Oh brethren! who would not study and pray, spend and be spent, in the service of such a bountiful Master! Is it not worth all our labour and sufferings, to come with all those souls we instrumentally begat to Christ: and all that we edified, reduced, confirmed, and comforted in the way to heaven; and say, Lord, here am I, and the children thou has given me? To hear one spiritual child say, Lord, this is the minister, by whom I believed: Another, this is he, by whom I was edified, established, and comforted. This is the man that resolved my doubts, quickened my dying affections, reduced my soul, when wandering from the truth! O blessed be thy name, that I ever saw his face, and heard his voice! What think we of this, brethren? But far beyond this; what will it be to hear Christ, the prince of pastors, say in that day, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord,” Mat. xxv.21. O sirs! we serve a good Master, who is not unrighteous to forget our work, and labour of love for his name-sake. He keeps an exact account of all your fervent prayers, of all your instructive and persuasive sermons; and all your sighs, groans, and pantings, with every tear and drop of sweat, are placed like marginal notes against your labours in his book, in order to a full reward.

Flavel, Works vol. VI, pg. 579-80

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