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humbling truths and promises which you recommend to the most illiterate of your hearers. In a word, I am persuaded that ministers, by their exemplary manner of attending on the ministrations of others, may, and often do, preach as solemnly, and impress those around them as powerfully, as by the best services which they ever perform in the sacred desk.

21. Avoid MUCH EXPOSURE TO COLD AIR IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING THE PULPIT. You ought to be aware that cold air received into your lungs, or striking on your body, while you are warm with speaking, is peculiarly dangerous, and may be productive of fatal mischief. Carefully avoid such exposure, especially in very damp or piercing weather. When you leave the church, in such weather, throw around your person a warm cloak. Hold it up in such a manner as completely to cover your mouth and nostrils; and take care to inhale none but the air which is inclosed, and the temperature of which is moderated, by your cloak. let me add, take all these precautions at night with very particular care. Some preachers, after having addressed crowded assemblies, in very cold weather, in the evening, do not scruple to ride home, several miles, at a late hour. This is always dangerous, and ought never be done without wrapping up with peculiar care,

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and using every precaution to guard your body and lungs against the night air.

22. When you have been a hearer, DO NOT QUIT THE CHURCH CRITICISING ON THE SERMON, AND ESPECIALLY IN AN AUDIBLE VOICE. This is not unfrequently done; not always in the happiest manner; and sometimes, unfortunately, within the hearing of the preacher. The character of a criticising hearer of sermons, is not a very good one at best. He is not likely to obtain much practical benefit from hearing. And when he proclaims his criticisms, at the very door of the sanctuary, or on his way from it, he, perhaps, extends an injury to others. Always be a candid hearer of other men's sermons. When you can speak favourably of them, do it; but not noisily or publickly. When you are constrained, if you say any thing, to censure, give utterance to your sentiments as gently and as privately as possible, consistently with christian integrity.

23. Finally; as I advised you to go from your knees to the pulpit, so I would, with equal earnestness, advise that you GO FROM THE PULPIT TO YOUR KNEES. If you are faithful, you will often exhort your hearers to retire from the church to their closets, to meditate, and implore the divine blessing, on what they have heard. And why is it not equally the

privilege and duty of ministers to meditate and implore a blessing on what they have said? Nay, has not the spiritual guide more numerous and more solemn reasons for following all his efforts with his prayers, than any other person? It was well remarked by an old divine, that "the minister who is more before his people in publick, than he is before God for them in private, has little reason to expect a blessing on his labours."

LETTER XI.

And the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter.

ACTS xv. 6.

CONDUCT IN CHURCH JUDICATORIES.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,

I have repeatedly had occasion to observe, that every part of the deportment of a minister is important, both to himself and the church. He cannot be said, in the discharge of any official duty, to act for himself alone. In all that he does, the whole body of Christ has an interest. But this remark applies to no part of his duty more strongly, than that which he performs as a member of the Judicatories of the Church. When a minister takes his seat in any one of these Judicatories, he places himself in a situation in which every thing that he says and does, may, for what he can tell, exert an influ

ence to the remotest bounds of the Church to which he belongs, and may have a bearing on the comfort, respectability and usefulness of his brethren, as well as himself, to an extent which no one, at present, can measure. In this situation, he is called continually to act with others, as well as for others; and almost every hour to give a touch, more or less important, to the Ark of God.

To suppose a steward of the mysteries of God," capable of addressing himself to duties so peculiarly interesting and momentous as these, with levity or indifference, would be to suppose either a want of consideration, or a want of principle, truly deplorable. Here, if ever, he ought to be awake to all the solemnity of his situation; and to be anxious to summon to his aid all those dictates of wisdom and holy fidelity which he continually needs. He who does not feel deeply serious, when he is about to deliberate, with his brethren, on the great concerns of the Redeemer's kingdom, and to take steps which may vitally affect that kingdom, not only in a single congregation, but in many congregations, has little indeed of the spirit of a watchman on the walls of Zion"" And he who is not aware of the danger, that his own prejudices, passions, and folly may interpose an unhallowed influence in all his deliberations and discussions on these great concerns,

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