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gation; and the ministers might here condescend to such expressions as might work most upon them, and yet not be so fit for a public congregation." I have read the following account of one, who was awakened by this advice to act accordingly: "At certain times he successively visited the schools. When he went to a school, he first offered a prayer for the children, as much adapted to their condition, as he could make it. Then he went through the catechism, or as much of it as he thought necessary; making the several children repeat the several answers: but he divided the questions, that every article in the answers might be understood by them; expecting them to answer, Yes, or no, to each of these divisions. He also put to them such questions, as would make them see and own their duties, and often express a resolution to perform them. Then he preached a short sermon to them, exceedingly plain, on some suitable Scripture, with all possible ingenuity and earnestness, in order to excite their attentive regard. After this, he singled out a number of scholars, perhaps eight or ten, and bid each of them turn to a certain Scripture, which he made them read to the whole school; giving them to see, by his brief remarks upon it, that it contained something which it particularly concerned children to take notice of. Then he concluded with a short prayer, for a blessing on the school and on the tutors.'

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While we are upon the subject of visiting, I would observe that you will not fail to visit the poor as well as the rich; and often mention the condition of the poor, in your conversation with the rich. Keep, sir, a list of them. Recollect that although the wind does not feed any one, yet

that it turns the mill which grinds the corn, the food of the poor. When conversing with the rich, you may do this for the poor who are on your list.

In visiting the poor, you will take occasion to dispense your alms among them. These alms, you will, with as much contrivance as possible, use as vehicles for conveying to them the admonitions of piety; yea, means and instruments of obtaining from them, some engagements to perform certain exercises of piety. All ministers are not alike furnished for alms, but all should be disposed for them. They that have small families, or large interests, ought to be shining examples of liberality to the poor, and pour down their alms upon them, like the showers of heaven. All should endeavour to do what they can in this way. What says Nazianzen of his reverend father's alms-deeds? They will find that the more they do (provided it be done with discretion) the more they are able to do; the loaves will multiply in the distribution. Sirs, this bounty of yours to the poor will procure a wonderful esteem and success to your ministry. "Suadet lingua, jubet vita." It will be an irrefragrable demonstration that you believe what you speak concerning all the duties of christianity, but particularly those of liberality, a faithful discharge of our stewardship, and a mind weaned from the love of this world: it will demonstrate your belief of a future state; it will vindicate you from the imputation of a worldly man: it will embolden and fortify you, when you call upon others to do good, and to abound in those sacrifices with which God is well-pleased. Et sic exempla parantur!

You will do well to keep a watchful eye on the disorders which may arise and increase in your

The troque puremates, the lif tronger

.

neighbourhood. Among other ways of suppressing these things, you may form societies for this purpose obtain a fit number of prudent, pious, welldisposed men, to associate with this intention, and employ their discretion and activity, for your assistance in these holy purposes.

One of the rules given for the minister is, "Give thyself to reading." Sirs, let Gregory's Pastoral, and Bowles' Pastor Evangelicus, form part of your reading. Also if you read Church History much, particularly the Prudentia Veteris Ecclesiæ, written by Vedelius, together with the lives of both ancient and modern divines, you will frequently find "methods to do good," exemplified. You will then consider how far you may 66 go and do

likewise."

How serviceable may ministers be, to one another, and to all the churches, in their several associations. Indeed, it is a pity that there should ever be the least occasional "meeting of ministers," without some useful thing proposed in it.

Nero took it very ill, that Vespasian slept at his music: it is very much to be wished that the sin of sleeping at sermons were more guarded against and reproved in your sleepy hearers; if indeed it is proper to call those hearers who miserably lose the good of your ministry, and perhaps, the good which you might have particularly designed for them. Will no vinegar help against the narcotics that Satan has given to your poor Eutychuses? or cannot you bring that civility into fashion among your hearers, to wake one another?

Finally, After all the generous essays and labours to do good that may fill your lives, your people will probably treat you with ingratitude. Your

salaries will be meaner than those at Geneva They will neglect you; they will oppress you; they will withhold from you what they have engaged, and you have expected. You have now one more opportunity to do good, and so to glorify your Saviour. Your patience, O ye tried servants of God, your patience will do it wonderfully! To "bear evil," is to "do good." The more patient you are under ill usage, the more you exhibit a glorious Christ to your people, in your conformity to your adorable Saviour. The more conformed you are to Him, the more prepared you are, perhaps, for some amendment in your condition in this world-most certainly for the rewards of the heavenly world, when you shall appear before the Lord, who says, "I know thy works and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience."

It was said of Ignatius," that he carried Christ about with him, in his heart:" and this I will say, if to represent a glorious Christ to the view, the love and the admiration of all people, be the grand intention of your life; if you are desirous to be a star to lead men to Christ; if you are exquisitely studious, that the holiness and yet the gentleness of a glorious Christ may shine in your conversation; if in your public discourses you do with rapture bring in the mention of a glorious Christ in every paragraph, and on every occasion where he is to be spoken of, and if in your private conversation you contrive to insinuate something of his glories and praises, wherever it may be decently introduced; finally, if when you find that a glorious Christ is the more considered and acknowledged by your means, it fills you with" joy unspeakable and full of glory," and you exclaim,

Lord, this is my desired happiness!" truly, you then live to good purpose-you" do good" emphatically!

There was a worthy minister, whom the great Cranmer designed for preferment, and he gave this reason of his design-" Nihil appetit, nihil ardet, nihil somniat, nisi Jesum Christum"." He seeks nothing, he longs for nothing, he dreams about nothing, but Jesus Christ." Verily, such "men of Christ" are men of God;" they are the favourites of heaven, and shall be favoured with opportunities to do good above any men in the world; they are the men whom the king of heaven will delight to honour, and they are the Gaons of christianity.

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If I reserve one thing to be mentioned after finally, it is because I doubt whether it ought to be mentioned at all. In some Reformed Churches they do not permit a minister of the Gospel to practice as a physician, because either of these callings is generally sufficient to employ him who faithfully follows it: but, the priests of old, who preserved in the archives of their temples the records of the cures which had been thankfully acknowledged there, communicated from thence directions for cures in similar cases among their neighbours. Nor has it been uncommon in later ages for clergymen to be physicians. Not only such monks as Aegidius Atheniensis and Constantius Afer, but bishops as Bochelt and Albicus, have appeared in that character. Thus Mr. Herbert advises that his Country minister" (or at least his wife) should be a kind of physician to the flock; and we have known many a country minister prove a great blessing to his flock by being such. If a minister attempt this, let him always make it a means of

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