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 difturb and offend others.

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But it is not fufficient to give you directions about fuch 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 best 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 muft 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 wil lend 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 otherwise 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 laftly, 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 reafons, 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 perfans 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 worfhip finful, but only prefer another, which perhaps they are often without the means of attending upon, fhould be feriously 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 which foever of these perfons we difcourfe, 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 shall at leaft 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 muft be told in the laft place, that unwilling as you are, it will be your duty to present them, unless they reform: and if, when this warning hath been repeated, and full time allowed for it to work, they ftill 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 same severity 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 fhall ftill depend on your opinion whether it shall be carried on with rigour, or fufpended 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 consists 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 arife no inconvenience from attending upon it, provided perfons are within any tolerable diftance from the church: that few of them have bufinefs at that time of day; and amufements ought furely never to be preferred on the Lord's day before religion: not to fay that there is room for both.

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But befides the public fervice, your people should be admonished to fpend a due part of their fabbath in private exercites 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 serious confideration of their ways; for giving fuch inftruction to their children and families, as will make your work both eafier 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 feriously 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, instead of a season of leisure to ruin themselves, as it proves too often.

But farther, befides your and their duty on the Lord's day, it is ap pointed 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 furprife you. But

I content

I content myself with saying, 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 thefe times, you will act a very pious and ufeful, as well as regular part: that your own houses will fometimes furnifh a fmall congregation; and what fuccefs you may have with others, nothing but trials, repeated from time to time, can inform you. But they, whofe parishioners are the feweft and the bufieft of all, I hope do not fail in bringing them to church at the leaft on Good Friday, and Christmas Day, befides Sundays. For though in fome of your anfwers to my enquiries, thefe are not mentioned as prayer days, yet I prefume that this arofe from your taking it for granted I fhould understand they were. But if in any place they be not, I earneftly entreat they may for at fuch times there can be no difficulty in getting a congregation. I hope likewife, that you are not wanting in due regard to those 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 reason 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 just 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 refted in: for perfons may obferve without the leaft benefit, what they cannot omit without great fin. The business of your parishioners therefore is, fo to ufe 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 bufinefs 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 creatares, 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 you may do it with joy and not with grief. It is very little in my power either to increase or lessen your duty. Our bleffed Master hath fixed it, you have undertaken it: and were I to release you from ever fo great a part of it, I fhould only bring guilt on myfelf without acquitting you at all. The injunctions of the New Testament, infinitely ftricter than any of

men,

men, would continue to bind you as firmly as ever. Take heed therefore to the miniftry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfil it.

Having a fubject of fuch a nature, to, fpeak, to you upon, and being. able to fpeak to you in a body but once in three years, you must not wonder if I go fomewhat beyond the bounds of a common discourse. There are many other things, and very material ones, relating to you as parish minifters, which I could have wifhed to mention now: but I was willing to treat firft of fuch matters as belong more immediately to the worship of God. If it please him that I live to another visitation, I fhall in that proceed to the reft. Permit me now to add but one word or two more upon a different fubject and I have done.

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Whilft we are ferving Chriftianity here, with the advantage of a legal establishment and maintenance, there are vaft multitudes of our fellowfubjects in America, their Negro flaves, and the neighbouring Indians, amongst whom the knowledge of God is taught, and the exercises of his worship fupported, if at all, very imperfectly, and with great difficulty, by the Society for propagating the Gofpel: the income of which depends intirely on the voluntary contributions of good Chriftians; and is now reduced fo low, and burthened with fuch a debt, that they find it neceffary to propofe, this next year, according to the powers of their charter and with his Majefty's recommendatory letters, a general collection, which they have not had for above 20 years paft, to enable them to go on. Application. will probably not be made to every parish feparately. But I hope every minifter will give this excellent defign all the affiftance in his power: fuch, as can afford it, either by becoming stated contributors and members of the Society; or at leaft by fome occafional benefaction in this time of need; and all, by recommending the cafe to fuch of their people or acquaintance as they have reason to think will pay regard to it. If any perfon defires a more particular acquaintance with the nature and utefulness and prefent condition of this undertaking, I have given fome account of thefe matters in a fermon at their anniversary meeting lately published by me, and fhall be ready to give any of you farther information, who fhall either now or hereafter apply to me for it, perfonally or by letter.

But I muft not yet conclude, without mentioning alfo the Society for promoting Chriftian knowledge: who are carrying on the fame good work in the East Indies, which that for propagating the Gospel is in the Weft; and at the fame time are promoting the cause of religion, many ways here at home; particularly by felling at very low rates, Bibles, Common-Prayers, and numbers of other religious books, chiefly of fmall fizes, for the ufe of the poor. This they also are fupported in by voluntary benefactions: to which whoever is able to contribute, will do a very good work: and whoever can only purchase a few of their books for the ufe of his parishioners, fhall have both my best affiftance in it, and my hearty thanks for it.

I do not mean at all in fpeaking of these things to prefcribe to you the methods of your charity: but only to lay before you two very deferving ones, which may poffibly have efcaped the notice of fome of you; and to endeavour, that the caufe of our Lord and Mafter may be ferved in as many ways, as it can: for you must be fenfible how very great need

there

there is that none be neglected. By zealously making use of such as are presented to us, we may poffibly be of much more fervice to others than we expect but we shall be fure of doing infinite fervice to ourfelves. And may God ftir up the wills of all his faithful people, that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of him be plenteously rewarded through Jefus Christ our Lord (a).