THE FLOCK.—(3.) Our doctrine, REPENTANCE TOWARDS GOD, AND FAITH TOWARD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.-(4.) The place and manner of teaching, I HAVE TAUGHT YOU PUBLICLY AND FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE.-(5.) The object and internal manner, I CEASED NOT TO WARN EVERY ONE NIGHT AND DAY WITH TEARS. This is it that must win souls and preserve them.-(6.) His innocency and self-denial for the advantage of the Gospel, I HAVE COVETED NO MAN'S SILVER OR GOLD.-(7.) His patience, NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME, NEITHER COUNT I MY LIFE DEAR.-(8.) And among all our motives, these have need to be in capital letters before our eyes. We oversee and feed THE CHURCH OF GOD, WHICH HE HATH PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.— GRIEVOUS WOLVES SHALL ENTER IN AMONG YOU, NOT SPARING THE FLOCK, and OF YOUR OWNSELVES SHALL MEN ARISE, SPEAKING PERVERSE THINGS, TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEM. Write all this upon your hearts, and it will do yourselves and the Church more good than twenty years' study of lower things, which though they get you greater applause in the world, yet separated from these, will make you but sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.

The great advantage of a sincere heart is, that God and glory, and the saving of souls are their very end; and where that end is truly intended, no labour or suffering will stop them, or turn them back; for a man must have his end, whatever it cost him. He still retains this lesson, whatever he forget, ONE THING IS NECESSARY: and seek first the kingdom of God, and therefore says, Necessity is laid upon me, and woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel! This is it that will most effectually make easy all our labours, make light all our burdens, make all our sufferings seem tolerable, and cause us to venture on any hazard in the way. That which I once made the motto of my colours in another warfare, I desire may be still before my eyes in this, which yet, according to my intention, is not altogether another. On one side, He that saveth his life shall lose it; on the other, Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causas. This, Doctor Reignolds thought had reason enough in it to hold him to his labours, though it cost him his life. He that knoweth that

he serveth a God that will never suffer any man to be a loser by him, need not fear what hazard he runs in his cause; and he that knows that he seeks a prize, which if obtained, will infinitely overmatch his cost, may boldly engage his whole estate on it, and sell all to purchase so rich a pearl.

Well, brethren, I will spend no more words in exhorting wise merchants to such a bargain, or telling Teachers-themselves of such common truths; and if I have said more than needs already, I am glad. I hope now I may take it for granted, that you are resolved on the utmost diligence and fidelity in the work. On which supposition I shall now proceed.

CHAPTER VII.

Directions for the right managing this Work.

It is so happy a work which we have before us, that it is a thousand pities it should be destroyed in the birth, and perish in our hands. Though I know we have a knotty generation to deal with, and that it is past the power of any of us to change a carnal heart without the effectual grace of the Holy Ghost; yet it is so usual with God to work by means, and to bless the right endeavours of his servants, that I cannot fear, but great things will be done, and a wonderful blow will be given to the kingdom of darkness by our work, if it do not miscarry through the fault of the Ministers themselves. The chief danger is want of diligence and skill: of the former I have spoken much already: as for the latter, I am so conscious of my own unskilfulness, that I am far from imagining that I am fit to give directions to any but the younger and inexperienced of the Ministry; and therefore must expect so much justice in your interpretation, as that you will suppose me now to speak to none but such. But yet something I shall say, and not pass over this part in silence, because the number of such is so great, and I am so apprehensive that the welfare of the Church and Nation doth much depend on the management and success of this work.

The points wherein you have need to be solicitous are these two.-(1.) To bring your people to submit to this

course of private instruction: for if they will not come near you, what good can they receive?-(2.) To do the work so as may most tend to the success of it, when they do come. I. And for the first, the best directions that I can give are these following:

1. The chief means of all is, for a Minister so to behave himself in the main course of his Ministry and life, as may tend to convince his people of his ability, sincerity, and unfeigned love to them; for if they take him to be ignorant, they will despise his teaching, and think themselves as wise as he. If they think him self-seeking, or hypocritical, and one that doth not mean as he saith, they will suspect all that he saith and doth for them, and will not regard him. If they think he intendeth but to domineer over their consciences, and to trouble and disgrace them, or merely to exercise their wit and memory, they will flee away from him as an adversary, and from his endeavours as hurtful and disgusting. Whereas when they are convinced that he understandeth what he doth, and have high thoughts of his abilities, they will reverence him, and the more readily stoop to his advice. When they are persuaded of his uprightness, they will the less suspect his motions; and when they perceive that he intendeth no private ends of his own, but merely their good, they will the sooner be persuaded by him. Because those that I write to are supposed to be none of the most able Ministers, and therefore may despair of being reverenced for their parts; I say to such:—(1.) You have the more need to study and labour for their increase.(2.) You must necessarily have that which Amesius makes the lowest degree tolerable, viz. to be 'supra vulgus fidelium;' and it will produce some reverence when they know you are wiser than themselves.-(3.) And that which you want in ability, must be made up in the other qualifications, and then your advice may be as successful as others.

If Ministers are content to purchase an interest in their People at the dearest rates to their own flesh, and would condescend to them, and be familiar, and loving, and prudent in their carriage, and abound according to their ability in good works, they might do much more than usually they do. Not that we should much regard an interest in them for our own sakes; but that we may be more capable of promoting the interest of Christ, and of furthering their own

salvation. Were it not for their own sakes, it were no great matter whether they love or hate us: but what commander can do any great service by an army that hates him? And how can we think that they will much regard our counsel, while they abhor or disregard the persons that give it! Labour therefore for some competent interest in your People's estimation and affection, and then you may the better prevail with them.

Object. But what should a Minister do that findeth he hath quite lost his interest with them?'

Answ. If they be so vile a people that they hate him not for any weakness, nor through misreports about particular things, but merely for endeavouring their good, though in prudence as well as zeal, and would hate any other that should do his duty; then must he in patience and meekness continue to instruct these that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth. But if it be upon any weaknesses of his, or difference in lesser opinions, or prejudice merely against his own person, let him try first to remove the prejudice by all lawful means; and if he cannot, let him tell them, 'It is not for myself, but for you that I labour; and therefore seeing that you will not obey the word from me, I desire that you will agree to accept of some other that may do you that good, which I cannot:' and so leave them, and try whether another man may not be fitter for them, and he for another people. An ingenious man can hardly stay with a people against their wills; and a sincere man can more hardly, for any interest of his own, remain in a place where he is likely to be unprofitable, to hinder the good which they might receive from another man, who hath the advantage of a greater interest in their estimation and affection.

2. Supposing then this general Preparation; the next thing to be done is, to use the most effectual means to convince them of the benefit and necessity of this Course, to their own souls. The way to win the consent of any man to any thing that you offer, is to prove it to be good for him, and to do this by evidence that hath some fitness and proportion with his own understanding; for if you cannot make him believe that it is good or necessary for him, he will never receive it. You must therefore preach to them some plain and convincing Sermons to this purpose before

hand, which shall fully shew them the benefit and necessity of the knowledge of Divine Truths in general, and of knowing the Principles in special, and that the aged have the same duty and need as others, and in some respects much more. Heb. v. 12, affordeth us many observations suitable to our present business.-As, (1.) That God's Oracles must be man's lessons.-(2.) Ministers must teach these, and people must learn them.-(3.) The Oracles of God have some principles or fundamentals, that all must know that will be saved. (4.) These Principles must be first learned.-(5.) It may be well expected that people thrive in knowledge according to the means or teaching which they possess ; and if they do not, it is their sin.-(6.) If any have lived long in the Church under the means of knowledge, and yet be ignorant of these first Principles, they have need to be taught them yet, how old soever they may be. All this is plain from the text; whence we have a fair opportunity by twenty clear and convincing reasons to shew them the necessity of knowing God's Oracles, especially, the first Principles; and especially for the aged, that have sinfully lost so much time already, have long promised to repent when they were old, should now have been Teachers of others, and whose ignorance therefore is a double sin and shame, who have so little time to learn it, and are so near their judgment; and who have souls to save or lose as well as others. Convince them how impossible it is to walk in the way to heaven without knowing it, when there are so many difficulties and enemies in our way. Men cannot do their worldly business without knowledge, nor learn a trade without an apprenticeship. Who can love, or seek, or desire that which he knoweth not? Convince them what a contradiction it is to be a Christian, and yet refuse to learn. For what is a Christian but a Disciple of Christ, and how can he be his Disciple, that refuseth to be taught by him? They that refuse to be taught by his Ministers refuse to be taught by him. For Christ will not come down from heaven again to teach them by his own mouth, but hath appointed his Ministers to keep school and teach them under him. To say therefore that they will not be taught by his Ministers, is to say, they will not be taught by Christ; and that is to say, they will be none of his Disciples. Abundance of such undeniable evidences, we have at hand to convince them of their duty.