The ARCHBISHOP being hindered by Illnefs from Vifiting them in Person.

REVEREND BRETHREN,

:

T having pleafed God that I should live to come amongst you a fecond time, I think it my duty to proceed with the fame kind of exhortations, which I gave you at firft. For though many subjects of inftruction might be proper, there is a peculiar propriety in those, which relate more immediately to your conduct and though I might very juftly give you, in general, praise instead of advice, yet they who deserve the moft of the former, will be moft defirous of the latter, knowing how much need of it the beft of us have. And I hope the freedoms which I shall take with you in this respect, will the rather be pardoned, as I both permit and intreat you to ufe the fame with me, when occafion requires it; being fin

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cerely difpofed, if I know myself, to fet you an example of docility.

I began with your obligation to refidence; and the appointment of curates, either to fupply your abfence when you could not refide, or to affift you when the work was too heavy for And then I entered a little into the common you. duties of incumbents and curates, in which I fhall now make fome further progrefs: more folicitous about the importance of directions, than the accuracy of method; and using no other apology, if I fhould happen to repeat what I have given you in charge already, than that of the apostle: To say the fame things, to me is not grievous, and for you it is fafe *.

The fame apostle's admonition to Timothy is, Take heed unto thyself, and to thy doctrinet. The main point is what he begins with, the care of our temper and behaviour. For without that, our preaching will feldom be fuch as it ought, and scarce ever bring forth its proper fruits. Now, a Christian temper confists of various parts; but the first impreffion, which a genuine faith in the gospel makes on the foul, and the ruling principle, which it fixes there, is a deep fenfe of love to God and our fellow-creatures, producing an earnest defire, that we and they may be for ever happy in his prefence. Whoever therefore is deftitute of this feeling, ought not, though free from grofs vices, to become a clergyman: and without obtaining it from the giver of all good things by fervent prayer, no man is qualified to fill the place of one. For notwithstanding that he may preferve fome form of godliness, without which he would be mischievous and fhocking in the highest degree: yet, not having the reality and power thereof, he muft profefs, and feemingly attempt, to make others what he is far from being himself. Confequently his endeavours out of the pulpit will be infrequent, reluctant, faint: and in it they will at best be unnatural and ungraceful, whatever pains he may take in his compofitions, or whatever vehemence he may affect in his delivery. Hence he will be diffatisfied within, detected and difesteemed by the judicious part of his hearers, and of little use to the reft, if he is not even hurtful by misleading them. Or whatever his cafe may be amongst men, his inward want of the piety, which he outwardly pretends to, must render him

Phil. ii. I. † 1 Tim. iv. 16.

‡ 2 Tim. iii.

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uncommonly guilty in the fight of God. 1 fhould have need to enlarge on such a dience.

Heaven forbid, that character in this au

But have we not most of us cause to apprehend, that our religious principles, though fincere, are not sufficiently exerted; and therefore produce not the fruit, which they might? Do we not rather take it for granted, that we approve ourfelves to be duly in earnest, than find, on impartial examination that we do? No man should rafhly say or furmife this of another; but every one fhould fearch home into it for himfelf. And we should attentively read the scriptures, and the treatifes written by wife and good men concerning the duties' of God's minifters; to fee if we are fuch as they describe, and ftir up ourfelves to become fuch as we ought.

Good inclinations, thus excited, will not fail, through the afsistance of divine grace, of directing us into a fuitable conduct. And were a man, who confeffedly means well, to overdo a little sometimes, the rightness of his intention would plead his excuse very ftrongly. However we should carefully avoid extremes, even on the better fide; not give uncommanded demonstrations of our Christian zeal, when they will probably serve no good purpose, and be deemed oftentation, or turned into ridicule, or provoke ill humour; but restrain, according as times and places and company may require, the fentiments which elfe we could be glad to utter. Only we must do this in such a manner, as not to tempt the most rigid profeffor of religion to imagine, or the most profligate enemy of it to fuggeft, that we have little or none: but show our concern for it on every fit occafion, with full as much diligence, as we decline unfit ones. And here, I conceive, it is, that we of the clergy are chicfly apt to fail. We do not always appear in the common intercourses of life, fufficiently penetrated with the importance of our function, or fufficiently affiduous to promote the ends of our mission.

Too poffibly a great part of our people may like the lukewarm amongst us the better for resembling themselves, and giving them no uneafinefs on comparison, but feeming to authorise their indifference. But then, fuch of us can do them no good. Our example can teach them nothing beyond a little decent regularity, in which they will fancy they need not quite

quite come up tojus either. Our fermons, and reading of prayers, they will confider only as matters of form; and finding in us hardly any thing at other times, of what we exprefs at these, they will prefume, that our inward regard to it is not very great, and that they are not bound to have more, Therefore if they are pleafed with us, if they esteem us, while they continue to be of this turn, it must be for fomething foreign from our office, fomething of a middle, or it may be a blameable nature, not as teachers of the gofpel: a character which they take us to lay afide as much as we well can. And fo the better they think of us, the more lightly they will think of our ministry; till at length they join with those avowed infidels, who boldly affirm, though often against their own confciences, that we believe not what we preach, else it would have more influence upon us.

Then, at the fame time, the right difpofitions of well inclined perfons will languifh and decay, for want of that countenance and affiftance in ferious piety, which they should receive from their pastors. For if the tokens of our piety be confined to the church, they will be of little service either out of it, or in it. Or if some good people fuffer no harm themfelves from our defects, they will fee with great forrow, that others do; all of them will be much readier to think the clerical order in general careless and light, if those are so of whom they fee moft: their ears will be open to the invectives, which artful or heated men are daily pouring forth against us; they will eafily be led to undervalue and mifconftrue the beft inftructions of thofe, with whom they are disgufted; and run after any teachers, who have the powerful recommendation, for it will always, and no wonder, be a very powerful one, of feeming more in earnest. The irregularities and divifions which have prevailed fo lamentably in our church of late, are greatly owing to an opinion, that we are usually indifferent about vital inward religion. It is true, the spreaders of this imputation, which hath been monftruoufly exaggerated, will have much to answer for: but fo fhall we alfo, unless we take the only way to filence it, by cutting off hereafter all cccafion for it.

Now, the firft neceffary ftep to feem good is to be fo; for mere pretence will be feen through; and the next is, to let your

light

light shine before men*, in the faithful and laborious exercife of your function. Living amongst your parishioners, or as near them as may be: inquiring frequently and perfonally concerning the welfare and behaviour of thofe, with whom you cannot be statedly prefent; reverent and judicious reading of the prayers and leffons in your churches, inftructive and affecting fermons delivered with difcreet warmth, readiness to take extraordinary pains for the occafional affiftance of your brethren, diligence in forming the youth to a sense of their Christian duty, in bringing your people to the holy communion, and where it can be, to week-day prayers: all these things will tend very much both to your usefulness and your credit. Relieving or obtaining relief for fuch as are diftreffed in their circumftances: hearing your people willingly and patiently, though perhaps low in rank or weak in understanding, when they would confult you upon any difficulty, and anfwering them with confideration and tenderness: difpofing them to be vifited when fick, praying by them with fervency, exhorting and comforting them with fidelity, compaffion and prudence; and reminding then ftrongly, yet mildly, after their recovery, of their good thoughts and purposes during their illnefs; will be further proofs, very beneficial and very engaging ones, of your feriousness: which however you must complete by going through every other office of religion with dignity. I will specify two.

One is that of baptism: which, especially when administered in private houses without neceffity, is too often treated, even during the adminiftration, rather as an idle ceremony than a Christian facrament: or however that be, is commonly close followed by very unfuitable, if not otherwise alfo indecent, levity and jollity. Now in thefe circumftances it is highly requifite, that the minister fhould, by a due mixture of gravity and judgment, fupport the folemnity of the ordinance; and either prevent improprieties in the fequel, or if it be doubtful whether he can, excufe himself, with a civil intimation of the unfitnefs of them, from being prefent. The other inftance is, that of faying grace over our daily food: which many, if not moft, of the laiety have, with a profaneness more than heathenifh, laid afide: and I am forry to add, that fome

* Matth. v. 16.

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