are haftened by you to perdition. If you had chofen fome other calling, and only had finned by yourselves, and perished alone, it had not been fo neceffary to moleft you; but if you will enter into an office which is for the neceffary prefervation of us all, fo that by letting you alone in your fins we must give up the church to apparent hazard, do not blame us if we talk to you more freely than you would have us to do. There is no bearing with your remiffness. How much foever it may displease you, take it how you will, you must be told of it; and if that will not do, you must be told of it more closely still.-If you have fo much greater business that you cannot ordinarily have time to do the minifterial work, you should not undertake the office; for ministers are men feparated to the Gospel of Christ, ' and must give themselves WHOLLY to these things. To the LA Y-READER. I dare not let this work come into your hands, without a word of caution and advice, left you should misunderstand, or mifapply it. 1. Do not entertain any unworthy thoughts of your paftors, because we here confefs our own fins, and aggravate them in order to our humiliation and reformation. You know that we are MEN and not angels, whom God has put into the office of your fpiritual guides; and you know that we are imperfect men. Papifts and others pretend to finless perfection, wв dare not do it, but confefs that we are finners.. And we fhould heartily rejoice to find the figns even of imper Let fect fect fincerity in them that make fo confident a pretence as this; nay, if in fome of them, we could find com❤ mon honesty, and a freedom from the crying abominations of the ungodly; fuch as cruelty, lying, flandering, &c. Yet fome of these people, because we confefs that we have finned in neglecting the work of the Lord, pretend to prove us deceivers from our own confeffion : whereas God faith, If we confefs our fins, he is faithful ' and juft to forgive us our fins; but that he that 'faith he hath no fin deceiveth himfelf, and the truth is not in him. For our parts, we believe that in many things we offend all.' We profefs to know but in part; to have our treafure in earthen veffels ;' and to be infufficient for these things [about which we are employed:] fee therefore that you love and imitate the holiness of your paftors [as far as you difcern it] but take not occafion of difefteeming or reproaching them for their infirmities. Beware of thofe (particularly the Papifts) whofe defign is to unfettle you in matters of religion, and, in order to it, to bring you firft to fufpect, and then to contemn and reject your teachers.- -Let me warn you, as you love your fouls, that you keep close to fcripture and a faithful Ministry. And let me tell you, that notwithftanding all those fins of ours which are here confeffed, the known world hath not a more able, faithful, godly miniftry than BRITAIN hath at this day. If at the Synod of DORT the "Clerus Anglicanus" was called the "Stupor mundi" (before all those ignorant and scandalous men were caft out) what may we call it Now? Brethren, : Brethren, let me deal freely with you. The ungrateful contempt of a faithful Miniftry, is the fhame of thousands in this land and if a thorough repentance prevent it not, they shall better know in Hell, whether fuch ministers were their friends or foes; and what they would have done for them if their counsel had been heard. [We are told concerning the Jews that] when 'they mocked the meffengers of God, and despised his words, and abufed his prophets, the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy** -Shall minifters ftudy, and preach, and 'pray for you, and fhall they be defpifed ?-When they have the God of heaven and their own confcience to witness that they defire not your's but you ;' that they are willing to fpend and be spent' for your fakes; that all the wealth in the world would not be regarded by them in comparison with your falvation; and that all their labours and fufferings, are for your welfare; if yet they fhall be requited with your contempt and fcorn, or dif. couraged by your unteachablenefs,-see who will prove the lofers in the end. When God himself fhall justify and commend them with a 'Well done good and faith ful fervant, let thofe that reproached, defpifed, and condemned them, defend their faces from fhame, and their confciences from the accufations of horrid ingratitude, if they can ! 2. Let me advise you to obey your faithful teachers, and improve their help for your falvation while you have it. Take heed that you refufe not to learn when they 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16, are are willing to teach. Particularly fee to it that you refuse not to submit to them in this duty of PRIVATE INSTRUCTION, which is more efpecially recommended in this treatise. Go to them when they defire you, and be thankful to them for their help and at other times, when you need their advice, go to them and afk it of your own accord. Their office is, to be your guides in the way to life. If you feek not their direction it feems you either despise falvation itself, or else are so proud as to think yourselves fufficient to be your own directors.-Shall God, in mercy, fend you leaders to guide you in the way to glory, and will you ftoutly fend them back, or refuse their affiftance, and fay, "We have no need of their direction ?"-Is it for their own cafe or profit that they trouble you, or is it not for your éverlafting gain? Remember what Chrift hath faid to his meffengers,' He that defpifeth you, despiseth me. If your obftinate refufal of their inftruction cause them to bear witness against you in Judgment, look you to it and answer it as you can. For my own part, I would not be then in your cafe, for all the world.-If you read this Book, remember that the duty which you find to belong to minifters, doth alfo fhew what belongs to YOURSELVES: for it cannot be our duty to teach and admonish, if it be not yours to hear and learn. * Luke x. 16. CON |