have time for gaining other knowledge too, only sleep no more than you need, "and never be idle, nor triflingly employed." But, 4. If you can do but one, let your studies alone. We ought to throw by all the libraries in the world, rather than be guilty of the loss of one soul.

§ 2. "The people will not submit to it." If some will not, others will, and the success with them will repay all your labor. O let us herein follow the example of St. Paul! 1. For our general business, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind: 2. Our special work, Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock: 3. Our doctrine, Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ: 4. The place, I have taught you publicly, and from house to house: 5. The object and manner of teaching, I ceased not to warn every one night and day, with tears: 6. His innocence and self-denial herein, I have coveted no man's silver or gold: 7. His patience, Neither count I my life dear unto myself. And among all other motives let these be ever before our eyes: (1) The Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood: (2) Grievous wolves shall enter in; yea, of yourselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.

¶ 145. Write this upon your hearts, and it will do you more good than twenty years' study. Then you will have no time to spare: you will have work enough. Then likewise no preacher

will stay with us who is as salt that has lost its savor. For to such this employment would be mere drudgery. And in order to it, you will have need of all the knowledge you can procure, and grace you can attain.

1 146. The sum is, Go into every house in course, and teach every one therein, young and old, to be Christians inwardly and outwardly; make every particular plain to their understandings; fix it in their minds; write it on their hearts. In order to this, there must be precept upon precept, line upon line. What patience, what love, what knowledge is requisite for this! We must needs do this, were it only to avoid idleness. Do we not loiter away many hours in every week? Each try himself; no idleness is consistent with a growth in grace. Nay, without exactness in redeeming time, you cannot retain the grace you receive in justification.

147. Why are we not more holy? why do we not live in eternity? walk with God all the day long? why are we not all devoted to God, breathing the whole spirit of missionaries? Chiefly because we are enthusiasts; looking for the end without using the means. To touch only upon two or three instances: Who of us rise at four or even at five, when we do not preach? Do we know the obligation and benefit of fasting or abstinence? How often do we practice it? The neglect of this alone is sufficient to

account for our feebleness and faintness of spirit. We are continually grieving the Holy Spirit of God by the habitual neglect of a plain duty. Let us amend from this hour.

¶ 148. In order to guard against Sabbathbreaking, evil-speaking, unprofitable conversation, lightness, expensiveness or gayety of apparel, and contracting debts without due care to discharge them,-1. Let us preach expressly on each of these heads. 2. Read in every Society the Sermon on Evil-speaking. 3. Let the Leaders closely examine and exhort every person to put away the accursed thing. 4. Let the Preachers warn every Society that none who is guilty herein can remain with us. 5. Extirpate out of our Church buying or selling goods which have not paid the duty laid upon them by Government. Let none remain with us who will not totally abstain from this evil in every kind and degree. Extirpate bribery—receiving any thing, directly or indirectly-for voting at any election. Show no respect to persons herein, but expel all that touch the accursed thing. And strongly advise our people to discountenance all treats given by candidates before or at elections, and not to be partakers, in any respect, of such iniquitous practices.

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PART II.-CHAPTER III.

TRAVELING PREACHERS.

Receiving Preachers on Trial,

¶ 149. A Preacher is to be received on Trial by an Annual Conference.

¶ 150. But no one should be received unless he first procure a recommendation from the Quarterly Conference of his Circuit or Station. We may then, if he give us satisfaction, receive him on Trial. But before any such candidate is received on Trial or into Full Connection, or is ordained Deacon or Elder, he shall give satisfactory evidence respecting his knowledge of those particular subjects which have been recommended to his consideration.

¶ 151. When a preacher's name is not printed in the Minutes he must receive a written License from a Bishop or Presiding Elder; but while he is on Trial the Annual Conference alone has jurisdiction over the question of authority to preach, and his continuance on Trial shall be equivalent to the renewal of his License to preach.

¶ 152. Observe! taking on Trial is entirely different from admitting a Preacher into Full

Connection. One on Trial may be either admitted or rejected without doing him any wrong; otherwise it would be no trial at all.

¶ 153. At each Annual Conference those who are received on Trial or are admitted into Full Connection shall be asked whether they are willing to devote themselves to the Missionary Work, and a list of the names of all those who are willing to do so shall be taken and reported to the Corresponding Secretaries of the Missionary Society; and all such shall be considered as ready and willing to be employed as Missionaries whenever called for by any of the Bishops.

Manner of Receiving Traveling Preachers into Full Connection.

¶ 154. In receiving a Preacher at the Conference into Full Connection, after solemn fasting and prayer, every person proposed shall be asked, before the Conference, the following questions, with any others which may be thought necessary, namely:

1. Have you faith in Christ?

2. Are you going on to perfection?

3. Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?

4. Are you earnestly striving after it?