common fields, barren heaths, and parched places of the wilderness, which shall never know when good cometh. To Separate the vile from the precious is God's command; and to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the faints, is the duty of every Chriftian, as well as the minifterial fervants of the Lord; in this work they are to ftand like an iron pillar or a brazen wall. Though we may have fome cause to complain, as Jeremiah did, Wo is me my mother that thou hast borne me a man of ftrife and contention, Jer. xv. 10., yet this is lawful ftrife. 5thly. It is ufual for those who are called out of the common way, or raifed up for any particular work, if they are ufeful, to meet with the ftrongest oppofition, fometimes from God's own children, but especially from false brethren. Many oppofers had Paul, who crept into boufes, efpecially thofe of the circumcifion, who made it their business to follow him from place to place in order to raise a storm against him. The Saviour's parable was verified when the steward, namely the prieftly tribe, was put out of his Stewardship; he then leffened the debts of finners to God, in order to be received into their houses.The apostle complains of fuch, that they were enemies to the cross of Chrift; that they fubverted whole boufes, teaching things that they ought not; and as they hypocritically laboured in a fubterraneous way, the apoftle adopted their diligence; he taught the people publicly, and from house to house, endea endeavouring to warn every man, and teach every man: Whereunto I alfo labour, STRIVING according to his working which worketh in me mightily, Col. i, 28, 29. This is lawful Arife. 6thly. This fervant or foldier of the Lord is to endeavour to keep the field, and not like Ephraim, barneffed and carrying bows, turn back in the day of battle. The Lord's foldier must fight a good fight; he must be valiant for truth, and keep both his arms and armour; truth is his field and buckler, and with this good thing he is never to part on this he is never to turn his back; be that is afhamed of me and my word, of him will I, be ashamed. In defence of truth, and against the enemies of it, he is to refift unto blood STRIVING against fin, Heb. xii. 4. 7thly. This labourer or foldier is not to regard every outcry that is made against him. When the fword of the fpirit lays open a finner's heart, or an hypocrite's empty profeffion, thefe are times : that finners in Zion are afraid, and fearfulness furprifes the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Such as these will cry out against a bad fpirit; too much bitterness is complained of; thefe will lay in wait for him that reproves in the gate, crying out, Prophesy Smooth things-prophefy deceits-caufe the Holy One of Ifrael to cease from before us; give us a little candour make us kerchiefs, few a few pillars under our arm boles, Ezek. xiii. 18. The fervant of the Lord is not to fpare the devil for his crying; now is the time for the good foldier to follow his blows, to speak like the piercing of a sword, for the tongue of the wife is health; now is the time to fet fire to the hole of the afp, or lay the ax to the root; and if the iron be blunt, he must whet the edge (with prayer), or put forth more Strength, and look up for wisdom, which is profitable to direct him where to cut. This is a work that the Lord's fervant findeth to do, and he is to do it with all his might-which requires ftriving, and is lawful ftrife, because it is opposing them that STRIVE against the Lord. Jer. 1. 24. 8thly. Not only are the fervants of the Lord who labour in the word and doctrine commanded to ftrive, but every awakened finner, who is compaffed about with numberless fins, corruptions, and fears, which bring him into fo many traits and difficulties; he is commanded to ftrive to enter in at the freight gate, notwithftanding the many that will firive to enter in and fhall not be able. The people of God are to ftrive to affift their minifter that the Lord fends them, when God has made it manifeft in their confciences that he is fent by him; and not ftand at the helm and watch to fee which way the ftream of public applaufe runs, but to watch the waters of life that make glad the city of God. Profeffors that aim at nothing but to take the strongest fide, act like Alexander the copperfmith, and follow a multitude to do evil, in oppofing the advocates for truth contrary to their own judg ment and confcience; fuch thrive in their profeffion no better than Abithophel, whofe counsel was turned to foolishness, 2 Sam. xv. 31. nor do I fee how they can, for they strive against their Maker, Ifa. xlv. 9. they strive against the priest, Hosea iv. 4. and they strive against the verdict of their own confcience. The faints of God are to ftrive to affift the public fervants of the Lord in their work: Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jefus Chrift's fake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye ftrive together with me in your prayers to God for me, Rom. xv. 30. This is lawful ftriving. Having fhewn you negatively what is not meant in my text, or is lawful striving, I come now to the second branch of this head, which is to fhew you pofitively what is meant, or to defcribe unlawful ftrife.-And the fervant of the Lord must not ftrive. ift. Though it is lawful for every man of God to covet earnestly the beft gifts, and to ftrive to excel for the edifying of the church; yet it is not lawful to flander and heap public reproach on others in order to keep up our own popularity, or to establish it, by belying thofe that God is. pleased to fend, much lefs are we to monopolize the churches of God into our hands, in order to keep others out, for fear of our own honour being eclipfed, much lefs are we to order churches that others have planted, to give the planter a final difmiffion from his own work be C 3 fore fore they can receive any affiftance, as fome have done, at Wooking in Surry; this is lording it over our Lord's heritage, and aiming at the garland in an unlawful way. If a man ftrive for mafteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully, 2 Tim. ii. 5. for men to combine and strive in this manner is altogether unbecoming. Be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation; this ftrife is unlawful, and in this fenfe, the fervant of the Lord must not ftrive. 2dly. We must not ftrive to oppose others in bearing their own teftimony for God, nor be offended because they zealously defend the great truths that God has revealed to them, fuch as the fovereignty of the Almighty-his perfonal election of his people-the proper deity of our Lord-particular redemption-and juftification unto life by him; as fome do who depart from the faith, turn their ears from the truth, and turn to fables, boasting of free will while they are led captive by the devil at his will; talking of power, while they are fervants of fin; and boasting of merit and felf-righteoufnefs, while the fentence of the law is in them, and they are accused and condemned by their own thoughts and confcience all the day long. This is oppofing God, his witneffes, and the teftimony of his word, and taking part with the world, and endeavouring to fet the church of God on a level with the wicked. Let the potsherds firive with the potsherds of this earth, but |