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A CHARGE, &c.

MY REVEREND BRETHREN,

The last time I met you here I delivered to you my thoughts on scriptural education, and on the importance of catechising as the best mode of preparing your several flocks to profit by your preaching. To-day I shall request your attention to a few remarks on some further particulars of our duty as parochial ministers.— For the time is short," my reverend brethren, and though there are many topics of temporary interest which might fitly as well as naturally engage our thoughts-yet I cannot but feel that however much the well-being of our church may be affected by the working of this or that Act of the Legislature-its stability, under God,

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depends mainly on something else: "We must take heed to the ministry, which we have received in the Lord, that we fulfil it.”*

Then, I trust, my reverend brethren, that I shall not be deemed presumptuous in the advices which I shall have to give. For though I speak before many, both my elders and my betters, the great majority here present are much my juniors-and four-and-thirty years' experience in the charge of a populous parish, has at least made me acquainted with the evil consequences of many misapprehensions, as well as of much negligence of my own earlier ministerial life. A great deal which I have left undone, I would have you do the snares into which I have fallen, I would have you escape: or, if I have seen the advantage of any particular course of conduct, I could desire that you should have the benefit of my testimony respecting it. Neither am I indeed under any serious dread of being accounted intrusive by you. It would be hypocrisy as well as ingratitude if I affected to doubt your confidence; and besides this, there is an honest zeal to be useful, manifest now among the clergy generally, far beyond what was observable when I knew them first; and the more heartily persons are engaged in an important work, the more ready will they ever

*Col. iv. 17.

be to listen candidly to an exposition of their obligations.

I refer you then at once to those of our ordination vows which relate to the ministrations required of us in the congregation and from house to house in our several parishes. On these heads we have all promised-" The Lord being our helper,"-first, "that we will give our faithful diligence always so to minister the doctrine and sacraments, and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded, and as this church and realm hath received the same, according to the commandments of God: so that we may teach the people committed to our cure and charge with all diligence to keep and observe the same." And next, that we will "be ready with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines, contrary to God's word; and to use both public and private monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick, as to the whole within our cures, as need shall require, and occasion shall be given."*

Now I do not intend to speak of church discipline-neither can I enter into anything like a full discussion of the many other important particulars included in the words rehearsed; but I will briefly touch upon some chief points.

*Ordination Service.

Mark first, however, one or two things which

relate to all our vows alike. “Will you give your faithful diligence?" it is asked-" will you be ready with all diligence?" This way of speaking implies that our calling is to nothing less than unremitting labour and circumspection that having counted the cost carefully, we are honestly devoted to our work, so as to have laid it down as a principle, that all other things must yield to it. And doubtless particular admonitions can be of little use to any who view the ministry which they have received in any other light than this. However, "if a man strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully."* Let us note, therefore, another thing which holds throughout. The demand is "Will you teach the people committed to your cure and charge? Will you exhort and admonish within your cures ?" The sphere of our operations and responsibility is defined. Nor can any arrangement be, in a general way, more conducive to edification, than that which assigns to each pastor his proper flock, and to each individual his proper pastor. And accordingly we stand pledged to two things: Not to interfere with the charges of other men, and actually to make ourselves acquainted, as far as possible, with every one of our own people.

*2 Tim. ii. 5.

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