A Present for a Clergyiman
1779

Mhcl

YALE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

R E S E N
I" O R A
G L E R G Y'M A %
CONTAINING,,
I. Archbiihop^HER's, Charge to his Clergy, at theiS,
v.vr V ^- Ordination.
II. Archbifliop HoRt's Inftruillons to tjis^Clefgy of,
:t;he. Diocefe. of 7«^w ; abridged.
III., The Importance 'pf the: Miuifterial Character;
Written in Blank Verfe, by a Gentleman- in Virginia,
IV. A Vindication of theFreedom of Paftoral Advice J
By the -Rev. JOHN SMITH, A. B. Reflor of Nantwch, 'Cheflnrs.
V. The Life of the Right Reverend Father in Go4,;
WlI^LIAM CoWPER :
.•Formerly' Lord Bilhap.of Ga/Zaiuaj'. Written by himfelf.: , f>
^VL .The" ]L,ife*~of ' D,o£tor WlL'LrAM BEVERIDGE'^
Late"LQrd.Biftlop of St* ^^//i.
VII- A Summary; of the Life and Charafter of the;.
Rev. JMr. Griffith Jones :
.',',, . Late '^t&ox-ai Ltcuidatxiror, in Cdrma riiijj^jre.
jThe Erft PrGJeaor'andrConduftor of the circulating Charity- Schools^
¦,^, ¦, ' '• throughout the Piincipality of 7/Wfj-,
Art thou a mioifter ? jead ,the fcriptures ; they will tell thee thy duty.
1 :'.",The pj^ophet faith to thee, Cry alqud, fpare not ; lift 'up ¦ thy vaice Itti ¦ d
'-'¦ytruMppt, and fhei»' my people their trunfgreflidns. The apoftle faith to
;';.'thee, Preach the ivord ; lie injlant in feafon and out of'feafon.i-':;Mfltch in
•r..all''thin^s, do the nuo):k'.of' an^ evangSlifl, m.ak? thy mimJByi'fu.lfykno'wtu .
«|i;Thgu-fiiaJt give an, ajsepunt for the fouls of die peqple, their bipod
i' fhall ijejr^atiired at thy hands. — Bifliop jEBtrL,. in, Sermon.

A Prefent for a Clergyman.

Archbiihop U S H E R 's Charge to his Clergy, at their
Ordination.
I. H '^ EAD and ftudy the fcriptures carefully, wherein is the beft
|-^ learning and only infallible truth ; they can furnifli you with
-*- »- tlie beft materials for your fermons ; the only rules of taith
and praftice ; the moft powerful motives to perfuade and convince the
confcience ; and the ftrongeft arguments to confute'iall errors, herefies,
and fchifms ; therefore be fure let all your fermons be cong^ous to them ;
and to this end, it is expedient that you underftand them as well in the
originals, as in the tranflations. i
II. Take not haftiJy up other men's opinions, without due trial, nor
vent your own conceits, but compare them firft with the analogy of
faith, and rules of holinefs recorded in the fcriptures, which are the
proper tefts of all opinions and doiftrines.
III. Meddle with controverfies and doubtful points as little as may
' be in your popular preaching, left you puzzle your hearers, or engage
them in wrangling difputations, and fo hinder their converfiop, which
is the main defign of preaching.
IV. Infift moft on thofe points, that tend to effefl found belief, fin
cere love to God, repentance for fin, and that may perfuade to holinefs.
of life : prefs thefe things home to the confciences of your hearers as of
abfolute neceflity, * leaving no gap for evafions, but bind them as clofe
as may be to their duty ; and as you ought to preach found and ortho
dox doftrine, fo ought you to deliver God's meffage as near as may be
in God's words, that is, in fuch a plain and intelligible language that
the meaneft of your auditors may underftand ; to which end, it is ne
ceffary to back all praftical precepts and doftrines with apt proofs from-
the* holy fcriptures, avoiding all exotic phrafes, fcholaftic terms, un
neceffary quotations of authors, and forced rhetorical figures : fince it
is not difficult to make eafy things appear hard, but to render hard
things eafy, is the hardeft pa^rt of a good orator, as well as preacher.
V. Get your hearts fincerely affedted f with the things you perfuade
others to embrace, fo that you may preach experimentally, a,nd your
hearers perceive that you are in earneft, and prefs nothing upon them,
but what may tend to their advantage, and which yourfelf would venture
your own falvation upon.
VI. Study and confider well the fubjefts you intend to preach on,.
before you come into the pulpit, and then words will readily offer them-
* Prima cura paftoris iii eo eft, ut verhum Dei przdicet pure, plene, pathetice
et difcrete. Alfiedius in Tlieohg. Prophet.
f The phrafe muft be affeiftionate, ah,(l cordial, proceeding from the heart, and
an experimental acquaintance with thofe truths we dehver, for ^od procedit e
corde rcdif-in ear — Yob muft Iirft be afFeiSted j'ourfelf, before yop can affedt others
Bifliop r/iiiins.
A a felves J

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felves ; yet think what you are about to fay, before yon fpeak, avoiding
all uncouth, indecent, or ridiculous expreffions, which Tsill quickly bring
preaching into contempt, and make your fermons and perfons the fubjeds,
of fport and merriment.
VII. Diffemble not tlie truths of God in any cafe, * nor comply with
tlie lufti of men, or give any countenance to fin by word or deed.
VIII. But above all, you muft never forget to order your conver
fation as becomes the gofpel, fo that you may teach by example as well
as precept, and that you may appear good divines every where, as well
as in the pulpit ; for a miniitsc'> life and converfation is more heeded
than his dodrine.
IX. Yet after all this, take heed you be not puffed up with fpiritual
pride of your own virtues ; nor with a vain conceit of your own parts
and abilities; nor yet be tranfported with the applaufe of men, nor dejeft-
ed or difcouraged with the feoffs or frowns ofthe wicked and prophane.
Minifters already engaged in the work of the Lord, he animated to
an happy difchaige of their important truft, in wdrds to this effed : 
*' You are engaged in an excellent employment in the church, and in
truded with weighty matters, as ftewards of our great Mafter Chr'ijl, the
Great Bifhop; under him, and by his commiffion, you are to endeavor
to reconcile men t-9 God ; to convert finners, and to build them up in
the holy faith ofthe gofpel, that they may be faved, and that repentance
and remiffion of fins be preached in his name. This is of the higheft
importance, and requires faithfulnefs, diligence, prudence and watch-
fulnels. The fouls of men are committed to your care and guidance ;
and the eyes of God, angels, and men are upon us, and great is the
account w; muft give to our Lord J'fus Chrift, who is the fupreme head
of his church, Jind who will at length reward or punifh his fervanfs in
this miniftry of his gofpel, as he fhall find them faithful, oj negligent ;
therefore it behoves us to exercife our beft talents, laboring in the
Lord's vineyard with all diligence: this is the work we are feparated
for, and ordained unto : we muft not think to be idle or carelefs in this
cffic«, but muft bend our minds and ftudies, and employ all our gifts
and abilities in this fervice. We muft preach the word of faith, that -
rnen may believe aright, and the doctrine and laws of godhnefs, that men
may ad as becomes chriftians indeed ; for without faith, no man can
pleafe God, and withput holinefs, no man can enter into the kingdom of
lieaven." * " SpirituaVguides and teachers" are to "fear no man in the difcharge of their
" confciences, and neither tofay or orait anything for the fake of applaufe, or
V of promoting either their own wealth or power. "--They are " to inftruift, exhort,
" and comfort all that are placed under their care, with fincerily, difcretion and
'¦' tendernefs, pr'ivatdy as well as publicly, — WatMiig for Iheir fouli as they that mvji
" give accounts Sheni'mg. themfelves, in all things, patterns of good -works."
Archbifliop Seder.
Archbiihop H O R T 's Irijiru£lions to the Ckrgy of 'J^uam.
My Reverend Brethren:
THE providence of God having called me to the government of dii?
diocefe, I have judged it not improper for me, to communicate my
thoughts to you, with regard to the execution of your minifterial office, .
In order to the edification and falvation ofthe fouls- refpedively comipit-
ted to your charge, I. Preach-

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L Pre.^ching, is one ofthofe mieans appointed by our Saviour, fop
enlightening the minds, awakening the confciences, and reforming the
manners of your hearers. In order to anfwer thefe grfiat ^n^s, fome
degree of fkill and addrefs, as well as of pains and 4tfdy, will be re-
quifite. - ^ ¦»'«
The- fubjed of a fermon ought to be ^BW^'point of dodrine, that is
neceffary for a chriftian to know ; or fom^tluty that is neceffary for him
to pradice,' in order to his falvation. I wi^iid recommend it to young
preachers efpecially, to compofe a fet of fermons upon the chief articles;
ofthe chriftian religion, according to their na,Eural order and dependence;
by this means, they' will improve their own kno-valadge, at the fame time
that they are teaching their hearers ; but this ftjoufd^ done, in the '
plaineft and eaficft manner.
When a ufeful fubjed is chofen, the next care of the preacher is, to
find out fome proper and pertinent text, that will naturally-lead him to
purfue his fubjed, and that will yield him thofe dodrines and pradical
dedudionii, which he had in- his view, without" force or "torture. For
want of this, the whole operation will be laborious,* obfcure, and per
plexed to the compofer; and the difcourfe will be void gf that perfpicuity,
which is neceffary to engage the attention ofthe hearer. And I am furi
tliere is no want of fuch texts upon all fubjeds, inthe-Bible.
When a ufeful fubjed and a pertinent text are chofen, the next work is
cowpofitlon, or the ranging of fuch thoughts as naturally arife upon the
fubjed, into a convenient order and method : this will be the plan of his
difcourfe, and the compofer will reap no fmall advantages from this
pradice. Firfl, As it will help him to enter all his loofe and detached thoughts
in their proper places, for want of which, fome of them may efcape him,
when he comes to the finifhing part.
Secondly, It will lead him to break his fermon into heads, which ie
abfolutely neceffary for giving ftrength and clearnefs to the whole, and
for engaging tlie attention of the audience ; which will be foon blunted
and tired with hearing an harangue, where all the parts are run into
one general mafs, and nothing diftindly and fpecially offered to thq
underftanding. Thirdly, The memory of the hearers will be greatly relieved ; for a
fermon thus broken into particular heads, will be better imprinted, and
more eafily recolleded, by reafon of the dependance and connedion of
the parts, where one draws another after it like the link of a chain.
And Lajlly, It will give the preacher an opportunity of interfperfing
apt texts of holy fcripture, for the fupport, or illuftration of every par^
ticular head. There may indeed be a faulty extreme on this hand,!--.
but the other extreme, of a penury of facred texts, prevails too mucI*
in our modern and refined compofitions ; which for that reafon, may
rather be called orations than fermons.
A due mediurq. therefore ought to be obferved in this cafe ; but of
the two, the latter extrtae is more blameable; for a fermon will appear'
lean and unfatisfying to a religious palate, when it is not fufficiently-
larded (embellifhed) with fcripture; but the whole is made to reft on
the reafonings of the preacher, unfupported by the authority of^bd's
word. By this means likewife, he will become an expert textuary, which
is the firft excellency of a chriftian divine ; and the people will occafion-i
ally be mad? better acijuainted with' the holy fcrintures.
Nqw

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Now this is what I call % fermon in contradiftindion to an oratlm,
Vhich by one uniform flow of eloquence, without proper breaks and
divifions, glides like a fmooth ftream over the foul, leaving no traces
behind it. The word, thus delicately fown, may, like a concert of
mufic, delight the ear while it lafts, but dies with the found, and the
hearer will carry little home, befides a remembrance that he was fwcetly
entertained. The effed of this will, where there are any kind of talents
for it, be a good file ; by which I would be underftood to mean,
that fimpUcity and propriety of language, ivhich clearly conveys the fenfe of
the fpeaker into the mind of the hearer. When therefore, by the method
before prefcribed, the preacher is become mafter of his fubjed, and
has ranged all his materials fitly, fit words and expreffions will readily
offer themfelves to anfwer to his clear ideas ; for nothing perplexes
the fyle, but a confufed and perplexed manner of thinking.
He therefore, who would convince and perfuade his hearers, fhould
above all things, aim at that perfpicuity and fimplicity, which are the
greateft ornaments of language : whereas, on the contrary, a tawdry
ftile, garniftied with flowers of rhetoric, and flights of fancy, which
ai-e incident to young preachers, makes only a bright confufion, that
glares upon the mind without enlightening it.
As to the dodrjnal part of a fermon, the ftile cannot be too plain
and chafte, tliough it need not defcend to be bafe and vulgar, (for
there is a wide difference between thefe two,) becaufe it is addreffed to
the underfland'ing ; but as the praCl'ical part is defigned to move the
^iffeaions and paffions, the ftile may rife, and grow warm with fome
heightenings of the imagination, the better to anfwer that purpofe,
I have only two remarks on that head ; the firft relates to the intra-
diid'ton, the fecond, to ¦ the concUifion of a fermon.
As to the former, if an introdudion be neceffary, it fhould always
be fhort, pertinent, and leading as foon as may be, to the main fub
jed: of the difcourfe. If the text needs any light from what goes
before and follows it, this ftiould be colleded, and brought to bear
upon the text with the utmoft brevity and clearnefs ; for, people are
naturally impatient to know what the minifter would be at, and to
have him take, his main bufinefs In hand. When I hear a preacher
fet out with a general preamble, that has no immediate relation to
his text, and can never carry him to it but by a mighty circumfer
ence, I eafily conclude with myfelf what I am to exped in the fequel
of the difcourfe.
With regard to the conclufion of a fermon, it fhould be alwayi
pradical, and perfuafive of a good life: it Ihou'd confift of exhorta
tions and motives proper to enforce fuch duties, and virtues, as may
pertinently arife from the dodrines and pofitions before laid down.
For, the great end of preaching is to make men better : mere know-
ledge put into the head, if it does not penetrate to the heart, and
from thence diffiife itfelf into the life and converfation, becomes, not
only ufelefs, but hurtful, as it will turn to a man's greater con
demnation. ,
The rule I would fuggeft Is, to diftingulfli carefully between the
doartn^l^ and pfaCtical part of the difcourle, in the manner of your
pronunciation. The intention of the do€irinal part being to enlighten
the underftanding, and to Ifead it to the knowledge of truth, by cool
j-?3foning and argumentation j all that is proper and neceffary here, is

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is that fimplicity of accent and emphafis, which may ferve to point
out where the force of the argument lies.
But the prailical part of a fermon requires a very different con-
dud; for the mind having been before fufficiently enlightened, the
intention is no'w, to perfuade the nuHI: to wiiich end, the paffions are
to be excited to come in to affift the reafon. And here it is, that
the pathetic allurements of voice will be ufeful and proper. For ex
perience fhews us the power of the outward fenfes in this cafe; and
particularly, that aftion and motion fkilfuUy pfefented to the eye, and
mufical founds received by the ear, produce wonderful effeds on our
paffions and affedions. It is therefore neceffary, when your defign Is
to raife fear or hope, joy or forrow, love or hatred, to vary the adion
and pronunciation from cool amd fedate, to that which is more warm
and moving ; in order to touch the fpring of that paffion, which you
would make ufe of, to anfwer your end.
II. The SECOND branch of your office I'n the church is, reading
THE PUBLIC prayers: I Call it, indeed, reading the prayers, incom
pliance with the common phrafe ; but fpeaking properly, prayers ought
to be prayed, not read. Let a minifter when he opens his book, poffefs
his foul with this thought ; That he is going to addrefs himfelf to the
great Majejiy of Heaven and Earth, miho knonus all his thoughts, and
beholds all his anions; and that he is in the immediate prefence of this
adorable Being, -who is very jealous of his honour .- I fay, let him poffefs
his foul duly with this confideration, and he will naturally fall into
all the proprieties of prayer.
III. The THIRD branch of your ofiice, is that of public catechising.
The compilers of our Liturgy aded very prudently in making the
Church Catechifm fliort and fummary, for fear of over-burdening the
memory, and rendering it diftafteful and irkfome. For this reafon,
they did not fupport the dodrines and duties there laid down, with
proofs out of the holy fcripture, taking it for granted, that this part
would be fupplied by the paftors of the church.— With regard to
diildren, the chief ufe of catechifms is to treafure up the materials
of knowledge in their memories, tho' they may perhaps enter very
little into the fenfe of them: but as their underftandings ripen with
time, and their appetite for knowledge increafes, it will be no fmall
advantage, that they have the words and fentences ready ftored up
for ufe; for they will eafily put fenfe to them hereafter, and then it
is th^t a more copious expofition becomes feafonable and neceffary ;
however, no pains fbouid be fpared, for enlightening them at prefent
according to their capacities.
An4 I am afraid that too many of your parifhioners, who are of
mature age, and even fome who are advanced in years, have need io
he taught 'what are the Jirfi principles of the oracles of God. Shame will
hinder fuch from coming to be catechifed like children ; but that fhame
will be covered by your putting in pradice the method I am recom
mending; for light and knowledge will be obliquely conveyed Into
their minds, and you will, by inftruding children in their prefences,
inftrud them at the fame time, without expofing their ignorance.
In fuch parifhes as afford a fufficient auditory at the evening fer
vice, this work may be then moft conveniently performed, till the
ihort days come in ; but where the parifhioners lie remote from the
church, the raorning will be the fitteft time. It will indeed prolong the

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the fervice for half an hour ; but they who come to worfhip Gotf,
but once in feven days, may look upon this, as an eafy compofition ;
and if the minifter fhould not grudge his pains, it will be hard, if
they fhould grudge their time, when they have no worldly bufinefs
upon their hands. — If you fhould at the fame time take occafion to
explain and enforce the dodrines of ProteflantiJ-m, and of the eJlaU'ijhei
Church, it might be of great ufe to fortify your people, and prevent
apoftacles, and perhaps to bring over fuch as miy have the curiofity
to be your hearers. And to fpeak the truth, there is no other way
of effeding this properly upon reafonable creatures and chriftians,
than the way of reafoning and convidion. Coercive laws can never
convince any body: they may tie up men's hands and tongues, but
never reach their hearts; this is only to be done by enlightning the
mind, and working properly upon the confcience.
I muft, therefore. My Reverend Brethren, moft earneftly prefs you
to be affiduous in the difcharge of this part of your office : declaring
ut the fame time, that I fhall diftinguifh with my regards fuch mi
nifters and curates, as -fliall diftinguifh themfelves, by their diligence
ujion this, and the following head :
IV. Which is fourthly, the reviving of that .almoft antiquated
exercife oi expounding the holy fcriptures to j our congregations.* lam
itfrald, that the bulk of your people, are very little acquainted with
this divine book : fome for want of inclination to read it, and others
for want of proper helps for underftanding It ; and yet, this is the
book that is able to -make them 'wife unto falvation. 2 Tim. iii. 15.
This hook, is the great rule of their faith and pradice, and accord
ing to this book, they muft be judged at the laft day. Who then
fhould teach them to underftand It, but their paftors, who are called
by that honourable name, becaufe they are to feed their people "with
knoviledge and underflanding. Jerem. v. 15. For the priejl's lips fiiouli-
keep kno'^ledge, and they fhould ,feek the l-aw at his mouth : for he is the
luejfsnger of the Lord of Hojis. Mai. ii. 7.
By this means, you will by degrees lead thofe into the knowledge
of the holy fcriptures, who will not be at the pains, or may want
leifure to read them at home; or if they do read, yet for want of
commentators, are fometimrs at a lofs for the true . fenfe. Let me
add, that this exercife will be of no fmall advantage even to, your-
felves, as it will lay you under a neceflity of ftudying the word of
God, which you are by profeffion, and promife at your ordination,.
bound to do ; for a clergyman can no more be unfkilful in the holy
fcriptures, without great fhame and reproach, than a lawyer, in the
law. The ep'flles and gofpels and lejfons for the day, will furnifh you with
choice of fubjeds for this work, which will become eafy and familiar to
the minifter, after he has once made himfelf mafter of the fenfe and
connedion. I am not recommending this as an additional tafk over
and above the fermon, but to be fubftituted fometimes in the place of
ic; and which, in ray judgment, will be more profitable, efpecially if
care be taken to make fuch pradical inferences and applications in the -
* This ufeful exercife, however, has the faniaion of fome worthy divines now .
liviaj;, and among them, the prefent Bifliop of Chefter, who, when Reflor of
l.ambeth, ufed to expound oae of the kflbns every SunJay afternoon to his
congrtgatioii. * _ . ii
ccurfe

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courfe of the expofition, as may naturally arife out of the text. This
will indeed make it a fermon, in another fhape; with this difference
only, that the variety of fubjeds and incidents will enliven the atten
tion, and give a rnore agreeable, as well as iiiftrudive entertainment to
the audience; who, 1 dare fay, will corae with a better appetite to
this eyercife, when judicioufly performed ; and fill your churches
better. It will remain In the minifter's difcretion, to Interpofe a fermon,
when he pleafes ; but he will do well to note down thofe Sundays,
in order to expound in the following year, thofe portions of holy
fcripture, which by this means were omitted. And, if- the people
were admonifhed to bring their bibles with them, according to the
good old pradice of our anceftors, and to accompany the minifter,
as he reads and expounds, they would underftand, and retain it
better ;' and be enabled to fpend an hour more profitably in recol-
leding and repeating to their families, what they had heard at church.
If this cuftom, pradifed in the times of Par'ttanifm, was laid afide iu
a licentiaus age, when all ferloufnefs in religion grew out of fafliion,
let us not be afhamed to revive it ; for, it is no fhame to learn that
whitfh is good from any bodj^ After all, if a fermon in form fhould,
in coaipfiance with cuftom, be found Indifpenfible, it may however be
fhortened, to allow for the time, that has been fpent in the expo
fition. I come now to fpeak tO'—your duty at large, and out of the houfe
of God.
I. The FIRST I fhall mention is, the vifitat'wn of the fick. And let
me aflure you, that this is a very critical office at certain conjunc
tures, and that great difcretion Is required for the right difcharge of
it ; for, there may bo danger in adminiftering either too much fear,
or too much hope. To awaken a fick man to refled upon his paft
life, and to call his fins to remembrance, in order to a particular
repentance, will be of great ufe to him ; but care muft be taken, not
to throw him into defpair of God's mercy and forgivenefs ; for this
will prevent his repentance, and fhut the door of mercy againft him.
On the other hand, to fet only the mercy of God before him, and
deal out hope too liberally, will be the way to make him fecure, when
his foul is in the utmoft danger. And bye-ftanders will be too apt
to lay hold of fuch fweet dodrine, to their own undoing. I am
afraid. It is too frequent for wicked livers, when they apprehend the
approaches of death, to fend for the minlfier, in order to receive the
communion and abfolutlon, as a kind of paffport, which they hope
will do their bufinefs at once, and carry them by a fhort way to
heaven : ^nd indeed, this Is a very ftiort way, if it would do. But
alas ! we do not find In the holy fcriptures, that the way is quite fo
eafy. But the vlfitation of the fick, is only an occafional branch of
a paftor's duty, and there is another of much greater importance and
extent ; and th:^; is,
II. Secondly, his vifiting all his parifinoners at their houfes. In a
ftated and regular courfe. By this means only, can he learn tha
true ftate of their fouls, and all their fpiritual wants. In the church,
he is to fpeak, and tliey to hear only ; but his familiar converfation,
v.ill giv.e them an opportunity of fpeaking in their turns, and of
opening to him thctp, doubts and fcruples of coflfcieace ; their fears,

( IO )
their temptations, and their ignorance ; and he will take fit occafions
CD admonifli and reprove them privately, without expofing them to
fhame, according to our Saviour's advice. By the fame m^ans alfo,
he will leai-n if the worfliip of God be kept up In families as it ought:
he will difcover what good books are ufed among them, and what
bad ones, which may tend to corrupt their principles and manners.
— Thefe, and a thoufand other good ends are to be obtained, only
by the diligence of a paftor in vifiting his parifhioners at their houfes ;
fo that if he fhould content himfelf with officiating in the church
only, and having barely a y^rcff-knowledge of them, he will leave a
great part of his duty undone. It is incredible how far this prac
tice would go towards reforming the people, and efpecially thofe of
the lower ratik ; for though, he is doing no, more than his, bare
duty, yet they would miftake it for a great honour and condefcen-
tlon on his party to vifit them familiarly in their homely cottages ;
and by thus gaining their hearts, he would 'find them foft to his
good impreffions, and patient under his reproofs. I hope therefore,
my reverend brethren, that you will be particularly affiduous in this
branch of your duty : and that for the more eafy and effedual per
formance of it, you will divide your refpedive parifhes into conve
nient diftrlds, to be vifited by you in a ftated courfe.
III. Need I obferve to you, in the third and last place, that
the example of a virtuous and godly life in a minifter, will have more
effed upon his people than a thoufand difcourfes from the pulpit,
be they never fo excellent. The bulk of mankind are much eafier
led by the eye, than the ear; and though he fhould preach like an
angel, yet will they defplf-; his dodrine, if they do not read it in
his life ; but, when he fheWs himfelf in all things a pattern of good
•vjoris, and prefents in his own life a fair copy of all thofe graces
and virtues which he recommends from the pulpit : his own people
will believe hirii to be in good earneft, and that his fincere aim is
to fave their fouls, as well as his own. Hia humility, meeknefs, and
forgivenefs, his charity and moderation, his temperance and fobriety,
his grave, prudent, and peaceable behaviour, his encouragement of
religion and devotion in his own family, will procure reverence and
authority to his ¦ perfon, attention to his preaching,' and a zeal to imi
tate his virtues : They will think fuch a labourer 'worthy 6f his hire;
and he muft be of a very pervef fe temper indeed, who will not chear-
fully render him his dues.  Give me leave to obfen-e, that if the
minifter be intitled to his tithes, the parifhioners are in good confcienct,
and by the rules of the gofpel, and the will of the Donor, intitled
equally to his fpiritual cares and labors, in the execution of his of
fice for- the good of their fouls. If he reaps their carnal things, it is
in confideration, that he fhall foiu unto them fpiritual things; and as
he is partaker of_jhe altar, he is required to 'wait at the altar; i Cor.
ix. II, 13. Andtherefore, if he proves remifs in the difcharge of his
duty, if he is not at hand to watch over his flock, to feed and to
guard them, he muft not wonder, if they are untoward and difficult
in the payment of their dues ; for though the /atu be <io/?^him, yet
they will juftly fet up the equity of the gofpel againfi him.
It remains, only that I fliould exhort you to that, whith is not
fo properly to be called a diftind and feparate head of duty, as a
mode or quality, that ought to run through all the reft: I am fpeak

( II )
ing- of ZEAL, or that fervent defire of doing good to the: fouls of
your parifhioners, which will animate and enliven every part of your
duty. This is oppofed to that indolence and lukcwarmnefs of fpirit,
which always proceeds with indifference and Jlothfulnefs in bufinefs ;
which does what^ is barely required, and no more ; and therefore
generally underdoes in every thing. To fuch tempers every thing
goes up-hill and againft the grain ; and is performed, as if it were
a tajk, which is done only becaufe it muft be done. ,
But a principle of ZEAL will turn our duty into delight, and
make us adive and diligent ; it will overcome all difficulties, and fpare
no pains in promoting the honor of God, and the falvation of thofe
fouls that are committed to our charge. Our Saviour gives John
the charader of a burning and a fhining Ught. John v. 35. Shining,
by the light of his dodriiie, and burning, by the warmth and adi-
vity of his zeal; and, the fame fhould be the charader of every
minifter of the gofpel. — In order therefore to excite you to the ef
fedual difcharge of your fpiritual offices with this laudable temper of
mind, I, fhall lay before you fome motives and confiderat'ions, which,
if duly attended to. cannot fail of fuccefs.
I. The first fliall be taken from the nature of that truft, which,
with your own confent, has been committed to you. The fouls of
your parifliloners are your immediate charge, and you are to guide
them in the way of eternal falvation. Hence it is, that the office
of a minifter is reprefented in the holy fcriptures under metaphors
and i-haraders, importing a very high truft.
You are called Jhepherds, who are to feed the flock of Chrift, by
enlightening their minds with the knowledge of divine trudis ; tb
eftablifh their faith, and influence them to the pradice of virtue,
Simon, fon of Jonas, lovefl thou me? fays our Saviour, Fee4 my Jheep,
John" xxi. 16. Which he repeats three times. The truft is comprized
in three words, but fo big with important matter as might fill »
.volume. However, you may obferve the principle and fpring from
.whence it is inferred and enforced, lo-defl .thou me ? ftrongly Implying,
that where there is a true love for our bleffed Saviour, it will na-
. turally operate by a zeal for promoting the falvation of the fouls for
whom he fhed his moft precious blo©d.
As Jl-iepherds, you are , likewife inftruded to guard your flocks from
fpiritual enemies and dangers, efpecially as they are furrounded with
thofe whp will be afliduous to pervert and corrupt their faith and
manners. For this reafon, a good pajior will always have an' eye
upon his flock, to confirm thofe that are wavering; and recjalm and
recover fiich as have been led aftray.
II. And it is in the fame view, and for the fame purpofes that you
.^e called 'watchmen; for you are to watch over the faith and morals
of your people, and guard them againft infidefity, falfe dodrines,
corrupt religions, evil cuftoms, and immoral pradices. Son of man,^
fays God to the prophet, I ^ave made thee a rwatchman over the houfe of
Tfrael; and t^e end follows, namely, to 'warn the •wicked from his
evil nuay. St. Paul takes up the allufion, Heh, xiii. 17. Qbey thera-.
that have the rule over you, for they 'watch for your fouls. And here
' I cannot but repeat the hint of the neceflity of refidence, 'which is
{o clearly and ftrongly implied in tljofe metafhors ;, for aa abfent ^nd.
B 2. • rafiabling

C 12 )
rambling fhepherd muft needs negled the fafety of his ilock, and a
•watchman or centinel will be punifhed If he leaves his poft.
IIT. And lastly. To namp no more, you Tivt Jleiuards of tht
m\Jhri:s of God, I Cor. iv. 7. and difpenfers of the means of falva
tion In his church. The church Is Chrift's houfloold or family ; and
it is your office to adminifter their fpiritual food to them, even the
ft. ce-re m'llk of the ivord, that fb they may grow in grace, and in the
knoivledge of God' their Saviour.
Now thefe metaphors of a Jloepherd, a matchman, and a fleisiard,
txprefs in a moft fignificant and lively manner, the nature of that
truft, which is committed to every one, who lias taken upon him the
holy chaiader ; and fhew that he is refponfible for the fouls of his
parilhioners. And as every truft, muft one time or other be ac
counted for, this leads me to the other motive, proper to excite you
to a zealous and diligent difcharge of your office; namely. That
you will, moft certainly, be called to a ftrld account for the farae.
This is ftrongly urged by St. Paul, In the place before mentioned,
:is an argument both to minifters and people to difcharge their du
ties reciprocally: Obey them that rule over you, Jor they ivatch for your
fouls, as thofe ivho muj} give account. And wh.it account will a luke
warm, flothful .md negligent minifter give at that day, if his unhappy
parilliioners fhould turn evidences againft him, and In excufe for their
own faults, plead, that they mifcarried through his negled? Will he
plead his obedience to the canons and rubrics, and that he performed
every fervice which the letter of the law required ? Let me alTure
you, my reverend brethren, that this plea-, will not be admitted before
the great Judge, and that the father and lover of fouls, requires
much more at your hands. Canons and rubrics are ufeful inftru-
ments for keeping up external d'tfcipl'me, order, and decency In an eftab
lifhed church ; and, It is fmall merit in a clergyman to obej^ thefe,
becaufe, he will be expofed to ecclefiaftical cenfiires for his negled.
But if he contents himfelf with this legal obfervance, and goes no fur
ther, he will be found wanting, when he comes to be weighed in the
balance. His heart and foul muft be fet upon his work: he muft give
up the beft of his time and pains to it, labouring, in feafon, and out
of feafon. 2 Tim. iv. 2. Performing many things, as a volunteer, which
lavvs do not, and c;innot prefcribe ; or he will never ftand the in-
qu fition of the great day, but be ranked In the number of unprofit
able fervants. This day of reckoning muft come : it Is what you preach
to others, and it Is wh.it you fliould ferioufly confider yourfelves—
lefl afler preaching to them, you yourfelves fjould be cafi-aivays. I Cor.
ix. 27. But as dreidful as this day will prove to flothful and merely
crmonical paftors, it will be no iefs joyful and happy to thofe who
have been zealous and diligent in favin^ the fouls committed to their
charge. With wliat pleafure will every fuch minifter appear at the
head of his happy flock, befoi'e the great Shepherd, and in his own
words_ fay, Thsfe thou gaveft me, I have kept, and none of thein is loftl
The light of his dodrine, and the living light of his example did not
ihine in vain, even with refped to himfelf, before his people ; for they
that turn many /5 righteoufnefs, fhall floine as the fiars for ever and ever.
Dan. Xli. 3 If any further motive were neceffary, tho' one would
think It fliould not, you may turn to the ofiice of Ordination, and
relrefil your memories with the folemn promilesyou made, at yom-'
admiffion

{ 13 )
admiffion to the order of priefts : and I would earneftly advife every
clergyman to read over that office, once at leaft in every year; be
caufe, ftale promifes are too apt to be forgotten.
Having thus, my reverend brethren, delivered my thoughts to you,
though very Imperfedly, upon fome of the chief branches of your
fiicred.fundion, 1 hope you will receive them favourably, and that will
not be quiie unprofitable, and efpecially to fuch of you, as have not
long been admitted to the cure of soxils.
I fhall, by God's affiftance, endeavour to co-operate with you fop-
promoting the great ends of your miniftry ; — fhall chearfuUy aflift
you, as far as I am capable, with my. advice, and prayers in your
behalf ; and I hope I fhall not want the benefit of your advice as
there fhall be occafion ; and efpecially of your prayers, that God will
enable me by his grace, to difcharge faithfully the great truft com
mitted to me, for the promotion of his glory, and the edification of
this diocefe ; that fo, when the great ishepherd fliall require an ac
count of the flocks committed to our charge, you and I may be able
to give it up with chearfulnefs, and enter into the joy of our Lord. — .
I fhall conclude, with thofe awful words of God to the prophet Ezekiel,
in his 33d chapter: 0 fon of man, I have fet thee a watchman nnto the
houfe of Ifrael: therefore, tlnu Jhalt hear the 'word, at my mouth, and give
them warning from me. When I fay unto the 'wicked, 0 wicked man,
thou Jhalt furely die .- If thou doji not fpeak to warn the wicked from his
•way, that •wicked man floall die in his iniquity, but his blood 'will I re
quire at thy hand. Neverthelefs, if thou warn the wicked of his way, fo
turn from It, If he doth not turn from his wav, he fhall die in his ini
quity, but thou haji. delivered thy Joul. [Thus far Archbifliop Hort.J

The Importance of the Ministerial Character.
Written in Blank Verfe, by a Clergymto In Virginia,
THIS day my tongue, the glory of my frame,
Enjoy'd the honour of man's advocate :

i,njoy
Immortal fouls of more tranfcendant worth
Than Ophir or Peru's exhauftlefs mines.
Are trufted to my care. Important truft !-

What if fome wretched foul (tremendous thought!)
Once favor'd with the gofpel's joyful found.
Now loft, (for ever loft!) thro' my negled.
In dire Infernal glooms, with flaming tongue.
Be heaping execrations on my head,
Whilft here fecure, I dream my life away !
AVhat if fome ghoft, cut off from life and hope.
With fierce defpalring eyes up-turn'd to Heav'n,
That wildly ftare, and witpefs horrors huge.
Be roaring horrid, " Lord, avenge my blood
" On that unpitying wretch, who faw me run
" With full career, the dire inchanting road,
" To thefe devouring flames, yet warn'd mc not:
" Or- faintly warn'd me ; and with languid tone,
" And cool harangue, denounc'd eternal fire,
" And wrath divine"? at the dread, fliocking thought
My

( M )
My fpirit Ihudders : all my inmoft foul
Trembles and fhrinks. Sure, if the plaintive cries
Of fpirits reprobate reach the ear
Of their great Judge, they muft be cries like thefe..
But, if the meaneft of the happy choir
Tli.it with eternal fymphonles furround
The Heav'nly Throne, can ftand and thus declare,
" I owe it to his care that I am here,
" Next to Almighty Grace : his faithful hand
" Regardlefs of the frowns he might incur,
" Snatch'd me reludant, from approaching flames,
" Ready to catch and burn unquenchable :
" May richeft grace reward his pious zeal,
" With fome bright manfion In this world of blifs."
Tranfporting thought ! then bleffed be the hand
That form'd my elemental clay to man.
And ftill fupports me. 'Tis worth while to live,
If I may live to purpofes fo great.
Awake my dormant zeal! for ever flame
With gen'rous ardor for immortal fouls ;
And may my head, and tongue, and heart, and all,
Spend and be fpent in fervice fo divine !

A Vindicatmi of the Freedom of Pajloral .Advice :
JBeing a SERMON preached by the Rev. JOHN SMITH, A. B.
Redor of Nantwlch, Chefliire.
SEARCH the scriptrues. John v, 39.

Galatians Chap. iv. Ver. j6.
Am I therefore become your enemy, becaufe I tell you the truth?
HOWEVER valuable truth may be in itfelf, and defirable to every
real chrifti.in, yet it is always fure to give offence to the ig
norant and profane, the lukewarm and formal profeffors of chriftianity.
Every faithful preacher of God's word, from the dawn of revela
tion has found, and to the end of time, will find, that this Is the
cafe. Indeed, fince man is by nature a fallen and depraved creature,
it cannot be otherwife : It is Impoffible, fays our Lord, but that of
fences will come. Luke xvii. i. Light and darknefs'are not more
oppofite, than the carnal mind, which is enmity againfi God, and the
pure religion of Jefus Chrift. Rom. viii. 7.
From this contrariety arifes niuch of the oppofition which we mee^
with in our chriftian warfare. This oppofition, which is the coramon
lot of chriftians in general, is more peculiarly the portion of the
minifters of the gofpel. The ofiice of the miniftry is truly honour-.
able ; but, like the poft of honour in battle, it is attended with pe
culiar dangers.' Satan and his emiffaries are always ready to oppofe,
diftrefs, and perplex, the faithful fervants of the living God. We
have a ftriking proof of the truth of this obfervation in the treat
ment, which the prophets of old, which Chrift himfelf and his apof-
ties met v/ith ; and particularly St. Paul. Hear his own account of
^he difficnlties he underwent. Ar9 they mi-a'ifters of Chrift, fays he,

( i5 )
(I fpeak as' a fool) I am more ; in labours more abundant ; in Jiripet
above -ineafure ; in prifons more frequent ; in deaths oft. Of the Jews
Jive times received I forty firipes fave one. Thrice was I beaten luitb
rods ; once was I Jioned ; thrice I fuffered. Jhipwreck ; a night and. a
day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often; in perils oJ water;
in perils oJ robbers ; in perils by mine own country men ; in perils by
the heathen ; in perils in the city ; in perils in the wlldernefs ; in perils
in the fea; in perils anitng falfe brethren; in wearinefs and palnfulnefi ;
in •watchings often ; in cold and nakednefs : hejides thofe things that are
•without; that which cometh upon me daily ; the care of all the churches,
2 Cor. xi. 23 to 29.
What a dreadful catalogue of fufferings is here? Andyet, tinder
all thefe difficulties, we find that the grace of God was fufficient for him;
and that his flrength was made perfect in weaknefs. 2 Cor. xii. 9. Sen-
fible of this, he tells the Corinthians that he takes pleafure in infir
mities ; in reproaches ; in neceffities ; in perfecutlons ; in diflrejfes for
Chrifi's fake. 2 Cor. xii. 10.
Such was the noble and undaunted fpirit of this holy, apoftle :
and, if the minifters of tlie gofpel would approve themfelves faithful
to their mafter, they muft, like him, Wt/Zy fpeak the truth ; and i/fc/a.-cf
unto their hearers all the counfel of God. Ads xx. 27. When offence
is taken at their freedom, and oppofition arifes in confequence theror
of, each faitliful fervant of Jefus Chrift, may, in his own behalf, very
fitly and properly put this queftion to his oppofers : Am I therefore
become your enemy, becaufe I tell you the truth ?
From thefe words, I fhall take occafion to confider, the various,
and indifpenfible obligations, which the mmifters of the gofpel are un
der, plainly to declare the truth to their hearers.
' Thefe obligations do arife from the love they bear to God — to
their people— and to themfelves - from the ftridnefs of their ordination-
vows— and, from their folemn fubfcriptions. With refped to the/r/?
of thefe obligations, namely, the love they bear to God : This is moft
certainly a very lively and adive principle. The apoftle St. Paul,
felt this divine energy, fo ftrong in his own foul, that he found it
impoffible to refift it. The love of Chrift, fays he, conjirdineth us :
It bears us away,* like a ftrong and refiftlefs torrent, and excites us
to all the various exercifes of ardent zeal, chriftian compaffion, and
brotherly love. Indeed, love for love is but a reafonable return; and
it is the conftant and never-failing fruit of the holy fpirit, which
prefides in the breaft of every true believer. When this divine love
is ftied abroad in the heart of a chriftian minifter by the power of
the holy ghoft, when the eyes of his nnderftanding are enlightened,
to fee his own vllenefs and unworthinefs, (Job xl. 4) and the tm-
fpeakable goodnefs 6f his God to him, through Chrift: when he be
holds the dreadful depravity of human nature, and the great danger
men are in of eternal mifery : when he fees the contempt which is
caft by the wicked on the glorious God, and his facred laws ; the
hallowed flame of celeftial zeal will be kindled, and he will fpeak boldly
•with his tongue. Pfa. xxxix. 34. Under fuch circumftances, he will.
(iu conformity to the injundion given by God to the prophet) Cry
* This is the import of the original word; it is very emphatical; and fuggefts
a noble fimile which few tranflations preferve. See DuDaiuccE's Ean-jly Expofiur
•n i-Cor. iii. 1-4. and hii- Nols en Phil. i. ss. ¦ , ,
aloud,

( i6 )
aloud, and fpare not: he will lift up his voice like a trumpot,' he imif
fhew kis people their tranfgreffions, and the houfe of Jacob their fins. Ifa-.
Iviii. I. If another, who bears the fame fiicVed commiflion, wiU
bafely prqftltute his office, and bring guilt upon his foul, hy fpeaking
fmooth things, aud prophefying deceits ; the true fervant of Qod. miifl
not, dares not do fo. Ifa. xxx. lo. His love to his mafter obliges hira.
to ftand forth in defence of his facred caufe, and to fpeak the truth
from his heart. Pfa. xv. 2. Indeed, if he fhould ad otherwife, he
would be unfaithful to his God, and treacherous to the fouls of
the people committed to his charge. The apoftle exprefsly injoins
all paftors to take heed unto themfelves, and to all the flock over -which
the Holy Ghoft hath made them overfcers, to feed the church of God, •which
he hath purchafed with his own blood. Ads xx. 28. In confequence of
this folemn charge, every faithful fhepherd thinks Iiimfelf obliged to
deal plainly with his flock ; and, knowing the terrors of the Lord, he
earneftly endeavours to perfuade them to flee from the wrath to come,
2 Cor. V. 11. Matth. iii. 7.
This is the kindeft part he can poffibly ad towards them. Should
he fee a fellow-creature perifhing for want of bread, and, though of
ability, refufe to relieve him, he would juftly Incur the imputation of
inhumanity ; but fmall would be his guilt, and inconfiderable his
cruelty, if compared with the condud of a paftor, who fees his peo
ple rufhlng forward into the hroad way that leadeth to defiru£l'ion;
and yet negleds to admonifli them faithfully of their danger. Mai;.
vii. 13. The fufferings of the body in tills world, will foon have
an end ; but the fufferings of wicked and impenitent fouls, will be
unfpeakable and eternal.
If your houfes were in flames, and you were afleep ; infenfible of
your danger, and therefore iricapable of avoiding It ; he muft be a
cruel wretch indeed, who fliould refufe, or negled to roufe you Im-
vied'iately from your flumbcrs. What then would you fay, or think
of the minifter, who fees his people afleep, nay, even dead In tnf ¦
paffes and fins, in the greateft danger of everlafling burnings, . and yet
lets them fleep on, and take their reft, in fin and fecurity? Ifa. xxxiii. 14.
Certainly you muft think him, and might juftly call him, a cruel won-
fter ; and, inftead of ading like the true fervant of Jefus Chrift, he
would, by fuch behaviour, prove, beyond difpute, that he was tbe
flave of fin, and the minifter of Satan.
The condud of a faithful preacher of the gofpel, is the very re
verfe of all this. He will fpeak the truth, whether you will hear, or
•whether you will forbear. Ezek. ii. 5. He will labor to fhew you the
depravity of your nature, the heinoufnefs of your fins, and will de
clare to you plainly the heavy vengeance, the dreadful wrath of God,
which is your defert on account of them. He will endeavor fully
to convince you of the purity and fpiritu-allty of God's law, and the
abfolute impoffibility, in your fallen ftate, of a ftrid conformity there
to, or of Juftification thereby. Gal. iii. io. He will thoroughly probe
your wounds in order to their cure ; being clearly convinced, that
there is no other way to bring you as finners, weary and heavy hi-
dea, to your fpiritual phyfician ;' /<? the great Jliepherd and hiJIiop-'OJ.
your fouls. Mat. xi. 28. i Pet. ii. 25.
All this, and (if poffible) more than this will he endeavor to dp;
not becaufe he hates you, not becaufe he takes pleafure in givipg you

you pain by: declaring the awful threatenings of God againfi fin }
out becanfe he has a true and real love for your fbuls : and there*
fbl-e he ftrive s and labours, wl flies and prays, that you may be happy i
both here and hereaj'ter. And is he for this to be hafed and op
pofed, derided, and fet at nought ? Ungrateful return indeed ! Be .
this as it may : He is fully determined', however, through the powef
of God, to perfevcre in the path of duty ; to return good for evil,
bleffings for curfes, and benefits for wrongs. In fo; doing, he imi
tates the example of his ever-blefled mafter, who went about doing
good. Ads X. 38.
When he looks into the facred volume, he ftek that, perfecution
has ever been the lot of God's faithful fervants; and therefore he
iis not much furprifed, as if a new thing had happened unto him ;
neither is he depreffed, and dejedsd on this account. He find's a,
variety of comfortable promifes In the word of God; and thefe are
the ftay and fupport of his fbnl. Thus faith the Almighty to his
faithful fervant: Fear vot, for I am with thee; be not diffnayed, for
I am thy God : I will flrengtjjen thee ; yea, I ' •will help thee ; yea, I
will uphold thee, with the right hand' of my r'lghteoufnefs. Ifa. xli. 10.'
/ will never leave thee, nor forfake thee. So that he. may boldly fay.
The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear, what ?nan fhall do nnto
me. Heb. xiii. 5, 6. Bleffed are ye, fays the Redeemer, when men
fhall revile you ; and perfecut.e you ; and Jhall fay all manner of evil
againft you falfely, for my fake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for, great
is your reward in Heaven ; for, fo perfecuted they the prophets which were
before you. Mat. v» 11, 12. Indeed, the apoflle' afliires us,, that Alt
•who will live godly in Chrift Jefus, ftjall fuffer perfecution; 3 Tim* Iii. 12)
and, that We muft through much tribtdation, enter into the kingdom of
God. Ads xiv. 22. Heaven, however, will make the real chriftlah
ample amends for all ; and, thefe Ught afflictions, which are but fo^ a
moment, will work out for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight
<f glory. 2 Cor. iv. 17.
Of this happinefs, and of this glory, the minifter of Chrift is ear-'
neftly defirous that all his people fhould partake. This is utterly
impoffible whilft they continue in their fins; and therefore,' out of
the love he bears them, he faithfully and plainly warns them of their
danger. ' And indeed, if it were poffible that he could be deftitute of A,
real love to God, and a true concern for the foiils ofhis people,.
(which never was, never can be the cafe,) yet, is he indifpenfibly
obliged to fay the truth in Chrift, and to lie not, if he has any, eved
the leaft regard for his own falvation. Rom. ix. l. Yitzv tht folemn
eharge which Ged gives him by the mouth of his prophet EzekleL
In the third chapter of this prophecy (which I defire you will fe-
¦rioufly read In your retirements) at the 17th and i8th verfes, you
may find^ thefe awful words. Son oJ man, I have made thee a watch
man unto the., houfe of Ifrael: therefore hear the it'ord' at my mouth, and
give them warning from me. When I fay unto the wicked thou Jhalt
furely die; -and thou giveft him not warning, 7ior fpfahefl to warn the
wicked from his •wicked way, to fave his life ; the fame w'lcked matt
fhall die in his iniquity ; but his blood wilt I require at thine liand,
Obferve attentively this awful paffage. The minifter of God is here
.scaUed, a inatchman! He is appointed by Chrift t-o the perpetual care
G of

( I« )¦
ef tis -church; to look after the fpiritual welfare of- his people, with.
attention and diligence; to forefee dangers, in order to prevent them;
and to promote in every way, their eternal falvation. An ofiice this,
of the greateft imporfance ! Thus the Almighty proceeds, : Therefore
hear the word at my mouth; and give theni warning J'rom me: that Is;
be diligent in prayer for fpiritual knowledge ; and in reading the
hoi/ fcripture, which is my word ; and, according to the tenor of
this facred revelation, warn them to forfake their fins,, and to re
turn unto me their God and Saviour. When I Jay unto the •mlckeJ
thou Jhalt Jurely die ; that is ; thou Ihalt perifh in thy fins, if thou
dieft in them; and thou giveft him not warning, nor fpeakeft to •warn
the wicked from his wicked way to fave his life; the fame wicked man
Jhall die in his iniquity ; that is ; he fhall die in a ftate of fin, and
be condemned to thofe eternal punilliments, to which death tranf
lates finners ; But his blood will I require at thine hand: Thou Ihalt
be accountable for the lofs of his foul ; juft as a man's blood is laid
to the charge of him, that Is in any refped, acceffary to his death.*
It is this awful denunciation,, which is again repeated in the 33d
chapter, -\ (joined with the love that he bears to Chrift, and his
church) that conftraineth him to declare the dreadful threatenings
of the Almighty plainly, and without referve ; and unlefs he does fb,
great is his guilt; and infupportable will be his punifhment. If the
prophet fhould prophefy Jaljely, and fpeak unto you peace, when there is
«3 peace; he would wretchedly and criielly deceive you: (Jer. vi. 14.)"
You then muft perifh in your fins ; but he would be fubjed at leali
lo a double portion of infernal torments.
This will be evident, if we briefly confider his ordination-vows,
which indifpenfibly oblige hira to all fidelity, and diligence. J The
firft queftion that Is put to each candidate for holy orders, in the
office of deacons. Is this : " Do you truft that you are inwardly
" MOVED BY THE HoLY Ghost, to take iipon you this ofiice and
*' miniftration, to ferve God, for the promoting "of his glory, and
" the edi-fyiijg of his people? To which, he anfwers, / truft Jo."
In the office of ordaining priefl^s, there is a moft folemn charge given
to them. They are required to have always printed in their re
membrance how great a treafure is committed to their charge : the
church and congregation whom they muft ferve, is Chrift's fpoufe
and body. The greatnefs ofthe fault of their negligence, and the
horrible punifhment that will follow upon it is then fet before thera,
in cafe the church, or any member of it, take any hurt, or hinder
ance, by reafon thereof: they are moreover charged never to ceafe
their labour,^ care, and_ diligence, till they have done all that lieth in
them, according to their bounden duty, towards all fuch as are, or fliall
be committed to their care, to bring them to a ripenefs and perfedt-
nefs of age in Chrift. They are again urged to confider with what
care and ftudy they ought to apply themfelves to this ; to pray ear
neftly for God's holy fpirit, and to be ftiidiofus in reading, and learn-:
See LowTu's Co-mmcntari, page 261.
t See Iike«,ife the 56th chapter of Tfm.ih ; the 5th, 6th, and 13d chapters 6f,
J:re-r.,ah ; the -ii, 13th and 24th of Ezekiel; in which (together with variou,'!
other paffages in fcripture) the guilt and danger of unfaithful paftors, and their
flocks, are deferibed, in the moft awful and afFeaing manner.
X See the offices for maVing and ©jdaining priefts and de»cpns, Ing

C 19 )
ine • of the fcriptures ; and to forfake and fet afide, as much as they
may, all worldly cares and ftudies. It is hoped, that they have clearly
determined, by God's grace, to give themfelves wholly to this voca
tion ; and, as much as lieth in them, to apply themfelves wholly to
this one thing ; to draw all their cares and fludies this w.ay ; and,
that by their daily I'eading, and weighing the fcriptures, they will
ftudy to wax riper, and ftronger in their miniftry. Thefe are fome
of the words of the preparatory charge given by the bifhop, when
he enters on the office of ordaining priefts ; the whole of which is fo
ferious, and fo folemn. that no addrefs can be more fo. After this
truly pathetic, and weighty charge, the biihop proceeds in the name oJ
God, and of his church, to put the following queftions to each candi
date for the facred .order of priefthood. " Do you think in your
" heart that you be truly called, according to the will of our
" Lord Jesus Christ, and to the order of this church of England,
" to the order and miniftry of priefthood ?" To which queftion the
candidate replies, " / think It." I'he bifhop then aflcs, " Are you
" perfuaded, that the holy fcriptures contain fufficiently all" dodrine
" required of neceffity for eternal falvation, through faith in Jefus
" Chrift ? And are you determined, out of the faid fcriptures to
" Inftrud the people committed to your charge ; and to teach no-
" thing (as required of neceffity to eternal falvation) but that winch
" you fhall be perfuaded may be concluded, and proved by the
" fcripture?" The candidate anfwers, " / am fo perfuaded, and have fo
" determined, by God's grace." The bifhop proceeds thus : " WiU
" you then give your faithful diligence, always fo to minifter the
" dodrine, and facraments, and the difcipline of Chrift, as the Lord
*' hath commanded, and as this church and realm hath received the
" fame, according- to the commandments of God ; fo that you may
" teach the people committed to your cure and charge, with all
" diligence to keep, and obferve the fame ?" The candidate anfwers,
" I will fo do, by the help of the Lord." The biftiop then aflcs, " Will
" you be ready, with all falthjul diligence, to banifh and drive away.
" all erroneous and ftrange dodrines, contrary to God's word ; and
" to ufe both public and private monitions, and exhortations, as well to-
" the ftck, as to the whole, within your cures, as need ftiall require,
" and occafton fhall be given ?" The candidate anfwers, " I will, the
" Lord being my helper." The bifhop then afks, " Will you be dl-
" ligent in prayers, and in reading of the holy fcriptures, and in
" fuch ftudies, as help to the knowledge of the fame, laying afide
*' the ftudy of 'tlie worid, and the flefh ?" The candidate anfwers,
" / will endeavour myfelf fo to do, the Lord being my helper.'' The
bifhop then puts this queftion, " Will you be diligent to frame and
" fafhion your own felves, and your families, according to the doc-
<' trine of Chrift ; and to make both yourfelves, and thera, as much
"as In you lieth, wholefome examples, and patterns to the flock of
«' Chrift ?" The anfwer is, «' / will apply myfelf thereto, the Lord
<' being 9/j(i helper." The biihop then afks, '^ Will you maintain an^
" fet forwaf-d, as much as lieth in you, quietnefs, peace, and love,
<< among all chriftian people and efpecially among them that are,
«' or fhall be comrnitted to your charge J" Ti;? candidate replies^
'.'- / •will fo do, the Lord being my helper,"

( 20 )
After thi^, die bifliop prays that. Gad, who hath given the can
didate the will to do all thefe things, may alfo grant unto hira
ftrength, and power to perform the fame ; that he may accomplifli
his work, vvhich he hath begun in him, through Jefus Chnft our
Lord. Then the congregation fhall be defired fecretly m their pray-
ers, to make their humble fuppHcations to God, for all thefe thmgs:
for which prayers, ftlence is to be kept for a feafon.
The biftiop then prays again, in behalf of the candidates, and their
refpedive flocks ; and, when this prayer is ended, he, with the priefts
prefent, fliall proceed to lay thdr hands feverally upon the head of
every one that receiveth the order ot priefthood ; the receivers hum
bly kneeling uppn their knees, and the bifliop faying, « Receive the
" Holy Ghoft fir the office and work of a prieft, in the church of God,
" now committed unto thee by the impofition of our hands. Whofe fins
" thou doeft forgive, they are forgiven ; .and whofe fms thou doeft retslni
" they are retained; and be thou a faithjul difperifer of the word of
*' God, arid <^ his holy facraments ; in the name of the Father, and of
" the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. Amen." Then the bifhop delivers
to every one of them, kneeling, tlie Bible into hii hand, faying*
" Take thou authority to preach the word of God, and to minifter tht
" holy facraments In ihe congregation, where thou ftoalt be lawfully tf/'
<' pointed thereunto."
When this is done, the Nicene Creed is repeated, and tlie bifhcp
proceeds In the Communion Service, which -all they ' who receive
orders take together, Befides this, each candidate fubfcribes * ta
the Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and Homilies
bf the Church, as entirely agreeable to the word of God; and to
thefe I beg leave to refer you.
You may clearly fee then the ftrong, the folemn, the indifpenfible
obligations, which every minifter of the gofpel is under, to deal
plainly with his hearers. He inuft preach the word; be inftant In fea--
fon, and out of feafon : he muft reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all kng^
fuffering ^nd do£lrine. 2 Tim. Iv. 2. He is bound to do fo, by the
love he bears to God, to Chrift, and his church ; and by the re
gard he has for the welfare -of his own immortal fOul. Tea, Wo ht
unto him, if he preach not the gofpel. I Cor. Ix. iC. And if thefe
things are fo; I muft obferve, that the oppofition which is given ta
fuch faithful fervants of Jefus Chrift, is truly imploui.
For, is it not im'pious to oppofe the minifters of Jefus Chrift j
and, in fo doing, even to fight againft God? Ads v. 59. Hq-w highly
wbuld an earthly monarch refent an indignity offered to his am-
baffador ? Much greater reafon then have we to exped, that Jefus
Chrift, who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, (Rev, xix. 16,)
¦ivill avenge the caufe of his ambaffadors ; and put them to confu-t
fion that hate them? Hear this awful declaration; vengeance is minci
J will repay faith the Lord. Rom. xii. 19,
Indeed, the oppofition which is given to the minifters of Chrift, is
not only very impious, but is likewife highly unreafonable. Is it not
tinreajmable to cenfure and blame them for their confcientious re
gard to truth ? Certainly It Is ; and ungrateful too ; fince they are
earneftly defirous that the truth fh&uid make you free from the bond;
¦ This lubfcririlion is to be made, sx ar.'tmii ; that is, -fraai the very fixt of the
fubfe^iber. age

( 21 )
age of fin an4 Sataii, aind. lead you to the fruition qf ple'afiirej ' for
evermore. John viii. 32. Pfa. xvi. 11.
If the truth be galling to an impenitent finner, fas it always muft
and will) Jet him turn his refentment inwards, where alone It can
do 'good,; and, if he will be offended, let him be offended at him
felf, for his immoralltaes, and at his fins, as the bane of all true
happinefs. In the 23d chapter of Jeremiah, at the 28th verfe, tha
Almighty gives -this foleran injundion: The prophef that hath my word,
let him. fpeak my 'word faithfully. This you fee is the boumden duty
of every minifter of the gofpel.
B.ut alas ! the time is corne when men will not endure found doc
trine ; they have Itching ears; they turn away their ears from the truth;
and are tur-ned unto fables. 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4. The guilt however of
fuch perfons is very great; and their condition truly dangerouh.
Confult -die 30th chapter of Ifaiah, and you will find the following
words : Wo to the rebellious children, faith the Lord, that will not
hear the law ef the Lord; which fay to the feen, fee not ; and to tht
prophets, prophjy not unto us right things ; fpeak unto .us fmooth things }
proipk^ deceits : get you out of the way ; turn afide out of the path ;
caufe the Holy One of Ifrael ts ceafe before us. Such in effed is the
language at tliis day, of .all the profane, carelefs, and formal pro
feffors of chriftianity; and IhaU the fervants of Ch,rift full them, ia
their carnal fecurity, join in the deceit, and flatter them witli the
ho:pes of fafety ? God forbid !
We are the vtlnlfters of Chrift; (aCoT. xi. 23,) we are to labour
in his-, vineyard ; to fhew men plainly their fpiritual wants ; to en
deavour to relieve them -by leading them to their all-fuffici-enn Sa
viour ; in whom they liave redemption thro' his blood ; and thro?
whom, they may be fully reconciled to their offended God.
We are paftors tf Chrift's flock; (Epli^f- iv. 11.) it is our duty
therefore diligently to fviperiiitend our charge ; to endeavor to roufe
the impenitent ; to cherifh the weak ; to bring back thofe that go
aftray ; to dired them to proper paftures ; and to guard againft the
feveral dangers to which they are expofed in this frail ftate, from
the allurements of the world, the flefh, and the devil.
We are ambaffadors for Chrift; (z Cor. v. 20.) fent by our Divine
Mafter out of infinite grace, to a loft world ; to fhew men their
guilt and danger; to explain to them his benevolent purpofes; to
urge them to accept his offers of pardon, grace, and glory ; and to
receive to a ftate of reconciliation, fuch as are willing to return unto
God through him.
We are ftewards ofthe myfteries of God; (,i Cor. iv. i.) we are to
take care of Chrift's family ; to difpenfe to them all fpiritual blef
fings ; to impart his inftrudlons ; to feed them with the bread of
life ; and to prepare and difpofe them for the reception of theip
bleffed Lord, at the great and awful day of his fecond coming.
Such are the figurative reprefentations, given in the word of God,
of the office and duty of his minifters. * Struck with a deep fenfe
of the dignity and importance of the minifterial charader, and of
his own natural weaknefs and infirmities, the infpired apoftle Saint
Paul, makes this humble inquiry: Who is Jufficient for thefe things?
* See Bifliop Conybeare's Charge to fiis Clergy of the Diocefe ef Brijiol,
delivered at hit primary Yifitatioji, July, X75.«. ;
An4

( 22 )
And if he, with all the plentitude of infpiration, with all the
accomplifliments of fclence, and powers of oratory, was ftill fearfiil
and apprehenfive of ill fuccefs; what then are minifters in general?
What then am I, who am in all thefe refpeds fo vaftly inferior to
him? To him, whofe fhoes latchet I am not worthy to unloofe.^ Mark i. 7.
But, my brediren, weak and unworthy as I am, I can truly fay,
that my heart's defire, and prayer to God for you all is, that you viay
he faved, Rom. x. 11. It Is the ardent wifli of my foul, God is
witnefs! that you may be happy, both here, and hereafter. This
happinefs you cannot poffibly obtain, whilft you continue in your
fins, and are at enmity with your God. There is no peace, faith my
Cod, to the wicked. Ifa. Ivii. 21. -{
Truly fenfible of this, and longing for your falvation ; fuffer, I
irdreat you, the word oJ exhortation: Heb. xiii. 22. Bear with my
plainnefs ; and, as I intend it for your good, think me not your
enemy, becaufe I tell you the truth. If I am earneft, and importunate,
is there not a caufe? 1 Sam. xvii. 29. Certainly there is: your fal
vation, and my i own eternal happinefs are nearly concerned : nay,
they do evidently depend on the truth and reception of that facred
gofpel, which it is my bounden duty plainly, and, (if it may be)
forcibly to preach unto you. For thefe reafons then, I muft not, I
dare not corrupt the word of Cod, nor handle it deceitfully. 2 Cor. ii. 1 7.
2 Cor. iv. 7 . It is required in ftewards that a man be found fa'ithfiii;
and, if I fhould flatter you in your fins, your guilt will ftill re
main ; and God will fevereiy punifh me for my infincerity. I Cor.
iv. 2. I am refolved thei efore, by the grace of God, faithfully to
warn you of yoiir danger, that you may flee from it ; fo that if
you do perifh, (which God forbid ! ) I may be pure, and clean from
your blood. Ads xx. 26.
It will be the lot of many chriftian minifters, (Gad grant that
it may not be miije ! ) to be called forth, at the day of judgment;
as witneffes againft their own people : I muft give account for the
preaching of God's woid ; an4 ypu muft affuredly anfwer for the
hearing of it. Heb. xiii. 17.
It is highly neceffary therefore to remind you, that if any of yon
ftill continue to make a mock at fin, and caft God's 'word behind you;
if you wilfully fhut your eyes againft the light ; and perfevere in
the p.T.ths of error ; you will finally have reafon to curfe the day
of your birth, and even the foleqin feafons of devotion, in which I
have endeavored, / truft faithfully, (tho' weakly and imperfedly it
muft be confeffed) to depJare uifito yoii the word, and will of God.
Prov. xiv. 9. Pfa. 1. 17.
I intreat you therefore fbi;- God's fake, for your Redeemer's fake,'
and for the fake of your own immortal fouls, to bring every doc
trine I deliver to you, to the teft of fcripture ; and examine di'Igently
whether it be agreeable "to the word of God. This is the only cri
terion of divine truth : m.en may err, but God cannot deceive. Ex
amine carefully all I fay to you by this unerring rule. Have recourfe
to the law, and to the teftimony. Ifa. viii. 20. If the dodrines I
deliver are found to be agreeable thereto, cordially receive them; if
otherwife, tetslly rejed them.
Chrift is our Lord and Mafter ; follow no man further thaii he
follows Chrift. If you are at any time iu doubt whether I fpeat the

( 23 )
lire truth-, and are defirous of confulting me about your fpiritual
concerns, come to me ; oi, if you choofe it rather, I will come to
you ; and faithfully endeavor to remove aU your fcruples j and give
yoti full futisfadion.
_ Believe me, I have, no wifli to miflead you : I have no fuch hor
rible defign; I have no intereft in deceiving you: I feek not your's,
but you. 2 Cor. xii. 14. It will give me the greateft pleafure to
impart fpiritual truths to you ; and to fee you truly anxious and ear
neft about the care of your fouls.
If your bodies are difeafed, you will fpeedily apply to a phyfician •
but, alas ! when your fouls are fick of fin, and in the greateft dan
ger of eternal mifery, maay of you are carelefs, and unconcerned
about them.
I befeech you therefore to trifle no longer with God, and your
own fouls : reft no more in a form of Godlinefs, whilft, at the farae
time, you are entirety deftitute of the power ofit. 2 Tim. iii. v.
Thoufands, nay, millions are thus deceived ; fatisfied with a round of
litelefs and unmeaning duties ; trufting in themfelves. (inftead of Chrift)
that they are righteous, and defp'ifhig others. Luke xviii. 9.
_ But remember, my brethren, that God feeth not as man feeth. Spe
cious appearances may deceive men; but God looketh on the Heart,
I Sam. xvi. 7.
If therefore yoii defire to be faved, you muft come unto ; that is,.
you muft believe in Jefus Chrift: you muft come to him 2.% finners ;
weary, and heavy laden with the burden of your fins. Mat.- xi. 28.
You muft pray diligently for the grace of God ; and then fearch the
fcriptures, that you may fee, that you may know, and feel your loft
condition, and that you are in deed, and in truth, wretched, mifera
ble finners. John V. 39,
When this convidion is truly wrought in your fouls, you will then
earneftly apply so Chrift; you will renounce every refuge of lies ; and
truft in Chrift ; and in him alone, for a full, free, and compleat fal
vation. Ifa. xxviii^ 1 7. Then you w'lll go forth to your fpiritual du
ties, not trufting in your own Itrength, (which is but weaknefe)
but in the ftrength of the Lord your God; and will make mention, not
of your own, but of b'ts rlghteoufnefs, and of his only. Pfa. Ixxi. 16.
Remember that Chrift, is of God made unto us wifdom, rlghteoufnefs,
¦ fan£iification and redemption, i Cor. i, 30. Wifdom, to enlighten our
dark underftandings; rlghteoufnefs, to juftify our guilty perfons ; yiz/i;-
tiflcation, to renew our depraved nature ; redemption, to make us hap
py, both here, and hereafter. Thefe are ineftimable bleffings, inva
luable privileges ; and thefe bleffings, and thefe privileges are all
freely offered to you, and to the chief of finners, thro' Jefus Chrift
our Lord.
Look therefore -unto your great Redeemer, and be ye faved, all the
ends of the earth ; for he is God, and there is no Saviour befldes him. ,
Ifa. xlv. 22. Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and you Jhall be Javed. ,
Ads xvi. 31. His mercy will pardon you; his power will proted^
you ; his blood will cleanft jo-afrom all -jaxxr fins ; his grace will make
you clean hearts, and will renew a right fpirit 'within ytu, and you will
become tiew men, and true chriftians. John i. 7. Pfa. li. 10. Then
will you experience more folid comfort, and real fatisfadion in one
day, than you ever knew before in the whole courfe of your lives You

( H )
You wJH pofTefs that peace of God, which pafieth ail underftand-
ings-; a'peace, which this vain worid can' neither give, nor take a-
way^ You will find that the ways of wifdom are truly wayt of
pleafantnefs, and that all her paths, are peate. Prov. ill. 1 7. Be faith.-
fill therefore unto death ; and Chrift will give ydu a crown of life. Hev. ii. 20.
¦ Now to God the. Father, God the E'en,' and' God the Holy Ghoft, he
dfcribed, <bc. ^c CTf. , ,^^5,
•The- LIFE of Bifliop COWPER:
Written by his own Pen, in the Year 1616.
MY life hath not been fuch, that I am afhamed to live longer, if my
gracious God haye any further fervice to employ me withal- in hij
chnrch : neither am I defirous to live ; but yet I am heartily con-
tent to remove out of this body, that I may be with my Lord,
freed from thefe reftlefs tentations, whieh on every fidte have fore
prefled, but, through his grace, never oppreffed me.
In my younger years, I was trained up with the wreftlings of
God : from my youth I have borne his yoke, exercifed with his
terrors ; yet fo that many a tirae, his fweet eonfotatioas have re-
frefhed my foul. In my old days men have rifen againft- me, bnt
without a caufe ; betwixt thefe two my days are fpent : my wit
nefs is in heaven; he knoweth, that in every ftate of life, my heart
Was ever toward the Lord? it was my joy to ferve him, and my
grief when 1 finned againft him.
Being of the age of eight years oldj about Martima-s, I was car
ried by my father from £dlnbu-r<gh - to Dunbar fchool ; I could nof
write, nor read any Latin then. I tarried ¦ there till my twelfth
ytar ; even then did the Lord begin to acquaint my heart to feek
him : we went, two and two, to the church ; he put then this prayer
in my heart every day in the way, Lor», bow mine ear that I may
hear thy word. In' the fchool, many a time have I turned on my
face, feeking from God, knowledge and underftandingi In the fpace
of four years and lefs, I learn'd the whole courfe of grafflrtiar,
wherein God made me to profper, uot inferior to others ia com
pany with me.
From thence, I was called by my parents to Edlnhirgh, and in ,
the entry of my 13th year, fent over to St. Andrews, and paffed in
the courfe of philofophy there in the i6th year'. There made I not
fuch progrefs in knowledge, as I had done before In my other
ftudies, either mine age not being capable of it, or my wife an4
merciful Father not thinking it expedient for me : yet, even tliere
was the feed of grace ftill working In me, inclining me to a care
ful hearing and penning of fermons and theological leffons, as I
could have occafion to hear them. And here Satan, - working in
corrupt ^ature, fought many a time to trap me in his fnarcs, in
tending m my young years to give me that wound, that mrsht
have been a mark of fhame to me in my old age, when the Lord
Ihould call me to, do his work: but as on the other pa-rt, T felt ray
weaknefs, compared with the ftrength of corrupt nature; fo, though
then L could not drfeern it, afterward I had proof that it was'the
Lords preventing- mercy that kept me from being an- offeflcemito his

( 25 )
-Ills chiirqii.' tt is -liis mercy, diat he pardpn'd the vanities s,nd- ig-
itiorances pf my youth ; and his mercy alfo, that he preferv'd me
i-n all my life, from any that could make me a f^artie to his faintsy
or a-fcom qr reproach to his enemies.
Having paffed my courfe in St. Andrews, at ' the age of fixteeiij,
years, I returned , to my parents in Edinburgh; I was preffed by
l,them to enter into fundry forts of life I liked not ; for my heart ftftl
; inclined to the ftudy of holy fcriptures. Whereupon I refolved tp
jgO into , England ; where I evidently perceived the Lqrd going be,-
..fore-me, and providing foi' rna ^i Hoddefdon, -within eighteen miles o^
-London. My mean portion which I ha^, being all fpent ( I fpeak it
¦to his glory, that cared for me) in that place, that fame day, was I
defired by our kind countryman, .Mr- Guthrie, to help him in the
teaching of a fchool, with -vvhpm I remained three quarters of a year 5
but after did t-he Lord lead rne further : for having occafion to go
lo London, without my knowledge, or any fuit, of mine, I was called
to die fervice of a learned divine, Mr. Broughton; unto the which, -ft'Ith
.the good-will of Mr. Guthrie, I entered, and there remained about
a year and a half, daily ex^rcifeij under li'm, in the ftudy of theo,-
logy. To him, under God, and fome other learned divines of that
city, do I aGfcno>vledge myfelf bqund for thefe beginnings of knov>r-
dedg« I then received. , .
In the nineteenth year of my life, I returned again to Edinburgh,
where having the , commodious occafion to be with my elder bro-
, ther, then one of the minifters 0/ Edinburgh, I ftill continued in the
•fame ftudy; and at lengdi was required to give a .proof of my gift
-privately, which I did in the New-Church, in prefence of Mr. Robert
Pont and Mr. Robert Rollock, with fundry others of the miniftry : then
after that I was required , to preach publicly in the New-Church, on
a . Sabbath-ijay in the afternoon, and.the next week I was commanded
to teatji publicly In the Great Church, in time of a faft, on a Thurf:*
day in the afternoon. Thus did the Lord train me up, and thefe
-were the beginnings pf my miniftry ; which I recount tP the praife
of his grace, whp. counted me'faithful, and puf rae in, his fervice..
A Uttie after' that, in the tegitming of my twentieth year, there
,enfued a general affenibly pf- the church, at kdlnburgh ; and by their
authority was I fept out, and-^apppinted Paftor oi Bothkenner, in Stir.-'
-lingftoire; for that church had been defolate ever fmce the reforma--
,. tion, .and .the people had given, in their fuppllcation to, the affembly
for a Paftor. This calling of God and his church I embraced, and
went unto them:- where I found the defolation fo great, that, except
the walls, which were ruinous alfo, neither- door, nor window, nor
feat, nor ' pulpit, -, nor any part of a roof was there at all ; yet, it
. pleafed God to give fuch a -bleffing to the miniftry of his word, that
their hearts diereby were flirred up chearfuUy to build the Lord's
houfe, which. moft willingly, they, fully refolved within half ayear : npt,
content to build their own part of the houfe, but the quire alfo,
which of due fliquld have been done by the parfon : there needed
here no letters of horning, nor other compulfitories :_ neither tontenn
to, have built it only, they adorned It within and without, not infe
rior to any -other church of fuch quality round about It. This was
-my firft external feal, and confirmation of my caifing to die miniftry.
' D In

( 26 )
In diis fervice I remained feven or eight years, fubjeift to great
bodily infirmities, by reafon of the weaknefs of ths foil in winter, and
the un*holefome waters thereof. And here did the Lord firft ac
quaint me with his terrors, and the inward exercifes of fundry forts
of tentadoris : fo that between thefe two my life was almoft wafted
with heavinefs: yet I blefs the Lord for it, it was to me,- Hke the
wlldernefs of Mldian to Mojes, a fchool of tentation, whereby I learned
daily more and more to know Christ Jesus, gathering forae ftore
of knowledge thei'eby, inward exercifes, and outward ftudies, which
the Lord afterward called me to give' out, in more public places In
his church ; for the neceffity of increafing difeafe forcing me to be
think of a tranfjiortation, the purpofe or my mind, was to another
church unplanted in the South, eight miles from Edinburgh ; but tbe
Lord ftill continued his calling, _^ and drew me another way North-
M'ard ; for at the fame tirae, tiere intervented a general affembly of
the church, at Perth : there was I nomiaated, and with confent df
the affembly and people was I written for that miniftry^- Thus did
the Lord clear my way before me, and lead me there, where I
thought never to have gone; yet two or three days before, did tbe
Lord give me fome, fignification of it, but I underftood it not, till
(the) event did teaCh me ; for, in my thoughts in the night, there
feemed a man to lead me by the hand to a little pleafant city, iji
a plain valley, on a river's fide, having fome banks lying on the
Ihore thereof (as indeed, it had the firft time, that after this 1 was
brought to it, fuch a fight got I of It, in that vifion, as afterwards
I faw with my eyes); he ied me a long dme up and down the
ffreet,s of that town, from one to another, very near to the top there
of : then did I awake, my face looking to the fouth-weft. This made
fuch an irapreffion in my mind, as after that, I could never get for
gotten, — I know there is no revelation now of dodrine, or new ar
ticle of faith, tb be fought out in dreams. The Lord hath fpoken
once for all, unto us, by his Son in the word; but, that the living
Lokd, who fleeps not, can give warnings to the fouls of his fer
vants, when their bodies are fleeping, no man acquainted with his
working, I truft, will deny it.
After this, three or four days, returned Mr. Patrick Simpfon, from
the general affembly at Perth, to Stirling, and delivered me letters
trom the affembly and the town, containing my calling to-the mi-
V,l- i'^ ''"T' ^""^J' ^^'^^'¦» ^^"t^ "^l^eir commiffioners to tpanfport
myfelt and niy family. _ There I continued doing the work of God,
for the full fpace of nmeteen years. How I did carry myfelf in my
open converfation, living among them, not as one feparate from them,
but mixed myfelf in all tiieir fellowfliips, as a conifort t6 the beft,
and a wound to the worft inclined fort, this age will not want lov-
mg witneffes to record it. My diligence in like manner m" die mi-
l^!,r7'l """i r ^''^ '^'^ ordinary days, .but on cdiers. which I vo-
Fridav'and^tt h" "7''^ '"" '^ ""^'"S. to wit, on Wednefday,
dll^JL LT ^ ^^' u"" ^ P^^P^'-ation to the Sabbath, (for di4
cSian\..r'^ ""^ preaching in the morning) it would have done a
bHes to tte 1^°°'> ^° ''T ^^'" '^'^^ /""«"« ^°d joyful aflem-
w th'fiSiits i'al '^' ^'"^-"^ V'''^' '° God among that people.
with lighmgs, and tears, melting hearts, aad mourning eyes, i fpeak the

( 27 )
the truth iu modefty, and not all the troth. It is not vain glory
ing, I abhor that ; not I, but his grace in me.
I All this dme, except fome litde intermiffion and breathing tinsiesi
did the Lord ftill exercife me with inward tentadons. O what a
viciffitude of eftates ! O what a variety of combats ! It were tedious
here to fet them down all, as they were done and fought: but this
I muft fay, the end of all and every one of them was unfpeakable
joy. And once for all, in greateft extremity of horror, and anguifh
of fpirit, when I had utterly given over, and looked for nothing bat
confufion, fuddenly did there fliine (in the very twinkling of an eye)
the bright andlightfome countenance of God, proclaiming peace, and
confirming peace with invincible reafons. O what a change was there
in a momeuc ! The filly fi>ul, that was even now at the brink of
the pit, looking for nothing but to be fwallowed up, was inftantly
raifed np to Heaven, to have joyful fellowfhip with God in Chuist
Jssus : and from this day forth my foul was never troubled, with fuch
extremity of terrors. This confirmation was given me on a Saturday
in die morning : there found I the power of religion, the certainty
of the word: there was I touched with fuch a lively fenfe of a di
vinity, and power of the God-head, in mercy reconciled with man,
and with me, in Chrift, as, I truft, my foul fhall never forget : Glory,
glory, glory be to the joyful Deliverer of my foul out of all adver-
iities, for ever!
In the midft of thefe wreftlings with God, all this time I wanted
not combats with wicked men, like thofe beafts of Ephejus, with whom
St. Paul did fight. All the time of my refidence, — years, continued
this battle ; as one left off, another ftill renewing the battle : but the
greatnefs of my inward conflids made me regard lightly all their out-
wai-d contradiiKons, and I efteeraed them but like the bitings of a
flea. I refolved with myfelf, it was no marvel to fee Satan ftir up
his wicked inftruments to difquiet me, fince I profeffed myfelf a dif
quieter ef him and his kingdom: Yea, my comfort was, that I had
never a controverfy with any of them, but for their fins : God knows,
I loved their perfons, and eftates ; therefore did the Lord affift me,
the power of his word hammering down their pride, they were all
of them by courfe, brought to the acknowledgment of their fins.
But at length, as , God turned the heart of Pharaoh, and his peo
ple from th^ IJraelltes, when the tirae carae, that he would have
them to remove out of Egypt ; fo, by little and little, did the zeal
and love of the moft of this people, at leaft, in my fenfej fall away ;
fo that at laft my battle was not with fuch as were like the publi
cans and finners, (for thefe now were turned ray Lvourers and com
forters) but with fuch as feemed before jufticiars ; I mean unrebuk-
ablc men for outward offences : thefe men found I ftuffed with fuch
pride, felf-cSmceit, difdain and intolerable contempt, as carried them
further from theie duty than any of the former ; yea, fuch as above
others fhould have been my comforters, were my croffes ; that I had
caufe to fay with Mlcab, the .beft of them are briars ; but, I truft, it
repents them e're now : and therefore I pray God, hot to lay It to
their charge- I will have none of my words extended to that handful
there, which truly fear the Lord.
Now, about this time, God had opened to me a door, and called
Hie to the charge of Vhe churches in Golloviay, in the fouth-weft.

r 2? )
part of this kingdom: £ov being named with others, by the general
affembly, of fuch as they thought meet to be preferred to the epif
copal dignity, (Whereof I ever acknowledged myfelf not worthy) and
recommaided by the fathers of our church. It was his Majefty s plea
fure to prefent me to that benefice, due to the office whereuno the
church had called me. God knows; this was done, without my .know
ledge, or feeking, diredly, or indiredly; for I could have been con-
tented all my days with a private life, refolved to give honour and
6bedlfence in God, to fuch as were called to thefe places; after diat
it was once eftabliflied by order In our church, and I had confidered
die lawfulnefs, antiquitv, and neceffity of It among us. Here was I
neither guilty of gmbitlon, nor of any precipitate embracing of it :
for between the date of his Majefty's prefentation, and my accepta
tion, there Interveiied eighteen weeks; yet, as the calhng to this
work, was greater than any other whereunto I had been led be
fore, fo the greateft oppofition was there made unto me by meil,
whofe lying libels and carnal contradidions forced me to.fpend more
dme unprofitably, than I had done before, fince my entry into the
miniftry. The Lord forgive them artd me alfo, where,' in the manner
of my anfwering, I have been fliarper, than became chriftian meek-
pefs. For as to the matter itfelf, unfeignedly, I followed my lightj
I efteem It {viz. the epifcopal) a lawful, aiicient, and neceffary go
vernment ; only the abufes' of it, by pride, tyranny and idlenefs, have
brought It in mifliking. From thefe evils, I pray the Lord preferve
his fervants, that now are, or hereafter fhall be called to thofe
places : but there is no feafon, yvhy a thing, good in itfelf, fhould
be condemned or rejeded for the evil of abufe ; for fo, no good
thing at all fhould be retaiined i)i the church. ' And- in this calling,
how I have walked, and what my care was to advance the gofpel
diere, I truft I fliall not, nor yet: do want witneffes..
In this eftate do I now live ; my foul alway in mine hand, readjt
to be offered to my God ; where, and what kind of death God hadi
prepared for me, I know not; but fure I am there can be no evil
deatli to him, that liveth in Christ, nor fudden death to a chrif-
dan pilgrim, -n'lio, as Job fays, every day waits for his change :
yea, many a day have I fought it with tears, not out of Impa-r
tience, dillruft or peiturbation, but being weary of fin, and fearful
to fall into it. Concerning thofe who have been my enemies with*
out caufe, and charged me with many wrongful imputations, from
which my confcience clears me (excufing ilie of diefe things, love of
gain and glory, or fuch like, whereof they accufed nte:) the Lord
lay it not to their charge. I go fo my Father, and wifli his bleffing
t<i them; to redify their judgment-s, and moderate their affedions,
with true piety, faith and love.
Amongft the fame papers were found Meditations, whereby he
comforted" himfelf, whilft he found his death approaching; written
alfo with his ovfrn hand, and bearing date the 7th ai T>ecenibem, i6i8.
" Now, my fOul, be glad. Arife, make ready, ihake off thy fet
ters, mount up from the body, and go away."
" Death is fomewhat dreary, ari^d the ftreams of Jordan, between
us and our Canaan run furioufly : but they ftand ftill, when ihe ark
cometh. Let the anchor be caft withia Che vail, and faftened on
the

C 29 )
the Rock Jefus: let the end of the threefold cord be buckled ta
the heart, fo fhall ye go through : what threads the cord is made
of, I eannot now tarry to teU you; biit if ye afk, God. will teach
you." " I faw not my children, when tliey were iri the womb : there the
Lord- fed them without my knowledge: I fhall not fee them, whea'
I go out of the body, yet fhall they not want a father."

This faithful fervant of God, who, from the time of his: entry
into the miniftry, had always fhewed himfelf diligent and faiflhful iiv
his calling ; notwithftanding that his fioknefs grew daily upon him.
Was no ways deficient in die duties of ordinary freaihing ; taking
great pains alfo to perfed his work upon the revelation, which he
had begun, and defired greatly to finifh it before bis dying. Befides
which ftudies, fhe grief he received for the backwardnefs of unruly
fpirits In giving obedience to the articles concluded in the Jate affem
bly, and ratified by authority, to the great diftufbance of the peace
of the church, (which he laboured carefully in all his fife to pro
cure) did haften him not a little to his end, fo as in t-he begimiing
ai January, 1619, his infirmity increafing, he was compelled to keep
at home ; yet as his weaknefs did permit, he gave himfelf to revife his
writings, and difpofe of his worldly affairs, that he might be ready
for his paffage, which every day he expeded. And ten days before
his departure, having his mind freed from all earthly bufinefs, to thof?
that vifited him he manifefted the great contentraent he had in his
approaching death. The Wednefday before, (which was the loth of
•February) the bifhops and fome other brethren, being affembled at
Edinburgh, for certain affairs of the church, took occafion to meet
at his houfe, becaufe of his ficknefs, which betook moft kindly, and
cohdnued with them that whole afternoon, giving very wholefome
advice in matters propounded, and fhewing himfelf as pleafant ia
fpeeches as ever before. Howbeit he fignified to them, even then,
ihat his death was drawing near. The days following, he kept, with
all that came to vifit him, in moft holy and dlv'me conferences ; ex
preffing a great wilfingnefs of exchanging this life for abect'sr. And
upon Monday, the T5th of February, at one of the Clock in the after
noon, feeling his ftrength and his fpirits to decay, after lie had con
ceived a moft heavenly prayer in the company of thofe diat were
'by. him, he defired to be laid In bed, (for the days before he arofe
always, and either walked or fat in his chamber;) which being done,
after he had again commended himfelf moft devoutly to Almighty
-God, he took forae quiet reft: after which he fpake n-ot many words,
¦but thofe that he uttered fliew his memory and other fenfes to have
been, perfed, his tongue only failing him : and in this fort, about
feven of the clock at night, he rendered his foul unto God, in a moft
quiet aud peaceable manner. His body, the 17th of February, was
interred, according to his own diredlon, in the Churoh-yard, called
die Black Fry ars, ^t Edinburgh, on the fouth.fide ofthe New Churchy
and ,was conveyed to the place by the Earl of Dumfirmhne, Chan
cellor, and the reft of the honourable Lords of Council, with the Magifi-
.trates of the City, and many others; the funeral fermon being preached
by the Moft Reverend Father in God die Archbifliop ef St. -Andrews-. The

( 3° )
The LIFE of Doftor WILLIAM BEVERIDGE,
Late Lord Bishop of St. Asaph.
THIS great and good man, was born at Barrow, in Leicefteri
ft'ire, 1638. His parents being in reputable circumftances, he
received a claffical education, at the Grammar-School; and on May
a4th, 1653, he was entered a Student in St. John's College, Cambridge,
where he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts, 1656; and Matter
of Arts, 1 660. What the late pious and ingenious Mr. Hervey ob
ferves, that thofe chriftians, who agree in the fundamental principles
of religion, and only differ in fome few externals, are like a bed of
pinks in a flower garden, where all the colours are equally beauti
ful— may with great propriety be appfied to 3'iihop Beveridge, who,
although well attached to the conftitution of the Church of England,
yet was very far from entertaining uncharitable thoughts concerning
thofe perfons who differed from him in mere opinion.
While he was at the Univerfity, he applied himfelf fo clofely to
his ftudies, that, before he was twenty years of age, he wrote a
Grammar of the Syriac Language, with Remarks on all the other
Eaftern DIaleds. At the fame time he diftinguifhed himfelf by his
early piety, ferioufnefs of mind, fobriety and integrity ; all which pro
cured him much efteem and veneration.
-On the 3d oi January, 1661, he was ordained Deacon, in the
Church of St. Botolph, Alderfgqte-Street, by Dr. Robert Saunderfsn, Bifhop
of Lincoln; and Prieft, on the 31ft of the fame month, at the farae
place, and by the fiime Bifliop. Soon after his ordination. Dr. Sheldon, '¦
Bifhop of London, prefented him to the living of Tealing, in Middlefex,
where he continued till 1672, when he was chofen by the Lord
Mayor and Court of Aldermen, Redor of St. Peter's Cornhill ; and
then he refigned the living of Tealing.
Being thus placed in the metropolis of the kingdom, he applied
himfelf, with the utmoft diligence and zeal, to the difcharge of his
minifterial duty in all its offices; and fo inftrudive was he in his dif
courfes from the pulpit, fo warm and affedionate in his private ex-
hortdiions, and fo remarkably were his labours crowned with fuccefs,
that he was juftly ftiled by all thofe who knew hira, die reftorer of
primitive piety ; and his condud pointed out the beft example for his
brethren to copy afler.
His fingular merit having recommended him to his diocefan, Dr.
Hinch?nan, at that time Bifhop oi London, he was appointed a Prebend
m the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's ; and foon after. Dr. Comp
ton, who fucceeded Dr. Hinchman, promoted him to the Archdeaconry
of Colchefter. It was about this time tliat. he took die degree of
Dodorin Divinity; and in this new ftation, as Archdeacon, he be
haved m the fame exemplary manner as before ; for not fadsfied widi
the common reports made by church-wardens, he vifited every parilh
in perfon, and took an exad account of every thing that was want-
mg, or out of repair. This pradice eftabliflied his charader and re
putation in fuch a manner, that in 1684, he was promoted to be one
ot the Prebends of Canterbury; and at the Revoludon, he was ap
pointed one of the Chaplains to King millam and Queen Mary, la

( p )
In xdgi; he was offered the Biflioprick oi Bath Tvnd Wells; buf re
fufed to accept of it, becaufe his friend Dr. Kenn had been deprived
of it for refufing to take the oath to the Government. But altho*
he refufed that honour, yet he had no objedion to the epifcopal
dignity; for in July, 1704, he was confecrated Bifhop of St. Afaph,
in the room of Dr. Hooper.
Being placed in this eminent ftation, his care and diligence in
creafed in proportion to his power ; and as he had before difchargM
his duty as the Paftor of a private congregation, fo as the Biihop
of a diocefe, he ftill purfued the fame laborious methods in order
to proriiote the knowledge of Chrift arid his gofpel. His care, like
that of the primitive bifliops, extended both to the clergy, and the
laity, by giving them all the inftrudlons that lay in his power. Ac
cordingly, as foon as he was advanced to the epifcopal dignity, he
wrote a letter to 'his clergy, in which he pointed out to them every
part of their duty ; at ,die fame time, putting them in mind ot the
awful account they muft make at the judgment feat of Chrift, if they
negleded the fouls committed to their care. He fent them a familiar
Expofition of the Church Catechifm, and was at the expence of a
whole impreffion, to be diftrlbuted among the poor.
Happy had it been for the church, if this faidiful fervant of Chrift
had been advanced fooner to the epifcopal dignity ; but he was near
fixty-fcven years of age, before he was confecrated. He was Bifhop
of Sti Afaph three years, feven months and twenty days; and on the
5th of March, 1 7o8j he died, at his apartments, in the , Clolfters of
Weftminfter- Abbey, in the 7tft year of his age, and was buried in
St. Paul's Cathedral.
And as he died a bachelor, he left all his eftate, towards pro
moting chriftianity abroad, and for charitable ufes at home. His
works are well known; particularly, his Body of Divinity, and his
Private Thoughts on Religion, which will be efteemed, even to tbe
end of time. His fermons are admirable : and the late Lord Lytteltax
ufed to fay cf them, that he would give up all the divinity he had
ever read, for the perufal of that fingle difcourfe of Dr. Beveridge,
on thefe. celebrated words, I am, THAr I am. And his Expofition
upon the Thirty-nine Articles, as far as it goes, (for the whole was
never- publifhed,) is accounted one of the beft extant ; for in it, he
proves the dodrine laid down in the Articles, from fcripture, reafon,
and the primitive fathers.
Biihop Beveridge's charader is in general reprefented in the moft
advantageous light, by evangelical chriftians, whether Proteftant Dif-
fcnters, or Uiofe of the Eftabliflied Church. His extenfive learning,
unaffeded piety, and exemplary charity, made him an objed of
admiration to all thofe who knew him ; and he left behind him a
name, which will be refpeded by the faithful fervants of Chrift, for
ages to ceme.

A Sum-

{ 32 :)
A SuMMARV of rfie Life and Character of
The Reverend Mr. GRIFFITH JONES,
Late Rector of Llandowror, in Carmarthenshire.
The firft PrCj'edor and Condudor of the circulating Charity-Schools,
throughout the Principality of Wales.
MR. JONES, was born in the parifh of Kilredln, in the county
of Carmarthen; and defcended from a religious and reputable
family. A thirft for learning, joined with a- quicknefs of genius,
engaged him in an early and fuccefsful application to ftudy. Hav
ing fpent fome time at a country fchool, his mother (for he lofl
his father when very young) put him under tl;e care of an emi
nent claffical mafter, who then prefided in the Grammar-School at
Carmarthen. Mr. Jones, majde great proficiency in the Latin and
Greek languages, and in other branches of learning ; though he
laboured at that time under the great difadvantage of a very weajc
conftitution of body.
From his youth up, his turn of mind had been ex;tremely feri
ous, and he was often obferved to retire from thofe pleafures an(l
amufements which ufually enchant the younger part of njankind-
The joys of religion, and the felicity arifing from the unbounded
profpeds of a glorious immortality, fweedy attraded his thoughts,
and led his views to things -above. H,is inclination ftrongly dif
pofed him to the work of the miniftry ; though he always confi
dered the office as unutterably weighty, and ofthe laft importance.*
He received -Deacon's Orders, from the learned Bifhop Bull, ob
September 19, 1708 ; and was -ordained Prieft, at Abermarlais Cha
pel, September 25, 1 709, by the fame prelate; of whom, M/r, Jon^f:.' *
always fpoke with an air- of the greateft dleem ; and from who,iS!
he received fome advices, which were always .recent i-n his mind.
He was prefented to the Redory of Elandowror, by tX\t larte Sir
John Philips, of P'lOon-Caftle, Baronet: who honoiire.d M.r. Jones wjtfc
an intimate -friendfhip, 'dll the day of his death. — This promotion.
was given him by Sir JoA/?, intirely on account of i his learning , aii^
¦piety,^ wiehojat folieitatlons from Mr. Jones himfelf, or from any of
his friends, ¦ , , ,
After fome dme. The Society for propagating the Gofpel in Fisrfigtt- ¦',
Parts, fixed on him, as a perfon admirably qualified to be fent a«
a miffionary among the Indians, and earneftly folicited him to un
dertake -the charge, as a-ppears by feveral letters .yet extant. He
gave his confent; and addreffed himfelf to the ftudies neceffary tp
fit him for that wori. But Divine Providence ordered; things odier-
* Tfie eternal falvation of one soul, is of greater importance, and big-^wtli
greater events, than the temporal falvatiori of a whole kingdom, thovigh it were
for the fpace of ten thousand ages! becaufe there will come up a point, an
intlant in eternity, when that one soul fliall have exiffed, as many ages, as all
the individual:, of a whole kingdom ranged in clofe (ucceffion, will in the whole
have exiftc'd in the fpace of ten thousand aces : therefore one soul is capable
of a larger fliare of happinefs or mifery, throughout an endless eternitit (for
that will be ftill before it) than a whole kingdom is capable of, in ten thou-
SANB ACE5. Dr. DodirUz'- wifej

( 3^ )
^ife. Mr. Jonesh. deftined fcene of adion and of ufefulnefs, lay iii
his own country ; and Wales was not to be deprived of fo emi-
tient a minifter, whofe labors proved fo great a bleffing to it. Di
vinity was the grand ftudy of his life, and die main objed of his
purfuit. As he had ftrong intelledual abilities, and a very tena
cious memory ; by a clofe and diligent application, he became well
verfed in the writings of the moft eminent Englifh and Foreign
divines. This circumftance contributed not a little to form and im
prove his ftyle. His fermons were well compofed and digefted. He
entered into the very heart of whatever fubjed he undertook. His
divificns were obvious and perfpicuous ; his dedudiohs natural ; his
matter folid, lively, ftriking and judicious.' Thefe advant-ages, fet
off by an agreeable delivery, a mufical voice, and a proper adion,'
foon made him famous as a preacher ; and great multitudes flocked
to hear him where-ever he preached.
In reading the church fervice, he was deVout and pathetic, with
out affedation. He did not hurry, the prayers over, as is too often
the cafe, with precipitancy and careleffnefs, but had a facred awe
upon his mind ; ever remembering, that he was not addreffmg
himfelf to man, but to the eternal God, who trieth the reins and
the heart. • He obferved t'ae ftops and paufes, with fo great judg
ment, and proiiounced his words with fo grave and pleafing an ac
cent, that he generally engaged the attention of all who heard him.
Even, the unconverted feemed to feel fomewhat of the energy with
-tvhich he fpoke.
When he afceride'd the pulpit, it viras with reverence and holy
fear. His attitude was ered, natural and becoming. His prayer
fervent. He had an unaffumed folemnlty and ferioufnefs in his
countenance, fweetehed with aU the meeklfefs of charity and love.
The fire of zeal, chaftened with modefty, ftione in his eyes. His
mind was full-fraught with the ideas of his fubjed, yet not for
getful of the prefence of his auditory, or the refped due to them;
His pronunciation and manner of fpeaking in the beginning, were
gende knd eafy. In the explication of his text, Or any divine
truth, he had a peculiar air of faml!iarity, fomething referablmg;
tonveriation ; unlefs he had oecafioii to relate events, or touch on
Circumftances that were interefting, grand, or moving. As he ad-
¦\ranced, his fubjed fired him more and more. How fpirited and
commanding was his utterance! His hearers could feel their blood
thrill within thera. One might plainly perceive the various paffions
which he wa:s' defirous to infpire, rifing in his own breaft, and
working from the very depth of his heart. One while he glowed
with ardent love to his fellow-faints and fellow-finners : Anon, he
flamed wifh holy indignadon againft ail ungodlinefs and unr.ghte-
6ufnefs of men: Then melted into tenderjiefs and grief, lelt tlitf
means of grace might not be rendered effedual to his hearers.-
On thefe occafions, every feature and every nerve feemed mtenfely
-animated. His movements were the very language of Mature.—
There was a noble pomp in his defcripdons; clearnefs and ftrengtfi
Jn his reafonings. His appeals to <:onfcience were clofe and pomted.
A furprlzmg force and abruptnefs fliarpened his interrogations. A
facred pithos diftinguiflied his addrefs. He fpoke naturally, for he
fpoke fki'ngly. Every diing he uttered, bore tnat ftamp rfjm-

( 34 )
cerity, which art may mimic, but cannot reach. In refuting, remon
ftrating, and reproving, he affumed the tone of convidion, and ma-
jeftlc authority : but when he came to the Application, he gave way
to a ftill fuperior burft of religious vehemence, which, like the im
petus of an irrefiftible torrent, mightily carried all before it. Great
was the power of the divine fpirit that accompanied the word. The
prayerlef, cried for mercy ; and the ignorant were made wife unto
ftdvation. He warmly Invited the poor to become fpiritnally rich ;
the indigent and guilty, to accept of pardon. He enforced the ne
ceffity of doing good works, and at the fame time difplayed the mad
nefs and impiety of trufting in them. Christ was all * ~ to him;
and it was his greateft delight to publifh and exalt the unfearchable
riches of his Redeemer.
Nor was his devotion confined to the pulpit. As he had a full
and deep convidion of human depravity and inability, accompanied
with a thorough perfuafion of the divine all-fufficlency, this induced
him to be frequent and earneft in clofet-prayer. Moreover, he thought
it his incumbent duty, wherever he lived (like tJie pious patriarchs
of old) to build an altar unto the Lord, in his family ; and to ofier
up fpiritual facrifices, acceptiible to God, through Chrift Jefus. His
conftant method, morning and evening, was to call his domeftics to
gether ; and his neighbours were welcome to come and join widi him.
This ftated worfhip confifted of Introdudory prayer ; expounding a
chapter; f finging j and then a conclufion of the whole, by additional
prayer and thankfgiving. This method was ufed by liim daily, and
never intermitted, unlefs he was fick or difabled. He likewife made
it his pradice to catechize his family and neighbours, every Sufiday
night at leaft. % Amongft the people committed to his care, his
deportment was courteous and condefcending : he would ftoop, with the
' Archbifliop L«;f«/OT, thus comments on thefe words, " Aptifile of Jefus Chrift."
r Pet. 1. I. " Sent by him; and the meflaec no other but l)is name, to make
^_ th,t known.; Oijfus Chrift '• both as the beginr.ing and end of his :.poftle-
^_ ftip, as Chnft IS the Alf.ha and Omcg«," -Rev. i. 8. " chofen and called to this-
to preach in. « and falvation, wrought by him— and -vihitt this apofllefliip
^^ was //;<¦« after fome extraardurary way, befitting thefe firft times of tile gol^
^_ ptl, lh„t the m.nidry of tlie word, in ordinary, i» m-w : and therefore an
employment cf more difficulty and excellency, than is ufually conceived by
.. TV, "°' r^ f """ ' ^-"' '°°'' "P"" ''¦ ''"' '^^"^^ of "••''^<= who are ex-
•¦ tZnl '" r"? •'i^l'^fl^'lors t„r the greateft of Kings, and upon no meatf
employment- that great treaty of peace and reconciliation betwint him ind
mankind 2 Cor. v. ao.
ntfmH f.MK''-'™'r'r" ""'¦ ' '" ^^ ''="''= ^"-^ ^h'^" '^^ ^^0"M particularly ex-
pound tor their edification. '
ered;f?ort^''''"''f," T^ "^"^^^ '>'"'' "'"' '' '^^^'^'^f'^ """ ¦ ^ ^^^^ with their
f ler tl t kt firft pn„c,p.e5 ofthe dodrine nf Chrift; bnt they fliuuld con,
l"ier, tl .t the laying of the foundatian ftilfuUy, as it is the raadier of the
v^heft 1u'';:r"rd Tt 1^ ^^''t ^"'""'^' '" " " "- ^"- -fte"piece if Ihe
we fliall ( ,d rl f 1 "i!"^ '"""''* "^ "= ^" '^^ ''- ^vhenever we pfeafe,
Ifour ' a,^ J" '7 '¦"= l™""'I-work rishtly.'wiU put us to. the trial
miriftrv ¦ L C^ ^^ f " "¦ r' '^^ fr"'i'-^'ing of the whole work of the
" but Lft Z \L ?^r' ' "7" ^° ^"""y '""'"o"' 'o the people, our labor
AreliUiliop Ujhir, in his- Scriiww before Ki»s James, at Wmjiel
We

( 35 )
the utmoft chearfulnefs, to the loweft among diem; and' carried the
fpirit of his fermons into his ordinary converfiitlon. He maintained'
an uniform affable gravity of behaviour, without fi.iffering his tem
per, either to ftiffen Into morofenefs, or to evaporate into 'evlty. He
was chearful, but not light ; ferious, but not fad. It was his con
ftant bufinefs and daily endeavors (I had almoft faid his meat and
drink) to fet forward the fiilvarion of his flock; that fo, by their being
made meet, through fan£iification ofthe S?is.it for the inheritance of the
faints in light, his crucified Lord might fee the travail of his foul, and
be fatisfied.
When his miniftry was bleffed to the converfion of finners, (as
indeed few minifters were more fuccefsful) or for the edification of
any; he would rejoice, with all humility, as one that had found great
fpoil. When he faw any of his people perfifting in Impenitency, pro-
phanenefs or fenfuality, he felt the moft pungent forrow ; but to fee
his people walking In the truth, mortifying their evil affedlom, and
growing in grace, was to hira better than thoufands of gold and ftlver.
As he had frequent invitations to preach in other churches, be
fides his own, * he would willingly comply ; and he often bent his
courfe to fuch parts of the country as abounded with much ignoi-ance;
where he would moft familiarly addrefs himfelf to the uninformed,
and, adapt his ftyle to the loweft capacity among them, -f- He ear
neftly inculcated the whole truth of the gofpel in the courfe of his
miniftrations. Let any of thofe truths be ever fo difagreeable to the
prejudices of fome, or ever fo contrary to the worldly intereft or in
clinations of others, they were fure not to hear a tittle fuppreffed.
He endeavored, indeed, to fhew the gofpel-fyftem in as lovely a light
as he could ; but no confideration could prevail upon him to conceal
or dljguije, much lefs to ftifle, or keep back any part of it.
Like a wife and tender phyfician, he diligently and minutely en
quired into the ftate of his people's fouls : % as, whether they were
E 2 competently
We inftru<a our children in the faith of Chrift, («. c. in the principles of
the religion of Chrift Jefus,,) ,_ Bifliop Je-wd.
See the fame — novi — obfolete praiSice, I mean of catechifing, enforced, in the
Kuhric after the Church Catechifm, and in the 59th Canon.
Boni catechelici boni theologi ; at nunquam calechetici nunquam theohgi. — Catechizatit
HHgenter, freqiientor, prudenter ir fimfliciter debet fieri. Alftedius.
Non contemnenda quafi parva, fine quibus. conftare magna non foffunt.
D. Hieronym. Ep. 89.
• He chofe fome of the feftival- days, &s Whit-Monday and Eafter-M»nday^
&c. on which holydays, the Welfi! ufed to meet for public divertons. (But ho-w
contrary are thefe 'heathenifi revels, for a. true chriftian can in no wife conform,
ti-mfelf to them, to thofe praiStices enjoined upon all churchmen, by the I3tb
Canon of the Church of England.} At thefe times, confecrated to the fervicc-
Qf'the Devil, (fee the Form of Baptifm) he would often preach three hours at
•ne opportunity ; by which means he kept them from their vain heathenifli
and Papiftica! amufements. He was, for the moft part, obliged to preach in,
the church-yards, the churches not being large enough to contain the c»ngre-
gations. t Let the raoft karned of- u« all try, whenever we pleafe, we fliall find,
that to apply ourfelves to the capacity of the coramon auditory, and to make:
an ignorant man underftand thefe myfteries- (ot the gofpel) in f«me good mea
fure, will put us to the trial of our fkill, and trouble us a great deal more,
than if we were t& difcufs a controverfy, or. handle a, fubtil point of learning
hi the fchools. Archbifliop Vfier.
X Minifters are to watch over the flock committed te their cliarge : to be
- Mimt in feafon and eut of feafon : to re^mve, rehis, exhort -with ail loni-fifering and:
''. .!,•¦'¦ iiHrtne,.

( 36 )
competendy acquainted -with the way of falvation;* and whether the
grace of the Holy Spirit had pr;t them into that way. He was like-
•wife an able cafuift to refolve the doubts of tempted fouls, _ and to
encourage the hopes of the defponding. He would often inculcate
the neceffity of famlly-wo'rjhip ; f and earneftly exhorted the heads of
farailies to catechife, fi. e. inftrud in the principles of religion) their
fervants. J He intreated theni not to negled clofet-devot'ion ; and
doBr'ine. (2 Tim. iv. 2.) Tlhcy muft be grave, not double-tongued, nor given ^ much
¦wine, mr greedy of filthy lucre, (i Tim. iii. 8.) Ifis'a riiftioguliliing fcripture-
charaaer of a true minifter of Chrift, that he is apt to teach, (i Tim. ni, 2.)
therefore fuch an one will not content himfelf with mere preaching a fermon
or two to his flock on a Sunday, but he will labor among them throughout
the week, going from houfe to houfe, giving private exhortations, and enquir
ing iuto the ftate of their fouls. (See the Office for the Ordination of Pnclls.)
In fliort, every ' faithful minifter will be of the apoftlc's mind : he will be di-
iermined to kno-w nothing tmoiig Us people, but Jefus Chrifl and him crucified. (I Cor. ii, 2 )
But is this the charaiftcr of moft minifters ? Alas ! is it not too plain a cafe
that there are many in holy orders, who determine to kno-w, and to talk much
more about their tithes and their dues, their ground and their cattle, their
Jports and diverfions, than about Jefus Chrift and him crucified? Do not many
take the fleece, but feldom vilit the flock; and perhaps hire another to do
it at a low price ? So that the complaint of the praphet of old may be too
juftly taken up againft many minifters iiow-a-ilays :' Wo he to the fiepherds of
Ifrael, that do feed themfelves : fiieuU not the fitcpherds feed the flocks ,' Te eat the fat',
and ye cloath you -cuiih the -wool, hut ye feed not the flock. The d'tfiafed hive ye not
ftrengthened, neither bave ye healed that -which -was fick, neither have ye bound up that
¦which -was broken, neither have ye brought again that -which "waS driven a-way, neither.
have ye fought that ivhich -was loft ; but -with force and crvelty have yc ruled them.-
Ezek xxxiv, 2, 3, 4, &c. — It is part of the bifliop's charge to every minifter
before he can be admitted to full orders, " Ta teach and to prcmonifli, to
" feed and to provide for the Loko's family; to feek for Chhist's flicep that
" are difperfed abroad; and for his children who are in the midft of this
" naughty world, that they may be ftvcd through Christ for ever."
Ordination of Priefts.
See a very excellent little Tra<ft, entitled A Frejent for your Neighbour.
' Many perfons came from very diftant parts of the circumjacent country
t» hear him, and to join in communion with him. Every Saturday preceding
the facramcnt-iimi^dji, he iifed to alk the pceple, after the chapters were read
in the courle of the church-fer»ice. What particular verfe or pajfage any of them
had taken notice of? And on being informed, he expounde4 it. After that, the:
candidates for the Lord's fupper were examined: I. As to tht'ir converfion, anil
the work of grace upon their fouls, a Concerniiig their knowledge of the
diiBrines of the gofpel : and 3, As to their lives and converfation. After thefe
examinations, a quantity of bread was ufually diftributed unto the poor; on
condition they would recite, by heart, certain verfes out of the Bible, given
them the month before.
t Archbifliop Tillotfon, 1 Serm. on Fam.. Rei. fays, that ". The conftant woifliip
" of God in our families  is fo neceflary to keep alive, and to maintain a
" fenfe of God and religion in the minds of men, that where it is negleifled,
" 1 do not fee how any family can in reafon be efteemed a family of chriftians,
" or indeed ts have any religion at all."— Now, if what our Archfcifliop affeits
be true, how few families of christians are there among Ub ? Enlighsn eur
darknefs, ¦we befeech thee, 0 Ltrd/
i Mr. Jones, not only caiifed the youth and the ignorant of his charge to
commit their Catechifm to memory; but alfo, as it is enjoined upon all deacons
at their ordination, " inftruded them in the'ir Catechifm;" as " confirmation of chil
dren" partly confifts (to make ufe of the words of the Homily of the Church
of England on common prayer and facraments) " fey examining thera of their
" kno-wledge in the articles of the faith." For our PTelfi Refermer well knew, they
would continue as much as ever in their grofs ignorance, without having theie
Catechifm explained, and applied both to their underftandings and confciences; and
they might be not far unlike Cardinal Afcanius's Parrot, who could by rote
sepcat the whole Creed, though he knew not what he prattled. warned

( 37 )
jsarhed them carefully againft fquandering away the Lor it s day in
impertinent v'lfits, idle chat, or foolifti y,?/?//;^. * s\xxA, when he found
any guilty in thefe matters, he would not fpeak againft them in their
;a.bfence ; but, whether they were rich or poor, whether they were
pleafed or difpleafed, he bore in his mind the commandment ofthe
Lord, and ftiewed his people their tranfgreffwm , and the houfe of Jacob
the'ir fms. He would tell them, with tendc-'-ncfs, and yet with plain
nefs, thac fuch courfes were a fad and fure proof that grace had
jiot its proper work in their fouls ; that they were carn-al, and had
not the Spirit of Chrift — He was a conftant infpedor of their adions;
a faithful monitor of their duty ; and an impartial reprover of their
pffences. He had a moft reverential efteem for the divine word, and was
well verfed in the holy fcriptures. Nothing can be more true than
that well-known maxim, " Bonus textuarliis eft bonus theologus," i. e.
A good textuary Is a good divine : and it is well known to all,
that the word of God dwelt richly in him, in all 'wlfdom. The oracles
of Heaven were his ftudy, his delight, and his counfellors. From
dience he frequently derived fubjed-matter for converfation ; and
from the fcriptures he formed his judgment of all things. He
avoided, with equal care, the pernicious, horrid errors of Ant'mo-
mtanifm, on the one hand; and the Poplih and Pharifaical notions of
-pierlt, on the odier. He knew that every article of the chriftian
faith, though abfolutely undifcoverable by mere human reafon, is,
when fplrltually difcerned, perfedly rational ; as comporting with the
attributes of the Godhead, fuitable to the ftate of fallen man, and
Jnoft admirably adapted to difplay the di"ine glory, and re
drefs human mifery. He clearly faw, that In the adive and paf-
five obedience of Jesus Christ, the law, and all the attributes of
Deity fhlne with unbounded glory. In fhort, the facred example and
precepts of Christ, were the models of his temper, while the pre
cious promifes in Him, were the joy of his heart, and his portion
for ever.
To improve the minds of thofe with whom he converfed, was
another of his remarkable quaUties. Few were better furniflied, either
srith lichnefs of fancy, depth of thought, or copioufnefs of expref
fion, to bear a Ihlning part in converfation. With thefe talents, he
always endeavored to give fome ufeful and religious turn to the
difcoiu-fe. He had the amiable art of making an heavenly ufe of
earthly things : his divine Mafter fent difclples (raen ordained to
teach the univerfe) to learn maxims of wifdom from the birds of
the air ; fo he made common occurrences to be monitors to Inftrud
his friends ; and glad he was, very' glad, to have an opportunity
pf glorifying his Maker, and to awaken in himfelf and others, a
more lively fpirit of devotion, He had always a particular pleafure
" and delight in fpeaking of, and hearing others recommend the love
of Chrift. He feemed as if he had made that paffage of St. Auguftln
l)is motto ; who faid, " Si fcribas, non placet mihi nlft legam Iesum :
*'¦ ft conferas, non fapit mihi, nift fonuerit ibi Jesus: quia Jesus eft
" in ore meo mei, in aure vielos, ip corde jubilum, — I am neither pleafed
f with thofe writings, nor yet with that conrerfatlon, in which I
f find not a favor of the name of Jesus: for he is as honey to
!' my mouth, mufic to my ears, and joy tp my heart."
* See Ifaiah Iviii. 13. To

( 38 )
To lay plant and fchemes for the good of others, was his fre-
quent ftudy; and to carry thofe beneficial contrivances ii?to execu-
tion, was his favorite employ. He was very diligent in procuring
fubfcriptlans for the fupport of circlating Weljh free-fchools, to teach
poor men, women and children,' to read their native language; un
der whofe care- and management they have been carried on for twenty-
four years paft. * In thefe fchools, no lefs than one hundred fifty-eight
thoufand, two hundred and thirty-feven poor ignorant perfons have been
taught to read, who, in all prcbab'illty, would have died in their
ignorance, had it not been for this ufeful inftitudon: -j- Great care
was likewife taken to catechife and inftrua'_ the young peeple who
weue taught in diefe fchools, in the principles of the chriftian re
ligion, f Having applied to the fociety for promoting chrlft'ian km-w-
ledge, of which he was a correfponding member, that veaerable-body
caufed to be printed two large editions of the Welft^ Bible, of fifteen
thoufand copies each, which were fold very cheap, for the benefit
of the poor in Wales. He likewife compofed and publifhed feveral'
excellent and Inftrudive books ^ in the Britijh language, and feveral
in E-^gllfto; and left fome piece;, in manufcript, wiiich perhaps, one
time or other may be publifhed.
He
* In thefe truly chriftian fchools were taught, perfons that were fome fifty,
fome fixty years of age; who, had they not been inftruded in the principles of
the gofpel here, would, in all probability, have periflied in their ignorance!—
Nor are we to bury in oblivion thofe young perfons, who, being inftrudted in
thefe nurfcrics of piety, went home, and kindly inftrucled their parents ; cx-
prcfling at the f.ime time, their aftonifliment at their ignorance and ftupidity.
Well then may Canihr'ia exult in the Lord, in thefe golden days of the gofpel,
which flie has been fo highly favor'd with, and fay, " Tempora mutantur, nos
** et mutainur in illis."
t If the reader has a defire to fee the rife and progrefs of thefe ufeful fe-
minaries of c'lriftian knowledge, he will find a full and copious account of
them, in the Rev. Mr. Jones's yearly accounts, intitled ** iVelfij Piety," which -were
publiflied four-and-twenty years fucceffively. Although the fubjeift-mattcr of
thefe papers carry in them a coincidence of ideas ; yet there is a beautiful va
riety, and « pleafing diverfity running through the whole; which, at the fame
time as they afford entertainment to the religious reader, difcover the rich ta
lents of the pious author.
J The 78th Canon fpeaks of minifters — " Training up of children in principles
" of true religion!" And Canon 79th — "That all fchool-mafters fliall examine
" the children under their care at convenient times after their return from
" hearing fermons, -what they have bore a-way of fuch fermons : and they fliall train
" them up with fuch fentences of holy fcriptures, as fliall be moft expedient
" to induce them to all true godlinefs."
" Idlenefs, d/bauchery, and all vices, are cbiefly owing to the grofs ignorance-
" of the principles of chriftianity." The Society of the Antient fritoiis.
" By the negled of catechiCng it is ihat fuch multitudes of men and -women, that-
" are called chriftians. kno-w no more 0/ Chrift, or any thing that concerns their own fouls,
" than the mcreft hetthen," The Whole Duty tf Man.
% The following are the Titles of fome of Mr. Jones's printed Books, ia
EngVijh^ viz.
I The Platform of Chriftianity; being an Explanation of the XXXIX Article*
'of the Church of England.
a A Letter to a Clergyman; evincing the Neceflity of teaching the Poor ,
in Wales. f,
3 The Chriftian Covenant, or the BaptifmalVow, as ftated in ourChurct
Catechifm, fcripturally explained, by Queftion and Anfwer.
Note. This is the firft Part of his intended Expofition of the Church Cate
chifm, in Englifh. The Second Part, which goes to the End of the Creed, is.
included in 4 Welfh

( 39 )
He was very charitable to the poor; and his unwearied endeavors
to alleviate their diftreffcs, wift render his memory juftly dear. to
them. He not only fed and clothed them, in confiderable num
bers; but was likewife a phyfician to their bodies, as vi^ell as their
¦fouls. He had by long ftudy, arrived at a great proficiency in me
dicines ; and had large quantities of drugs fent him from London,
which he made up, and difpenfed to the poor, gratis; -and< thro*
,God's bleffing, with remarkable fuccefs. And when he had cured
any of his country - people of their bodily diftempers, and thereby
gained their love and elleem, he never failed to take that opportu
nity to fecond it -trith pathetic, judicious and feafonable advice; ever
exhorting them to an earneft care for their immortal fouls, as being
of much greater value In God's fight, than their perifliing bodies 
He was a diligent obferver of providence : he would negled no duty,
or any lawful methods, to bring about any well-laid plan for the
good of mankind : yet he had his eye upon him, whofe fuperintend-
mg . providence over-rules all events.
There were feveral young gentlemen brought up under his care
for , the work of the miniftry; fome of whom are now eminent and
ufeful in the church.
Buc that which gave a genuine luftre to all his other endowments,
was his remarkable and uncommon humility. Though his friends
might admire his fuperior abilities, and his exemplary behaviour, great
ufefulnefs and incelfant diligence ; yet, he himfelf faw how far he felf
fhort of his high calling, and lamented his defeds. He renounced
felf In every view ; was ever unconfclous of his own fhining parts ;
defirous to improve, ev^n by the meaneft, and had very depreciating
thoughts of his own performances. He fteadily relied for final ac
ceptance and endlefs felicity, on a bettei- rlghteoufnefs than his own,
even the glorious and tranfcendently perfed rlghteoufnefs of Jesus
Christ, Imputed 'unto him for his juflification. This was the rock
of his hope, and the crown of his rejoicing. Under affiidion and
bodily pain, (of which he had a great fhare in his life) he was very-
fubmiffive and refigned ; he would endure torturing pains, without
murmuring or repining : he bowed and kiffed the rod ; yea, there
appeared a ferenity in him under the preffures of the deepeft afflic
tion. As his joy was not of this world, fo no temporal calamity
could take it from him.
' 4' Welfli Piety; or an Account of the circulating Welfii Charity-Schools in Wales.
Thefe TraiTts were publiflied annually for four-and-twenty years fucceflively,
and collected into two handfome Volumes in Svo. They breathe a fpirit of
piety every way worthy of this Welflj Apoftle, as ke was fometimes ftiled.
Some of thofe m tho Welfii Language, may be rendered ;
5 A Manual of Prayers for Morning and Evening, &c.
b Free Advice.
7 A Call to the Throne-of Grace.
% A Guide to the Throne of Grace.
9 A large Expofition of the Church Catecliifm ; with Scripture Proofs : being
;a compendious Body of Divinity.
10 An Abridgment of this laft, for the Ufe of his Welfii Schools.
II A Letter -upon the Subjedl of Catechifing the Ignorant.
12 The J)uty of Praifing God.
13 An Eitraa of Mr. Piees Prichard's Welfli Poems.
By the kind afEftance of many charitable perfons, Mr. Jones was enafiled to
print very great numbers (fometimes li,ooo, at others Zsioc, &c. at an im-
JiKfTion) of ra^ny of the above books, which were diflributed throughout all Wales.
Ho

( 4o J
.' 'Me Avas'liicewife of a very forgivmg temper. He would ofteil ear-
iieftly pray for his enemies (for fome fuch, even Mr. Jones had,'
.llotwidiftanding his piety and uprightiiefs), who thro' envy endfta-'*
'-'vored to afperfe his charadei'j and depreciate his labors. He was
-poffeffed of the fpirit of candor and love in a high degree, I'hough,'
as a, minifter, of the Church of England, he had a fteady attach
ment to her communion ; yet, to perfons of tender confcience,, dif-'
f(*nting from the Church, he allowed the right of private judgraent;
and chearfuUy embraced all upright and pious men of every deno-
ipinatlon ; being fully fenfible, that all the godly afe one. in CnRisr''
Jesus. His gratitude to God was remarkable, for divine favors. The
following paffage, from a worthy clergyman's letter, * who was in-
'tim;itely acquainted with Mr. Jones, and raade him a vifit a few
weeks before he died, is a fpecimen of his grateful feudments 
" Soon after I entered the room," fays the clergyman, " and en-
" quired after his wslfare, with a pleafing countenance, .though now
" full ot a(?;e, and upon the brink of eternity," he faid, " I muft
" bear witnefs to the goodnefs of Go J. Oh! how wonderful is the
" love of God to me ! that I am now, even now, free from that
«' troublefonie diftemper the afthma, which I was fubjed to in my
«' younpier days, that Jl could not walk the length of this room buC
" with the greateft difficulty.- Flow wonderful is the love of God
«' to me I that I am not blind, as T was for three weeks in my,
.«' childhood, when I had the fmall-pox: and that I am not a blind
«• bec;-par, going from door to door ! — How wonderful is the love
" of God! that Ihave fuch a good friend to take care of rae,' when
" I cannot help myfelf. — How wonderful is the love of God! that
<' I now feel but- litde pain ; and that I am likely to go to my
«< grave with eafe. — How wonderful is the mercy of God! that I
" can clearly fee what Christ has done and fuffered for me; and
" that I li-ave not the leaft doubt of my intereft in my Almighty'
«< Saviour. The grand eneray of fouls will attempt to difturb my
" peace and tranquility ; but, bleffed be God for his all-fufficient'
ii grace ! — How wonderful is the kindnefs of God ! that the natural
" faculties of my foul are now as ftrong as ever : 1 feel only a little
" decay in my memory." In this grateful ftrain he Went on, as
long as he was able to fpeak. And another time he faid, •' Bleffed
" be God ! his comforts fill my foul ! — " He enjoyed much of a de-j
" lightful frame, and longing expedadon of his everlafting reft, till
<' nature fainted, and the tabernacle of clay dropped off."  He
departed this life, in tomfort and peace, on the 8th day cf /Ipr'd, 1761/
in the 78th year of his age, at the houfe of a worthy Lady, f whofe
eminent and diftinguifhed piety and hofpitality are well known ; and
in which Mr. Jones had been for fome time before he' died. His body
was interred at his own parifh Church of Llandawror. His funeral'
was very folemn ; multitudes of poor difconfolate .people teftified their'j
grief by their looks, and fhed abundance of tears for the lofs of f(/
* The Rev. Mr. Ts/iorgans, late Vicar of Trelech, Carmafthenjhife ; who- receMM
his claffical learning from Mr. Jones, and more efpecially the fcience of divini?p7
Mr. Morgans, was a Very pious, experimental clergyman. He lived' but Mf,,
yeais after 'Nix. Jones's deceafe. ' .»; :-,¦
t Tlie Honoured Mrs. JSevas, of Lat/gbarne.-

•( 41 J
good a man, in whom were united the. judicious divine, tlie 'minene
preacher, the loving paftor, and the faithful friend ; 'who had la
bored among them forty-five years. This the^ev. Mr, Griffitf Jones
tame to his gt-ave, like a Ihock of com in its feafon. It may be
truly faid of him, «« That few lives were more heavenly and tifeful,
" few deaths nnore triunjphant." He went to his gr'ave in peape,
and 13 .now at reft. Hisname is:recorded in the annals' of eternity,
and the honors conferred upon him, will be ever-blooming and in-
tOiTuptible. — He died in the L(0K.d, .and hit works folloiu Him.
INSCRIPTION On the MoNUMEKT of
•The Reverend Mr. GRIFFITH JONES,
At Llandowrer, ia Carmarthenfhirt,

SACRED to the MEMORY
Of the Reverend Mr. GRIFFITH JONES,
Redlor of this Parifii, and of Llaiidilo.
Be was prefented to the lattef, July 3, 17 J i.
To-the former, July 27, 1715.
From his firft Admiffion into Holy Orders,
He devoted hitnfelf wholly to the Duties
of his. Sacred Fundion :
Which he continued, faithfully and oonfcieHtiotifly
to difcharge throughout the„ Courfe
of a long Life. ;.
Gohfcious ofthe Trtiportaace ofthe Vocadon, ¦ wherewith he was called,
He applied" all his Time and Attention
To that One Great Concern, which came upon him daily,
«« The Care of the Churches."
In his Preaching,
He inculcated the plaineft and moft obvious Duties
of Chriftianityi
Which he enforced upon the Minds of his Hearers
with a truly Chriftian Zeal,
And ia fo interefting a Manner, that none could depart
- unaSefted or unediiied.
Nor "ivas he an Inftruflor from the Pulpit only :
His own Example added Weight to every Precepts
. His own Life was a conftant Illuftration of the!
Religion which he taught.
The Circulating Welsh Charity -Schools,
Owe their Rife, Progrefs, and Continuance,
To his humane and benificsat Difpofition*
F This

¦ i i^ -)
riis pious Undertakirlg was attended witli fuci Socc|^|:.
Undei;,j^^ Mahagemient andi^onduft,, - "- -
.•.¦»*rhe Number -jof Swfe^ dxceedel^ffi-ee • OTsiti'U^wd ,'^^^
An Hundred' and Fifty-eight Theu^d.
He was indefatigable and fuccefsfullilcewlfe '
Jn procuring Two large Jrapreffioris of the' Welsh Bi'b!.e4,
Whiclj were fold' at a low Price, for the '.,-¦-,
t, -.*• --'JBfelefir'of the -POoi-J' '" J'"'
He compofed and .puMffie'4"Teveral 'utetul Boo'^,
, on,'KeligKjjiS'Subj|as,^in Wel'fK; and; Eiigliflil '
He fouglit" out- all Opportiinides of 'doing Good;
f Twas the fiufinefs of his Life. to. apprpve 'hinifelf
<¦ - ¦ - 6n "all Occafions,
,.,The vigilant .and faithfiil Paftor, -
rhg' fincere and devout Chrlltian,
The G.ooD Man. , . „ ^. .,
JFhough placed in an inferior i^tatiop in the ChurfV
. "He performed Services iij the Cahfe of Religion ¦ ' *
which would haye reftefted a Lu^re ;
¦ 'on the ¦ Higheft. ¦'-'
*" • ¦ Ths' Divine Providence, " ' '
tvhich had. lent hira as acBlefEhg, toi. his Country,
Was pleafed , to remove^ Jyn^i" .
, On the" Eig^hth Day of 'April,' i7(Ji,
In the StvEispTV-EiGHTH Year of his- Age,
To an Eternity of Happinefs iti' Heaveii,
-^W-here his Converfation had alway sf "Isee^ ¦'/" '

''Ihis Monument was erefte'd by ^ Perfon defirous\of paying eve?»'
Mafk of'Regai-d td'fiich diftin^lfH^M^j| ' ;\^; :•'>'

.^•: ^- f ^.

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