their ground at it as long as he pleases. Noah was an husbandman, and a labourer agreeable to my text, in both senses of the word, for he was a preacher of righteousness, he strove with the Antediluvians for upwards of an hundred years, till God put an end to the strife, and caused those that strove with him to perish, Isaiah xli. 11, saying, "My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh." This is lawful strife.

Secondly, When graceless men get into pulpits, they set themselves against the faith of the gospel, being ignorant of it; and therefore in order to keep up their popularity, they charge it with licentiousness, and to amuse and blind a simple people, they turn aside to vain jangling, being strangers to gospel consistency, they desire to be teachers of the law, knowing neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. These set the law against the promises of God, and by their unbelief try to make the faith of God without effect. These are not to be admitted into the houses of the saints, nor are we to bid them God speed, lest we partake of their evil deeds: the saints of God are all to unite as the heart of one man to oppose such as these, and rescue the faith which they want to make void out of their hands, and not to flinch from this work, nor be afraid of the opponents. "Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you,

of salvation, and that of God." This is lawful strife.

Thirdly, A labourer in the Lord's vineyard is to enlarge his work as much as possible, and to abide the longest where he sees he is most useful; and as the Lord's labourers have different gifts, one after this manner and another after that, they are to visit the churches occasionally, and not to be discouraged though here and there a Diotrephes will shut them out, and prate against them with malicious words, in order to keep the pre-eminence, 3 John ix. 10; and not only visit the churches, but break up fresh ground and endeavour to raise up new plantations, which the sluggard refuseth to do by reason of the cold. It is often seen that God keeps his servants labouring in dark and barren parts of the earth till they are stocked with large store of experience and knowledge, and then uses them at the opening of the gates and in the high places of the city: "Yea so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation;" but where he was not named; this is lawful strife.

Fourthly, A labourer in the Lord's vineyard will often be troubled with the little foxes that spoil the vines; which foxes are false prophets;

Thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts;? called foxes because of their cunning and subtlety, and the stink that they make in the nostrils of God. These bring in damnable heresies to oppose the truth, and try to undermine the walls of sal

vation, prate against divine inspiration, and cavil at faith and a good conscience; whilst separating the vile from the precious, is doing the work of a party spirit; declaring the whole counsel of God faithfully, is doing the work of a bad spirit, to hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience, is to be an antinomian; to hold Christ as the end of the law for righteousness, and the end of the commandment, to be charity; and both these in the heart by the Spirit as the righteousness of the law fulfilled in them, is making void the law; enforcing a union with Christ, and a walk in the spirit, is setting aside the rule of life; and preaching the grace of God, is called rocking the cradle of the devil; preaching one's own testimony is preaching self; refusing confederacy with the wicked is singularity; and he must be taken down in a public pulpit that magnifies his office: while preaching to please men is doing the work of an evangelist; preaching philosophy is doing the work of a learned divine; he that preaches the principles of flesh and blood is a man of moderation; and he that gives up the truth, gives into errors, connives at slander, and justifies the wicked, is a man of candour. I cannot think but that these things will go by other names in the great day of judgment; I think it will be called walking in craftiness, and handling the word of God deceitfully. These men take away the hedge of God's vineyard, and let the wild boar out of the forest into it.

The Lord look down in pity and visit this vine,

and enable his servants to stand in the gaps, and make up the breaches; for there are many who are trying to remove the bounds that God has set, and the fences that discriminating grace has made, and so to lay the inclosures of God level with the 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 saints, is the duty of every Christian, as well as the ministerial servants of the Lord; in this work they are to stand like an iron pillar or a brazen wall. Though we may have some cause to complain, as Jeremiah did, "Wo is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and contention;" yet this is lawful strife.

Fifthly, It is usual for those who are called out of the common way, or raised up for any particular work, if they are useful, to meet with the strongest oppostion; sometimes from God's own children, but especially from false brethren. Many opposers Paul had, who crept into houses, especially those of the circumcision, 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 priestly tribe, was put out of his stewardship; he then lessened the debts of sinners to God, in order to be received into their houses. The apostle complains of such, that they were enemies to the cross of Christ;

that they subverted whole houses, teaching things that they ought not; and as they hypocritically laboured in a subterraneous way, the apostle adopted their diligence; he taught the people publicly, and from house to house, endeavouring to warn every man, and teach every man: "Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily,” Col. i. 28, 29. This is lawful strife.

Sixthly, This servant or soldier of the Lord is to endeavour to keep the field, and not like Ephraim, harnessed and carrying bows, turn back in the day of battle. The Lord's soldier must fight a good fight; he must be valiant for truth, and keep both his arms and armour; truth is his shield and buckler, and with this good thing he is never to part, on this he is never to turn his back; he that is ashamed of me and my word, of him will I be ashamed. In defence of truth, and against the enemies of it, he is to resist unto blood striving against sin, Heb. xii. 4.

Seventhly, This labourer or soldier is not to regard every outcry that is made against him. When the sword of the Spirit lays open a sinner's heart, or an hypocrite's empty profession, these are times that sinners in Zion are afraid, and fearfulness surprises the hypocrites: "Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Such as these will cry out against a bad spirit; too much bitterness is complained of; these will lie in wait for him that reproves in the gate, crying out, Pro