"priests in Zion with salvation, and then her saints "shall shout aloud for joy." For this reason we find St. Paul in all his epistles desiring to be prayed for— "Pray for us"-for grace, for gifts, for success. He puts the churches upon asking what their ministers wanted. Although God has promised it, yet he will be intreated for it. The prayer of faith never returns without a blessing, which I have remarked again and again to the praise of him who says, "Ask, and ye "shall have," and this has been a

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"2. Second argument very powerful with me. The command given to pray for the peace of Jerusalem has a promise" They shall prosper that love thee."-This has been fulfilled. I have seen manifest sensible answers to this prayer-clear displays of the faithfulness of the promise maker. He has vouchsafed to give the desired mercy-not for the merits of our prayers, but for the sake of his own great Name. He put it into our hearts to see what his church wanted, to ask the supply of him, and now having received it, to ascribe all the glory to his grace" Worthy is the Lamb." His kindness hitherto is a mighty encouragement to go on, and is a

"3. Motive for me to persevere, and for you to join with me. He says when the work is great and the ministers but few" Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, "that he would send forth labourers into his harvest "field." This was our warrant to ask, and asking in faith according to his will, we had confidence in him that he would hear and answer; and he has been as good as his word; we have tried it, and found it cannot be broken. For these last eleven years we have been praying for more labourers, and every year he has sent forth some more. O that he may give the word, and greater still may be the company of the preachers. Have we not all the reason in the world to expect it? The promise stands sure-his hand is not shortened→→ his love is not abated-prayer has not lost its efficacy with him to engage his love and power to fulfil the

promise. Doubtless more, more labourers shall be sent out, if more of us join in fervent prayers, nothing wavering. While we continue to pray, he will continue to answer. This is fixt as the throne of God“I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail." O how has my dependance on his unalterable word been strengthened, by seeing it so constantly fulfilled: and how has my attachment increased to our established church, by his raising up more ministers among us! Indeed he owns our establishment at this day; and thereby he encourages us to pray on; and if we do, we may hope to see greater things than these. May you and I find reason to be asking the enlargement of Christ's kingdom in our land, until he remove us into his kingdom of praise.

4. These arguments are continually enforced by the constraining love of Jesus, which keeps the soul in a good frame to pray for the advancement of his honour and glory. While I find a warm heart to him, I cannot help wishing that others may be won over to the love of him. To set him forth that they may behold his matchless glory, is our office. Every gospel minister is raised up to sound aloud the praises of the wonderful person, and of the infinitely perfect work of the divine Saviour, in whom all the perfections of the Godhead shine out in the richest display of their beauty, love, and power. The gospel-ministry was ordained for this purpose, and it is blessed to this day to the hearts of poor sinners, by bringing them to see, to admire, and to enjoy the love of the Father through the salvation of the Son, by the grace of the Spirit. This is the ministration, which exceedeth in glory. O what an honour is it that we should be called to partake of these blessings ourselves, and that by our means the Lord would, and does, convey them to our people. The sense of this is constraining. Under the influence of it we cannot but pray for his ministers, that they may spread his gospel, and advance his fame. O, for more love to this precious Jesus! and to his cause in

your heart, it will be as a thousand arguments to put you upon praying for an increase of labourers, and an increase of usefulness in those he has already sent out: and, if you do pray thus, and continue to pray, it will be the most likely means of your experiencing more of his love, for he cannot alter the word that is gone out of his mouth. His promise to them that pray for the peace of Jerusalem is, "They shall prosper who love thee," which is a

"Fifth encouragement. It is good for our own souls. They prosper by it; while we are concerned for the honour of Jesus, for the advancement of his gospel, we are taking the best care we can of our own interest. The soul that watereth others, shall be watered itself; so it prospers. The prayer for blessings on our fellowlabourers brings a shower of blessings into our own bosom. I should be very unthankful, yea, beyond measure, if I did not acknowledge it. I have not prayed in vain for these eleven years.

No. I have

indeed prospered, and have received many mercies; some I will mention, not to set myself up for any thing, who am the very sink of hell, and feel in me to this moment indwelling corruptions enough to damn a thousand worlds; but I mention them to the glory of sovereign grace. There is in every one of us a desire to be great and esteemed, a bitter root of pride, which works in abundance of vile tempers, all dishonourable to Jesus and hurtful to our own souls; I have found this praying for my dear brethren, and always by name, has given many a blow at that bitter root, and has checked several of its branches, such as envy at their success, shyness to their persons, an evil eye at their gifts or their graces, That party spirit, under the bondage of which, no one ever laboured more than myself, has been in a good degree conquered; and so has the unwillingness to bear reproof, very hard to bear; and the will given to be thought less than the least, the sole work of almighty grace, And I ascribe it to my constantly praying for God's-ministers, that he

has enabled me in any degree not only to get the better of those vile tempers, but also to grow in brotherly love. I find my heart knit to those I never saw, and am glad of their prosperity in mind, body, or estate. My very soul rejoices in any good in them, or good done by them. Their present number (may the Lord add to them an hundred fold,) their being almost of one mind, and of one heart, their growth in grace, their usefulness among their own people, and their writings for the public benefit; these are become sweet subjects of thankfulness. My prayers are more in faith because I reap the fruit of them, and can join praise with them. То every petition I can say, thanks be to the Lord; I have good encouragement to pray on. Every year I see our Jerusalem prosper, and they also prosper that love it. Are not these advantages, and are they not sufficient to induce you to join your prayers with mine? As for me, God forbid, my dear brother, that I should cease to pray for you.-May the Lord the Spirit put it into your heart to pray for me, and for the rest of our fellow-labourers, until you find more advantages from your prayers than I have done. If you weigh these things with attention, and God incline you to join us in prayer, there is a scripture which warrants this, and which contains some gracious promises to the practice of it; the consideration of it has been with

me a

Sixth motive. It is in Matt. xviii. 19, 20. "Again "I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on "earth." We do agree to meet together in one place.

-Where is there a better than the throne of grace? We do agree touching the thing we are to ask, namely, the blessing of him that sitteth upon the throne on his own ministers. What can be more pleasing to him, than to wish them well, to whom he has done so well, as to call them to, fit them for, and prosper them in his work? O it is not to be described nor conceived, how his heart is set upon this. To send out ministers to promote his glory through the salvation of his people,

is the ruling affection in the head of the church; and when he intends to send them out, he gives his people the spirit of prayer, to desire of him pastors after his own heart, and to encourage them to ask, he promises, "Whatsoever ye ask, shall be done for you of my "Father, who is in heaven: for the Father himself ❝loveth you, and will give you whatsoever you ask in my name: and when any two of you agree to pray "for more labourers, or for greater usefulness in them "who do labour in the word and doctrine, I will then “be in the midst of you, spiritually present, that you may have communion with me in prayer, and "that you may be satisfied I do hear, and will answer. How inviting, how persuasive are these words! surely they ought powerfully to influence you and me. What may we not expect from meeting often in the presence of Jesus? Try, my dear brother. Be much in his company, and see what will come of it. Your heart will certainly be more knit to him, and he will knit you closer to his other ministers in the unity of the Spirit. He will bring us to be of the same mind in the Lord.. This is as the three-fold cord which is not quickly broken, because it is a bond of the Lord's own making, and of the Lord's own keeping. He maintains it, and he ties it closer by giving us sweet fellowship in one another's prayers, and by enabling us to act and live, according as we pray for the good of our brethren. Thus he makes it appear, that we are taught of God' to love one another, for he only can teach us to love unfeignedly, and with a pure heart fervently. This is the most blessed union upon earth, because it flows from our being one with Christ, and proves that we hold the head, and are under him as living members. in his body united together, having the same care one for another. Hereby we know what the communion of saints is we experience, and we rejoice in its blessings. O how will this strengthen the hands of each other-it will make us mighty through our God to do our work, to endure hardship, to fight our battles, yea, to the