bracing the protestant religion, not only intr self into a glorious liberty, but also would'd wealth immediately. It is strange that this been more attended to. Let it be prosecut more demonstration. A certain writer has that the abolition of popery in England is least eight millions sterling to the nation, a Let this argument, arising from interest, be tr other nations.

3. The formation and quickening of the who are to be "The stone cut out of the mo In this thing, as in some others, "None of the shall understand; but the wise shall unde God will do his own work in his own time an ner; and Austin says, "It is advisable to v part of what I meant to say, because of men pacity to receive it."*

* Utile est ut taccatur aliquod verbum, prapt paces:

zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform these a zeal inspired and produced by the Lord in his faithful servants will put them upon ormance of such things. Nothing has yet posed that is is impracticable: "I mention of great difficulty, but such as are within r."* But Eusebius has taught me, "It is le to do great things, and yet to esteem as nothing." Sirs, while pursuing such a actions as has been described above; actions, e far more glorious than all the achievements those bloody plunderers whom we call conave made a wretched ostentation;-still huust crown the whole. Without this they othing; nothing, without a sense that you ing, and willingness to be so esteemed. t first, most humbly acknowledge to the ,"that after you have done all, you are unservants" that you have not only done hich was your duty to do," but also, that you en exceeding short of your "duty." If God ase you with very dark dispensations of his ce, after all your indefatigable and disinterestys" to glorify him, humble yourselves before. abate nothing of your exertions. Perseing, my God will humble me, yet will I gloLord, thou art righteous. Still will I do to promote thy glorious kingdom. This act iation is indeed comparatively easy. There be demanded of you, of much greater diffinat is, that you humbly submit to all the disichGod may appoint for you among men. Your Saviour was one who always "went about od." Mankind was never visited by a benete him; and yet never was any one so vilified.

on fortia loquor, sed possibilia.

reproached him, they murdered him.

Austi truly said, "A sight of our Lord's cross is a cure for pride."* It will also be a remedy couragement; it will keep you from sinking, as from being lifted up. You are conformed Saviour in your watchful endeavours to "do and to be fruitful in every good work." B conformity to him yet wants one point more der it complete; that is, to be "despised and ed of men;" and patiently to bear the contem malice, and the abuse of a perverse gener One of the fathers, who sometimes wanted a l this grace, could say, "Nothing makes us so a ble in the sight of God and man, as to rise h our good actions, and yet sink low in humility.

66

It is an excellent thing to come to nothing i own esteem. If you hear the hopes of unf men, that you will come to nothing; hear it w much satisfaction as they can hope for it. I sense embrace exinanition and annihiliation. son who had been a famous "doer of good much affected with a picture of a devout ma whom a voice came down from heaven," wouldst thou have me do for thee?" To which plied, "Nothing, Lord, but that I may be per to suffer contempt for thy sake." Sirs, let it be somewhere else than in picture; be yourselve reality and thus "let patience have its p work."

I hope you are too wise to imagine that be you are never weary of well-doing, you will ther be universally well spoken of. Ne it will b

* Remedium elationis est contuitus Dominicæ cru ↑ Nihil est nos ita et hominibus et Deo gratos facit, si vitæ merito magni, et humilitate infimi simus.

"Quid vis fieri pro te ?" "Nihil, Domine, n's

none

the contrary. To do well, and to bear evil, is the common experience, and should be our constant expectation. And for this unreasonable thing, many reasons may be given. It will be impossible to do much good without some persons accounting themselves injured by what you do. You will unavoidably serve some interests to which others are inimical. It is also the nature of mad men to take up strange prejudices against their best friends; and to be averse to so much as to them. Now we may every where see those concerning whom we are told, "Madness is in their hearts." This will appear in their unaccountable prejudices against those who most of all seek their good. Then he teareth me in his wrath who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth? mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me." A benefactor will perhaps be honoured as the Lindians worshipped Hercules, by cursing and throwing stones.. The wrath of God against a sinful and miserable world is likewise discovered in this matter. If men, who are always intent on doing good, were so generally beloved and esteemed as they. ought to be, they would become instruments of doing more good than the justice of heaven can yet allow to be done for a sinful world. The world is neither worthy of them, nor of the good which they endeayour to perform. To deprive the world of that good, mankind must be permitted to entertain a strange aversion to those persons who would fain perform it. This cramps and fetters them, and defeats their excellent purposes.

Nor is the great adversary idle on this occasion. The man, who shall do much good, will thereby do much harm to his empire. It would be surprising if the devil should not "seek to devour," or take an exquisite revenge upon such men of God. And unless that God should lay an uncommon restraint upon "wicked one," such is "the power of the adversary," and so great an influence has he over the minds of multitudes, that he will bitterly revenge himself upon any remarkable "doer of good:" he will procure

him a troop of enemies, and whole vollies of reproaches. But, O thou servant of God, by him thou shalt "run through a troop;" by thy God thou shalt 66 leap over a wall." We should be so far from wondering that wicked men are enraged at the man who does much good; that they spread so many false reports, and write so many libels on his character, that we ought rather to wonder the devil does not make this world hotter than a Babylonish furnace for him ; too hot for his continuing in it. Sirs, if you will do much, it is very likely that the devil may sometimes raise upon your opportunities to do good, such a horrible tempest as may threaten their utter ruin. You may fear to have your serviceableness-the "apple of your eye" struck out: you may be driven to prayers, to tears, and to frequent fasting in secret, on this account. Prostrate in the dust, you must offer up your supplications with strong crying and tears, to him that is able to save your ፡፡ opportunities of usefulness from death;" you must cry out, O deliver my soul," my serviceableness, "from the sword, my darling from the power of the dog!" The words of the great Baxter are to the purpose, and worthy to be introduced on this occasion:

The temptations and suggestions of Satan, yea, and often his external and contrived snares, are such as frequently to give men a palpable discovery of his agency. Whence it is that such wonderful successive trains of impediments are set in the way of almost every man that intends any great and good work in the world? I have, among men of my own acquaintance, observed such wonderful frustrations of many designed excellent works, by such strange, unexpect ed means, such a variety of them, and so powerfully carried on, that I have been convinced there is a most vehement, invisible malice permitted by God to resist mankind, and to militate against all good in the world. Let a man have any work of the greatest natural importance, which tends to no great benefit to mankind, and he may proceed without any extraordinary impediment. But let him have any great design for the common good, in things that tend to destroy sin, to