143 / 186
tn the Chief of Sin'ffers.
I3
3 .
not ·now fpeak
all
t!,at
I
know
~ n
ti:is
mat·
ter;
yet
my
experience hath n1ore 1nterefr
inthatTextofScrjpture,
Gal.
I.
11, 12.
then
many
an1ongft men
are
aware.
.
.287.
If
any
.of
tho fe
who v\· t.:re aw;akened
by
my
Miniftry.,
did after
that
fa11 back,
as fometimes too
man-y
did
)
I
can
truly .
fay their
lofs hath been more to me,
tl1en
if
one
of
11.1y
own
Children, . begotten of
my
body,
had been
going
to
its Grave;
I
think
verily
I
may
fpeak
it
\-vithout
any
offence
to the
Lord,
nothing bath gone
fo
near
n1e
as
that,_unlefs
it
was
the
fear
of
the ,
lofs
of
,
the Salvation of
rny
own Soul .: I
have
unted as i.f/ thad goodly
Buildings
and
Lordibips
in
thofe pl:.1ces
\V
here
n1y
Children.
were born:
My
heart bath been fo \Vrapt up
in
the
glory
of this excellent- Work,
that
I
counted
my felf
more
blefied
and
honoured
of God
by
this, than
if
he had made
1~e
the
Emperour of the Chriilian .World , or the
-
,Lord of all the
glory
of the
Earth
v;ithout
it!
0
thefe words
!
hre
th~tt
converteth a
Sinner from the · error of his
way,
doth fave
ill
SD11l
from Deaih.,
Ja111. ) . 2 o .
The
fruit
of
the
.Righteous., is a 'Tree
of
Lije
;
~'f.nd
he
that
win,~
neth _Souls., is
wtfe,
Prov.
I L
·3
o.
they .
that
.be wife, fha!l fhine as
ihe brightnejs
of the
Fir·
mament, and
they-that
turn
rnany
to
·
Righteouf–
.nefs., as
the
Stars far
ever and
ever,
Dan.
12.
3·
F~r
what
ts
our
hope,
or
joy.,
or
crown, of
re
joy•
,npg?
are
n~·t
even
ye
in
the prefonce
of
-our
Lord·