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The Want of Labourers in the Gofpel Harveji^ 
 Confidered and improved: 
 
 ■^5 
 
 I N A 
 
 SERMON 
 
 Preached July 36, 17^5; 
 ON OCCASION OF THE MUCH LAMENTED 
 
 D E A 
 
 H 
 
 O !• THE 
 
 ilEVEkENn AND LeARNED- 
 
 CALEB ASHWORTH, D.D. 
 
 Tutor, of the Dissenting Academy 
 at Daventry in Northaiiiptonjhire. 
 
 To which is added, 
 
 1 A PostScRiPT, cpntaining fdme Hints^ with i. View to 
 
 the Intereft of Religion among the Dissenters. 
 
 Whom fliall I fend ? and who will go fof- us ? 
 
 Isaiah vi. 10. 
 
 By SAMUEL PALMER. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for J. Buckland, Pater-Nofter-Row ; and 
 W. Harris, No. 70. St. Paul's Church-Yard ; and 
 fold by Mr. Clay, in Daventry. 
 
 M.DCC.LXXV. 
 
 [Price Sixpence.] 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Cf ' H E following Sermon would not have appear editfpecialfy 
 -* fo hng after the event which occafioned it, had it not been 
 defired by feveral friends of the Deceafed and the Author } in 
 erder^ in foOie niedfure, tofuppfy the ivatit dfa iKUch beitir, 
 preached to the Congregation at Daventry, by the Dover's 
 worthy Sitccejftr j -who for reafofis of which he ^riifelf cangivt 
 the beft account, hath, after long deliberatim^ determined not to 
 print it. The Author's defir^ that fame piibllc tejiimony of 
 refpeSt might be borne to the memory offo (onfiderahle a man ai 
 Dr. Aftrworth, peculiarly endittred tt> hiftifeif as his "tutor 
 and his Friend, overcame fome objeffions which he otherwife 
 Jhiuldhavi had'agaiiift this publication : And the more eafily^ 
 as he hoped that, on account of the fubjeft, it was calculated 
 to dofothegiod: An hope which he Was the more willing to 
 indulge, as feveral minijlers who heard the fubflance a^ it, 
 upon another bitafidii, had urged the printing of it with this 
 view. If that great endjhould in any degree be anfwered, 
 the Author will be cmtent to beiir tiny cenfures, to which hi 
 may be expofed, either from the faults of the compojition, or the 
 freedim lifed ih handling thefnbjefl. 
 
 It is proper here to apprize the Reader 6f f^i eUpreffi^s 
 which, being ufed in the delivery efthe Sermon, are here re' 
 tained, rejpe^irig the difficulty of providing a fuccejfor to the 
 Debtor, which might otherwifi fiiffi d'ejfitute of propriety ; 
 fmce (through the remarkable and unexpeEled appearance of 
 ■providence) one * hath accepted the 'office^ iuho is in every view 
 qualified to execute it^fo as to giw the fullefi fatisfaSlion to all 
 concerned. 
 
 It will probqbh b^ a difappointment to many readers that fa 
 little is faid of Dr. A{h worth's character . It will befujfi- 
 lient to obferve, in excufe for this defeSl, that he himfelf 
 defired no character H^ht be given of him. But if it had not 
 been for this prohibition, nothing more needed to have been. 
 faid, than that he was the immediate fucceffor of the illuflrious 
 Dr. Doddridge, and was nominated by him to this office, 
 
 f The ^ev. Mr. Thomas Robins, late oi WeJi-BfomiuicL ■ 
 
 TO 
 
T 6 
 
 1* H E ST U D E NTS 
 
 IN THE ACADEMY AT CAVENTRYi 
 
 Lately Uniler the Care of the Rev. Dr. Ashworth, 
 
 IN TESTIMONY OF 
 
 THE iaOST FERVENT WISHES FOR THE PROSPERITY 
 
 OF THAT itESPECTABIiE SEMINARY OF LEARNING^ 
 
 AND THEIR BEST IMPROVEMENT 
 
 IN EVERY BRANCH OF USEFUL SCIENCE, 
 
 AND OF EVANCEI.ICAI, REKICION, 
 
 BY WHICH THEY MAY BE QUALIFIED 
 
 TO ENCREASE THE NUMBER OF SKILFUL, LABORIOUS^ 
 
 AND SUCCESSFUL LABOURERS IN THS 
 
 REOERMIR's HARVBSTj 
 
 THIS DISCOURSE IS DEDICATED 
 
 B Y 
 
 THEIR MOST A^FECTIOItAfE FRltNoi 
 
 AND M04T OBEDIENT SERVANTj 
 
 The AtTTHOtt; 
 
 Hacbiej, 
 
L tJ K E Xi 2; 
 
 fhe hdvaeji truly is greats hut the labourers 
 are few : Pray ye therefore the Lord of the 
 harvefii that he would fend forth labourers 
 into his harvefii 
 
 WHATEVER ttidi-e was peculiar In the 
 ftate of the world, and of Chrifiianity in 
 ifj when our Lord addrefled thefe words to his 
 Difciples, it muft be allowedj that the fimilarity 
 between that time and the prefent, is fufEcient 
 to juftify the application of this addrefs to our- 
 felves. The number of Chrift's Minifters, when 
 he firft recommended to them this prayer, was 
 indeed very ineonfiderable, confiding only of 
 Twelve -f. However, he faw occafiop again to 
 recommend it, when the number had recdved the 
 addition of the feventy Difciples. And tho', in 
 the- prefent day, it is far more numerous, their 
 work is fo arduousj and the field of their labour 
 fo extenfive, that there is fufficient reafon for all 
 the Minifters, and the true friends of Jefus, fre- 
 quently and fervently to unite in the fame re-, 
 queft. 
 
 t Matuix. 37, 38, x. i, 
 
 B A 
 
2 ^he IVant of Labourers in the 
 
 A Society of Chriftians, wHo, by the nature 6f 
 their profeffion, are fupp^sfed to have at heart 
 the intereft of Jefus Chrift in the world, can at 
 no time, be- unleafonably urged, to pray for it's 
 fupport and incrcafe. But, if -fuch a fubjeft as 
 this may be more properly infifted upon at one 
 time than at another, it is furely on fuch an occa- 
 fion as that which I have now in my view : The 
 death of one, who was not only himfelf ah ufeful 
 labourer in the Lor-d's harveft, but \)vbo was emi- 
 nently qualified, to form others for the fame of- 
 fice : one \yho had been inftrumental in training 
 up many for it, and might have been expedted to 
 have continued a blefling to the ChiXitch, in both 
 thefe refpefts, for years to come -f. 
 
 The lofs of fuch a man ftiuft be great, and will 
 be fel^, far beyond thelimils of a particular church 
 or neighbourhood ; and there are nohe, of any party 
 or periuafion, of a truly public fpirit, who were ac- 
 quainted with his worth; (as feveral of you were), 
 but muft lay it to heart. I need not, therefore, 
 apologize to you, tho' at fo great a diftahce froni. 
 the chief fcene of his labours, for indulging a. 
 few reflexions on this melancholy event ^ which 
 I would do, not merely as a teftimony of that re- 
 fpeft, which 1 owed him as my tutor, much lefs as 
 a panegyric on his charadler, but with a view, to 
 aflift us all, who wilh well to the caufe of our 
 
 t The Doftor was but 53 years of age, and had naturally 
 a ftrong conftitution ; which he, doubtlefs, greatly injured by 
 a too intenfe application to ftudy ; efpecially, when he lirft 
 undertook the carcof the academy. He-died July 18. 
 
 5 common 
 
Co^el Harvefi conjidend. 3 
 
 common Lord, in the beft improvement of an 
 event, which may feem greatly detrimental to it. 
 The following particulars, which the text con- 
 tains, may in this view, by the divine blefllng, be 
 profitably confidered. « 
 
 I. The view therein given of the Gofpei dif- 
 penfation : it is the Redeemer's Harvest. 
 
 JI. An important confidcration relating to it : jTz&c 
 Harvefi truly zV great, 
 
 III. A melancholy account of the fcarcity of 
 perfbns to gather it in : The labourers are 
 
 FEW. 
 
 JV. An exhortation hereupon addreffed to the 
 Pifcipks : viz. To fray to the Lord of tb« 
 harvefi, TO encrease their number. 
 
 Thefe particulars we fhall confider, not as ap- 
 plicable to the times of our Saviour, and his Apo- 
 itles only, but alfo to our own, 
 
 I. Let us attend a little to the figurative repre- 
 fentation which the text gives us of the 
 Gofpei dilpenfation ; as the Harvest of our 
 Redeemer. 
 
 In the month of Harvcft, the hulband-rman 
 reaps the fruits of his labours through all the other 
 parts of the year. The corn, which he had fown, 
 ».nd cultivated with care, is gathered into the 
 
 B. % garner i 
 
A, The Want of Labourers in tie 
 
 garner ; the ample reward of his toil. This world 
 of ours may be compared to a large field, and 
 mankind who inhabit it to crops of grain. This 
 fimiliiude our Saviour ufe& in that parable of his, 
 Matthew xiii. where he fpeaksof the last day 
 astheHarveft; when, he, the great hufbandman, 
 Jhall Separate the wheat fxom the tares. In the text, 
 he evidently refprs to that peripd of time, which 
 began with the preaching of the glad tidings of 
 falvation, and will end at the confummapon of all 
 things. This is the blefled feafon, in which he 
 reaps the fruits of his labour and toil, by ga- 
 thering out of the wide field of this degenerate 
 world, immortal fouls into his church. 
 
 An Harveft fuppofes a previous seed time, 
 and the indefatigable diligence of the hufband- 
 man in plowing, fowing, and cultivating his 
 field. Such preparation was there, previous to 
 the Gofpel-harveft. The former difpenfations of 
 God to the world, may be confidered, as the 
 feed-time of our great Redeemer. A way had 
 been gradually preparing, ever fince the fall, for 
 the promulgation of the Gofpel of Salvation ; 
 and under the Jewidi difpenfation, many im- 
 portant fteps were taken towards it. Many pro- 
 phets were fent, from time to time, to till the 
 field, to cleanfe the foil, to prepare ^he earth for 
 the reception of the good feed, to remove out of 
 the way, whatever tended to hinder its growth. 
 Very favourable feafons were afforded for the; 
 fpringing up, and the grp\vtb of the tepder blade. 
 
Gs^el Harvefi confiimd. | 
 
 PiX. length, " the Jewilh wintry f ftate " drew to 
 an end ; the rains were aver and gonf^ the fl^iaeri: 
 appeared on the. earth; the time of the Jigging of 
 birds came, the voice of the turtle was heard, " to 
 t' proclaim the new, the jqyful year." The fun 
 *>f righteoufnefs J then arofc in his full ftrength, to 
 laring the crop to maturity. John the Bfiptyi 
 was fent as the fore*runner bf our Lord, and 
 his coming contributed much : to forward the 
 great dffign of the Gofpel, He was fent, we 
 are told, io prepare the way of the Lard, and to 
 make ready a people prepared for him%. And from 
 the time, that J(ji&«'s miniftry commenced, it is 
 faid, ' the kingdom of God was preached, and every 
 f man prefjkd info it ||.' At length, the great 
 hulb^ndiiman himfelf appeared, .when the fulnefs 
 of time was come, to gather ^n the firft-fruits of 
 the harveft, which was now fully .ripe. Yoa 
 _lind our Saviour fpeaking with pleafure, in the 
 fame figurative language, of the promifirig ap- 
 pearances of fuccefs attending the preaching of 
 his Gofpel. Upon obferving the difpofition of the 
 Samaritans to receive it, on the; report of their 
 town's-woman, whom he had made the fubje£t of 
 his grace ; (when probably he faw them flocking 
 in great multitudes' over the corn-fields, to hear the 
 glad-tidings) Say not, fays he, there are four months, 
 and then cometh the harvefl ; behold I fay unto you, 
 lift ap your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are 
 iie already to the harvefl. Now was the time 
 
 t Watts's Hymn on CauticAl. ii, '&c. 
 I Mal.iv,2. § L"^''^- 17. II Lttkexvi. 16. 
 
 for 
 
(J ^e Waat ef Labouren tn the 
 
 iof him to fend forth his labourers to reap. Now 
 was the happy period arrived, to which the aiiT 
 cient prophecies referred, that to him JhouU tbs 
 galher'wg of the people be *. 
 
 ''' That joyful feafon, bleffed be God, is not yet 
 over : It ftill continues, and will continue till the 
 end of time : till all God's ele3i that are featured 
 in the different parts of the world, JhaU be ga- 
 thered in. Still the Saviour is fending forth his 
 Minifters among Us, to bring finful dying men tp 
 himfelf, that they may be delivered from that 
 univerfal deftruftion, which (hall e'er Ifing come 
 upon the ungodly ; who, he himfelf fays, fhali be^ 
 burned as tares and chaff in fhe unqmnehabk fire. 
 Now is the accepted time : Beheld, now is the f% of 
 Sahation! God forbid, that any of you, by 
 trifling away the precious opportunity, fhogld have 
 occafion, at laft, to adopt the melancholy reflec- 
 tion. The harveft is pafl, the fu^mer is ended, and 
 we are notfaved f / With what earneftnefs Ihould 
 ■we, the Minifters of Jefus, exert ourfelves to pre- 
 vent this ? Many confiderations concur to recom- 
 mend this to us, and among others, what we ar^ 
 now to obferv^ : 
 
 II. That important circumftanee, of which our 
 Lord reminds his JDifciples, viz. Th^t the 
 harvefi truly is gr£AT< 
 
 By this he doubtlefs intended — that there was, 
 much work for his Minifters to do, — and much 
 opportunity and encouragement for doing it. 
 
 * Gen. xfix. lo. f Jer. viii. 20. 
 
 1. When 
 
Gofptl Har^aefi cOti^Mi '"^ 
 
 1. When our Lord.tolji Ws'minifters that the 
 harvefl was great, he intimated to them that 
 there was much work to do. 
 
 The truth of this appears from cohfidering the 
 vaft multitudes of fouls, every where around them, 
 in a ftate of ignorance fih and death, who needed 
 the blcffings of thfe gofpel and the labours of its 
 minifters. The land of Canaan in our Lord's time 
 was exceedingly populous. The Jews, the pofte- 
 tity oi Abraham, here and in the neighbouring 
 country, were (according to the divine promife) 
 iike as the ftars of heavin for muttitude * . And yet 
 far more ftumerous were the inhabitants' of the 
 furrounding heathen nations, who/a/ in the dark 
 region of the fi>adma of death, among whom the 
 apoftles were alfo to exercife their miniftry. Their 
 commiffioti' was to go into all nations, and freacb 
 the gofpel to every creature; and among othefs to 
 the police and learned in the renouned cities of 
 Greece and Rofne. How extenfive a field was open- 
 ed before them ! and' how arduous the tafk afligned 
 them ! Efpecially cohfidering' the various tempers 
 and prejudices of thofe to whom they were fent, 
 and the dreadful progrefs of iniquity among them. 
 ^he liihole ■•tiiorld lay in li^ickednefs ■\ . And Imany of 
 the vices of Tieathens prevailed, in a very enormous 
 degree, even among God's profeffing people. 
 
 On much the fame accounts may it ftill be faid, 
 the harveft 'trtUy is great. ' The" habitable parts of 
 bur world arfc become exceijding populous. The 
 Ifons and daughters of Adam are numerouis as the 
 
 * Heb. xi. 12. -f I John v. 19. 
 
 corn 
 
> g TBe ff^ant of Labourers iit the 
 
 corn in a fruitfijl field. Artd wherC-ever humart 
 beings are planted, the feeds of vice atmi mifery 
 are fown. It is truly lamentable to think what 
 multitudes ftill fit in heathenifh darkncfs, or are 
 under the delufions of a.y'iie impoftor, and utterly 
 ignorant of the way of lalvation by Jefps Chrift. 
 But it is yet. more, deplorable, to cdnfider, what^ 
 Targe , proportion of . thofe who , inhabit chrifiian 
 countrifs, evickntly appear to be without Chrift , 
 and tiietnics to him iy wicked :i(ioris..'Tht:rt are many 
 obfcore, yea populous parts of . this kingdom 
 where but little even.of thQ.form of religion is kept 
 up, and where the moft (hameful ignorance <^f the 
 firft principles of chrifti^nity prevails, fo that the 
 people peri/h for lack of knowledge * i And in other 
 places, where religious knowledge is not in the 
 lowest iiate, the diflolutenefs of mep's. manners is 
 aimoft;iiieredible. Immoralities of almoft all kinds 
 prevail to fuch a degree as would have made fome 
 heathens blufli, and thofe ordinances of the gpfpel 
 .which are the appointed means of falvation are ne- 
 glefted and defpifed. And as for thofe who, are 
 free from fuch grofs iniquities^ how many are there 
 among them evidently ftrangers to the power of 
 gedlinefs, and at beft but almoft chriftians I Now 
 it is the office of chrifiian minifters to warrt every 
 man ; to teach every man i to exhort and reprove; to 
 pray and befeecb men j to watch for fouls as thofe that 
 muft give an account y and to ufe every poflible me- 
 thod in order to convert fimj^ers frgm the error of their 
 ways f. On confidering thefe things, and. at the 
 
 • Hofea, iv. 6. f James v. zo, 
 
 fame 
 
'Gsfpel Hdrveft vohfiderU, "§ 
 
 Idme time fefleding Upon the power of mens lufts» 
 the ftreilgth of their prejudices againfb the means 
 bf reformation and falvation, and the enmity of the 
 tdrnal mind againfl God and '^QOdheCs, you will readily 
 hv^nHbe'har'aefi truly is gVtat., and cannot wonder if 
 We adopt the language 'of the apoftle, wh'e is fuffici^ 
 'ent for fhefe things f Efpecially when we take into 
 tonfideration the awful and everlafting confe- 
 iquehces of our miniftry, and how fhort and precari- 
 tous our time is of labouring for eternity.— —But 
 we are further to obferve, that when our Lord 
 pronounced the harveft to be great, he meant 
 
 2. That among the vaft numbers of fouls who 
 needed the labours of his fervants, there were 
 
 MANY DISPOSED tO RECEIVE them. 
 
 The minds bf many; by reading the bid tefta- 
 hient fcriptures, by the preaching of John the 
 Baptift, and by the fame ' bf Chrift which had 
 ipread far abroad, were prep£lred to hear the gof- 
 pel of falvation, to accept the bleffings, and comply 
 with the requirements of it. Many difcovered an 
 earneft defire to attend the gofpel miniftry, and 
 (as the evangelift fpeaks) preffed into the kingdom, 
 fo that they might fitly be compared to corn that 
 is thoroughly ripe. This was evidently our Lord's 
 idea in the paflage already cited, in which, upon 
 bcca'fion of the readinefs of the Samaritans to hear 
 the golpel, he tells his difciples that the fields were 
 already white for the harveft. During his own 
 Jperfonal abode upon earth, there were promifing 
 appearances of fuccefs attending his labours and 
 
 C thofc 
 
lo 71" ff^^ff ef Lal>eurdn in the 
 
 thofe of his apoftles. The ears of many were aC-» 
 tentive to his heavenly dbftrine, and the hearts of 
 many open to receive it ; infomuch that the chief 
 priefts and Phariiees were alarmed and feid. If we 
 let him alone, all men will believe on him. Before lie 
 left our world, that ancient predidtion was in pare 
 accomjdiflied, thy pebpleftiall be willing in t'he d^ 
 cf thy power *. But this was more efpecially verifi- 
 ed afterwards, when the fpirit was, poured out on 
 the apoftles, ^when thoufands were pritiked at the 
 heart, and hraa^tto.tVLti^iL'K, What \fiiall we do? 
 So that the wondering world mightwdl alk in the 
 language of aftonifliment, agreeably to the pro- 
 phet's reprfefcntation. Who are thefe -that fly as a 
 thud, and as dovesio their windows f ?— -And thank* 
 be to God, we in fheprtfent day have'^boch fucb 
 opportunity and encouragement for prieaching the 
 gofpel, thatk may ftillbefaid, the harveji.is^reat^ 
 "With regard to opportunity, the minifters of 
 our own country, at the pfefent time, enjoy far" 
 greater advantages, than Chrift and his -apoftles 
 did, who were violently and openly op^ofed by 
 the Jewifli rulers both in church and Aate^and by 
 heathen princes, magiftrates and priefts. The 
 bleffings of liberty have long been enjoyed by us 
 in as great an extent as was ever known. Mini- 
 fters of all denominations (though fome perfecQt* 
 ing laws are ftill in force) through the liberal fpirit 
 of the times, may freely preach according to their 
 confciences, and the people at all times may af- 
 femble to hear them, none daring t6 make then/ 
 
 • Pfal. ex. J. t Ifaiah bt. 8. 
 
 a/raid. 
 
fiJVaid, We as Diffenters enjoy this further advan- 
 tage above our fore- fathers, that in ponfequence 
 of a long toleration, or conniyanpe, and fome other 
 circumftances, the prejudices of our brethren in 
 the eAabliihed church are in a great nneafure abatr 
 ed. It muft alio be further acknowledged, that, 
 degenerate as the pr^nt times are, and fad as the 
 negledt of divine inftitutions is, there are many 
 difpofed to attpnd them with ferioufnefs, and ready 
 to contribute to the fupport of them. Thofe 
 minifters who difcover a warm ?ea} for the falva- 
 tion of fouls (unlefs in fome peculiarly unfavour- 
 able circumftances) feldom want an encouraging 
 audience, and eipecially in their occalional fer- 
 vices^ in places where the means, of grace have 
 not been long, op are not fbatedlj^ enjoyed. And 
 the more ferious and fervent their preaching is, 
 the more numerous and attentive the audience is 
 ufually found to bp. It is doybttefs a good fign 
 when people are willing to attend fuch pceaching : 
 to go-to feme diftanee, and to be at fome expence, 
 for the fake of it^ But efpecially when they dif- 
 cover minds deeply affedbed with what they hear, 
 and are brought to Oj/^ the ta^y to Zio^ with fbeir 
 faiffs thilhrwardi. Then may it be faixJ, in a 
 ^iritual-fenfe, that th& valUes are covered ov?r with 
 (Srn. Then have the gofpe^labourers encourage- 
 ment to put in thefi'ckle^fof th& harmjl is ripe *. Such 
 encouragement fome among us actually have, and 
 fuch may others expeft, in a degree proportioned 
 to the fervour of our prayers and the diligence of 
 9U|- ^ndeayeurs after it. 
 
 * Rev. XIV, 15. 
 
 C 2 What; 
 
12 Th fi^ant of Lahourm in the. 
 
 What need then is there of faithful labpriovi^ 
 minifters, feeing there is fo much for them to do, 
 and fuch opportunity and encouragement for doing 
 it ! If the harveft be fo great, it is defirable thac 
 the labourers fliould be many. But alas, ouc 
 Lord's account of the number of them in his day 
 is too applicable to our own, fpr 
 
 HI. The labourers are few. 
 
 Confidering the vaft multitude of fouls who 
 need their afliftance, and the difficulties whicij 
 arti nd them in their work, the number of chriftian 
 minifters is very inconfiderable. I fpeak not with 
 reference to any particular denomination, but in- 
 clude all. There are many parilhes in this king- 
 dom that are not ftatedly fupplied with a miniftec 
 of any kind ; and other places have but ope, tho* 
 large enough, to furnifh employment for fevera!,, 
 were they ever fo laborious. But alas, how many 
 more are there who bear the charafter, than faith- 
 fully difcharge the office, of gofpel-mipifters, fp 
 as to deferve the name of Labourers: who bear 
 the higheft titles and receive the largell pay, but 
 Jlatid all the day idle. Faithful labourers, fuch as 
 the Lord himfclf owns as his, .fuch as are duly 
 qualified for his work, and employ themfelves 
 with prudence and diligence in it, wjth an ardent 
 zeal to promote their maftier's honour, gnd the 
 immortal welfare of mankind, are very rare. This 
 is indeed a melancholy truth, which calls for the 
 generous lamentation of every friend to religiqn 
 and the fouls of men. TJjink hovy deplorable it 
 
 woul4 
 
^ofpd Harveji cmjtdsre^, j 4 
 
 would be if, in the prefent feafon of the year*, 
 jhe plentiful crops of grain (hould be fufFered to 
 rot upon the ground for want of hands to gather 
 it in. How much more deplorable that immortal 
 foyls (hould perifh in ignorance aqd vice for want 
 qf faithful minifters tq inftrutt, reform and fave 
 them. 
 
 We as Proteftant Difleriters have reafon to la- 
 ment, that the number of minifters among us is 
 far (hort of what it was when our fathers made that 
 noble facrifice to chriftian liberty and the rights of 
 confcience, \yhich laid the foundation of our dif- 
 fent. And Oh how much inferior are many of 
 their fons of the prefent age in ability, devotion and 
 zeal ! The number of our minifters rather con- 
 tinues to declinp, Many of our congregations 
 are deftitute, and are breaking up fpr want of 
 fuitable fupplies, and the number of candidates for 
 the miniftry in pur academies is not proportioned 
 to the demands of our churches. 
 
 It may not be unprofitable to enquire into the 
 reafons qf this afFedting ftate of things. — One 
 doubtlefs is, the arduous nature of the minifterial 
 office ; the labour and felf-denial which are re- 
 quifite to become duly prepared for it, and to dif- 
 charge it with honour and fuccefs. Moft perfons 
 prefer more eafy employments.- Another obvi- 
 ous reafon is, the little encouragement to be found, 
 from any worldly profpefts, to undertake the 
 pffice. Thofe who feek great things for tbemfehes 
 gn earth, muft not become preachers of the gofpeJ, 
 
 , * The beginning of Harveft. 
 
 efpecially 
 
t^, The VTant of Lahittrers m tie 
 
 ffpecially arnongft Us ; if they doi they are not 
 likdy to gain their end : nor inde^ is it reafon- 
 able that they fhould. 
 
 ^ey that preack the goffell, howevefi have a righ? 
 tocxpcd^ to live of the gofptl But this many in 
 tlie prefent day are not able to do, partly through 
 the poverty, or the fmallnef^ of their congpega*" 
 tions, and partly ("in too many cafes) through the 
 want of liberality in their hearers. This circumi 
 fiance leads many to difcourage their <:hildren 
 from undertaking the miniftry, and h^? occafioned' 
 Ibme to leave it. How far either are vindicabie 
 we do not here enquire.— —It is moreover certain 
 that the unhappy divifions which have fo frequent- 
 ly obtained among the Diflenters, and the want of 
 candour towards each other, and towards their 
 miriifters, on account of fome difltrences in opi- 
 nion, hath contributed to deter fqme ftom dtfign- 
 ing, and others from purfuing, the work of the 
 miniftry amongft us, who were pofTefTed of abili- 
 ties which might have rendered them diftinguifhed 
 ornaments to the profeffion and extenfive|y ufeful 
 in if. — Another very difcouraging cirqumftancc in 
 the prefent day is, rhe want of a difcreet zeal, 
 in many of our hearers, and a ftrange ignorance 
 of their avowed' principles. In confequence here- 
 of they run after every newpreacherof almoft any 
 'denomination who has the narhe of a '^ gofpel- 
 preacher," though in reality he has nothing but 
 zeal, often nothing but noife to recommend him, 
 'or fbme otlier talent for making the thoughtfeft 
 multitude gaze : Or who at beft iy qualified only 
 
Oofpel tiarvsjt con/idered, "i$ 
 
 to awaken the ,moft ignorant and prophane to d 
 ferious concern about religion, but not to eftablifti 
 and build up chriftians in knowledgej faith, and 
 holinefs** Thus they turn their backs uport their 
 own more judicious and equally faithful miniftersi 
 who are deftitute of the power of voice, or other 
 not very meritofious qualifications for ftriking the 
 paflions and making rhemfelves popular. It is 
 not to be wondered at if thefe ,and fome other cir- 
 cuntiftances fhould be found to operate in gradually 
 leJTening the number of regular Proteftant Diffent- 
 
 • As the reader will naturally fuppofd the aiithof here re- 
 fers to the perfons ealled -Methodijls, he thinks it iieceffary to 
 fay, in order to prevent the, above paflage from being niiijin- 
 deriloodj that he is far from being an enemy to that body of 
 people. He commends the zeal of their miniftcrs, heartily 
 iwiihes them fuccefs, as far as ■ they preach the gofpel and- sift 
 4|gTeeably to it» and rejoices in the appearances of it/in the 
 real converfien of fouls to God. It muft,- hswever^ be.fic* 
 knowledged by their judicious friends that there are many 
 irregularities among'ft them^ that too many of their preachers 
 anfwer the former part of, the above defcriptionj and that thd 
 latter part of it may be appliedto moft. Good; Mr3SKJit/«/&/</ 
 Was ready to own it. ,Let us (ejoice if the ignorant/aQd^pw 
 phane, who either had not the means of inforinatipn or com- 
 verfion^ or would not attend .upon them, are brought by. their 
 preaching to athougbtful concern about their everlafting in- 
 terells, 'and let us eneo1^rage otliers «f that charaAer to attend 
 it with the fame view. ':Butffor menibers of regular ckujches 
 to defert their own minifters i» order,-to fcdlow thefe, is Jiighly 
 prepofterous, aiid is manife'llly attended with many, evil, con- 
 fequences to themfelvesi to their families, to the. churches of 
 which th^y arfr members, and to the Diffenting Interelt j par- 
 ticalarly in the view abov^-mentioned. 
 
1^ ^e Waiit of Labour tn H thi 
 
 ing minifters, though they Ought to be impro^ea- 
 to very difFefeht chds. 
 
 Give me leave, as the clofe of the ^refent heacJ 
 bf difcourfe; to point out the improvement which! 
 ihould be thade of the afieAIng truth which thd 
 text has led us to conterriplatt,' in the following 
 inferences: The firft which I fhall mfcritioh re- 
 fpefts only minifters thcmfelvfes; 
 
 I. If faithful labourers in the Lord's harveft 
 are few, this lliould be improved, by all 
 who are engaged in that Important ^ork, as 
 a motive to unwearied diligence in it; 
 
 ' ' The fewer the hands are in a plentiful harvfeft, 
 the more laborious and conttant ftiould the 
 wbrk-men be, efpeci^Uy as their bufinefs can- 
 not be deferred, there being but a few weeks in 
 the whole year in which it can be attdhdcd. A 
 
 -little delay, particularly in the moft favourable 
 weather, may be of fatal confequence. Thus it is 
 
 ' in the gofpel-harveft. May the Lord awaken the 
 labourers in it to a dufe fenfe of the importance of 
 their work, and in proportion as their number is 
 fmall, may their diligence be great ! 
 
 This confideration alfo fuggefts a reafon wty 
 minifters ftiould be ready, as opportunity offers, 
 and watchful to Jeek opportunity, for extending 
 their care and labour beyond the limits of their 
 own congregations, and to concur in affording 
 their affiftance in places where there is no ftated 
 preacher, or none qualified or difpofcd to anfwer 
 the great ends of preaching. It would lie well if 
 
 in 
 
^ i^ofpei Harvejl cdnjidtr'ed. if 
 
 ifi fdme vle#s we imitated the zeal of thsfe v^hom 
 we are too ready to defpife; 
 
 2. Since the minifters df Chri0: ate few, we may 
 derive an argument frorri hence ^^hy theit- 
 people ftlooid> afford them all poffibk en- 
 i coiiragement and affiftaincfe in their .WCrki 
 
 Thofe Who hive a true tegard foir their mini- 
 fters will not only provide them a decent fupport, 
 ferideavdur to alleviate their bui-dens, and as much 
 as poffible remove difcouragements out of their 
 ■C^dy, biit will exert themfel\^es to forward the fUc- 
 tefs of their labours. And thisj ndt merely a re- 
 gard to themj but duty td Ghrift ahd Idve to their 
 fertow immortals will furely dictate. Our WOrk is 
 far from being confined iH the pulpit : Thtrc ate 
 fnan^ catls fOr dtteildahce upon our people in 
 pirivaite, arid frequent occafions for perfonal eoun- 
 fel, reprdofi caution, esthortatiori, cdnfsIaiiOH, arid 
 prayer. The cafes of the afflifted, and of young 
 perfons, iri particular, require much private notice. 
 Now fince minifters are fo feW in cOmparifon with 
 the number of their hearers id geheral, (and few 
 congregartions,- though large, cart fupport more 
 than one) it is next to' impoflit)le that they fhoirfd 
 themfelves give that particular and clofe attention 
 to eVery cafe in private which- its impoirtaace ire- 
 quires, ind which they could wifli to give. . They 
 may therefore r^afonably expeft the members, of 
 their churches to Jiir up the gift thkt is in tbepj^ and 
 become helpers tdgether with them in their work ; 
 particularly in •etjitiiig the ficki the 'Safiows and the 
 D fatherkfi 
 
1 8 ^he Want of Labourers in the 
 
 fatbirkfs in their efffliaien, which indeed is fpoken 
 of as an important branch of pure religion *. It 
 is in a fpecial manner the duty of the people to 
 affift their miniftefs by the faithful performance of 
 every part ofFAMiLrRBtioioN; commanding their 
 children and their houfliold after them to keep the ways 
 of the Lord; caufing them to read the fcriptures, 
 catcchifing and inftrudting them in. the great doc- 
 trines and duties of religion, cautioning them 
 againft every thing that would tend to the injury 
 of their fouls, exhorting them to, and encouraging 
 them in, every thing that is good ; reminding 
 them of what they hear from the pulpit, and en- 
 forcing -upon them a ferious practical regard to it i 
 praying with them and for them, and putting them 
 upon praying for themfelves. How happy would 
 it be for the church, how happy for minifters, and 
 how much leis caufe would there be to lament ic 
 that they are fo few, if heads of families in general 
 would thus officiate as priefts in their own houfes ! 
 ——I will only add ohe other view in which, chrif- 
 lians, we need and defire and demand your aflift- 
 ance •, I mean what you find the apoftle reminding 
 the Corinthians of in thefe words, you alfo helping 
 togethtr by prayer for Us -f . 
 
 3. Since faithful laborious minifters are fo few< 
 we may infer what jufl occafion there is for 
 lamenting the lofs of any of them by death. 
 
 The more plenteous the harveft, and the fewe^ 
 the labourers, the more are they needed, and the 
 
 • James i. 27. f ^Cor.i, n. 
 
 worfe 
 
Cofpel Harvefi eonjdered. .^•f 
 
 Tiyorfe can able hancjs be fparcd, When the righte- 
 pus perifh *nd the fajthfijl fail it ought to be laitj 
 fo heart. Thje death of every good man, but 
 pfpccially of every good minifter, is a lofs to the 
 phurch ?nd to the world. 5ut the death of A 
 piafler in Jfrael^ one {landing like Samuef appointed 
 over the college of the prophets * ; with prudence 
 pnd indefatigable ipduftry direifting the ftudies <f£ 
 ^he fon§ of the prophets ; by ledtures of learning 
 and devotion training' i}ieni up for the fervlce of 
 the ftn6]t.uary j forming them by inftriiftion an4 
 example to the charadter of judicious, evangelical, 
 pradlical preachets of thrift ; the death of fudh an 
 pne muft be confidered as a peculiarly he^vy ftroke 
 upon the church of God. When Elijab, vrho had 
 fuperiptended the prophetic feminaries in Ifrael, 
 came to vifit the fchools pf the prophets at Bethel 
 andJenVi&ojuft befqre his tranflation, the ftudents 
 ^here, the fops of the prophets, ca^me to Elijha his 
 afliftant, and afterwards his fqcceflbr, and faid to 
 him, Kneweft thou not that th? Lord will tah 
 ^way thy mafter f^oi^ thine head te-.day -^ ? ex-* 
 preffing the utmoft eonfternation at the thought of 
 io affliftivean event; A fimilarevept has befalltn 
 pne of the firft of our fchools, which the fons t f 
 ^he prophets there, and many of their bpethren and 
 fathers, hayp fpr ibme time had in painful expefta* 
 pon, who cannot but be deeply affected with the 
 melancholy tidings of it. Eiifia when afked the^ 
 queftion whether hc was aware of what was aboi t; 
 \o happen anfwered, Tea, I know it:- Hold your 
 
 f \ Sam. xix. zo. -J» 2 Kings ii. 3,. 
 
,20 the Jf^st ^ fjiHurers in the 
 
 ^eace. Our d*3ty is undoubtedly the fame. Under 
 all the aPifSliye itrok^? pf the almighty, his lan- 
 guage to his creatures is. Be pll, ^d know that ,t 
 0fnGo4*. But while in humble filence v/p own the 
 wilcloin and righteov)fnef§ of that God -in all his 
 a|Hi£live providences, vye fiught to feel them, an,4 
 v/hile we feel, tq mpvirn. There is peculiar caufe 
 for lamentation' in. the prefent cafe, as thp vacancy 
 now rpade will, on account of many peculiar cir- 
 cumftancep, be \vithi great ^ difficulty fuppliec). 
 There are few vyho can think themfelycs^ualified 
 to fill it, and npt mz^ny really are fp. Hqwever, 
 the lofs fif the wifeft, the greateft, thp bell: pf raer\ 
 oughp npt to tje fo Japiented, as if th.e ifitpreft of 
 religion in the world depended upon them. The 
 great head qf the church needs npt any particular 
 jnllruments to carry on his* great defjgns pf pro- 
 vidence or of grace. Tlipugh he ufcs inftrumentSg 
 he niakf s them what they are, and he who forms 
 them far hirnfelf, and lays ;hem aQde when he 
 ple^fes, can eafily form pthf rs, and we rnay chear- 
 nilly hope he will. Let us rejoice iq his aU-fuf- 
 ficiency, graqe and faithfulnef?, who ever lives, th^ 
 (ame yejierday, to-day, and for everf; believirig that 
 he will maintain his own caufe, and can never be ^ 
 alofs for.nicans of doingjt. 
 
 Hovyevcr, cheje is, doubtlefs aq important (jlvity 
 in.Cujjjbf-'nt upon Us ip regard tp the ule of m^ns, 
 |or rhe fupport of religion in the world, as well as 
 ^or maintaining it in.our owa fouls. I therefore 
 add, as a -further head of. improvment, ., 
 • .Pfal. xIvL 10. f Heb. xiii. 8.' 
 
•- Gofpl Baweft amjldmdi ax 
 
 4. Since the fakbfirl tninifters of Chrift are few, 
 it becomes us to deCife and endeavour to en? 
 creafe thejx nwmber. • 
 
 When we qonfider vyliat t^iultittldes qf fouls there 
 are every , where around us in a ftate of fin an4 
 death, and how faft they are haftening into the 
 (Eternal world, where they will be beyond all hope 
 pf recovery, and when at the fame time we think; 
 how few there are whq feem in earneft to ap- 
 prize them of their danger, and to fl^ew them the 
 way of falvation, well may we gdopt the vvords of 
 Mofes, in reply lojofliua, who complained of ^Idad 
 and Me^flifor'prophecyilig in the camp. Would to 
 Qod that all the Lord's ^people were' prophets / and 
 that the Lord would put hisfpirit upon them I * Let 
 us cultivate a compaffionate concern for the fouls 
 pf men, and dp the utmofl: in pur power that they 
 may have the neceffary means of converfion and 
 falvation. This naturally brings me to cpnfider 
 
 IV. The exhortation of our Lprd to his difci- 
 ples on that afFecJing view of things which 
 we have been contemplating: Pray ye Xher^- 
 fore the ^J^jOrd of the harvejl, that he would 
 fend forth Iqboiirers int.o his barveft. Let us 
 here, 
 
 ^^ . Attend' a little to the view which our Saviour 
 gives of the blefled God. He i'eprefents him 
 as ^ The Lord of the harveft.' 
 
 Whe world, which is thefeld-f in which immortal 
 fpiri-ts grow upfor eternity, is his. The earth is the 
 
 * Numb. xi. 29. f Matt. xiii. 38. 
 
 Lord's 
 
1 8 ^e Want of Laieurers ftt the 
 
 Lori's and the fulntfs thereof, the v^orU and all that 
 dwell therein *. AH fouls are his ; for he is the father- 
 of fpirtis. And as he caufes the grain to grow? 
 wpon the earth ^nd m^kes jt ready fpr tl^e reaper'^ 
 vie, fo l\e prepares the foyls of men for the ficliile 
 of his word, and makes ready an haryeft for the 
 fpjritual labourer. 'Tke pr^aratioj^" of tk^ heart (f 
 man is from thf Lord f.. Thof^ who are employed 
 in thp gofpel vineyard ^re ^Ifo ^is. He qualifi,es 
 them for their work, and he calls thiero, to it. In 
 the text it is fpoken of as his prerogative to feti4 
 forth labotirers. Frpm him they receive their in- 
 ftruftions, ?nd frqn; hjm qre they to look for their 
 rewa,rd. In a \irord, he has the dirppfal pf every, 
 thing relating to this fpiritu^l harvefl;, apd he has 
 the fole claim to t|\e fruits of it. 
 
 This cpnfideration, that Go4 is the t.prd of thp 
 harveft, (hould excite thofe who enter into it a^ 
 labourers, tp fee that they have their cornmifliop 
 and their inftruftions from him. It (hould ferve 
 to quicken and animate chriftian minifters in the: 
 difcharge of their work, to recolleft that they are. 
 the fervants of the Lord, employed by him, workers 
 together vAtb him, and finally accountable to, him. 
 It (bould alfo be improved to comfort them amidfl; 
 their manifold difcouragements, the fmallnefs of 
 their number, the greatnefs of their work,' their, 
 want of fuccels ; and alfo to. chear the minds o£ 
 good men in general, when d,eje<Sled on. obferving 
 the fad d(;;clen^on of religion in our churcjhes, and 
 the want of faithful, minifters.. Since the harv^Q: 
 • Pfal. xcviii. ^. f Proy. xvi, i, 
 
Gofpel Harveji conftdsred. 2^ 
 
 is the Lord's, we may chejirfully look to him to 
 provide labourers and tp command fuceefs, while 
 at the fame time we exert ourfelveSj in the ufe of 
 all proper means, to raife up a fucceffion-of them^ 
 and to revive the intereft of true C|iriftianity. To 
 the difcharge of this duty our Lord here exhorts 
 lis. Pray ye that be would fetid foYtb taheiit^ri ints 
 bis barvefi,^-Lu us nov^ 
 
 a. Confider the import of this cxhortationi 
 
 It is obrer\7able, that the word * rendered fend 
 fortby properly fignifies tbr'tijt out : which implies 
 that there is a backwardneis in perfons to engage 
 in this arduous fervice. Some who feem to liave 
 talents for it are averfe to it thro' indolence, or 
 the love of the world, for which Bemai forlbok 
 the fervice. Others thro' modefty and felf-dif- 
 fidencc. "When Mbfes was called .forth to go on 
 God's errand to Pharaoh, he pleaded to be ex- 
 Cufed, faying, my Lord, I am not eloquent^ but am 
 flow offpeecb and of afloHn tongue. In like manner 
 the Prophet Jeremiah, Ah Lord God, behold I cannot 
 fpeak, for lam a child. Thofe who are the moft fit 
 for the work, are often the moft backward to en- 
 gage in it, from a fenfe of its great difficulty and 
 importance, and of their own infufiiciency. It is 
 heedful for the Lord of the Harveft, to tbrufi them 
 out. 
 
 Ouf Saviour's exhortation, to pray, that he 
 would do fo, though immediately addrefled to his 
 firft difciples, vve rriay properly confider as ad- 
 
 * UkSaKM. So in Mat. ix. 38. 
 
 dreflcd 
 
24 9T&f fP^afit- of iiaUuteh in tise 
 
 dreiTed to lis -, for there feeds to be no juft ground 
 for tonfinirtg it to thcnii but the high^ft reafon, 
 from the cohfideratiortS now fuggeftedi for all the 
 Minifters drtd the DifclpieS of Jefus to make it 
 their own. We Ihall coriiport with the defign of 
 the exhortation, by attending to the following 
 hints. 
 
 We diould pray, thit God woulT incline th^ 
 hearts of more yoUng. pcrfons, qimlified by .na- 
 ture and by grace, on right viewsj and With the 
 hob'left ends, to devote themfelves to this fervice.,; 
 that he would remove difcouragCmehts out or 
 their way, and difpqfe their parents and friends tbl 
 promote and cherifh their incliriation to it. 
 
 We fliould pray for thofe who are devotfed toi 
 the Lord for the fervice of the fanduary^ that they 
 may be duly quafified for it; that they may hH 
 owned of God and fent ,by hin? : For as weH may 
 we be without nrtinifters as without thofe that are; 
 of God's fending, fince none but fuch can be 
 fuppofed duly, qualified for the work, or likely to 
 do much good in it. It is a moft defirable thing 
 to have fkilful and able work-men, that need not td 
 he afliamed \ men of found Icaf-ning, , fanftified by 
 the grace of God. Perfons who, having felt the 
 power of the Gofpel upon their own fouls, will be 
 carneftly defirous that their hearers may feel k 
 too ; perfons filled with zeal for God •, willing te 
 fpend and to he [pent for tTie honour of their mafter, 
 and the immortarl welfare of their feUow-creaturet. 
 — for this end. 
 
 We 
 
Go/pel Hawefi &)njtderid, 05 
 
 We fliould pray for a blefling upon the fcbools of 
 the prophets^ our univerfities and private fenainaries,. 
 that thofe who prefide over them hiay then:ifelves 
 be taught of the Lord, that fo they may be able to 
 teach others alfo, and aim not to train up mers 
 fcholars, (who arc great curfes to the Church) but 
 good Minijiers ofjefus Ch'rtfl.-^When any eminently 
 qualified for that arduous truft are removed by 
 death, ic furely becomes the friends of religion to 
 pray that God would provide others to fill their 
 places, to maintain the honour and fuccefs of our 
 public inftitutions for raifing up a fucceffion of 
 Paftors after God's own heart, to feed his people 
 with knowledge and underftanding. Again 
 
 It behoves Chriftians fervently to pray for thof? 
 who are actually engaged in the work of the mit 
 niftry, that they may indeed approve themfelves 
 Labourers, fent forth of the Lord into his harveft. 
 We have all of us, brethren, much need of your 
 prayers in this view, and we earneftly folicit them, 
 •fray that our tfiinifterial furniture may be im* 
 proved -, that our love to Chrift and the fouls for 
 whom he died may be encreafed ; that our zeal 
 for their converfion, edification ind falvation may 
 be enflamed. Pray that our minds may be fup, 
 ported and encouraged under all our difficulties, 
 ^nd trials, and that we may be inftrqmental in 
 turning many to righteoufnefs, and in training up 
 many fons for glory. If an infpired Apoftle 
 liplicited the prayers of his Chriftian friends, how 
 much more need have we to lay, Bntbr^n pray fop 
 ys. Again, 
 
 E W^ 
 
iS tbeWiint of Labourers in the 
 
 We fliould pray that God would hvfc ' eompraf- 
 Jion upon the tnuUiludes of our fellow-immortals 
 who are as fiieep without a JJiepkerd : the many po- 
 pulous parts of this kingdom where the people 
 are either wholly deftitute of the means qf grace, 
 or enjoy them in but a fmall degree, that God 
 would incline the hearts of feme prudent and 
 laborious work-men to enter among them, and 
 open a way for their reception, that the word of 
 the Lord may have free cowfe and be glorified. 
 
 Finally we fhould pray, that God would fen4 
 his Minifters into thofc large and populous parts 
 of the earth, which are at prefent utter ftrangers 
 to the Gofpelway of Salvation, that as the world is 
 plentifully fown with immortal creatures, it may 
 quickly yield a plentiful harveft unto Chrift. 
 
 Let us all, Minifters and people, frequently and 
 fervently unite in addrefling foch fupplications as 
 theft" to the throne of the divipe mercy. But let 
 us remember, it is not to be cxpefted, that th? 
 moft fervent prayers will avail in this cafe, or m- 
 dced in any other, unlefs they are accompanied 
 with correfpondent endeavours. If, while we aflc 
 of God to bring about any event, we negleft the 
 natural means for obtaining it, we affront him and 
 impolc- upon ourfelves. The ftronger our faith is 
 in fuch cafes, the greater is our prefumption. 
 Let us attend to this in the cafe now before us, 
 and aft accordingly. It is true, it is the prero- 
 gative of the great Lord of the harveft, to fend 
 forth labourers into it •, but it is no more incon- 
 Gftent with this to devife and encourage fchetnes 
 
 fox 
 
Gbfpl Harvejl mifidefed. i.j 
 
 TQX fupplying the churches with ufeful Miniftersi 
 than it is in the hufband-man, who is taught that 
 it is God ^ho gives him com*, and is required to 
 afk of him his daily bread, to be diligent in plov^ci- 
 ing and foWing his fieldj or to feek out for la^' 
 bourers to reap and gather in thfc crop; That 
 God, of whom atfc all thingsj ufually works in the 
 moral as well as in the natural worid by the ufe 
 of means adapted to his purpofes, and employs 
 his creatures as the inftruments in executing his 
 great defignsj What hd purpofes to do, he com- 
 tnands thtm to «/?, but never warrants them tt> 
 txpeiSt he will anfwet* thofe prayers, which are 
 counteracted by their condudl. 
 
 Let Chfiftiaris then exert thdmfelVeS dccording 
 to their I'efpeftiVe abilities and opportunities for 
 the welfare of the Church and the falvation of 
 fouls. 
 
 Let thofe who have children qualified by thf^ 
 gifts of nature, and who give good evidence that 
 they are poflefTdd df that grand qualification of 
 all, theigrace of God in the heart, encourage them 
 to deVote themfelves to God in the fervice of his 
 fanftuary. It is not to be wiflied that any fliould 
 bring up their fons ftjr the miriiftry contrary to 
 their own inclination : this has fometimes been 
 of very unhappy confequence both to themfelves 
 and the Church df God. But it muft be oWnedj 
 that the judicious ufe df parental influence fome- 
 times inclines young perfotis to an employment 
 ivhich they would not othetwife chufe, and irt 
 
 * Hof. ii. 8. Ifa. Iv; lo; 
 
 £, 2 ^onfequencj^ 
 
28 ^be ff^^nf of Labouren in tht 
 
 confequence of ferious advice and due encourage*, 
 merit, that way of life becomes their own free 
 choice which they otherwife would not hdvc 
 thought of, and to which they once were even 
 averfe. I fear fomething of this kind is fadly 
 wantino- among Diffenters in the prefent day ; ef- 
 pecially among thofe in affluent circumftanccs, who 
 are the propereft perfons to bring up their children 
 for the miniftry. They look upon it as too mean 
 an employment for their children, for whtjm they 
 can provide much more to their worldly emolu- 
 ment in other callings. Nay, there are thofe (I 
 am forry to fay it) who even difcourage their fons 
 from ftudying for the miniftry, tho' they have 
 diicovered a ftrong inclination to it, on this very 
 account. In confequence of this our Minifters 
 are often taken from among the meaneft of the 
 people, and are entirely dependent upon their 
 hearers-, both which circumftances arc attended 
 with many obvious difadvantages, and contribute, 
 efpecially with refpeft to the polite and opulent, 
 to bring the miniftry into contempt. But let fuch 
 perfons remember that they themfelves are the 
 chief caufes of that contempt of which they com- 
 plain, and that they have it in their power in a 
 great meafure to remove it. Let the wealthy among 
 us, who have any concern. for the honour and fup- 
 port of our intereft, confider whether it be r\ot 
 incumbent upon them to devote their own off- 
 fpring to the fervice of God in this important of- 
 fice, provided they difcover, after Tome propet* 
 trial, a real inclination to it, aad a due capacity for 
 
 hi 
 
Gofpel Harvejl co^jdered, 29 
 
 "it. Confider, "your children would efcape the 
 principal inconveniencies and difficulties attending 
 it, of a fecular nature, 'by their independence. 
 This office has indeed other difcouragements, but 
 its fupports and its advantages are abundantly 
 equal to them, yea far over-ballance them. WhaJ: 
 ftation in life is without its difficulties ? and why 
 (hould we not be willing that ourfelves and chil- 
 dren Qiould fubmit to fome for the fake ,pf 
 Chrift, as \ycll as for the prefent world ? — As for 
 thofe perfons who have a mean idea of the of- 
 fice itfelf, and think it would be a difgrace to 
 their children and their families, it requires the 
 \itm6ft ftretch of charity to think them Chriftians. 
 Let them remember that the prieflly office has 
 always been held honourable in all civilized na- 
 tions, and was anciently united to the royal dignity. 
 Let them alfo confider, that a preacher of righteouf- 
 nefs was a charadler by which the Lord of Angcds 
 thought himfelf honoured. 
 
 Let what -has been faid excite and encourage 
 young perfons of abihty and piety chearfully to 
 prefent themfelves to God, to ferve him in the 
 Gofpel of his Son. While you fee many of your 
 fellow-immortals in a ftate of ignorance, depravity, 
 ^uilt and ruin, and obferve how few there are to 
 help them, let your eye pity them, and your beft 
 endeavours 'be exerted for their recovery. While 
 the blcfjed God is enquiring, as it were, for La- 
 bourers to go into his Harveft, faying (to allude 
 to Ifaiah vi. 8.) H^hom fltall I fend, and who will 
 .go for us ? and one excufes himfelf ior this reafon 
 
 and 
 
3i> fhe l^ant of Laldiireri in the 
 
 and another for that, do you offer yourfclves ii 
 volunteers in his fervice, and fay with the Prophet^ 
 Here am /, fend me. 
 
 Let thofe whom God has bleffed with ability and 
 
 opportunity, chearfully contribute to the fupport df 
 
 candidates for the facred miniftry, be ready to dd- 
 
 vife fdiemes and patronize fuch as are already laidj 
 
 for the encouragement of thofe who are engaged 
 
 in it, and for extending the benefit of thdr la- 
 
 bours.-*-Finally, let Minifters attend to the greaC 
 
 end of their office, and in order to fulfil it, be i>i* 
 
 Jlant in feafon and out of feafon ; and while their 
 
 principal care is employed about the people of 
 
 their more immediate charge, let them be ready 
 
 to do good v/herever opportunity offers, and flu- 
 
 dious of means to enlarge the fphere 6f theii' ufe- 
 
 fulnefs. 
 
 It is. Sirs, for want of feelirlg mdre 6f th<i 
 power of religion in our own fouls, that we both^ 
 Minifters and people, difcover fo little zeal in 
 promoting it in others. The mote we Idve Chriftj 
 the more fludious and diligent fhall We be in ad- 
 vancing his caufe in the world. Let us endeavouf 
 more ftrongly to believe the great truths of the 
 Gofpel, and to feel their influence on our hearts, 
 and then I apprehend we fhall more eafily per- 
 ceive the force of what has now been fuggefted, 
 and be more ready to pay apraftical regard to it. 
 Then Ihall we with greater fervour^ and with 
 gri;atcrconfiftency, offer the prayer which has beer» 
 recomm.ended. In order hereto, may He cnablo^ 
 us all fo to believe and fo vo feel ! May the Lprd of 
 7 x^» 
 
Gofpel Harvefi conjidered, '%t 
 
 the Harveft pour out upon his Minlfters and 
 people in general a ipiric of grace and fupplica-. 
 tion, that they may with greater fervour unite in 
 prefenting this prayer to him, and be excited to 
 greater zeal in defiring and endeavouring the ac- 
 complifliment of it. " Let the happy time, 
 *' O Lord, foon come when both Miniflers and 
 " people fhall feek with greater diligenccj not 
 *' their own things, but the things •which are 
 " JefusChriJl''s : When in confequence hereof many 
 '* /halt, run to and fro, and knowledge Jhall he en- 
 *' creafed ; Whpn the favour of the Redeemer'^ 
 ■" name, (hall be difFufed thro' the earth, and unto 
 *< Him, univerlally, (hall the gathering of the 
 ♦' people be ! Then will thy people rejoice before 
 *' thee according to the joy of harveji, and thy MW 
 *' nifters, tho' they may go forth weeping, bearing 
 *^ precious feed, fhall doiibtlefs come again rejoicing^ 
 " bringing their Jheaves with (hem. Amen I ^n4 
 *' Amen ! " 
 
 >!. »_a- 
 
A Catalogue of Dr. Ashworth's Works. 
 
 1. Reflexions on the Fall of a Great Man ; a 
 Sermon on the Death of the Rev. Dr. Isaaq 
 
 Watts. 
 
 2. Hope the Chriftian Mourner's Relief ; a 
 Sermon on theDeathof theRev.Mr. jAMEsFtoyo 
 of Daventry. 
 
 3. The Regards a Chriftian Congregation owe to 
 their deceafed Minifters ; a Sermon on the Death 
 of the Rev. Mr. Samuei, Clark of Birmingham. 
 
 4.. A Colledion of Psalm Tunes ; with an In^.^ 
 troduAion to the Art of Singing :— and a Col»' 
 kftion of Anthems, &c. 
 
 5. The principalRulesof Hebrew Grammar i 
 with complete Paradigms of the Verbs. 
 
 - 6. An eafy Jntroduflion to Plane Trigonq-. 
 
 mt;try. ' 
 
POSTSCRIPT, 
 
 IN purfuance of the Author's leading defign in the fore-, 
 going Difcourfe, the Revival of the Diffenting Intereft, 
 pnd the advancement of real religion as the beft means in or- 
 der thereto, he has ventured to fubmit to the confideration of 
 the ferious and judicious among the Diffenters, the following 
 Jiints with refpeft to fome expedients which he has often 
 thought might be ufefiilly adopted in order to fo defirahle aii 
 ^nd. 
 
 One is, that the Diffenters fliouli unite in fupporting fome 
 able, prudent, and zealous Minifters in preaching the gofpel 
 jn fome of the darkeft and moft irreligious parts of this kingr 
 dom, where "no regular focieties are formed, or where the 
 Jntereft is entirely or almoft extinft ; in fome of which com- 
 modious places yet remain, the affefting rfionuments of a de- 
 parted glory. A particular plan for the coridudling of fb'cK 
 a fcheme muff be matured by the united judgments of many. 
 Jt may not be siiiifs however here to hold up to view one 
 *hich was formed and executed iij the laft age, by a number 
 of merchants in London, which inay ferVe at once as a'prece-i 
 dent and a pattern for that here propofed. Dr. Calamy gives 
 the following brief account of it * : "It was their cuftotji to 
 " maintain a minifter for three years at one place ; and if 
 " his miniftry proved fo acceptable to the people that they 
 " would maint^n him afterwards, he ftill continued 5 if not, 
 •' they maintained him in another place." 
 
 It is much to he wifhed that fome of our young Minilters, 
 upon leaving the Academy, (and efjpecially thofe whofe cir- 
 Ciimftances render them independent) would be content to 
 fpend a fe\y years in fome of thofe places, where the intereft is 
 funk the Joweft, in order to its revival. Such an attempt 
 might in many views b? ufeful to themfelyes; apd their fuc- 
 fefs, in raifing drooping focieties, Would be more to their ho- 
 nour and lafting fatisfaiftion than the acceptance they might 
 pi^et with in large congregations. But fince the demands of 
 
 *■ See ^otifonformiji' s Memorial, Vol. 11. p. 589. 
 
34 P^ S T S C R I P T. 
 
 our larger focleties are fo great, it is fubmitted to confidera- 
 tion, whether it might not he expedient to educate fome fe- 
 rious young men of good abilities, on purpofe to fupply the 
 fmaller ones in the moil retired fituations, where learning and 
 politenefs would be no recommendations, and where perfons 
 pofleiTed of them could not be reconciled to take up their 
 abode. 
 
 It would contribute much to anfwer the ends propofed, if 
 our opulent Diffenteis, who have country houfe^, would con- 
 fult their ufefulnefs as well as their pleafure. How much 
 might they promote both, if, when they fix their rural feats at 
 a diftance from a diflenting lociety, inftead of conforming 
 to a mode of worlhip they cannot approve, or what is worfe, 
 /(aying at home, they were to take a chaplain with them, to 
 preach either in their houfes, or in fome donvenient place fit- 
 ted up for the purpofe, and encourage their neighbours to 
 give their attendance ; who in many country places have but 
 poor advantages for religion, and might be exceedingly 
 thankful for fuch as thefe. 
 
 Another method which feems to promife great ufefulnefs is, 
 to encourage ftated Minifters to unite in carrying on Ledlures 
 in the villages round about them, on the Lord's-day evenings, 
 or on other occaiions^ as may be found moil expedient, for 
 infiiling chiefly on the moft important fubje^ of religion, in 
 whLh all Chriftians are agreed, principally with a view to the 
 great end of converfion*. 
 
 The prefent (late of things among us feems to require fomo 
 extraordinary fteps to be taken. We have fo long gone on in 
 the fame traft, that we feem by degrees to have funk into that 
 formality and indifference, the avoiding of which we often 
 jtifift upon as a ftrong argument againfl ftated forms in divine 
 worQiip. There is the greater reafon for fuch extra fervices ■ 
 dlit of the ordinary feafons of worihip, as it is chiefly by thefe 
 that the Methodijls make fuch great inroads upon us. Whiltf 
 we wifh them fuccefs, fo far as they do real good, by turning 
 men from darMieJi to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, 
 we ought not to fit nnmOved to fee them found focieties, as the/ 
 too often do, in direft oppofition to ours, and build them up 
 by pulling our own to pieces. The moft effeaual way to pre- 
 • iK Baxter's Heftrmcd Pajler ibrid^ed, t>. 215. 
 
 vei.t 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 55 
 
 vent this is, not to exclaim againft them but to imitate their 
 zeal, which we may furely do without following their irregui. 
 larities. We are exhorted to be itifiaxt not only infeafon, but 
 alfo out of feafon. Never was this more neceflary than in the 
 prefent day. It was by following this advice, in the way now 
 recommended, that the firft Nonconformifts had fo much 
 fuccefs : it is in a great meafure for want of it that we have 
 fo little. Thofe of our brethren who have made the experii- 
 ment, have generally found their occafional and extraor- 
 dinary fervices abundantly more ufcful, in doing real good, 
 than their ftated labours at the ufual hours on the Lord's-day* 
 More hearers ufually attend on fuch oecafions ; fome who are 
 greatly attached to the forms of the church, and (which it 
 yet more defirable) many of the lower fort of people, who 
 have not been ufed to frequent divine worftiip at all. 
 
 It is eafy to forefee fohie objeftions which will Ife 
 made to the above propofals ; but it is apprehended they are 
 chiefly fuch as a prudent management would foon remove 
 or a warm zeal for God would eafily overcome. 
 \ Where any confiderable Expence would be incurred* 
 which neither the minlAer nor the people could bear and 
 efpecially in fupporting a ftated preacher, as in the firft 
 fcheme, let it be defrayed byASociExy formed with thi« 
 view. Among a number it would be inconfiderable. The 
 Diflenters in London are indeed already at great charge in fup. 
 porting the intereft in the country. But many of them are 
 able to bear a little more, and efpecially if they would re- 
 trench fome expences which are not oi^ly unneceflary, but 
 greatly injurious to themfelves and their families, and to the 
 intereft of religion. What if yeung perfons, who are^not yet 
 initiated into other focieties, were to be put upon joining fuch 
 an one as this, and were to be frugal in their other expences, 
 in order to enable them to do good betimes ? 
 
 But why ihould not large and opulent congregations in the 
 Country contribute to the good of the general caufe ? As many 
 of them fend nothing to the Funds for fupporting poor Mi- 
 nifters, (tho' much better able than many focieties in London) 
 it cannot be doubted but that, when properly applied to, 
 they will raife generous contributions towards fuch a deliga 
 as that now propofed. 
 
 7 it 
 
36 POSTSCRIPT, 
 
 It is much to be wiflied that perfons of affluence, and efpe- 
 dally thofe who have but fmall or no families, would think of 
 the truft repofed in them ; of the talents they have for public 
 ufefplnefs ; of their obligations to improve them ; of the 
 account foon to be demanded of the manner in which they 
 have done it ; and how much nobler a fatisfaftion it will af- 
 ford them another day, to have lived to the Ij^nefit of man- 
 kind, and honoured the Lord luith their fuhftan^e, than to have 
 amafled large fortunes to be left to ftrangers, or even to their 
 own children, who are feldom the happier for them, and who 
 ■re often the more effeftually ruined thereby. 
 
 It is alfo moft highly defirable that the profefled followers 
 of Jefus in general, whether Minifters or private Chriftians, 
 would ferioufly confider, as in the light of the great judgment 
 day, their obligations to follow their Matter in that leading 
 and moft amiable part of his charafter, his unbounded bene- 
 volence, with reference to which it is faid of him that he 
 •went about continually doing good. 
 
 If the Writer of this ftiould appear to be too fanguine< and 
 to have difcovered any thing like an unbecoming forward- 
 »efs, he hopes for the candour of thofe who knoW the employ- 
 ment in which he hath lately been engaged, and who have 
 iffbrded him fuch ample encouragement in it — the republica- 
 tion of the Memoirs of Men to whofe zealous endeavours the 
 very being of our Societies is, under God, to be attributed, 
 and whofe aftivity and faccefs were fuch, that one cannot be 
 anuch converfant with their Writings or their Lives, without 
 imbibing fomething of the fame glorious enthufiafrn. 
 
 If any thing more need to be faid to fliew the importance of 
 the objefl here propofed, and to awaken our languid zeal to 
 devife and execute fome public fcheme, that promifes fuccefs 
 —not to ftrengthen a party, but to promote the caufe of real 
 religion in the world, the Writer .begs leave to conclude this 
 addrefs with earneftly recommending the ferious perufal of 
 
 Air. 0:iT0?:'s Three DiSconrfe- on Chriftian Zeal, and 
 
 Dr. FuRNSAUx's late Sermon preached before the Corref* 
 pendent Board in Londcn of the Society in Scotland for propa- 
 gating Chriftian Knowledge, &c. entitled, The Duty of Be- 
 m-Tjolence r.nd a public Spirit, on Rom. xiv. 7. None of vs. 
 H-vetb so ii..'j'elf. 
 
 P I N I S.