"poor people who are to hear it: will this part be clear, that "home enough, a third well guarded against mistakes: will "they go back as much better disposed than they came, as it "is in our power to make them?" Perhaps one or more ways of reprefenting a neceffary doctrine or duty have failed. We must think, whether a more likely may not be found, or a lefs likely in appearance prove more fuccessful. If you have preached a confiderable time in a place, and done little or no good; there muft, in all probability, be some fault, not only in your hearers, but in you or your fermons. For the word of God, when duly difpenfed, is to this day, as it was originally, powerful, and sharper than a two-edged fword*. Inquire then, where the fault may be. Never despair, nor be immoderately grieved, if your fuccefs be small: but be not indifferent about it: do not content yourselves with the indolent plea, that you have done your duty, and are not answerable for the event. You may have done it as far as the law requires: yet by no means have discharged your confciences. You may have done it confcientiously, yet not with the diligence or the addrefs that you ought. And as we are seldom eafy in other cafes, when we fail of our end; if we are so in this, it doth not look well. At least confult your hearts upon the point. And if you have been deficient, beg of God pardon, grace and direction: endeavour to do more for your people: confult your brethren about the means. Converfation of this nature will much better become clergymen when they meet, than any which is not relative to their profeffion, or only relative to the profits of it. But efpecially ask the advice of the most able and serious. I am very fenfible, that in all the particulars before mentioned I have been far from obferving fufficiently myself the rules which I have now recommended to you: but hope I fhall make fome amends, though late, to the church of Chrift, by exhorting and directing others. It was my purpose, after fpeaking of ftated inftructions, to have proceeded to occafional ones a very important and fadly neglected part of the paftoral care. But my strength will not fuffice; and I have detained you already too long. If God fpare me to another like occasion, that shall be my subject. If not, as is most probable, I fhall * Heb. iv. 12+ I fhall endeavour to leave behind me fome admonitions to you concerning it*. At prefent I can only intreat you to confider very seriously, what numbers there are in moft parishes, and therefore perhaps in yours, whom you cannot think to be in a ftate of falvation; and how greatly it imports you to use with them, as you folemnly promised at your ordination, not only public but private monitions, as need fhall require, and occafion fhall be given. The eternal welfare of many poor creatures may depend on this; and your own is deeply concerned in it, as God himself hath declared: who will certainly expect that what he requires you to do, be done to the very utmost of your ability. Son of Man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Ifrael: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. If thou doft not speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. But if thou warn the vicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, he fhall die in his iniquity, but thou haft delivered thy foult. Nothing of this kind has been found among his Grace's papers. INSTRUC You have now made the fubfcription, by law required. And as, in fo doing, you have acknowledged the Liturgy and Articles of the Church of England to be agreeable, tothe word of God; I hope you will think yourselves bound, as you are, to be careful, that the inftructions which you give, and the doctrines which you maintain, in public and in private, be agreeable to that Liturgy and thofe Articles that you neither contradict, nor omit to inculcate and defend, on proper occafions, the truths, which they contain. : In the next place, I exhort you to spend a due share of the remainder of this day, in what, I truft, hath employed not a little of your time already; weighing diligently the nature and importance of the undertaking, in which you are about to engage; forming fuitable refolutions; and earnestly begging that grace of God, which alone can make you able miniflers of the New Teflament *. Nothing is better fitted to affift you in this good work, than the office of ordination, of Deacons or Priests, as you are respectively concerned. You must certainly have read it over, before you offered yourselves. Since that, you have been directed to read it again. But I defire you to peruse it once more this afternoon with your beft attention, that you may join in it to-morrow with a greater degree of rational seriousnefs; and particularly, that you may anfwer, on more deliberate confideration, the queftions, which will then be put to you. For there can hardly be a cafe, in which either infincerity, or even thoughtleffnefs, would carry in it heavier guilt. And that you may be in no perplexity concerning the meaning or fitness of any part of the office, it may be useful to go through fome parts of it along with you beforehand, proceeding as they lie in the book. The first thing, which Candidates, both for Deacons and Priests orders, after they are prefented, are required to do, as diftinct from the reft of the congregation, is to take the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy. For, as you are to be minifters of the church established by law in this nation, it is evidently reasonable, that the civil government, established by law, fhould be affured of the fidelity and affection of perfons to whom it gives and fecures privileges and profits; and who are intrufted with the care, amongst other matters, of making men good fubjects. Now, thefe oaths bind every perfon, who takes them, to honour the king *; and, by confequence, all that are put in authority under him, both in word and deed; and to lead, in fubjection to them, quiet and peaceable lives. That these things may, with a good confcience, be promised and performed, there is no juft caufe of doubt. But if any one thinks there is, he ought to apply for fatisfaction; and till he receives it, he ought to abftain from taking the oaths. For whatever is not of faith is fin‡: and in this case it would be no less than perjury. Nothing is a plea fufficient for committing any fin, much lefs one fo heinous: not even all the force that can be used. But here is no fhadow of force. You are come voluntarily to offer yourfelves, well knowing VOL. IV. D d that 1 Pet. ii. 17. † 1 Tim, ii. 2. Rom. xiv. 23: that the oaths must be tendered to you; it your choice to take them. But by your fubfcription you have entered into a further obligation; to use the liturgy in all your public miniftrations *: and therefore, to pray for the king by name, for his long life and profperity, for his obtaining victory over all his enemies. God forbid, that any one who doth this, fhould be difaffected to the government, under whichwe live. And if we are friends, it is both our duty and our wisdom to show that we are. For thus we shall ftrengthen an establishment, on which, under God, the safe enjoyment of our religion intirely depends; we fhall procure the fupport, which we cannot but be fenfible, that we want; and we fhall filence, or at least confute those, who love to speak despitefully against us on this head. . After the oaths, Candidates for Deacons orders are asked: Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghoft to take upon you this office and miniftration? A folemn question; and which ought to be well confidered, before it is answered. Observe then, it is not faid, Do you feel; have you an immediate perception of fuch an impulfe from the Holy Ghost, as you can diftinguish from all other inward movements by its manner of impreffing you: but, Do you trust; are you on good grounds perfuaded? What then are the proper grounds of fuch perfuafion? In the first place, If he hath not moved you effectually to live foberly, righteously, and godlyt, you may be fure he hath not moved you to affume the office of a minifter in God's church. Examine yourselves therefore strictly on this point: a most important one to all men; but to you, if poflible, above all; and before you prefume to officiate in his house, ask your hearts, Do you tranfgrefs, do you omit, no duty, wilfully or knowingly? Have you a genuine practical faith in Chrift? Are you, on the terms of the gospel covenant, intitled to everlasting life? But fuppofing that you are, more is requifite in the prefent cafe: and what more, the latter part of the queftion points out. To ferve God, for the promoting of his glory, and the edifying of his church. This then being the defign |