Dust and ashes. An essay upon repentance to the last. Advising a watchful Christian,…

Will the Ministers of the Gospel, permit the meanest of their Number, to let fall a Word to the Wise, as we go along! Before we Preach a Sermon, Sirs, we have something to do in our Studies, And this is One Thing. When we are Studying a Sermon, we should make a Pause on every Paragraph, to bring about an Impression thereof on our own Souls, [The most significant way of having our Sermons by Heart!] We should Examine our own Miscarriages, relating to the Truths, which we are going ⟨p. 23⟩to Deliver unto our People. We should on our Knees, humble our selves before the Lord for our own Miscarriages, and implore the Pardon of them through' the Blood of the only Sacrifice. In our going forth to Preach a Sermon, we should also first of all, in Secret, Acknowledge before the Lord, our great Unworthiness, to be Employed by Him in Holy Ministrations, among His People. The greater the Service is that we have before us, the more we should lay our selves in the Dust, with Repenting Self-Annihilations. Now, Now we shall Preach with Lips touched by a Coal from the Altar; Now our God will make us as His Mouth unto our Auditories. But yet, after our Work in the Public is over, we should Lament before the Lord, all the Sloth, all the Pride, all the Indifference of Soul, and Want of Compassion to the Souls of others, & whatever Discomposure of mind has attended us: All our Negligence in doing the Work of the Lord.

Will the Ministers of the Gospel, permit the meanest of their Number, to let fall a Word to the Wise, as we go along! Before we Preach a Sermon, Sirs, we have something to do in our Studies, And this is One Thing. When we are Studying a Sermon, we should make a Pause on every Paragraph, to bring about an Impression thereof on our own Souls, [The most significant way of having our Sermons by Heart!] We should Examine our own Miscarriages, relating to the Truths, which we are going ⟨p. 23⟩to Deliver unto our People. We should on our Knees, humble our selves before the Lord for our own Miscarriages, and implore the Pardon of them thro' the Blood of the only Sacrifice. In our going forth to Preach a Sermon, we should also first of all, in Secret, Acknowledge before the Lord, our great Unworthiness, to be Employ'd by Him in Holy Ministrations, among His People. The greater the Service is that we have before us, the more we should lay our selves in the Dust, with Repenting Self-Annihilations. Now, Now we shall Preach with Lips touch'd by a Coal from the Altar; Now our God will make us as His Mouth unto our Auditories. But yet, after our Work in the Publick is over, we should Lament before the Lord, all the Sloth, all the Pride, all the Indifference of Soul, and Want of Compassion to the Souls of others, & whatever Discomposure of mind has attended us: All our Negligence in doing the Work of the Lord.