116 NECESSITY OF DILIGENTLY They look after it but a little by the bye; they do not make it the business of their lives. If I were not sick myself of the same disease, with what tears should I mix this ink ! with what groans should I express these complaints ! and with what heart - grief should I mourn over this universal deadness ! 6. Do magistrates among us seriously perform their work ? are they zealous for God ? do they build up his house? are they tender of his honour? do they second the word ? and fly in the face of sin and sinners, as the disturber of our peace, and the only cause of all our miseries? Do they improve all their power, wealth, and honour, and all their influ- -ence, for the greatest advantage to the kingdom of Christ, as men that must shortly give an account of their stewardship ? 7. How thin are those ministers that are serious in their work ! nay how mightily do the very best fail in this! Do we cry out of men's disobedience to the gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit, and deal with sin as the destroying fire in our towns, and by force pull men out of it? Do we persuade peo- ple, as those should that know the terrors of the Lord ? Do we press Christ, and regeneration, and faith, and holiness, believing that, without these, men can never have life? Do our bowels yearn over the ignorant, careless, and obstinate multi- tude? When we look them in the face, do our hearts melt over them, lest we should never see their faces in rest ? Do we, as Paul, tell them, weeping, of their fleshly and earthly disposition ? and teach them publicly, and from house to house, at all seasons and with many tears ? and do we entreat them, as for their soul's salvation ? Or rather, do we not study to gain the approbation of critical hearers; as if a minister's business were of no more weight but to tell a smooth tale for an hour, and look no more after' the people to the next sermon ? Does not carnal prudence control our fervour, and make our discourses lifeless, on subjects the most piercing?
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