fyria, but did he afk counsel of God as king of Judah? Or was he attended to the war with fuch forces only as the king of Judah might lawfully ufe? That he had chariots and horfemen, appears plainly from the account of his death, 2 Chron. xxxv. 24: for he was wounded in one chariot, removed into another to be carried off; and it is very probable that there were chariots and horsemen many in his army, fince there appears no fcruple in him upon this head. That this was the true, or the only cause of his misfortune, I dare not affirm; for I have no express authority to fupport me in affirming it: but this I fee, that he was found in the day of battle, not with the equipage of a king of Judah, but furrounded with forces, which the law of his God had forbid him to truft to, and which had often proved a ftrength fatal to his ancestors.

U

A

CHARGE

DELIVERED TO

THE CLERGY,

AT

A VISITATION

HELD FOR

THE DIOCESE OF LONDON,

IN THE YEAR MDCCLIX.

A CHARGE &c.

MY REVEREND BRETHREN,

THE relation I bear to you makes it neceffary for me on this occafion to remind you, though of yourfelves, I truft, not unmindful, of the duty incumbent on you as minifters of the Gospel of Christ.

To go through the feveral parts of the pastoral office would require more time than can be allowed for it at prefent: I fhall therefore confine myself to fuch particulars as feem, in the prefent circumftances of things, to require our more immediate attention.

The duties of the paftoral office are to be learned from the general rules and directions of the Gofpel, and the nature of the office, as there defcribed; and in the exercise of these duties we must govern ourfelves by the particular laws and conftitutions of this Chriftian church and kingdom, of which we are members. These are the lights by which we must walk and I fhall confider the duties which fall within the compafs of my prefent defign, as they flow from the nature of your office, and the precepts of the Gospel, and as they are adjusted and enforced by the laws of this church and kingdom.

The first thing, and the only one I fhall now mention to you, is the obligation you are under to a con