The presence of Christ with the ministers of the Gospel, opened & applied in…The presence of Christ with the ministers of the Gospel, opened & applyed in…

1. This shows that Christ is sensible that they need His Presence. When Christ saith, I will be with you, He speaks it in pity and compassion. He takes notice that their work is hard, and they are like to meet with many difficulties. He is sensible that their work will be too hard for them, if He should leave them alone. He has no Expectation that the work will prosper except He be present with them. He knows and takes notice of their inabilities; that let them study never so much, and be exceeding careful in their preparations, and earnest and hearty in their delivery of their Sermons, let them use the most proper arguments, and follow them never so fully, and confirm what they say by clear testimony from the word of God, and pursue the design without weariness; yet they will not be able to Convince, or to Convert Men; they can neither reform the Place, nor prevail with Men to comply with the terms of the Gospel, except He be present with them. He has no dependence upon their abilities, to make the Gospel Efficacious. He is sensible it would be a fruitless thing to send them; He may as well send them to remove Mountains, as to persuade them to fall in with the way of Salvation, Except He be with them. Christ is so well acquainted with the blindness and hardness ⟨p. 21⟩of Mens hearts, that it will signify nothing to send them, unless He be with them; therefore He promises Divine help. Joh. 16.7, 8. The Comforter shall come and convince the World.

1. This shews that Christ is sensible that they need His Presence. When Christ saith, I will be with you, He speaks it in pity and compassion. He takes notice that their work is hard, and they are like to meet with many difficulties. He is sensible that their work will be too hard for them, if He should leave them alone. He has no Expectation that the work will prosper except He be present with them. He knows and takes notice of their inabilities; that let them study never so much, and be exceeding careful in their preparations, and earnest and hearty in their delivery of their Sermons, let them use the most proper arguments, and follow them never so fully, and confirm what they say by clear testimony from the word of God, and pursue the design without weariness; yet they will not be able to Convince, or to Convert Men; they can neither reform the Place, nor prevail with Men to comply with the terms of the Gospel, except He be present with them. He has no dependance upon their abilities, to make the Gospel Efficacious. He is sensible it would be a fruitless thing to send them; He may as well send them to remove Mountains, as to perswade them to fall in with the way of Salvation, Except He be with them. Christ is so well acquainted with the blindness and hardness