554 HOW TO DO GOOD TO MANY. to Christ and the churéh's good. He will speak the word of truth and life with truth and liveliness, as one that believéthwhat he saith, and feeleth the power of it on his heart. Though he must have food and raiment as other men, it is the saving and edifying of souls which is his work, to which he bendeth all his studies, for which he prayeth and longeth, and in which' he rejoi- ceth, and to which all his worldly interest not only giveth place, but is made to serve. He will think no price, no pains or suffer- ing too dear, so that the souls of men be saved: this is the riches and preferment which he desireth. He hath nothing too good or too dear for - Christ, or for the meanest of his servants, when Christ requireth it. He is willing to spend and be spent for their sakes. It is them, and not theirs, that he desireth. He feareth the un- belief and hard -heartedness of his hearers, and lest they should reject theirown salvation, more than all the slanders or persecutions of their enemies. In a word, his heart, his study, his life, and business, its to do all the good he can ; and they that under such a ministry remain impenitent, and hardened in sin, are the most hopeless, miserable people in the world. v. And it greatly conduceth to public good to keep up true order and Christian discipline in the particular churches. Though Popish church tyrants have turned the church keys into amilitary,, reigning, or revenging sword,'yet Christ did not in vain commit them into his ministers' hands. Religion seldom prospereth well where the church is no enclosure, but a common where'all sorts; undistinguished, meet,; 'where, as the people know not who shall be made their pastors, but must trust their souls to the case of any that a patron chooseth, so the pastor knoweth not who are his communicating flock until he see them come to the Lord's table, no, nor when he 'seeth them ; when it goeth, for a sufficient excuse to the pastors if the rabble of wicked men communicate, or pass for his church members, though -they communicate not, if he can but say, I knew them not to be wicked, (and how should he, when he knew them not at all?) and that none accused' them, when they are mere strangers to each other. In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision-nor uncircumcision' availeth any thing, but a new creature, and faith that worketh by love. And if Christ made his servants no better than theworld, who would believe that he is the Savior of ,the world? There will lie some tares. in Christ's field till his judgment cast them out forever. But if it be not a society professing holiness and disowning- unholiness, and making a difference between the clean and the unclean, him that sweareth and him that feareth an oath, him that serveth God and him that serveth him not, Christ will disown them as workers of iniquity, though they Wad, ate and drank with him, and done
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