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attain to, is the Duty of every Child of God. I therefore tell you my own Experience, to perfuade you, that if you did but know what a joyful Thing it is, you would follow it Night and Day through the greatest Difcouragements.

§ 13. Up then, every Man that hath a Tongue, and is a Servant of Chrift, and do fomething of your Mafter's Work. Why hath he given you a Tongue, but to speak in his Service? And how can you ferve him more eminently, than in faving Souls? He that will pronounce you blessed at the last Day, and invite you to the Kingdom prepared for you, because you fed him, and cloathed him, and visited him, in his poor Members, will furely pronounce you bleffed for so great a Work as bringing Souls to his Kingdom. He that faith, the Poor you have always with you, hath left the Ungodly always with you, that you might fill have Matter to exercise your Charity upon.. If you have the Hearts of Chriflians, or of Men, let them yearn towards your ignorant, ungodly Neighbours. Say, as the Lepers of Samaria, We do not well; this Day is a Day of good Tidings, and we hold our Peace. Hath God had fo much Mercy on you, and will you have no Mercy on your poor Neighbours?

But as this Duty belongs to all Chriftians, fo especially to fome, according as God hath called them to it, or qualified them for it. To them therefore I will more particularly addrefs the Exhortation.

$14. God especially expects this Duty at your Hands, to whom he hath given more Learning and Knowledge, and endued with better Utterance, than your Neighbours. The Strong are made to help the Weak; and thofe that fee must direct the Blind. God looketh for this faithful Improvement of your Parts and Gifts, which, if you neglect, it were better you had never received them; for they will but aggravate your Condemna-"

tion,

tion, and be as useless to your own Salvation, as they

were to others.

§ 15. All thofe that are particularly acquainted with fome ungodly Men, and that have peculiar Intereft in them, God looks for this Duty at your Hands. Chrift himself did eat and drink with Publicans and Sinners; but it was only to be their Phyfician, and not their Companion. Who knows but God gave you Intereft in them to this End, that you might be the Means of their Recovery? They that will not regard the Words of a Stranger, may regard a Brother, or Sifter, or Husband, or Wife, or near Friend: Befides that the Bond of Friendship engageth you to more Kindness and Compaffion than ordinary.

$16. Phyficians, that are much about dying Men, fhould in a fpecial Manner make Confcience of this Duty. It is their peculiar Advantage, that they are at Hand; that they are with Men in Sickness and Dangers, when the Ear is more open, and the Heart lefs ftubborn than in Time of Health; and that Men look upon their Physician as a Perfon in whofe Hand is their Life; or at leaft, who may do much to fave them; and therefore they will the more regard his Advice. You that are of this honourable Profession, don't think this a Work befide your Calling, as if it belonged to none but Minifiers; except you think it befide your Calling to be compaffionate, or to be Christians. O help therefore to fit Patients for Heaven! And whether you fee they are for Life or Death, teach them both how to live and die, and give them fome Phyfick for their Souls, as you do for their Bodies. Bleffed be God, that very many of the chief Physicians of this Age have, by their eminent Piety, vindicated their Profeffion from the common Imputation of Atheism and Prophaneness.

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$17. Men of Wealth and Authority, and that have many Dependants, bave excellent Advantages for this Duty. O what a World of Good might Lords and Gentlemen do, if they had but Hearts to improve their Influence over others! Have you not all your Honour and Riches from God? Doth not Chrift fay, unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required? If you speak to your Dependants for God and their Souls, you may be regarded, when even a Minifter fhall be defpifed. As you value the Honour of God, your own Comfort, and the Salvation of Souls, improve your Influence over Tenants and Neighbours; vifit their Houfes; fee whether they worlhip God in their Families; and take all Opportunities to prefs them to their Duty. Defpife them not. Remember God is no Refpecter of Perfons. Let Men fee that you excel others in Piety, Compaffion, and Diligence in God's Work, as you do in the Riches and Honours of the World. I confefs you will by this Means be fingular, but then you will be fingular in Glory; for few of the Mighty and Noble are called.

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§ 18. As for the Minifters of the Gospel, it is the Work of their Calling, to help others to Heaven. Be fure to make it the main End of your Studies and Preaching. He is the able, fkilful Minifter, that is beft skilled in the Art of inftructing, convincing, perfuading, and confequently of winning Souls; and that is the best Sermon that is beft in thefe. When you feek not God, but yourfelves, God will make you the most contemptible of Men. It is true of your Reputation, what Chrift fays of your Life, He that loveth it, fhall lofe it. Let the Vigour of your Perfuafions Thew, that you are weighty a Bufinefs you are fent. Serioufnels and Fervour, as Men

fenfible on how Preach with that that believe their

own

own Doctrine, and that know their Hearers must be prevailed with, or be damned.—Think not that all your Work is in your Studies and Pulpit. You are Shepherds, and must know every Sheep, and what is their Disease, and mark their Strayings, and help to cure them and fetch them home. Learn of Paul, not only to teach your People publickly, but from Houfe to Houfe. Enquire how they grow in Knowledge and Holiness, and on what Grounds they build their Hopes of Salvation, and whether they walk uprightly, and perform the Dutics of their feveral Rela tions. See whether they worship God in their Fa milies, and teach them how to do it. Be familiar with them, that you may maintain your Intereft in them, and improve it all for God. Know of them how they profit by publick Teaching. If any too little favour the Things of the Spirit, let them be pitied, but not neglected. If any walk diforderly, recover them with Diligence and Patience. If they be ignorant, it may be your Fault, as much as theirs. Be

not asleep while the Wolf is waking.-Deal nst fightly with any. Some will not tell their People plainly of their Sins, because they are great Men; and fome, because they are godly; as if none but the Poor and the Wicked fhould be dealt plainly with.

-Yet labour to be skilful and difcreet, that the Manner may answer to the Excellency of the Matter. Every reasonable Soul hath both Judgment and Affection; and every rational, fpiritual Sermon, muft have both. Study and pray, and pray and ftudy, till you are become Workmen that need not be afhamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth; that your People may not be afhamed, nor weary in hearing you. Let your Converfation be teaching, as well as your Doctrine. Be as forward in a holy and heavenly Life, as you are in preffing others to it. Let your Difcourfe be edifying

and

and fpiritual. Suffer any Thing, 'rather than the Gofpel and Men's Souls fhould fuffer. Let Men see that you use not the Miniftry only for a Trade to live by; but that your Hearts are fet upon the Welfare of Souls. Whatfoever Meekness, Humility, Condefcention, or Self-denial you teach them from the Gospel, teach it them alfo by your undiffembled Example.Study and ftrive after Unity and Peace. If ever you would promote the Kingdom of Christ, and your People's Salvation, do it in a Way of Peace and Love. It is as hard a Thing to maintain in your People a found Understanding, a tender Confcience, a lively, gracious, heavenly Frame of Spirit, and an upright Life, amidst Contention, as to keep your Candle lighted in the greatest Storms. Blessed is that Servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.

$19. All you whom God hath intrufted with the Care of Children or Servants, I would alfo perfuade to this great Work of helping others to the heavenly Reft. --Confider, what plain and preffing Commands of God require this at your Hands. Thefe Words thou shalt teach diligently unto thy Children, and fhalt talk of them when thou fitteft in thine Houfe, and when thou walkeft by the Way, and when thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft up (i). Train up a Child in the Way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it (k). Bring up your Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord (1). Joshua refolved, that he and his House would ferve the Lord m). And God himfelf fays of Abraham, I know him, that he will command his Chil dren, and his Houfhold after him, and they hall keep the Way of the Lord (n). -Confider, it is a Duty you owe your Children in Point of Justice. From you they received

(i) Deut. vi. 6, 7. (m) Josh, xxiv, 15.

(k Prov. xxii. 6.
(n) Gen, xviii. 19.

(1) Ephef, vi. 4.

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