by his continued visitation; and then say, oh thou that neglectest the life of thy brother, whether he must not be highly displeased with that neglect? May he not reasonably expect, that while he, the Lord of heaven and earth, condescends to become thy guardian, thou shouldst learn of him, and be, according to thine ability, and in thy sphere, a guardian to the whole human race, and shouldst endeavour, in every instance, to ward off danger from the life, from the soul of thy brother!"

And that these thoughts may enter into the mind with all their weight, it is added once more, in this pointed form of interrogation, Will not he render to every man according to his works? "I appeal to thine own heart, is he not a being of infinite moral, as well as natural perfections, and will he not, as The Judge of all the earth, do right †? Would he not have remembered, and rewarded thy generous care for the preservation of the miserable creature in question? And, on the other hand, will he not reckon with thee for such a failure? Human laws, indeed, cannot punish such neglects; but the supreme legislator can, and will do it. Think of these things, and guard against such fatal negligence in every future instance: think of them, and humble thyself deeply before God, for every past instance, in which such guilt has been incurred."

You easily perceive, from this explication of my text, that as I hinted above, I might very properly make it the foundation of a discourse" on the care of souls in general,” addressed to persons of all ranks and professions in life; especially to parents, and masters, and heads of families and they will indeed have an evident share in what I am to say, and therefore I would bespeak their particular attention to it. But considering the occasion of our present assembly, and also considering how much of their fidelity, in the performance of their duty, will probably, under God, depend upon the exhortations, instructions, and assistances, they receive from us, I shall chiefly address these things to you, my reverend fathers and brethren in the ministry; and intreat your patient and candid attendance, while I speak to you with all possible plainness and seriousness, as in the name and presence of our common Master.

God is my witness, that I mean not to insinuate the least disrespectful thought with regard to any one of you. Indeed I have not the least temptation to it, for I can say, with equal integrity and pleasure, that I believe few of your profession

I have argued the matter at large with them in my Sermons on Education.

in the christian world, glorious as that profession is, and happy as it is in many that adorn it, are more constant, more upright, or more zealous, in the course of their public ministry. I repeat it with great cheerfulness, that I am inwardly persuaded, few of the servants of Christ are, or in any modern age have been, more faithfully solicitous to declare to their people the whole counsel of God, or to enforce their public exhortations, by the silent, but powerful eloquence of a blameless, a holy, an exemplary life. And of this, I assuredly believe, you have a testimony in the consciences of all around you, and even of multitudes who are not the stated attendants on your labours; and who perhaps, in such a case, are under some temptations to err on the severe, rather than on the candid extreme. So that in this respect, I could cheerfully say, would to God, that all your brethren in the christian ministry, throughout the nation, and the world, were even as you! Nevertheless, permit me to say it without offence, for I say it in the fear of God, and with the sincerest deference and friendship to you, I am afraid, the extensive and important obligations of the ministerial office are not generally considered, and remembered among us, as they ought. I apprehend, much more might be done for the honour of God, and the good of souls, than is commonly done, I will not say, by those careless and profane wretches, who undertake the tremendous charge merely for the sake of worldly emoluments; by those whom the plainness of prophetic language calls Dumb dogs, that cannot bark, and greedy dogs, that can never have enough; but even by those, who in the main have a principle of true religion in their hearts; by those, who keep up the exercise of public worship in a regular and honourable manner, and appear not only irreproachable in their conversation, but, if considered as in private life, bringing forth the fruits of righteousness. The learned, the wise, the virtuous, the pious minister, is, I fear, often negligent of a considerable part of his trust and charge; and thereby fails, to deliver, as he might, those that are drawn unto death, and perhaps are just ready to be slain. To awaken our spirits therefore from that insensibility in this respect, into which they are so ready to fall, and so to improve the present opportunity, that The man of God may be perfect †, and thoroughly furnished to every good work which our office requires, I shall take the liberty,

I. Briefly to consider, what excuses we may be most ready to offer, for neglecting the souls of men.

II. Seriously to represent the great evil of that neglect in the sight of God, notwithstanding all those excuses. After which,

III. I shall add a few hints by way of reflection, as the time may admit.

And if a consciousness of my own past neglects, and an ignorance of circumstances in the congregations of my brethren, lead me to suppose some deficiencies greater than they really are, and to give any cautions, which their diligence and zeal render unnecessary, with regard to some that hear me, they will, I hope, forgive me this involuntary wrong. I am far from the thought of charging any particular person, and ground most of the remarks I now present, on what is obvious in the temper of mankind, and on those infirmities of human nature, to which the best of men are obnoxious, however by divine grace they may be conquered in a few of the most eminent for fidelity and zeal.

I. I am to consider, what excuses we may be ready to make, for neglecting to do our utmost for the salvation of men's souls. Now I imagine one of the first thoughts, which may present itself to our view upon such an occasion, may be this:

1. That we do something considerable for that purpose: And particularly, that we take care for their instruction in public; reading the word of God to them, when they are assembled together in his house; explaining, and enforcing it, in our expositions and sermons; presenting prayers and praises to God, in their name; and, at proper seasons administering the sacraments, in such a manner as we judge most agreeable to the institution of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so far indeed, it is well: and a most wise and gracious constitution of our blessed Redeemer it is, that such ordinances should be administered, on solemn stated days, and by men appropriated to that employment; in consequence of which, such knowledge is dispersed, as may be, and undoubtedly is, through the divine blessing, effectual for the salvation of many souls. So that ministers, cannot go through the external and public services of their function, without giving their hearers some great and valuable advantages, far beyond what the professors of any other religion can find in the rites of their various, and generally absurd, and superstitious worship. And I am not afraid to say, that this would make the christian ministry, even in the hands of ignorant, careless, and vicious men, a blessing to the nation where it is settled, so long as

reading the scriptures, and almost any kind of prayers, in an intelligible language, make a part of divine service in their assemblies. Much more then will it be so, in the hands of wise, sober, and religious men, though, through human frailty, they are much less zealous and active, than it were to be wished they were, or than they ought to be.

But while we are thus pleading our diligence and care in the administration of public ordinances, it will be kindness to ourselves, seriously to ask our own hearts, at least, how they are administered. It is, as I have elsewhere hinted, a very important trust, to have the management of men's religious hours committed to us; their seasons of social worship being, comparatively, so short, and so infinitely momentous. Methinks we do almost, as it were, put our own lives in our hand while we undertake it, and may justly tremble on the view of that awful account which we are to give for it.

I hope, Sirs, we have the testimony of our own consciences before God, that we do not, on these solemn occasions, content ourselves with cold essays on mere moral subjects, however acute, philosophical, or polite; nor make it our main business, in our sermons, to seek the ornament and elegance of words, the refinements of criticism, or the nice arrangement of various complex and abstruse argumentations. When we speak, in the name and presence of God, to immortal creatures on the borders of eternity, I hope we entertain our hearers with plain, serious, and lively discourses, on the most important doctrines of christianity, in their due connection, and their relation to each other, in such a manner, as we, on mature consideration, do verily believe may have the most effectual tendency to bring them to God through Christ, and to produce and promote in their hearts, through the divine blessing, the great work of regeneration and holiness. I hope and trust, that God is our witness, and that the people of our charge are witnesses, that not one of those that diligently attend on our ministry, though but for a few succeeding sabbaths, can fail to learn the way of salvation, as exhibited in the gospel; and that we speak of it, as those that are in earnest, and do from our very souls desire to answer the great ends of our ministry, in the prosperity of the Redeemer's kingdom, and the eternal happiness of those invaluable souls whom he has committed to our care. Otherwise we may incur great and fatal guilt, though public worship be constantly and decently carried on, and though a reasonable proportion of time be employed in it, with numerous and attentive auditories; to whom

we may be As the lovely song of one that has a pleasant voice*, while in the ears of God, for want of that fervent charity which should dictate and animate all, we are but as Sounding brass, or as a tinkling cymbal†.

too.

But granting, as I would willingly suppose, and as with relation to you, my brethren, I do firmly believe, all these reflections can be answered to satisfaction: here is indeed a part of your duty honourably performed, and an important part of it But is that part, though ever so important, to be substituted for the whole? The diligent inspection of our flock, pastoral visits, the observation of the religious state of families, personal exhortations, admonitions, and cautions, by word or letter, as prudence shall direct, the catechising children, the promoting religious associations among the younger and the elder people of our charge, and the strict and resolute exercise of discipline in the several churches over which we preside; are these no parts of our office? Will we say it with our dying breath, will we maintain it before the tribunal of Christ, that they did not belong to the christian ministry? And if not, will our care in other parts of it, be allowed as a sufficient excuse before him, for our total omission of these? We have preached, and prayed, and administered the sacraments. These things we should indeed have done; and when we had taken the care of congregations upon us, we could hardly avoid it; but surely our own consciences will now, or hereafter, tell us, that we ought not to have left the others undone‡. But we may perhaps for a while elude the conviction, by pleading,

2. That the care of particular persons more properly belongs to others; and especially, to heads of families, who have more opportunities of being serviceable to those under their charge, and indeed have the most immediate concern in them.

It certainly does. But does it belong to them alone? Or if it did, do not they belong to us, and to our care? And is it not the part of every superior officer of a society to see to it, that the subaltern officers be careful and diligent in the discharge of their duty? And in this case, are we to take it for granted, that in our respective congregations heads of families are of course so? That they pray in their families; that they read the scriptures, and other good books there, especially on the evening of the Lord's day; that they catechise their children, and solemnly press upon them, and upon their servants, the serious care of practical religion? Are we roundly to conclude,

* Ezek. xxxiii. 32.

+1 Cor. xiii. 1.

Mat. xxiii. 23.