Of the J.\1iniflerial .fttnHioJJ. 327 fel in the excrcife of their hoiy funCtion. .And indeed, if there were no matter of publick delib-eration, yet ought vve gladly to cJnbract~ the opportunity of fceing one another's faces, not only that we may main– tain and exprefs a brotherlycorrcfpondence and affection, but alfo that we n1ay ani1nate and excite one another unto greater tnea– furcs of diligence anet z·eal; as. coals, being gathered together, do mutually receive and propagate fome new 9egrees of vigour and heat. This I have ·always looked upon as none of the n1eancfl: advantages of thefe fynodic~l .meetings.; and fhaH think n1y– felf vei·y ·happy, if n1y poor endeavours, in the performance of this prefent duty, 111ayt by the divine bld1ing, contri·bute any thing towards dtis excellent and defirable pm;:.. poic. To this. end I have made choice of a text, which I hoJ)e n1ay afford us f01ne Nfeful n1edit:11tions for fiirring up, and a– wakeningin 0ur fouls a deeper fenfe of thof-e great engagen1ents under which we lie. The ble!fed.Apoflle, in the fanner verfe, and beginniag of thi-s, has been [peaking of the different fuccefs the gofpel di.d meet \vith among thofe to whon1 it was preach– ed; that it was not like thofc weak and hannlefs medicines, which, if they do no ' E e. 2 . gpod~
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