Page:The pastor in his closet.djvu/50

 Much is expected of me; all faults are quickly observed and much thought of; though I am a man of like passions with my people, yet they do expect me thoroughly to have overcome all passions, to be a saint indeed. And yet I fear that but few prayers are offered to help me to become such as they expect me to be. I fear that throughout the land the ministers of Thy Word and Sacraments are but little prayed for. Heal this great fault, and grant that henceforth we may have more prayers of our people; so will our ministry be more profitable to our people.

O what gifts can even the most destitute bestow, if they would but open their bosoms and draw them out! How much assistance and comfort of the Spirit in our hours of weakness might be obtained through the intercessions of our flocks in Thy name, O Lord Christ! How much grace may be withheld from us, because their prayers are so much withheld. It may be that many infirmities abide amongst us, divisions, coldness, secularity of mind, and other sins, because we are suffered to go forth with so little prayer.

And yet if we were blessed through our people's prayers, they would be blessed through us; if they obtained greater strength for us, we should