darkneffeof this World. 227 was very grievous to him, and this might make him flay plead- ing with them, till the Angel pull'd him away. And certainly nothing makes holy Parents more loath to begone out of this Sodomitical world, then a defire to fee their children out of the reach of that fire,(before they go,) that God will rain upon the heads offinners. You know not how foon the meffenger may come to pluck you hence ; do your belt while you are among them to win them home to God. To the Minifters of the Gofpel. Let this flir up your bowels 'V e of cornpaffion towards thofe many ignorant finites in your refpedive Congregations, who know not the right hand from the left. This, this is the great deftroyer of the countrey, which Minifters fhould come forth againft with all their care and flrength. More are fwept to hell with this plague of fpi- ritual darkneffe then any other. Where the light of knowledge and conviction is, there commonly is a fenfe and pain that ac- companies the firmer when he doth evil, which forceth fome now and then to enquire for a Phyfician, and come in the diftreffe oftheir fpirits to their Minifter or others for counfel but the ignorant foul feels no fuch fmart; if the Minifter flay till he fends for him to inftruft him, he may fooner hear the bell go for him, then any meffenger come for him ; you mutt leek them out, and not expeel that they will come to you. Thefe are a fort of people that are afraid more oftheir remedy, then their dif- cafe, and Rudy more to hide their ignorance, then how they may have it cured, which fhould make us pity them the more, be- caufe they can pity themfelves fo little. I confeffe, it is no fmall unhappineffe to fome of us, who have to do with a multi. rude, that wehave neither time nor ftrength to make our addref- fes to every particular perfon in our Congregations, and attend on them es their needs require, and yet cannot well fatisfie our conlcientes otherwife. But let us look to it, that though we cannot do ro the height of what we would, we be not found wanting in What we may. Let not the difficulty ofour Province make us like fotne, who when they fee they have more work up- on their hands then they can well difpatch, grow lick of it, and fit down out of a lazy delpondency, and do juft nothing. He that bath a great houfe running to ruine, and but a fmall purfe; 'tis _better for him to repair now a little, and then a little h 2 then
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