The hill of Zion

In order to men's being true Christians, it is necessary that they prosecute the business of religion, and the service of God with great earnestness and diligence, as the work which they devote themselves to, and make the main business of their lives. 

All Christ's peculiar people, not only do good works, but are zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). No man can do the service of two masters at once. They that are God's true servants, do give up themselves to his service, and make it as it were their whole work, therein employing their whole hearts, and the chief of their strength; Philippians 3:13, "This one thing I do." 

Christians in their effectual calling, are not called to idleness, but to labor in God's vineyard, and spend their day in doing a great and laborious service. All true Christians comply with this call (as is implied in its being an effectual call), and do the work of Christians; which is everywhere in the New Testament compared to those exercises, wherein men are wont to exert their strength, with the greatest earnestness, as running, wrestling, fighting. 

All true Christians are good and faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ, and fight the good fight of faith: for none but those who do so, do ever lay hold on eternal life. Those who fight as those that beat the air, never win the crown of victory. They that run in a race, run all; but one wins the prize; and they that are slack and negligent in their course, do not so run, as that they may obtain. The kingdom of heaven is not to be taken but by violence. 

Without earnestness there is no getting along, in that narrow way that leads to life; and so no arriving at that state of glorious life and happiness which it leads to. 

Without earnest labor, there is no ascending the steep and high hill of Zion; and so no arriving at the heavenly city on the top of it. 

Without a constant laboriousness, there is no stemming the swift stream in which we swim, so as ever to come to that fountain of water of life, that is at the head of it. 

There is need that we should watch and pray always, in order to our escaping those dreadful things, that are coming on the ungodly, and our being counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man. 

There is need of our putting on the whole armor of God, and doing all to stand, in order to our avoiding a total overthrow, and being utterly destroyed by the fiery darts of the devil. 

There is need that we should forget the things that are behind, and be reaching forth to the things that are before, and pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, in order to our obtaining that prize. 

Slothfulness in the service of God, in his professed servants, is as damning, as open rebellion: for the slothful servant, is a wicked servant, and shall be cast into outer darkness, among God's open enemies (Matthew 25:26, 28). They that are slothful, are not followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:11–12, "And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope, unto the end: that ye be not slothful; but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises." And all they who follow that cloud of witnesses that are gone before to heaven, do lay aside every weight, and the sin that easily besets them, and do run with patience the race that is set before them (Hebrews 12:1). 

That true faith, by which persons rely on the righteousness of Christ, and the work that he hath done for them, and do truly feed and live upon him, is evermore accompanied with such a spirit of earnestness in the Christian work and course. 

Avoid contention

But whatever any may judge of the secrets of my heart, with regard to the principles that I have

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been influenced by, in what I have now said; it is enough for you to whom I have spoke it, that I have demonstrated that what I have delivered is the mind of God; and also (if there be any truth in his Word) that what I have recommended is not only for the temporal interest of your minister, but also for your own both temporal and spiritual interest.

Another article of advice that I would give you, is, to beware that you don't weaken your minister's hands, and wound yourselves by contention. You are but a small people, and you'll be a very foolish people indeed if you are divided against yourselves. Contention among a people hinders all manner of comfort and prosperity either of soul or body; it makes 'em a torment to themselves and one another; it puts 'em every way under disadvantages, and weakens the whole body like a consumption.

There are two sorts of contention I would warn you against,

First. Avoid contention among yourselves about your own temporal affairs. This will exceedingly tend to render a minister's labors ineffectual; and it is what greatly damps the spirit and discourages the heart of a minister, to see his people divided into parties, and envying one another, and entertaining mutual prejudices, jealousies and grudges, and so backbiting and reproaching one another, and carrying on secret plots and designs one against another.

Second. Avoid quarreling with your minister in matters of church discipline. This is a common thing, but a most unchristian thing, and tends greatly to weaken the hands of a minister in the whole of his work, and render all to no purpose. The exercise of the discipline of God's house is the most difficult part of that great work that a minister has to do; and it becomes a Christian people to their utmost to strengthen their minister's hands in this difficult business, and say as the people said to Ezra the priest, with respect to the affair of purging the church of Israel from the scandal of those that had married strange wives, Ezra 10:4, "Arise; for this matter belongeth to thee; we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it."

To conclude, if you would have your minister successful among you, and a blessing to you, and if you would be a happy people, then love one another and love your minister. There are some professors, in some of our towns, that are anti-ministerial men; they seem to have a disposition to dislike men of that order; they are apt to be prejudiced against them, and to be suspicious of them, and talk against them; and it seems to be as it were natural to 'em to be unfriendly and unkind towards their own ministers, and to make difficulty for them. But I don't believe there is a

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true Christian on earth that is of this character; on the contrary the feet of them that bring good tidings, and publish the gospel of salvation are beautiful in the eyes of all the true children of Zion; and everyone that receives Christ, and whose heart is governed by a supreme love to him, has a disposition to receive, love and honor his messengers. 

It was the distinguishing mark by which God manifested the person he had chosen to be the wife of Isaac, that type of Christ, that it was the damsel that should give kind and friendly entertainment to Abraham's servant or steward that was sent to espouse her and bring her home to Isaac; and therein was a type of the gospel ministry, Genesis 24:14, etc. See to it that you thus entertain the steward of the house of God that comes on this blessed errand to you.

If you and your minister thus live in peace, it will be the way for you to be a happy society, to flourish and prosper with all manner of prosperity, to have Christ dwelling among you; and for things to be brought to so blessed an event at last, as that he that is the great Shepherd of the Sheep, that purchased the souls of men with his blood, and your pastor that has the care of your souls committed to him, and yourselves and children, all should rejoice together in another world, agreeable to John 4:36, "And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."

Hearts were knit together

Life of David Brainerd

Lord's Day, August 25.——{Journal. Preached in the forenoon from Luke 15:3-7. There being a multitude of white people present, I made an address to them at the close of my discourse to the Indians: but could not so much as keep them orderly; for scores of them kept walking and gazing about, and behaved more indecently than any Indians I ever addressed; and a view of their abusive conduct so sunk my spirits that I could scarce go on with my work.

In the afternoon, discoursed from Revelation 3:20; at which time the Indians behaved seriously, though many others were vain.

Afterwards, baptized twenty-five persons of the Indians, fifteen adults and ten children. Most of the adults I have comfortable reason to hope are renewed persons, and there was not one of them but what I entertained some hopes of in that respect, though the case of two or three of them appeared more doubtful.

After the crowd of spectators was gone, I called the baptized persons together and discoursed to them in particular, at the same time inviting others to attend, minded them of the solemn obligations they were now under to live to God, warned them of the evil and dreadful consequences of careless living, especially after this public profession of Christianity; gave them directions for their future conduct, and encouraged them to watchfulness and devotion by setting before them the comfort and happy conclusion of a religious life. 

This was a desirable and sweet season indeed! Their hearts were engaged and cheerful in duty, and they rejoiced that they had in a public and solemn manner dedicated themselves to God. Love seemed to reign among them! They took each other by the hand with tenderness and affection, as if their hearts were knit together, while I was discoursing to them: And all their deportment toward each other was such that a serious spectator might justly be excited to cry out with admiration, "Behold, how they love one another" Sundry of the other Indians, at seeing and hearing these things, were much affected and wept bitterly, longing to be partakers of the same joy and comfort that these discovered by their very countenances as well as conduct.}

I rode to my lodgings in the evening, blessing the Lord for his gracious visitation of the Indians and the soul-refreshing things I had seen the day past amongst them, and praying that God would still carry on his divine work among them.

Enlightened by example

5. 'Tis no sign that a work that appears, and is wrought on the minds of people, is not from the Spirit of God, that example is made use of as a great means of it. 

'Tis surely no argument that an effect is not from God, that means are made use of in producing it; for we know that 'tis God's manner to make use of means in carrying on his work in the world: and 'tis no more an argument against the divinity of an effect, that this means is made use of, than if it was by any other means. 

'Tis agreeable to Scripture that persons should be influenced by one another's good example: the Scripture directs us to set good examples to that end, Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 3:1; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7; and also directs us to be influenced by the good examples that others set, and to follow them, 2 Corinthians 8:1–7; Hebrews 6:12; Philippians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 4:16 and chap. 1 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:7. 

By which it appears that example is one of God's means; and certainly 'tis no argument that a work is not the work of God, that God's own means are made use of to effect it.

And as 'tis a scriptural way of carrying on God's work, to carry it on by example, so 'tis a reasonable way. 

'Tis no argument that men are not influenced by reason, that they are influenced by example. 

This way of persons holding forth truth to one another, has a tendency to enlighten the mind, and to convince reason. 

None will deny but that for persons to signify things one to another by words, may rationally be supposed to tend to enlighten each other's minds; but the same things may be signified by actions, and signified much more fully and effectually. 

Words are of no use any otherwise than as they convey our own ideas to others; but actions, in some cases, may do it much more fully. There is a language in actions; and in some cases, much more clear and convincing than in words.

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