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houfe. Till this is done, and that in good earnest, the‍ Methodists will he no better.

Our religion is not deep, universal, uniform: but fuperficial, partial, uneven. It will be fo till we spend half as much time in this vifiting, as we now do in talking ufelefsly. Can we find a better method of doing this than Mr. Baxter's? If not, let us adopt it without delay. His whole tract, entitled, Gildas Salvianus, is well worth a careful perufal. Speaking of this vifiting from houfe to houfe, he fays (p. 351.)

"We fhall find many hindrances, both in ourfelves and the people.

1. In ourselves, there is much dulnefs and laziness, fo that there will be much ado to get us to be faithful in the work.

2. We have a base, man-pleafing temper, fo that we let men perish rather than lose their love: we let them go quietly to hell, left we fhould offend them.

3. Some of us have alfo a foolish bafhfulness. We know not how to begin, and blush to contradict the devil.

4. But the greatest hindrance is weaknefs of faith. Our whole motion is weak, because the fpring of it is weak.

5. Laftly, we are unskilful in the work. How few know how to deal with men, fo as to get within them, and fuit all our difcourfe to their feveral conditions and tempers: To choose the fitteft fubjects, and follow them with a holy mixture of feriousness, terror, love, and meeknefs?"

But undoubtedly this private application is implied in those folemn words of the apoftle, I charge thee before God and the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fall judge the quick and dead at his appearing, preach the word; be inftant in feafon, out of feafon: Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-fuffering.

O brethren, if we could but fet this work on foot in all our focieties, and profecute it ze loufly, what glory would redound to God! If the common lukewarmnefs

were banished, and every shop and every houfe bufied in fpeaking of the word and works of God; furely God would dwell in our habitations, and make us his delight.

And this is abfolutely neceffary to the welfare of our people, fome of whom neither repent nor believe to this day. Look round, and fee how many of them are still in apparent danger of damnation. And how can you walk, and talk, and be merry with fuch people, when you know their cafe? Methinks when you look them in the face, you should break forth into tears, as the prophet did when he looked upon Hazael, and then fet on them with the most vehement exhortations. O, for God's fake, and the fake of poor fouls, beftir yourselves, and spare no pains that may conduce to their falvation!

What cause have we to bleed before the Lord this day, that we have fo long neglected this good work! If we had but engaged in it fooner, how many more might have been brought to Chrift? And how much holier and happier might we have made our focieties before now? And why might we not have done it fooner? There were many hindrances: And fo there always will be. But the greatest hindrance was in ourselves, in our littleness of faith and love.

But it is objected, I. "This will take up fo much time, we shall not have leifure to follow our ftudies."

We anfwer, 1. Gaining knowledge is a good thing, but faving fouls is a better. 2. By this very thing you will gain the most excellent knowledge, that of God and eternity. 3. You will have time for gaining other knowledge too. Only fleep not more than you need: "and never be idle, or triflingly employed." But, 4. If you can do but one, let your ftudies alone. We ought to throw by all the libraries in the world, rather than be guilty of the lofs of one foul.

It is objected, II. "The people will not fubmit to it." If fome will not, others will. And the fuccefs with them, will repay all your labour. O let us herein. follow the example of St Paul. 1. For our general bu finefs, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind: 2. Our

fpecial work, Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock: 3. Our doctrine, Repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift: 4. The place, I have taught you publicly, and from houfe to houfe: 5. The object and manner of teaching, I ceafed not to warn every one, night and day, with tears: 6. His innocence and felf-denial herein, I have coveted no man's filver or gold: 7. His patience, Neither count I my life dear unto myself. And among all other motives, let these be ever before our eyes: 1. The church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 2. Grievous wolves fhall enter in: yea, of yourselves fhall men arise, speaking perverfe things. Write this upon your hearts, and it will do good than twenty years ftudy. Then you will have no time to fpare: You will have work enough. Then likewife no preacher will stay with us who is as falt that has loft its favour. For to fuch this employment would be mere drudgery. And in order to it, you will have need of all the the knowledge you can procure, and grace you can attain.

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The fum is, Go into every house in course, and teach every one therein, young and old, to be chriftians inwardly and outwardly; make every particular plain to their understandings; fix it in their minds; write it on their hearts. In order to this, there must be line upon line, precept upon precept. What patience, what love, what knowledge is requifite for this! We muft needs do this, were it only to avoid idlenefs. Do we not loiter away many hours in every week? Each try himself: No idleness is confiftent with a growth in grace. Nay, without exactness in redeeming time, you cannot retain the grace you received in juftification.

Queft. 2. Why are we not more holy, why do we not live in eternity? Walk with God all the day long? Why are we not all devoted to God? Breathing the whole fpirit of miffionaries?

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Anfw. Chiefly because we are enthusiasts; looking for the end without úfing the means. To touch only upon two or three inftances: Who of you rifes at four

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Or
Or even at five, when he does not preach? Do you know
the obligation and benefit of fafting or abftinence?
How often do you practise it? The neglect of this alone
is fufficient to account for our feeblenefs and faintnefs
of fpirit. We are continually grieving the Holy Spirit
of God by the habitual neglect of a plain duty. Let

us amend from this hour.

Queft. 3. How fhall we guard against fabbath-breaking, evil-fpeaking, unprofitable converfation, lightness, expenfiveness or gaiety of apparel, and contracting debts without due care to discharge them?

Anfw. 1. Let us preach exprefsly on each of these heads. 2. Read in every fociety the fermon on evilfpeaking. 3. Let the leaders clofely examine and exhort every perfon to put away the accurfed thing. 4. Let the preachers warn every fociety, that none who is guilty herein, can remain with us. 5. Extirpate buying or felling goods which have not paid the duty laid upon them by government, out of every fociety. Let none remain with us who will not totally abftain from this evil in every kind and degree. Extirpate bribery, receiving any thing directly or indirectly, for voting at any election. Shew no refpect to perfons herein, but expel all that touch the accurfed thing. And ftrongly advife our people to discountenance all treats given by candidates before or at elections, and not to be partakers in any respect of fuch iniquitous practices.

Queft. 4. What shall we do to prevent scandal, when any of our members fail in bufinefs, or contract debts which they are not able to pay?

Anfw. Let him who has the charge of the circuit, defire two or three judicious members of the fociety to infpect the accounts of the fuppofed delinquent; and if he has behaved difhoneftly, or borrowed money without a probability of paying, let him be expelled.

NOTE S.

We need not enlarge on the great duty of vifiting from houfe to houfe. The fection fo far explains itself, and is full of the

moft pathetic exhortation. We will, therefore, only make a few brief obfervations, and proceed.

In the plantations, which make the chief part of these states, and in which, of course, the chief part of our focieties refide, the preachers cannot vifit many of our competent families in a day. But they may almost daily vifit many of the poor-many of those who most want their help. Various difagreeable circumstances arifing from the inattention of the poor to cleanliness, &c. may attend our zealous obfervance of the directions given in this fection on the prefent fubject, as far as it refpects them. But where is our zeal for God, where our crucifixion to the world, where our regard for fouls, if fuch considerations move us in the leaft? Our Lord gives it as one grand proof of his being the Meffiah, that "the poor have the gofpel preached to them," Matt. xi. 5. O then, if we love Chrift, if we wish to be his ministers and difciples, let us not forget the poor. We have but little filver or gold to offer them; but we have what is infinitely more precious, even grace, pardon, holinefs, Chrift, heaven. Let us, therefore, labour at least as much in the houses of the poor as of the rich or competent: and this we certainly shall, if we be not interested by carnal or temporal motives-if we breathe the true fpirit of miffionaries.

The following texts of Scripture are applicable to the duties enforced, or the fins condemned, in this fection.

1. On the relative duties. Ephef. vi. 4. Te fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. See alfo Col. iii. 21. Ver. 20. Chil dren, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleafing unto the Lord. See alfo Ephef. vi. I. Col. iii. 19. Hufbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. See also Ephes. v. 25-31. Ver. 22. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own hufbands, as unto the Lord. See alfo Col. iii. 18. Col. iv. I. Mafters, give unto your fervants that which is juft and equal, knowing that ye alfo have a Master in heaven. See alfo Ephef. vi. 9. Col. i. 22. Servants, obey, in all things, your maffers, according to the flesh, not with eye-fervice, as men-pleafers; but in fingleness of heart, fearing God. See alfo Ephef. vi. 6.

2. On the obfervance of the fabbath. Gen. ii. 3. God bleffed the feventh day, and fanctified it. Exod. xx. 10, II. But the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God.-Wherefore the Lord blessed the fabbath-day, and hallowed it. xxiii. 12. On the seventh day thou shalt reft. Numb. xv. 32-35. They found a man that gathered fticks on the fabbath-day.- -And the Lord faid unto Mofes, The man fhall be furely put to death. See also Neh. xiii. 15--22. Ifai. lviii. 13, 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the fabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable,

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