to it by us, as they would have approved it, if it had risen from themselves; I advise such, as they love their everlasting peace, to make out to Christ for a cure of such cankered minds; and let them know that this duty hath its rise neither from them nor us, but from the Lord; and is generally approved by his church: and for my part, let them, and spare not, tread me in the dirt, and let me be as vile in their eyes as they please, so they will but hearken to God and reason, and fall upon the work, that our hopes of a more common salvation of men, and of a true reformation of the church may be revived. I must confess that I find by some experience that this is the work that must reform indeed; that must expel our common prevailing ignorance; that must bow the stubborn hearts of men; that must answer their vain objections, and take off their prejudice; that must reconcile their hearts to faithful ministers, and help on the success of our public preaching; and must make true godliness a commoner thing, through the grace of God, which worketh by means. I find that we never took the right course to demolish the kingdom of darkness till now. I wonder at myself, how I was kept off from so clear and excellent a duty so long. But I doubt not but other men's case is as mine was. I was long convinced of it, but my apprehensions of the difficulties were too great, and my apprehensions of the duty too small; and so I was hindered long from the performance. I thought that the people would but have scorned it, and none but a few that had least need, would have submitted to it. The thing seemed strange, and I stayed till the people were better prepared; and I thought my strength would never go through with it, having so great burdens on me before; and thus I was long detained in delays, which I beseech the Lord of mercy to forgive. Whereas, upon trial, I find the difficulties almost nothing, save only through my extraordinary bodily weakness, to that which I imagined; and I find the benefits and comforts of the work to be such, as that I profess, I would not wish that I had forborne it for all the riches in the world (as for myself). We spend Monday and Tuesday from morning to almost night in the work; besides a chapelry, catechised by another assistant, taking about fifteen or sixteen Families in a week, that we may go through the parish, which hath above eight hundred Families, in a year; and I cannot

say yet, that one family hath refused to come to me, nor but few persons excused themselves and shifted it off. And I find more outward signs of success with most that come, than of all my public preaching to them. If you say, it is not so in most places: I answer, 1. I wish that be not much long of ourselves. 2. If some refuse your help, that will not excuse you for not affording it to them that would accept it. If you ask me what course I take for order and expedition; I have after told you: In a word, at the delivery of the catechisms, I take a catalogue of the persons of understanding in the parish; and the clerk goeth a week before to every family to tell them when to come, and at what hour; (one family at eight o'clock, the next at nine, and the next at ten, &c.) And I am forced by the number to deal with a whole family at once; but admit not any of another to be present (ordinarily).

Brethren, do I now invite you to this work without God, without the consent of all antiquity, without the consent of the reformed divines; or without the conviction of your own consciences? See what our late Assembly speak occasionally, in the Directory, about the Visitation of the Sick. It is the duty of the minister, not only to teach the people committed to his charge in public, but privately and particularly to admonish, exhort, reprove and comfort them upon all seasonable occasions, so far as his time, strength, and personal safety will permit. He is to admonish them in time of health to prepare for death; and for that purpose, they are often to confer with their minister about the state of their souls, &c.'-Read this over again, and consider it. Hearken to God if you would have peace with God: hearken to conscience if you would have peace of conscience. I am resolved to deal plainly with you, if I displease you. It is an unlikely thing, that there should be a heart that is sincerely devoted to God in the breast of that man, that after advertisements and exhortations, will not resolve on so clear and great a duty as this is. As it is with our people in hearing the Word, so it is with us in teaching. An upright heart is an effectual persuader of them to attend on God in the use of his ordinances; and an upright heart will as effectually persuade a minister to his duty: as a good stomach needs no arguments to draw it to a feast, nor will easily by any arguments be taken off: and as a

child will love and obey his parents, though he could not answer a sophister that would persuade him to hate them; so I cannot conceive that he that hath one spark of saving grace, and so hath that love to God, and delight to do his will, which is in all the sanctified, should possibly be drawn to contradict or refuse such a work as this; except under the power of such a temptation as Peter was when he denied Christ, or when he dissuaded him from suffering, and heard an half excommunication, "Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." (Matt. xvi. 22, 23.)

You have put your hand to the plough of God; you are doubly sanctified and devoted to him, as Christians, and pastors; and dare you after this draw back and refuse his work? You see the work of reformation at a stand; and you are engaged by many obligations to promote it; and dare you now neglect those means by which it must be done? Will you shew your faces in a Christian congregation, as ministers of the Gospel, and there pray for a reformation; and pray for the conversion and salvation of your hearers, and the prosperity of the church; and when you have done, refuse to use means by which it must be done? I know that carnal wit will never want words and show of reason to gainsay that truth and duty which it abhors; it is easier now to cavil against duty than perform it; but stay the end before you pass your final judgment. Can you possibly make yourselves believe that you should have a comfortable review of these neglects, or make a comfortable account of them unto God? I dare prognosticate, from the knowledge of the nature of grace, that all the godly ministers in England will make conscience of this duty, and address themselves to it; except those that by some extraordinary accident are disabled, or those that are under such temptations as aforesaid. I do not hopelessly persuade you to it; but take it for granted it will be done: and if any lazy, or jealous, or malicious hypocrites, do cavil against it, or hold off, the rest will not do so; but they will take the opportunity, and not resist the warnings of the Lord. And God will uncase the hypocrites ere long, and make them know to their sorrow, what it was to play fast and loose with God. Woe to them, when they must be accountable for the blood of souls! The reasons which satisfy them here

against duty, will then be manifested to be the effects of their folly, and to have proceeded radically from their corrupted wills and carnal interest. And (unless they be desperately blinded and seared to the death) their consciences will not own those reasons at a dying-hour, which now they seem to own. They shall feel to their sorrow, that there is not that comfort to be had for a departing soul, in the review of such neglected duty, as there is to them that have wholly devoted themselves to the service of the Lord. I am sure my arguments for this duty will appear strongest at the last, whatever they do now. And again I say, I hope the time is even at hand, when it shall be as great a shame to a minister to neglect the private instructing and oversight of the flock, as it hath been, to be a seldom preacher; for which men are now justly sequestered and ejected. And if God have not so great a quarrel with us, as tendeth to a removal of the Gospel, or at least to the blasting of its prosperity and success in the desired reformation, I am confident that this will shortly be. And if these lazy, worldly hypocrites were but quickened to their duty by a sequestering committee; you should see them stir more zealously than all arguments fetched from God and Scripture, from the reward or punishment, or from the necessity and benefits of the work can persuade them to do. For even now, these wretched men, while they pretend themselves the servants of Christ, and are asking, What authority we have for this work? And if we could but shew them a command from the Lord Protector or Council, it would answer all their scruples, and put the business beyond dispute; as if they had a design to confirm the accusation of the Papists, that their ministry only is divine, and ours dependeth on the will of men. Well! for those godly, zealous ministers of Christ, that labour in sincerity, and denying their worldly interest and ease, do wholly devote themselves to God, I am confident there needs not much persuasion. There is somewhat within that will presently carry them to the work and for the rest, let them censure this warning as subtlely as they can, they shall not hinder it from rising up against them in judgment, unless it be by true repentance and reformation. And let me speak one word of this to you that are my dear fellow-labourers in this county, who have engaged yourselves to be faithful in this work. It is your honour to lead

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in sacred resolutions and agreements: but if any of you should be unfaithful in the performance, it will be your double dishonour. Review your subscribed Agreement, and see that you perform it with diligence and constancy. You have begun a happy work; such as will do more to the welfare of the church than many that the world doth make a greater stir about. God forbid now, that imprudence or negligence should frustrate all. For the generality of you, I do not much fear it; having so much experience of your fidelity in the other parts of your office. And if there should be any found among you, that will shuffle over the work, and deal unfaithfully in this and other parts of your office, I take it for no just cause of reproach to us, that we accept of your subscription, when you offer to join with us. For Catechising is a work not proper only to a minister; and we cannot forbid any to engage themselves to their unquestionable duty: but in our association for Discipline we must be somewhat more scrupulous, with whom we join. I earnestly beseech you all in the name of God, and for the sake of your people's souls, that you will not slightly slubber over this work; but do it vigorously and with all your might; and make it your great and serious business: much judgment is required for the managing of it. Study therefore how to do it beforehand, as you study for your sermons. I remember how earnest I was with some of the last parliament, to have had them settle catechists in our assemblies; but truly I am not sorry that it took no effect, unless for a few of the larger congregations. For I perceive that all the life of the work under God, doth lie in the prudent, effectual management of searching men's hearts, and setting home the saving truths: and the ablest minister is weak enough for this, and few of inferior place or parts would be found competent. For I fear nothing more, than that many ministers that preach well, will be found too unmeet for this work; especially to manage it with old, ignorant, dead-hearted sinners: and indeed if the ministers be not reverenced by the people, they will rather slight them and contest with them, than humbly learn and submit; how much more would they do so by inferior men? Seeing then the work is cast upon us, and it is we that must do it, or else it must be undone; let us be up and doing with all our might, and the Lord will be with us. I can tell you one thing for your encouragement: It is a