and then purfues them no farther than the end, he has in view, the edification of others, not his own credit, demands from him.

" word

By this rule, the preachers of the are to conduct themfelves. By the fame rule, it will, therefore, be but juft to estimate their charitable labours; and, when we fee nothing to admire in them, to conclude, That this plainness of character may not be always owing to incapacity, but fometimes, at least, to dif cretion and the higher regards of duty.

And this candour, as liable as it is to misinterpretation, will not be thought exceffive, if you reflect, that, as, in general, they are bound to confult the good of their charge, and to deliver nothing to their auditors, but what they foresee, or prefume at least, will be useful to them: So

II. in the next place, The degree of that utility must be regarded by the prudent difpenfer of God's word, and can only

be

be estimated by the apparent wants of thofe, to whom his inftructions are addreffed.

It is an especial part of the householder's prudence to take care, that his treasure be laid out on thofe, who have moft need of it. He has enough to do, perhaps, to fatisfy the more preffing demands of his domestics; and the rules of a good œconomy require that he regard those, before their humourous inclinations, or even their more tolerable neceffities. To fpeak in Jewish ideas, He, that wants a coat, to defend himself from the injuries of the weather, must be fupplied with that neceflary garment, though he go without a cloak; or, when a piece of bread is called for, it must be administered to the hungry, though others be made to wait for their delicacies of milk and honey; or, a lamb from the fold may be served. up at an ordinary feaft, while the fatted calf is reserved for fome more folemn occafion.

Just

Juft thus it is in the difpenfation of the word. We apply ourselves, first and principally, to relieve the more impor tunate demands of our hearers; and, not being able, at the fame time, to provide for all, we prefer the cafe of those who are starving for the want of neceffary inftruction, to that of others who are in a condition to fubfift on what hath already been imparted to them.

Hence it is, that we are molt frequent in preffing the fundamental truths of the Gofpel: as well knowing, that very many have yet to learn, or at least to digest, the first principles of their religion; and that few, in comparison, are either prepared, or enough difpofed, to go on to perfection.

There are those, perhaps, who expect us to clear up fome nice point of cafuiftry, or to lay open to them the grounds and reafons of fome obnoxious article in the Chriftian Creed: in a word, they would take it kindly of us, if, dropping the common topics, which have been long and much

worn

to

worn in the fervice of religion, we provided some fresh ones, for their entertainment; and instead of the stale fragments, which are always at hand, and lie open all the family, we served up to them something of better taste from the inner rooms of our ftore-houfe, where our choiceft viands are laid up. All this is extremely well and in due feafon, fo far as is fitting, the charitable dispenser of God's word will not be wanting to their expectations; for he has gathered nothing, however rare or exquifite, in the course of his household industry, of which he does not wish them to partake. But, for the prefent, he finds this indulgence to be out of place: he fees, that the plainest duties of life, and the most unquestioned articles of the faith, are, firft of all, to be inculcated: he perceives, that numbers want to be put in mind of old practical truths: and perhaps he understands, that even those, who are the most forward to call out for novelties in fpeculation, do not make this de

mand

mand with the best grace. He could amuse them, it may be, with a curious theological Lecture: but what if their sense of divine things be dead? what if they want to have their minds stimulated by the admonitions, and their confciences alarmed with the terrors, of the Gospel?

The question is not put at hazard. For fo, the Roman Governor was impatient to hear St. Paul concerning the faith in Chrift; when yet the Apostle chofe to reafon with him of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come: plain moral topics, fuch as had often been difcuffed before him in the schools of philofophy, but were now refumed to good purpofe; for in the end, we are told, Felix trembled.

Even, in the case of those, who may be decent in their lives, who are enough instructed in what is called morality, nay, and would take it ill to be thought wanting in a competent share of religious knowledge, a difcourfe on the elements of the faith may not be, altogether, unseason

5

able.