ercifed it chiefly for a maintenance: never repeat, never hear, difcourfes of an irreligious or immoral turn, without expreffing a plain difapprobation, briefly or at large, as the cafe may require: yet be on all occafions courteous, and on proper occafions cheerful; but let it be evidently the cheerfulness of serious men. Foolish talking and jefting are not convenient (e), not becoming any perfon: but thofe leaft of all, who fhould know beft, that every idle word which men fhall fpeak, they shall give an account thereof, according to its tendency, in the day of judgment (f). Unfeasonable or exceffive mirth fits peculiarly ill upon him whofe office muft or ought to bring before his mind fo frequently, the afflictions of this mortal state, the holinefs of God's law, his own grievous imperfections, the deplorable fins of many others, and the final fentence, that awaits us all. Doubtless we fhould endeavour to make religion agreeable; but not to make ourselves agreeable, by leading our company to forget religion. We fhould every one of us pleafe his neighbour for his good (g) but not fo please men, as to fail in the character of fervants of Chrift (b). We fhould be made, in a fitting fenfe and measure, all things to all men, that we may by all means fave fome (i): but we fhall lofe ourselves, not fave others, if we are quite different perfons in the pulpit and out of it: nor can we act a more incongruous part, than to chufe raifing and promoting the laugh for our province in converfation, instead of duly reftraining our own liveliness and that of others. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (k): and our hearts ought to abound with better things. I own, both affected and exceffive reftraint, will do harm. But if we are fincerely pious, and endeavour to be prudent, we shall combine useful informations and reflections with harmless entertainment: our Speech will be with grace, feafoned with falt, that we may know how we ought to answer every man (1): we fhall prove that we have the end of our miniftry conftantly in view, by drawing profitable leffons, frequently, but naturally, out of topics of indifference; and bringing back the difcourfe, if it goes aftray, from exceptionable or unfafe fub-jects, to innocent ones; yet if poffible without offenfive reproof, and perhaps imperceptibly. For the fervant of the Lord must not trive, that is, roughly and harshly, but be gentle unto all men (m), even the worst. Yet on the other hand fervile obfequiousness, or flattering words (n), even to the beft, are far remote from having our converfation in fimplicity and godly fincerity (0). Talking with great earneftnefs about worldly affairs, or with great delight about diverfions and trifles, betrays a mind overmuch fet upon them and numbers will reprefent the cafe, as worse than it is. Nay, our being only in a very peculiar degree good judges of fuch matters, or of any that are unconnected with our office, will, unless we have fome especial call to them, be commonly thought to imply, that we have studied and love them beyond what we ought, to the neglect of our proper bufinefs. (e) Eph. v. 4. (z) i Theff. ii. 5. ) Matt. xii. 36. bufinefs. For we are not to expect very favourable conftructions from mankind yet it greatly imports us to have their good opinion; which we fhall not fecure, unless in whatever other lights they may fee us occafionally, the worthy clergyman be the predominant part of our character. If practical Chriftian piety and benevolence and felf government, with conftant zeal to promote them all upon earth, are not the first and chief qualities, which your parishioners and acquaintance will afcribe to you: if they will speak of you, as noted on other accounts, but pafs over thefe articles; and when afked about them, be at a lofs what to fay, excepting poffibly that they know no harm of you, all is not right; nor can fuch a clergy answer the defign of its inftitution any where; or even maintain its ground in a country of freedom and learning, though a yet worse may in the midft of flavery and ignorance. Actually fharing in the gaieties and amufements of the world will provoke cenfure still more, than making them favourite subjects of discourse. I do not fay, that recreations, lawful in themselves, are unlawful to us: or that those which have been formerly prohibited by ecclefiaftical rules, merely as difreputable, may not ceafe to be fo by change of cuftom. But ftill not all things lawful are expedient (p), and certainly these things, further than they are in truth requifite for health of body, refreshment of mind, or fome really valuable purpose, are all a mifemployment of our leifure hours, which we ought to fet our people a pattern of filling up well. A minifter of God's word, attentive to his duty, will neither have leifure for fuch diffipations, public or domeftic, nor liking to them. He will fee, that pleasure, or rather a wretched affectation of it, is become the idol of mankind; to which they are facrificing their fortunes, their families, their healths, their reputations, their regard to God, to their focial duties, to the state of their fouls, to their future being. Now what are the clergy to do in this cafe? If we but feem to go along with them, who fhall call them back? For as to the pretence of keeping them within bounds by our prefence, it is vifibly a mere pretence. Or were it not, the older and graver of us would furely think fuch a fuperintendency no very honourable one: and few of the younger and livelier could be fafely trufted with it. Indeed we none of us know, into what improprieties of behaviour, at least what wrongness of difpofition we may be drawn by the evil communications of these affemblies: whether, if happily they fhould not otherwife corrupt our good manners (q), we may not however grow inwardly fond of them; come to think our profeffion a dull one, and the calls of it troublesome; throw off as much of the burthen as we can, and perform with reluctance and cold formality the remainder, which we muft. 1 At least it will be fufpected, that we cannot greatly difapprove the cuftoms in which we voluntarily join, the perfons with whom we familiarly affociate, or indeed any thing faid or done where we delight to be: that if we do not go the utmoft lengths, yet we fhould, if for shame we durft for these things are our choice, not the duties of our miniftry; which therefore declaimers will fay we are not fincere in, or however unfit for. And even they, who plead our example as a precedent for themselves, will ufually honour us much the less for setting it. (p) 1 Cor. vi. 12. (9) 1 Cor. xv. 33. Still Still I do not mean, that we should be four and morofe: condemn innocent relaxations, and provoke men to fay, that we rail out of envy at what we have abfurdly tied up ourselves from partaking of: but exprefs our dislike of them as mildly as the cafe will bear; flight with good humour the indulgences, in which others falfely place their happiness; and convince them by our experience as well as reafoning, how very comfortably they may live without them. It is true, paying court to the gay and inconfiderate by imitation of them, may often be the fhorter, and fometimes the furer way to their favour. But the favour of the fashionable world is not our aim: if it be, we have chofen our profeffion very unwifely. And though we should fucceed thus with fuch perfons in point of intereft, we must not hope even for their efteem. For they will both think and speak with the lowest contempt of the complying wretch, whom yet for their own convenience or humour they will carefs, and now and then prefer. Our predeceffors, that their abstaining from indifcreet levities might be notorious, wore conftantly the peculiar habit of their order. And certainly we should be more refpected, if we followed their example in this more univerfally. They complained of no inconveniencies from it: nor did I ever, in a courfe of many years, find any worth naming. In the primitive and perfecuting times indeed Clergymen wore no peculiar drefs: and long after were diftinguished only by retaining a greater fimplicity of garb than others. But gradually fuperiors difcerned reasons for enjoining a different fort: and furely others may well pay them fo far the obedience promised to them, as always to fhew by fome evident and proper marks, (for nothing more is expected) of what class of men they are. If you do not, it will be faid, either that you are alhamed of your caufe, or confcious of your unfkilfulness to defend it, or that you conceal yourselves to take occafionally unfit liberties. Indeed fome external reftraints of this kind, merely as an admonition against unfeemly difcourfe and conduct and company, would, though not prefcribed, be very advifeable for young Clergymen: amongst whom they, who diflike them the moft, might fometimes perceive, that they have the moft need of them. And we that are older, fhould keep up the custom for their fakes, though unneceflary for our own. Befides, we may all prevent, by fuch notification of ourselves, a great deal of unbecoming talk and deportment in others and fo efcape both the difagreeablenefs of reproving it, and the impropriety of not reproving it. Or if after all it cannot be prevented, they who are offended with it, will immediately fee in us a refuge from it. But then a habit, vifibly a Clergyman's, muft be fuch in every part as befits a Clergyman: have no look of effeminacy or love of finery in it (r). For we had better put on the lay drefs intirely, than difgrace the clerical one. And it is doubly contemptible, first to fhew what a fondnefs we have for things utterly beneath us, and then how poorly we are able to indulge it. Therefore let us be uniform: and as our character is a truly venerable one, let us think we do ourselves honour by wearing the ancient badges of it. I need not add, that our whole demeanor fhould be anfwerable to our cloathing: that foftnefs and delicacy of manner, skill in the science of eating (5), and the perfection of liquors, in (s) Ibid. §. 6. (r). Hieron. ad Nepotian. §. 9. fort short every approach to luxurious gratification, is ftrangely out of place in one, who hath devoted himself to endure hardness as a good foldier of Fefus Chrift (t). Still we ought to judge very charitably of thofe, who take greater liberties, than we dare: never blame them more, seldom so much as they deferve; and confine our severity to our own practice. Only we must watch with moderate strictness over our families alfo: not only keeping up the joint and separate worship of God in them, which I hope no Clergyman omits, but forming them to every part of piety and virtue and prudence. St. Paul requires, that not only deacons, but their wives be grave (u): and that the higher Clergy be fuch, as rule well their own houfes, having their children in fubjection with all gravity: for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God (w)? Whence we have all promised at our ordination, to frame and fashion our families, together with ourselves, according to the doctrine of Chrift, and to make them, as much as in us lieth, wholefome examples and patterns to his flock. They are naturally the first objects of our care: we have peculiar opportunities of instructing and restraining them. If we neglect them, we shall never be thought to have much concern for others: if we are unfuccessful with them, we fhall be deemed very unfkilful; and bid to look at home before we reprove the rest of our flock. But exhibiting inftances of goodness and happiness, produced under our own roofs by the methods, to which we direct thofe around us, must needs add fingular weight to our exhortations. For the importance of the rules hitherto laid down, we have the judgment of a moft able and subtle and determined enemy, the emperor Julian: who defigning to re-establish paganifm, and accounting, as he declares, the strictness and fanctity, profefled by Chriftians, to be a principal cause of the prevalence of their faith, in two of his epiftles gives directions, undoubtedly copied from the injunctions observed by the Clergy of those days, that the heathen priests be men of serious tempers and deportment; that they neither utter, nor hear, nor read, nor think of any thing licentious or indecent; that they banish far from them all offenfive jefts and libertine converfation: be neither expenfive nor fhewifh in their apparel; go to no entertainments but fuch as are made by the worthieft perfons; frequent no taverns; appear but feldom in places of concourse; never be seen at the public games and fpectacles; and take care, that their wives and children and fervants be pious, as well as themfelves (x). Let not, I intreat you, this apoftate put us to fhame. But Clergymen, who are serious in their whole behaviour, and the care of their families alfo, are often too unactive amongst their people : apt to think, that if they perform regularly the ordinary offices of the church, exhort from the pulpit such as will come to hear them, and answer the common occafional calls of parochial duty, they have done as much as they need or well can, and fo turn themselves to other matters: perhaps never vifit fome of their parishioners; and with the reft enter only into the fame fort of talk, that any one else would do, Now St. Paul faith, he taught the Ephefians both publickly and from bouse to house, testifying (t) 2 Tim. ii. 3. (u) 1 Tim. iii. 8, 11. (w) 1 Tim. v. 4, 5. (*) Ep. 49, ad Arfac. p. 430, 431. Fragm. Ep. p. 301-305. teftifying repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jefus Chrift (9); and ceafed not to warn every one day and night (x). He alfo commands Timothy to preach the word, and be inftant, in feafon and out of season (a); at ftated times and others: not forcing advice upon perfons, when it was likelier to do harm than good: but prudently improving lefs favourable opportunities, if no others offered. Thus unquestionably should we do. And a chief reason, why we have so little hold upon our people is, that we converse with them fo little, as watchmen over their fouls. The paftors of the foreign proteftants outdo us greatly in this respect, and are honoured in proportion. The Romish priests have their laity under their hands, on one account or another, almoft continually, and acquire by it an abfolute dominion over them. Both the old diffenters from our church, and those who are now forming new feparations, gain and preserve a furprising influence amongst their followers by perfonal religious intercourse. Why fhould not we learn from them? At first such applications may by difufe appear strange; and both have their difficulties and their dangers. But the most apprehenfive of them will be the safest from them and all will improve their talents by practice. On young perfons you will be able to make good impreffions by difcourfe with them before confirmation: these may be renewed in private exhortations afterwards to receive the facrament: and the fpiritual acquaintance thus begun, may be continued ever after. Other means may be found with grown perfons: on the first settling of a family in your parish; on occafion of any great sickness, or affliction, or mercy; on inany others, if you seek for them, and engage worthy friends to affift you. Even common converfation may be led very naturally to points of piety and morals; and numbers be thus induced to reading proper books, to public, to private, to family devotion, to fobriety, juftice, alms-giving and Chriftian love. When once you are well got into the method, you will proceed with ease and applaufe; provided your whole character and conduct be confiftent, elfe you will fall into total difgrace; and particularly provided you convince your parishioners, that you feek, not their's, but them (b). A due measure of difinterestedness is one main requifite for the fuccefs of a Clergyman's labours. You will therefore avoid all mean attentions to small matters: never be rigorous in your demands of them; never engage in any disputes about them, unlefs a part of your income, too large to be given up, depends upon them. In all difputes you will prefer difcreet references to proceedings at law: and when the latter become neceflary, carry them on in the faireft, the least expenfive, the friendlieft manner. You will be very tender in your demands upon the poor, and very equitable towards the rich; though you will confcientiously preserve all the material rights, with which you are intrufted, for your fuccellors. If you find room and reafon to improve your income, you will do it within bounds: and prove, that no wrong motive induces you to it, by living with decent frugality, providing for your families with moderation, and going as far as ever you are able in acts of good-natured, and sefpecially of pious, liberality; which are the most valuable in themselves, the most incumbent on you, and the moft overlooked by others. For nothing (y) A&ts xx. 20, 21. (x) ver. 31. (a) 2 Tim. iv. z. (6) 2 Cor. xii. 14. |