people of God,—remembering that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!” When faithful to their great Master, they have high encouragements to excite, holy consolations to cheer, and heavenly aid to direct and bless their unremitting exertions in His service, whose weak and “unprofitable,” but still faithful and attached “servants” they are. Let not any such fear but that they will obtain a blessing on their labours, an answer to their prayers, from that gracious Being whose ministers they are, and the advancement of whose kingdom they seek. Never did the Lord fail his servants; His “exceeding great and precious promises” are all sure and steadfast, are all “yea and in him, Amen.” “For He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me:” {202a} He hath said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, Amen.” {202b} May each individual pastor of the Church of Christ have grace to receive and act upon, as addressed to himself, the concluding admonition of St Paul to Timothy: “Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry:” then “The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” {202c} And when the time of his earthly stewardship is on the eve of completion,—the period of his allotted ministry about to expire, then he may hope that upon his last hours will be poured some portion of the joyful testimony of an approving conscience; some measure of that blessed assurance of confirmed faith, which cheered and supported the dying Hooker; “I plead not my righteousness, but the forgiveness of my unrighteousness through His merits who died to purchase pardon for penitent sinners. Let not mine, O Lord, but Thy will be done! God hath heard my daily petitions; for I am at peace with all men, and He is at peace with me. From such blessed assurance, I feel that inward joy which this world can neither give nor take from me. My conscience beareth me this witness; and this witness makes the thoughts of death joyful.” Then he may hope that the approach of the dark shadows of death will be illumined by some beams of that light from above, which, with the full blaze of triumphant faith, shed a holy flood of radiance and glory over the close of the ministry of the great Apostle of the Gentiles: “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all those who love his appearing.” {204a}