incompatible with fixed attention to the business of the body. It necessarily leads to more or less noise and confusion, and thus interrupts the attention of others, as well as our own. What

would be the consequence if every member of such an assembly, were to be thus continually changing his place? It is evident that all composed attention to business would be impracticable. Rely upon it, that learning the art of sitting still in a deliberative assembly, is, in itself, a matter of no small value. Choose a seat, then, in the beginning as much adapted to your convenience as you can select. without some good reason for a long as the body continues to sit. found there. However irksome this first, habit will soon reconcile, and afterwards attach you to the practice; and if generally practised, its advantages would be great indeed.

Retain it,

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18. Remember that EVERY THING WHICH IS INTENDED TO BE WEIL DONE IN A CHURCH

COURT, OUGHT TO BE WELL PREPARED OUT

OF DOORS BEFORE IT IS IN RODUCED.

There are men-even good men-who take a sort of pride in being considered as the unprompted and unaided authors of certain favourite measures, which they wish to distinguish themselves by bringing forward. Hence they take counsel with none, suggest even their purpose to none, until it is made the subject of

a publick motion. There is a littleness in this, unworthy of a truly elevated mind; and it is as indiscreet as it is little. He who is about to introduce an important proposal into an ecelesiastical assembly, ought to remember that he can have no private or selfish interest in the proposed measure; and, therefore, that he ought not to desire to carry it, unless it be really adapted to promote the cause of truth and righteousness. And in order to ascertain this, he ought, in all cas s, to be desirous of knowing how the aged, the wise, the experienced, and the pious, regard his projected measure. If they unanimously, or generally disapprove it, he ought to be very certain of its wisdom, and of their being under a mistake, before he brings it forward.

Let me advise you, then, when you are about to bring any important plan or measure before a church judicatory, always to consult at least some of the most judicious, prudent, pious and influential members of the body, beforehand, out of doors; taking their opinion of the feasibility and usefulness of the plan; and, if they approve it, soliciting their countenance and aid in carrying it into effort. The advantages of this course are numerous. The measure will be more likely to succeed. It will probably be carried with more unanimity and comfort. Every wise adjustment in private, will both

shorten and mollify debate in publick. And if, in the course of this out-of-door consultation, there be so much opposition manifested, as to convince you that the proposed measure cannot succeed, the probability is, notwithstanding all your overweening fondness and zeal in its behalf, that it is less wise than you imagine, or at least, ought to be postponed.

19. Perhaps you will smile when I gravely offer another counsel on this subject ;-which is, that, when engaged from day to day in the important business of an ecclesiastical judicatory, you should practice MUCH SELF-DENIAL, AND EVEN ABSTEMIOUSNESS, WITH RESPECT TO THE INDULGENCES OF THE TABLE. Perfect temperance in a minister of religion is, of course, at all times a duty, and at all times important. But I now speak of a self denial special and peculiar; of a restraint upon appetite more vigilant than usual, and for a great moral purpose. This is no easy matter. When large numbers of ministers and other ecclesiasticalmen are convened in a papulous town, their meeting seldom fails to be attended with much hospitality, and not unfrequently with strong temptations to luxurious indulgence of the convivial kind. The consequence is, that after a hearty dinner, in which no common rule of temperance has been transgressed, the mind is less active, less prepared for intellectual or moral la

bour, and, of course, less fitted to discharge the duties of the judicatory. It will tend to obviate this evil, if you take considerably less than your usual quantity of aliment, during the whole continuance of the sessions of the judicatory. You will certainly, in this case, if your mind be properly intent on the business, enjoy yourself far more; and perform every duty more to your own satisfaction. Depend upon it,-lightly as some may consider this thing,much feasting is very unfriendly to the discharge of duties in wi ich a large portion of wisdom and piety is needed.

20. Let all your conduct in judicatories BE

MARKED WITH THE MOST PERFECT CANDOUR AND UPRIGHTNESS.

That a minister of the gospel, in an assembly of his brethren, should be guilty of gross dishonesty or falsehood, is a supposition so abhorrent to every right feeling, that I will not suppose it possible. Yet it is certain, that men in the main upright and pious, do sometimes, in the transaction of ecclesiastical business, and especially in attempting to carry favourite measures, indulge in a species of indirect management, which minds delicately honourable, and strictly desirous of "shunning the very ap pearance of evil," would by no means have adopted. Such are all the little arts of concealment and deception which are sometimes prac

tised, even in ecclesiastical business ;-revealing only part of a plan, and carefully drawing a vail over those features of it, which it is well known a large majority of the body would object to, if aware of the whole plan; making insidious proposals, under the name of concessions; in short, engaging in a constant system of covert generalship, for overreaching and entrapping those, who, it is known would never co-operate, if they were made acquainted with the whole scheme.

It is surely unnecessary to employ argument to show that this is a hateful character, and that every christian minister ought to abhor and avoid it. You are not bound, indeed, to tell every body your whole mind, on all subjects; not, perhaps, to disclose all the facts you know on a given subject under discussion. But you are bound to deceive no one; to overreach no one; to spread a trap for no man's feet or conscience; to avoid all crooked and disingenuous policy to give no man occasion to say that you hoodwinked, or cajoled him, by representations which, if not false, were insidious. On the contrary, let all your plans be such as you would be willing to avow to the whole world; and let all the means which you employ for carrying them in effect, be such as perfeet integrity, honour and candour will justify. Ne