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ufe all the means in our power. And though the bible be infinitely preferable to all other books, yet we are, even on that very account, to fludy the writings of those spiritual and great divines, who have by their comments, effays, fermons, or other labours, explained the bible: otherwife, we ought not to attend the preaching of the gofpel; for what is that but an explanation and application of the great truths contained in the bible. He, therefore, who has the charge of the circuit, is to be diligent in the fale of thofe books, which, according to the judgment of our conferences and bifhops, are deemed profitable for the fouls of our people. St. Paul had need of books, otherwife he would not have carried them with him in his extensive travels. "The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comeft, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments, 2 Tim.

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iv. 13. And to minds which are influenced by the love of Cod and man, the confideration that the profit of thefe books is wholly applied to the work of God, will be a further inducement to them to purchase our books.

. It is neceffary that the yearly conference fhould have an exact account of the numbers in fociety, and of every thing material relating to cach circuit under its controul, otherwise it could not poffibly judge of the progrefs of the work, and the fidelity of the preachers: nor could the epifcopacy have otherwife fuch complete knowledge of every thing for the ftationing of the preachers. "Let all things be done," fays St. Paul," decently, and in order."

10. It is alfo neceffary, that the prefiding elder should receive regular details of the proceedings of those who have the overfight of circuits, that he himfelf may have fuch a clear knowledge of the fate of the district, as may enable him to fill up his important truft, and to give fuch information of his diftrict to the bishops, as may afford them a complete view of the. whole. Thus are many eyes opened upon the great work, and the wisdom of many united for the good of the whole. the multitude of counfellers," fays the wife man,” there is fafety."

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II. The people of our special charge want all the advice we can give them: and their stations and circumftances are so different, that the rule of meeting the men and women apart, and, when the fociety is large, and the time will admit of it, the married and fingle men apart, and the married and fingle women apart, has been attended with many bleffings. Mr. Wesley, from happy experience, confidered this as a very profitable means of grace,

* i. e. The books written on parchment, the art of printing not being known in thefe days.

Minifters of the gospel should think no labour lost, or means in vain, by which they may be enabled to give their whole flock their due fpiritual portion. "The Lord faid, Who then is that faithful and wife fteward, whom his Lord fhall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Bleffed is that fervant, whom his lord, when he cometh, fhall find fo doing. Of a truth I fay unto you, That he will make him ruler over all that he hath," Luke xii. 42-44.

12. As the public money fhould be applied with the greatest fidelity, the accounts fhould be examined with the ftricteft fcrutiny and, therefore, the preacher who has the charge of the cir cuit is to examine the ftewards' accounts, as a preparative to their being laid before the quarterly meeting: and this not cut of difrefpect to the ftewards, whom we highly efteem for their difinterested labours of love, but to prevent, as far as poffible, even any plausible pretence for fufpicion. "It is required in ftewards," fays the apoftle, " that a man be found faithful." No perfon of integrity (and fuch we have reafon to believe all our ftewards are, without exception) will object to this rule.

13 & 14. The quarterly collections in the claffes, &c. according to the abilities of our friends, are the chief support of the work.

15 & 16. One of the greatest charities upon earth is the raifing of buildings for public worship and the preaching of the gofpel. "How fhall they call on him," fays the apoftle, "in whom. they have not believed? and how fhall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how fhall they hear without a preacher? and how fhall they preach except they be fent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gofpel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things," Rom.. x. 14, 15. But the preachers who are fent of God, must have a place to affemble their hearers, otherwife they can but feldom deliver their meffage. Little good will be done, if they can have only the open air to preach in: because the Lord will not work unneceffary miracles. Where a few perfons, or many, have raifed a houfe for God, and continue to live to God themfelves, they will receive from the nature of diftributive juftice, a propor tionable fhare of the reward, for all the fouls faved in or by the means of that building and the ordinances adminiftered there, as long as the building lafts. And though no finite being could make the due diftribution in fo intricate a cafe, yet he who is infinite Wisdom can do it, and will do it, when he fits on his great white throne.. And the preacher who has the charge of the circuit will also have his fhare of the reward, by ufing all his influence, on fuch occafions, to fet on foot and recommend the new ceffary fubfcriptions and collections

We are now to give the reafons for the further directions give en in this fection to him who has the charge of the circuit.

I. A Catalogue of the members of the fociety in towns, is highly neceffaty to enable the preachers to perform the great duty of vifiting our people from houfe to houfe, But concerning this duty fee the 15th fection of this chapter.

2 & 3. If his fucceffor have not an exact account left him of the state of the circuit, it will be impoffible for him to be so extensively useful for a confiderable time as he otherwise might be. Every preacher should enter upon his work on the fairest ground, and with the completest view poflible of what was before him. "Behold," fays the prophet, speaking of the Meffiah, "his work is before him," Ifa. lxii. 11. And so should it be with every minifter of Chrift, in his measure and degree.

4. The fourth direction is exceedingly weighty. It makes the principal part of his office. But on the rules of the fociety we fhall fpeak largely, when we confider the 1ft fection of the 2d chapter.

5. He is alfo to regulate all the bands in his circuit. See chap. 2. fect. 3.

6. In every thing there must be order; though frequently what the world calls confufion, is order in the fight of God. However, the zeal of happy, pious fouls may carry them to many extremes, if not under proper restriction. "Let your moderation be known unto all men," Phil. iv. 5.

7. We are but one body of people, one grand fociety, whether in Europe or America; united in the clofeft fpiritual bonds, and in external bonds as far as the circumstances of things will admit. And as our numbers have increafed exceedingly both in Europe and America, it is neceffary we should be particularly cautious in receiving ftrangers into our fociety, under the pretext of their having been members in other places; as the one end of our whole p is to raise a boly people. On this account all our conferences throughout the world mutual y require, that every member of our fociety who changes his place of abode, fhall previously obtain a certificate from the preacher who has the charge of his circuit, who is most likely to be acquainted with his character, his own relations excepted; and that without fuch certificate he shall not be received into any other fociety. Even in the primitive church, St. Paul faw it neceffary to write to his Philipians, " Brethren, -Mark them which walk fo, as ye have us for an enfample. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Chrift," Phil. iii. 17, 18. How much more then is it our duty to use every precaution to preferve the purity of our church, in these days, when perfecution has ceafed, and it is the intereft of many to be united to a religious party. Nor is it fufficient for the per

fon removing to carry bis ticket with him, as he might have been expelled from our communion, and yet have preferved his ticket.

8. The 8th direction is of great moment, especially to profeffors of religion, that the gospel be not blamed-that the world may not have it in their power to accufe pure religion with making men careless or negligent of themfelves. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghoft which is in you, which ye have of God? and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your fpirit, which are God's," I Cor. vi. 19, 20.

9. We do nothing fecretly. We with the whole world to know every part of our economy, and more especially the rules of our fociety, fo neceffary for every member of it at least to be thoroughly acquainted with. We have alfo enacted this rule, that chriftian fellowship in general, and particularly that mode of christian communion which has proved fo beneficial to ourfelves and to myriads now in glory, may be ftrongly and repeatedly recommended to all who truly fear God. "Ye know," fays the apostle to the elders of the church of Ephefus, "how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you," Acts xx. 18-20. where the apoftle by the word you means the whole church, of whom the elders were the chief organs.

10. For chriftians to appeal to the judges of the world in mat ters of controverfy or litigation, is strongly cenfured by the word of God. "Dare any of you," fays the apoftle, " having a matter against another, go to law before the unjuft, and not before the faints? Do ye not know that the faints fhall judge the world? and if the world fhall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we fhall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, fet them to judge who are leaft efteemed in the church. I SPEAK TO YOUR SHAME. Is it fo that there is not a wife man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now, therefore, there is UTTERLY a fault among you, becaufe ye go to law one with another: why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather fuffer yourselves to be defrauded?" I Cor, vi. I-7. But as we would by no means wish that minifters of the gofpel fhould interfere as judges of fuch affairs, it is directed, that the preacher who has the oversight of the circuit fhall (after confulting the leaders and stewards, if agreeable to their advice) recom mend a feriptural arbitration to the contending parties: and as our rules declare that "Brother shall not go to law with brother," he fhall exclude that party which refuses so equitable a propofal. And we will take the liberty of adding, that where the contending parties are of two different religious focieties, the only chriftian

method we know of, on which they could proceed, would be for each of them to choose an arbiter out of his own fociety, and for those two to choose a third; or to proceed on fome fimilar plan.

II. The authority of appointing prayer-meetings will not, we think, be difputed by any. Many of our greatest revivals have been begun and chiefly carried on in our prayer-meetings. We wish that the utmost zeal might be manifefted by those who have the charge of circuits in the execution of this direction. The facred writer defcribing the effects of the day of Pentecoft, obferves, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the fame day there were added unto them about three thousand fols. And they continued ftedfaftly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers," Acts ii. 41, 42. There is no doubt but those words refer to focial worship. O that every family in our connection had occafionally a prayer-meeting at stated times for the benefit of their neighbours! There would be no danger of wanting perfons to pray: God would pour forth the spirit of grace and fupplication; and foon the flame of divine love would glow through every civilized part of this vast continent. The Lord haften the day!

12. Public fafts are to be appointed by him at the regular times, and he is of courfe to take care, that himself and his helpers not only fet the example, but alfo render those days peculiarly profitable by public meetings for the fervice of God. 2 Chron. xx. 3. Jehoshaphat-proclaimed a faft throughout all Judah. Ezra. viii. 21. Ezra proclaimed a faft at the river Ahava. Ifa. lviii. 3. In the day of your faft, you find pleasure. Jer. xxxvi. 9. They proclaimed a faft before the Lord to all the people in Jerufalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerufalem. Joel i. 14. Sanctify a faft, call an affembly: and ii. 15. Jonah iii. 5. The people of Ninevah believed God, and proclaimed a fall. Matt. ix. 15. Jefus faid unto them, can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come when the bridegroom fhall be: taken from them, and then shall they faft. See alio Mark ii. 18— 20. and Luke 33-35.

13. The whole organization of our church depends on an exact attention to all its diftinctions and orders. "I am with you: in the Spirit." fays St. Paul to his Coloffians, "joying and beholding your order," Col. ii. 5. The Lord wills that we fhould fight in his great caufe larvfully: "if a man alfo ftrive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully," 2 Tim. ii. 5. Therefore the church of God is compared to an army with ban ners Cant. vi. 4, "Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah; comely as Jerufalem; tertible as an army with banners." It has been,, we doubt not,, the close order and organization of our

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