he will, till by our wilful fins we become too wicked for fuch a guide.

Laftly. God does never withdraw his Spirit from us while we continue fit for fuch a mercy, that is, while there are any hopes (and God knows it very well) whether his grace fhall not still be abused and defpifed. The truth and goodness of God give us all the affurance imaginable of this; and every man's experience may fatisfy him, that God leaves no methods untried, which may become a merciful Father, and just Creator, in order to bring his children and creatures to their duty and happiness.

But though a man may, from the good motions of God's Spirit, hope that he is still within the care of God; that God hath not yet given him up to a reprobate mind; yet he ought not to conclude, that therefore he may ftill go on in wickedness, and ftill hope that the fame infinite love will evermore fave him from ruin. For it is true, God doth wonderfully prevent us, and with great long-fuffering bear with his creatures, while there is any hope of a reformation. But when that is over, when we have grieved the Spirit of God too long, and wearied his patience, then followeth the fad state-to be forfaken of God, and given over to a reprobate mind.

The conclufion of the whole will be this: -That nothing but the preferving in your minds a fenfe and fear of God, can fecure

220 THE SIN OF GRIEVING THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

you from the fouleft vices, from the crafts and affaults of the devil, from God's wrath, and from everlasting damnation.

As then we heartily pray to be delivered from these, we are bound to take great heed unto our ways, that we grieve not the good Spirit of God, and force him to leave us to be governed by our own reason and choices.

May that good Spirit defend us all by his heavenly grace, that we may continue his fervants unto our lives end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SERMON

ŠERMON LXXXVII.

PREACHED AT AN ORDINATION.

OUR SAVIOUR's CONCERN FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE, A PATTERN FOR HIS FOLLOWERS, AND ESPECIALLY FOR MINISTERS OF

THE GOSPEL.

MATTH. ix. 36, 37, 38.

BUT WHEN HE SAW THE MULTITUDES, HE WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY FAINTED AND WERE SCATTERED ABROAD AS SHEEP HAVING NO SHEPHERD. THEN SAITH HE UNTO HIS DISCIPLES, THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW. PRAY YE THEREFORE THE LORD OF THE HARVEST, THAT HE WILL SEND FORTH LABOURERS INTO HIS HARVEST.

WH

HEN the Son of God is moved with compaffion, to be fure it is not without caufe: And yet we find by experience, (fuch is our ignorance and the corruption of our nature) that that very fight which caused compaffion in him, is too often amongst men an occafion of contempt and difregard.

He could not behold, the multitude but with concern and pity, and an earnest desire of having their cafe and misfortunes confi

dered,

dered, and taken care of:-While the generality of men (who by the providence of God are raised above the common people) are too apt to think the common people not worth fo much concern as Jefus Chrift would have beftowed upon them.

Without doubt then it must be for want of knowing, and being thoroughly convinced of, the danger the generality of the world is in, that we are not all more affected with their wants and fufferings.

For, verily, the condition of all people, who live without God in the world, is fo forlorn and miferable, that if it were but well confidered, what hazard they run, and what happiness they are like to lofe for want of ufing their best endeavours to attain it, we could not chufe but be moved with compaffion, (as our blessed Saviour was) and strive, at least pray, with all our hearts, that God would raise up men to help them; that he would fend forth labourers into his harvest, that he would difpofe and fit men with qualifications to inftruct the people in the ways of truth and righteoufnefs.

Now, that what I am going to fay to you may be more edifying, we fhall confider, more particularly,

Ift. The occafion of our Saviour's great concern. 2dly. We fhall fee whether the fame reafons for concern are not even now to be found amongst us? If fo, then,

3dly. We

3dly. We shall have equal reafon to be affected with pity and compaffion, and cheerfully undertake the relief of fuch as are committed to our care. And, on the other hand,

4thly. The multitude, for whom we shall have a just compaffion, will have reafon to be very thankful for the concern we express towards them.

And these are the particulars which (by God's good bleffing) I fhall now explain to

you.

I. And first we shall confider the occafion of our Saviour's great concern and compaffion. "The text faith, it was because they fainted, or were tired and lay down, and were fcattered abroad as sheep having no Shepherd.

It is certain, that, to a mind thoroughly awakened, there is not a greater burthen than the sense of that corruption of our nature which is every moment leading us into rebellion against God. To know what is good, and not to be able to perform that good; to know that we must all appear before the judgment-feat of God, and at the fame time to know that our lives and actions will not bear to be enquired into; to fee a law in our members warring against the law of our minds, and bringing us into captivity to the law of fin; this will make the ftouteft heart cry out, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death.

And this was the very cafe of the multitude, which our Saviour beheld with compaffion;

and