rejoicings of the faithful, in special commemoration of the work of Redemption, and the happy condition of the Gospelchurch. I am as apprehensive of the necessity of Preaching as some others: but yet methinks, the solemn praises of God should take up much more of the Lord's-day than in most places they do. And methinks, they that are for the magnifying of Gospel-privileges, and for a life of love and heavenly joys, should be of my mind in this; and their worship should be Evangelical as well as their doctrine pretendeth to be.

4. Another part of the Ministerial work, is to have a special care and oversight of each member of the flock. The parts whereof are these that follow :

(1.) We must labour to be acquainted with the state of all our people as fully as we can; both to know the persons, and their inclinations and conversation; to know what are the sins that they are most in danger of, and what duties they neglect for the matter or manner, and what temptations they are most liable to. For if we know not the temperament or disease, we are likely to prove but unsuccessful physicians.

(2.) We must use all the means we can to instruct the ignorant in the matters of their salvation; by our own most plain familiar words; by giving, or lending, or otherwise helping them to books that are fit for them: by persuading them to learn catechisms; and those that cannot read, to get help of their neighbours; and to persuade their neighbours to afford them help, who have best opportunities thereto.

(3.) We must be ready to give advice to those that come to us with cases of Conscience, especially the great case which the Jews put to Peter, and the jailor to Paul and Silas, "What must we do to be saved?" A minister is not only for public preaching, but to be a known counsellor for their souls, as the lawyer is for their estates, and the physician for their bodies: so that each man that is in doubts and straits, should bring his case to him and desire resolution. Not that a minister should be troubled with every small matter, which judicious neighbours can give them advice in as well as he, no more than a lawyer or physician should be troubled for every trifle or familiar case, where others can tell them as much as they but as when their estate, or life is in danger they will go to these; so when their souls are in danger, they should go to ministers: as Nicodemus came to Christ, and

as was usual with the people to go to the priest, whose lips must preserve knowledge, and at whose mouth they must ask the law, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. And because the people are grown unacquainted with the office of the Ministry, and their own necessity and duty herein, it belongeth to us to acquaint them herewith, and to press them publicly to come to us for advice in such cases of great concernment to their souls. We must not only be willing of the trouble, but draw it upon ourselves by inviting them hereto. What abundance of good might we do, could we but bring our people to this! And doubtless much might be done in it, if we did our duty. How few have I ever heard that heartily pressed their people to their duty in this! A sad case, that people's souls should be so injured and hazarded, by the total neglect of so great a duty, and ministers scarcely ever tell them of it, and awaken them to it; were they but duly sensible of the need and weight of this, you would have them more frequently knocking at your doors, opening their cases to you, making their sad complaints, and begging your advice. I beseech you put them more on this for the future, and perform it carefully when they seek your help. To this end it is very necessary that we be acquainted with practical cases, and especially that we be acquainted with the nature of true grace, and able to assist them in trying their states, and resolve the main question that concerns their everlasting life or death. One word of seasonable and prudent advice given by a minister to persons in necessity, hath done that good that many sermons would not have done.

(4.) We must also have a special eye upon Families, to see that they be well ordered, and the duties of each relation performed. The life of religion, and the welfare and glory of church and state, depending much on Family-government and duty. If we suffer the neglect of this, we undo all. What are we like to do ourselves to the reforming of a con gregation, if all the work be cast on us alone, and masters of families will let fall that necessary duty of their own, by which they are bound to help us! If any good be begun by the ministry in any soul in a family, a careless, prayerless, worldly family is almost sure to stifle it, or at least very much hinder it. Whereas, if you could but get the rulers of families to do their part, and take up the work where you left it,

and help it on, what abundance of good might be done! I beseech you, therefore, do all that you can to promote this business, as ever you desire the true reformation and welfare of your parishes! To which end let these things following be performed :-[1.] Get certain information how each family is ordered, and how God is worshipped in them; that you may know how to proceed in your carefulness for their further good. [2.] Go now and then among them when they are like to be most at leisure, and ask the master of the family whether he pray with them, or read the Scriptures, or what he doth? And labour to convince the neglecters of their sin. And if you have opportunity, pray with them before you go, and give them an example, what you would have them do, and how; and get a promise of them that they will be more conscientious therein for the future. [3.] If you find any unable to pray in tolerable expressions, through ignorance and disuse, persuade them to study their own wants, and get their hearts affected with them, and so go often to those neighbours who use to pray, that they may learn, and in the meantime persuade them to use a form of prayer rather than none. Only tell them, that it is their sin and shame that they have lived so negligently, as to be now so unacquainted with their own necessities, and not know how to speak to God in prayer, when every beggar can find words to ask an alms; and therefore tell them that this form is but for necessity, as a crutch to a cripple, while they cannot do as well without it: but they must not resolve to take up there, but to learn to do better as soon as they can, seeing prayer should come from the feeling of the heart, and be varied both according to our necessities and observations. Yet it is necessary for most of those that have not been brought up where prayer hath been used, that they begin at first with a form, because they will else be able to do nothing at all, and in sense of their disability will wholly neglect the duty, though they desire to perform it. For many persons can mutter out some honest requests in secret, that be not able before others to speak tolerable sense. And I will not be one of them that had rather the duty were wholly neglected, or profaned and made contemptible, than encourage them to the use of a form, either recited by memory or read. [4.] See that they have some profitable, moving book (beside

the Bible) in each family: if they have not, persuade them to buy some of small price, and great use; such as Mr. Whately's "New-Birth," and Dod on the Commandments, or some smaller, moving Sermons. If they be not able to buy them, give them some if you can: if you cannot, get some gentlemen, or other rich persons that are willing to good works to do it; and engage them to read them at night when they have leisure, and especially on the Lord's-day. [5.] By all means persuade them to procure all their children to learn to read English. [6.] Direct them how to spend the Lord's-day; how to dispatch their worldly businesses, so as to prevent incumbrances and distractions; and when they have been at the assembly, how to spend the time in their families. The life of religion lieth much on this, because poor people have no other free considerable time; and therefore if they lose this, they lose all, and will remain ignorant and brutish. Especially, persuade them to these two things: If they cannot repeat the sermon, or otherwise spend the time profitably at home, that they take their family with them, and go to some godly neighbour that spends it better, that by joining with them they may have the better help: That the master of the family will every Lord's-day at night, cause all his family to repeat the Catechism to him, and give him some account of what they have learned in public that day. [7.] If there be any in the family that are known to be unruly, give the ruler a special charge concerning them, and make them understand what a sin it is to connive at, and tolerate them. Neglect not therefore this necessary part of your work. Get masters of families to their duties, and they will spare you a great deal of labour with the rest, or further much the success of your labours. If a captain can get his lieutenant, cornet, and other inferior officers to their duties, he may rule the soldiers with less trouble, than if all should lie upon his hands alone. You are likely to see no general reformation till you procure family-reformation. Some little. obscure religion there may be in here and there one; but while it sticks in single persons, and is not promoted by these societies, it doth not prosper, nor promise much for future increase.

(5.) Another part of the work of our private oversight consisteth in a vigilant opposing of seducers, and seeking to prevent the infection of our flock, and speedy reclaiming

those that begin to itch after strange teachers, and turn into crooked paths. When we hear of any one that lies under the influence of their temptations, or that is already deceived by them, we must speedily with all our skill and diligence make out for their relief. The means I shall shew in the Directions in the end.

(6.) Another part of this oversight lieth in the due encouragement of those that are humble, upright, obedient Christians, and profit by our teaching, and are an honour to their profession. We must in the eyes of all the flock put some difference between them and the rest by our praises, and more special familiarity, and other testimonies of our approbation, and rejoicing over them; that so we may both encourage them, and incite others to imitate them. God's graces are amiable and honourable in all, even in the poorest of the flock, as well as in pastors; and the smallest degrees must be cherished and encouraged; but the highest more openly honoured and propounded to imitation. They that have slighted or vilified the most gracious, because they were of the laity, while they claimed to themselves the honour of the clergy, though adorned with little or none of that grace, as they shewed themselves to be proud and carnal, so did they take the next way to debase themselves by self-exaltation, and to bring the office itself into contempt. For if there be no honour due to the real sanctity of a Christian, much less to the relative sanctity of a pastor: and he that vilifieth the person, cannot well plead for the honouring of robes and empty titles: nor can he expect that his people should give him the honour of a pastor, if he will not give them the love and honour that is due to Christians, and the members of Christ. As the orator said to Domitius, Cur ego te habeam ut principem, cum tu me non habeas ut senatorem.' It was an unchristian course therefore, which our late Prelates and their agents took, who discountenanced none so much as the most godly, whom they should have rejoiced in, and encouraged; and made them not only the common scorn, but also the objects of their persecuting rage, as if they had fed their flock for the butcher, and called them out for suffering as they came to maturity. This vilifying and persecuting the most diligent of the flock, was neither the note of Christian shepherds, nor the way to be so esteemed. As Jerom saith, " Quid de Episcopis, qui verberibus timeri