. Saint Pauls Legacy. 175 I have had no refpe& of perfons;I never fhunned the declara- tion of any truth,nor (pared the reprehenfion of any vice for feare of any mans greatneffe ; neither favour nor feare ever made me falfe in the difcharge of my Office. As Elihu form- times faid, I have not accepted any mans perjon, nor given flatter- ing titles unto any man : For I knew not to give flattering titles, t becau%e in fo doing, my Maker would take me away. I have truly defired the falvation:ofyour foules,and that is my comfort: I íhould have done more then I have done, and that is my fhame ; more labour hath been bellowed then profit yet ap- peareth, any that is your fine and my difcomfort. My fer- vi:e hath been long amongft you ; the longer I ferved you, the more I loved you,the more unwilling I was to leave you. I can truly fay to you what Paul did to the Corinthians, You were in my heart to live and to dye with you, my mouth was open to you, my heart was enlarged : ye were not ¡freightned in me,but ye were ftraightned in your ovine bowels. Had your hearts (at leaft ac- cording to your prefent outward exprefiion) been towards me, as mine was towards you, I am perfwaded nothing but death had parted us, as fometime Ruth Paid to Na- omi I íhould have valued your love, your fociety,the enjoy- ment of your prefence,above the chiefeft and'moft abundant worldly abilities : I íhould have chofen rather to have lived with you in the loweft outward condition, then elfewhere jn the greateft fulneffe of the world ; fo unwilling was I to leave you, that if occafion had required, I would have relin- , quelhed all, rather then any prejudice íhould have -come un- to yon by niy departure from you. But God hath fo difpo. fed andframed it,that no impediment to my departure hence hath been offered; it is the hand of God hath done it, whe- ther in judgement unto me, or in mercy unto you, ezrfuing time will manifeft. Three things there are very memorable, touching Gods goodneffe in this place towards me, which I cannot paffe in filence. i. In all this time of my fervice, I was never hindered one Lords day by f cknefs from any Minifleriall labours;the Lord that fet me over you,gave me health and ftrength to doe his work among you. 2. I =1!* Iob 3so:r.
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