ligion is not the concern of the clergy merely, but the common concern of all men; the great thing, on which public and private happiness depends in this life, as well as eternal felicity in the next: that therefore, if they have any value for these important interefts, they must take the neceffary means of fecuring them: their children, their fervants and dependants must be diligently watched over and inftructed; private devo-tion must be practifed, family-worship revived, and the fervice of God in the church regularly and feriously attended upon. For laying afide these things hath almost banished religion from amongst us: and nothing, but reftoring them, can bring it back. Piety is indeed feated in the heart but to give it no vent in outward expreffion, is to ftifle and extinguish it. Neglecting the public exercife of religion, is destroying the public regard to it and teaching men to defpife their own form of religion, is enough very often to make them despise it under any form.

Great pains have been taken by our adverfaries to give the world an ill opinion of religious inftruction: and we must take equal pains to give them a good one of it; by reprefenting to them, both the natural influence it hath, and the Divine authority that enjoins it. But after all, the only effectual conviction will be that of experience. And therefore the

chief point is, to endeavour that men may feel the benefit of our teaching: feel at least, that it is their own fault, not ours, if they do not become the wifer, the better and happier for it. To this end, we must all dwell often and strongly on the great duties, and great failures of duty, in common life: firft explaining the obligations of religion fo as that they may be practifed; then infifting on it, that they muft: entering into the particulars of each with fuch plainnefs, that every one may clearly fee his own faults laid before him; yet with fuch prudence, that no one may fo much as imagine himself perfonally pointed at: and taking the strictest care, that no part of what we fay may feem in the least to proceed from our own paffions, or our own interefts; but all appear evidently to flow from a true concern for the good of thofe that hear us. Diligent confideration, what our subject and our feveral characters will bear us out in, muft direct us, when to give our judgment with diffidence, when to lay stress upon it: in what cafes to exhort with all long-fuffering (e); in what, to rebuke with all authority (f). But whichfoever we do, neither our language fhould be florid, nor our manner theatrical: for these things only raise an useless admiration in weak perfons, and produce great contempt in judicious ones. Nor yet on the other hand, should our expreffions be mean, or our behaviour lifeless: but both must be fuitable to the employment we are upon; both be such as come naturally from the heart of the fpeaker, and therefore will naturally move that of the hearer.

To this our public teaching it will be a great help, and indeed a valuable part of it, if we perform the feveral offices of our excellent liturgy devoutly and properly: neither with an irreverent precipitation, nor a tedious flownefs: neither in a flat and languid manner, nor yet with an affected liveliness, or a vehemence ill placed or over-done: but fo as

(c) 2 Tim. iv. 2.

(ƒ) Tit. ii. 15.

may

may best express the sense and the importance of what we read; and, by thewing our own attention to it, engage that of all around us.

Befides our general inftructions, it is very needful, that we give the youth under our care, in particular, an early knowledge and love of religion, that may abide with them; and ftand the trials, to which their riper years will of course be exposed. I hope you are all diligent in that most useful work of catechizing: and have done your utmoft to prepare for confirmation those whom you prefent to me. And I earneftly recommend it to you, that the good impreffions, which may well be fuppofed to have been made upon their minds at this season, be not suffered to wear off again; but be improved into fettled habits of religion and virtue by ftill farther exhortations, and leading them, as foon as poffible, to the holy communion. But, though all the youth deserve our peculiar attention; yet if any of them be educated in charity-schools under our infpection, for these we should think ourselves still more nearly concerned, than for the reft; and, by first taking care, to have them taught whatever is proper, and nothing elfe, then making known the good management they are under, put an end to thofe accufations, of their learning idlenefs and pride, fuperftition and difloyalty; which may have been, fometimes one of them, fometimes another, in fome degree deserved; but have been carried with a wicked induftry moft fhamefully beyond truth, and leffened the credit of this excellent inftitution, even with many good perfons, to the great detriment of Chriftianity.

Another very useful method of spreading the knowledge of religion, and teaching men a ferious regard to it, is by diftributing or procuring to be diftributed, fuch pious books, efpecially to the poorer fort, as are beft fuited to their capacities and circumftances. For there is a great variety of them to be had: and at fo very low prices, that much good may be done this way to confiderable numbers at once, in a moft acceptable manner, for a trifling expence.

But nothing will contribute more to make our public inftructions effectual, than private conversation, directed with prudence to the fame end. The better we are known to perfons, the greater influence we may hope to have upon them; and the better we know them, the more difinetly we fhall fee how to make ufe of that influence to good purposes. By reprefenting proper truths, at fit times, with a modeft freedom, we may very much abate the prejudices of inen, who have any fairness remaining, both against religion and ourselves at least we may prevail on them, for the fake of public order and example, to keep within the bounds of decency; and fo prevent their doing harm, if we cannot make them good. Perfons, that err in particular points of doctrine, friendly dif course may fhew us what led them into their mistakes, and enable us to lead them out again. Such as diffent from our church-government and worship, talking amicably with them, and behaving in the fame manner towards them, if it doth not immediately bring them over, may however bring them nearer to us, both in judgment and affection. Such as are faulty in their moral conduct, ferious and affectionate remonftrances, given in private and kept private, and joined with a tenderness to their characters in public, may often do a great deal towards reforming thein: and fooner or later, the feed thus fown may spring up in their hearts, and

produce

produce happy fruits. We fhould not indeed prefs upon perfons, when there is no other prospect than that of provoking them: but we ought to watch all opportunities, whilst there is any hope left; and not only make it our endeavour to convert the mistaken and vicious, but ftir up the negligent to ferious thought, and the good themselves to more eminent goodness. Especially fuch perfons of rank and influence, as we find well difpofed, these we must earnestly excite to appear and give countenance to the cause of religion, ever remembring that awful declaration of our bleffed Lord: Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and finful generation, of him alfo fhall the Son of Man be afbamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels (g). We must convince them of the urgent neceffity there is, for interpofing in behalf of piety and virtue: and fuggeft to them the means for engaging with fuccefs in this excellent employment. Yet must we never fpend fo much of our attention on the higher part of the world, as to give the leaft fufpicion of neglecting the lower; whofe number is fo much larger, whofe difpofitions are ufually fo much more favourable to religion, and whofe eternal happiness is of equal importance to them, and ought to be of equal concern to us: but we must prove we are in earneft in our work; by making it our care, as it was our Mafter's, that the poor have the Gospel preached to them (h). And one opportunity of preaching it with fingular advantage, both to the poor and the rich, is when fickness brings near to them the view of another life. At some times indeed the fick may be incapable of attending to exhortations: at others they may be endangered by them: and at all times great prudence is requifite, to avoid the extremes, of terrifying or indulging them too much. But, provided due caution be used in these respects; laying before them what they ought to be, and reminding them to confult their own confciences what they have been, is a moft likely method of exciting in them fuch affections and refolutions at that feafon of recollection and ferioufnefs, as, through the bleffing of heaven, may produce the happiest effects.

To thefe excellent offices therefore we must all of us chearfully apply ourfelves, each in fuch degree as his ftation requires. If they do require pains, if they do take up time, if they are inconfiftent with agreeable amusements, and even interrupt useful ftudies of other kinds; yet this is the business which we have folemnly chofen, and the vows of God are upon us it is the moft important and most honourable, it ought to be the most delightful too, of all employments: and therefore we have every reason not to feek the means of evading our duty, but of fulfilling it; and each to take the oversight of the flock of God, committed to him, not by confti aint, but willingly (i). For if we only juft do what we can be punished by our fuperiors for neglecting, we muft neither expect fuccefs nor reward.

But then to fecure either, the chief thing requifite is ftill behind: that our own tempers and lives be fuch, as we fay thofe of other perfons fhould. For if we, who teach religion, live, or fuffer our families to live, with little or no sense of religion, what can we poffibly expect, but

(g) Mark viii. 38.

(b) Matt. xi. 5.

(i) Pet. v. 2.

but that men will improve fo palpable an advantage againft us to the utmost will argue, that we believe not our own doctrine; and therefore it deserves no belief: or, we practise not our own precepts; and therefore they cannot be practifed? Thus we fhall increafe that infidelity and wickedness, which our business is to oppofe. Too much of it will be really owing to us: and the whole will be laid upon us. The enemies

of religion will have the best pretence in the world to ruin us: and the friends of it will grow unconcerned for us, and ready to give us up to them. But, were thefe confequences not to follow, ftill very bad ones muft follow. Men, irreligious or vicious themselves, cannot be hearty in oppofing irreligion and vice: they cannot do it with boldness, if they were hearty: and could they be ever so bold, it must fit much too ill upon them, to have any good effect. Wrong-minded perfons will be furnished with the most plaufible excufe imaginable for difregarding them intirely and the righteft-minded perfons that ever were, cannot, if they would, regard them as they ought. This will be the cafe, even with refpect to their public teaching: and as for private admonitions, they will feldom have the face to venture upon them, and never fucceed in them: whereas every word, that comes from an exemplary man, hath great weight; and his bare example is most valuable inftruction of itself. But, were a bad life not to hinder at all the fuccefs of our miniftry; yet we must remember, it will abfolutely hinder the falvation of our fouls: and subject us to that forer punishment, of which he may well be thought worthy, who, teaching others, teacheth not himself, but through breaking the law difhonoureth God (k).

Nor is it fufficient by any means for us to be guilty of no vice. This is small praife, for one of our order. We are bound to be patterns of the moft diligent practice of virtue, and the ftricteft regard to religion: and we fhall never make others zealous for what we ourselves appear indifferent about. It is very true, that, peculiarly in our cafe, the generality of the world both expect and find fault, quite beyond reafon : and doubtless they are much to blame in doing fo. But then furely we are no lefs to blame, if, when we know the severity, with which our conduct will be examined, we do not watch over it with equal feverity ourfelves; and take the only way to be looked on as good men, that is, being fuch undeniably. And whoever hath a due fenfe of this obligation, will confcientiously abftain, not only from all evil, but all appearance of it too (1). Such a one, for inftance, far from ever offending against temperance, will be noted for it: and think the imputation of being mighty to drink wine (m) almost as infamous, as that of being overcome by it. Far from being guilty of indecency in his behaviour or difcourfe, he will keep at a distance from every thing liable to the conftruction of it. Far from being remarkable for luxury and delicacy in his manner of living or appearing, he will be fure to preferve himself, on all occafions, at least as remote from indulgence, as he is from aufterity, And though he will never difguft the perfons, with whom he converfes, by a gravity affected or ill timed: yet he will be equally careful, never to expofe himself, by

(k) Heb. x. 29. Rom. ii. 21, 23.
(m) L. v. 22.

(/) 1 Theff. v. 22.

by a lightness of carriage unbecoming his function; nor let any thing be a part of his character, much lefs a diftinguishing part, that can only tend to lower it. For we can never be useful, if we are defpifed: and we fhall be defpifed, if we will give opportunities for it. Even they, who feem well pleafed with us, will think meanly of us inwardly; and perhaps of the whole order, for our fakes.

Yet at the fame time, we fhall be greatly mistaken, if we aim to avoid contempt by haughtinefs: which will only add hatred to it. Our rule therefore must be, to exprefs, in every thing, condefcenfion to the lower part of the world, without being improperly familiar; and respect to the upper, without being fervile: recommending ourfelves at once to the love and efteem of both, by a mild kind of dignity and ingenuous fimplicity, kept up through our whole behaviour. Mildnefs of temper is the duty of every man: but efpecially required of us (2); and abfoluteJy neceffary, both to our preferving regard, and doing fervice in the world. Therefore, whatever provocations we meet with from those amongst whom we live, as indeed we often meet with great ones, it neither belongs to our character, nor will be for our intereft, to take offence and exprefs refentment; but by prudence and patience to overcome evil with good (o). For we fhall often do it this way, and never any other. Inftead of being engaged in enmities of our own, it should be our endeavour to compofe the differences of other perfons: not by intermeddling in their affairs, when we are not called to it; but by laying hold on every fit opportunity given us, for difpofing them to a mutual good opinion, where there is room for it; or at least, to mutual good-will. Too many occafions indeed for friendly interpofition, our unhappy party-difputes furnish us with, had we no other. Entring into thefe with vehemence, and that injuftice which never fails to accompany vehemence, is what all men thould avoid: but we, who must caution them against it, fhould avoid it with uncommon care: fhould religiously pay that refpect to every one, which is their due, efpecially to our fuperiors; think well of men's actions and defigns, unless we have evident cause to think otherwife; judge with modefty, where perhaps we are not qualified to judge; and whatever our opinion be, preferve our behaviour inoffenfive: give the leaft provocation, that may be, to bad men of any fide; and act in fuch manner, as may gain us, if poffible, the united efteem of good men of all fides. For theirs is the friendship, of which we ought to be ambitious. Familiarities with profane and vicious perfons, beyond what neceffary civility, or a real profpect of reforming them requires, will, whatever we may promife ourselves from their favour or intereft, always difcredit and weaken us in general; and much oftner prove hurtful, than advantageous, to any of us in particular. But to cultivate the good opinion of the wife and virtuous, to recommended ourfelves to their protection, and, whatever elfe they may differ about, engage their common zeal in the common cause of religion: this will procure us both fecurity and honour, and every way promote the great defign of our profeffion.

Another point, on which our character will not a little depend, is our

(n) Matth. x. 16. 1 Tim. iii. 3. 2 Tim. ii.-24.

(0) Rom. xii. 21.

being,