fhort 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, feldom fo much as they deferve; and confine our feverity to our own practice. Only we must watch with moderate ftrictness over our families alfo: not only keeping up the joint and feparate worship of God in them, which I hope no Ĉlergyman omits, but forming them to every part of picty 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 fall he take care of the church of God (w)? Whence we have all promifed at our ordination, to frame and fashion our families, together with ourselves, according to the doctrine of Christ, and to make them, as much as in us lieth, wholesome examples and patterns to his flock. They are naturally the first objects of our care: we have peculiar opportunities of inftructing and reftraining them. If we neglect them, we shall never be thought to have much concern for others: if we are unsuccessful with them, we shall be deemed very unfkilful; and bid to look at home before we reprove the reft 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 molt able and fubtle and determined enemy, the emperor Julian: who defigning to re-establish paganism, and accounting, as he declares, the ftrictness and fanctity, profeffed 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 jests and libertine converfation: be neither expenfive nor fhewish in their apparel; go to no entertainments but fuch as are made by the worthiest 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 entreat you, this apoftate put us to fhame.

But Clergymen, who are ferious 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 fuch as will come to hear them, and anfwer the common occafional calls of parochial duty, they have done as much as they need or well can, and so turn themselves to other matters: perhaps never visit some 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 house to house, testifying

(t) 2 Tim. ii. 3. (2) 1 Tim. iii. Ɛ, 11. (w) 1 Tim. v. 4, 5• (a) Ep. 49. ad Arfac. p. 430, 431. Fragm. Ep. p. 301–305.

testifying repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jefus Chrift (y); and ceafed not to warn every one day and night (z). He alfo commands Timothy to preach the word, and be inftant, in feafon and out of feafon (a); at stated 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 fhould we do. And a chief reafon, why we have fo little hold upon our people is, that we converse with them fo little, as watchmen over their fouls. The pastors of the foreign proteftants outdo us greatly in this refpect, and are honoured in proportion. The Romish priests have their laity under their hands, on one account or another, almost 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 preferve a furprising influence amongst their followers by perfonal religious intercourfe. Why should not we learn from them? At first fuch applications may by disuse appear strange; and both have their difficulties and their dangers. But the most apprehenfive of them will be the fafest 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: thefe may be renewed in private exhortations afterwards to receive the facrament: and the spiritual 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 many others, if you feek 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 sobriety, 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 consistent, 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 disinterestedness 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 difputes about them, unless a part of your income, too large to be given up, depends upon them. In all difputes you will prefer discreet references to proceedings at law and when the latter become neceffary, carry them on in the faireft, the least expensive, the friendliest manner. You will be very tender in your demands upon the poor, and very equitable towards the rich; though you will confcientiously preferve all the material rights, with which you are intruited, for your fucceffors. 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 efpecially of pious, liberality; which are the most valuable in themfelves, the most incumbent on you, and the most overlooked by others. For nothing

(y) Acts xx. 20, 21, (b) 2 Cor. xii. 14.

(*) ver. 31. (a) 2 Tim. iv. 2.

nothing gives greater or juster offence, than to fee a Clergyman intent upon hoarding, or luxurious, or fplendid, instead of being charitable.

Few indeed of our order have much to spare: and many have caufe to wish for a more plentiful fubfiftence. Yet even thefe, and much more the better preferred, if they are earnest seekers and importunate folicitors for promotion, lower their characters grievoufly: and fuch as ufe indirect means to obtain it, are often providentially disappointed; or though they fucceed, always difhonour themselves, and never do much good to others: whereas the lowest of their brethren will be justly refpected, and may be highly useful, if he submits contentedly to God's good providence, and labours to live within the compafs of his income: exceeding which, without vifible neceffity, will bring fome imputation even upon him, and deservedly a much heavier on such as enjoy an ampler provifion.

as

However inoffenfive we are, we must expect to receive, from time to time, injurious and provoking treatment, as the Scripture hath forewarned us. We shall hurt both our own cause and that of religion dreadfully, if we return it and do honour to both, if we behave under it calmly, with fuch meekness of wisdom (c), as may tend to bring our adverfaries over, if not to our sentiments concerning the matter in question, whatever it be, yet to a good opinion of our meaning and temper; or may at least, if we fail of fuccefs with them, engage more impartial perfons to countenance and protect us. Indeed we ought, if poffible, to keep not only ourselves, but others, out of all angry contests. We folemnly promised at our ordination, to maintain and fet forwards, as much lieth in us, quietness, peace and love among all Chriftian people, and efpecially among them that are or shall be committed to our charge: and by fo doing we are bound never to raise or foment personal, family, parochial, political or ecclefiaftical animofities, but do all in our power to compose and extinguish them: nor will any thing conduce more to our credit or to our usefulness. The political party-spirit is, God be thanked, of late years much abated. Let us guard against the return of it: fhew, in word and deed, becoming refpect, as we have great caufe, to our excellent King, and all who are put in authority under him: nor exercife ourfelves in matters too high for us (d), but be quiet and do our own business (e); Let our moderation, even where we are concerned to meddle, be known unto all men (f), exercifing it even to those who have leaft of it; and always remember, that neither patriot love to our earthly country, nor loyal attachment to our earthly fovereign, will be accepted by our heavenly Father, without uniform obedience to the whole of his Gofpel.

Another point of great importance to Clergymen is, that they be ftudious. This will keep your money from being fpent unwifely; and likewife your time from being thrown away hurtfully or unprofitably, or hanging heavy on your hands. It will procure you reverence too, as perfons of knowledge: whereas the idle will, even by the ignorant, be thought deficient. And, which is the main thing, this alone will enable you to underhand the bufinefs of your ftation, and perform it well. But then you muft apply to fuch things chiefly, as will fit you most to answer

(c) James iii. 13.. (4) Pfal. cxxxi. 2. (e) The iv. JE (f) Phil. iv. 4.

the

the great end of your employment; and determine with St. Paul to know nothing, comparatively fpeaking, among ft your people, fave Chrift Fefus and him crucified (g). The concern of a parish minifter is, to make the loweft of his congregation apprehend the doctrine of falvation by repentance, faith and obedience; and to labour, that when they know the way of life, they may walk in it. If he doth not these things for them, he doth nothing: and it requires much confideration to find out the proper methods of doing them, and much pains and patience to try one after another. Smooth discourses, compofed partly in fine words which they do not understand, partly in flowing fentences which they cannot follow to the end; containing little that awakens their drowsy attention, little that inforces on them plainly and home what they must do to be faved; leave them as ignorant and uninformed as ever, and only lull them into a fatal fecurity. Therefore bring yourselves down to their level; for what fuits the meaneft Chriftian will fuit the highest: examine if they take in what you fay, and change the form of it till they do. This I recommend for your firft ftudy: and be affured you will improve yourselves by it no lefs than your hearers. But fo far as you have opportunity confiftently with this, apply to any part of Science, to every part you can, that is connected with your profeffion: only learn, by weighing carefully the judgments and reafonings of others, to think mo deftly of yourselves; avoid, in the outfet of your inquiries more efpecially, drawing hafty conclufions: be at leaft as much on your guard against fondness of new opinions, as prepoffeflion for established doctrines: and beware of being misled, either by the pofitiveness of vehement writers, or the falfe colours of artful ones.

You will doubtlefs cultivate peculiarly thofe branches of knowledge, which the circumftances of the times, or of your parishes, peculiarly point out to you. God hath permitted us, for our fins, to be attacked in a remarkable degree, by infidels on one hand, and by maintainers of innumerable strange notions on the other. And we have need, that every one, who is able to qualify himself well, fhould affift in defending his part of the common caufe. For there are too many unanswered books abroad in the world, and more appearing daily, written against christianity and morals and the doctrines of our church. Nor have we of the Clergy, for fome time paft, born fo large a fhare, comparatively with perfons of other communions, in vindicating what we teach, as might be expected I hope you are not often obliged, in this Diocese, to encounter unbelievers from the pulpit: and you will certainly not chuse to alarm your people, by refuting, in form, objections to which they are ftrangers; though it may be useful to obviate them briefly, and if poffible without naming them, But as, probably enough, fome of you will at one time or another in company meet with fuch perfons, or hear of their talk, I would give you a few directions in relation to them.

from us.

If any of them are virtuous in their conduct, and backward to offend in difcourfe, they fhould not be unfeafonably provoked, but treated with refpect. If any of them build their unbelief on ferious argument, which plainly very few do, they should be directed to the books or the learned men, that are best fitted to answer them: and the lefs able fhould

(g) 1 Cor. ii. 2.

prepare

prepare for combat with them, but not engage too far in it prematurely. If they cannot at present be convinced of the falsehood of their tenets, they should be fhewn however, in a gentle manner, the pernicious effects of promulging them. But if they will obftinately perfift to facrifice every thing valuable amongst men to their own vices, or their own vanity, we must openly withstand them, and warn others against them. Yet even this ought to be done without paffion or bitternefs, otherwife all the blame will be laid on us: especially without perfonal incivilities, even to the worst of them, elfe they will become still worse than they were. But then we must never affift the very beft of them in gaining influence and growing dangerous; nor bring our own fincerity into queftion by intimacies with them, which they will usually reprefent, and fometimes believe to proceed from our inwardly thinking as they do. Much lefs fhould we ever condefcend to the fhocking meannefs of paying court for private ends, either to them, or to wicked wretches of any kind, though not infidels; but connect ourselves with worthy perfons; engage their fupport, and excite their endeavours to reprefs profaneness and immorality.

It is peculiarly unhappy, that while we are employed on one fide in defending the Gofpel, we are accufed on another of corrupting it. I have not now in my view either the Church of Rome, or the Proteftants who broke off from us a century ago. The methods of dealing with both have been long fince prefcribed, and I repeat them not: but intreat your attention to the movements of each, efpecially the former, if you have any of them in your parishes. But I mean to speak of persons risen up in our own times, and profeffing the ftricteft piety: who vehemently charge us with departing from the doctrines and flighting the precepts of our Religion: but have indeed themselves advanced unjustifiable notions, as neceffary truths; giving good people groundless fears, and bad ones groundless hopes; disturbed the understandings of fome, impaired the circumftances of others; prejudiced multitudes against their proper minifters, and prevented their edification by them; produced first diforders in our churches, then partial or total feparations from them; and fet up unauthorized teachers in their affemblies. Where these irregularities will end, God only knows: but it behoves us to be very careful, that they make no progrefs through our fault.

the

Now it would not only be injurious, but profane, to brand, with an opprobrious name, Chriftians remarkably ferious, merely for being fuch: and equally imprudent to disclaim them as not belonging to us, to let a fect gain the credit of them, and labour to drive them into it. Surely we should take, even were they wavering, or actually gone from us, most respectful and perfuafive means of recalling fuch, and affixing them with us. Nay, fuppofing any perfons irrecoverably gone, we fhould not be hafty to condemn, even in our thoughts, either them or their party, as enthufiafts or hypocrites: whatfoever they are, it maketh no matter to us (b). And much lefs ought we to fay of either worfe than we are sure they deferve. When we are undoubtedly well informed of any extravagant things, which they have afferted or done, it may be useful to fpeak ftrongly of them: but not with anger and exaggeration; which

(b) Gal. ii. 6.

will