VV, borrows The Duty and Importance of ajfordiitg Religion** Instruction to the Rising Generation. 1 SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE ^TOIDA^ 9(QIIN!>(DQi TOH . L6jrz>ojf: PRINTED FOR THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION, And sold at their Depot, by John Offor, 44, Newgate 'Street ; by J. Wood, Clapham ; and may be had by applying' to any Bookseller in Town or Country. Price 6d. Gilbert, Printer, Silttn-haU Cflurt, Cannon Street. The Catalogue of Select Books, published or sold at reduced Prices, under the direction of the Committee of the Sunday Sphool Union, may be had gratis, at the SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION DEPOT, 44, Newgate Street, London. SERMON. Galatians vi. 9. And let us not be weary in well doing : for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not. Jl he end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith' unfeigned;"0 and this love, which is the end of the commandment, and which has been totally eradicated from the carnal hearts of men by the fall, selfishness having been substituted in the place of it, contains that image of God according to which the Holy Spirit creates anew those persons, to whose hearts he brings 'the word of the gospel with divine power. And as the oply way, whereby this love can be made manifest, presents itself in the operations of that faith which works by it;, so the very end of the immea surable love of the Lord Jesus Christ to the persons beloved, as it induced him to make' his soul -an offering for sin, is thus de scribed ; " Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."11 To those therefore iii particular, who are made partakers of spiritual and saving- mercy, and who are supposed to know somewhat of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, many and strong exhortations are given in the Holy Scriptures, exhortations founded on considerations' relative to their privileges — their character— their expectations — the glory of God — the grace of Christ — the worth of immortal souls — and such like important topics; andall are give'n to excite them to love and to good works. Such are the1 following : " Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lbrd_: walk as children of light ; (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth $ proving what is acceptable unto the Lord."' " Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.'"1 " Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt have lost his' savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the- light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."0 " Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and lo knowledge (a) 1 Tim. i. o. (b) Tit. ii. 14. (e) Eph. v. 8—10. (d) Luke vi. 36. (e) Matt. v. 13, 14. temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience god liness ; and to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that -ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But. be that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from hispid sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if ye do1 these things, ye shall" never fall : for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."' If the ground of exhortation be understood to be the glory of God, the word pf exhortation runs thus : " Herein is my Father glorified, that yc bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples."8 If it be the grace of the Saviour, this is the force of the argument ; " Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was j;ich, yet for your sakes he. became poor, that ye> through his poverty might be rich.",1? If it be, the value of immortal souls, then are disciples thus addressed ; '* Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him ; let him know, that he which eonverteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a sou| from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.'" The same Holy Scriptures, which are given for the edifying of the body of Christ, while the redeemed of the Lord attempt to abound in their work of faith, aud labour of love, and pa tience of hope, supposing them to be placed in circumstances of trial, and of cohflict,and of apparent discouragement, afford to them also many admonitions to diligent perseverance, with the assurance that their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Among1 admonitions of this kind the words of my text may be enumerated, which,, with the verse ,next following, run thus ;, " Let us not be weary, in well doing : for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." As w.e have therefore opportunity, let us d,q good, unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith/' The words therefore containing a manifest admonition to persevering diligence in well-doing ; and to that diligence in well-doing, as it regards in particular the communication of some good to others ; and all this from the supposition of mercy • received, and of spiritual blessings experienced, in our own souls ; I conceived them to be well adapted for a subject of profitable admonition to you, my brethren, whom I- now par ticularly address, and who are providentially called to the in struction of children in the knowledge and in the fear of God, (f) 2 Pet. i. 5—11. ("g) John xv. 8. (h) 2 Cor. viji. 9. ( i) James v. 19, 20. who are received under the care of the Sunday School Union1 Society. In my discussion upon these words, as tbey afford matter for admonition to you, I proceed, I. To remind you, as of a subject above 'all reasonable ground of disputation, that this your employment is strictly included under the common term of well-doing—that it is an occupation which manifestly accords with the will of God. This declaration, which is thus assumed, will appear to be founded in truth, if we attend to, 1. The testimony of the word of God, which relates to the instruction of young people in his fear. 2. The experience of the spiritual good, which has been actually communicated. 3. The destitute state of multitudes with regard to spiritual instruction, while no other mean of communicating this bless ing has been discovered ; and 4. The general consideration of the value of the souls of these children, who are committed to your care. I apprehend, my brethren, that iu attending to these par ticulars it will be clearly seen, that the work in which ye are engaged is an occupation of well-doing; and therefore toper- severing diligence in this work, may the admonition in my text be applied . 1. The testimony of the word of God, which relates to the education of young people in the knowledge and the fear of himself, will cause the point assumed to appear evident; that the persons do well, who from Christian principles are engaged in such a work. In this manner spake Moses to Israel con cerning the love of God, in which all true religion is included; '' Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: and thou sbalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart : and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou rispst up,"* This method of instructing young people was observed by the Psalmist iu particular, as he was taught by the same " Spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind."1 " Come, ye chil dren, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good ? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips (k) Deut. vi. 4— 7> (I) 2 Tim. i. 7- 6 from speaking guile. Depart from evil and do good ; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon th'e right eous, and ^his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that dd evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord hear- eth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord •is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of,a contrite spirit."™ A' pious divine makes these following observations upon the conduct of the Psalmist: " Though a person of High rank, renowned for military valour and success, anointed to be a king, .and eminent 'in. music, poetry, and every accomplishment; he , was desirous of teaching children : for youth is the learning and remembering season ; and what first occupies the mind lasts the longest. He did not, however, attempt to teach them music, poetry, arts, or arms, but the fear of the Lord, its nature and effects. He had been shewing the blessedness of those who feared God, and he wished his young friends to share these blessings. Many as his engage ments, and great as his difficulties and dangers were, he would spare time and find spirits to teach children the fear of the Lord."" " But, my brethren, it is not to what David judged as a fallible,. man, but to what he was to leave on record by the Spirit of God, and as the word of God, that I call your attention ; and this I do to shew you that they; who thus do, are occupied in well-doing. Indeed no one can hesitate to confess this thing, who recollects and reveres the Scriptures, in which it is written, " Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way ? by taking heed' thereto according to "thy word."0 And again, " Train up a child in the way he should go : and when he is old, be will not depart from it." p 2. The point assumed, that your occupation is that" of well-doing, will appear to be a fact, if we advert to the expe rience of that spiritual good, whieh has been actually com municated, v • I feel' indeed most strongly, my brethren, now I arrive at this particular, that it would be great presumption in me, at a time when the benefits of a religious education have been so widely extended, and so fully proved, to go about to demonstrate to you thg lawfulness of teaching poor children the things which belong to their everlasting peace; or to bring a matter into a shadow of doubt, whether good or evil might be the result of it, when it has in numberless instances produced the most de sirable effects. But feeling a sympathy with your temptations (m) Ps. xxxiv. 11—18. (n) Rev. T. Scott in loc. (0) Ps. cxix. 9» » ' (p) Prov. xxii. 6. to discouragement in your work of Sunday-teaching, as I often feel many discouragements in this work of, the ministry through the prevalence of unbelief in mine own soul ; I advert to these circumstances, as demonstrations which have been repeatedly given, that this your labour is properly included .within the province of Well-doing. Look at the moral ordfer and quietness of the streets in the vicinity of schools of this description on the Lord's-day, when they are compared' with the neighbourhoods where no such institutions are formed, and where every open place is converted into a scene of gaming and of uproar, to the great annoyance of those inhabitants, who desire to sanctify the} sabbath in the fear of God ; — and consider, who can deny that evefy such step towards public decorum — that every re-> moval of a public nuisance — is well — that it is a national blessing 1 Advance further, and observe how many respectable apprentices, and journeymen, and maid-servants, and even fathers and mothers, in regard to moral and decent and upright conduct, have been formed under the influence of instructions given in Sunday-schools ; for the plan has attained to those years of maturity, that it has produced these fruits; and you will behold another blessing ! And must, we pause here in the calculation of advantages? no; — benefits are attached to your institution, which are infinitely greater than these. Who can tell the number of monuments of- saving mercy, for whose effectual calling to the possession of the grace of Christ— he, who worketh by whom he will work, and who sendeth by whom he will send, has been pleased to use the instrumentality of teachers in Sunday-schools? Probably some of you, my brethren, who a,re now honourably engaged in the work itself, have thus been brought nigh unto God. I will take the thing for granted, that it is so. Such things have occurred. I can suppose what must be your feelings On such a subject, when you call to recollection the time when, and the means by which^ God has multiplied his mercy upon you, and called you by his grace, and revealed his Sou in you ; and I may admonish you of encouragement from your own experience, that ye should hope amidst a thousand difficulties in this work for success, and should give all diligence to it, since through divine mercy it has been rendered successful to you. And could I advance still further, and open to your view the abodes of the blessed in heaven ; how many, do you think, we should find among that innumerable multitude of glorified spirits around the throne, all -safe in eternal glory, who first learned the precious- ness of the name and of the salvation of Jesus in connection with Sabbath-schools? These, my brethren, . are strong de monstrations to the eye of faith, that is well doing. 3. The point, assumed as, indisputable, that this occupa tion is indeed well doing, will appear, if we attend to the 8 destitute condition of multitudes with regard to all spiritual instruction — no' other mean of communicating this instruction jhaving been discovered. We need not to dwell upon the absurd pleas for ignorance, which in times past have been ad vanced, whether tbey have related to it's expediency for keeping the poor iii subordination as members of civil society, or to it's fostering- care indeed, as the parent, of devotion. They have had their day,. if a day it might be called ; for indeed it was enveloped in clouds and thick darkness ; and we hope and trust that it has, passed by for ever. But, supposing that no man can say a word against the principle of .the universal diffusion of religious knowledge, who is not afraid of his own ignorance and inconsistencies being thereby the more exposed, and who is not a personal enemy to it's truths and interests and, influence; and beholding the wide wastes of moral and spiritual darkness, which. for the. want of such institutions still disfigures our country; the enquiry might justly be instituted, what other means of supplying, this lack of service have been devised I None whatever to a similar extent, and indeed no other mean appears to be so practicable. Therefore as one only way, which God has opened to us, of affording a remedy to a great moral, and spiritual evil, and with all the force to be derived from the necessity of conferring this benefit in this way, if we are to confer it at all, these institutions stand, conspicuous as means of well doing, And when to all this we add the con sideration of that diligence, with which ungodly men, the agents of the prince of darkness, are employed to sow the seeds of sedition .and blasphemy through the country; and we reflect upon the large portion of their perverse industry, which is used to imbue the minds of young people with these dis orderly and soul-ruining principles — to make them incendiaries for the age opening upon us — to teach them neither to fear God nor to. regard man; we fall very far short of being able to measure the importance, which is really attached to these means of teaching young people the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God. Next to the ministry, of the gospel and the ordinances of GQd among us, with which they are closely united, they ^eeni to involve within the sphere of their use fulness the cause of God and of our country.— How important a part of well doing therefore is included in them ;— yea, how much is the whole connected with them in the case of the poor, as they are means under the blessing of God of the increase of the fruits of righteousness among us, which are by Jesus Christ unto his praise and glory ! 4. The general consideration of the value of the souls "of these, children, who are committed to your care, will prove your occupation to be that of well doing, One of the absurd. views of religion, which worldly men take, appears to be ., 9 tbat it is only adapted to aged and sick and dying persons. They seem to have no idea of the matter, which is essentially. different from that received by false professors of religion in ancient times, as it is recorded by the Prophet ; — " Ye have said, It is vain to serve God : and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts 1" ' But we know that among then, - who are taught of God as the truth is in Jesus, there can be no doubt of the gain of godliness; — " Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." ' " Godliness with con tentment is great -gain." * And because these young people have souls, and are destined for eternal existence, and we know not when they must die ; we therefore judge this 'subject, of common benefit, to be peculiarly profitable for them. Isaac, and Joseph,, and Moses, and Samuel, and Obadiah, and the young men in Babylon, and Timothy, and many others, whose praise has at various times been in the churches, have known the advantages of early religion, as the mean of de liverance from the domineering power of youthful lusts, of bringing them early to the knowledge and love of God the Saviour, of affording to them early evidence of the salvation of their souls in him, of introducing them early into a real, because a spiritual life — -a life to the glory of God. Early religion was great gain in the estimation of the preacher, when under the teaching of the Holy Ghost he gave to young people this worid of exhortation ; " Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."' Aud how are the reasons increased in number and in strength, which demonstrate to you the well-doing of thus associating yourselves together .for mutual counsel and assistance in com municating to the rising generation the knowledge and the fear of God. When we advert to the increase of youthful criminals in the land ; and only glance at the multitudes unnumbered, who have early filled up the measure of their iniquities and have sunk, it is greatly to be feared, into endless ruin ! Ju these foregoing particulars, my brethren, the declaration, which we have assumed, appears to be founded hi truth : — That your union for the increase pf divine knowledge among the poor and neglected youth of our country is indeed an oc cupation of well-doing. May the Spirit Jehovah bless you in (q) Mid. iii. 14. . (r) 1 Tira. iv. 8—10. (s) Ibid. vi. 6. ¦ . - ((,, Ecde». xii. 1. 10 your labours of love ; and. whilst ye arc engaged in opening to the view of these dear children the living waters which re plenish the wells of salvation, may He graciously condescend to. make your own souls as a watered garden, that out of the fulness of your own consolations in Christ, ye. may be enabled to lead, them to the contemplation of his unsearchable riches to their salvation ! -II. I would admonish you of some sources, from which temptations may be expected to arise to you, that will place you in danger of becoming weary in this welldoing. The danger is implied in the admonition of the apostle ; as it bears upon the exhortation to believers, while time is allowed to them, to do good unto all men ; it will exist in every attempt of the re deemed to glorify God, while they sojourn in a wicked World, and hold conflict with principalities and powers of darkness, and have so much, remaining corruption in their own hearts. This danger therefore, my brethren, will exist in your particular sphere of active welldoing for the glory of God, and for the sal vation of these children in the day of the Saviour's appearing. One source'.of temptation to weariness will arise to. you from the circumstances, that you do "not witness more instances of the power of converting grace, and of spirituality of mind, among your children; and. also that your hopes are disap pointed, which you ardently cherished concerning some, who once appeared for a- time to run well; who formerly listened to you with attention, perhaps with tears ; who began to make 'serious enquiries, to assume serious habits, to read religious books at home, to adopt serious companions; but a time of. temptation has come, and they have fallen away. The question under such circumstances is this ; do you well to be discou raged ?¦ — certainly not; ..unless it could be proved, that no good will from- these means accrue to the children in after life, which may not come to your knowledge; or that all your united labours are worth more than one soul, for whom Christ died ; or that the fallacy, of an apparent change in some amounts to a demonstration of it's insignificance in all ; or that you, in the prosecution of this labour of well-doing, are answerable not merely for the use of the means, but for the production of the fruits, which are subject only to the power of God. You know that we reckon the husbandmen to be accountable for manuring, aud plowing, and sowing, and exercising all the la bours of the field ; hut we look not upon them as responsible for the genial showers, and the influences of the sun ; or for the drought, attd the mildew, and all the s#d forerunners of clean ness of teeth in all our cities, and want of bread in all our places. A serious topic of self-examination however may arise" to you from this apparent want of success, though it affords 11 no ground for discouragement ; — -and this is, Whether ye nave made the obtaining of this success a matter of fervent prayer to God, or have looked for it as the result of your own in structions. If the latter be the case, wonder not that ye have been disappointed. Call to mind that rule, upon which the only wise God is pleased to act ; " Them that honour me I will honour;"" and also that important admonition, " Ye have not, because ye ask not." 1 Another source of temptation, which will cause danger of weariness in this well-doing, includes the personal trouble, and consequent self-denial, that must necessarily attend a consci entious discharge of the duties of that office, to which ye are called. This, my brethren, will be likely to rise or fall with the spirituality, and love to Christ, and desire to impart benefit to immortal souls, which you experience in your- own minds. " The .employment is too unobtrusive upon public notice, to af ford a temptation for any length of time to those persons, that they should continue their labours, who only seek to be' known, and to have honour froni men. It has not the" allurements of speech-making in public assemblies. Much must be done with a mind well satisfied to have little or nothing said about it, if you would persevere in this way of well-doing. You must also be aware, my brethren, of the peculiar need to Sunday. school teachers of good management pn Saturday evenings, and of early rising on the mornings of sabbath days, if personal reUgion is not to be entirely neglected, if family duties are not to be turned out of doors. Every duty must be early, that it may be orderly, and that the appointed hour may find them in their places at school without distraction. This latter particular will also be found to be of great importance, both as an ex ample to the children, for il is an awkward' thing to reprove them for late attendance, if you are late also, and for the ac complishment of the immediate duties of the school with order and decorum, that in due time ye may repair to the house of God. If then ye are to persevere in useful-exertions, ye must labour to deuy self in these respects. You must not be too nice about particulars relative to the cold, or the snow, or the rain, in the weather, or the inconvenient heat of a crowded" school room. You must deny yourselves in many things for "the sake of your children. But "in what spirit are you likely to do all these things? Indeed I know only of one constraining power, which can urge either you or myself to <16 any thing well for the cause of God, and for the glory of his name ; and that is the powerful motive, which is thus described in \it's operation by, the apostle ; " The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were (u) 1 Sant. ii. 30. (v) Jam. iv. 2. 12 i all dead ; — And that he died for all, that they which fivf should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.""" Another source of temptation, which will cause danger of being weary in well-doing, will be connected with the ungrateful returns, that must be expected (considering what human nature is) from many of them, whom you thus labour to serve for the Lord's sake. Those persons will never ^to much good in this evil world, and among so crooked and perverse a generation as men naturally are1, who have not resolved to do it in the face of every sort of unthankful and evil return. And what power can arm you against such a temptation as this t Only an increasing portion of his Spirit, to meet the increasing demands which will continually be made upon your patience and forbearance in the prosecution of your . labour of love. , You will have trials both from the children, and from their parents, and from others1 also ; and you will have need, daily to wrestle with God in prayer, that ye may be enabled to enter more and more into the spirit, which is enjoined in these ad monitions ; " Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do gOod to them that hate you, and pray for them which de- spitefully use you, and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven :*for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.''1 " Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." y You must remember — yea, breth ren, you will remember, if to you it has been given in your own souls to, taste and see how gracious the Lord is ; that He, who did all things well, who spake as never man spake, en dured to the utmost degree this contradiction of sinners ; and that this is left on record for the encouragement of his tempted followers in every age, who labour to serve him in their day and generation ; that they may not be overwhelmed with any light aud momentary affliction, or cross of any kind, which may be in their way. Great - love is displayed in the very expressions, whereby the Spirit of wisdom and revelation suggests this par ticular to your remembrance ; "Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." * To one more source of temptation I advert, against which you will have continual need to pray and to strive, lest it pre vail to make you weary in this occupation of well-doing ; and this is the remaining influence of unbelief in your own souls. You probably recollect the apostle's description of an unbeliev ing heart, and of the tendency of it, and the admonition which (vi) % Cor. y. 14, 15. (x) Matt. v. 44, 45. (y) Bom. xii'. 21. (z) Heb. xii. 3. IS lie gives concerning it ; " Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the liv» ing God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day ; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness ,of sin." * Now this evil principle, which tends to harden the heart, and to estrange it from God, and to represent sin to it under any delusive appearance calculated to strip it of it's enormity, will have a powerful tendency to unnerve all your diligence in the work before you, and .sometimes to represent the whole as useless and absurd; if much prayer be not lifted up for yourselves and for one another, that God may give to you an increase of faith in the promises, and make you conti nually to feel, and to act under the influence of that testimony. of scripture which saith ; " The word of our God shall stand forever."11 The obedience of the Lord's people is called the obedience of faith ; and the power of faith, of which so great things are recorded in the oracles of God, can only be calcu lated in any degree by those, who have the first fruits of the Spirit ; and then only by the measure communicated unto them, which is extremely inadequate to any such a calculation : but it is manifest in all the great deeds which have been done, and trials which have been endured, by the elect of God in all ages, since He has had a seed to serve him on the earth. You have need to pray with the disciples of old; " Increase our faith.'"1 You will find abundance of ^calls for the exercise of faith, if you must go on and prosper in this labour of love. Indeed, my brethren, the whole must be done in faith, if it be well done at all. Unbelief will deprive all your labours of their spirituality, as it will secularize your minds; wherefore receive the word of admonition against this evil — Watch. III. Let us attend to the exhortation and the reason, which are given in the words of my text. " Let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." The exhortation is simply this; "Let us not be weary in well-doing." \ Trials may be expected as matters of icourse, for the way of the cross has always been to the faithful the way to glory ;— temptations will arise from various sources without and within us ; but notwithstanding all these things, and every way in which they may come upon us ; having testimony to our own consciences that the work wrought by us is the work of the Lord; and that our desire is, whether we eat, or drink, or whatever we do, to do all to the glory of God ; seeing also that ( a) Heb. in. 12, 13. (b) Isa. xl. 8. (c) Luke xvii. 5. 14 9 we follow a, triumphant Saviour, who has, promised to us victory in himself; ahd that we are called to follow him through evil report, as well as through good report; to suffer if we would reign, with him: — If we have the prize of the high calling of our God in ChrisJ Jesus, held out before us, and his love shed abroad in us; therewith such a hope, and such strength, and such a motive to forget the things behind, and to reach forth Hfrto them before, pressing toward the mark, let us not be weary in well-doing; My brethren, whom I am constrained to love for yonr work's sake, and for the sake of our common Lord, — this exhortation, which is applicable to all the fruits of righte ousness in the Lord's people, is peculiarly so to your labour of love for his sake. This work is for the exaltation of the Lord Jesus ; and all things must prosper, which tend to glorify Mm, who hath on his head many" crowns, ahd pii his vestfire and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords,, and who must reigtt until he hath put all enemies under his feet. There can be no doubt of the final result, while the glory 'of Christ is the grand object in view, with the simple desire to bring sinners unto him. Continue and increase in the diligent . prosecution of your labour of love, rather than yield to any temptation to grow weary of it. Brethren, the time is, short— the work is great — souls are unspeakably ¦- valuable ; '.' The fashion of this world passeth away." d.< " Yet a little while, and he that shall come wilt come, and will not tarry." e All these circumstances Urge upon you the admonition ; " Bnt ye, bre thren, be not weary in well-doing." ' The reason follows thus ; " For in due season we s'ha-H reap, if we faint not." Or more literally ; " For in due season we shall reap, not fainting." Martin Luther renders the passage in this manner, and makes' the following observations upon it : — /¦ . , " And let us not be weary in doing good, for in due time xut shall reap without weariness." " The apostle, intending to close up his epistle, passeth from Ihe particular to the general, and exhorteth generally toall good works. As if he should say.; let us be liberal and bountiful not only towards the ministers of the word, but also towards all- other men, and that without weariiiess. For it is an easy matter for a man to do good Once or twice ; but to continue, and not- to be discouraged through the ingratitude. and perverse- ness of those to whom he bath' done good, that is very hard, Therefore he doth not only exhort us to do good, but also not to be weary in doing good. And to persuade Us the more easily (d) 1 Cor. vi 31. (e) Heb.*. 31. (f) 2 Thess. iii. 13. 15 thereunto, be addeth, For in due time we shall reap without weariness. As if he said : Wait and look for the perpetual harvest that is to come, and then shall no ingratitude or per verse dealing of men be able to pluck you away from well doing ; for> in the harvest time ye shall receive most plentiful increase and fruit of your seed. Thus, with most sWeet words, he exhorteth the faithful tp the doing of good works." e The German Reformer unites the idea of " not fainting;" with the harvest of joy and glory ; but our translators make it to refer to tb,e well-doing in the way to glory. Whatever .may be esteemed the best way of understanding the pas-sage ; and the sense in which our translators receive it, like their work in general, seems to manifest much wisdom; both the ideas, when considered in themselves," contain great and certain truths. However great may now be your labour, my brethren, con sider him who hath borne -for you not only a load of labour, but the load of your sins;— reflect, that this is the time and place for labour, it is not your rest ; bear in mind that a rest from all toil awaits you, when ye shall reap the glorious harvest of honour and immortality. On the contrary, remem ber that a turning away from the holy commandment at once brings into doubt the idea, that ever a man knew the grace of God in truth ; that final apostacy is inevitably a drawing back unto perdition, and proves the apostate to have been always without root of grace in himself; and that the exhortation and the promise are indissolubly united ; " Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." h In concluding my sermon I must not omit to give you an additional admonition, which is of solemn import, as from one, who would be an helper of your joy. Whilst ye give all affectionate attention to the souls of your children, take heed that ye neglect not your own. It does not follow, because ye are engaged in so good a work, that therefore ye must be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Cases may oc cur, in which they may be used to aid in the spiritual instruc tion of Others, who have no part or lot in the matter as to a personal interest for themselves. Solemn admonition ! May. it's force be felt continually in my owh soul ! May it be impressed on your minds, that it may excite in you all great searchings of heart relative to this important matter! And now what can I say more for your encouragement, comfort, and edification?' " J commend you," and your dear children, " to God, and to the word of bis grace, Which is able to- build you up, and to give you an inheritance among alL them which are sanctified."' " Gird Up the loins of your mind, be sober aud hope to the (g) Luther in Gal. ' (k) Rev. ii. W. (i) Act» xx. 32. '\6 end for the grace that is to be brought unto yon at the revela tion1 of Jesus Christ." k - -' . My brethren in the Lord in general; whatever be your oc cupations, the 'temptations already- mentioned will be found cleaving to you. Your strength is in Jesus • alone. Abide in him. Glorify 'hito. Be not weary in' welUdoing ; for in due season ye shall 'reap, if ye faint not. While we have time, let us do good unto all men ; and especially unto them, who are of the household of faith. Finally, if there should be any persons among lis, -who know nothing of that spring of a divine life, which actuates the people of God. in living "to bis glory ; what can I say to ¦ you 1 ' Aw&ke thou that steepest, and arise from tbe dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Pray for repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth. Flee from the wrath to come. (k) 1 Pet. i. 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