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2. The preachers fhould tell each other in the spirit of love and meekness, and at the fame time with humble boldness, all they think and all they fear of each other, in refpect to every thing of confequence, particularly in regard to the fpiritual life, the practice of devotion, and spiritual converfation." "Faithful are the wounds of a friend," fays Solomon, Prov. xxvii. 6.

3. Ministers of the gospel should be eminently attentive to all the means of grace, particularly private prayer. We do rejoice that our ministers are examples to the flock in this refpect. When in the mountains and wildernesses they have no chamber to themfelves, they will retire into the woods and other folitary places, and spend much of their time in that moft ufeful exercise. O that we may continue to preferve this spirit and practice! "Thou, when thou prayeft," fays Christ, "enter into thy clofet: and, when thou haft fhut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret; and thy Father which feeth in fecret, fhall reward thee openly," Matt. vi. 6. We should also in the families, where we from time to time refide, be examples to all. The whole world is compofed of families. A travelling preacher may bring as mány, fouls to glory by his fidelity in the families which he vifits, as by his public preaching. See the 15th fection of this chapter.

4. Preachers of the gospel fhould be much converfant in the Scriptures. They should never be without a bible. That inva luable book is like the ftarry heavens on a clear night: caft your eyes on any given part, and some bright stars will immediately ftrike your fight; but the more you gaze, the more ftars will appear to your view. It is an inexhauftible mine of the richest treasures. The more infidels defpife and oppofe it, the more fhould we love, study, and defend it. It is reproachful to fee a minifter of God lounging away his time, when the word of truth and falvation is within his reach. "I love thy commandments," fays the pfalmift, " above gold, yea, above fine gold," Pfalm cix, 127. My foul hath kept thy teftimonies and I love them exceedingly, ver. 167. " and thy law is my delight," ver. 174.

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5. Whenever we have opportunity to eat of the bread and drink of the cup of the Lord, we should not only as far as poffi ble make it á bleffing to others, but alfo to ourselves. See the texts quoted in the notes on the 16th and 18th articles of religi

en.

6. The duty of fafting is strongly recommended in the facred writings. That or abftinence frequently observed, is highly neceffary for the divine life. Pf. xxxv. 13. "I humbled my foul with fafting." Ixix. 10. "When I wept and chaftened my foul with fafting." cix. 24. My knees are weak through fafting." Dan. ix. 3." I fet my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and fupplications, with fafting," Joel ii. 12. "Turn ye crem

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unto me with all your heart, and with fafting, and with weeping, and with mourning.' Matt. vi. 16-18." When ye faft, be not as the hypocrites.But thou, when thou fafteft, anoint thine head, &c.—that thou appear not unto men to faft, but unto thy Father, which is in fecret, &c." Matt. xvii. 14-21. "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fafting." See alfo Mark ix. 29. Luke ii. 37. “ She [Anna] ferved God with faftings, and prayers night and day." Acts x. 30." Four days ago I [Cornelius] was fafting until this hour, &c." 1 Cor. vii. 5. "That ye may give yourselves to fafting and prayer."2 Cor. vi. 5. "In watchings, iu faftings." xi. 27. " in hunger and thirst, in faftings often."

7. How awful are those words of our Lord," By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou fhalt be condemnes ed," Matt. xii. 37. When the converfation is always "feafoned with falt," you will never lose a day: your whole life will be a conftant bleffing to all around you: only let your converfation be as it becometh the gofpel of Chrift," Phil. i. 27.

8. What lives fhould they live, who bear the facred name of chriftian, and especially of chriftian minifter. The infidels themfelves, in general, will acknowledge the excellence of the chriftian morality. But where fay they is the man who comes up to the model? They know him not, because to the poor the gospel is preached. They despise the poor and the minifters of the poor. O that the fcreen of formalifm and hypocrify was but removed, that the church of God might become the city fet upon a hill ! And it shall be removed. The Lord Jefus has already given the outward court to be trodden under foot by the gentiles; and the whole temple of God shall foon be cleansed, and Ifrael fhall dwell alone. How foon would this be brought about, if all the minifters of the gofpel did but anfwer the model, "by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghoft, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left!" 2 Cor. vi. 6, 7.

9. Methodist preachers fhould love every part of their duty. It is love alone which can oil the wheels, and make them run in the paths of duty like the chariots of Aminidab. Where flavish fear is the bafe motive, all is mifery. But when we do every thing in the fpirit of love, when "the love of Christ constraineth us," all is delight. 2 Cor. v. 14.

10. A Methodist preacher has raifed up his standard, and de-. clared open war against the vices of the world. He must expect.

to be hated or despised by all men, except the children of God, and those who are feeking fo to be. This is his great advantage,. if he bear it with patience. The wall of contempt which furrounds him, preserves him from a thousand temptations to which

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other minifters are expofed. But he has a world within him far more dangerous," the luft of the eye, the luft of the flesh, and the pride of life," 1 John ii. 16. Every converted perfon knows his befetting fin; and this will attack him, and conquer him, among profeffors, among poffeffors of grace, yea, in the moft folitary place, unless he watches unto prayer. "Be not conformed "to this world," Rom. xii. 2. "Let us lay afide every weight, and the fin which doth so easily befet us," Heb. xii. 1.

Ir. The true minister of Chrift delights in the cross. His adorable Lord has confecrated it, and he takes it up with cheerfulness, and "follows the Lamb whitherfoever he goeth." The love of God in his heart makes bitter things fweet, and difficult things eafy. "He is temperate in all things." He eyes God in every thing, and "walks with God." God is the joy of his heart, and the delight of his eyes, and his all-fufficient portion. "Thou, God, feeft me," is written upon his inmoft foul. "Whether he eats or drinks, or whatsoever he doth, he doth it all to the glory of God," I Cor. x. 31. after me," fays Chrift, "let him deny cross, and follow me," Matt. xvi. 24. and Luke 9. 24.

"If any man will come himself, and take up his See also Mark viii. 34,

SECTION XIV.

Rules by which we should continue, or defift from, Preaching at any Place.

Quest. 1. places as we can, without forming any S it advisable for us to preach in as many I

focieties?

Anfw. By no means: We have made the trial in va rious places; and that for a confiderable time. But all the feed has fallen by the way-fide. There is scarce any fruit remaining.

Queft. 2. Where fhould we endeavour to preach moft?

Anfw. 1. Where there are the greatest number of quiet and willing hearers.

2. Where there is the most fruit.

Queft. 3. Ought we not diligently to obferve, in what places God is pleafed at any time to pour out his Spirit more abundantly?

Anfw. We ought: And at that time, to send more Tabourers than usual into that part of the harveft.

NOTE S.

1. The answer to the first question of this fection, given in Europe by Mr. Wefley, after long experience and extenfive trayels, is a proof of the importance of chriftian difcipline. Where the people defpife or neglect chriftian difcipline or fellowship, little or no good is ever done. It is indeed a proof that few in fuch cafes are awakened. The awakened foul is ready to embrace every affiftance, which the word of God recommends, and the circumftances of things will admit of. Mal. iii. 16-18. “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it; and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they fall be mine, faith the Lord of hofts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man fpareth his own fon that ferveth him. Then fhall ye re turn, and DISCERN between the righteous and the wicked; between him that ferveth God, and him that ferveth him not."

2. Our life is short. We muft not only do good, but the most in our power. As we fhould, on the one hand, prefer a small congregation to a large one, if the small one produces a company of precious fouls united in love to God and each other, whilft the large one affords none but those who live in the spirit of the world: fo, on the other hand, we should prefer the largest congregation with proportionable fruit to any other confideration. In fhort, nothing fhould, nothing will, influence the true minifter of Chrift but the glory of God, the falvation of fouls, crucifixion to the world and all things in it, and the life of God in the foul of man. Comfortable lodgings, agreeable food, or the tompany of perfons of improved minds, will never for a moment by bim be put into the balance. His fingle queftion at all times and in all places will be, "Where fhall I bring moft fouls to Jefus Chrift?** "Say not ye," obferves our Lord, "There are yet four months, and then cometh harveft? behold, I fay unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest," John iv. 35. That is the gospel-call for the labourer.

3. He will, therefore, above all things, attend to the out-pourings of grace. He will labour moft, where the Lord moft abundantly pours forth his Spirit. And this will be the conduct not ony of a fingle individual, but of general bodies of faithful minifters. Our yearly conferences conftantly take this point into confideration. The ftationing of the preachers is in the epifco

pacy; but the determination of the number of preachers to be Tent to a circuit is in the yearly conference; with powers invested in the epifcopacy and prefiding-eldership to meet the openings of grace and Providence in the intervals of the conference. We muft in all things follow, and not run before the Lord. It is a great thing to study the will of God in his word and providence unitedly confidered. "I will tarry at Ephefus until Pentecoft," fays St. Paul; " for a great and effectual door is opened unto me, and there are many adverfaries." However numerous or great his oppofers may be, the true minifter of Chrift improves the gracious opportunity God is pleased to put into his hands, with thankfulness and zeal,

SECTION XV.

Of vifiting from Houfe to Houfe, guarding against thofe Sins that are fo common to Profeffors, and enforcing Practical Religion.

Quest. 1.

How can we further affist those under

our care?

Anfw. By inftructing them at their own houfes. What unfpeakable need is there of this! The world fays, "The Methodists are no better than other people." This is not true in the general: But, 1. Perfonal religion, either toward God or man, is too fuperficial amongst us. We can but just touch on a few particulars. How little faith is there among us? How little communion with God? How little living in heaven, walking in eternity, deadness to every creature? How much love of the world? Defire of pleafure, of eafe, of getting money? How little brotherly love? What continual judging one another? What goffipping, evil-fpeaking, tale-bearing? What want of moral honefty? To inftance only one particular;-who does as he would be done by, in buying and felling?

2. Family religion is wanting in many branches. And what avails public preaching alone, though we could preach like angels? We muft, yea, every travelling preacher muft inftruct the people from house to

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