in the Original 'tis to) them, faying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten Thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment on all, &c. Yet little or no Success attended his Doctrine, fo deeply were they immersed in the Love of Sin, and of carnal Pleasures; their Hearts were hardened by Infidelity and Unbelief. But he was glorious in the Eyes of the Lord. When Examples of Vice are numerous, and Temptations ftrong, the contrary Virtues will alway appear with the greater Luftre and Dignity. For his fingular Piety, and exemplary Holinefs, he was honoured with a Tranflation to Heaven without tafting Death; for those who honour God, in Times of the greatest Degeneracy and Corruption, he will honour them. NOAH is exprefly call'd a Preacher of Righteoufness, II. PETER ii. 5. He allo ftrove to turn them from their Courses of Senfuality;

1

Senfuality; and the Spirit of God ftrove with him; witness what God himself faid, My Spirit fhall not alway ftrive. NOAH was not only a Preacher of Righteoufnefs, but an exemplary Pattern of Righteousness and ftrict Holiness. There was an Harmony and an Agreement between his Doctrine and his Practice; without which 'tis not to be reasonably expected that a Minister's Exhortations to Holiness will be regarded. Yet little or no Succefs attended his' preaching and holy living, as appears by the Smallness of the Number who were faved in the Ark with him. This may give Light to the Meaning and Interpretation of that Place in I. PETER iii. 19, 20. He had just before said, that Chrift was put to Death in the Flesh; but quickened, or raised to Life, by the Spirit; it follows, by the which, that is, by which Spirit, allo he went, and preached to the Spirits in Prifon, which fometime were difobedient, when once the Long-suffering of God waited in the Days of Noah while the Ark was preparing, wherein few, that is eight, Souls were faved by Water. Christ, by his Spirit in NOAH, a Preacher of Righteousness to the Sinners of the old World, ftrove with them; but they refifted the Spirit of God, would not be reclaimed; and fo for their wilful Difobedience, Impenitence, and Unbelief, are Spirits in Prison, that is, lost Souls in

Hell.

Hell. But tho' this Preacher of Righteoufnefs, whofe Life was alfo confonant to his Doctrine, had very fmall Success, yet he was glorious in the Eyes of the Lord; he found Grace and Favour with God; for he was preserved in the Ark, when the World of remorseless Sinners were fwept away by the Deluge. The Prophets, whom God fent to the JEWS to invite them to Repentance, had very fmall Succefs, as any one may see who will read their frequent Complaints of the Impenitence and Obduracy of their Hearts. Laft of all God fent his Son, authorised, and in an extraordinary Manner qualified, him to declare his Will. He fully and faithfully discharged his Prophetick Office; yet, as was before obferved, ISRAEL would not be gathered, after all the Demonstrations he gave of the Divinity of his Miffion and Doctrine, confirmed by numerous unquestionable Miracles. 'Tho his Doctrine was every Way worthy of God, and his Miracles were full of Power and Goodness, and his Life perfectly holy, yet he suffered the most ignominious Death of the Crofs. But he was fignally glorious in the Eyes of the Lord; God by his Power raised him from the Dead, placed him at his own Right Hand, in Dignity and Power fuperior to all the Angels in Heaven; and afterwards gave great Success to his Doctrine preach'd by the Apostles

Apostles; being, after his Afcenfion, in an extraordinary Manner endowed with Power from on high, and furnished with new miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost. The Forefight of this Glory he should receive, as the Rewards of his Fidelity to the Death, strengthened him to endure the utmost that the Rage and Malice of his Enemies could inflict. The infpired Author to the HEBREWS expreffes himself thus, Chap. xii. 2. For the foy that was fet before him, he endured the Cross, defpifing the Shame, and is fet down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God. How glorious in the Eyes of the Lord must he be who hath all Judgment committed to him, and will at the laft Day appear in his own and in his Father's Glory, attended with an innumerable Company of Angels, to pass a final, definitive, and irreverfible, Sentence on all according to their Works! Then his faithful Servants in the Ministry shall receive their Rewards, in Proportion to their Sincerity and Fidelity in his Service; as we may argue from the Perfections of God, and 2dly from his exprefs Word.

ift, From the Divine Perfections. "Tis contrary to all the Notions we have of the Juftice, Goodness, and Wisdom, of God, to fufpend the future Rewards of his Servants on a Condition not in their Power to