= and makes us feel the Neceffity of withdrawing our Affections from a World, we find fo haftily paffing away from us. TRY then, my Friends, what Treasures for Heaven ye have laid up, in the Year, irrecoverably now gone by. What Profit have we made of fo much invaluable Time? We have not been fuch Spendthrifts, as to have fquandered a whole Year; we are not at farther Distance from GOD, I would hope. The Tears of Jefus were not fo fhed in vain: His Lamentation over ruinous Souls, which introduced the laft Year, hath not been fo unheard, that again with louder Cry, and more bitter Tears, he hath need to lift up his Voice of Love and Importunity; O that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy Day, the Things which belong unto thy Peace (y). But God fuffers us ftill; yet another Year he fpares us. And why? Nay, but seriously confider, one and another, why GoD yet upholds us in Life. It is (you cannot but fay) for his Name's "Sake, for my Soul's Sake, for the Sake "of Eternity, that I am ftill in the Land of "the Living. For this Caufe, another Race "of Months is rifen upon me." My Brethren, in this View, ye do well to congratulate one another upon the new Year, and to express your Wishes of mutual Happiness. (1) Luke xix. 42. 2 C Andhi And I, my Wish and Prayer for you all is; "God vouchfafe you his Grace, that in this happy Year ye may be clothed with the "Garments of Salvation: That those who "are afleep, may be awakened; the Weak "among you,strengthened; and the Strong, "built up: That Faith and Love, and "Zeal, and Charity, may come and dwell "abundantly in all our Hearts: That, ere "the Year return, we may be all new "Creatures." O, may the Angels of GOD fo have great Cause of rejoicing in us! May the powerful Influences of the Spirit carry into your Hearts the Address I am about to make you, caufing it to be fruitful in you all! OUR laft Difcourfe finished the Defcription propofed: And I might then have done with the whole Subject; but I could not part with you fo easily. I know, that Neeffity is laid upon me (z); how I am charged o preach Chrift unto you, the Hope of Glory; varning every Man, and teaching every Man all Wisdom, that we may prefent every Man erfect in Chrift Jefus. Whereunto I alfo bor, ftriving according to his Working (a). determined therefore to detain you, yet ce more; to enter into ferious Expoftulawith the careless Sinner, and the formal rofeffor, and to address a Word of Advice the real Chriftian, who hath Chrift living d n BUT who am I, to roufe the careless Sinner; the Man at Eafe in Zion; to open the Eyes of the Formal, thofe Eyes which will not fee; or to direct the Steps of the Child of GOD? Ye thoughtlefs Sinners, who walk in the Vanity of your Minds, by what Way fhall I be able to reach your ftubborn Hearts, which have hitherto stood Proof against the Terrors of the Lord, whereby I have so often, and fo freely, labored to perfuade you; which as yet have been untouched by all the Confiderations of Death, Eternity, and a Judgment Day in all its awful Solemnities, whereby you have been importunately dealt with; which have never felt the leaft conftraining Influence, from all the rich Treafures of Chrift difplayed before you? How fhall I imprefs upon you the Senfe of that Danger, wherein ye indeed live, being under the fearful Curfe of the Law; which only is not executed, because the most merciful GOD is not willing to confume you, because by his patient Goodness he would needs lead you to Repentance? Ye formal Profeffors, the Pharifees of the Day, wherewith will ye be prevailed upon to renounce your most deftructive Self Dependence, to ftand upon the Level with Publicans, and to fue for Mercy as well as they? How fhall I demolifh that airy Building, which your proud Hearts have raised, which feems to you fo goodly and fo fafely founded, but which the the Approach of Death will make to totter and diffolve, and the Day of Christ will prove to the affembled World to be Vanity? And ye, new Creatures, who live by the Faith of the Son of God; to advise you of your Work, to arm you with Cautions, and to fupply you with every needful Direction; I may well fay, Who is fufficient for these Things (b)? KNOW, careless Sinners, we should have no Boldness to fpeak unto you, but that the Lord hath promised to make his Word in our Mouths Fire, and this People Wood, and it bould devour them (c). We fhould have no Hope in crying to you any more, (so heedlefs, fo hardned ye are!) were not the Word of God powerful and fharp, piercing even to the dividing afunder of Soul and Spirit, and of the Joints and Marrow (d). Tired, with calling to you in vain, we fhould be ready to fay with Jeremiah, I will not make mention of bim, nor fpeak any more in his Name (e): But while we bold our Peace from Good, our Sorrow is ftirred (f); we are full of Matter; the Spirit within us conftraineth us (g); we cannot but fpeak; we would needs deliver your Souls; we must deliver our own. (b) 2 Cor. ii. 16. (c) Jerem. v. 14. N 3 I SPEAK affected Lowliness and false-hearted Compliment: If fuch be the Eftimation and Use you make of those accidental Endowments, which distinguish you, more or less, from your Neighbours; very plain it is, that you hide your Talent in the Earth, that you labor not your Lord fhall be benefited by it; and therefore that you are no Servant of his. 5. In the natural Gifts, which God hath endowed him with, he labors to serve God. There is evidently in one Man, more than another, a Quickness of Parts, a Soundness of Judgment,and a retentive Memory. Confequently, fome are peculiarly qualified for Usefulness; gain Attention, command Refpect, and are received with a kind of Reverence, as they converse with others. The lefs diftinguished hold fuch in Admiration, pay them a peculiar Deference, and are eafily fwayed into their Manner and Way. For it is the Man of Parts, rather than the Man of Station, Wealth, or Learning, that directs the World. Experience teaches, how much Weight fuch providential Diftinctions give; and how much those, who are so raised above the Level of common Senfe, may prevail. A fuperior Influence attends them, which every one feels himself poffeffed of, or fubmits to, as he is, or is not, of the Number of those, whofe Faculties the diftributive Wisdom of God hath peculiarly adorned. We may see the Thing in the perverse Use which |