Directions for the Right Managing of This Work

It is so happy a work which we have before us, that it is a thousand pities it should be destroyed in the birth, and perish in our hands. Though I know we have a knotty generation to deal with, and that it is past the power of any of us to change a carnal heart without the effectual grace of the Holy Ghost; yet it is so usual with God to work by means, and to bless the right endeavours of His servants, that I cannot fear but great things will be done, and a wonderful blow will be given to the kingdom of darkness by our work, if it do not miscarry through the fault of the ministers themselves. The chief danger is want of diligence and skill. Of the former I have spoken much already; as for the latter, I am so conscious of my Own uuskilfulness, that I am far from imagining that I am fit to give directions to any but the younger and inexperienced of the ministry; and therefore must expect so much justice in your interpretation, as that you will suppose me now to speak to none but such. But yet something I shall say, and not pass over this part in silence, because the number of such is so great, and I am so apprehensive that the welfare of the Church and nation doth much depend on the management and success of this work.

The points wherein you have need to be solicitous are these two: — 1. To bring your people to submit to this course of private instruction; for if they will not come near you, what good can they receive? 2. To do the work so as may most tend to the success of it, when they do come.

I. And for the first, the best directions that I can give are these following: —

1. The chief means of all is, for a minister so to behave himself in the main course of his ministry and life, as may tend to convince his people of his ability, sincerity, and unfeigned love to them; for if they take him to be ignorant, they will despise his teaching, and think themselves as wise as he. If they think him self-seeking, or hypocritical, and one that doth not mean as he saith, they will suspect all that he saith and doth for them, and will not regard him. If they think he intendeth but to domineer over their consciences, and to trouble and disgrace them, or merely to exercise their wit and memory, they will flee away from him as an adversary, and from his endeavours as hurtfal and disgusting. Whereas when they are convinced that he understandeth what he doth, and have high thoughts of his abilities, they will reverence him, and the more readily stoop to his addce. When they are persuaded of his uprightness, they will the less suspect his motions; and when they perceive that he intendeth no private ends of his own, but merely their good, they will the sooner be persuaded by him. Because those that I write to are supposed to be none of the most able ministers, and therefore may despair of being reverenced for their parts, I say to such — (1.) You have the more need to study and labour for their increase. (2.) You must necessarily have that which Amesiiis makes the lowest desrree tolerable — VIZ., to be ‘•’ supra vulgus fidelium;” and it will produce some reverence when they know you are wiser than themselves. (3.) And that which you want in ability, must be made up in other qualifications, and then your advice may be as successful as others.

If ministers are content to purchase an interest in their people at the dearest rates to their own flesh, and would condescend to them, and be familiar, and loving, and prudent in their carriage, and abound according to their ability in good works, they might do much more than usually they do. Not that we should much regard an interest in them for our own sakes; but that we may be more capable of promoting the interest of Christ, and of furtherino- their own salvation. Were it not for their own sakes, it were no great matt whether they love or hate us: but what commander can do any gTeat serdce by an army that hates him? And how can we think that they will much regard our counsel, while they abhor or disregard the persons that give it 1 Labour, therefore, for some competent interest in your people’s estimation and affection, and then you may the better prevail with them.

Object. “But what should a minister do that findeth he hath quite lost his interest with them?”

Ans. ]. If they be so vile a people that they hate him not for any weakness, nor through misreports about particular things, but merely for endeavouring their good, though in prudence as well as zeal, and would hate any other that should do his duty; then must he in patience and meekness continue to instruct those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth.

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But if it be upon any weaknesses of his, or difference in lesser opinions, or prejudice merely against his own person, let him try first to remove the prejudice by all lawful means; and if he cannot, let him teU them, “It is not for myself, but for you, that I labour: and therefore seeing that you will not obey the word from me, I desire that you will agree to accept of some other that may do you that good which I cannot:” and so leave them, and try whether another man may not be fitter for them, and he for another people. An ingenious man can hardly stay viith a people against their wills; and a sincere man can more hardly, for any interest of his own, remain in a place where he is likely to be unprofitable, to hinder the good which they might receive from another man, who hath the advantage of a greater interest in their estimation and affection.

2. Supposing, then, this general preparation; the next thing to be done is, to use the most effectual means to convince them of the benefit and necessity pf this course to their own souls. The way to win the consent of any man to anything that you offer, is to prove it to be good for him, and to do this by evidence that hath some fitness and proportion with his own understanding; for if you cannot make him believe that it is good or necessary for him, he wUl never receive it. You must therefore preach to them some plain and convincing sermons to this purpose beforehand, which shall fully shew them the benefit and necessity of the knowledge of divine truths in general, and of knowing the principles in special, and that the aged have the same dutv and need as others, and in some respects much more. Heb. v. 12, affordeth us many observations suitable to our present business. As, (1.) That God’s oracles must be man’s lessons. (2.) Ministers must teach these, and people must learn them. (3.) The oracles of God have some principles or fimdamentals, that all must know that will be saved. (4.) These principles must be first learned. (5.) It may be well expected that people thrive in knowledge according to the means or teaching which they possess; and if they do not, it is their sin. (6.) If any have lived long in the Church under the means of knowledge, and yet be ignorant of these first principles, they have need to be taught them yet, how old soever they may be. All this is plain from the text; whence we have a fair opportunity by twenty clear and convincing reasons to shew them the necessity of knowing God’s oracles, especially the first principles; and especially for the aged, that have sinfully lost so much time already, have long promised to repent when they were old, should nov, have been teachers of others, and whose ignorance therefore is a double sin and shame, who have so Uttle time to learn it, and are so near their judgment; and who have souls to save or lose as well as others. Convince them how impossible it is to walk in the way to heaven without knowing it, when there are so many difficulties and enemies in our way. Men cannot do their worldly business without knowledge, nor learn a trade without an apprenticeship. Who can love, or seek, or desire that which he knoweth nof? Convince them what a contradiction it is to be a Christian, and yet refuse to learn. For what is a Christian but a disciple of Christ, and how can he be His disciple, that refuseth to be taught by Him 1 They that refuse to be taught by His ministers, refuse to be taught by Him. For Christ will not come clown from heaven again to teach them by His own mouth, but hath appointed His ministers to keep school and teach them under Him. To say therefore, that they will not be taught by His ministers, is to say, they will not be taught by Christ; and that is to say, they will be none of His disciples. Abundance of such undeniable evidences we have at hand to convince them of their duty. Make them understand that it is not an arbitrary business of our own devising and imposing, but necessity is laid upon us, and if we look not to every member of the flock according to our power, they may perish in their own iniquities, but their blood will be required at our hands; it is God, and not we, that is the contriver and imposer of the work; therefore they blame God, more than us, in accusing it. Would they be so cruel as to wish a minister to cast away his own soul knowingly and wilfully, for fear of troubling them in hindering their damnation ■? Especially acquaint them fully with the true nature of the ministerial office, and the Church’s necessity of it; how it consisteth in teaching and guiding all the flock; shew them that they must come to the

congregation as scholars to school, and must be content to give an account of their learning, and be instructed man by man. Let them know what a tendency this hath to their salvation, what a profitable improvement it will be of their time, how much vanity and evil it will prevent; and when they once find that it is for their own good, they will the more easily yield to it.

3. When this is done, it will be necessary, according to our agreement, that we give one of the catechisms to every family in the parish, poor and rich, that they might be so far without excuse; for if you leave it to themselves, perhaps half of them will not get them. Whereas, when they have them put into their hands, the receiving is a kind of engagement to learn them; and if they do but read the exhortation, it will perhaps convince them, and excite them to submit. In delivering them, the best way is, for the minister first to give notice in the congregation that they shall be brought to their houses, and then go himself from house to house and deliver them, and take the opportunity of persuading them to the work; and as you go, take a catalogue of all the persons at years of discretion in the several families, that you may know whom you have to take care of and instruct, and whom to expect when it cometh to their turn. I have formerly, in the distributing of some books among them, desired every family to fetch them; but I found more confusion and uncertainty in that way; but in small parishes either way may serve. And for the charges of the books, if the minister be able, it will be well for him to bear it; if not, the best afi’ected of his people of the richer sort should bear it among them: or on a day of humiliation preparatory to the work, let the collection that is wont to be for the poor be employed to buy catechisms, and the people be desired to be more liberal, and what is wanting the well-affected to the work may make up. And for the order of proceeding in small parishes, the matter is not great; but in greater it will be needful that we take them in order, family by family, beginning the execution a month or six weeks after the delivery of the books, ’ that they may have time to learn; and thus taking them together in common, they will the more willingly come, and the backvard will be the more ashamed to keep off.

4. Be sure that you deal gently with them, and take off all discouragements as effectually as you can. (1.) Tell them publicly, that if they have learned any other catechism already, you will not urge them to learn this, unless they desire it themselves; for the substance of all catechisms that are orthodox is the same; only our reasons for offering them this was its brevity and fulness, that we might give them as much as we could in a few words, and so make their work more easy. If any of them would rather learn any other orthodox catechism, let them have their choice. (2.) As for the old people of weak memories, and not likely to live long in the world, who complain that they cannot remember the words, tell them that you do not expect that they should perplex their minds about it, but hear it often read over, and see that they understand it, and get the matter into their minds and hearts, and then they may be borne with, though they remember not the words. (3.) And let your dealing with those that you begin with be so gentle, convincing, and winning, that the report of it may be an encouragement to others to come.

5. If all this will not serve to bring any particular persons to submit, do not so cast them off, but go to them and expostidate the case with them; know what their reasons are, and convince them of the sinfulness and danger of their contempt of the help that is offered them. A soul is so precious, that we should not lose one for want of labour; but follow them while there is any hope, and not give them up as desperate till there is no remedy. Before we give them over as dogs or swine, let us try the utmost, that we may have the experience of their obstinate contempt or renting us, to warrant our forsaking them. Charity beareth and waiteth Ion or.

II. Ha’ing used these means to procure them to come in and submit to your teaching, the next thing to be considered is, how you should deal most effectually with them in the work. And ao-ain I must say, that I think it an easier matter by far to compose and preach a good sermon than to deal rightly with an ignorant man for his instruction in the necessary principles of religion. Much as this work is contemned by some, I doubt not but it will try the parts and spirits of ministers, and shew them the difference between one man and another, more fidly than pulpit preaching will do. And here I shall, as fitting to my purpose, transcribe the words of a most learned, orthodox, and godly man, Bishop Usher, in his sermon before King James at Wansted, on Ephes, iv. 13: “Your majesty’s care can never be sufficiently commended, in takino; order that the chief heads of the catechism should in the ordinary ministry be diligently propounded and explained unto the people throughout the land; which I wish were as duly executed everywhere as it was piously by you intended. Great scholars possibly may think that it standeth not so well with their credit to stoop thus low, and to spend so much of their time in teaching these rudiments and first principles of the doctrine of Christ. But they should consider that the laying of the foundation skilfully, as it is the matter of greatest importance in the whole building, so is it the very masterpiece of the wisest builder. ‘According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation,’ saith the great apostle. And let the most learned of us all try it whenever we please, we shall find that to lay this groundwork rightly, (that is, to apply ourselves to the capacity of the common auditory, and to make an ignorant man to understand these mysteries in some good measure,) will put us to the trial of our skill, and trouble us a great deal more than if we were to discuss a controversy, or handle a point of learning in the schools. Yet Christ did give as well His apostles, and prophets, and evangelists, as His ordinary pastors and teachers, to bring us all, both learned and unlearned, unto the unity of this faith and knowledge; and the neglecting of this is the frustrating of the whole work of the ministry. For let us preach never so many sermons to the people, our labour is but lost as long as the foundation is unlaid, and the first principles untaught, upon which all other doctrine must be builded.”

The directions which I think necessary to be observed in the managing of the work, for matter or manner, are these followino;: —

Direct. 1. When your neighbours come to you, one family, or more, begin with a brief preface, to demulce their minds, and take ofi” this ofience, unwillingness, or discouragement, to prepare them to entertain your following instructions: —” Neighbours and brethren, it may perhaps seem to some of you an unusual and troublesome business that I put upon you; but I hope you will not think it needless; for if I had thought so, I should have spared you and myself this labour.

But my conscience hath told me, yea, God hath told me in His Word, what it is to have the charge of men’s souls, and how the blood of them that perish in their sins will be required at the hands of a minister that neglecteth them, that I dare not be guilty of it. Alas! all our business in this world is to get well to heaven; and God hath appointed us to be guides to His people, to help them safe thither. If this be well done, all is done; and if this be not done, we are for ever undone! The Lord knows how short a time you and I may be together; and therefore it concerns us to do what we can for our own and your salvation, before we leave you, or you leave the world. All other employments in the world are but toys and dreams in comparison of this! The labours of your calling are but to prop up the cottages of your flesh, while you are making ready for death and judgment, which God knows is near at hand. And I hope you will be glad of help in so needful a work, and not think it much that I put you to this trouble, when the trifles of the world cannot be got without greater trouble.”

This, or something to this purpose, may tend to make them more willing to hear you, and receive instruction, and give you an account of their knowledge, or practice, which must be the work of the day.

Direct. 2. When you have spoken thus to them all, take then the persons one by one, and deal with them as far as you can in private, out of the hearing of the rest. For some cannot speak freely before others, and some cannot endure to be questioned before others, because they think it tendeth to their shame to have others hear their answers; and some persons that can make better answers themselves, will be ready when they are gone to tattle of what they heard, and to despise those that speak not so well as they. You must therefore be very prudent to prevent all these inconveniences. But the main reason is, as 1 find by experience, people will better take plain, close dealing, about their sin, and misery, and duty, when you have them alone, than they will before others; and if you have not opportunity to set it home and deal freely with them, you will frustrate all. If, therefore, you have a convenient place, let the rest stay in one room, while you confer with each person by themselves in another; only for the necessary avoiding of scandal, we must speak to the women in the presence of some others; and if we do lose some advantage by it with regard to the success of our instructions, there is no remedy; better do so than by giving occasion to those who are seeking it, destroy all the work. Yet we may so contrive it, that though some others be in the room, yet what passages are less fit for others’ observance may be spoken “submissa voce,” that others may be no hearers of it; and therefore they may be placed at the remotest part of the room; or at least let none be present but the members of the same family, that are more familiar, and not so likely to reproach one another. In your rousing examinations and reproofe, address yourselves chiefly to the most ignorant, secure, and vicious, that you may have the clearer ground for your closest deeding, and that the hearing of it may awaken the bystanders, to whom you seem not so directly to apply it. These small things deserve attention, because they are parts of a work that is not small; and small errors may hinder a great deal of good.

Direct. 3. Let the beginning of your work be, by taking an account of what they have learnt of the catechism, receiving their answer to each question; and if they are able to recite but a little or none of it, try whether they can rehearse the Creed and the Decalogue. Direct. 4. Then choose out some of the weightiest points, and try, by further questions, how they understand them. And therein be careful of these things following: — (1.) That you do not begin with less necessary points, but those which themselves may perceive do most nearly concern them. As, “What do you think becomes of men after death Do you believe that you have any sin, or that you were born in sinl and what doth sin deserve “? What remedy hath God provided for the saving of sinful, miserable souls’? Hath any one suffered for our sins in our stead’? or must we suffer for them ourselves’? Who are they that God will pardon’? Who shall be saved by the blood of Christ ‘? WTiat change must be made on all that shall be saved ‘? and how is it made ‘Where is our chief happiness’? What is it that our hearts must be most set upon’?” and such like. (2.) Take heed of asking them nice, needless, or doubtful and very difficult questions, though about matters of the greatest weight in themselves; especially be very cautious how you put them upon the definitions or descriptions. Some self-conceited men will be busy with questions which they cannot answer themselves, and as censorious and severe with the poor people that cannot answer them, as if life and death depended thereon. You will ask them perhaps, “What is God ‘?” and how defective an answer must you make yourselves! You may tell what He is not, sooner than what He is. If you ask, “What is i-epentance, what is faith, or what is forgiveness of sinf” how many ministers may yon ask, before you have a right answer, or else they would not be so disagreed in the point? so if you ask them what regeneration is, what sanctijication is. Bat you will, perhaps, say, “If men know not what God is, what repentance, faith, conversion, justification, and sanctification are, how can they be true Christians and be saved V I answer. It is one thing to know exactly what they are, and another thing to know them in their nature and effects, though with a more general and indistinct knowledge; and it is one thinp; to know, and another thino- to tell what this or that is. The very name as commonly used doth signify to them, and express from them, the thing without a definition; and they partly understand what that name signifieth, when they cannot tell it you in other words; as they know what it is to repent, to believe, to be forgiven. By custom of speech they know what these mean, and yet cannot define them, but perhaps put you off with the country answer: To repent, is to repent; and to be forgiven, is to be forgiven; or if they can say. It is to be pardoned, it is fair. Yet do I not absolutely dissuade you from the use of such questions; but do it cautiously, in case you suspect some gross ignorance in the point; especially about God himself. (3.) In such a case so contrive your question, that they may perceive what you mean, and that it be not a nice definition, but a necessary solution, that you expect. Look not after words but things, and there leave them to a bare yea or nay, or the mere election of one of the two descriptions which you yourself shall propound. As “What is Godl is He made of flesh and blood as we are, or is He an invisible Spirit 1 had He any besinnins:’? can He die? What is faith’? is it a believing all the AYord of God 1 AVhat is it to believe in Christ 1 is it all one as to become a true Christian; or to believe that Christ is the Saviour of the world, and to accept Him for your Saviour to pardon,

teach, govern, and glorify you 1 What is repentance 1 is it only to be sorry for sin, or is it the change of the mind from sin to God, or both V (4.) And as you must do thus when you come to hard points, as definitions, or the like; so in all points where you perceive that they understand not the meaning and stress of your question, you must first draw out their answer into your question, and demand but his yea or nay; yea, if it be never so easy a point that you are upon, you must do thus at last, in case by the first question you have had an unsatisfactory answer. JE.g., I have often asked some very ignorant people. How do you think your many and great sins will be pardoned 1 And they tell me, by their repenting and mending their lives; and never mention Jesus Christ, I ask them fiu’ther. But do you think that your amendment can make God any amends or satisfaction for the sin that is past 1 They will answer, “We hope so, or else we know not what will.” One would think now that these men had no knowledge of Christ at all: and some I find have indeed none. Hence, I tell them the history of the gospel, and what Christ did and suSered, and why: they stand wondering at it as a strange thing that they had never heard before, and say they never heard this much till now, though they came to church every Lord’s day. But others, I perceive, give such answers, because they understand not the scope of my question, but think that I take Christ’s death as granted, and

2 F only ask them what shall make God satisfaction, as their part under Christ. And when I asked them whether their deeds can merit anything of God, they say no, but they hope God will accept them. And if I ask. Can you be saved without the death of Christ? they say, * No.’ And if I ask. What hath He done or suffered for youl they will say, “He shed His blood for us;” and will profess that they place their confidence in that for salvation. Many men have that in their minds which is not ripe for utterance, and through want of education and practice, they are strangers to the expressions of those things which they have some conceptions of: and, by the way you may here see how needful it is to deal very tenderly with the common people for matter of knowledge and defect of expression, if they are teachable, and willing to use means, and to live obediently; for many even aged, godly persons, cannot speak their minds in any tolerable expressions; no, nor can they learn when expressions are put into their mouths. Some of the most pious, experienced, and approved Christians that I know, complain exceedingly to me with tears, that they cannot learn the words of the catechism, and when I consider their advantages, that they have lived under the most excellent helps, in constant duty, and in the best company, for forty, fifty, or sixty years together, it teacheth* me what to expect from poor, ignorant people, that never had such advantages, and not to reject them so hastily as some hot, and too high professors would have us do. (5.) This also must be observed, that if you find them at a loss, and perceive them troubled that they cannot answer, step in yourself and take the burden off them, answering the question yourself; and then do it thoroughly and plainly, and make a full explication of the whole business to them, that by your teaching they may be brought to understand it before you leave them. And herein it is commonly necessary that you fetch up the matter “ab origine,” and take it on in order till you come to the point in question. (6.) Usually, with the grossly ignorant, it is necessary that you run over all the sum of our religion to them in the most familiar way that you can possibly devise. But this must be the next direction.

Direct. 5. When you have done what you see cause in the trial of their knowledge, proceed next to instruct them yourselves, according to their several capacities. If it be a professor that understandeth the fundamentals, fall on what you perceive he most needeth, either explaining further some of the doctrines of the gospel, or laying the grounds of some duty which he may doubt of, or shewing the necessity of what he neglecteth, or meeting with his sins or mistakes, as may be most convincing and edifying to him. If it be one that is grossly ignorant, give him a plain recital of the sum of the Christian religion in a few words; for though it be in the catechism already, yet a more familiar way may better help them to understand it. As thus:” You tnust know, that from everlasting there was one only God that had no beginning, and can have no end, who is not a body as we are, but a most pure, spiritual being, that knoweth all things, and can do all things, and hath all goodness and blessedness in Himself This God is but one, but yet three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in an incomprehensible manner, above our reach; yet we hav§ somewhat in ourselves and other creatures that may give us some resemblance of it. As in a man, bis power, bis understanding, and will, are but one soul, and yet they are not one faculty, but differ one from another; or as in the sun, the being or power, and the heat, and the light, are not all one, and yet there is but one sun: so, in a more incomprehensible manner, it is in God. And you must know that this one God did make all the world by His word. The heavens He made to be the place of His glory, and made a world of holy angels to serve Him in His glory; but some of these did by pride or other sin fall from God, and are become devils that shall be miserable in torments for ever. When He had made the rest of this lower world, He made man, as His noblest creature here, even one man and one woman, Adam and Eve; and He made them perfect, without any sin or fault, and put them into the garden of Eden, and forbid them to eat but of one tree in the garden, and told them that if they did, they should die. But the devil, that had first fallen himself, did tempt them to sin, and they yielded to his temptation; and by wilfully sinning, they fell under the curse of God’s law, and fell short of the glory of God. But God of His infinite wisdom and mercy did send His own Son Jesus Christ to be their Redeemer, who, as He was promised in the beginning, so in the fulness of time, sixteen hundred and fifty-five years ago, was made man, and was born of a virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost, and lived on earth among the Jews about thirty-three years; preached the gospel Himself, and wrought many miracles to prove His doctrine, and bring men to believe in Him; healing the lame, the blind, the sick, and raising the dead by the word of His mouth, by His Divine power; and at tlae end, by the malice of the Jews, and His own consent, He was offered upon the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, to bear that curse that we should have borne. And when He was buried, He rose again the third day, and lived on earth forty days after; and before His departure. He sent His apostles and other ministers to preach the gospel of salvation to the world, and to call home lost sinners by repentance, and to assure them in His name, that if they will but believe in Him, and take Him for their Saviour, and unfeignedly lament their former sins, and turn from them to God, and will take everlasting glory for their portion, and be content to resign their carnal interests and desires, He mil pardon freely all that is past, and be merciful to them for the time to come, and will lead them up into spiritual communion with God, and

bring them to His glory “when this life is ended. But for them that make light of their sins and of His mercy, and will not forsake the pleasures of this world for the hopes of another, they shall be condemned to everlasting pimishment. This gospel Christ hath appointed His ministers to preach to all the world; and when He had given this in charge to His apostles, He ascended up into heaven before their faces, where He is now in glory with God the Father, in our nature, ruling all; and at the end of this world. He will come again in that nature, and will call the dead to life again, and set them all before Him to be judged; and all that truly repented and l)elieved in Him, and were renewed by His Spirit, and renounced this world for the hopes of a better, shall be judged to live vnih God in glory, and shall be like to His angels, and praise Him for ever; and the

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rest that repented not, and believed not in Him, but lived to the flesh and the world, shall be condemned to everlasting misery. So that yoli may see by this, that man’s happiness is not in this world, but in the next, and that all men have lost their hopes of that happiness by sin, and that Jesus Christ, the only Son of God and the Redeemer of the world, hath recovered it for us by the price of His blood, and hath made a new covenant with us, assuring Us of life and salvation, if we repent and believe in Him for that life, and mortify our fleshly desires. To this end He sendeth forth His Holy ‘Spirit to convert all that shall be saved, and to turn their hearts from this World to God. If ever you mean to be saved, therefore, it must be thus with you: your former sins must be the grief of your soul, and you must fly to a crucified Christ as your only refuge from the deserved curse, and the Spirit of Christ must convert you and dwell in you, and make you wholly a new creature, or there is no salvation.” Some such short, plain rehearsal of the principles of religion, in the most familiar manner that you can devise, with a brief touch of application in the end, will be necessary when you deal with the grossly ignorant; and if you perceive they understand you not, go over it again till they do, and, if possible, fix it in their memories.

Diiect 6. AVhether they be grossly ignorant or not, if you suspect them to be ungodly, in the next place make a prudent inquiry into their state; and the best and least ofiensive way will be by a few words to prepare their minds, by convincing them of the necessity of it; as thus, or to this purpose: —” You see in the seventh article proved in Scripture, that the Holy

Ghost doth by the Word enlighten men’s minds, and soften and open their hearts, and turn them from the power of Satan to God by faith in Christ, and so makes them a sanctified, peculiar people to God; and that none but these are made partakers of Christ and life. Now, though I have no desire needlessly to pry into any man’s state, yet because it is the office of ministers to give advice to people in the matters of salvation, and because it is so dangerous to be mistaken, where life or death everlasting doth lie upon it, I would entreat you to deal truly, and tell me whether you ever found this great change upon your own heart or not. Did you ever find the Spirit of God by the Word, come in upon your understanding with, a new and heavenly life, as hath made you a new creature 1 The Lord that seeth your heart doth know whether it be so or not; therefore I pray you, see that you speak the truth!” If he tell you, he hopes he is converted — all are sinners — but he is sorry for his sins, or the like j then tell him more particularly in a few words what true conversion is, and so renew and enforce the inquiry-, thus: — “BecaiLse your salvation or damnation lieth upon it, I would fain help you a little in this, that you may not be mistaken in a business of such consequence, but may find out the truth before it be too late; for as God will judge us impartially, so we have His Word before us, by which we may know now how God will judge us then; for this Word tells us most certainly who they be that shall go to heaven, and who to hell. Now, the Scripture tells us that the state of an unconverted man is this: he seeth no great matter of felicity in the love and communion of God in the life to come, which may draw his heart thither from this present world; but h.e liveth to himself, and the main bent of his life is, that it may go well with his body here. The world and flesh are highest in his esteem, and nearest to his heart, and God and glory stand below them and further off, and all their service of God is but a giving Him that which the world and flesh can spare. This is the true case of every unconverted man; and all that are in this case, are in a state of misery. But he that is truly converted, hath had a light shining into his soul from God, which hath shewed him the greatness of his sin and misery, and made it a heavy load upon his soul; and hath shewed him what Christ is, and hath done for sinners, and made him admire the riches of God’s grace in Him! Oh, what glad news is it to him, that yet there is hope for such lost sinners as he — that so many and so great sins may be pardoned — and that this is offered to all that will accept it! How gladly doth he entertain this message and offer: and for the time to come he resigneth himself and all that he hath to Christ, to be wholly His, and disposed of by Him, in order to the everlasting glory which He hath promised. He hath now such a sight of the blessed state of the saints in glory, that he despiseth all this world as dross and dung in comparison of it, and there he layeth up his happiness and his hopes, and takes all the matters of this life but as so many helps or hindrances in the way to that; so that the very bent and main care and business of his life is to be happy in the life to come. This is the case of all that are truly converted, and shall be saved. Is this your case or not 1 Have you found such a change or work as this upon your soul 1 “If he say, he hopes he hath, descend to some particulars distinctly — e. g.,” I pray you, then, answer these two or three questions: (1.) Can you truly say, that all the known sins of your life past are the grief of your heart, that you have felt everlasting misery is due to you for them, and that in the sense of this heavy

burden you have felt yourself a lost man, and have gladly entertained the news of a Saviour, and cast your soul upon Christ alone for pardon by His blood? (2.) Can you truly say, that your heart is so far turned from your former sins, that you hate the sins that formerly you loved, and love that holy life that you had no mind to before, and that you do not now live in the wilful practice of any known sin? Is there no sin which you are not heartily willing to leave, whatever it cost you, and no duty which you are not willing to perform % (3.) Can you truly say, that you have so far taken the everlasting enjoyment of God for your happiness, that it hath the most of your heart, of your love, desire, and care; and that you are resolved by the strength of grace to let go all that you have in the world rather than hazard it; and that it is your daily and principal business to seek it 1 Can you truly say that, though you have your failings, yet your main care and bent of your whole life is to please God and enjoy Him for ever; and that your worldly business is but as a traveller seeking provision in his journey, and heaven is your homeT’ If he say yea to the first and third, tell him how great a thing it is for a man’s heart to abhor his sin, and to lay up his happiness unfeignedly in another world, and to live in this world for one that is out of sight; and therefore desire him to see that it be so indeed. If he say yea to the second question, then turn to the ninth, tenth.

eleventh, or twelfth articles of the catechism, and read over some of those duties which you most suspect him to omit; and ask him, whether he performs such or such a duty, especially family and private prayer, and the holy spending of all the Lord’s day; because these are of so great moment (of which anon).

Direct. 7. When you have either by former discovery of gross ignorance, or by these latter inquiries into his spiritual state, discerned an apparent probability that the person is yet in an unconverted state; your next business is to endeavour with all your skill and power to bring his heart to the sense of his condition: —” Truly, neighbour, I have no desire, the Lord knows, to make your condition worse than it is, nor to put any causeless fear or trouble in your mind: but I suppose you would take me for a flattering enemy, and not a faithful friendj if I should daub you, and not tell you the truth. K you sought to a physician in your sickness, you would have him tell you the truth, though it were the worst: much more here; for, there the knowledge of your disease may by fears increase it, but here you must know it, or else you can never be recovered from it. I much fear that you are yet a stranger to the new life of all them that Christ will save; for if you were a Christian indeed, and truly converted, your very heart would have been set ou God and the life to comCj you would have admired the riches of grace in Christy you would have made it your business to prepare for eternityj and you durst not, you would not live in any wilful sin, nor in the neglect of known duties. Alas! what have you done? how have you spent your time till now 1 Did you not know that you had a soul to save or lose, and that you must live in heaven or hell for ever, and that you had your life and time in this world for that purpose, to prepare for another 1 Alas! what have you been doing all this while that you are so ignorant, and so unprepared for death if it should now find you 1 If you had but as much minded heaven as earth, you would have Imown more of it, and done more for it, and inquired more diligently after it than you have! You can learn how to do your business in the world, and why could you not have learned more of the will of God 1 You have neighbours that could learn more, that have had as much to do in the world as you, and as little time. Do you think that heaven is not worth your labour, or that it can be had without care and pains,- when you cannot have the trifles of the world ■lithout seekino; after them, and when God hath bid you first seek His kingdom and the righteousness thereof? Alas, neighbour, what if you had died before this hour in an unconverted state? what had become of you, and where had you now been? ^Vhy, you did not know all this while that you should live a day to an end! Oh that ever you would be so cruel to yourselves as to ventiure your everlasting state so desperately as you have done! What did you think of? Did you not all this while know that you must shortly die, and be judged as you were then found? Had you any greater work to do, or any greater business to mind, than your salvation? Do you think that all that you can get in this world will comfort you in a dying hour, or purchase your salvation, or ease the pains of hell-fire V Set these things home with a more earnest voice than the former part of your discourse; for if you get not to the heart, you do little or nothino;, and that wliicli affecteth not is soon forgotten.

Direct. 8. Next this, conclude the whole with a practical exhortation, which must contain two parts: — (1.) The duty of the heart in order to a closure with Christ, and that which is contained in that closure. (2.) The use of external means for the time to come, and the avoiding of former sins.” Neighbour, I am heartily sorry to find you in so sad a case, but I should be more sorry to leave you in it; and therefore let me entreat you, for the Lord’s sake, and for your own sake, to regard what I shall say to you, for the time to come. It is the Lord’s great mercy that He did not cut you off in your unconverted state, that you have yet life and time, and that there is a sufficient remedy provided for your soul in the blood of Christ; and He is yet offered with pardon and life to you as well as others. God hath not left sinful man to utter desperation, for want of a ransom by a Redeemer, as He hath done the devils; nor hath He made any exception in the offer or promise of pardon and life against you any more than against any others. If you had yet but a bleeding heart for sin, and woidd come to Christ believingly for recovery, and resign yourself to Him as your Saviour and Lord, the Lord would have mercy on you, pardon your sins, and save your soul; and I must tell you, that as it must be the great work of God’s grace to give you such a heart, so if ever He pardon and save you. He will make this change upon you that I have before mentioned. He will make you feel your sin as the heaviest burden in the world, as that which is most odious in itself, and hath laid you open to the curse of God; He will make you see that you are a lost man, and that there is no way but one for you, even everlasting damnation, unless you are pardoned by the blood of Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit; He will make you see the need you have of Christ, and how much you are beholden to Him for the shedding of His blood, and how all your hope and life is in Him; He will make you see the vanity of this world and all that it can afi’ord you, and that all your happiness is with God, in that everlasting life, where, with saints and angels, you may behold His glory, and live in His presence, and praise Him for ever, when those that reject Him shall be tormented with the devils; and because it is only Christ the Redeemer that can bring you to that glory, and deliver you from that torment, He Tvill make you look to Him as your hope and life, and cast your burdened soul upon Him; and give up yourself to be saved, and taught, and ruled by Him. And He will possess you with the Spirit of holiness, that your heart shall be set upon God and heaven as your treasure; and the care of your mind, and the business of your fife, shall be to obtain it; and you shall despise this world, deny your fleshly interests and desires, and cast away the sin with abhorrence which you delighted in; and count no pains too great, no sufiering too dear, for the obtaining of that everlasting life with God. Let me tell you, that till this work be done, you are a miserable man; and if you die before it is done, you are lost for ever. Now you have hope and help before you, but then there will be none. Let me therefore entreat these two or three things of you, and do not deny them me, as you love your soul: — [1.] That you will not rest in this condition: be not quiet in your mind till you find a true conversion wrought. Think when you rise in the morning, Oh, what if this day should be my last, and death should find me in an unrenewed state! Think when you are about your labour, Oh, how much greater a work have I yet to do, to get my soul reconciled to God and possessed of His Spirit! Think when you are eating, or drinking, or looking on anything that you possess in the world, AVhat

good will all this do me if I live and die an enemy to God, a stranger to Christ and His Spirit, and so perish for everl Let these thoughts be day and night upon your mind, till your soul be changed. [2.] Think seriously what a vain thing this world is, and how shortly it will leave you to a cold grave, and everlasting misery, if you have not a better treasure than this. Think what it is to live in the presence of God, to reign with Christ, and to be like the angels; and that this is the life that Christ hath procured you, and is preparing for you, and freely offereth you if you will accept it in and with Himself upon His easy and reasonable terms. Think whether it be not madness to slight such endless glory, and to prefer these fleshly dreams and earthly shadows before it. Use yourself to such considerations as these, when you are alone, and let them dwell upon your mind. [3.] Presently, without any more delay, accept of felicity and this Saviour: close with the Lord Jesus that offereth you this eternal life. Joyfully and thankfully accept His offer, as the only way to make you happy; and then you may believe that all your sins shall be done away by Him, [4.] Resolve presently against your former sins; find out what hath defiled your heart and life, and cast it away by repentance, as you would poison out of your stomach, and abhor the thought of taking it in again. [5.] Set yourselves close to the use of God’s means till this change be wrought, and then continue His means till you are confirmed, and at last perfected. Because you cannot of yourselves make this change upon your heart and life, betake yourself daily to God for it by prayer, and beg earnestly as for your life that He will pardon all your former sins, and change your heart, shew you the riches of His grace in Christ, and the glory of His kingdom, and draw up your heart to Himself. Follow God day and night with these requests. Fly from temptations and occasions of sin, and forsake your former evil company, and betake yourselves into the company of those that fear God, and will help you in the way to heaven. Especially spend the Lord’s day in holy exercises, both public and private, and lose not one quarter of an hour of any of your time, but especially of that most precious time which God hath given you purposely that you may set your mind upon Him, be instructed by Him, and to prepare yourself for your latter end. What say youl AVill you do this presently, at least so much of it as you can? “Will you promise me to think of these things that I before mentioned, and to pray daily for a change of heart till you have obtained it, and to change your company and courses, and fall upon the use of God’s means in reading and hearing the Scriptures, and meditating on them, especially on the Lord’s dayT’ And here be sure, if you can, to get their promise, and engage them to amendment, especially to use means, and change their company, and forsake actual sinning, because these are jnore in their reach, and in this way they may wait for the accomplishing of that change that is not yet wrought. And to do this solemnly, remembering them of the presence of God that heareth their promises, and will expect the performance.

Direct. 9. Before you dismiss them, add a few words to this effect: “I pray you take it not ill that I have put you to this trouble, or dealt thus freely mth you. It is as little pleasure to me as to you. If I did not know these things to be true and necessary, I would have spared this labour to myself and you. But I know that we shall be here but a little while — we are almost at the world to come already — and therefore it is time for us all to look about us, and see that we be ready when God shall caU us.” Because it is but seldom that we ourselves shall have opportunity to speak with the same persons, set them in a way for the perfecting of what is begun. Engage the governor of each family to caU all his family to account every Lord’s day evening, before they go to bed, what they can rehearse of the catechism, and so to continue till they have all learned it perfectly; and when they have done so, yet still to continue to hear them recite it, that they may not forget it; for, even to the most judicious it will be an excellent help to have still in memory a sum of the Christian doctrine, for matter, method, and words. As for the rulers of families themselves, or those that are under such rulers as will not help them, if they have learned some small part of the catechism only, engage them either to come again when they have learned the rest, or else to go to some experienced neighbour, and recite it to them, and take their assistance when they cannot have yours.

Direct. 1 0. Have all the names of your parishioners by you in a book; and when they come and recite the catechism, note in your book who come, and who do not, and who are so ignorant as to be utterly unfit for the Lord’s Supper and other holy communion, and who not. And as you perceive the necessities of each, so deal with them for the future. But for those that are utterly obstinate, and will not come to you, nor be instructed by you, remember the last article of our Agreement, “to deal with them as the obstinate despisers of instruction should be dealt with, in regard of the communion, and the application of sealing and confirming ordinances;”’ which is to avoid them, and not hold holy or familiar communion with them in the Lord’s Supper or other ordinances; and though some reverend brethren are for admitting their children to baptism, and ofiended with me for contradicting it, yet so cannot I be, nor shall dare to do it upon any pretences of their ancestors’ faith, or of a dogmatical faith of the rebellious parents, supposing them both to be such as in that article we have mentioned. To these particulars I add this general: —

Direct. 11. Through the whole course of your conference with them, see that the manner as well as the matter be suited to the end. Concerning the manner, observe these particulars: — (1.) Speak differently, according to the difference of the persons that you have to deal ln.ili. To the dull and obstinate you must be more earnest and sharp; to the tender and timorous that are already humbled, you must rather insist on direction and confirmation; to the young you must lay greater shame on sensual voluptuousness, and shew them the nature and necessity of mortification; to the aged you must do more to disgrace this present

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4G6 GILDAS SALVIANUS!

world, and make them apprehensive of the nearness of their change, and the aggravations of their sin, if they should live and die in ignorance or impenitence; to inferiors and the younger sort you must be more free; to superiors and elders more respectful; to the rich this world must be more disgraced, and the nature and necessity of self-denial opened, and the deceitful consequence of preferring the present prosperity to future happiness, as also the necessity of improving their talents in well-doing; to the poor shew the riches of glory which are propounded to them in the gospel, and how well present things may be spared, where the everlasting may be got. Also those sins must be most insisted on to ^lhich their age or sex, or calling and employment in the world, doth most incline them to: as in females, loquacity, evil speeches, passion, malice, pride, &c. Of all which, and abundance more differences, calling to us for different carriage, see Gregor. Mag.’ de Officio Pastor. (2.) Be as condescending, familiar, and plain as is possible, with those that are of a weaker capacity. (3.) Give them Scripture proof for all you say, that they may see it is not you only, but God, by you, that speaketh to them. (4.) Be as serious in all, but especially in the applicatory part, as you can. I scarcely fear anything more than lest some ministers should slubber over the work, and do it superficially and without life, and destroy this as they do all other duties, by turning it into mere formality; putting a few cold questions to them, and giving them two or three cold words of advice, without any life and feeling in themselves, and therefore not likely to produce any in the hearers. But surely he that valueth souls, and knoweth what an opportunity is before him, will do accordingly. (5.) To this end I should think it very necessary that we, both before and in the work, take special pains with our own hearts; especially to excite and strengthen our belief of the truth of the gospel, and the invisible glory and misery that is to come. I am confident this work will exceedingly try the strength of our faith; for he that is superficially a Christian, and not sound in the faith, will likely feel his zeal quite fail him, especially when the duty is grown common, for want of a proper sense of the things which he is to treat of to keep it alive. An afiected fervency and hypocritical stage action ^oll not hold out in such duties long. The pulpit will have more of them than a conference with poor ignorant souls; for the pulpit is the hypocritical minister’s stage. There, and in the press, and in public acts, where there is room for ostentation, you are sure to have his best, and almost all. It is other kind of men that must effectually do the work now on hand. (6.) It is therefore very meet that we prepare ourselves to it by private prayer; and if time would permit, if we did begin and end with a short prayer with our people, it were best. (7.) Carry on all, even the most earnest passages, in clear demonstrations of love to their souls, and make them feel through the whole that you aim at nothing but their salvation; and avoid all harsh, discouraging passages, throughout. (8.) If you have not time to deal so fully with each one particularly as is here directed, then omit not the most necessary parts; take several of them together that are friends, and will not seek to divulge each other’s weaknesses, and speak to them in common as much as concerneth all; and only the examinations of their knowledge and state, and convictions of misery and special directions, must be used to the individuals alone; but take heed of slubbering it over, or being too brief, without real necessity.

Direct. 12. Lastly, If God enable you, extend your charity to the poorest sort, before they part from you: give them somewhat towards their relief, and from the time that is thus taken from their labour’s, especially for encouragement of them that do best, promise as much when they have learned the catechism. I know you cannot give what you have not; but I speak to them that can. — So much shall serve for directions to the younger ministers in their dealing with the more ignorant or carnal sort of persons.

As for them that are under fears and troubles of mind, who yet give us hopes of the work of saving grace on their souls, though it deserve a full discourse to direct us in dealing with them, yet I shall not meddle with it now, because I intended this discourse for another end, and because I have done so much as I think necessary already in my “Directions for Peace of Conscience.”