prefence. Some of them are preparatory; and he may use in removing the rubbish, those who could not be employed in the erection of the fair edifice.

And thus Nebuchadrezzar is called the fervant of God, as well as the apoftle Paul; but obferve the difference between them, and as God will derive glory from all his creatures, inquire which of these characters you are refembling. The former ferves God only from the influence of an overruling Providence ; "Bethe latter from the operation of divine Grace. "hold he prayeth ;" his language is, "Lord, what "wilt thou have me to do ?" He catches the spirit of his Master; enters cheerfully into all his views; doth his will" from the heart." And fo it is with all his fincere followers. Whatever they once were, they are made willing in the day of his power; their minds are enlightened, their difpofitions are renewed; they glorify him from conviction and principle; it is their aim; the delight of their fouls, and the business of their lives." O Lord, other lords befide thee have "had dominion over us; henceforth by thee only "will we make mention of thy name. Speak, Lord, "for thy fervant heareth. I hold myself at thy difpo"fal; prefcribe the laws which are to govern me; " choose my inheritance for me."

Such is their language; and never will they have caufe to repent of their engagements. They have chofen that good part which fhall not be taken from them in life and in death; in time and in eternity, they will have reafon to fay, "Thou haft dealt well with thy fervant, O Lord." For,

BY ANY THING

III. NONE CAN BE LOSERS THEY DO FOR GOD. In one way or another he will furely recompense them. Even fervices done for him by worldly men obtain a temporal reward. The Egyptian females, though ftrangers to the commonwealth of Ifrael, “feared God, and did not as the king "commanded them, but faved the men-children "alive; therefore God dealt well with them, and he "made them houfes." Jehu was a vain, oftentatious, wicked prince," and departed not from the fins of Je"roboam the fons of Nebat, who made Ifrael to fin;" but "the Lord faid unto Jehu, Because thou hast "done well in executing that which is right in mine ઃઃ eyes, and haft done unto the house of Ahab accord"ing to all that was in mine heart, thy children of "the fourth generation fhall fit upon the throne of "Ifrael." So here " I have given Nebuchadrezzar "the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he ferv"ed against it, because they wrought for me, faith "the Lord God." This is indeed a poor recompenfe. It may appear splendid and important in the of the vain and the fenfual, but the righteous are far from envying it. They dread to be excluded from future hope by the fentence "they HAVE their "reward." They are more afraid of the destiny than of the malice of the wicked, and therefore pray "de"liver my foul from the wicked which is thy fword; " from men of the world, who have their portion in "this life, and whofe belly thou filleft with thy hid "treasure they are full of children, and leave the "reft of their fubftance to their babes. As for me, I "will behold thy face in righteousness: I fhall

eye

"be fatisfied when I awake with thy likeness." Egypt was all the remuneration of Nebuchadrezzar, and what could it do for him? What is it to him now?

Ye fervants of the most high God, who know him and love him, he has provided fome better thing for you. You may argue from the lefs to the greater. Does he reward heathens, and will he abandon Chriftians? Does he obferve flaves, and difregard fons who ferve him? Does he honour instruments, and pass by those who strive to please and glorify him? "Fear "not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleafure "to GIVE YOU THE KINGDOM." He who noticed the hardships endured by the poor foldiers before Tyre when every head was bald, and every fhoulder peeled, will not fuffer you to labour in vain; he fees your difficulties; confiders the burdens under which you bend; he hears your groans, and your fighs, when without are fightings, and within are fears. They who speak often one to another, and they who think only upon his name, are recorded in the book of his remembrance. "God is not unrighteous to forget your work of faith and labour of love." He applauded the widow's mite. He faid of Mary, "She "hath done what she could." "He that receiveth

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"a prophet in the name of a prophet, fhall receive a "prophet's reward: and he that receiveth a righteous "man in the name of a righteous man, fhall receive "a righteous man's reward. And whofoever fhall

give to drink unto one of thefe little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I fay unto you, he fhall in no wife lofe his

"reward."

Christians, let all this animate you to vigorous and increasing exertion. It is condefcenfion and kindness in God to employ you. He needs you not; he does it to improve you, to honour you, to enable you to procure what you can never deferve; to give your happiness the nature of a reward. Do you not long to be employed by him? Is it nothing to be workers together with God? Is it a vain thing to ferve the Lord?" Godliness is profitable unto all things, hav"ing promife of the life that now is, and of that which "is to come." "There is no man that hath left “ house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, "for the kingdom of God's fake, who fhall not re"ceive manifold more in this prefent time, and in the "world to come life everlafting." "Be ye strong "therefore; and let not your hands be weak, for your work fhall be rewarded."

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Do you ask, how can we work for him? In pulling down the strong holds of fin; in diffusing truth; in fupporting the gofpel; in maintaining the worship of God; in feeding the hungry; in teaching the ignorant; in reclaiming the vitious; for "it is not the "will of your Father, who is in heaven, that one of "these little ones fhould perish."

Do you afk, and what will be our reward? You will find it in the very nature of your work; you will find it in the glow of pleasure which attends virtuous exertion; you will find it in the approving teftimony of your own confcience; you will find it in the ef teem of the wife and good; you will find it in the bleffing of them that were ready to perish; you will find it in the applause of your Lord and Saviour;

"Well done, good and faithful servant, thou haft "been faithful over a few things, I will make thee "ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of "thy Lord."

What! fome are ready to exclaim, what, are you preaching up the doctrine of merit! God forbid. Merit! when both our difpofition and our ability to ferve Him come from his Grace. Merit! when there is no proportion between the reward and the work. Merit! when after we have done all, we are unprofitable fervants, and have done no more than was our duty to do. Merit! when in many things we all offend, and deserve condemnation for our defects rather than recompenfe for our doings. Merit! when all who ever served God aright have exclaimed, "Not GC unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name "give we glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's "fake: by the grace of God I am what I am; I la"boured, yet not I, but the grace of God which was "with me." But let us not under a fenfelefs clamour be afraid to do juftice to the language of Scripture; to bring forward motives which we find stated by infinite wisdom; to display the munificence of God, the folly of those who refuse his yoke, the wif dom of those who serve him ; "Wherefore, my be"loved Brethren, be ye ftedfaft, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forafmuch "as ye know your labour is not in vain in the "Lord."

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Finally, Let us think of the Saviour. Did God remunerate a despicable tyrant for his labour and hardships, though they were not perfonal, and for fulЕке