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to inftruct the People in the nature of their SERM. Duty; which fure can imply no less than I. that the People should attend and give ear to their Inftructions. As often as they have any particular case which they want to have refolved; they should be fure to make it known to them with all its real circumftances, and not disguise the truth by any means, where a mistake may turn to their irreparable lofs.

But the more ordinary method of inftruction, and which at prefent I would chiefly infist on, is public in the preaching of the Word. With regard to this, Men are exhorted to be fwift to hear, and to receive with meekness the engrafted word*: And a mighty privilege it ought to be esteemed, that God has been graciously pleased to provide thus for their inftruction; and fo no doubt they will efteem it, who are duly fenfible of their being ignorant in many things; and negligent in what they know. For fuch, we may take notice, is the end of preaching, not only to reform, but to remind; not only to tell men what they knew nothing of before; but as (St. Peter teaches) to fir up their minds, and put them in remembrance: So that Men of the greatest parts and learning need not be alhamed to hear.

* James i. 19.21.

For as no Man's know

+ 2 Pet. i. 12, 13.

ledge

may

SERM. ledge indeed is fo great as to be incapable I. of all increase, but the truths he believes be enforced with new arguments, or the fame arguments be fet in clearer light; fo all Men are but too apt to grow remifs and heedlefs, and want to have their affections at least excited, if not their intel lects informed. They who boast their own knowledge, to excuse their omiffion of this Duty, have, I fear, as much occafion as any, for this part of the Preacher's Office: And it may be, if they were at the pains to examine themselves impartially, would find reafon fufficient to reproach their ig norance: At least it ought to be confidered that preaching is the ordinance of God, inftituted with defign to minifter Grace unto the bearers*: And therefore be the Preacher himself ever fo unworthy, or ever fo ill qualified to inftruct others; this can never make the grace of God of none effecti but they who attend with honeft and religious minds, may expect his bleffing on their pious obedience to his inftitution. He therefore that defpifeth, despiseth not man, but God: For fo, by a very just and equitable conftruction, may they be faid to do, who defpife or neglect thofe facred Ordinances which his wisdom has appointed. And let them boast as they please, either of their

* Eph. iv. 29. + 1 Theff. iv. 8.

own

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own knowledge, or of their reading bet- SERM. ter Sermons at home than they can hear at I. Church: I am fure, they can have no good reafon to expect God's bleffing on any private endeavours, fet up in oppofition to the public ordinances of his own appointment. But,

3. Thirdly, it is not enough to confult and hear their Teachers, they must go on farther to follow their advice. This likewife appears from the nature of the thing; for the People would feek the Law in vain, if they were not obliged to take notice of it afterwards.

Not that they are bound neither to receive every thing that is taught them in this manner: For then they would be fometimes under a neceffity of receiving contradictions. Their Teachers, alas! are frail and fallable as themselves; and though their education and leisure may give them better opportunities of enquiry, yet are they not abfolutely fecured against all poffibility of error and mistake. Nay, they' have the fame coruptions in their nature with other Men, and may fometimes poffibly through the temptations of Covetoufnefs, Ambition, or Applaufe, join in the fame base designs, and purpofely endea your to deceive and delude the People.

What remains therefore in this cafe to be done, is, that all Men fhould use the : MOL. III. oppor

D

I.

SER M. opportunities they have, and not rely folely on the judgment of their Paftors: That they would pray to God in the first place for the illumination of his holy Spirit, and then make use of all thofe means of information he has put into their hands; discourse with their religious neighbours and acquaintance, fearch the Scriptures diligently as their condition will admit, and not implicitly follow their fpiritual Guides, where by the due use of these means they might be able to confute them. But where their judgment fails, and they find they are not able to determine; there it is but decent to refer themselves to them, who by their education and profeffion of life are better qualified; efpecially where they know them to be Men of Knowledge and Integrity. For they are under the ftricteft obligations to inform them right; they watch for their, Souls as they that must give account; and if the People, after a diligent use of all means proper for their condition, should by them be deluded, we have reafon to hope, they will not fuffer for an ignorance which is invincible; but their blood shall be required at the Watchman's hands*.

Such as these we are forced to make our rules of action in matters of far lefs importance. No man that defires to live, would

* Ezek. xxxiii. 8.

take

1.

take what he knows to be a cup of poifon, SER M. though it were recommended to him by the I. ableft Physicians: And yet where his own knowledge does not carry him fo far, no one would blame him for obferving the prefcriptions of the Learned. So again, that Traveller would be certainly to blame, who being in a dangerous road where he is unacquainted, fhould refufe the direction of authoris'd and skilful Guides; and yet he on the other hand, would as deservedly be thought a mad Man, who fhould venture to follow them into known Bogs and Quickfands. Juft fo then the People must not follow their fpiritual Guides, where they I can find them to be wrong: But in other refpects, they ought to ufe Their understanding as a direction to their own.

4. Fourthly, the laft thing to be observed upon this fubject, is, that the People are obliged to avoid all fuch Teachers, as act of their own head, and without Commiffion. And after what was fhewn under' the FIRST head of Difcourfe, that the Minifters of the Gospel are the Ambassadors of Chrift; and afterwards by way of inference. from thence, that no one is qualified for this Office, who is not ordained to it, according to Chrift's Inftitution; one would think, it fhould need but little labour to. evince, that all who are not fo commiffioned, and yet pretend to, execute the fa-D 2 cred

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