Use 5

USE V.

Let it be to exhort every Christian in his place, to do his duty, and so commend it to God. I do not say but that it is good and profitable for us, yes and we ought also to do it to observe what success our labours do find, that we may either take encouragement by the blessing of God upon them, to be the more cheerful in our work, and that God may have the praise from us: or to be quickened and awakened by the unsuccessfulness of them to more diligence: But if we have no certainty here, then it calls upon us to do these two things in conjunction.

1. To be faithful in doing what God requires of us. This is our province; we then know our place, and acknowledge it, when we take the command to be our obligation, and do what we do in obedience thereunto: when we remember that we are God's servants, and that it is his work which we are employed in, and he will look after it, and carry on his own ends, in and by it: the love of God must constrain us in these things as it did Paul (2 Corinthians 5:14). It is for us to say, however God disposes of things, my work is to be faithful, that I may have a clear conscience, and peace before his tribunal.

2. To commend our labours to God, and that, not only by a submitting of them to his providence, without taking of his work out of his hands, which is one part of this duty; but also by earnest prayer to him, confessing that all our endeavours without him will do nothing; call upon him, and beg hard of him, that he will confirm our work, and make our way prosperous. If we are uncertain, and all depends upon him; it says that we should pray over all that we do: pray before, that God would direct and assist us; pray after, that God would bless this sermon, that counsel, the other reproof for their good: we may else spend and be spent, and all we can do, turn to no account; but if we can prevail with God in their behalf, and he be pleased to send forth his spirit, and give a blessing to our endeavours, then shall they be fruitful, and we shall quickly see them, of unprofitable to become profitable.