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1 Thef. ii. 19. 20. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jefus Chrift at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy." And in the text, We are your rejoicing, as ye alfo are ours, in the day of the Lord Jefus. But they that evil-intreat Chrift's faithful minifters, efpecially in that wherein they are faithful, fhall be feverely punished; Matth. x. 14. 15. " And whofoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the duft of your feet. Verily I fay unto you, it fhall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for that city." Deut. xxxiii. 8.-11. "And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with the holy one. They fhall! teach Jacob thy judgments, and Ifrael thy law-Blefs Lord, his fubftance, and accept the work of his hands: Smite through the loins of them that rife against him, and of them that hate him, that they rife not again." On the other hand, those minifters who are found to have been unfaithful shall have a moft terrible punifhment. See Ezek. xxxii. 6. Matth. xxiii. 1.-33.

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Thus juftice fhall be adminiftered at the great day to minifters and their people: And to that end they fhall meet together, that they may not only receive juf tice to themselves, but fee justice done to the other party For this is the end of that great day, to reveal or declare the righteous judgment of God: Rom. ii. 5. Minifters fhall have juftice done them, and they fhall fee juftice done to their people: And the people fhall receive juftice themselves from their Judge, and fhall fee juftice done to their minifler.-And fo all things will be adjusted and fettled forever between them; every one being fentenced and recompenfed according to his works, either in receiving and wearing a crown of eternal joy and glory, or in füffering everlafting fhame.

I come now to the next thing proposed, viz.
II. To give fome reafons why we may fuppofe

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God has fo ordered it, that minifters and the people = that have been under their care, fhall meet together at the day of judgment, in fuch a manner and for fuch purposes.

There are two things which I would now observe. 1. The mutual concerns of minifters and their people are of the greateft importance.

The fcripture declares, that God will bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. It is fit that all the

concerns, and all the behavior of mankind, both public and private, fhould be brought at last before God's tribunal, and finally determined by an infallible judge: But it is especially requifite that it should be thus, as to affairs of very great importance.

Now the mutual concerns of a Chriftian minister and his church and congregation, are of the moft vaft importance in many refpects of much greater moment than the temporal concerns of the greatest earthly monarchs, and their kingdoms or empires. It is of vaft confequence, how minifters difcharge their office, and conduct themselves towards their people in the work of the ministry, and in affairs appertaining to it. It is also a matter of vaft importance, how a people receive and entertain a faithful minister of Chrift, and what improvement they make of his miniftry. Thefe things have a more immediate and direct refpect to the great and last end for which man was made, and the eternal welfare of mankind, than any of the temporal concerns of men, whether public or private. And therefore it is especially fit that these affairs fhould be brought into judgment, and openly determined and fettled in truth and righteousness; and that to this end, minifters & their people fhould meet together before the omnifcient and infallible Judge.

2. The mutual concerns of minifters and their people have a special relation to the main things appertaining to the day of judgment..

They have a fpecial relation to that great and divine

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person who then will appear as Judge. Minifters are his meffengers, fent forth by him; and, in their office and administrations among their people, represent his perfon, ftand in his ftead, as thofe that are fent to declare his mind, to do his work, and to speak and act in his name: And therefore it is especially fit that they Should return to him to give an account of their work and fuccefs. The king is judge of all his fubjects, they are all accountable to him: But it is more especially requifite that the king's minifters, who are especially intruffed with the adminiftrations of his kingdom, and that are sent forth on some special negociation, should return to him, to give an account of themfelves, and their difcharge of their trust, and the reception they

have met with.

Ministers are not only meffengers of the person who at the last day will appear as Judge, but the errand they are fent upon, and the affairs they have committed to them as his minifters, do moft immediately concern his honour and the interest of his kingdom: The work they are fent upon is to promote the defigns of his administration and government; and therefore their busi nefs with their people has a near relation to the day of judgment; for the great end of that day is completely to fettle and establish the affairs of his kindom, to adjust all things that pertain to it, that every thing that is oppofite to the interefts of his kingdom may be removed, and that every thing which contributes to the complete. nefs and glory of it may be perfected and confirmed, that this great King may receive his due honour and glory.

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Again, the mutual concerns of minifters and their people have a direct relation to the concerns of the day of judgment, as the business of minifters with their ple is to promote the eternal falvation of the fouls of men, and their efcape from eternal damnation; and the day of judgment is the day appointed for that end, openly to decide and fettle men's eternal state, to fix fome in a flate of eternal salvation, and to bring their falvation

falvation to its utmost confummation, and to fix others in a ftate of everlasting damnation and moft perfect mifery. The mutual concerns of minifters and people have a most direct relation to the day of judgment, as the very defign of the work of the miniftry is the people's preparation for that day: Minifters are fent to warn them of the approach of that day, to forewarn them of the dreadful fentence then to be pronounced on the "wicked, and declare to them the bleffed fentence then to be pronounced on the righteous, and to ufe means with them that they may efcape the wrath which is then to come on the ungodly, and obtain the reward then to be bestowed on the faints.

And as the mutual concerns of ministers and their people have fo near and direct a relation to that day, it is especially fit that thofe concerns fhould be brought into that day, and there fettled and issued; and that in order to this, minifters and their people fhould meet and appear together before the great Judge at that day. APPLICATION.

The improvement I would make of the things which have been obferved, is to lead the people here prefent, who have been under my paftoral care, to fome re flections, and give them fome advice fuitable to our prefent circumftances; relating to what has been lately done in order to our being separated, as to the relation we have heretofore ftood in one to another; but expect ing to meet each other before the great tribunal at the day of judgment.

The deep and ferious confideration of that our fu ture moft folemn meeting, is certainly moft fuitable at fuch a time as this; there having fo lately been that done, which, in all probability, will (as to the relation we have heretofore ftood in) be followed with an everlafting feparation.

How often have we met together in the houfe of God in this relation ? how often have I fpoken to you, inftructed, counfelled, warned, directed, and fed you,, and administered ordinances among you, as the people.

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which were committed to my care, and whofe precious fouls I had the charge of? but in all probability this never will be again.

The prophet Jeremiah, (chap. xxxv. 3.) puts the people in mind how long he had laboured among them in the work of the miniftry: "From the thirteenth year of Jofiah, the fon of Ammon, king of Judah, even unto this day (that is, the three and twentieth year) the word of the Lord came unto me, and I have fpoken unto you, rifing early and fpeaking." I am not about to compare myself with the prophet Jeremiah; but in this refpect I can fay as he did," that I have fpoken the word of God to you, unto the three and twentieth year, rifing early and fpeaking." It was three and twenty years, the 15th day of laft February, fince I have laboured in the work of the miniftry, in the relation of a paftor to this church and 'congregation. And though my ftrength has been weakness, having always laboured under great infirmity of body, befides my infufficiency for fo great a charge in other respects, yet I have not fpared my feeble ftrength, but have exerted it for the good of your fouls. I can appeal to you, as the apoftle does to his hearers, Gal. iv. 13. "Ye know how through infirmity of the flefh, I preached the gospel unto you." I have spent the prime of iny life and ftrength in labours for your eternal welfare. You are my witneffes, that what ftrength I have had, I have not neglected in idlenefs, nor laid out in profecuting worldly fchemes, and managing temporal affairs, for the advancement of my outward eftate, and aggrandizing myself and family; but have given myself to the work of the miniftry, labouring in it night and day, rifing early, and applying myself to this great business to which Chrift appointed me. I have found the work of the miniftry among you to be a great work indeed, a work of exceeding care, labour, and difficulty: Many have been the heavy burdens that I have borne in it, which my ftrength has been very unequal to. God called me to bear thefe burdens; and I blefs his name,

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