I. The reasons upon which Chrift's faithful minifters are fo feriously engaged in faving fouls. II. The joy they fhall have in the fouls they fhall win, in the prefence of our Lord Jefus Chrift at his coming.

I. Whence it is Chrift's faithful minifters are fo ferious and intent upon faving fouls, making this the great object of their defire and hope, the scope of their prayers, and the business of their lives. The fprings and motives to this, are :

1. The divine command and charge laid upon them, Acts xx. 28. Take heed therefore unto yourfelves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overfeers, &c. And Col. iv. 17. And fay to Archippus, (and in him to every one that ftands in the fame office under Chrift, and relation to him,) Take heed to the ministry which thou haft received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. And with what folemnity is it repeated to Timothy, 2 Tim. iv. 1, 2. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fhall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom: Preach the word, be inftant in feafon, out of feafon, &c. And the end of this is, that they may fave themfelves, and them that hear them, that their common eternal falvation may eternally redound to the praife of the glory of God's grace. And having a command and order from heaven, Neceffity, fays the Apostle, is laid upon me: yea, Wo is me, if I preach not the gospel, 1 Cor. ix. 16.

2. The Spirit and grace of Chrift in faithful minifters excite their defires after the falvation of fouls, and their endeavours to promote it. When they preach not an unknown Saviour, but have a

fpecial

special intereft in him, the heavenly life and love wherewith they are infpired themselves, will engage them heartily to long and labour for the good of others. How vifibly did this work in holy Paul, when profeffing it was his heart's defire and prayer to God for Ifrael, that they might be faved, Rom. x. 1. He travailed in birth as to the Galatians, as it were with labouring pangs to fee Christ formed in them, Gal. iv. 19. He ceafed not to warn the Ephefians, every one of them night and day with tears, Acts xx. 31. He was willing to spend and be spent for the Corinthians, (2 Cor. xii. 15.) for their fpiritual advantage, that they may be faved. This was his aim and a heart principled with the fame grace in fuch as come after him, will proportionably be carried the fame way.

3. The example of Chrift calls all that are employed by him in the work of the Gospel, to the greatest faithfulness and diligence for the good of fouls. As he came to feek and to fave that which is loft, with what earneftness, diligence and delight did he endeavour it? He continually went about doing good, esteemed it his meat and drink to do the will of his Father, and finish his work. He declared, I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh wherein no man can work. The zeal of God's houfe eat him up. He spared no pains, loft no time, but improved all opportunities to pursue his faving defign, till his work was finished. And, herein his fervants are to imitate him, not counting their lives dear to themfelves, fo that they may finish their courfe with joy, and the miniftry

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nistry which they have received of the Lord Jefus, Acts xx. 24.

4. The worth of fouls in themselves, and in the esteem of him that made them, for one of which the whole world can be no valuable ranfom, will, and ought to quicken minifters to earneftness and diligence in promoting their falvation. Confidering moreover,

5. The danger they are in from the world without, and corruption within, and from the malice of fatan the grand enemy of fouls, that continually goes about, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Numberless fnares he fets, and when any are catched and miscarry under the gospel, how dreadful is the mifery into which they fink! Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we perfuade men, i. e. we fet ourselves with the greatest seriousness to do fo.

6. Seeing Chrift laid down his life as the price of our people's redemption, what a powerful argument have we to be feriously bent upon promoting their falvation? Feed the church of God, which he hath purchafed with his own blood, A&s xx. 28. How worthy are they of our chiefeft care, who are thus redeemed at the dearest rate, not with corruptible things, as filver and gold; but with the precious blood of Chrift, as of a lamb without blemish, and without spot? 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Did Chrift die for fouls, and fhall not I look after them? Did he account them worth his blood, and is not promoting their falvation worth my labour? Has he done and fuffered fo much for their falvation, and made me a co-worker with him, and fhall I not gladly fpend and be spent

in

in order thereto? Who can look upon fuch a congregation as he is fet over in the Lord, and confider them as the purchase of his blood, and not long after them all in the bowels of Chrift, and earnestly labour that none of them be loft?

7. The ftrict account minifters are to give of the fouls of thofe committed to their charge, may well be another motive to them to use the utmoft diligence in their important work. Who can read thofe awful words with application to himfelf, without the deepeft concern, Ezek. iii. 17, 18. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the houfe of Ifrael: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt furely die : and thou giveft him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to fave his life: the fame wicked man fhall die in his iniqui

ty; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, &c. he shall die in his iniquity; but thou haft delivered thy foul? What affectionate defires and endeavours fhould be awakened by fuch a charge as this, that we may be clear from the blood of all men? What concern not only for faving our own fouls, by delivering our mesfage, but that our people's also may be saved, by entertaining it?

Laftly, The glory is fo great that is before us, that it well deferves all the pains we could take, were we able to take ten thousand times more, to fave ourselves, and them that hear us.

Having thus confidered the fprings or motives that fet ministers on work,

II. I might come to mention the joy Christ's faithful fervants fhall have in the fouls they win, in the prefence of the Lord Jefus Christ at his coming.

Every recovered foul will be a jewel added to their crown. And, O the honour to have a long train at that day, when Christ shall come to be glorified in his faints, and admired in all them that believe. Here they labour for Chrift in bringing fouls to him; there they shall rejoyce with him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: But the friend of the bridegroom, which ftandeth and beareth him, i. e. expreffing his affection to fuch are his spouse and church made perfect, rejoyceth greatly. What a joy will it be, that they that were once this and that minister's charge in a world of fnares and dangers, are arrived fafe at the promised everlasting reft! That when all the members of Chrift's myftical body shall be prefented fpotlefs before him, they shall fee any among the fhining train, of whom they may say, "These are they whose "falvation we earnestly defired, and as faithfully "fought, as our own! These are they whom we "were fet to watch over, and pray for; whom we imparted the gospel to, and were ready together with it to have imparted our own "fouls." O bleffed be God, will they fay every one of them, for employing me in his fervice, and owning me in it, and cafting my lot among whom he purpofed to blefs, and train up glory. Bleffed be God, that I fee fo many among whom he would not fuffer me to labour in vain : Whose hearts he opened, whose wills he bowed,

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