feasonable demonstration of our loving our brethren for his fake, who hath loved us; and a thing exprefsly enjoined in the Rubric of the com→ munion office. Why therefore fhould you not attempt to revive it, where it hath been intermitted? Merely prefenting to perfons an opportunity of giving if they think fit, and only what they think fit, can furely, (if the reafons of it be explained to them beforehand) never keep any one away from the facrament. But then, though all who have not abfolutely nothing, ought undoubtedly to contribute their mite, yet no difagreeable notice should ever be taken of any, for giving but little or not giving at all and whatever is collected, fhould be difpofed of, fo that all perfons may know it, with the greatest faithfulness, prudence, and impartiality.

Another part of Divine worship, concerning which I think it needful to speak, is pfalmody: a part clearly appointed in Scripture, both expreffive and productive of devout affections, extremely well fitted to diverfify long services, and peculiarly to diftinguifh the feveral parts of our own, which were originally feparate. Our ecclefiaftical laws do not indeed require it under any penalty: because there may not every where be perfons qualified to perform it decently. But wherever there are, the Rubric makes provifion for it, and I recommend to you that it be not omitted. You will always endeavour that your parish-clerks be perfons of difcretion as well as skill and seriousness. But however you will be much furer of no impropriety happening in this part of the worship, if you either direct them every Sunday to fuitable pfalms, or affign them a courfe of fuch to go orderly through. And unless the generality of your parishioners are provided with books and able to make use of them; ordering each line to be read, will both fecure a greater number of fingers and be very inftructive to many who cannot fing. All perfons indeed who are by nature qualified ought to learn, and conftantly join to glorify him that made them, in pfalms and spiritual fongs. This was the practice of the early Chriftians: it was reftored very juftly at the reformation and hath declined of late, within moft of our memories, very unhappily. For the improvements made by a few in church-mufic, were they real improvements, will feldom equal the harmony of a ge neral chorus; in which any leffer diffonances are quite loft: and it is fomething inexpreffibly elevating, to hear the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters and of mighty thunders, to fpeak in the words of Scripture, making a joyful noife to the God of their falvation, and finging his praifes with understanding. Perfons of a ludicrous turn may reprefent every thing in a wrong light: but thofe of any seriousness, if they will Jay afide falfe delicacy, and that prepofterous fhame of religious perfor mances, with which the prefent age is fo fatally tainted, will find themfelves very piously affected only by hearing this melody, much more by bearing a part in it: and therefore I beg you will encourage all your parifhioners, efpecially the youth, to learn pfalmody; and excite them, if there be need, with fome little reward: for you will thus make the fervice of God abundantly more agreeable, and their attendance on it more conftant. But then, where any knowledge of the old common tunes remains, you should endeavour principally that your learners may perfect themfelves in these that fo they may lead and aflift the rest of the congregation,

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gregation, who fhould always join with them: or if you must admit a mixture of new and uncommon tunes, it fhould be no greater than you find yourselves in prudence absolutely obliged to. Elfe the confequence will be, what I fear many of you have experienced, that either one part of your people will refent being unjustly filenced, and this by the introduction of tunes often not fo good as their former ones, and fo your parifh will be divided and uneafy: or if they agree to the change ever fo generally and like it ever fo well, yet your felect fingers will either be weary in a while of what only novelty recommended to them, or grow conceited and ungovernable, or die off, or be difperfed, and the congregation will be left unable to fing in any manner at all. Where indeed the newer tunes have quite blotted out the memory of the old ones, all you can do is, to make ufe of what you find in ufe, to get fome of the eafieft of them learnt as generally as you can, and keep to these. And if, in order to inftruct your people in either way of finging, meetings to practise out of church-time be requifite, you will keep a ftrict watch over them, that they may be managed with all poffible decency, and never continued till candle-light, if they confift of both fexes. You will likewife discountenance, at least all frequent meetings, between the fingers of different parishes, and making appointments to fing alternately at one anothers churches: for this wandring from their own, which by by law they ought to keep to, ufually leads them into exceffes and follies.

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I am very fenfible, that fome of the things which I have been mentioning, are by no means of equal importance with others. But nothing is without its importance, that relates to Divine worship. The mere outward behaviour of those who attend upon it is of fuch ufe, and good influence, that I must defire you will be diligent in teaching them, (but fo as to perfuade, not provoke them) what reverence belongs to the house of God particularly how very wrong it is to fit instead of kneeling when they are or should be addreffing themselves to their Maker, and to fhew how indecent that appearance is of disregard to him, which they would not use on any account to one of their fellow-creatures a little fuperior to themselves. If you could only breed up the younger to a right behaviour in this refpect, your congregations would grow regular in time. But mild expoftulations will furely in fo plain a cafe produce fome effect upon the rest also, which will be much facilitated if you take care that proper conveniences for kneeling be provided for them. And if you could convince them also that standing is a more reverent posture to fing pfalms to God in, as well as to read them, than fitting, you would come fo much the nearer to the Apoftolical rule of doing all things decently. For as fome of the pfalms contain the nobleft acts of adoration, furely they ought not to be fung in a posture unfit to exprefs it. Another thing and no fmall one, which I believe many of your parishioners often want to be admonished of, is to come before the fervice begins. Undoubtedly allowance is to be made for neceffary, efpecially unforeseen, business, and fome allowance for not knowing the time exactly: but I hope you will obviate both thefe pleas as far as you can, by confulting their convenience in the hour you fix, and then keeping punctually to it. And at the fame time you will remind them, that a due degree of zeal in re

ligion would incline them to be rather a great deal too early at the house of God, than a little too late that no part of the fervice can be more needful for them, than that which comes firft; the confeffion of their fins that inftruction in their duty is better learnt from the pfalms and leffons, which are the word of God, than from fermons, which are only our explanations of it: and that by coming fo irregularly, they not only are great lofers themselves, but diíturb and offend others.

But it is not fufficient to give you directions about such as do come to church, without taking notice of the great numbers which I find there are in many, if not moft, of your parishes, that omit coming. Now on these your preaching indeed can have no immediate influence. But it may however prevent the increase of them; and furnish others with arguments against them; and with the beft of arguments, their experience of its good effects. You will therefore questionless do all you can in this way, without ufing any expreffions in relation to their fault, which if repeated to them may exafperate them. But your chief dependance must be on private application to them, varied fuitably to the occafion of their neglect. If it arifes merely from ignorance, or floth, or want of thought, they must be plainly told what they owe to their Maker, and awakened to the hopes and fears of a future life. If it be defire of gain or of pleasure that keeps them away, they must be asked what it will profit them to gain the whole world and lofe their own fouls? or fhewn that to be lovers of pleasure more than of God will end in pains eternal. If they defend themselves, by pleading, as fome will, that nothing can be told them at church but what they are acquainted with already, it will furely not be hard to fhew them that they over-rate their knowledge: that if this were otherwife they may however be reminded of what they did not think of, or excited to what they did not practise: that, were they too perfect to receive any benefit, it would not be decent for them to tell the world fo by their behaviour: that at least they ought to fet others an example who may be the better for public inftruction: and lastly, that receiving inftruction is not the whole of Divine fervice, but praying the chief part. And though it is allowed they can pray at home privately, yet without enquiring whether they do, fince God hath commanded, for plain and important reasons, that we worship him publicly, and hath excepted no one: by what authority doth any one except himself? And what will this end in, but an univerfal neglect of a duty which our Maker hath required to be univerfally practifed? If it be any fcruple about the lawfulness of coming to church that keeps perfons away, fit opportunities fhould be fought with great care, and used with great prudence, to fet them right: and fuch diffenters, for many there are, as do not think our manner of worship finful, but only prefer another, which perhaps they are often without the means of attending upon, fhould be seriously entreated to confider, how they can justify feparating from a lawful communion appointed by lawful authority, and even omitting all public worship frequently, rather than worship with us. But then with whichfoever of these perfons we dif course, not the leaft perfonal anger must be fhewn, nothing but a concern about their future happiness. For by this means if we make them no better, we fhall at least make them no worfe, and perhaps may leave

in their hearts what will fome time or other work there. Perfons who profefs themselves not to be of our church, if perfuafions will not avail, must be let alone. But other abfenters after due patience must be told in the last place, that unwilling as you are, it will be your duty to prefent them, unless they reform: and if, when this warning hath been repeated, and full time allowed for it to work, they still perfift in their obftinacy, I beg you to do it. For this will tend much to prevent the contagion from fpreading, of which there is elfe great danger: and when once you have got them, though it be against their inclinations, within reach of your pulpit, who knows what good may follow? Different cafes may indeed require difference of treatment: and both the fame feverity and the fame mildness, that will fubdue one, will harden another. You will therefore act yourselves and advise your church-wardens to act in this matter according to your difcretion. And after a prosecution is begun, it shall still depend on your opinion whether it shall be carried on with rigour, or suspended a while in hopes of amendment. Only one caution I would give you. Let not any perfon's threatenings, that, if he is profecuted, he will go over to the diffenters, move you in the least. Such will feldom do what they threaten or if they do, 'tis better they fhould ferve God in any way than none; and much better they should be a difgrace to them than to us. I must not conclude this head without defiring you to remind your people, that our liturgy confifts not only of morning but evening prayer alfo; that the latter is in proportion equally edifying and inftructive with the former; and fo fhort, that, generally fpeaking, there can arise no inconvenience from attending upon it, provided perfons are within any tolerable diftance from the church: that few of them have business at that time of day; and amusements ought furely never to be preferred on the Lord's day before religion: not to fay that there is room for both.

But befides the public fervice, your people fhould be admonished to spend a due part of their fabbath in private exercises of piety. For this is almoft the only time, that the far greater part of them have, for meditating on what they have heard at church; for reading the Scripture and other good books; for the ferious confideration of their ways; for giving fuch instruction to their children and families, as will make your work both easier and more effectual. And therefore, though one would not by any means make their day of reft wearifome, nor forbid cheerfulnefs, and even innocent feftivity upon it, much less the expreffions of neighbourly civility and good-will, which are indeed a valuable part of the gracious ends of the inftitution: yet employing a reasonable share of it seriously at home as well as at church, and preferving an especial reverence of God even throughout the freer hours of it, is neceffary to' make it a bleffing to them in reality, inftead of a feafon of leifure to ruin themselves, as it proves too often.

But farther, befides your and their duty on the Lord's day, it is appointed, that all minifters of parishes read prayers on holy-days, on Wednefdays, and Fridays: and undoubtedly your endeavours to procure a congregation at fuch times ought not to be wanting. Were I to repeat to you the strong expreffions which my great predeceffor Bishop Fell used, in requiring this part of ecclefiaftical duty, they would furprise you. But I content

I content myself with faying, that public worship was from the very first ages conftantly performed on the two ftationary days of each week; that all holydays appointed by the church were carefully obferved by the clergy, and the number of them now is not burthenfome: that where you can get a competent number to attend at these times, you will act a very pious and ufeful, as well as regular part: that your own houfes will fometimes furnish a small congregation; and what fuccefs you may have with others, nothing but trials, repeated from time to time, can inform you. But they, whofe parifhioners are the feweft and the bufieft of all, I hope do not fail of bringing them to church at the leaft on Good Friday, and Christmas Day, befides Sundays. For though in fome of your Answers to my Enquiries, these are not mentioned as prayer days, yet I prefume that this arose from your taking it for granted I fhould underftand they were. But if in any place they be not, I earneftly entreat they may for at fuch times there can be no difficulty of getting a congregation. I hope likewife, that you are not wanting in due regard to thofe which are ufually called State Holydays: and particularly, that if the public faft, which hath been appointed these two laft years, fhould be continued (as we have but too much reafon to apprehend there will be need) I beg you will endeavour, not only to bring your parishioners to church on that occafion; but move them to fuch inward humiliation for their own fins, and fuch fervency of prayer for this moft corrupt and wicked nation, as may avert, if it be poffible, the juft judgments of God which fo vifibly threaten us.

You must have understood, Brethren, in all you have heard, that I am not exhorting you to promote in your parishes a mere form of godlinefs without the power. Outward obfervances, by whatever authority appointed, are only valuable in proportion as they proceed from a good heart and become means of edification and grace. They are always to be reverently regarded, but never rested in: for perfons may obferve without the leaft benefit, what they cannot omit without great fin. The bufinefs of your parishioners therefore is, so to use the external part of religion, as to be inwardly improved by it in love to God and their fellow-creatures and in moral felf-government: and your business is to apply both your public and private diligence, that this happy end be effectually attained. You have under your care great numbers of poor creatures, living very laborious lives in this world, and depending almost intirely on you for their hopes of another. It is a noble employment to direct their behaviour and lighten their toils here, by precepts and motives which lead them on at the fame time to happiness hereafter. You will be fure of their acknowledgments at leaft in proportion as you fucceed in this work; but you will be rewarded by God in proportion as you endeavour it. Think not therefore, that I am laying burthens upon you, but only stirring up your minds by way of remembrance, and exhorting you fo to watch for the fouls of men as they that must give account, that may do it with joy and not with grief. It is very little in my power either to increase or leffen your duty. Our bleffed Mafter hath fixed it, you have undertaken it: and were I to release you from ever so great a part of it, I fhould only bring guilt on myself without acquitting you at all. The injunctions of the New Teftament, infinitely ftricter than any of

you

men,