I have no other foundation for my own soul than what I have represented unto you as the only foundation for you to build upon, and that you know is God's everlasting love, displayed and drawn out in the sending of his Son, and all that he has done, is doing, and will do for us; and in the complete work of the Spirit in forming us for, and bringing us unto, the full possession and enjoyment of all at last. And what a glorious work, my friends, is this! You have it in miniature when the soul is born again: there is then every essential part; but there must be a great many perfecting strokes before the piece will be complete, and fit to be set in the presence chamber above. There are some sour and knotty pieces, that require more hewing and polishing than others. In some, the constitutional evil may perhaps not be removed, until the constitution itself be broken; which may in some measure account for the difference of the dispensations that good men pass through in this world. After other weighty remarks, he gives them advice as to the choice of a successor:-- (1.) Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together, to cry unto the Lord of the harvest to send a labourer amongst you: a loiterer will do you no good. Keep up, and all of you frequent, prayer-meetings. "If you seek him, he will be found of you." Whilst God is with and amongst you, all will be well. I have never yet seen, but where Churches have waited upon God, and kept up their application to him, they have succeeded well at last, though sometimes it has been long first. "He has never said to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me, in vain." (2.) Let your first views of the person you fix upon be, at what he himself is: I mean, endeavour above all things to have a man of religion, who shall be able to talk over the great things of God in a feeling, experimental manner. If this be not the case, whatever his gifts may be, and how popular soever his talents, vital religion will dwindle under his ministrations; or, if you should maintain the name, the thing will be lost. Neither the orthodoxy of his judgment nor the popularity of his delivery will ever compensate the want of this. Nor can you expect a blessing from heaven, and that success should attend the service of that man that is not inward with God, and hearty for him in what he does. "The tree is known by his fruits."