682 AN HUMBLE ATTEMPT, &C. and careless management of the (rust which is committed to us, 'It is a divine interest indeed, but declining ; it is a heavenly cause, but among us it is sinking and dying. O let us stir up our hearts, and all that is within us, and strive mightily in prayer and in preaching to revive the work of God, and beg earnestly that God; by a fresh and abundant effusion of his own Spirit, would revive his own work among us ! Revive thy own work, O Lord, in the midst of these years of sin and degeneracy, lwr let us labour in vain. Where is thy zeal, O Lord, and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowelsand thy mercies? Are they restrained? O let us rouse our souls with all holy fervour to fulfil our minis- try, for it will be a dreadful reproach upon us, and a burthen too heavy for us to bear, if we let the cause of Christ and godliness die under our hands for want of a lively zeal, and pious fervour and faithfulness in our ministrations. Tenthly, We entreat, we exhort and charge you, and we charge ourselves, by the solemn and awful circumstances of a dying bed, and the thoughts of conscience in that important hour, whenwe shall enter into the world of spirits, that we take heed to the ministry which we have received : surely that hour is has- tening upon us, when our heads will lie upon a dying pillow. When a few more mornings and evenings have visited our win- dows, the shadows of a long night will begin to spread them- selves over us : in that gloomy hour, conscience will review the behaviour of thedays that are past, will take account of thecon- duct of our whole lives, and will particularly examine our la= hours and cares in our sacred office. Oh may we ever dread the thoughts of making bitter work for repentance in that hour, and of treasuring up terrors for a death-bed by a careless and useless ministry ! Eleventhly, We exhort and charge you, and we charge ourselves, by our gathering together before the throne of our Lord .Jesus Christ, and the solemn account we must there give of the ministry with which he hath entrusted us, that we pre- pare by our present zeal and labour to render that most awful scene peaceful to our souls, and theissue of it joyful and happy. Let us look forward to that illustrious and tremendous appear- ance, when our Lord shall come with ten thousands of his holy angelsto enquire into the conduct of men, and particularly of the ministers of his kingdom here on earth. Let us remember that we shall be examined in the light of the flames of that day ? What we have done with his gospel which he gave us to preach ? What we have done with his promises of rich salvation, which he sent us to offer in his name ? What is become of the souls committed to our care ? O that we may give up our account with joy, and not with grief, to the Judge of the living and the dead, in that glorious, that dreadful and decisive-hour!
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